Chapter 185


    #Chapter 185 – Loyalties


    Walsh’s voice crackles over the amplifier. “Move!” Hemands, his voice failing to persuade his


    Betas. “Forward, troops!”


    Walsh’s troops grimace, but they hold their position of surrender. Some gunfire explodes from the


    watch tower at Victor’s troops but they shield against it expertly and hold their stance, their guns still


    aimed at their apparent enemy kneeling before them.


    A very small, specialized group of Victor’s own Betas begin to fire on the watch tower now, drawing


    Walsh’s attention and fire away from the mass of Victor’s forces, giving Victor a moment to think.


    “What is –“ he says, still confused, looking at Rafe. “What’s…”


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    “They’re yours, brother,” Rafe says, “if youmand them. Their allegiance is bound, tentatively, to


    Joyce – not to Walsh or Wird. And Joyce isn’t here today – that’s what Evelyn was trying to tell you.


    That you need to attack now because Joyce is gone – no one knows where.”


    Victor frowns at this, feeling Evelyn all over it. He would bet his life, right now, that she knows precisely


    where Joyce is.


    “When I was over there,” Rafe says, “I talked to some of their captains. They’re still allegiant to you,


    Victor, the man who trained them. In Joyce’s absence, especially since the original deal was a cheat,”


    he hesitates and then grins, “I think you can take them back.”


    Victor blinks at his brother, considering for a moment, and then Victor flips a switch on the radio on his


    shoulder, connecting to all of the megaphones on the vehicles behind him instead of to the radios on


    hismanders’ shoulders.


    “Betas,” he says, his voice strong withmand. “We ept you into our ranks. Stand, now, and


    make your allegiance known.”


    As one, Walsh’s army gets to their feet and raise their hands to their foreheads in salute. A salute


    pointed directly at him, at the back of the Kensington army, not to Walsh.


    Victor can’t help the thrill that races through him at this. The Betas are his, his army again back


    together. It’s bigger, even, than it had been before, swelled as it is by the Rogue forces which he had


    incorporated at the loss of these very Betas.


    With them now regained, Victor has by far the most powerful military force in the country. He’s


    unstoppable.


    And Walsh?


    “Betas, forward face,” hemands, his voice again carrying out over the field. The Betas formerly


    under Walsh’s control turn then, facing the barracks.


    “Forward march,” Victor says, his voice cold and full of power.


    The Betas respond, marching forward into the open gates of Walsh’s Beta encampment, seizing it for


    the Kensington pack.


    The next few hours move quickly.


    Victor leaves Rafe in the hands of his Beta medics and moves forward with his troops, working hard to


    sweep the enemy base and ensure that they had full control.


    Not all of Walsh and Wird’s men were his former Betas, and so there were still a few pockets of


    resistance, notably at an un-exploded armory where they had entrenched. Victor let two of his Beta


    captains handle that fight while he turned his own attention to the watch tower.


    It was a tricky situation, as no matter how many forces he had on the ground, there were only so many


    people that he could send up theplicated system of stairs anddders at once. Walsh’s forces, at


    the top, did not give in without a fight.


    However, eventually they surrendered and Victor climbed to the top of the secured tower, his heart in


    his throat.


    When he reached the top, though, he was greeted with grave Beta faces.


    “They’re not here,” sir, one of his Captains tells him, giving him a brisk salute. “Walsh and Evelyn –


    they’re gone.” He gestures, then, to the one prize still remaining –


    Wird, sitting dirty on the watchtower floor, his forehead dripping blood from a deep cut.


    Victor barely looks at him beforemanding that he be taken into custody. Wird was never the real


    threat in any of this – he was merely an ambitious upstart who had sided with a greedy old Alpha who


    had nothing to offer but an ancient name.


    “Kensington!” Wird growls, working to sit up and get Victor’s attention. But Victor starts down the


    stairs, ignoring him.


    He has more important things to concentrate on.


