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Come join the murder

Soar on my wings

You'll touch the hand of God

And He'll make you King

('Come Join The Murder', The White Buffalo & The Forest Rangers)
  (Artwork by FABYLP!) -1-  Alex looked out of the window of the military jeep he was sitting in. It was the first time the three soldiers who were with him had allowed him to take off the blindfold they had made him wear ever since they had departed from the airport in Madrid. First they had driven him to a port (he had smelled the ocean and heard seagulls) and then they had boarded a motorboat. After a rather long boat trip they had reached what Alex assumed to be an island where they had guided him into a vehicle where he had finally received permission to take off the blindfold.
'I have no idea where the fuck I am. I'm sure this is fine. Totally fine.'
It probably really was, given the rather strange nature of the entire assignment he had agreed to. The ad in the paper he had responded to had simply read "Personal guard needed. Must speak English or Spanish. NO AMERICANS. Unusual hours." with a number below. No other details had been given, not even when Alex had called the number. A gruff voice had answered and, after a few brief questions about his credentials, Alex had been told to leave his number and that he would be called back if he had the job. Nothing had happened for a few days and Alex had almost forgotten about the whole thing when his phone had rung and the same gruff voice had informed him that he had the job and that he was to come to the airport in Madrid for further instructions.Alex had always loved unusual assignments. In his opinion, anyone could guard a famous Hollywood celebrity or a president; jobs like that were mostly routine and offered extremely little room for the kind of spur-of-the-moment actions Alex was good at. He loved the unexpected, and he loved to deal with it accordingly. Sadly, this kind of approach was frowned upon in celebrity circles because it tended to bring in lawsuits and - much worse for said celebrities - bad press.Suddenly the jeep stopped in front of an industrial complex and the soldiers motioned for Alex to follow them. He got out of the jeep with them and once he had done so they immediately assumed positions around him to make it impossible for him to run. It was clear that their orders were to not only take him to his destination but also guard him as closely as possible. Alex was not easily scared, however - he had done assignments like this himself from time to time, after all. What did make him somewhat apprehensive (but not really in a bad way) was the fact that the soldiers all had red eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.
'Maybe some sort of infrared contact lenses? It sure looks badass.'
The soldiers stopped in front of a rusty door, one of them inserted an old-fashioned key, unlocked the door and then opened it. Alex followed along and inside and made a mental note of the fact that the soldier not only closed but also locked the door again behind them.
'Someone really puts a lot of value on security here.'
They walked through seemingly the entire complex and climbed quite a few ladders up and down until they had reached their destination: A metallic door that seemed strangely out of place. This time, however, two of the soldiers assumed positions to the left and right of the door, and only the one who carried the key to the previous door walked through.
'I guess only higher ranks are allowed after this point. Excellent safety measure - it reduces the number of possible problems.'
A short metallic hallway and then another door that led to a bright and spotless long metallic corridor. Alex felt a brief uneasiness, a sense of possible danger - and then he realized why: The sides of the corridor had holes for moving laser beams.
'This place can be turned into a death trap. Whoever is running this show is going to ALL security measure extremes.'
Alex knew this should have rattled him, but somehow it didn't.
'This is deliberate - to see if I get scared. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm being watched right now.'
He and the soldier reached a door at the end of the corridor where the soldier pushed a button to the right and the door opened. He pointed inside the room, and Alex understood the message: You go through.He did.And stood in what looked like a throne room.Alone.And yet not alone - every fiber in Alex' body told him that someone else was here.The door closed behind him, and suddenly there was a slight movement to the right. Alex turned, ready to fight - and found himself face to face with a rather tall older man in a purple robe who he could have sworn had not been there a second ago. He looked up and into the man's face... and was intrigued right away.Attractive facial features.Slick longer gray-ish hair, combed back.And, most intriguing - piercing white eyes."Welcome to my island," the man said in an extremely pleasant and soothing voice and a brief, vicious smile appeared on his lips.Alex realized immediately that this was the most dangerous man he had ever met.Which was exactly what intrigued him more with each passing second.
'Damn, he's hot.'
"Thank you very much," he heard himself say. "I take it you are my new employer?" "Such a technical term," the man replied and smiled briefly again. "My name is Osmund Saddler. I'm the leader of a religious community here called Los Iluminados.""The Enlightened," Alex translated. "That's a big claim." "Ah, you speak Spanish?""I understand some, but I don't speak it, no."Saddler looked at him and his gaze became even more piercing. "You sound like an American. I hope you aren't one. Because if you are, I will terminate our relationship - and, unfortunately, your life - right here.""No need," Alex said quickly. "I'm German. Born and raised. I simply adopted an American accent - gets you quite far when doing undercover work.""I see.""Your ad did say 'no Americans'.""Not that this would stop Americans from applying," Saddler sighed. "They have this unfortunate tendency to think that the world revolves around them.""I've made similar observations," Alex agreed."Have you?" Saddler smiled, and this time the smile was almost genuine. "I think we will get along wonderfully." He reached out his hand in an inviting gesture. "Come with me."Alex looked at the hand and noticed intriguingly long fingernails and two rather impressive rings. "Wow. That's some serious bling-bling.""Bling-bling?" Saddler echoed, confused."Your rings.""Oh, those." Saddler looked at his hand. "Yes. As the leader of a religious community I have to keep up certain... appearances.""I understand.""I'm sure you think you do." Saddler turned around and began to walk towards a door behind the throne. "Let's go."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The room was rather dark and looked like as if it had been some kind of mess hall once. There were a few tables still standing, along with some rather worn-down chairs, but it was clear that no one had eaten here in quite some time. Saddler had brought Alex into the room after quite a bit of a journey through what he had called "the lower levels" and now he was standing in front of a piece of satin cloth on the wall that had a strange-looking symbol on it."Do you know what this is?" he asked without turning around."No, not really. I've seen it around here several times by now though - if I had to guess I'd say it's the symbol of Los Iluminados.""Essentially - yes," Saddler confirmed and turned around. "But... there is more to it. Much more." He slowly began to pace. "Before you become familiar with your new duties as my personal guard you need to be made aware of certain... things." He glanced at Alex. "However, I regret to inform you that, if you should mention anything about this to anyone outside this community, I would have to kill you.""Sounds a lot like other legal contracts I've had," Alex shrugged. "They just tended to use nicer words."Saddler smiled slightly. "You're very perceptive. Good. I like that in a guard."Alex took a deep breath. "Alright, Mr. Saddler - let's be candid for a second. You want a personal guard. I get that; a man in your position needs protection. From what I've seen so far you seem to be able to defend yourself quite nicely all on your own, though. I don't think you need a personal guard.""Again, perceptive," Saddler said - and then whirled around and in one quick move crossed the distance between himself and Alex faster than it should have been possible for any human being. "I have... rather helpful special powers."Alex looked up and tried not to focus on the fact that Saddler was suddenly extremely close.
'Yup, still hot.'
"You're not afraid," Saddler concluded and looked right into Alex' eyes.The younger man returned the intense gaze. "Should I be?""Perhaps," Saddler retorted, his voice dangerously low.Suddenly a long, pulsating tentacle shot out from under his robe. It seemed to be made of muscles only, and its color patterns were quite intriging: Purple, pink, red... what was most intriguing, however, was its sharp, blade-like tip that was pointed directly at Alex' chest.Alex looked at it calmly. "Wow. I'm used to guys at least asking me out for dinner before they show me their tentacle."Saddler frowned for a second - and then he laughed out loud while the tentacle began to move back under his robe, much to Alex' disappointment; it had looked quite spectacular, after all, and he wondered what it would feel like to touch it."It seems your reputation as a man who is unfazed by the unexpected is true," Saddler remarked."You did look me up.""Of course," Saddler replied and leaned even closer, giving Alex even more inappropriate thoughts. "You might really be exactly what I was looking for." He turned away and raised his right hand. "Follow me. I want for you to meet the man who helped making all of this possible."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The laboratory in which he was standing was one thing Alex had not expected: Cold. Freezing cold, to be precise. What he had also not expected was the young and rather handsome long-haired man in a white lab coat who was looking at one of four thin transparent tubes in the middle of the room that had strange-looking lumps of moving flesh inside. Alex leaned a bit closer and then he realized that he had seen this before: The flesh had the same color and the same muscle-like appearance as Saddler's tentacle.
'Guess this is where he got that one. Somehow. Just what the fuck are they doing here? And... do I even want to know?'
"Good evening, Luis," Saddler said from behind Alex.The young doctor turned around, clearly caught off-guard. "Oh. Lord Saddler - what an unexpected pleasure!""I brought a new guest. Alex, this is Dr. Luis Sera. Luis, this is Alex.""Is he to receive a sample?" Sera asked."No - I will perform the procedure myself later. For now I only want for you to explain to him - in broad terms - what we are doing here. He'll be my personal guard, and for that I need for him to be... aware.""Oh. Of course." Sera motioned for Alex to come closer."I will leave you two alone now," Saddler said. "I have certain matters to attend to. Arrange for him to be brought to my mansion once you're finished.""Of course, Lord Saddler."Saddler turned around, slowly walked to the entrance of the lab and then out.Sera looked at Alex, who was now standing next to him. "Alright. What has he told you so far?""Pretty much nothing," Alex replied.
'No need to mention the tentacle.'
"Great. Leaving it all to me again," Sera muttered and sighed. "Alright. See these samples here?" He pointed at the flesh samples inside the tube. "These are called Las Plagas. They're a parasitic species. Highly adaptable. Once their eggs hatch inside a body, they give their host heightened strength, speed and endurance.""And what's the downside?" Alex asked matter-of-factly; somehow none of this seemed surprising even though it probably should have been."They also cause heightened aggression, and, somewhat more unfortunate, they make their host susceptible to someone else's will. Well, the normal plagas do that, anyway - we call them recessive plagas. I modified some of them on a genetic level into something far more powerful." Sera walked over to a fifth tube that was a lot bigger than the others. "These are dominant plaga samples. Whoever is lucky enough to be their host can control the minds of recessive plaga hosts while still retaining full sentience and control over themselves. In essence, dominant plagas only come with the benefits and none of the burdens.""I see." Alex followed him and looked at the dominant plaga samples. "And which one is meant for me?""Probably one of the recessive ones," Sera said and turned away from the tube. "You know, it's very refreshing to not have to use all those annoying religious terms to explain this, like it is with the ganados and the monks.""Ganados?" Alex echoed."Inhabitants of a nearby village on the coast. Very much on the lower end of the food chain, so to speak, hence their name - 'ganado' means 'cattle'. Las Plagas are basically their religion.""That's where the whole Los Iluminados thing comes in," Alex concluded."Yes." "And Mr. Saddler - sorry, Lord Saddler - is their leader?""You could say it like that, yes.""Which means he's the host of a dominant plaga.""Of course. His is the strongest plaga mutation we've ever observed.""So he's not the only dominant plaga host?""No. There are two more. Bitores Mendez and Ramon Salazar.""Who are they?""Mendez is the chief of the village, and also its priest. Salazar is the 8th Castellan of the region - Las Plagas were found under his castle.""I see." Alex looked at the dominant plaga samples again. "So, what do these do on a genetic level? You said you modified them?""Yes, I did," Sera said - and, for a second, his voice betrayed his emotionless face: It cracked slightly, as if he was not entirely happy with what he had done. "I won't bore you with genetics, but in broad terms, once a plaga egg hatches inside a human body, the two DNAs begin to merge and certain mutations occur that make the host much stronger than any ordinary human.""What kind of mutations?""The merged DNAs are incredibly flexible. One example would be the ability to transform certain body parts into tentacles at will."
'There we go. Tentacle explained.'
"Is it painful?" Alex asked without missing a beat."No, it's essentially like extending an arm or leg," Sera replied, sat down on a nearby chair and opened a pack of cigarettes. "You don't have to worry about any this, though; recessive plagas don't come with this ability. They do merge with their host's DNA as well, of course, but other than that they tend to remain hidden inside a body - unless their host is attacked, that is.""What happens then?""They take over - in more than one way. It usually involves exploding heads," Sera said and lit a cigarette. "But, like I said: Don't be concerned. Lord Saddler's guards are well-looked after. He hates losing them because, recessive plagas or not, it's rather tough to find truly loyal men these days.""I see."Sera blew a bunch of cigarette smoke into the air, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was inside a (somewhat) sterile lab environment. "Regretting your life choices right now, huh?"Alex shrugged even though his mind was reeling. "You got a cigarette for me? I could use one right now."Sera pointed at the pack on the table next to him. "Be my guest."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Alex walked into yet another room in the rather large mansion, quite impressed with what he had seen so far. The building's interior matched Saddler's apparent love for anything expensive - there were dozens of satin tapestries, golden statues and silver plates. It was quite a stark contrast to what the mansion looked like from the outside, but Alex suspected that the dull exterior was deliberate since the forest around it served as a natural way of obscuring it from any unwanted view.The monk in a red robe who had accompanied Alex ever since an annoyed-looking soldier had dropped him off at the mansion after a long journey (they had taken a boat back to the mainland and then had walked through seemingly half the forest) opened a door to the right and motioned for him to go through.Alex did so, and the monk softly closed the door behind him from the other side.
'Privacy. Excellent.'
Saddler was standing at one of the room's large windows, illuminated from behind by the sunrise outside. "I don't even have to be able to control your mind to know that you've decided to go through with this assignment.""Good guess," Alex retorted. "What gave it away?""The way you walked in," Saddler replied. "Your steps are confident. Determined.""That's because I'm determined to do the job I was hired to do.""Yes, I can see that." Saddler slowly moved towards the young man. "How did your encounter with Sera go? I trust he gave you an extensive tour?""He did," Alex confirmed. "There's something off about him, though.""Off?" Saddler echoed."Yeah. He seems troubled. Like as if his work is scaring him. Or haunting him. I'd keep an eye on him if I were you."Saddler stopped right in front of Alex. "You're an excellent observer. I trusted Sera until about a week ago when I noticed that he seemed somewhat... less enthusiastic than usual. I've taken appropriate measures already - he won't be a problem for much longer." He waved his hand. "He just doesn't know it yet.""You've given him a recessive plaga without his knowledge," Alex deduced."Yes. The injection is quite short and simple, it can easily be done while a person is asleep." Saddler's gaze became intense. "You should take note of this. I do not tolerate dissent of any kind.""Understandable." Alex looked back at Saddler and once again admired his white eyes that almost seemed to glow in the semi-darkness of the room. "You won't have to worry about me - I will work for you, and you only."Saddler smiled sardonically and leaned closer until his face was only inches away from Alex'. "Is that all you intend to do? Work for me?"Alex remained where he was, but Saddler's face being so close to his own seemed to awaken something in him that he had long thought of as forgotten: Desire."Depends," he heard himself say."On what?" Saddler moved even closer until their lips almost touched. "Have you ever had an assignment that came with certain... benefits?""I've had offers," Alex replied and felt himself getting hard, much to his own surprise - it normally took quite a lot for this to happen and yet Saddler managed it with his simple presence and the seductive tone of his voice.
'I wonder what it feels like to fuck him.'
"Did you accept any of those offers?" Saddler asked."No, I didn't."Saddler raised his hand and ran his long fingernails over Alex' cheek. "Why not?"Alex inhaled sharply at the touch. "The people I've worked for so far never... never really were... my type.""But I seem to be your type," Saddler said matter-of-factly."Yes," Alex replied, his voice hoarse. "You are."Saddler smiled again and then he leaned forward and kissed Alex' lips. The young man moaned helplessly - Saddler's lips were cold and hot at the same time, and they tasted unlike any lips he had ever kissed. It was the strangest sensation he had ever felt, and before he could stop it he found himself deepening the kiss. Saddler's tongue met his and the older man groaned briefly - a rare moment in which he lost his otherwise impeccable composure.It made Alex even harder.Saddler suddenly broke the kiss but remained where he was. "Hmm," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "You are my type as well."Alex had a hard time concentrating on what Saddler was saying - his mind was filled with only one wish: To kiss this fascinating man again, to push himself into his arms, to find out what he looked like under that purple robe."And yet, we must not let this get out of hand," Saddler continued. "I cannot allow myself this indulgence right now.""Neither can I," Alex managed to say. "But I guess our bodies have other ideas.""It seems that way," Saddler agreed. "However, we must resist for now." He looked down at Alex' body and his gaze lingered at the visible bulge in the young man's black jeans. "As tempting as I find you to be... Alex."Alex shivered with lust - it was the first time Saddler had addressed him by name."I will have my guards show you to your room now; I'm sure you want to rest for a while. We will discuss the next steps later - perhaps you would like to have dinner with me tonight?"Alex nodded. "I would love to.""Wonderful. I shall see you then."

