SIX MONTHS TO KILL THE ALPHA

Six men dressed in black, their faces hidden behind masks, broke into a house late in the night. Inside, a man, his wife, and their five-year-old daughter were just about to have dinner when they began hearing voices and footsteps, and then; a knock. "Who could that be?" the man asked, confused, glancing at his wife. It was past midnight. Who would knock at such an hour? "Head to the room. Take Mira upstairs," he whispered. His wife obeyed immediately, carrying their trembling child as he watched them disappear up the stairs. The knocking grew louder; fierce and violent, almost enough to break the door down. He stood frozen as the door finally crashed open. The first intruder stepped in and greeted him with a punch to the chest, sending him stumbling backward. "Who... are you? How may I help you?" he asked weakly, coughing, clutching his chest. "Who are we?" one of them sneered. "You'll know soon enough," another muttered, stepping forward. Then the last man entered. His long coat was soaked, and his face disappeared beneath a black leather hood. "Orders were clear," he said into his phone, his voice cold. "No witnesses." One of the masked men shoved the father down, and they began beating him mercilessly. "Where is your family?" the hooded man asked. "Ple...ase... I... live... alone," he gasped. "Alone?" The hooded man raised a brow, then gestured for his men to stop. He stepped closer to the bloodied man on the floor. "You think you're the only one who knows how to play the game? For your information, we do too." A smirk curled on his lips. He turned to his men. "Search the house. Find his family." ************ Upstairs, the woman tried to hide her daughter in the wardrobe. "No... it's not safe," she whispered, panic rising. A heavy blow struck the door, making her jump. "Quickly, Mira!" she urged, rushing to the window. She peered outside, she saw no one. Turning back, she found Mira shivering in fear as the door rattled under repeated hits. "Listen, darling..." she whispered softly. "Mum, are we going to die?" the little girl asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No. This is the strongest door in the house." She kissed her daughter's forehead. "But I need to get you out of here." Her hands trembled as she tied a rope securely around Mira's waist. "I'm going to lower you down. When you reach the ground, untie yourself gently and run. As fast as you can. Don't talk to anyone," she whispered, wiping her daughter's tears. She lowered Mira out the window with the rope until the child reached the ground safely. "Smart girl..." she whispered, watching her daughter run. A thunderous impact on the door jolted her back. "What do you want?!" she yelled. "You finally spoke!" a voice barked. "Open the door!" "And if I don't?" she shot back. "We mean no harm, just come out with your daughter!" She didn't answer. She sank to her knees, sobbing silently. "We'll break this door!" another voice warned. "Open up! We won't harm your child. We just need you!" a deeper voice added. Still, the woman said nothing. *********** Outside, Mira crept around the refuse dump in the compound. Her foot hit an empty can; it clattered loudly. Two men turned toward the sound. "The noise came from here," one muttered. They approached, searching the area. "Back to position," the other finally said since they saw nothing, he began turning away. Mira held her breath, still and silent, but the horrible smell of the dump made her sneeze. Immediately, flashlights swung toward her. "She's here!" They grabbed her roughly and dragged her back to the house. "Please," she begged. Inside, she saw her father on his knees; bloody, battered, barely conscious. "Dad! Dad!" she cried, reaching for him, but the men shoved her upstairs. The hooded man approached Mira slowly. "Well... who do we have here?" "Leave us alone! We don't have what you want!" the woman shouted from inside the room. "Oh, but you do," he replied. "We've got your daughter. Now we need you." He grabbed Mira by the hair and lifted her as she screamed in pain. "Mira, darling? Is that you?" her mother asked, voice breaking. "Yes, Mum... I'm sorry... I was caught," Mira whimpered. "No!" her mother screamed. Mira kicked the man holding her. "Hey!" he growled, dropping her into the arms of the others as the door finally cracked open. The woman emerged slowly. "Let her go. We don't have what you want," she pleaded. "Downstairs," the hooded man ordered. **Downstairs** "Dad! Dad!" Mira screamed, but the man holding her quickly covered her mouth. They shoved the woman toward her husband. Both were badly injured, barely able to move. "We want you to watch your wife die," the hooded man said calmly. "And your child... she'll watch both of you die before joining you in hell." He pulled out his gun and shot the woman twice in the forehead. She collapsed instantly. Mira screamed, but it was muffled beneath the man's hand. "No...why are you doing this?" her father choked out. "Find out in hell," the hooded man replied, shooting him in the head as well. Tears streamed down Mira's face. She bit the man holding her hard as he loosened his grip. She bit him again, making him release her fully. She ran to her parents' bodies. "Dad!! Dad!! Wake up! Mom! Please wake up!" she cried hysterically. The hooded man motioned to his men. "Take her. Burn the rest." As the house erupted in flames, Mira screamed for her parents, her voice piercing through the night but no one came. The leader watched silently as his men dragged the child away. Firelight reflected coldly in his gray eyes. This was the night innocent Mira Logan died. Though it was her parents whose lives were taken...but everything inside her died with them. "Remember this night, Mira Logan," the leader murmured. "This is where you begin."