The Alpha Project

Chapter 4

I became conscious when a great roaring engine started up, the wind blowing violently before a door closed and the noise died down along with the wind. I couldn't quite open my eyes just yet, still feeling weak. I was upright, sitting in a comfy seat, strapped in with the feeling of a harness across my torso. My eyes then shot open when the chair moved.

I was in a helicopter as it was taking off. I glanced around to see Richard, standing up and holding onto a strap above. There were three others as well. Two girls and a boy, all about my age.

"Well, welcome back to the world of the living!" Richard shouted over the roar of the engine.

I tried to shift a little in my seat but stopped when I felt a searing pain throughout my body.

"Oh, try not to move, you may not be fully recovered yet," he advised. "You'll be okay in a while but you've still got a pretty nasty concussion for the moment. Probably a bruised rib and slipped disk in your spine. The stimulant we gave you will help until we arrive."

"What- what's going on?" I gritted out.

"We're on our way to the project facility. I deemed it to be a better idea than letting you be kidnapped," he replied calmly as if talking about a movie he'd seen over the weekend. 

"Oh," I commented, still feeling rather dazed and just barely remembering the voices that had rescued me. "Where are we going? Where's this... project... located?"

"To the place where we take all of the recruits. We've already contacted your family, and let them know what is going on. And for the time being the specific location is classified. Do you remember what happened after you left school earlier?"

I nodded a little. "An SUV was following me and I was... taken by people. How did you get there so fast? And who were those men?"

"Long story. All will be told in due time. Now, you rest, and I need to talk with the pilots. Oh, by the way, this is Fidawn. I think you might know her." he said pointing to the brown-haired girl next to him. He looked over to see that the brunette was fast asleep, much the same as the girl next to me. 

"Well... you all will meet soon enough. Best to learn all at once."

I paused. Fidawn? There was no way...

He left us in silence I turned to face the guy in front of me. He had jet black hair and gray, stormy eyes. He was wearing khakis and a plain red T-shirt.

"Hey, I'm Jake," he said extending his hand.

I shook his hand, "Daniel."

"That was some ordeal you went through. How's your head?"

"Feeling better, but still hazy feeling."

He laughed. "I can't blame you. When they put you on it looked like you needed a hospital, not a helicopter ride. You look better now so whatever they gave you must be pretty damn strong."

"Thankfully so... felt like I was about to lose my lunch there for a minute." I looked over at Fidawn, "Does her name sound familiar to you?"

"It does but I can't seem to place it. My head has been fuzzy all day like I slept in way too late. But I was up real late working on homework last night though, so that's probably it. And you got banged up so who knows what."

It was my turn to laugh. "The first day on internship and we're practically hung-over with our issues."

He stuck his thumb at the girl next to me with a sly grin. "Actually, she was picked up from partying the night before so maybe there's a trend with hiring brain-damaged teens?"