The first floor seemed almost deserted. One end looked clean and orderly, the beds freshly made, but no one occupied any of the rooms. Zophiel was about to give up and explore the sublevels when she heard the rhythmic beeping of medical equipment. Checking her reflection, or lack thereof, on the glass covering a picture, she made sure her shields were effective before approaching the ward. Two workers sat behind the central desk—likely a nurses’ station. One was male, one female. The female was entering information into a tablet computer and the male had a rifle resting across his knees. They only had four patients and all four were unconscious, two hooked up to respirators.
Well, this is gloomy as hell. Zophiel looked in each room to make sure she wasn’t missing anything important then she found a secluded stairway and went to sublevel one. She walked down a utilitarian corridor and emerged into a large room. Walls had been partially removed, exposing support beams while creating one massive open space and then the space had been filled with cages. Rows and rows of cages.
Growls and feline cries sent shivers down her spine. She’d known the backers had created a private Therian zoo, but even her twisted imagination hadn’t pictured…this. Arranged from youngest to oldest, each cage contained a litter of Therian captives in their animal form. The youngest were cougars and appeared to be about three months old. The majority of the cages contained cats, but there was a small section of wolves and even three bear cubs. Nine guards patrolled the area, walking up and down the aisles in perpetual motion.
The backers trapped gestating females in their animal form to shorten the length of their pregnancies and the offspring were kept as animals for much the same reason. A tiger reached physical maturity in four to five years while a human took eighteen or more. It was diabolically efficient. Zophiel had first learned of this practice during an interrogation of one of the backers’ former employees. Hearing about such a program and seeing it in person were two very different things.
Once the shock wore off, Zophiel was able to appreciate the ruthless order of it all. The cages were clean, the captives seemed healthy and… Where were the mothers? Tension curled through Zophiel’s gut, making her restless and edgy.
Enough skulking around like a shadow. She needed to find Tias.
Zophiel returned to the ground level of the hospital and paused in the lobby. Guards flanked the front door and another was stationed at the mouth of a hallway branching off to the right. Security meant something worth protecting, so she approached slowly, ensuring that her steps were silent. She eased past the guards then hurried down the hall, not yet sure where she was going.
She passed several private offices and an open area separated into cubicles but there was not a person in sight. She discovered areas labeled “Imaging” and “Radiology” though each seemed deserted. Finally the muffled sound of voices led her to another cluster of office space.
A gray-haired man stood in the corridor, speaking with a heavyset man in a lab coat. It took her a moment to recognize James Milliner. Roberto’s dislike of the general had distorted the image locked within his mind. In person Milliner was far less intimidating.
Milliner nodded to his companion then turned toward one of the offices. “I need to inspect the delivery, Tias. I’ll be back in thirty.”
Perfect. Zophiel waited until the men disappeared down an adjacent hallway then slipped into Tias’ office and looked around. She’d seen pictures of Tias on the internet as well as in Roberto’s mind, so her appearance was less surprising. Petite and pretty with graceful features that made her age extremely hard to determine, Tias sat behind a wooden desk, working on a laptop. She tensed and looked up, dark eyes gleaming as she searched her surroundings.
Zophiel held perfectly still. If Tias was human, how had she sensed an intruder? Curious. Humans were generally oblivious to her presence.
“Who’s there?” Tias didn’t rise but she slipped one hand under her desk.
Zophiel flew across the room and dragged the chair back from the desk before Tias could press the panic button. “There’s no need for that. I just came to talk.”
Still seated and obviously stunned, Tias held up her hands. “Who are you?” She tried to look behind her, but Zophiel guided her head back around and held it there. Tias gasped. “You’re corporeal. Why can’t I see you?”
“I’ll ask the questions and as long as you answer honestly this should be fast and painless.”
“You’re the one who called me.” Her voice sounded breathless and thin. “You’re Roberto’s mistress.”
Zophiel laughed as she moved both hands to Tias’ shoulders. “Roberto’s dead, so I’m not his anything. Now focus. Where do you keep the mothers?”
“What mothers?”
Sliding one hand up to Tias’ throat, Zophiel squeezed just hard enough to communicate the warning. “I’ve seen your baby zoo. Are the mothers still alive?”
“Of course.” Tias sounded offended.
Annoyed by the hypocrisy, Zophiel snapped, “Then where are they?”
“Third floor. The old psych ward.”