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"I take it you enjoyed your dinner?" Saddler asked and looked at Alex' empty plate."Very much so," the young man replied."Then let's get to the business part." Saddler leaned forward on his chair, reached over the dinner table and handed Alex two pictures. One showed a rather tall bald man with a long beard and the other showed a much smaller, old-looking man whose appearance seemed almost child-like. "These are the other two dominant plaga hosts. The tall man is Bitores Mendez, village chief and priest, and the other is Ramon Salazar, the 8th Castellan of this region.""I've heard their names before - Sera mentioned them to me," Alex remarked and leaned back on his chair. "This Salazar fellow looks like a kid but also even older than Mendez somehow. What happened there?""A dominant plaga has various effects on its host," Saddler said. "Mendez and I became even taller and stronger. Ramon, however, became even smaller and older. It's a genetic response. Some hosts thrive with Las Plagas, others don't adapt as well and need... various ways of external help.""I see." Alex put the pictures on the table next to his glass of water. "And these two can also control the minds of whoever has a recessive plaga inside them?""Yes." Saddler took a sip of coffee. "That's part of the reason why I don't want for you to become a plaga host."Alex looked up in surprise. "You don't? But you told Sera that -"Saddler waved his hand. "Sera heard what he needed to hear. As we both know, he can no longer be trusted." He put down his coffee. "I don't want for you to have a recessive plaga because if you had one, Mendez and Ramon could control you if they wanted to. No... you as my personal guard will remain as you are." He shot a piercing glance at Alex. "For now.""May I point out a glaring flaw in this plan?""By all means.""How am I supposed to be your personal guard when I can't protect you? Mendez is definitely stronger than I am. From the looks of it, he could probably nail me to a wall with his bare hands. And I'm not sure I want to find out what Salazar's 'external help' is. I don't think I could fight that either.""You couldn't indeed," Saddler said matter-of-factly. "Ramon has two rather competent guards at his side - his verdugos. They're the result of a rather peculiar DNA combination of insect, human and plaga. Quite an ingenious project by me and Dr. Sera, if I dare say so myself. The verdugos are absolutely loyal to Ramon; one of them used to be his family's butler.""Damn, I love those odds," Alex muttered.Saddler smiled pleasantly. "Oh, don't be discouraged - I didn't hire you to fight Mendez or Ramon. I hired you to observe them. To make sure they behave as they should. You did good observing Sera even without me telling you to do so. And you came to the correct conclusion. This proves to me that you're the right man for this job.""But won't they get suspicious if I randomly show up and ask questions?""Not if you're with me," Saddler said. "You're my new personal guard, as everybody has been told by now. But you will not be like my other guards - you will have free will." He reached over to a small cabinet, opened the top drawer, pulled out a small box and handed it to Alex. "This is for you. Open it."Alex did so and raised an eyebrow when he saw the contents: A strange-looking ring that vaguely resembled one of the rings Saddler was wearing, and two contact lenses."The contact lenses will make your eyes look like the ones of a ganado," Saddler explained. "As you may have noticed, their eyes glow red in the dark. The ring is of a special design that I made myself - it emits a signal that will fool Mendez and Ramon into thinking you're carrying a recessive plaga.""But what if they try to control my mind and figure out that they can't?""That's precisely what I want to find out," Saddler replied. "If they try to, I will know that they're not completely loyal to me.""So... what you're saying is that I basically work as your bait," Alex concluded.Saddler smiled his sardonic - and also incredibly attractive - smile. "You really do have a somewhat blunt way of expressing unpleasant truths - but, yes. That is what you are.  But at the same time you are also my personal guard... just not in the way everyone else thinks you are. Now, put on the ring."Alex took the ring out of the box and put it on his finger. It actually moved for a second in order to make sure it fit properly - what was this thing? - and then it hardened, making it clear that it intended to stay right where it was.Saddler looked at it and then back at Alex. "It likes your finger."Alex returned the intense gaze. "I'm flattered.""As you should be." Saddler got up from his chair. "And now, put in the contact lenses. After that, we'll leave for the village and I will introduce you to Mendez and, if that goes well, also to Ramon.""No need to delay the inevitable confrontations, huh?" Alex remarked."Exactly."

