Chapter 29 Zack
Chapter twenty-nine
Zack
Al puts his arm across the open doorway, blocking my path out of the cell.
I rumble faintly in warning, but he lifts his brows. “What’s the rule today?”
“Don’t leave you,” I mutter sullenly.
“Exactly.” He lifts one finger. “At no point are you to be more than three steps away from me, no matter how bored you get. I promised Callisto Wren I’d take care of you, and I mean to get paid.”
I snort and jerk my chin at the door.
Al pushes through ahead of me, gaze swinging around the upstairs walkway as we exit.
He holds me back until the other cells empty, and then heads toward the stairs.
“Today’s the prime time to go after you to finish the job, while you’re relaxing your guard but still somewhat injured.
” He glances at me over his shoulder. “Not that anyone can tell.”
I flatten one hand over my ribs. They ache a bit, but the pain barely registers, and I can breathe through my nose just fine now. Nothing like the days when I fought for my life.
Al stops me again at the head of the steps and scratches his face, one finger pointing oddly up.
“See that tiny black dome over my shoulder? It’s a camera that watches everything we do .
. . like an eyeball. If you want to get your revenge, you need to do it either somewhere the cameras can’t see or when something else is blocking the view. ”
A red light flashes in the glassy dome, and I hum under my breath as understanding clicks into place. “Acting. Record to watch later.”
He grunts. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying, but don’t hit anyone where those can see.”
As I follow him down to the open area below for lunch, I notice more of the black domes. “Cameras everywhere,” I mutter.
“And that, my simple friend, is the problem. We gotta look for somewhere we can break the line of sight.”
I nod. The people my ohm-ga works with have cameras, and they talk about angles all the time, so I think I get what he means. But instead of getting a clearer recording, Al wants to block the view. My hands heat with the expectation of battle.
We join the lunch line and as I grab a tray and hold it out for food, I sharpen my fighting instincts and scan the room to see what else I can learn.
Alphas watch us as they eat, whispering behind fists and hunched shoulders. I hear the words Tax Collector and hit as well as back from the hospital. In the corners of the room, some alphas start trading small orange-and-white sticks.
“What sticks?” I ask Al, leaning right over his shoulder.
He shoves me off but follows my gaze. “Cigarettes, for smoking.” He moves along the line, collecting rice and mixed green leaves. “They’re betting on how long you’re going to stay alive.”
“Long time,” I say immediately.
Al laughs. “Right. Should I join the betting?”
“Sticks good?”
He shakes his head. “Not for you, but I like a smoke now and then. They make you cough.” He thumps his chest and fakes a hacking noise.
“Then why use?” I grumble. People are so hard to understand.
Al grins and shrugs like he doesn’t know either.
When the man puts leaves on my dish, I stare at the green mass and think of how Ri-ckon always added more to my meal. “More,” I say. Maybe they are the source of his hidden magic.
The alpha with the food pincers sighs but obeys.
“Good,” I say before moving on.
Al snorts, but I don’t know what the joke is.
When I turn to scan the tables, I spy a familiar face.
The young alpha from the long vehicle sits at the far end, but three alphas hover around him, one leaning on his shoulder.
I stride across the room, and Al follows, grumbling about how he’s supposed to lead.
I plop my tray down on the table loudly, making the alphas flinch. The three bigger ones glare at me as I sit down.
“What?” I ask them, rumbling faintly in warning. “I eat here.”
“Why are we here, exactly?” Al mutters, eyeing the group.
I point my plastic fork toward the wide-eyed alpha hunched over his meal tray. “This Owen.”
Al leans his elbow on the table, looks from me to the standing alphas, and taps one finger on the metal surface. “That’s your cue to piss off, boys.”
The alpha leaning on Owen’s shoulder raises his hands and backs up a step.
“All right, Alhedy. We want no beef.” He smirks, and the expression makes me think of cold nights on concrete floors.
“But I wonder if you’ll be singing such a pretty tune once your sidekick here gets taken down a few more times. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be next.”
Al bristles, his scent and invisible challenge rising together.
It’s thick and pungent, enough to unsettle me despite our deal.
Another growl rattles my chest, adding to the challenge in the air.
Owen shrinks down until his head almost touches his food, and sweat trickles down his neck to turn his orange collar dark.
The three alphas back up, using words Ri-ckon tells me not to say, and then tear themselves away and flee.
Both Al and I wait until they’re on the far side of the room before settling. I reach over and shove Owen’s head back. “I said, give no holes or thoughts,” I tell him, annoyance leaking into my tone.
He nods, sadness in his eyes. “I remember, but I’m not strong like you.”
“No one like Zack,” I confirm with pride. “But all alpha can challenge.” I rise enough to reach him and tap the back of my fork to his chest. “Breathe. Fill space with death. Then push toward alpha. Challenge.”
Al sighs. “This idiot means get angry enough to wanna kill someone and then let it show.” He twirls his own fork between me and Owen. “How exactly do you two know each other?”
I stab a pile of greens and turn it side to side, looking for magic. “Met on . . . what long vehicle on trip from hospital?”
“The bus?” Al chuckles, shaking his head before attacking his food. “Fuck me sideways. My kindergartner is making friends at daycare now.”
“Bus,” I mutter, tucking the word into the space between my ears. I eye my cell partner, not liking his tone. He’s mocking me, but I let it slide since we have a deal and he’s teaching me about cameras.
Owen’s chest rises with a big breath, and he straightens in his seat. “Thank you for the help, sir.”