She had no idea why Roberto hadn’t known about this but it made sense. A locked ward would secure the mothers while still giving them access to bathrooms, maybe even showers. “I know you keep them in animal form to speed things up, but run me through the rest. How does it work? Do you have breeding pens or are the females impregnated through medical procedures?” Tias hesitated. Was she trying to figure out which answer would please Zophiel more? “I can sense lies, so don’t bother.” It was a vast exaggeration. Sometimes she’d have an inkling when she heard an untruth but it was little more than intuition. When she really wanted accurate information, she stripped it from the person’s mind. Unfortunately the process was always damaging.
“We prefer a more controlled environment, but we have a higher success rate with natural copulations.”
Refusing to dwell on the detail, Zophiel asked, “What happens once pregnancy is confirmed?”
“The female is locked in her animal form until after the offspring are weaned.” She sounded calm now, as if she were ticking off steps in her favorite recipe. “Sometimes it’s necessary to release them if they become too weak, but the longer we can keep them in their animal form the faster they deliver.”
Zophiel refused to react to the information but something inside her began to seethe. She had good reason to despise Therians. How did these people justify their abhorrent behavior? “After they’re weaned, the offspring are taken below and the female is allowed to release her shift?”
Tias nodded. “Remaining in animal form for that long is extremely hard on the female. She requires several months of rest and recuperation before she can—”
Unable to suppress her rage, Zophiel squeezed the human’s throat hard enough to silence her. Tias spoke of it all with such indifference one would think the captives were a commodity incapable of thought or emotion. Zophiel was suddenly glad her sister hadn’t lived to see this atrocity. Nehema had learned the basic facts before she died, but neither of them had realized the true scope of the backers’ operation.
And now Nehema was dead, a loss Zophiel had yet to avenge.
There would be time for revenge once she determined how to deal with the backers. She pushed the past aside and returned her focus to the present. At the moment she couldn’t decide if the backers needed to be controlled or destroyed. First she had to fill in the missing pieces.
She eased the pressure of her fingers without moving her hand away from the human’s throat. “What’s on sublevel two?”
Tias swallowed with obvious difficulty then whispered, “Training facility.”
Of course. They would need the highest level of security if they were going to release maturing Therians from their cages.
“How old are the offspring when they begin training?” After another long pause, Zophiel twisted her hand in Tias’ hair and pulled her head back. The unmistakable scent of fear filled Zophiel’s nose, helping her c
alm down. “If we’re going to be partners—and I assure you we are—I need to understand everything.”
Tias blinked several times before she explained, “Each offspring spends three weeks as an animal and one week as a human. During their human week they’re trained. This continues for about five years or until they’re ready for full-time training.”
“How many have completed the training regimen?”
“Only three to our satisfaction, but we have a class of sixteen perhaps six weeks away.”
Zophiel eased her hold on Tias’ hair then slid both hands back to Tias’ shoulders. “Now was that so hard?”
“What is your interest in Therians? Are you always invisible?”
Ignoring the questions, Zophiel rotated Tias’ chair until she could see the other woman’s face. “Did you know General Milliner is in contact with Nate Fitzroy?”
“Heather’s father?” Her confusion seemed genuine.
“Yes. Milliner offered to trade Dhane for Heather.”
Tias scoffed. “That would be a little hard to accomplish.”
What did that mean? It was only a matter of time before Nate found his rebellious daughter. Unable to let the curiosity slide, she asked, “And why is that?”
“The cats rescued Dhane, so how is Milliner going to make the exchange?”
Roberto’s mind had been hopelessly compromised by the time she implanted the compulsion that made him take his own life. It wasn’t surprising that she’d been unable to learn anything useful when she summoned him the last time. “Then what game is Milliner playing?”
“I don’t know but I can find out.” Determination made Tias look hard and older than she had moments before.
“No. Let it play out. Let’s see when or if Milliner tells you about the negotiation.”
“All right.” Tias searched the space in front of her, eyes wide and curious. Zophiel poured energy into her shields. “What should I call you?”
Zophiel smiled. “No need. I’ll call you.”
* * * * *
Heather paced the small treatment room, feeling restless and uncomfortable. She hated doctors, always had, and all Jake’s soothing touches and calming words wouldn’t change that basic fact.
“Paul Garran is one of the good guys,” Jake insisted from his chair near the door. He looked ridiculously comfortable, sprawled as he was with his long legs crossed at the ankle and his brawny arms crossed over his chest. “Why are you so tense?”