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"You know what you people could use? Some golf carts," Alex panted while he followed Saddler up a steep path towards a rather impressive-looking castle.Saddler turned his head slightly and a hint of a smile crossed his face. "I have no problems walking long distances.""That's because you have superhuman strength.""There is nothing human about it," Saddler spat. "It's the power of Las Plagas.""Sorry," Alex said quickly. "I didn't mean to insult you. My original point still stands, though - some golf carts would be useful.""You young people simply aren't used to walking anymore," Saddler shot back."I'm not that young," Alex retorted. "I'm almost 40.""Really? I thought you were younger.""Story of my life," Alex sighed. "But... I thought you looked me up? Surely my age must have been documented somewhere?""I had Chief Mendez prepare a list with potential candidates," Saddler said. "There were only initials on the list, along with a few defining character traits. I didn't want for any unnecessary information to influence my decision.""Oh, so that's why you asked me if I'm American when we first met...""Yes. I ran the risk of accidentally hiring one. But then... it wouldn't be the first time I've done that recently. Unfortunately.""What do you mean?" Alex asked, but Saddler waved his hand and looked at someone or something that seemed to be ahead. Alex followed his gaze and saw a short man standing next to the bridge to the castle. Behind him were two huge and impressive-looking figures in long, satin robes."Lord Saddler - what a pleasant surprise!" Ramon Salazar exclaimed when Saddler and Alex had reached him. "If you had told me in advance that you were coming I would have prepared a meal in your honor.""No need, Ramon," Saddler assured him and Alex could not help but notice the slight change of tone in his voice; it sounded almost... fatherly? "I simply came by to introduce you to Alex, my new guard."Salazar nodded at Alex, who returned the brief nod.Suddenly a ringtone sounded and Saddler reached under the belt of his robe, pulled out a small phone, raised it so that he was looking at it and pushed a button. "Yes?""Lord Saddler? I am very sorry to disturb you, but I have urgent news to report."Alex frowned for a second when he heard the voice; it seemed familiar  - and then he realized where he had heard it before: It was the same voice that had answered his phone call when he had responded to the ad in the paper."What is it, Chief Mendez?" Saddler asked."I have just been informed that Luis Sera has disappeared - and that he stole one of the Holy Eggs.""How is that possible?" Saddler demanded. "We had already given him the cleansing gift!""He must have found a way to eliminate it before it truly immersed him."Saddler frowned for a brief second but then quickly regained his composure. "Find him and bring him to me - alive. I want to have... a conversation with him. And cancel the night mass my new guard and I were scheduled to attend later.""Yes, Lord Saddler."Saddler pushed another button on the phone and put it back under his belt. Then he looked at Salazar. "The same goes for you, Ramon. Have the castle searched thoroughly."Salazar raised his hands and snapped his fingers. The verdugos behind him began to move away and back into the castle with surprising speed - no doubt to organize the search."If he's in the castle, Lord Saddler, we will find him and bring him to you.""Wonderful. Alex and I must leave now, Ramon - I'm sorry we can't stay longer.""I understand, Lord Saddler."Alex nodded at Salazar again and then followed Saddler, who had already begun to walk down the path that led back into the village."What now?""We will wait for Mendez or Ramon to find Sera," Saddler replied. "In the meantime, due to this new and rather unfortunate situation, I'm afraid your job description just became... longer than expected."

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The garden behind Saddler's mansion was a mere shadow of what it had once been: The flowers were dead, as were the trees and bushes. Nothing seemed be alive - or rather, it didn't seem to want to be alive.Saddler was pacing back and forth in front of what had once been a lovingly decorated garden house, holding a rather impressive-looking cane that had what seemed to be a living plaga organism on top. "I haven't told you everything so far because I wanted for your work to focus on Mendez and Ramon, but this rather unfortunate chain of events is forcing my hand regarding certain... other matters.""What kind of matters?" Alex asked and stretched out his legs. The bench he was sitting on had seen better days, and yet it was strangely comfortable."There is another person who carries a dominant plaga," Saddler said, turned around and looked at Alex. "His name is Jack Krauser - an American. I hired him to bring Ashley Graham to me. Does that name mean anything to you?""Graham?" Alex echoed. "American... wait, isn't she the daughter of the President of the United States?""Yes. She is currently our... guest in the church because I want to ask her father for a little donation to our religious community.""That's gonna be tricky," Alex said. "From what I know, United States presidents do not negotiate with kidnappers.""Oh, I'm aware of that. The real point of all this is to delay her return to her loving father until a certain... gift we gave her is ready to be used."Alex raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you infected her with a recessive plaga?""We gave her a special gift," Saddler corrected. "But, yes. The plaga inside her will turn her into my eyes and ears in the White House.""But why the president's daughter?" Alex asked. "She has no political powers. Why not kidnap the president himself and give him a recessive plaga? Wouldn't that be far more effective?"Saddler shook his head. "Unlike what you young people believe, patience is a virtue. The goal is not to take over the United States - and, after that, the world - by force. Humans resist force but they thrive on chaos. Therefore you need to disrupt a society first, and Ashley will lay the foundation for this with the help of some of our agents who are already in place. In time, misinformation, mistrust and misconceptions will destroy the United States from within. And then it will be ready for us to take over." He looked at his cane. "However, the Sera situation could complicate matters - if he should escape with the sample, the success of our plan would be put in immediate danger.""Because people would learn about Las Plagas too soon?""Yes, but that is not the biggest problem," Saddler said. "There have been indications that Sera is working for a third party who is eager to get their hands on a Las Plagas sample. And I think Jack Krauser is connected to whoever that third party is.""And yet you gave him a dominant plaga," Alex remarked. "Why?""It was the only way I could get the president's daughter - only Krauser had the necessary connections, and the price for his cooperation was a dominant plaga.""You could always kill him," Alex mused. "Your powers are at least equal to his.""If I do that, I won't learn who he's really working for," Saddler said. "No... in Jack Krauser's case, it's better to keep your friends close but your enemies closer. For now. Besides, our problem might resolve itself in the near future." He began to pace again. "I have received word that an American agent named Leon Scott Kennedy is on his way here to rescue Ashley Graham - he and Krauser are old friends, but now they'll find each other on opposite sides. I might not have to find a way to get rid of Krauser myself after all. Mr. Kennedy just might do it for me."Alex took a deep breath. "Wow. This whole thing has so many twists and turns and possible outcomes..."Saddler stopped pacing again. "Not what you're used to, is it?""No, not really," Alex admitted. "My jobs are usually a lot more clear-cut than this. And there sure aren't as many players involved."Saddler smiled his sardonic smile again. "That's why I said your job description got expanded." He looked at Alex. "I also regret to inform you that the fact that I just told you about our most secret plans means that I can't let you leave this place alive any time soon. You now either have to stay until the end... or die." He sighed softly and almost regretfully. "It would be such a waste to kill you... you are a rather interesting companion.""Like I said before, no worries." Alex stood up from the bench. "I don't want to leave. I want to help." He returned Saddler's intense gaze. "Tell me what you want me to do."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The two ganados who were standing next to the door bowed their heads when Saddler walked past them and into the living room of the rather shabby-looking house they were in. Alex, who was walking right behind Saddler, could not help but grin for a moment; he loved the way everyone worshipped the cult leader.
'They sure have a point with their love for him - he is an imposing guy and also a really fucking attractive one. What's not to worship?'
Dr. Luis Sera was sitting on an old couch, his hands bound behind his back. The look of fear and defeat on his face increased when he saw Saddler - he clearly had not counted on Mendez and his men actually managing to capture him. And yet they had done just that, right here in the village."Luis, Luis..." Saddler sighed, his voice sounding disappointed and yet menacing at the same time. "Whatever possessed you to do what you did?"Sera said nothing."Giving me the silent treatment, hmm?" Saddler continued. "Trust me, you will tell me what I want to know - either now while you're still in possession of all your senses or later, after getting another plaga egg. Once that plaga has hatched you won't be able to disobey me anymore. And I promise you I won't be as merciful then as I would be right now.""You... you're a monster!" Sera spat. "The things you had me create for you... the pain those poor people were in during the experiments and the transformations... and yet you urged me to go on, to make it all even more hideous! You have no regard for human life!""Why would I have any regard for it?" Saddler asked and sounded actually confused. "It's inferior, and you know it. You created the dominant plagas.""I wish I hadn't!" Sera shot back and Alex noticed tears in his eyes. "I wish I had seen you for who and what you really are, Saddler!"The older man smiled pleasantly. "I know you're trying to anger me and push me into killing you right here, Luis, but it won't work. I need to know what you did with the sample you stole and who you were going to give it to, and I will know - just as I know about your little side project."Sera's eyes widened for just a second but it was enough for Saddler to pick up on."Did you really think I wouldn't find out about your plaga medication? It can delay eggs from hatching, but it can't stop the process, and it will eventually wear off. You're only delaying the inevitable... in more than one way."Saddler looked at the door to the room, raised his hand and the two ganados from earlier walked in and up to the couch. They grabbed Sera, put duct tape over his mouth and then carried him off into another room. A few seconds later Alex heard what sounded like a closet door being opened, then a loud bang and then the door was shut again.Saddler motioned for Alex to follow him and the two of them began to walk out of the house. "Well... Sera turned out to be quite a disappointment...""At the end of the day, he's still a doctor," Alex mused. "Too many moral objections.""Indeed. Still. Such a waste of talent. - Ah, it doesn't matter. He will tell me what I need to know and then we will be able to proceed with our plans." Saddler smiled at his young guard. "Would you care to join me for dinner again tonight? I'm in the mood for a little... celebration."Alex felt a shiver of anticipation throughout his body. "I... I would be delighted."

