#Chapter 185 – Loyalties
Walsh’s voice crackles over the amplifier. “Move!” He commands, 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…”
“They’re yours, brother,” Rafe says, “if you command them. Their allegiance is bound, tentatively, to
Joyce – not to Walsh or Willard. 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
his commanders’ shoulders.
“Betas,” he says, his voice strong with command. “We accept 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.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWith them now regained, Victor has by far the most powerful military force in the country. He’s
unstoppable.
And Walsh?
“Betas, forward face,” he commands, 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 Willard’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 the complicated system of stairs and ladders 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 –
Willard, sitting dirty on the watchtower floor, his forehead dripping blood from a deep cut.
Victor barely looks at him before commanding that he be taken into custody. Willard 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!” Willard 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, coming 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 –“
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“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 Alpha compulsion on the Betas holding him,” he says, and Victor’s eyes
go wide to hear it. “He commanded 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 of command 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,” Victor commands. “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, communication, 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.”