Chapter 3

(Chapter song ‘Unholy’ by Sam Smith)

OLIVER I walk into the Prison Unit and walk up to the lobby counter.

Kenneth, the soldier tending to the front entrance, stands as I stop at the desk.

“Alpha. Your mail.” He hands me a small bundle of envelopes.

I flip through the shit I don’t care about. My mind is focused on one thing. “Are they processed?” I ask deep and low.

“Yes, sir.” He nods.

“Good.” I throw the mail on the lobby counter and walk to the door to the prison.

“Alpha…You’re mail.” He says as he holds it up.

“It’s shit from Bastian. Trash it.” I grumble as I swipe my key card and pull the door open.

“Alright.” He arches a brow and I head in.

I fix my suit jacket and walk up the static white walled hallway to the black metal door of one of the most secure prisons in the nation. Not too long ago, this place was trashed. It was utterly destroyed and I secretly thank Wes for his ridiculous mate. Her trapping the wolves in here during the red moon, allowed me to make…some minor improvements. Namely, ripping out all the garbage Cole put in. I added my own tech to make the prisoners realize this Head, doesn’t fuck around or put up with their bullshit.

I also took the opportunity to add a special wing. A place to…interrogate difficult prisoners. These ones I’m about to question won’t be there though. I think some low level, dirt rogues won’t be that hard to question. Especially, if I’m the one doing the asking.

I walk through the door and enter the intake foyer that’s connected to the Falcon Ridge Security Unit itself.

I clasp my hands and crack my knuckles. Pulling my jacket sleeves down, I approach the intake desk.

A soldier is going through some paperwork.

“Where are they?” I stop and side eye him.

“Morning…Uh, Alpha…They’re in interrogation rooms 2, 4, 10, 13 and 15.” He hands me the files.

I open the first file and flip the page to a dirty mug shot of a rogue douche. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be asking this shithead anything because he’d be missing his fucking mouth, but I guess we need to get answers somehow. So why not have a little…fun.

“Hold my calls.” I side eye him and he nods.

I leave the foyer and turn down a double wide, sick green painted hallway. Above the glass door, at the other end, is a sign that says ‘Incarceration Area'. There’s a sign underneath that that reads, ‘Authorized Personnel Only’

I lower my head and approach the entry. I stop and eye the dimly lit hall on the other side.

“Morning, Alpha.” The female guard says as she records my arrival to the prison.

“Morning.” I stand at the glass door with my hands behind my back and wait for her to buzz me in. The camera scans me as I suck my teeth and bite the inside of my cheek.

“I had fun the other night.” The dark tanned, big chested girl, twirls her black ponytail around her finger. She smiles seductively as she pushes some keys on her keyboard. “I can’t stop thinking about your huge…muscles.” She folds her arms on her desk top and bounces her brows at me.

I barely glance at her as I hear the thick, automatic blast door come to life and start to open to the prison cells.

She stands, leans her hip on the edge of her desk and pushes her chest out at me. “So…when do you think we can have fun again.” Her eyes practically undress me.

I rake my eyes over her, turn back to the door and raise my chin. “When you get some class.” I snip low and smug.

Her mouth falls open as I walk through.

“Asshole.” She grumbles as the door closes behind me.

I won’t ever soil my bed twice. That chick, she’s dirty. Not in a good way. Like I said, you get one shot from me. Just one. I won’t take attitude and I certainly won’t entertain women who don’t have respect. You speak to me with respect or I toss you in the trash. No questions.

I have low moments when I’ll just grab the first bird that comes along. There’s no substance. She’s not in. She’s just there so I can satisfy my needs and shove her off. They don’t deserve anything more than that. The women I allow into my life will have self-respect and dignity and compliment my standard of appearance. I will not allow anything less.

I have a reputation to uphold. No dirty bird will ruin that.

I meet with the guards on the inside. I can hear sounds of prisoners beaking off to one another from their cells and all the other usual sounds you’d hear in a maximum security prison.

“Alpha.” A guard salutes and I nod. He hands me the nights reports and I look through them.

I arch a brow and roll an eye to him. “Karver causing problems again?”

“Small fight with one of the reds. We broke it up. Small cuts, nothing serious.” He informs.

I press my lips together and nod. “A week in solitary should straighten that out.” I hand the report back and hold my head up.

He looks at another guard and I eye them both. “Now.” My deep voice rumbles as I bark the order.

He nods affirmation to the other guard and he leaves to move Karver to the solitary confinement wing.

“If he complains…shut him up.” I add before turning away and heading to cell block A.

That’s the difference between me and Bastian Cole. I’m not running a fucking playground to impress my father. Cole’s soft. He’s a pussy when it comes to the dirt of society. Prisons are not supposed to be nice. I don’t give shit about comfort or reform. I care about justice. As far as I’m concerned, none of these scumbags will get the justice they deserve so, I’ll throw in a touch of my own brand while barely staying within the confines of the law.

Yeah, they whine. ‘Stop hurting the prisoners.’ Trust me, you don’t prove you’re not to be fucked with, the bastards in here will run this place. Fuck that.