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The dinner had been amazing - again. Alex had never been interested in Spanish cuisine, but the food Saddler had access to was absolutely delicious. It seemed very far removed from the rotten vegetables and meat that Alex had seen in the village, but then, he doubted that the ganados cared much about food quality anyway."It seems you enjoyed dinner once again," Saddler observed."I did," Alex confirmed and put his fork and knife on his now empty plate."Wonderful." Saddler leaned forward and the look in his white eyes became intense. "Then what about... dessert?"Alex returned the gaze. "Depends on what it is."Saddler reached out his hand across the small table and ran his long, dark fingernails over Alex' face.The young man inhaled sharply - the touch was as electrifying as it had been before, and then some."Dessert can be anything you want," Saddler said, slowly pulled his hand back and then got up from his chair while Alex did the same.They looked at each other and Saddler smiled pleasantly - and then Alex suddenly found himself in a tight embrace and Saddler's lips were on his. He groaned in surprise - Saddler's special abilities sure created quite a few... interesting moments - but he wasn't about to complain in any way; he was busy with returning Saddler's passionate kiss that had made him hard in an instant while Saddler's huge hands roamed over Alex' back and then went under his t-shirt. The young man moaned helplessly into Saddler's mouth when he felt the fingernails lightly scratching his skin, leaving trails of pleasure behind. He raised his hands and ran them through Saddler's long hair, enjoying the feeling of messing up the older man's usually impeccable hairstyle.Saddler growled and shoved Alex towards a door in the back of the room and when they had reached it, Saddler opened it and revealed a large bedroom with a massive bed right in the middle. The two men finally broke their kiss and Saddler slowly began to remove his robe while Alex did the same with his own clothes - no need to insist on ridiculous foreplay nobody needed anyway. It did not take them very long to get rid of what they had been wearing, and Alex could not resist taking in the rather spectacular sight of Saddler's naked body. The skin was a weird mixture between pale, pink and purple, and it was clear that there was something else, something alien right underneath, making the muscles look like as if they were moving on their own. It was exciting, and Alex felt himself harden even more when he noticed Saddler's large and fully erect dark purple cock that somehow looked very different from any of the cocks he had seen before. He could not resist any longer - he reached out his hand, closed his fingers around that very interesting cock and began to stroke it.Saddler moaned and his entire body suddenly started to shake; Alex' touch seemed to please not only the human side but also the plaga, and Alex could not wait for more secrets that would no doubt be revealed soon.But, not yet - Saddler's long fingers reached for Alex' cock in return, and the young man gasped helplessly when Saddler began to stroke him with purposeful movements. "Oh yes... Osmund... mmm..."Saddler reached out his other hand, opened a drawer nearby, took out a little bottle, opened it with one swift move and then poured its contents over his other hand and Alex' cock.The young man gasped when he felt the deliciously wet lubricant. "Fuck...""Yes... that's what I have in mind," Saddler said, his voice a lot more unsteady than usual. He let go of Alex' cock, lay down on the bed on his back and then spread his legs invitingly. "Come to me, human. Show me how... perceptive you really are."Alex took in the sight for a second - GOD, he needed to FUCK Saddler, NOW - and then he climbed onto the bed, knelt down between Saddler's legs and began to slowly, very slowly, tease Saddler's hole with the tip of his thoroughly lubricated cock.The older man moaned hoarsely at the touch, and when Alex started to slowly push his cock inside, Saddler's entire body began to shake again, the plaga veins underneath his skin becoming even more restless. "Oh, yes..."Alex waited for Saddler's body to adjust to his cock (although he doubted he could have hurt him even if he had been less gentle) and then began to move in and out, slowly at first but then he quickly picked up the pace - Saddler was too tight and too invitingly hot.He slightly shifted his position on the bed in order to make it all even more pleasurable and then reached out his hand and gently ran his thumb over the tip of Saddler's cock whose purple color had turned even darker by now. Saddler threw his head back and moaned loudly while his hands grabbed the bedsheet, his fingernails tearing into it - and then suddenly his cock began to... transform?The skin wobbled, the cock became larger and larger and then turned into the tentacle Alex had seen before, only this time the tip wasn't a blade - it was still shaped like the tip of a human cock. The tentacle moved upwards, caressing Alex' chest until it finally reached Alex' face. The young man understood the request, opened his mouth and the tentacle moved in, slowly but firmly and after a brief moment of adjustment its movements began to match the rhythm with which Alex was fucking Saddler's ass.The tentacle tasted unlike anything Alex had ever tasted and yet it was delicious and fascinating and erotic, all at once, and Alex picked up the pace even further without realizing it - his body seemed to have taken over, wishing to experience the thrilling conclusion to this interesting union between human flesh and dominant plaga. The tension between the two of them became greater, their moans louder until neither of them could stand it anymore. Saddler came first with a wordless cry, and Alex felt something hot and sweet (not bitter at all, strangely enough) in his throat. He swallowed eagerly, not wanting to miss the taste of even one single drop, and the entire experience triggered his own orgasm and he came, as hard as Saddler just had.A few seconds later the tentacle withdrew from his mouth and became smaller until it had returned to the shape of a human cock again. Alex fell on top of Saddler, panting with exhaustion, his cock slipping out of Saddler's ass.Neither of the two spoke for a few minutes until Saddler raised his hand and placed it on Alex' head. "You did well... for a human."

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Leon Scott Kennedy didn't look like much of a threat to Alex, who was standing next to Saddler in yet another shabby-looking cabin. A monk in a black robe was preparing a syringe nearby while another kept an eye on both Kennedy and Sera, who were sitting unconsciously on the floor, leaning against each other.An urgent call from Bitores Mendez had awakened both Alex and Saddler from their well-deserved sleep after their 'encounter' - the village chief had been rather pleased to inform Saddler that he and Sera's two guards had managed to capture Kennedy when he had just been about to rescue the doctor from his closet prison."This is not what I expected," Alex remarked in a low voice so that only Saddler could hear him. "I know looks can be deceiving, but... is this beach boy without a surfboard seriously the best they could send?""They are overconfident, as always - typical for Americans," Saddler replied. "But, regardless of whether he's a real threat or not, what we are now about to give him will soon take care of any dangerous ideas he might have." He took a step forward and then raised his head in order to address the entire room. "Feeble humans." He nodded at the monk. "Let us give you our power."The monk raised his hand with the syringe, walked up to Kennedy and jerked the needle into Kennedy's neck.The American agent gasped and woke up for a brief moment - did he actually notice what was being done? - but then his head sank bank onto his chest.Saddler chuckled when he saw the display. "Soon you'll become unable to resist this... intoxicating power."The monk pressed down on the syringe and injected the purple liquid inside it into Kennedy's bloodstream - along with a small, pea-shaped form which Alex assumed was a recessive plaga egg.Kennedy jerked awake once more, but only briefly before he went numb all over again.The monk pulled out the syringe and assumed a waiting position."Tie them up and leave them here," Saddler ordered. "I want for them to become acquainted when they wake up - Sera needs to be reminded of what it's like to gain our power."The monk nodded but then raised his head slightly. "Lord... Lord Saddler?""Yes?""Father Mendez asked me to mention to you that there is a ganado who continues to disregard our rules. They've disciplined him, but he continues to be unusually aggressive.""That is most unfortunate," Saddler remarked. "Bring him here and make sure to give him a weapon. The American agent can deal with him.""Yes, Lord Saddler."The cult leader turned around and walked out of the room and towards the entrance of the small cabin. Alex followed him, curious on what he had just heard. "There are people who refuse to follow Los Iluminados even after they've been given a recessive plaga?""Not precisely," Saddler said, opened the door and walked out. "As it is with all parasites, some people have a bit of an immunity. With Las Plagas it's not enough to reject the parasite or even disobey me or anyone else with a dominant plaga, but it can be enough to cause a bit of a nuisance from time to time. It's nothing to worry about - the ganados usually take care of these anomalies. This time, however, I think I shall give this little victory to our new American friend." He smiled pleasantly at Alex. "You see, he's already working for us without even knowing it."

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Alex slowly moved his hands over Saddler's naked chest, enjoying the feeling of how the plaga moved underneath the skin and how it seemed to follow Alex' hands, clearly longing for the touch -"Lord Saddler?"Saddler frowned when he heard the voice from outside the bedroom. "Yes, what is it?""I'm sorry to disturb you, Lord Saddler, but Father Mendez is here with me. He says it's urgent that he speaks with you."Saddler sighed. "A moment, please!" He sat up in bed and looked at the very naked Alex beside him. "Go and hide - you can't be seen with me in here."Alex quickly stood up from the bed, grabbed his clothes and retreated into the small bathroom next to the bedroom.Saddler stood up as well, took his robe from the chair next to the bed and put it on. Then he walked up to the bedroom door and opened it. "What is it?""Forgive me for disturbing you, Lord Saddler, but I had to tell you this in person," Mendez said. "Sera and the American agent have managed to escape.""That's unfortunate. Do we know where they went?""They aren't together. The American has been spotted on the way to the lake. We think he's trying to find the alternate key to the church.""Then he knows we're keeping the girl in there," Saddler mused. "What about Sera?""We're not sure where he is - we think he's using the old secret passages. That's probably where he's hiding the Holy Egg, too.""I see." Saddler thought for a second before he continued. "Father Mendez, I want for you to prevent the American agent from leaving the village. Deploy Del Lago, El Gigante - I don't care. And if all fails, you will deal with him personally.""Yes, Lord Saddler."Mendez and his companion turned away and Saddler closed the bedroom door behind them.Alex walked out of the bathroom. "They escaped? Both? Jesus. Your men are getting sloppy.""Yes, they are." Saddler sighed. "It seems that Mr. Kennedy will be a far bigger nuisance than we thought. I have very little doubt that he will eventually gain access to the church and free the girl." He looked into the mirror on the wall and adjusted the hood of his robe. "If he does, the American government will no doubt send a helicopter to pick them both up. I shall need for that helicopter to be shot down. Can you do that?"Alex shrugged. "Sure - just give me a rocket launcher. If they send a chopper, I'll shoot it down.""Wonderful," Saddler said and put on his shoes and then his rings. "Meanwhile, I will make my way to the church and have another conversation with our female… guest there. After that, I will wait for Mr. Kennedy - I think it's time I introduced myself.""What about Sera?""If he really is working for a third party, he will have to surface sooner or later to hand over the sample. This is no concern of yours for now, however - your task is to shoot down a helicopter."Alex took a deep breath. "I don't want to seem annoying or anything, but my job is to protect you, so, I have to ask: Do you think it's wise to go to the church without me?""There will be no fight with Mr. Kennedy, if that's what you mean. But, just in case, I will take two of my normal guards with me. If there are any complications, I will let you know." Saddler walked up to a small desk, opened the drawer and pulled out a little phone that looked exactly like the one he was using. Then he walked over to Alex and handed it to him. "This should come in handy.""Thanks.""It is only for emergencies, however. Use it wisely - and don't forget to address me as 'Lord Saddler' when you call. I might not be alone.""Of course.""Excellent. And now, get dressed and then call Chief Mendez on my orders and tell him to be on the lookout for a helicopter. Let him know that he is to call you the moment it shows up on the radar.""Sure, no problem."Saddler took his plaga cane from its place next to the bed. "I will see you later, then. I hope we will get a chance to continue what we had been about to start before this... unfortunate interruption."Alex grinned. "So do I."

