The Alpha Plague Read Free Page A

they rounded the next bend, the sun shone directly into the front of the car. The glare burned Rhys’ eyes, but it seemed like nothing compared to Dave. First he shrieked, hid behind his forearms, and then flapped around until he’d found his sunglasses and slipped them on.  
    “What are you,” Rhys said, “a fucking vampire?”
    “The hangovers get harder with each passing week, man. I’m getting too old for this.”
    “Yeah, I don’t miss that.”
    “You should come out with us one weekend. I know the boys would be pleased to see you.”  
    “I would,” Rhys said, “but I have different priorities now. I’m a dad and I need to behave like one. I may have troubles with Larissa, but Flynn is my reason for being. I need to do the right thing by him.”
    The route to work always passed Flynn’s school. Of course, Rhys wanted to arrive at work on time, but he lived for the chance to pass Flynn when he got dropped off at the gates. Just one glance of his little boy could keep him going for a week or more.
    When they got close, Rhys slowed down and looked across at all the children. Dave shut up as Rhys continued to search. Between eight and nine, all of the kids got dropped off by their parents; a quick glance at the clock on the dash showed him it was eight twenty-three.  

    ***

    Even after they’d passed the primary school, Rhys continued to look over his shoulder. Not that it served any purpose; there were only a handful of kids, and most of them were girls.
    As Rhys sped up, Dave rubbed his temples and reclined into his seat again. “No Flynn today?”
    Did it look like Flynn was there today? Rhys pushed out a heavy sigh to try to force some of his frustration away. “No, I swear she drops him at a different time every day just to fuck with me. All I want is a small glance of him, a wave before I go to work. I just want him to know how much I love him. I don’t want him to forget me. Instead, I feel like a fucking stalker… a nonce that slows down and stares at the children going into school.” With his jaw clenched, he added, “I swear she gets some sick pleasure from it.”
    It may have been a clumsy hand, guided by an exhausted and clearly still intoxicated man, but when Dave squeezed Rhys’ shoulder, it sent a shimmer of sadness through his heart. The sting of tears itched his eyeballs, and he continued to stare straight ahead.  
    “He won’t forget you, mate. Six year olds know who their parents are, even if they’re separated. When did you see him last?”
    “About a week and a half ago.”
    “So Saturday’s your next day with him?”
    With a grip so tight on the wheel it hurt his hands, Rhys’ breathed quicker. “That’s the plan. If she doesn’t fucking cancel, that is.”
    “She’s still cancelling a lot?”
    “Yeah, whenever she damn well feels like it.”
    Dave let go of Rhys’ shoulder, leaned back, and shook his head. “What a bitch.”
    Rhys didn’t reply.

Chapter Two

    He may have been dressed in the same sterile uniform as his colleague—a full-length lab coat, white trousers, and black shoes—but Wilfred liked to think the similarities ended there. He and John belonged to different planets. Hell, they belonged to different galaxies. Just the sight of the tall and skinny man curdled his guts.
    He ran a hand through his hair and asked, “Is she okay?”
    A leer cracked John’s angular face as he stood on the other side of the door to his lab and stared in through the window. “No, I don’t think she is.” When he looked at his colleague, his piercing blue eyes shone bright in his craggy face. “But that’s the point, isn’t it?”
    A cold chill ran the length of Wilfred’s body as a violent, yet concise, shiver. His hands balled into fists as he looked at the wrinkly man in front of him. If he drove John’s face hard enough into the door, he could smash his beak of a nose. Let’s see what happened to his cold detachment then. After he’d cleared his