    When he gets to the bottom of the tower, his Beta scouts are ready to report.


    “Sir,” one says, giving him a salute. “We checked the footage and tracked some tire marks we found –


    Walsh escaped almost immediately after his Betas turned on him and joined our forces. They went


    west,” he says, gesturing towards the hill over which Walsh’s house stands.


    Victor nods, unsurprised. If they hadn’t found them by now, then Victor assumed that they had


    escaped.


    “Is she with him?” he asks, his voice brusk.


    “Yes, sir,” the Beta says, not needing to ask who ‘she’ is. “We have footage of them loading her into the


    van. If I may, sir…” he hesitates, not wanting to push too far.


    Victor looks at him and nods, giving permission for him to continue.


    “They’re aware, sir,” the Beta says. “That she’s the only thing they have to draw you forward.”


    “Not the only thing,” a voice says from behind.


    Victor frowns, turning to see Rafe standing there, looking pale, his arm in a sling.


    “Rafe,” Victor says. “Why – you should be resting –“


    Rafe slowly shakes his head. “Victor,” he says,ing forward. “You should know. They took Alvin


    too.”


    The blood drains from Victor’s face as he hears his brother’s words.


    His son – god damnit –


    “Where are they,” Victor growls, looking beyond Rafe for the two Betas who he assigned to take care of


    his son.


    “At the back,” Rafe says, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Brother,” he says, his voice low with warning.


    He gives Victor a look, reminding him to control himself


    Victor straightens his shoulders, working hard to contain his panic, his emotion. Evelyn, he knew, had


    been taken –


    But Alvin, his son – who he had promised to protect –


    “It wasn’t totally their fault, Victor,” Rafe said, working to keep his brother’s attention. “Alvin ran from


    them –“


    “He what?!” Victor says, shocked and angry, now, at his son as well. Ian, perhaps, he would have


    expected it from – but Alvin –


    “Listen, Victor,” Rafe says, growing a little frustrated with his brother. He knows that emotions are


    running high, but he has to tell him the whole story before Victor goes storming off after his family.


    Victor takes a breath and nods, urging Rafe to continue. “Quickly,” he says, eager to get moving.


    Rafe nods. “Victor, Alvin used Alphapulsion on the Betas holding him,” he says, and Victor’s eyes


    go wide to hear it. “Hemanded them to let him go, so they did – he’s the one who ordered your


    Betas to scramble, when you stepped forward the first time.”


    Victor’s jaw drops at this.


    Alvin – he was just a kid –


    There’s no way his powers should be developed enough to have that kind ofmand over Betas,


    especially ones not sworn to him, but instead to his father –


    He shakes his head – it shouldn’t be possible –


    “And thank god he did,” Rafe says, crossing his arms and looking Victor over. “If he hadn’t…you may


    have been killed, Victor. And I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to cross the field, to tell you to


    charge.”


    Victor stares at Rafe. Was it possible, really, that Alvin had intuited it all? Had saved the day? Or had


    he just been desperate, seeing his father in danger?


    Rafe gives Victor a minute to think and then smirks. “Your kids are weird, Victor,” he says, “but…they


    might just be military geniuses.”


    “Amongst other things,” Victor murmurs, running a hand through his hair and then gesturing towards


    two of his Beta captains standing nearby. They hurry over.


    “I want a small Beta team, twenty of our best,” Victormands. “Take whoever volunteers, whoever


    doesn’t need to be healed or rested.”


    The captain salutes. “And the mission, sir?”


    Victor stares westward, towards the Walsh family home. “Walsh is back in his house, I think, preparing


    for a siege. If that’s what he wants, that’s what we’ll give him. I want the whole army to surround the


    house as soon as possible – no gaps, full blockage of all power,munication, water, resources


    coming in and out. But before that?”


    The Beta captain and Rafe listen carefully.


    “I’m taking a small team in,” Victor says quietly, determined. “I’m getting my family out.”