by C. L. Quinn
Dean’s expression didn’t change, but she noticed that he shifted his position. Was that because of…could he be aroused? This was an interesting experiment.
“Don’t go overboard. You don’t want to come off as trying too hard, they’ll be suspicious. Okay, so, it’s simple, you get them away from the front door on some pretext, Jessie, you help, and we’ll get into the room. Dean, you think you can pick a simple steel pin tumbler padlock?”
“Usually.”
“Okay. Taylor, Dean, and I will slip in, and see what’s behind door number one.”
“Pretext? What kind of pretext?”
“Good God, ladies. You are two of the most intelligent women I’ve ever known, and Jessie, you’re extremely creative, so use those minds and come up with something.”
A challenge. Jessie and Sally exchanged glances.
“Sure,” Jessie agreed.
“I don’t have that kind of faith in my flirting or sex appeal, Jess.”
“You don’t have to.”
“You have something else in mind?”
“Do I. You remember that pharmaceutical company I worked for this summer? They’ve developed a super laxative for people who have a chronic problem. Which I kind of have, so my supervisor gave me a supply. Since I knew we were going to be in the jungle, I brought a pack with me.”
“Ah, Jessie, you’re brilliant!”
“I know. So you go in, use that cleavage to distract them, tell them Dr. Hollinger sent them some snacks, wait until they reach critical, then the boys head in after they’ve left. It’ll keep them busy for at least twenty minutes.”
Half an hour later, Sally and Jessie led the others through empty corridors to just outside the room with the guards.
“As soon as the guards leave with you, we’ll need about three minutes,” Jackson said to Sally.
“Change of plans. I go in, and about five minutes later, they come out by themselves and you have about twenty minutes. We’ll stay on lookout. Just keep your phone on in case they come back early.”
Once the second guard bolted from the room, the three men entered it silently. Dean studied the lock on the other door for a few seconds. “Piece of cake.”
Jackson nodded, happy to know it wasn’t all going to be a waste. “Awesome.”
Watching Dean work the lock impressed Jackson. While having Jackson on his side would be a bonus for Dean in his new business, Jackson thought that the reverse might be true as well. Having someone so good at this type of stuff might serve him well someday too. Tit for tat, as it were, he thought.
A loud snick announced success, and Dean slid the lock off the simple hasp. “This was a real piece of shit. Whatever they’re hiding in here isn’t, wasn’t, secure.”
“Let’s find out what all the excitement is about,” Taylor grumbled, and pulled the door open.
The light inside was dim, little more than night-lights that had been placed several feet apart around the room. Two large cages occupied most of the space.
“Animals?” Taylor supposed.
Together, they moved closer. Now, with their eyes adjusting to the inadequate lighting, they noticed the dark forms lying on the floor.
“What the hell are they?” Dean lifted a hand to slide it along the cold, smooth metal of one of the bars.
Something along the back of the cage uncurled and lifted from the floor to stand. It slowly walked forward toward the men on the outside of the bars.
Taylor pointed to the figure coming out of the shadows.
“Is that…I mean, is that a…girl?”
“What the fuck?” Jackson whispered as they realized what she was. “They’re imprisoning kids? Holy fuck!”
SIX
“This can’t be true. My uncle is a driven bastard, but he’s not a fucking psycho.”
Jackson stood frozen, staring shocked at one cage and then the next, at what looked like several sleeping children in each.
Dean couldn’t take his eyes off the girl as she stood before them. “Something is really fucked up here.” He stepped closer to the cage. “Hi. Do you speak English?”
The girl looked from one man to the next, then, eyes downcast, she answered Dean. “Yes. We speak many languages. You are not one of the bad men.”
She didn’t ask, she stated that he wasn’t one of them. Whatever was happening here, Dean felt tingles prickle up and down his body. The young girl was striking, but he’d never seen anyone like her before. She was almost surreal, like a character in a graphic novel, perfect, elegant, feline. And she smelled…was wild the right word? Odd, but, yes, it was.
“Are you okay? Have they hurt any of you?”
She lowered her head in an elegant bow; huge round eyes with long eyelashes lifted to Dean. “We are well, except that we are trapped.”
Highly agitated, Jackson surged to the bars.
“How long have you been here? Why did they kidnap you?”
“They took us nearly a week ago. They have fed us, and tried to speak with us. As to the reason, we do not know.”
Taylor watched the girl’s body language, the strange pupil’s dilate, even in the minimal light. Her breathing picked up. She was lying. Or at least she wasn’t telling the entire truth. It was the eyes that captured him. Long slits instead of round pupils. Inhuman. Animal. What was she? “Jax…” He started to speak, but Jackson cut him off.
“Have they…touched you?” Jackson asked the girl, sick to his stomach.
Eyes still lowered, she smiled slowly. “No, not in the way you mean. All that matters at this time is that we are released. Surely you will help us?”
“You’re fucking right we’ll help you. My uncle and his criminal friends will never touch you again.” Jackson turned to Dean. “Buddy, open this cage.”
Once Dean slid his hands over the locking mechanism that secured the door, he looked back up at Jackson. “I can’t. This is a state-of-the-art digital lockset with a six-digit code. I’d need my computer and plenty of time to even try to hack this.”