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Alex looked at the rocket launcher a wordless ganado had handed him a little while ago and then lifted it up briefly in order to get a feel for the weapon's weight. It had been a while since he had used a rocket launcher, but he had always enjoyed it immensely even though until now rocket launchers had been nothing more than a cool toy to blow up stuff with.
'Osmund's literally gonna kill me if I mess this one up. Meh. What is it that they say? No risk, no fun.'
He smiled briefly when he thought of the cult leader, who continued to fascinate him on levels he had never thought possible. Saddler had called him personally a little while ago and had told him that Kennedy had indeed finally come to the church (it had taken a lot longer than anticipated) and had also taken Ashley. Alex had inquired as to why Saddler hadn't stopped him, to which the cult leader had simply replied that he wanted "to see the look of horror on Kennedy's face when I tell him that he is carrying a plaga egg". Then he had proceeded to tell Alex that, just as he had suspected, the US government had indeed sent a helicopter.Which was why Alex was where he was right now - standing on top of a steep slope in the middle of the night in the pouring rain during a thunderstorm, waiting for the sounds of a chopper that he hoped he'd be able to hear through all the noise.
'At least it isn't totally dark. Gotta be grateful for small favors.'
Suddenly he froze - his ears had picked up a faint sound that was neither rain nor thunder. He listened intently for a few more seconds, and yup, sure enough, it was the sound of an approaching helicopter.
'Game's on.'
He looked once more at the rocket launcher in order to make sure that the infrared vision setting was switched on. Then he raised the weapon, put it on his shoulder for support, pointed it at the sky and looked through the scope. At first he saw nothing but darkness but then, after a few seconds, a green and red dot came into view. It got bigger and bigger, and just when he thought the rocket launcher's automatic targeting system wasn't working, the weapon began to beep enthusiastically.Alex pushed the firing button and the rocket launched and flew towards the chopper. Nothing happened for a few agonizing seconds and then the chopper exploded right there with a loud bang that shook the ground Alex was standing on.A small group of ganados that was passing by below began to cheer loudly in Spanish, and Alex smiled to himself once more.
"How easy it is to please the masses nowadays... but then, I doubt they'd be as pleased by me if they knew I'm the one who not only guards but also fucks their beloved Lord Saddler. Ah well. Time for a cigarette.'
He reached inside the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes he had found on a table in Saddler's mansion. It was the same brand Sera had smoked when he had met him in the lab, and part of him had felt a stab of jealousy when he had thought of Sera being allowed inside Saddler's home. It made sense, of course, since there had no doubt been a lot to talk about regarding Las Plagas, but still.Maybe Sera had also been allowed in Saddler's bed?
'Fuck, no. I don't want to think about this. And besides, even if they had had something going on, Sera's about to be history anyway.'
Alex coughed and then pulled out a cigarette and quicky shoved the pack back into his pocket - no need for it to get wet. Then he pulled out his lighter, put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it up.
'Bliss...'
He put the lighter back into the pocket of his jeans, began to smoke and was just contemplating whether to risk sitting down on the wet grass (the rain was no longer as heavy) when he heard steps below that didn't sound like ganados. He walked up to the edge of the slope, looked down and, sure enough, there they were - the American agent and a young woman who looked exactly like a certain United States president's daughter.They walked up to a nearby bridge and began to cross it when suddenly they stopped and Kennedy reached for his pocket in order to take out a phone and answer a call he was getting.
'He's probably being told that the chopper has been shot down.'
Kennedy listened to what was being said, then put the phone away and he and the woman walked on over the bridge and towards a large cabin on the other side.Suddenly Alex heard more footsteps, and this time they did sound like ganados. He leaned forward some more and saw a large group of them with torches and pitchforks, making their way towards the two Americans, who spotted them and then ran right into the cabin.
'Oh damn, this is gonna be good.'
Alex sat down on the edge of the slope, stretched out his legs, lit up a new cigarette and watched how the ganados walked up towards the house and then, after a little while, began to climb through the windows and, a few minutes later, raised up ladders to climb up and go through the windows and onto the second floor of the building.However, it did not seem to go as smoothly as it looked - Alex heard gunshot after gunshot and a lot of ganados fell from the ladders and did not get up again when they reached the ground. After what seemed like a small eternity, the remaining ganados outside the house suddenly stopped and then began to retreat back towards and then over the bridge.Alex looked back at the gate through which they had originally come where an extremely tall, bald man was standing, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he had seen him before: On one of the photographs Saddler had showed him.It was Chief Bitores Mendez, who was waiting for the ganados to reach him. Once they had done so, he turned around, opened the wooden gate behind him and he and the ganados walked through. Then the gate closed with a loud bang.Alex focused his attention on the cabin again and his eyes widened when he saw a man coming out of the door: Luis Sera.He was not alone, however: A woman in a red dress was waiting near the cabin. Sera walked up to her and the two of them started to talk. Alex couldn't hear a word they were saying, but from their gestures it seemed like as if they were arguging. It all ended rather quickly - with Sera shrugging and then walking off.
'Okay... I guess this counts as a really good reason to call Osmund.'
Alex got up, reached inside the other pocket of his leather jacket, pulled out the phone and called Saddler's number.The cult leader's face appeared on the small screen almost immediately. "Yes, what is it?""I just saw Sera talking to a woman in a red dress. They seemed to have a disagreement of some kind. I'm pretty sure she's the third party you've been looking for. He didn't give her anything, though.""Interesting. This means the sample is still in Sera's possession," Saddler mused."Speaking of Sera - he just helped our American friend ravage through a whole army of ganados.""Yes, I've already been told by Chief Mendez. He had them retreat - we can't afford the loss of so many plagas indefinitely." Saddler sighed. "It's up to Chief Mendez now to stop Mr. Kennedy and the girl from leaving the village." He reached for something beside him. "I want for you to meet me at the big house behind the lift. I will send you a map that will tell you how to get there. Oh, and - well done, shooting down that helicopter.""Thanks."The phone went dark and, after a few seconds, a message with a picture of a map appeared on the small screen.Alex looked at it briefly, memorized the way, put the phone away and then began to walk down the slope.
'Time to go.'

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The huge cabin that seemed to have been some kind of tool shed once was filled with smoke that smelled of burned flesh, sweat and gasoline. The source of the smell was obvious, too - right there on the floor were the (human and plaga) remains of what had once been Chief Bitores Mendez.Saddler said nothing and simply stared at the body parts while Alex examined them. "Holy shit... Kennedy pumped him so full of ammunition that he literally broke in half. Must've been extremely painful.""I have been told that Kennedy used Chief Mendez' glass eye to open the door that leads out of the village. He and the girl are now in the castle," Saddler said and began to pace. "I have taken appropriate measures - we have cut off all of Kennedy's communications with his operator, for one thing. And now that he's in the castle, Ramon should be able to take care of him and get the girl ba-"Suddenly, Saddler's phone rang. He reached under his belt, pulled out the phone and answered it. "What is it?""Lord Saddler," a deep voice said. "I am pleased to have been chosen to inform you that Luis Sera is inside the castle. He just ran away from a few of my men. They saw the Holy Egg on his belt. He is carrying it with him.""What is he doing in the castle?" Saddler asked. "He must have known we would spot him there immediately.""We believe he's following the American agent and the girl," the voice said. "He dropped a small jar of pills that he was carrying with him. Should we retrieve it?""No, leave it right where it is. Once he notices it's gone, he will come back to pick it up. When he does, follow him and call me immediately - I will take care of him.""We did not want for you to be forced to get involved in this personally, Lord Saddler. Our apolo-""Quiet," Saddler snapped. "Just do what I told you.""Yes, Lord Saddler."Saddler put the phone away and then looked at Alex. "So... he's trying to give his medicine to Kennedy and the girl even though he knows this makes him a rather easy target.""Well... like I said before, he's a doctor," Alex shrugged. "He probably figures he has to 'help those two poor souls'."Saddler harrumphed. "Most likely. What a fool. But, of course, this works in our favor. Now that I know that he carries the sample with him, I no longer need to capture him; I can kill him right there." He began to walk towards the door to the shed that he had forced open earlier. "Come with me - there's work to do."

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Alex slowly peered around the corner of the long hallway at whose end Luis Sera was walking towards a wooden door on the left. Once he had reached it, he opened it and stepped into the next room. "Leon! I got it!"Alex turned around in order to say something to Saddler but the cult leader was no longer right behind him - he was moving towards the door at an incredible speed. As soon as he had reached it his tentacle shot out from under his robe; the blade slammed into Sera and ripped into his back and then further into his chest until it had fully pierced through him.Alex quickly walked down the hallway as well and watched how Saddler's tentacle lifted Sera up in the air. A vial dropped out of the young doctor's hand and Saddler caught it with a swift move. Then he slammed Sera down on the floor - hard - and the tentacle moved back under the robe."Now that I have the sample, you serve me no purpose.""Saddler!" Kennedy exclaimed angrily and stepped forward, ready to fight.Saddler, however, was unmoved. "My boy, Salazar, will make sure you follow the same fate." With that, he turned around, walked back into the hallway where Alex was standing and closed the door behind him."Wow... that was one hell of an appearance," Alex remarked.Saddler shrugged and looked at the vial in his hand. "What matters is that Sera is dead and I have the sample back." He made a gesture for Alex to follow him and then began to walk back down the hallway."Why didn't you kill Kennedy, too?" Alex asked. "Why leave that task up to Salazar?""I wanted the sample, not a fight with our American friend," Saddler replied. "Besides, I can feel the plaga inside him already. It's growing fast - it will only be a matter of time before he becomes one of us.""But Sera could still have managed to give him the medicine. I don't think he was dead just yet there.""Even if, it will only slightly delay the inevitable," Sadder said and opened the door to the previous room the two of them had walked through earlier. "We will return to the island now - I have to put the sample back where it belongs and make sure no one else will ever be able to steal one." He looked back at the hallway. "Ramon will take care of things. And if he should not be able to do that, I will think of something else to keep our... guests entertained."