“Don’t thank me. The giant man-child chose to sit here; I’m just sticking close.”
“Okay.” Owen looks from me to Al and plucks at his collar, mopping up sweat. “Is something, ah, different about Zack?”
Al chokes on a laugh. “You clocked that, huh?” He goes to drive his elbow into my side, but I block him. “This is a one-of-a-kind feral, an alpha who grew up in fighting rings and never learned how to be part of society. Get this—he doesn’t even know why he’s in here.”
“Do,” I grumble around a mouthful. “Disobeyed. Hit and kicked people.”
Al shrugs, smiling. “Well, what can I say? He’s learning.” He fills his fork with pasta and waves it toward me. “Zack also happens to be the second most dangerous alpha in here, physically at least.”
Owen stiffens. “Who’s the first?”
“Me, of course,” Al says, chest puffing out.
“Wrong.” I shake my head. “Zack beat Al any day. Not kill because of deal.”
Al sputters in denial, but I ignore him.
Owen goes pale and looks from me to Al, lots of white in his eyes showing. “Is he serious?”
“Afraid so.” Alhedy wrinkles his nose in my direction. “Killing probably comes more naturally to him than saying please and thank you. Anyway, how’d a wallflower like you end up in here?” Al cocks his head. “Cybercrime or something?”
“Something like that.”
Al scoffs and pokes me. “You like this kid, Zack?”
I nod. “Good boy. Said truth on bus when idiot alpha touched me.”
Of course, Al wants to know the whole tale, and I let Owen talk since I’m not much good with words. Al’s laughter echoes through the open room as he hears about the idiot who wanted to think for me.
I’ve almost finished my meal when a familiar, unwelcome scent washes over me, and I jerk around in time to spot the alpha who hurt my omega approaching from behind.
Every nerve in my body snaps to attention, and I vibrate with a low, murderous growl.
All the ways I’ve silenced alphas flashes into my thoughts and I picture every method landing on the fucker’s body.
Al rests a warning hand on my arm. “What an unexpected honor to meet the Laversham Tax Collector in this hellhole,” he says, voice dark with unwelcome.
The alpha, Ray, smiles. I clench my fists, dragging back on the desperate need to punch that mouth right off his face.
Every alpha in the room tenses as he glances around and then waves one hand at me. “I just stopped by to see how your injured cellmate was doing. Such a terrible accident to happen, right under everyone’s noses.”
I can’t speak because if I open my mouth, I’ll latch my teeth into his throat. So I sit, quivering with challenge. Restraining myself has never been harder.
“He’s healthy as a horse,” Al says. “You know how these pit fighters are—quick to heal and come back with twice the vengeance.”
One corner of Ray’s mouth lifts in a sneer. “I didn’t have any interest in your situation, Alhedy, but I advise you to be careful about picking sides here. You’re awfully exposed, this far from home.”
My growl rises to an audible note.
Al shrugs and wraps one arm around my shoulder, adding enough pressure to keep me in my seat. “Well, you know the unwritten code as well as I do. Someone went after my cellmate, so I can’t just let it go, can I?”
The bastard alpha opens his mouth to speak more shit, but another prisoner rushes up to him and whispers in his ear. Ray’s face turns pale, and he whips around to his friend. “The lab? When?”
“Early this morning, boss.”
It’s faint, but I catch a whiff of fear leaking from him. Ray jerks as he remembers us, and his glare seems to cut me as he says, “This isn’t over.”
Al waves with loose fingers. “Be seeing you.”
Ray storms down a side hallway, but I can’t bear to turn my back, even after he’s out of sight. Al pats my shoulder. “Well, now I’ve truly signed my death warrant.” He sighs and swivels back to his food. “Good job, Zack. That can’t have been easy.”
“Who was that?” Owen asks.
Al grunts. “Remember I said we were the two most dangerous alphas physically? Well, that special lunatic is the most dangerous because of his influence. And he wants to tear young Zack here to pieces. Fun, right?”
I look over my shoulder to find Owen staring, wide-eyed and quivering from the combined alpha challenges.
I bare my teeth at him and slap my chest. “Don’t shake. Zack bring fucker to his knees.”
Owen gulps.
“Did you catch that fear?” Al asks me, and I nod. “Something happened on the outside.” He cackles like Ri-ckon’s green bird. “Your boy Callisto is tightening the screws, just like he promised.”
I look up, a flush spreading through me that has nothing to do with fighting. Cal-ee is dangerous in his own way, with words and rules, and he’s outside these walls, fighting for me. So are Red and Ri-ckon.
I grab my plate and shovel more green fluff into my mouth, chewing at top speed. “Hurry. Go find camera spots.”
“Find what?” Owen asks.
Al leans across the table and whispers, “We’re looking for the blind spots so Zack can get his revenge. The bastard we’re hunting did you-know-what to his omega.” He makes a weird swinging gesture.
Owen chews on his lip for a moment before glancing up at one of the black domes. “I might be able to help with that. But I want you to have a word with my cellmate.” Traces of fear rise in his scent, so I guess he doesn’t like the person.
“I can do that and more.” Al chuckles and rubs two fingers together. “If you help us, I’ll put you on the official payroll, now that we have one.” He slaps my back. “You’ll have your revenge before you know it, Zack. Just hold it all in until then.”
Hold it in. Like I did in the small, bare cells when my head constantly ached and the cold seeped into my bones. Hold it, waiting for the moment the gate opens and I face my challenger.
A snarl ripples through me.