“Dean, we have to get them out of there.”
“Then we need the code. There’s only one way. Your uncle or someone he trusts has to open it.”
“Then we do that. If we let him know we found out, that we’ll call the authorities, he won’t have a choice, right?” Taylor said.
After scanning the cages, the question left unanswered, Jackson shook his head. “No, he has another choice.” He turned to the girl again.
“Look, we’re going to help you, make no mistake, but we can’t get you out yet. Just go back, lie down and we’ll figure out a way.” He turned to his friends.
“Come on guys, we need to get out of here before they discover we know about this.”
“Why don’t we just confront them?”
“Taylor, let’s go. I’ll explain when we’re back in our room.” Jackson punched a button on his cell phone.
“Sal, is it clear?”
“Shit, yeah. That stuff really works. Neither of them have come out of the bathroom yet.”
“We’re coming out.”
Ending the call, he told the girl. “Don’t let them know we were here. I promise you, we won’t leave you.”
Dean and Taylor followed Jackson to the door, and they left as silently as they came.
Back in their temporary bedroom, Jackson paced for long moments before Sally demanded he answer their questions.
“What is it? If they’re keeping children here, for whatever reason, it’s wrong and it’s illegal. They have to know that we know. They have to answer for this, they have no choice, Jax. You uncle has to answer to you. Why aren’t you going to him? What is going on? This is your uncle, Jackson. Surely you aren’t afraid of him.”
He dropped onto his cot, his head in his hands.
“Yes, I am.”
“Seriously? He practically raised you.”
Jackson lifted his head again. This time he spoke clearly. “I think that if we try to force them to release those k
ids, to turn them over to us or the authorities, they’ll stop us. Even my uncle. He’s changed, guys. The angry, secretive attitude is new. He has always been really affectionate with me, but this time, he’s as cold as ice. No, I don’t trust him. We need to get out of here and contact the authorities when we’re clear.”
“I’m not leaving them here.” Anger bubbled in Dean as he thought about flying away and allowing these creeps to keep those children caged.
“Jax, what do you think he’d do? You don’t think he’d hurt us?”
“I think he might. Whatever’s going on with those kids, it’s important to him. More than anything in his life. If he thinks we’re a threat to that, I really think he’d do what he thought he had to do to protect it.”
“Jacks…” Still responding to Sally and Dean’s comments, Jackson cut Taylor off.
“We’re in danger. Dean, I feel the same way, I’m sick about all of this. But if we try to force them right now, if they hurt us, or…stop us in any way, the kids are still endangered. Since we don’t know what the stakes are, we have to go.”
Taylor stood suddenly and put his hands in the air.
“Would you fucking listen to me?” he yelled.
All eyes went to Taylor, the kindest, quietest person they knew. The outburst was so atypical, everyone startled, he had their full attention.
“Better. If anyone’s interested, I think I know why he’s keeping those kids.”
“You do? How?” Jackson didn’t think it was likely.
“Guys, did either of you notice the girl’s eyes?”
Dean nodded. “They were big. Really long eyelashes.”
“Yes, but did you notice the pupillary shape?”
“Uh, no, it was too dark, and now that I think about it, she kept them downcast most of the time.”
“For good reason. Luckily, my vision is really good in low light. Her pupils are elongated, unlike normal humans.”
“Cat-like,” Dean whispered.
“And what have we come here to Patagonia to find?”
Jessie’s eyes widened. “Evidence of people who can change into animals. Holy shit! You’re serious, Taylor?”
“It was dark in there. You couldn’t have seen her pupils clearly. You’re mistaken.”
“Jackson, I know what I saw. Those children are different. I think your uncle knows that. He’s found his holy grail. He plans to take those hybrids back to his lab and he’s going to show them to the world. I think you’re right. He isn’t going to let anything or anyone stand in his way.”
No one spoke after that revelation, the possibility of the shapeshifters reality filling their minds.
Sally spoke finally. “It’s what we were going to do.”
“Not like this. Not against their will. Not children.”
Jackson paced and ended up at the door. “So my original idea is the only chance they have. We get out of here, safely, so that we can make sure we can contact the local authorities. They need to come in force to get those children.”
“It doesn’t feel right,” Dean commented. “But if what you say is true, Taylor, I think you’re right. I have a handgun, but that isn’t enough if they decide to detain us.”
“Or kill us.”
Jessie’s comment stilled them all. “Come on, we’re thinking it. Would Isiah Hollinger be willing to kill to assure that he is credited with the discovery of an unknown supernatural species? To leave his mark on history?”
Everyone watched Jackson’s face. Long seconds passed before he nodded, almost imperceptibly.
“Then let’s get some sleep and get out of here when they come for us. Everyone, we better be worthy of an Academy Award in the morning.”
They slid onto their cots, fully dressed, but no one slept.
THE NEXT MORNING IN THE RAIN FOREST
Talib watched Rodney’s team closing down the camp as he pushed the others to pack up. “We’re close. I want to get there as quickly as we can to free those kids.”