As I walk through cell block A, some prisoners lean on the glass walls, watching with snarls. Some pace around and others sit on their cots. I side eye them as I walk through to the processing wing.

A guard lets me in and I enter the halls lined with rooms. There’s five guards down the hall waiting for me.

I walk to the first guard and he acknowledges my arrival as I take off my jacket and hand it to him.

“Has he said anything?” I ask as I roll up my sleeves of my white dress shirt.

“No, sir.” The guard responds.

I turn to the door and the corner of my lip raises. “Good.” I say as my eyes narrow.

I tilt my head back and open the door to a cold, metal room.

In the middle is a steel table and a prisoners hands cuffed to the top of it.

His brown hair is a rats nest. One eye is swollen shut. He’s covered in blood from the fight and he’s quietly growling. The collar around his neck flashes red as his wolf tries to push through.

I eye him. “I’d put that wolf away. Another five seconds, you’ll be wishing you did.”

He squints at me and growls more.

I stuff my hands in my pockets. “3…2…”

His body is thrown back in his seat and he screams as 3000 volts of electricity flows through his body. He gyrates on the metal chair and his hands grip the metal cuff loops on the metal table as I wait.

I scratch my temple and jut my chin as he starts to drool from the charge. I look at my watch and stuff my hand back in my pocket.

I’m always impressed by my little improvement on the suppression collars. Saves the stress of a wolf trying to push past the silver.

I made the improvement after a certain super wolf was allowed to walk away from me. One day, they’re going to regret that decision when William turns on them. I know it’ll come and I’ll be there to say I told you so.

The shock stops and the rogue flops forward. Huffing and whining, he struggles to lift his head. His neck smokes just a bit from the burn of the contact under the collar. I think he learned his lesson as the collar turns blue.

I look up at the only camera in the room, reach up and unplug the power source.

“Now…If you’re ready, we can have an adult conversation.” I say as I walk toward the table.

He lifts his shaking head to me. “Fuck you, you Alpha piece of shit.” He clenches.

I slightly rub my hands as I walk around the table to where he’s sitting. I stop, look at the mirror across the way with a sneer, grab his head and slam his fucking forehead twice into the table.

He screams as blood splatters on the table. I continue to walk past him, wiping his filth of my hands.

“What’s your name?” I grumble low.

“Fuck…you…” He pants.

I stand on the other side of the table and nod. I lower my head, place my hands on the table and raise my eyes to him. His red rimmed eyes meet mine and I smirk.

In a split second, I shove the fucking table into his chest, pushing him and his chair into the wall behind him. He hollers and throws his head back as I smash his ribs with the table edge.

“WHAT'S YOUR FUCKING NAME?!” I scream loud.

“Ahh…DEREK!!” He cries out.

I pull the table back and he falls to his knees as he’s dragged out of his chair by the handcuffs.

I walk over to him, grab his hair and slam the chair under his ass.

I pick at my nails as I continue to walk around the room. His heads on a swivel, watching me.

“Derek. It suits you.” I say as I side eye him.

I stop at his side. “Why Red Rock, Derek?”

“Why not?” He smirks with bloody teeth.

I grab his hair, lean to his face and glare at him. “Wrong fucking answer.”

I slam his head into the table again and more blood splatters.

He cries in agony and I lean to his ear. “Why…Red Rock?”

“I-I don’t know…we were just told…”

I yank his head back. “That’s fucking bullshit, Derek.” I grit and slam his head again. The sound of his skull hitting the metal is almost music to my ears. That solid thud sound of some waste of fucking skin suffering, is almost a turn on. Sweet fucking justice right there.

He’s crying because I broke his nose this time. He'll live…unfortunately.

I stand straight and blow a breath. All this talking is getting me a bit heated and I need to re-center myself.

I pace around behind him. “Why?”

“Something about a lab…” He whines. He tries to lift his head, but apparently it’s a bit difficult.

I stop and my brows come together. “Red Rock doesn’t have a lab.”

“I don’t know, man. All I know was we needed to get to a lab.” Bloody drool leaves his lips as his nose begins to swell. A pool of blood starts to build a under his nose.

I lean on the table beside him. Looking straight ahead, I think for a minute, then turn to him. “What’s in it?”

He shakes his head. “Some case…I don’t know…just a black case.”

“A black case.” I nod. “What’s in it?”

He rolls his eye to me. “You won’t believe me.”

I lean closer. “Try me.” I snarl.

“I-I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard things…weird things…Michael talks with guy. This...crazy guy in a hood all the time…I heard they had to get a black skull for some guy named Lee. They told us to get the case. I-I don’t know if it’s in there, but even I know 2 + 2 equals 5.”

I blink slowly. “4.”

He scowls. “Whatever.”

I search his eyes and determine he may be just a stupid lackey.

“This case is in Alliance Labs.” I ask.

“Apparently. We never found out.” He says.

“Alliance Labs has been dead for years.” I narrow my eyes to him.

