Tares City

87. The Kennedys

Luke Kennedy sits, leaning further back into his leather armchair as he brings his class to his lips. He favors his sip of the oldest bourbon from his collection, swirling it in the glass as he shut his eyes and sighed–a small smile on his face.

Everything was going well, better than he'd ever imagined. More opportunities were on the horizon, and he planned to grab and exploit them all. Starting with the downfall of Berlins and his mayoral campaign.

He could accomplish the two tasks together, like easy conquests.

A knock at his door sounds, Luke calling out for them to enter.

"Dad." He hears his son, Jerald, greet him as he enters the office.

"No problems, I assume?" He asks, gesturing for him to sit.

"None at all," Jerald begins. "Josie just got back with the new shipment of L-XV. We finished distributing what we had on hand and will start the new batches tomorrow."

"Perfect."

"Our scientists also perfected the L-XV vapor. I went to the lab this morning and saw it for myself. The effects kick in much faster this way. I'm organizing teams to hit different locations, businesses, restaurants, and hospitals."

"Well done, son," Luke praises.

"What now?" Jerald enquires.

"We give it one, maybe two days, let the chaos ensue. Have hunters patrolling, ready to intervene in our prime target areas. We don't want my voters dead after all." He says the last part with a chuckle. "Then I have my rally, secure all the votes, and we move on."

"Things could not be going better." Jerald smiles.

"Indeed. Makes me angry to have wasted time on that revolution with Marshall. The fool running off before anything significant was done. Useless mutt." Luke scoffs at the memory.

"Do you have a specimen for the showcase as yet?"

"No, but I'm just being picky if I'm honest. I want the perfect Lycan for this. Not too scrawny, not too out of control."

"I hear you." Jerald nods, his phone beginning to ring. "It's Josh." He enlightens his father before answering.

"Hey, what's up?" Jerald answers, Luke watching as his son becomes more rigid as their conversation goes on. "Where are you now? How bad are you hurt?" Jerald asks into the cell. "Where is the beast?" He demands, Luke sitting up straighter now.

"I'm coming. I'm sending a team ahead of me. Don't do anything stupid Josh, I'm coming to get you!"

"What is it?" Luke demands harshly, and Jerald gets up from his seat. "What happened to your brother?"

"Don't worry about Josh. He's fine. I'm going to find you your perfect specimen, Dad." Jerald says lowly.

~

Jerald did exactly as he promised. Luke Kennedy stood in front of the cage, impressed by his son's capture. "Well done." He praises, circling the cages, glancing at the men being ushered to medical.

"Five dead, seven injured. He's a hell of a fighter, this one," Jerald comments, raising his voice to speak over the loud growling.

"Your brother?"

"Home, pouting." Jerald shrugs.

"The girl?"

"Gone."

"A problem then..."

"Maybe...most likely. What should I do?"

"Nothing. This is your brother's mess. He'll clean it up." Luke says as the Lycan bashes against the cage, almost toppling it over.

"Get it into one of the larger ones. This temporary thing won't hold him for long. What's its name again?"

"Jensen. Jensen Carter."

~

Two days after his plan went into motion, Luke Kennedy called the people of Tares to him. Now he stood before some of them, his face being broadcasted to the rest. It's time for the next phase.

"Citizens of Tares." He begins, his powerful voice traveling over the mic. "I come to you in full transparency, as I need to share with you something very important. The truth. A secret I have been keeping from you, but I can not keep it any longer! What I am about to share is going to shock you, scare you, and make you question everything you thought you knew about this world! But fear not! Because I am here, and as I expose you to the truth, I vow to you, that I will be here to see you through it!"

A murmur of unease spread throughout the crowd, all wondering what was going on.

"I have been doing all I could to keep this city safe," Luke starts up again. "I have been doing it in the shadows, keeping the secret that has existed for years, doing the work that needed to be done. But I do not have that luxury any longer... No... It is getting too dangerous now to keep this a secret. You all must know." He pauses, waiting for the murmur to die down.

"We human beings are not at the top, as we'd like to believe." He bellows, waving his hand to the men who stood to the side. The six of them slowly roll a large covered, container-shaped object onto the stage. It tilted back and forth with loud bangs; the people in the crowd standing and becoming more anxious now.

With the six men were six more who walked with guns in their hands and tactical gear covering their body. The murmurs were loud now, bordering on hysterical.

"What I am about to show you is the truth that has been living in the shadows. The threat among us!" He yells, yanking the sheet off.

The Lycan growled low, but the screams and shouts of the crowd drowned it out.

"Perfect." Luke Kennedy smiles at it. Leaning closer to the cage, he locks eyes with the Lycan. "Smile for the cameras, Jensen Carter."

~

Jerald Kennedy sat with his foot up on the small glass table before him, much to the annoyance of his younger brother.

"Don't fret, Josh. We caught him. Just look at him up there in that cage!" He tells him cheerfully.

"Why did you give him to Dad? I want him dead, not famous!" Josh argues back. "I wanted to kill him, Jerald. It was my right! He's mine. You had no right to take him from me and, much less, give him to Dad!"

"In case you forget, Josh. You're the one who calmed me, bleeding and panicking." Jerald rebuts.

"That didn't mean I wanted you to give him to Dad to be a show pony!" Josh yells.

"She's going to see this! This is going to make things -"

"You can't be serious, Josh!" Jerald interrupts. "This is one conquest you are never going to get a handle on!" Jerald laughs. "Kill her or leave her alone, Josh. Those are your only options now."

"No."

"Josh, she's going to be a problem. You see that, right?" Jerald presses.

"You're wrong. I can still get to her." Josh declares, making his brother sigh.

"Out of all the women in the city, you go after a sympathizer..."

"Shut up. I'm going to get her. She will be mine."