Captive

Chapter 3

Drake was sitting in front of the PC. His assistant found other auctions on the deep web and, as ordered, showed them to his boss.

- Were you able to get the location from where the video is streamed?

- No sir. They are professionals. The ip runs all over the world and always ends up in a decoy ip.

- Screw this. When do we have a break? They have to have some carelessness. We have to end this den of terror.

The young man watches, looking disgusted at the videos.

- These poor creatures. I don't know how they manage to survive.

- Not all survive. - Drake says, taking a deep breath.

- True sir. I can't even look at those pictures anymore. I have nightmares every night. - the assistant says.

- If you need to, take a few days. You've been working Monday to Monday for months. You need to rest.

- You work many more hours than I do, and according to reports, you haven't taken a day off for 1 year. If you can handle it, I can handle it too. Like you, I want to see this done.

- I know Mike. I know that your brother was one of the victims and that you watch these videos hoping to see him alive. Take care. We're going to find out where these monsters hide and we're going to finish them off. We'll do everything to find your brother.

- Thank you sir.

The assistant leaves the office and closes the door.

Drake bangs his forehead on the table in despair.

- f**k, how many more creatures will suffer the evils of these criminals? They are always one step ahead of me. It seems like they know what we do. We caught a few groups and saved a few creatures, many of them children, but we couldn't get close to the leaders. Someone very powerful protects them. I'm sure.

The phone rings and he answers it.

- Sir, come to the commandant's office.

- Inform the commandant I'm on my way.

He gets up from his desk, straightens his clothes and leaves.

The commander's office was at the end of the big hall, and it didn't take him longer than 2 minutes until he was knocking at his door.

- Enter Drake. - Shouted the man who looked close to 60 years old.

- Did you want to talk to me, sir?

- Drake sits down and drops the formalities. - the commandant says.

Drake sits down and his boss opens a drawer, pulling out a bottle of stale whiskey and two glasses.

- Do you like old whiskey? It doesn't have wolfsbane, it's really just for the taste.

- I like it. – he says, accepting the glass that the commander hands him.

The older man leans back in his chair and takes a big gulp of whiskey.

Drack takes a sip and sets the glass down on his boss's desk.

The Commander sighs deeply and begins to speak.

- I want to talk to you about that request you repeat monthly, since you joined this team.

- Sir, sorry to insist, but I really think it's the only solution.

The man raises his hand and Drake shuts up.

- I have decided to accept your proposal. Alpha Apolo lost patience and joined a group of other parents and relatives of victims and led them to the presence of the king. The king wasn't happy to hear that the alpha's son was still missing and we didn't have any clues. He threatened to ask the humans for help, as many humans also continue to be kidnapped and die at the hands of those beasts. The king has ordered us to go after the customers, but they are human and I don't feel like going down those paths. So I spoke to the council and your proposal was accepted, but with one condition, and that condition is what I don't like the most.

- What is the condition sir?

- They want to inject you with a new drug they use on rogues who are caught committing crimes in feral form.

- They want to inject me with the “Lupi slayer”? Are they crazy? That drug killed half of those injected. Drake says in horror.

- Yes. But they consider that all the survivors have their wolves in deep hibernation, and that the rogues became human and easier to rehabilitate.

- How many wolves have they managed to bring back till now? - Drake asks.

- Of the 202 rogues that have been infected to date, 97 have died. Of the 105 who survived, only 20 have so far been declared rehabilitated. 15 got their wolf back, but 5 were left wolfless.

- So, the council wants me to let them inject me with a drug that has a 50% chance of killing me or leaving me wolfless? Sorry sir, but that can't do. There has to be another hypothesis.

- There is not. For your plan to work, you have to pass for human. The only way for that to happen is for your wolf to be so deep in your mind that you can't detect it.

- I need to think about it sir. I'm not afraid of dying, but I don't want to lose Duke.

- I understand. You have 24 hours to think. After that, another candidate will take your place.

- But sir, it's my plan.

- I know - the commander says. – but as I told you, it is already out of my control. The king and the council are watching us and I must carry out their orders.

Drake gets up, downs the rest of the whiskey in one gulp, and leaves.

- f**k it, I need a real drink.

He goes back to the office, takes his coat and the bag that holds the clothes for the next day, closes the office and goes out into the street. Take a taxi and go to a hotel.

When he enters the room, he arranges the clothes in the wardrobe, undresses, takes a shower, puts on clean underwear and lies down on the bed.

“I know you want to protect me, but I also know you need to find those monsters. You have my support to accept the injection”

"Duke, I can't risk losing you."

"I'm strong. We are an Alpha. We're going to survive and I'm going to come back. Believe it.”

“Duke…”

“Say no more. Just let me run under the stars before the damn injection.”