***
Four days after their return to Guero's fortress, Alpha walked into Catherine's office. She has since rearranged things and gotten in touch with some of her father's men. Enough of them wanted to work with her only after the second meeting she had with them. The first was when she knew nothing about the order of things and this time, Sam stood in for her. She never knew he had a separate meeting with the gang. They accept to follow her after he showed them a letter from Alex Guero. He now knows she's not Elvira but was told by Martha to be quiet about it.
"Here is the order," he said. "Alex Guero wants you all to obey his daughter. He wants you to help her achieve greatness and he wants you all to swear an oath of allegiance to her. You must not rebel against her."
The room roars in awe. Some of the men and women stumbled out muttering as they went. It's strange to report to Elvira, they know her to be selfish.
"Not that spoilt brat. I can not obey her."
"Sam," a woman said, "If Alex knew she'll end up plotting his death. He would not have written that. I'm out of here."
A pair of others left too.
***
"I have come to say thank you, Elvira." Said, Alpha. "You helped us."
"Don't start that. Have a seat. Do you want a cup of tea?"
"It's alright," He glanced at her as she poured him some tea from a jug. Her fingers crossed and look smoother than most he had seen. Smallsvile is mostly inhabited by peasants, though his mother wasn't one, she moved here with him from the capital after her divorce from his stepfather.
"You want some bread?"
"Oh, never mind."
"I insist." She smiled.
He smiled too but couldn't take his eyes off her. Her beauty bonds his thought and makes his heart wander around. Minutes later, she caught his gazes and said, "What is it?" He quickly turned away. She blushed.
"I don't know. I need to go now. By any chance, did you send me a message last week?" He asked, thinking she sent that love text not knowing it was Damien pranking the hell out of him.
"No. Why are you asking?"
"Oh, never mind. Just need to confirm something."
"Alright. But you can tell me."
"I'll see you later. Damien just messaged me."
"Alright. See you soon."
When he left, she flickered and walked to the door peeking at him. She knew he still thinks she's Elvira even though Sarah told her to tell him the truth but she's enjoying his look and his innocence when around her. He appears powerless when he's around her. She realized he was in love with her too and she has started liking him.
"I wish he comes over and kiss me. Look at him."
She sat back thinking about him, love, how they'll start, what their first kiss will look like, and how one day they'll get married.
***
The next day, at dawn, a boy was arrested stealing from Guero's clothes. He was lanky and has a longer nose than usual. He was followed into the questioning room. The windows are open. Four on all sides of the walls. A painting of Geuro reclines on the wall flanking the boy and Alpha, and Catherina and Damien and Sarah.
"He might not be telling us the truth. I have seen a situation like this before."
"What made you think isn't, Sarah?" Catherine asked.
"Look at those fingers. They are fresh and soft. Planters' fingers aren't like that. So he lied."
"Why did you say you are a planter, boy?" Alpha asked. The boy looked shocked by the question. He only wanted the money and thought it was easy.
"Aren't you going to talk?" Damien yelled.
"I was sent by someone to bring them. They are gonna give me money."
"That's the truth. I know what they want from the clothes. You caught him with a case too, right?"
"Yeah, Gruff, came in with him with a case."
"You can take him away. I know what this is."
***
The lab
The lab was relocated too into the fortress. It's now located in the warehouse. That, they think, will camouflage their operations there. Sarah mounted the pulpit, her hair plaited into cornrows.
Four of them are present and Sam stayed the good guard of the door.
"That was an attempt to steal your father's germ cloud. We all have one and we leave them wherever we go. Our microbiome is impressive. They can use that to clone him. Though the finding is new here. First came across the founder's explanation of what a germ cloud can do."
"Someone is after my father's clothes. We need to guide the boy very well. He most not go anywhere."
"Yes," Sarah said and adjusted her pink glasses. They came with a frame she loves. "And the theory of how to use a germ cloud, this way, was started by your grandfather."
"My grandfather?" Catherine said, surprised.
"Yes. I was going through my grandfather's files when I saw the papers. They were never published after his death but someone is using them. When the type of clones is made, they don't have consciousness. More like zombies but they're not after blood."
"What are they after?" Alpha asked.
"They kill with guns. Heartless and stronger."
"Does any exist now, Sarah?"
"I don't know, Damien. We need to prevent that. I think the boy can lead us."
***
The 7th Alley is far away from the others and for anyone to get there you have to stroll through the badlands unless you have a desert vehicle ready to take landmines in to get to the border. Everything here is different. The people are mostly hybrids with longer hairs of all kinds. They have a tavern where they meet at night to discuss progress, solve problems, and merry.
Martha Stewart is known and whoever she brings into 7th Alley is safe. They have been doing business with her for fifty years and she has been loyal to them.
When they crossed over to the lands, after the mines, Martin Nicholas inhaled and held his head. He sweated through it all but he doesn't want to give up on his friend. Alex Guero means so much to him and they must meet again.
The sun was about to reach its zenith when they entered the city. The natural walls and murals with gardens everywhere, and trees, welcome their eyes. Alex thought they were in heaven.
"What's this place?"
"This is 7th Alley. I sanctuary away from many but with lots of people around. I'm from here because I have been with them for that long."
"This place is beautiful, serene and I feel calmness."
"In the busy realm where everyone runs around to make more and more, happiness is limited. Each person here only learns to follow their dreams. Dreams shaped by what's around."
They walked into a street, it's the market square. There was no noise. People buy and sell barely saying a word but smiling.
Beyond the market is a chalet in futuristic design and around it, people move on overboard.
"Those are the guards. The Fifth Guards of the realm. Most of the buildings are libraries and research centers. Not even the Dikkops know about it."
"So Alex is in there?"
"Yes. He is eating well.." She laughed. " I got him here through my contacts working with him. Do you know the boy, Samuel? His father was an assassin but a nobleman."
"Alex's gatekeeper?"
"Yes. He's from here too. I have him there on a mission. Alex s She has been going below the water for weeks now. It helps her focus her mind. She came out again and put on the light. Tim appears before her, in the tub. She wiped her face with a towel and smiled. She wanted to see him, discuss her plans, and how to get rid of Andrea after she finished using him. Andrea has started liking her. There was a day he nearly kissed her but she pushed him away pretending it was a joke.
"Tim, I want to focus my energy on destroying my sister's realm first. The others will follow."
"Sure. Do that."
"I have the backings of Andrea's pack and we are working to bring in three others. In the end, all of them will be dead and I will rule alone."
They both started smiling when she heard a knock on her door.
"Who is there?"
She quickly moved out of the tub and reached for a knife.
"Who is there?"
The knock came again stronger. She took cover then remembered her pistol was in her pocket across the bathroom. She rushed to the sink, took the pistol, ran back to the door, and opened fire on it.
When she opened it, it was her cat and a mouse.