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The island looked exactly the same as it had when Alex had last seen it; the only difference was the notable amount of increase in soldiers on alert that they had walked past after Saddler's private motorboat had arrived at a well-hidden dock near a rather large construction site. From there, Saddler had led Alex into a small bungalow nearby that seemed strangely out of place compared to the massive industrial buildings surrounding it."From now on I want for you to wear the same uniform as my soldiers," Saddler said while he closed the door behind them. "As I'm sure you're aware, soldiers are different. They are all under my control, of course, but they're still not as easily fooled as the more simple-minded ganados in the village. Put your plaga ring in your pocket and wear your red contact lenses at all times."Alex nodded. "Sure. I understand."Saddler pointed at a nearby closet. "There's a uniform for you in there. Put it on."Alex walked over to the closet, opened it and began to remove his clothes - and was rather pleased to notice that Saddler was watching him intently. "See something you like?""Perhaps." Saddler's tentacle shot out from under his robe and towards Alex, who continued to undress himself. The tentacle wrapped itself around the young man's naked upper body. "Yes... I do see something I like."Alex reached out his hands as best as he could under the circumstances and gently caressed the tentacle with his fingertips.Saddler inhaled sharply and the tentacle began to retreat. "However... now is not the time for distractions.""Pity," Alex remarked, reached inside the closet, took out the uniform and began to put it on."Now look at this," Saddler complained and pointed at the blade at the tip of his tentacle. "Sera's blood. How... unpleasant."Alex looked over. "Want me to clean it off?""If you would." Saddler pointed at a door to the left. "The bathroom is in there.""Just a second." Alex quickly put on the rest of the uniform along with the boots and then walked into the bathroom where he found a small towel. He took it to the sink, ran the water, held the towel under it, rinsed it, turned off the water and then walked back out to Saddler, who was still eyeing his tentacle's blade with a disgusted look on his face.Alex reached out and began to clean the blade gently. Saddler closed his eyes and his face showed an almost dreamy look while the tentacle's plaga muscles began to tremble ever-so-slightly."I hope I'm not about to start another... distraction," Alex remarked."You are, and you know it," Saddler shot back, opened his eyes and looked at the (now very clean) blade. "Much better. Thank you.""Anytime." Alex let go of the blade and the tentacle retreated back under Saddler's robe while the young guard put the bloody towel on a nearby table."And now, let's go - there is much to do. I want to examine the lab and make sure Sera didn't take anything else. After that, I'd like to introduce you to someone; a very special creation of mine, designed to guard the island against particularly unwanted intruders. I call it... It.""It?" Alex echoed. "Don't tell me it's a clown."Saddler chuckled. "No. It's not a clown. But... just like its famous namesake, It also likes to lurk underground."Alex carefully took off his plaga ring and then put it in his jacket's pocket. "You know what kind of feeling you're giving me with your entire attitude at the moment?"Saddler examined his plaga cane and then looked back at Alex. "Tell me. As you know, I enjoy your perceptiveness.""You're preparing for Mr. Kennedy's arrival on the island."Saddler smiled sardonically. "Accurate, as always.""That doesn't speak very highly of your regard for Salazar's abilities.""As a matter of fact, it does," Saddler said. "I do think he will be able to capture the girl and perform the ritual on her. I'm just not so sure about his abilities when it comes to our rather resourceful Mr. Kennedy.""Wait a minute... ritual? What ritual?"Sadder waved his hand. "A simple DNA merging process that gives a recessive plaga much better growth and potential. However, it involves the girl's eventual arrival here on the island because it has to be completed in a special environment. And since Mr. Kennedy seems determined to rescue the girl, he will no doubt follow her here, most likely despite Ramon's best efforts. But - for now, things are in Ramon's hands and not mine, which gives us a little time to prepare." He turned towards the door. "This is going to be a rather long night."

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"It is fortunate that Sera didn't take anything else from the lab," Saddler said and looked over at Alex, who was walking next to him. "If he had, it really would have been difficult to find now that he's dead.""Well... I'd say the stunt he pulled with the sample caused enough hassle," Alex remarked."Yes, it did - oh." Saddler stopped walking and reached out his arm in order to stop Alex from walking as well.The young man frowned. "Wha-""Sssh. It is here."Alex looked around. "Where?"Saddler pointed at the ground in front of them. "Right... there."Everything suddenly started to shake and then, a few seconds later, a huge creature that seemed to be some kind of combination of human, insect, reptile and plaga dug itself out of the ground at incredible speed. It looked at Alex, roared and prepared to jump.Saddler quickly raised his hand, the creature stopped in mid-movement - and then retreated back into the hole it had come from.Alex stared at the ground.
'Holy shit. I wouldn't want to fight that thing, not even with ten rocket launchers.'
"Impressed?" Saddler asked, a tone of amusement in his voice."Quite," Alex admitted. "I don't understand, though - why was It about to attack me? Can't It tell I'm with you?""Don't take it personally," Saddler said. "It was designed to attack anyone who isn't me. This is why there are no soldiers down here - they learned quickly not to disturb It, just as the villagers learned not to disturb El Gigante... and not to forget to feed Del Lago.""Why would your creations attack other plaga hosts? I mean shouldn't they know that they're on the same side?""They lack the ability to distinguish between friend and foe," Saddler replied. "This was done intentionally - they're meant to do one thing: Kill on sight. I'm the only one who can control them.""That was also done intentionally, I assume?"Saddler smiled slightly. "Exactly." He began to walk on and Alex followed him, carefully avoiding the hole in the ground.They continued in silence until they reached a massive wooden door. Saddler opened it, the two of them walked through and then he closed it again behind them.Alex pointed at the door. "Does this actually help to contain It or is it just there for decoration?""The door marks the end of Its territory," Saddler explained. "My creations are very useful, but we can't afford to have killing machines running amok whenever I'm not around. So, Sera and I instilled the idea of territory in them, which means they defend the area they live in but they don't leave it unless I order them to do so.""I guess now all you have to do is lure Kennedy into Its territory and then... game time?""You're expressing it rather crudely, but ye-" In that moment, Saddler's phone rang. He reached under his belt, pulled it out and picked it up. "What is it?""Lord Saddler," an enthusiastic-sounding voice said. "The novistadors have managed to capture the girl. We can proceed with the ritual.""Good. I will send Krauser to take her to the island once the ritual is over. Tell him that I wish to see him in the throne room immediately." "Yes, Lord Saddler."Saddler put the phone away and sighed. "As pleased as I am about the girl having been captured, it is taking Ramon way too long to accomplish anything.""Want me to be with you when you talk to Krauser?""No - you wait here while I go up to the throne room. Krauser would become suspicious immediately if he saw you with me. We don't need this additional complication."Alex shrugged. "Fine with me - I sure as hell don't want to have to potentially fight him. He'd probably wipe the floor with me."Saddler smiled. "An amusing and also quite intriguing sight... but not one I desire at the moment.""I'm glad.""I do have an additional task for you, however." Saddler reached out his hand in which he was holding his plaga cane. "Keep an eye on this for me while I talk to Krauser.""I'm honored." Alex took the cane and looked at it in fascination. "What's it for, anyway?"Saddler waved his hand. "You wouldn't understand. All I can tell you is that it has its own power, so... be careful."Alex weighed the cane in his hand - it was surprisingly light. "What could it do?" "If you're as loyal as you claim to be, it won't do anything. But... if you're thinking about betraying me, it will make you think about that again.""Hmm. Guess I have nothing to worry about, then."Saddler looked at the cane - the plaga was moving its tentacles around just as calmly as it did when its master was holding it - and then back at Alex. "It seems that it agrees with you. Interesting."

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Alex woke up from a very brief nap he had decided to take on the couch when he and Saddler had returned to the bungalow after Saddler had spoken to Krauser. The cult leader had sat down in a nearby armchair and had seemed a little tired as well - it was way after midnight - but now the armchair was empty and Saddler was standing near a window that probably offered a rather spectacular view of the ocean during the day. As things were right now, however, all it showed was darkness."Any news?" Alex asked while he got up from the couch.Saddler did not turn around. "The ritual has been completed, Krauser and a few of Ramon's men have arrived here with the girl, and... I have just gotten confirmation that Mr. Kennedy has killed Ramon."Alex tensed. "Oh. Shit.""I expected this to happen, and yet I must also admit it's a little... disheartening," Saddler said darkly."I'm sorry. I know Salazar meant something to you.""He was most valuable.""Was that all he was?" Alex asked carefully. "I mean I got the impression that he saw you as a bit of a father figure."Saddler finally turned around. "I needed him to unseal Las Plagas, and he needed a father figure. We both got what we wanted."Alex picked up his jacket that he had thrown over a chair earlier. "So I guess all this means Kennedy will soon be on his way here, too?""He is - right now, actually. With a certain woman in a red dress.""The one who's after the sample.""Yes. Which is why I'm very glad I decided to keep this with me instead of putting it back in the lab." Saddler reached under his robe and pulled out a certain vial with a purple liquid and a small egg inside. "It will be the first thing she will look for here on the island, and therefore it's much safer with me for now.""What if she takes one of the other dominant plaga samples?" Alex asked.Saddler smiled pleasantly. "There are no others. This one is the last sample we created.""What? But I saw them - Sera showed them to me...?""Sera showed you what he was told to show you," Saddler replied. "Did you really think I would trust you right from the start?""Hmm. Good point." Alex put on the jacket. "It did strike me as a little odd that you seemed to have so many other dominant plaga samples. After all, their potential hosts might all turn into possible threats.""A risk I cannot take indeed," Saddler said. "This sample here is different in another way, however: It was modeled directly after my own plaga. You can't directly clone plaga DNA, of course, it's unique, but this is the closest thing Sera and I could engineer. That's why it's so valuable to the woman in the red dress and whoever she's working for. And perhaps to Krauser, too - another reason why I couldn't leave it in the lab."Saddler put the vial back into his robe's pocket and then reached under his belt and took out his phone. "But now it's time to greet our new guest on the island." He held up the phone to look at it and then pushed a few buttons. "I hate to break it out to you, but Salazar's dead," Kennedy's voice said after a few seconds of silence.Saddler remained unmoved. "Yes. It seems that way.""Saddler, why don't you give up and let Ashley go home?""Perhaps you are disillusioned with overconfidence just because you killed my small-time subordinate," Saddler shot back."Saddler... you're small-time."Saddler laughed. "Writhe in my cage of torment, my friend." He switched off the phone and looked back at Alex, who was shaking his head. "Do I detect a hint of disapproval?""No, not really," Alex said quickly. "I just wonder why this bickering with Kennedy is necessary. I would just kill him right there, plaga or no plaga inside him."Saddler waved his hand. "You're far too impatient. As I've basically just told our American friend, torture is a rather satisfying part of pleasure.""I think at this point a headshot would be equally satisfying."Saddler smiled. "Spoken like a true hired killer.""I prefer the term mercenary.""Same thing," Saddler shrugged. "And now let's see how Mr. Kennedy decides to approach my... highly motivated soldiers."