“You guys really are clueless. Alliance Labs came back on the grid three months ago. We’ve been searching them for the case.” He grits.

“Interesting.” I stand up and pace around again.

Very interesting indeed.

“This…Lee…What does he want with the skull?” I stop at the table and lean my hands on it.

He flops his body back into his chair. His face is covered in blood. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, they’re desperate to get their hands on it. Like they’re scared of it or something.”

I think some more. “Why would a chemical lab have a skull?”

“That’s your thing man. I don’t know.” He whines as he shakes his head.

I stand up and walk over to him. “OK.”

He eyes me. “OK?”

I nod, biting my top lip. “Yep.” I grab his shirt and delivered two hard, solid punches to his head and he passes out on the table.

I huff a few breaths and fix my hair. I straighten my shirt and look at the mirror.

I walk to the door and knock. The guard opens it and I step out.

I look at my bloody, dirty hands. “Take him to the prison infirmary. I’ll interrogate the rest after I make a few calls.

“Yes, Alpha.”

I walk to the rest room and push the door open. At the sink, I obsessively scrub my fingers and nails. I can’t stand not being clean. Rogue filth irks me to no end. I want to kill them just for that.

Except her…I don’t know why.

I dry my hands off and inspect them. When I’m satisfied, I pull out my phone.

The other end picks up.

“Jackson. I have information for you…Alliance Labs is active…I know it’s impossible, but that’s what I got…I don’t fucking care, Luke. Them attacking you is your fucking problem. Check the damn lab…You’re looking for a black case. One of the rogues spilled that Michael wants it…I don’t know…Just look. I got four more to go through, maybe they’ll tell me more…Alright…Quit being a whiney bitch…Fuck you, too.” I hang up, roll my eyes and look down at my phone.

I grit my teeth, open my contacts and hit call. I put it on speaker because I realized I had shit on my shirt.

The phone rings as I grab some paper towels and soap. I wet it and start to scrub the blood and dirt off the carefully washed and pressed, white button down.

“Fucking douche.” I grumble as I scrub at the stain.

“Hello.”

I roll my eyes to the phone on the counter. “What are you doing?” My deep, monotone voice slightly echoes in the washroom.

There’s a pause. “I don’t know what you mean, Oliver.”

“Alliance Labs, dad. They’re active. What the fuck are you doing?” I grit. I wet the towel and continue washing my shirt.

“What I have to. What we vowed to do.” He responds.

“Half the Ten are dead, dad. The Originals are no longer in power. This is all you. What are you doing?” I growl.

“Winning this war, Oliver. If you haven’t noticed, this Lefu is winning. We need a weapon against him.”

I stop and glare at the phone. “You’re starting Blake’s experiments again, aren’t you?”

There’s a longer pause.

“Dad.” I clench.

“They’re my experiments. Damian may have been the developer, but it was me who perfected it and they’re good. So good. With the hybrids blood, we've had great successes.”

I shake my head. “Experimenting on people is what got us in this mess, dad. If it wasn’t for you and your fucking friends, none of this would have happened.” I throw the paper towel in the trash and pick up my phone. “You assholes are just determined to make another fucking Torrent, aren’t you?”

“Torrent was a massive mistake. Jackson thought he could conduct the experiments on his own.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s all Sam's fault. Like you and Damian didn’t have a fucking hand in it.” I fix my hair in the mirror and clean of drops of blood off my face.

“Not at first. Listen, Oliver. This will save the world.”

“Yeah, right. What’s with the black skull?” I ask.

Another long pause.

“Dad? What’s with the black skull?” I ask with confusion.

“How do you know about that?”

“I just do." I grit.

“It’s none of your concern.”

I lean to the phone. “This is my fucking war! I need all the players on the fucking board and I don’t need your fucking Dr. Evil impression!”

“Don’t test me, Oliver. You know what I’m like when you test me.”

I drop the phone back on the counter, turn around and lean my ass on the edge. I scrub a hand down my face and cross my arms. “I have to tell the council, you know this.”

“No. You don’t. You have an obligation to keep our secret, Oliver.”

I scrunch my brow. “No…I don’t.”

“Oliver, Eden was built on Alliance Labs. Everything you’re Alpha of, all funded by what we do. You’re an accomplice, son. Like it or not.”

I snarl at the phone. “That may be true, but if you think for one second that I’m going down before your sorry ass, you don’t know me that well.”

“I do know you, Oliver. I created you. I also have ways of taken you out. Ways you don’t know. I protect my investments, Oliver. Blood or not, a threat…is a threat.”

I bite my lip as I take in my father’s threat. It’s not just a threat, it’s a promise. The man can touch you without even being in the same hemisphere.

“I’m not scared of you.” I say low.

“You should be. Now, tell the council about the lab in Red Rock. Nothing else, understand?”

I arch a brow. “How did you…”

He hung up and I’m left trying to figure out how he knew it was Red Rock I was talking about.

I look at my shirt and there’s still a faint stain on it. I growl, get more paper towels and soap.

I glance at my phone and scowl as I try to out this damn spot.