Alpha Elias

Elias Janovich gripped the steering wheel of his battered pickup truck as if it was a lifeline, careening through the sun-drenched streets of Las Vegas. The bright neon lights that once glimmered in his heart now felt like a mockery and a reminder of a happy life he lost after serving in the fields of war. It was late afternoon, and the Strip was gently awakening from its lazy siesta, tourists emerging like butterflies hungry to sample the delights the city promised.

As he navigated through the thickening traffic, Elias felt pressure on his chest, a sense of responsibility and a simmering anger that stuck to him like a second skin. For even when he caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror, he could see the tired eyes ringed with dark circles that do not scream "hero" as one might expect. Once a proud soldier, now a man returning home with mind frayed and heart sullied, he wasn't exactly making an entrance on a winning note.

The sight of Clara waiting on the porch swelled warmth of familiarity up, when he finally rolled into his driveway. Her auburn locks fluttered with the soft wind and her face was that of the warm meal waiting at the end of an arduous journey. Clara had been the rock over the years, the steady lighthouse pulling him back to safety and her calming light.

"Elias!" she exclaimed, her voice piercing through the haze of his troubled mind while she all but dashed towards him and wrapped her arms around him. It was the first time in his, at best complicated and, at worst, well-worn relationship with her that his demons fell back for an instant, and he reveled in his touch. "I was getting worried! You took longer than usual."

"Traffic," he stammered, managing a grin that was as much gritting his teeth. Just then, his phone buzzed angrily in his pocket, an unwanted intrusion into this peaceful moment. He looked over at the screen and nearly froze at the message: *Military Recall. *

He broke free of Clara and fumbled with the phone. Clara's smile vanished and concern washed over her like the darkness of a storm cloud on a bright spring day. "Janovich, back at base, you are needed. We have a situation, coordinates and orders will be sent shortly. "This isn't going to be pretty," said the serious voice on the other end.

"What's the mission?" The words got stuck like obstinate rice in his throat and Elias felt a knot tightening in his stomach as he asked.

"Just follow the orders. We can't discuss it at this time." Just like that, the call was off, and Elias found himself holding the phone and a maelstrom in his heart. He had wanted a peaceful return, a chance to be "normal" again, but destiny had other plans, pulling him back just when he started to breathe again.

"Elias?" Clara moved closer, a reassuring hand on his arm, her eyes searching his as if with a child for Easter eggs. "What did they want?"

He sighed and shook his head, as if he had just tossed off a heavy blanket. "It's nothing good, Clara. I'll have to go back.

Before he finished his thought, he noticed a light-haired figure loitering at the end of the block. Was that John Deere? Unwelcome memories spilled over the edges, flooding his mind with evidence and truth and the heart-stopping betrayal that had almost destroyed their friendship. John, previously his companion, had plummeted into an abyss following a botched police raid. Seeing him now was like meeting a ghost from a vanquished chapter of his life.