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"It really is rather unfortunate that Mr. Kennedy killed the regenerators in the freezer room area before he got the girl out of the storage room," Saddler said and looked at his plaga cane. "I was looking forward to showing them to you.""Guess he's doing much better against your soldiers than you expected, huh?" Alex remarked and leaned against the wall next to the door to the altar room that they had just been walking through when Saddler had gotten word that Kennedy and Graham had grabbed a massive truck and were apparently wrecking half of the island with it."In a way. However, the real lesson here is for me to no longer rely on my men and do the important things myself.""What sort of things?""As I've told you, the DNA merging process the ritual initiated needs to be completed here in the lab. So, I will take the girl there myself to make sure nothing else goes wrong.""What if Kennedy stops you?" Alex objected."He can't. By now the plaga inside him is big enough for me to have considerable influence over it - I can incapacitate him with a mere gesture if he tries to attack me. It will be easy to get the girl; her plaga is even bigger than his by now, and the ritual has made her completely susceptible to my will. Once I have her, I can do whatever I want with her... in all regards." Saddler grinned nastily. "An intriguing thought, don't you agree?"Alex huffed slightly."I'd let you watch...?"Alex' stomach twisted at the mere idea of watching Saddler 'doing whatever he wanted' with someone else. "No, thanks."Saddler slowly walked up to the younger man, reached out his hand, put it under his chin and then raised Alex' head and looked deeply into his eyes. "Are you jealous, human?"Alex said nothing - but the angry look on his face was enough to betray him."My, my... possessive, aren't we?" Saddler slowly ran his long fingernails over Alex' chin. "But... don't worry. I have no interest in the girl in that way. I only wanted to see your reaction." He looked even deeper into Alex' eyes. "I'm pleased that you wish to be the only one I take into my bed."He leaned forward and placed his lips on Alex'. The kiss that followed was fast, hard and passionate, and Alex felt himself melting into the cult leader's embrace once again -A sudden massive nearby noise that sounded like trucks honking and then crashing interrupted the intimate moment."What the hell was that?" Alex asked."Noise is the American way of announcing one's presence." Saddler sighed. "How unfortunate that we can't continue our... discussion." He let go of Alex and opened the door to the altar room. "I will wait in here for Mr. Kennedy and the girl to arrive. Once I have her, we'll take her to the lab and let either It or Krauser deal with that nuisance of an American agent.""What if he defeats both of them? I mean given his track record this is entirely possible.""I will not be displeased if Mr. Kennedy kills Krauser for me. And I do have a few other plans in place." Saddler threw another of his intense gazes at Alex. "Come to think of it, however... why don't you come up with something for a change? You always question my ideas - maybe it's time for you to devise another plan?""Well... I... umm... I can give it some thought if you want?""Wonderful. I'll meet you here once I have the girl." With that, Saddler walked through the door and then closed it behind him while Alex leaned against the wall again, already deep in thoughts. He knew it would be most unwise to disappoint Saddler, and yet there was something else he suddenly realized he feared even more.
'Are you feeling this way because it's your job to help and protect Osmund... or because you need him in your life so badly by now that you don't even want to think about potentially losing him?'
Alex sighed and bit his lower lip.
'Fuck.'

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Alex pulled a piece of cloth over his mouth and nose (he really hated the sand dust the wind was blowing around on the roof he was standing on), adjusted the rocket launcher on his shoulder and glanced over at Saddler, who had pulled up the hood of his robe in order to protect himself from the wind as well. "You might wanna take a few more steps away before I fire this thing. Rocket launchers can be a little unpredictable."Saddler did so and then looked at the scenario on top of a nearby cliff below: Kennedy was slowly walking up to his friend in a helicopter who had showed up a little while ago and had helped him shoot his way through Saddler's soldiers.Alex adjusted the rocket launcher one last time and then put his finger on the FIRE button, awaiting Saddler's command."Now," the older man said.Alex pushed the button, the rocket launched, propelled itself towards the helicopter - and then everything exploded in one huge fireball. The wrecked helicopter began to drop towards the bottom of the cliff, Kennedy screamed something and ran towards the edge where he stopped and looked at Saddler and Alex on the roof.Saddler smirked briefly, turned around and began to walk away. Alex remained for a few more seconds (he had gotten used to walking behind Saddler at all times when they were out and about; cult leader guards did not walk in front of their employers) and then also turned away and followed Saddler to the stairs that led off the roof."Why didn't we kill Kennedy as well right there?" he asked while the two of them walked down."He killed Krauser for me earlier - not a small accomplishment," Saddler replied. "But, of course, this won't save him from his eventual fate. If he continues to resist, I will deal with him myself. This is personal now.""I'd have thought it already was personal.""In a way, yes. Which is why I have just done something that hurts him far more than the deaths of a few soldiers hurt me: I - or rather, you - killed his friend. Observe." Saddler stopped walking, carefully pulled down the hood of his robe and then took out his phone, held it up and pushed a few buttons."Oooh... I'm sorry, Leon," he then said a few seconds later."Saddler, you bastard!" Kennedy spat, his voice filled with pain and rage."It's nothing to get all upset about," Saddler remarked pleasantly. "Don't tell me you've never swatted a bothersome fly. In essence, it's the same thing.""What did you say? Insects' life doesn't compare to human lives!""When you've acquired this power, you too will understand.""Guess it's another good reason to get the parasite out of my body."Saddler chuckled ironically. "I wish you luck." He hung up and then looked back at Alex. "See?"

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"I will never succumb to you! Never!" Ashley Graham yelled from inside the stasis chamber and slammed her fists against its glass in a futile attempt to shatter it."Why did you give her back control over her senses?" Alex asked and looked over at Saddler, who was standing next to him in front of the chamber. "At this rate she's gonna have a heart attack or something.""Don't worry, the plaga inside her would never let that happen," Saddler said. "In all of Sera's and my experiments with recessive plagas, one thing stood out: If the human host is frightened, the plaga matures faster and turns out even stronger. Raising certain hormone levels seems to stimulate it. It's quite a fascinating process - host is frightened, plaga gets stronger, host gets more frightened, plaga gets even stronger. It's a perfect circle.""Leon will come to get me!" Graham yelled. "And then he will kill you!"Saddler looked at her. "I wouldn't be too sure of that. But, even if he does come for you, he wont be able to take you with him - I can control the plaga inside you almost completely by now. As I've said before: Perhaps you can resist, but you can not disobey."He turned away from the stasis chamber and motioned for Alex to follow him so that Graham couldn't overhear them. "I may now have the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Literally.""What do you mean?" Alex asked."I have been told that the woman in the red dress appears to care a lot about our American friend and is keeping an eye on him. So, I could use the girl as bait - let Mr. Kennedy try to rescue her while I catch the real important fish in the pond."Alex frowned. "Can you really go up against both Kennedy and the woman in the red dress at the same time?""Most likely, given the fact that I can control our dear Mr. Kennedy's plaga quite easily by now," Saddler shrugged. "When forced to choose, however, I would have to choose the woman in the red dress. She's far more of an immediate threat.""Because she wants the sample.""Exactly.""But what if Kennedy and Graham manage to walk out and find their way to that lab where they could potentially remove their plagas? I mean you showed it to me, it's not far from here if I remember correctly."Saddler looked at Alex, his gaze more intense than ever. "Then I expect for you to present that alternate plan I asked you to devise - I hope you have come up with something by now." He smiled pleasantly. "For your own sake.""Let me out!" Graham suddenly screamed from behind them.Saddler sighed. "You're right, her agitation is rather... unfortunate. Stronger plaga or not, I will put her back in stasis. This yelling of hers is giving me a headache.""I didn't know dominant plaga hosts could have headaches," Alex remarked."Neither did I."