“We all do. I think we’re ready.” Eras slung his pack over his back. As strong as he was, even he was still feeling the impact of the last two days. At the same time, he felt an incredible sense of accomplishment. This proved that he was ready to move from the life he’d always known and to discover who and what he was and wanted to be. Looking around at the collected group of first blood offspring, he thought that it was true for all of them.
Childhood was over.
Cairine stood at the back of the group, her pale, ginger hair blowing loose as she tried to twist it onto the top of her head. Once his gaze landed on her, it stayed. He didn’t know when, or how, but he knew that someday, something was going to happen there. His heart pounded at the thought.
Rodney’s voice interrupted. “We’re on. Eras, lead the way.”
IN THE WAREHOUSE
Dining once again on sandwiches and cola, Jackson and his crew ate without speaking. There wasn’t anything else to say. It had been decided that they would do nothing until they could alert the local constables and leave the children to them. His gut clenched the entire time he tried to choke down the sandwich.
“So, you all ready to head back to sunny California?”
Paul seemed extraordinarily chipper this morning.
Getting what he wants, the bastard, thought Dean.
Jackson shot him a look.
Yeah, yeah, I’ll act all compliant and smile. Dean sent Paul a thumbs up and offered up the expected smile.
“Yeah, I’ve got some surfing to do. Miss the waves.”
“I know what you mean. This area doesn’t have much to offer active young people.”
It seemed like Paul didn’t suspect anything, so it looked like they would pull this off. In a few minutes, they’d start the hike back to the clearing to catch the plane and they’d be safe.
Jackson played his part well, especially when a few minutes later, his uncle arrived in the lunch room.
“Uncle!” he called out with enthusiasm.
“Nephew.” Isiah answered significantly less excitedly.
“I’m sorry we don’t get to visit longer. Maybe later when you’re back in Washington, eh?”
“I don’t believe so.”
The expression on Isiah’s face changed everything. Dean leaned back, his hand on the pistol hidden beneath his loose tee shirt. This could go wrong fast.
Still trying to play through, Jackson smiled. “What do you mean? I’m there, Uncle Isiah, you know I am.”
The door behind Isiah opened, and, fully armed, rifles up and in position, four guards surrounded Isiah, the weapons on the five young people still at the table.
“You couldn’t just leave it alone. Goddammit, boy! If I thought you’d let this go, I’d send you on home, but I know you too well. You’ll never understand my reasoning.”
Jackson stood and faced him, all pretense gone now.
“Then why don’t you tell me what you’re doing?”
“I suspect you already know. The real problem now is what to do with you.”
Paul stepped between them. “What the hell is going on?”
“They know, Paul,” Isiah answered. “These damn nosey assholes broke into the holding room last night and they’ve seen my subjects.”
“Children. Kidnapped, innocent children,” Taylor barked.
Paul’s hand went to his face, his eyes wild. “Shit! I warned you. Isiah, what do you think you’re going to do with them? Detain them?”
“At first. The thing is, now that they know, how am I to protect the project? Eventually, one of them will notify the FBI when I’m back in Washington, and then I’m fucked. They’ll take them from me and I cannot allow that to happen.”
“So what do you plan to do?”
“I don’t know.”
Isiah turned to his men. “For now, bind them.”
Dean toyed with the idea of using his gun to try to control the situation, but there were four men armed with semi-autos, but the odds of success were lo
w and the chances of someone getting hurt or killed were high. He’d have to wait for a better moment, so he slid his hand from beneath this shirt and calmly allowed a large man to place handcuffs on him. His eyes stayed on Sally when another man did the same to her, but lingered a little too long. Oh, this little trip was fucked!
“They’ll take you to the room and place you in one of the cages. We’ve moved the children to one cage. It’s a little tight, but they won’t be there that long. We’re leaving this morning.”
“You’re my family. How can you do this to me? To my friends?”
“Jackson Hollinger, you are like the son I never had. Unfortunately, you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. I warned you, and you forced yourself into a place you were never supposed to be. Every man must face the true consequences of his actions. I wash my hands of you, boy. With great regret, but this is bigger than you. I am truly, truly sorry.”
As the guards led them away, Jackson strained against his. “What do you mean, you’re sorry? What are you going to do with us? Isiah? Isiah?”
“I would have left it all to you someday.” Shaking his head, unshed tears glistening in his eyes, Isiah walked away.
With a hard push, one of the guards shoved Jackson and Dean ahead of him, the rifle pointed at Jackson’s head. The others joined them and, well guarded, they were marched back to the room they’d penetrated last night. The lights were on today though, one cage filled with children of various heights, all standing as they watched the handcuffed group forced into the second cage and the door slammed closed. Small chimes announced the digital lock as it re-engaged.
The two guards who Sally and Jessie had dosed walked up just short of the bars and sneered. One of them threw up his middle finger, his eyes on Sally. “Thanks for the runs. Oh, you should know, when the others clear out and leave you to us, I’m going to have a whole fucking lot of fun with you girls.”
Dean had to fight the desire to wrangle his gun out of his holster and shoot the motherfucker in the face. No one had frisked him; they had no idea he was armed, so he kept his ire and mouth under control. The time would come.