Previous chapter excerpt:
She continued, "It's also his final mission. The scientists want to see if Kav's memories resurface during this task—because the way he was brought here, and the timing, are the same as before."
Intan nodded, beginning to understand. But there was something Vinnie feared—Kav's anger erupting if his memories returned all at once. If that happened, tonight would be a nightmare.
"Vin... Kav's heartbeat is irregular. His brain signals are spiking!"
Just as Ben said that, the emergency alarm blared inside the truck—its deafening sound threatening to burst their eardrums.
"Damn it!"
~~~~
Chaos. That's the only word I could think of as I watched Kav lose control. Instead of attacking the targeted family, he went berserk, destroying everything around him. He kicked trees, smashed walls, tore down fences—he even nearly hurled a chunk of wood at our truck.
I didn't understand. Why was he screaming like a wounded wolf, unleashing his rage on lifeless things?
"This is the point of it all," Ben muttered, eyes fixed on Kav.
"What do you mean?" Bagas asked, voicing the question in my head.
"The success rate of Kav's experiment is 99.9%," Ben explained.
My brows furrowed. Ninety-nine point nine percent? That's practically perfect. What more could they want? Hasn't Kav suffered enough?
"If they fail this experiment, will they kill him off like some worthless sample?" I asked bitterly.
"No," Ben shook his head. "The remaining 0.1% is his conscience. That part of him that's still human and can't be erased. Whether the experiment is deemed a success or failure depends entirely on what the higher-ups decide."
So if they conclude that 0.1% is a flaw, Kav will be eliminated. But if they see it as a sign of success—a remnant of humanity—then Kav will be declared the perfect test subject. Freed, even.
Damn it. Do they think they're gods? Who gave them the right to decide who lives or dies? And worse—I'm family to these maniacs. Monsters in lab coats playing god.
But none of that matters right now. Kav needs to be sedated and brought back for treatment. The question is: how?
"Vinnie, you're the only one he listens to," Ben said calmly. "You have to try something."
Of course. This lunatic wants me dead. "If I die, your life insurance is void," I snapped and stormed out of the truck.
"Hey, I was kidding! Wait for me!" Ben shouted, scrambling to catch up, dragging a load of restraining equipment behind him. Bagas and Intan followed, clearly too scared to be left behind. As if following me would increase their chances of survival. This path leads straight to hell, you know.
"Vinnie, hurry up and call him," Ben whispered, nudging me forward.
I glared at him, then grabbed a steel shield. "Did you guys pack a hundred butcher knives just in case?" Intan asked nervously.
We all turned to her, stunned.
"Intan… we're here to sedate him, not slaughter him," Bagas replied with a sigh.
With the tension rising again, I slowly approached Kav. He was still roaring like a beast, ripping apart the farmer's house wall with those razor-sharp claws. I glanced through the window—the family inside was watching me with horrified eyes. If Kav charged in there, the security team would surely respond. But right now, it was just me standing between them and a bloody end.
"Kav..." I called softly, my voice trembling.
He stopped. Turned his head left and right, searching for the source of the voice.
"Kav, please, can you—" I didn't even finish my sentence before he lunged.
I dove aside just in time, barely dodging his claws. Not today, you overgrown mutt. I'm not fainting again. Not this time.
"Ben, give me the restraint rope!" I ordered.
Ben tossed it over. It was thick, with a loop on one end designed to go around Kav's neck. If I landed it, we could bring him down and inject the sedative.
"You've got this, Vinnie!" someone from inside the house yelled. Oh great, so Dad did hire extra security to hide out inside and watch.
"Hold the end of this rope. The moment I catch his neck, pull with everything you've got," I instructed.
Summoning every ounce of courage I had left, I threw the loop—and nailed it. It wrapped around Kav's neck perfectly.
"Pull! Now!" I shouted.
We all yanked the rope, struggling to keep him off balance. But Kav's strength was monstrous—far beyond ours.
"Hey, idiots! Don't just watch—help us!" I yelled.
Hearing my curses, the "security team" bolted out of the house... and ran straight to their vehicles.
Not to help. To flee.
Bastards.
"V-Vinnie! T-the rope's about to snap! His claws—he's cutting through it!" Bagas cried.
I hadn't even injected the sedative yet. At this point, we could only pray.
"ARGHHH!" Kav roared, flinging all four of us into the air. You can imagine the landing.
His blood-red eyes locked on me, filled with pure rage. His claws extended, his beastly aura overwhelming.
Is this how it ends?
"Huh?" I blinked as Kav's body suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"...I thought I was going to die," Ben muttered beside me.
"Shut up. Go change your pants," Intan scoffed, her relief obvious.
"Looks like someone hit him with a sedative shot," Bagas noted, already kneeling beside Kav. Since when did he get there?
Whoever did it, I didn't care. I was just grateful to be alive—if only so fate could hit me with something worse tomorrow.
Great. Now we had to drag this lump of trouble back to the lab... and I had to write the entire mission report by hand. Wonderful.
"So… what do we do with this lump?" Ben asked, lifting a strand of Kav's hair.
"That 'lump' is your walking paycheck," Intan shot back, already prepping the stretcher.
"There's a river nearby. Should we toss him in before he causes more trouble?" Bagas offered.
"Whose head should I chop first?" I said flatly, raising the butcher knife Intan had asked about earlier.