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Saddler looked at the unconscious woman on the lab floor. It had been a much longer and more exhausting fight than he had originally envisioned, but he had managed to capture her in the end. However, the price for his victory was the unfortunate fact that Kennedy and Graham had managed to escape, which meant it was time for Plan B."Now that I have our dear woman in the red dress but Kennedy and the girl are on their way to the Plaga Removal Lab I am very eager to hear that alternate plan of yours," he said and glared at Alex, who was standing next to him. "As I said before, I hope you have one.""I do." Alex folded his arms across his chest while he walked away from the woman in the red dress. "You might not like certain parts of it, though.""I shall be the judge of that," Saddler huffed and followed Alex until they had reached the opposite corner of the lab. "Go ahead.""I'm afraid there's only one option left to come out on top: You have to make a tactical decision." Alex sighed. "My advice for said decision is to let Kennedy and Graham leave. It's the only way to achieve the other, more important goal: Protecting the sample."Saddler said nothing, which Alex took as an invitation to continue."You told me yourself, if the plan involving Graham fails you will have other ways to unravel the United States eventually. So, your sole focus now should be to make sure that your plaga sample does not end up in the wrong hands." He began to pace. "I think you should to go to the lab and get one of those fake dominant plaga samples and put it in your pocket. As we know, Kennedy cares about the woman in the red dress, which means he will try to rescue her, Graham mission or not. So, you fight Kennedy - make it look real good - and then, at some point you pretend you've been defeated and drop the fake sample. The woman in the red dress will be freed by Kennedy and then pick up the sample and leave, as will Kennedy and Graham since there won't be any reason for them to hang around."He looked at Saddler whose facial expression showed no indication of whether he liked what he was hearing or not. "All of them leaving will give you a window to do so as well - I'm sure you'll agree that you can't stay here anymore; the island, the village and the castle are gonna be crawling with bioweapon experts once Kennedy tells the American government about the true power of Las Plagas. They'll investigate and find the ganados who are still left - and with them some recessive plagas, granted - but at least they won't find the real treasure: Your dominant plaga sample. I'll keep it safe during your fight with Kennedy and then give it back to you afterwards. Then you can take it with you wherever it is you decide to go."Saddler glared at the younger man. "You want for me to hand you the real sample?""What the hell could I do with it?" Alex shot back. "Grab it and leave? You'd rip me apart before I ever reached your boat.""Even if I trust you with the sample, this entire plan has a very unfortunate ring of defeat to it that is... most irritating," Saddler remarked."It's not a defeat, it's a strategic withdrawal," Alex retorted. "If you can't win the war, retreat and re-gather your troops. Or, in this case, save yourself and start again somewhere else. Los Iluminados will be wounded but not dead - you told me you had agents all over the world. However, the cult would die - again - without you as its leader. You are needed. This place here is not."Saddler sighed. "To tell you the truth, I did envision a scenario like this - improbable as it seemed at the time."Alex raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?""I had an emergency bunker built, just in case. It's nowhere near as comfortable as my mansion, but it might suffice for a while.""Where is it?""Beneath a small uninhabited island a few hours away from here.""Alright then, that's where we'll be going once all of this is over," Alex concluded.Saddler shot him another glare. "We?""Well, if you want for me to come with you. If you get tired of my company you can always drown me in the ocean or something. Your decision.""It will most likely depend on how you handle the sample situation," Saddler said. "I still don't like the idea of handing it over to you before I go to fight Mr. Kennedy.""I understand that, I really do. However, there's one big reason why you should trust me with it.""And what would that reason be?"Alex smiled. "Ich bin kein Amerikaner."

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Alex watched in horror as Kennedy raised the rocket launcher the woman in the red dress had just thrown over to him and aimed it at an already badly wounded Saddler (whose plaga form - a gigantic spider - sure was a sight to behold and nothing Alex ever wanted to have to fight). A few seconds later the rocket launched and hit the cult leader with speed and precision.
'Oh, fuck... plaga powers or no plaga powers, he can't take much more of this!'
Saddler roared, clearly in terrible pain - and then he fell to the ground and stopped moving.
'Shit. Shit. SHIT.'
Alex had to force himself to stay hidden - all he wanted was to jump up and run across the construction site to see if Saddler was alright and yet he knew he couldn't - if Kennedy or the woman in the red dress saw him his entire plan would be at stake. He reached inside the pocket of his jacket and touched the vial he had placed there earlier. Saddler had indeed handed him the real plaga sample - under protest - and Alex had sworn to keep it safe at all costs, no matter what happened.
'This whole 'no matter what happens' idea did not include me having to watch Kennedy firing a fucking rocket at Osmund...'

Alex took his hand out of his pocket and tried to focus his attention on the scenario before him. The woman in the red dress was now standing next to Kennedy, who had knelt down beside Saddler in order to pick up something from the floor. She had aimed her gun at him and the two of them spoke a few words Alex couldn't hear before Kennedy got up and handed her the fake sample Saddler had gotten from the lab and then put into his pocket, just as Alex and he had planned. Then she ran off and jumped into a helicopter that had showed up seemingly out of nowhere. Kennedy looked up at it... and then, suddenly, everything around Alex began to beep loudly and rapidly.It was the unmistakable sound of detonators activating.
'ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!'

The helicopter with the woman in the red dress inside remained where it was for a short moment while Kennedy caught something that had been thrown at him. He looked at it as the helicopter flew off and then he turned around, ran back into a nearby elevator and dropped out of sight.
'Finally...!'
Alex pushed himself out of his hiding place and raced towards Saddler, who still hadn't moved at all ever since he had dropped down after getting hit by the rocket. The sight of him was even more horrifying than Alex had expected it to be: He was scorched and broken, and yellow-ish plaga blood was oozing out of countless wounds.
'FUCK!'
Alex knelt down next to him. "Osmund! Oh, hell. Osmund?!"He reached out his hand and touched one of the spider legs. At first nothing happened, but then he felt a slight movement under his hand as the legs began to get smaller and then withdrew completely until all that remained was Saddler's human form that had still been attached to the spider-like body. The cult leader did not look good, however: He was bleeding from a thousand little wounds and his robe was more red than purple; his face was battered and bruised and smeared with both human and plaga blood."Alex...?"The younger man looked around - the beeping of the detonators had become even more insistent."Osmund, I hate to rush you, but we gotta get out of here right now. There's bombs everywhere, and they're about to go off. Can you get up?""I will have to, given the circumstances," Saddler said dryly, tried to sit up - and failed."Jesus fucking Christ. Alright. Hold on." Alex reached out his hands and somehow actually managed to pull the much taller and heavier man up. Then he slung Saddler's arm around his shoulders and began to drag him towards the stairs that led to the motorboat dock below."This... is not quite what... I envisioned for your... alternate plan," Saddler coughed, but Alex was in no mood for bickering. "You can fuck me up all you want later, but for now it's probably wiser to concentrate on walking. This place is gonna blow any second."The island suddenly rocked under a first wave of explosions and Alex almost lost his balance right before he and Saddler had reached the stairs, but he somehow managed to stay upright until they finally reached the motorboat where he gently dropped Saddler on the bench in the back. Then he took the steering wheel, activated the motor and the two of them drove away at full speed.Not a moment too soon - the buildings on the island exploded in a gigantic fireball and shortly afterwards a massive shockwave hit the ocean and almost knocked the motorboat over.Alex waited for everything to subside and then stopped the boat and turned around to look at Saddler, who was still lying on the backbench, breathing heavily. "How are you?""I will live," Saddler replied weakly. "The regenerative powers of Las Plagas are unmatched by anything in nature.""Even after meeting a rocket launcher face to face?"Saddler laughed dryly. "Open the drawer next to the steering wheel - I put a phone in there earlier. On it you'll find the coordinates for the island I told you about. Take us there.""No drowning in the ocean for me just yet?" Alex quipped, unable to hide his cheerfulness about the fact that Saddler was still alive."Don't enjoy this smart-mouthing of yours too much," the cult leader shot back.Alex smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I'm not forgetting my duties. You rest now while I'll take us to the island. Oh and..." he reached inside the pocket of his jacket and took out the vial, "I guess you want this back."Saddler reached out a shaking and bleeding hand, took the vial and examined it thoroughly.Alex rolled his eyes. "It's the real sample. I promise.""It would appear that it is," Saddler agreed as the egg began to dance around inside the vial in a rather agitated manner - it no doubt sensed the presence of a severely injured plaga nearby. "Thank you for keeping it safe.""My pleasure," Alex replied and then turned around in order to open the small drawer next to the steering wheel.
'Time to take us home... wherever that is now.'

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EPILOGUE
  Saddler sat up in the large bed inside his private bedroom in the bunker. It had not even been been 24 hours since Alex and he had escaped from the island, and he was already halfway back to his former strength.The door to the bedroom opened and Alex walked in with a small tray in his hands. "Dinner time!"Saddler glared at him. "You're enjoying this far too much for my liking.""What - bringing you food?""Don't fool yourself into thinking you have the upper hand in any way," Saddler snapped. "I could easily kill you right where you stand.""Of course you could - but who'd keep you entertained if you did? This bunker is nice and all, but it's also depressingly empty except for the two of us."Saddler shot him another glare and took the sandwich from the plate on the tray. "Have you recevied any answers to the messages I asked you to send?"Alex put the tray on a nearby table. "Yes. All your agents are accounted for and in place, as are their recessive plaga samples. They're ready to start once you give the word.""Excellent." Saddler quickly finished the sandwich and then reached over and opened the drawer of the small bedside table. "Before I forget... I've been meaning to talk to you about something."He reached inside the drawer, took out a certain purple vial and then motioned for Alex to sit down on the chair next to the bed.The young mercenary walked over and sat down, curious as to what this was all about."As you know, this is the last dominant plaga sample left," Saddler said. "Without Sera and his expertise I won't be able to create any others, and frankly, I wouldn't do so even if I could - as you rightfully pointed out, they can pose an immense risk towards my authority. However, keeping this around in its current state would no doubt attract more women in red dresses at some point." He smiled slightly. "Which means there's only one place left for it to go." He looked at Alex, whose eyes widened when he realized what the cult leader was telling him. "You... you want to make me a dominant plaga host?""Yes. Dominant plagas merge with their host and the host's personality, which is why it is vital that I choose men who will swear their allegiance to me. You did so, and you kept the promises you made." Saddler raised his hand with the sample. "Besides - as we both have observed several times by now - Las Plagas like you as much as you like them."Alex looked at the small plaga egg inside the vial. It was bouncing around excitedly - did it know what was being discussed?
'This all feels like pieces falling into place. Like as if it's meant to be. Osmund and I together, forever united through Las Plagas.'
Saddler watched him intently. "So... do you wish to leave your feeble human existence behind and experience true power?"Alex looked at him, then again at the vial and then back at him, once more admiring the cult leader's beauty that had captivated him from the very first moment he had met him. "I do.""I was hoping this would be your answer." Saddler smiled, reached over to the drawer again, took out a big syringe and put the vial into it. "Are you ready?""As ready as ever," Alex said, got up from the chair, knelt down next to the bed and tilted his head to the side so that Saddler had access to his neck.The cult leader leaned over, gently inserted the syringe's needle into Alex' neck and then injected the plaga egg into the younger man's bloodstream."Welcome to Los Iluminados, Alex."

Hand in Hand, nie mehr allein

Hand in Hand, kein Blick zurück

Komm, wir schließen unsere Reihen

Marschier'n im Gleichschritt gegen Glück

(Rammstein - 'Armee Der Tristen')