The Blackwater Chronicles: Lex & Lawe

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"So now that you have my life story what's yours?" Lex asked as Lawe finished tending her wound. He looked up at her from where he crouched on the floor and studied her. She was tired and he didn’t know where she was drawing energy from. Most humans would have been passed out sleep by now and here she was asking for his life story. "Oh I got it. You were all part of the same military platoon, but you came back from some war and the government did a bunch of experiments on you, without your consent of course, so all of you went rogue and moved to this sleepy little town to hide. Did I miss anything?" He waited to see if she was joking.

"What makes you say that?" He asked nervously when he was sure she was not joking.

“Well it’s obvious that you guys have military training and when I saw Blythe fighting she was faster than any MMA fighter I’ve ever seen. Keep in mind that I’ve seen some of the best.” She waited to see if he would tell her she was crazy, she truly believed that she was making up a fanciful tail that couldn’t possibly be true, but the longer she waited the longer the silence drew out.

“Let’s get some rest and I’ll tell you everything in the morning,” he said, then without warning he pulled her from the chair into his arms and began carrying her up the stairs.

“What about Ryker?” she asked. He was surprised when she didn’t insist she could walk on her own, a true testament that she was tired.

“I’m sure the others have already sent scouts to the pit stop. The rat will be fine.”

“What is it with you people and animals and he’s helping us out so why call him a rat…”

“Because it’s what he is,” Lawe said interrupting another one of her rants. She had the habit of defending people who really didn’t need defending in the least. “I’m a wolf and so is Duane. Blythe is a leopard and Zeph and Karik are lions.”

“I don’t understand,” she said. He took an exasperated breath. He’d hoped she would be well rested before he had to tell her she was stuck with a freak for the rest of her life. There were no qualms in his mind that she would stay with him, it was just a matter of if he would have to force her or not. It was clear to him since she’d told him of her past that she trusted him. He just hoped that she would believe him too.

“Have you ever heard of designer DNA?” he asked.

“Yeah they used to use it to alter people’s features for cosmetic reasons. They still use it in babies to prevent genetic diseases,” she said not understanding where he was going with his story.

“Not long after they started doing that the government outlawed DNA changes on anyone after they were born. There are too many different ways to change the DNA strand that could make a person untraceable. Around the same time, another branch of the government got the idea of splicing animal and human DNA. They started the first experiments in 2020 and had their first success in 2028. They immediately tried to find a way to make it into a weapon. From infancy the Ferals…”

“Ferals?”

“That’s what they named us. Ferals and the department that created us are called The Federation of Feral Studies. They trained us from infancy as soldiers and they experimented on us. They are firm believers that we are worth only the money they can save with disposable soldiers. They honestly believe that we are as stupid and impulse driven as the animals whose DNA we share…Maybe that was true with the originals, but with me and the others in this town we are fairly balanced with Human and animal DNA.”

“So when you say you’re a wolf…”

“With us it’s easiest to distinguish ourselves using our animal features. I have wolf DNA as does Duane and a few other town members and we call ourselves a Pack. Look, let’s just leave the rest of this ‘till…”

“Rat; you weren’t trying to insult him. You were just saying what he was…”

“He can’t be trusted anymore than you can trust a real rat…”

“You just implied that you weren’t very much like the animal that you share your DNA with.”

“Sorry that was wrong…not completely but…we…some of us growl. We have heightened senses of smell and hearing. Some of the instincts are there and then some of them aren’t. I don’t howl at the moon…well not any more than any other human guy. I’m possessive and I’m an Alpha.” He stopped. “Even if I wanted to trust the rat I can’t. The fact that he was even there means that Sinclair must have some connections to the FFS, they may have…”

“He said they would want me, why?”

“Our mothers…Most of our mothers weren’t willing. They didn’t give us up we were taken. Not only that but…they were impregnated against their will. They started out with women that wouldn’t be missed and then they started choosing targets from more elite sources. They’d scout colleges, boarding schools, and anywhere else they could find healthy females. With the fighting ability you just told me you had it would make you a prime candidate. You’re healthy, young and intelligent and…they can easily make you disappear.  No one would ask questions if you went missing because your brother was your only family…” He looked at her face and noticed that she’d gone pale. “I won’t let them get you I swear.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

“Why do you care?” she asked tilting her head up. There were tears in her eyes; he could tell she was scared to trust anyone with her wellbeing.

“Because…you are mine,” Before she got a chance to say anything to his chauvinistic declaration, he crashed his lips to hers.