“Can’t help it. I hate doctors.” She leaned against the wall directly across from the door, refusing to sit on the treatment table.
“Why? Were you poked and prodded as a kid or—”
“I was nine when my best friend found out she had leukemia. Now just the smell of antiseptic brings back all those memories.”
He uncrossed his legs and sat up, brows drawn together. “But Therians are immune to cancer.”
“She was half human, unable to shift.” A shudder tore through Heather as memories drove to the surface of her mind. Sunken eyes and ashen skin. Whimpers, moans and continual vomiting. And worst of all the never-ending, inescapable pain. “It took three years for her to die, three long, agonizing years.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been horrible.” His brow smoothed and she could no longer read his expression. “That sort of child is rare as hell. I’m surprised—”
“‘That sort of child’,” she snapped. “Do you mean half-breeds or bastards?”
He stood and crossed the room then pressed his hands against the wall on either side of her head. “I’m not the enemy, angel. Why are you so angry?”
She sighed and tore her gaze away from his handsome face. “I’m sorry. She was not just my best friend, she was my half sister.”
“Nate was her father?”
She nodded. “Her mother died and—much to my mother’s chagrin—Dad brought Danielle to live with us. We were instant friends and constant companions, even after Danny got sick. I was holding her hand when she…” Emotion closed her throat and tears escaped the corners of her eyes.
He caught her tears with his thumbs then tenderly kissed her. “Don’t fixate on her death. Remember the years you had together and how much you loved her.”
“Easier said than done in the current setting,” she grumbled, but the pain gripping her heart began to ease.
“If doctors upset you this badly, maybe this isn’t the direction you should go.” Warm with concern and affection, his gaze moved over her face. “Your head needs to be clear, your purpose firm, if you’re even going to consider doing this.”
He was right. She couldn’t go into this conflicted and emotional. Danielle’s death had been devastating but Heather wouldn’t be controlled by the loss. “I’m just checking out my options right now. I want enough information about each alternative to make an intelligent decision.”
He returned to his chair but his voice took on that silky quality that instantly curled her toes and sent heat cascading through her body. “Which alternatives are still in the running?”
“Traditional definition, you and me in sync and this.”
“Our being in sync won’t interfere with either of the other two.” His sexy smile made it obvious which strategy had his vote.
She’d started to admit that she wanted a true joining when Devon found them on the walkway. Even if their…affair? Alliance? Relationship? She couldn’t find a word that fit her feelings for Jake. It was more than a physical attraction and yet the external obstacles and complications seemed insurmountable. The only thing she knew for certain was that she wanted to enjoy an emotional connection as well as mind-blowing sex even if they only stayed together for three months.
Just as she started to explain what she wanted, someone knocked on the door.
“I don’t believe this,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“Derailed again.” Jake laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you forget that this is unresolved.”
A middle-aged man with shaggy gray hair and wire-rimmed glasses stepped into the office and smiled. “I’m Paul Garran.” He held out his hand toward Heather.
“Heather Fitzroy.” After shaking her hand, he motioned her toward the treatment table, so she reluctantly sat on the end.
“Devon told me you’re interested in taking the serum. Do you understand what it will allow you to do?”
“Basically, but what’s in it and how does it work?”
“The serum is a synthesized version of chemicals secreted by the Therian female’s endocrine system,” he began.
“Hormones?” she prompted, hoping he’d realize medical terminology was lost on her.
“Primarily.” He paused, probably searching for words simple enough for her to understand. “When a female is ready to be defined, her body goes through hormonal changes that prepare her for the metamorphosis. In nature, the hormone surge is counteracted as soon as one animal nature has been absorbed. This serum leaves the door open until we intentionally close it.”
“Why did it make my brother so sick?”
“The formula was designed for undefined females. Your brother has a defined animal nature and he is male. He’s lucky to be alive.”
“This is where things get tricky.” She folded her hands in her lap to keep from fidgeting. “I’m not sure if I’m defined or not. My definition was interrupted, but I have transformed into a wolf several times.”
“Devon explained what happened and I agree that your shifts were likely involuntary responses to danger. I don’t think you’ve been defined, but a simple blood test can confirm it one way or the other.”
“Let’s start there. If I’m defined the rest is moot, correct?”
“Correct.” He drew blood from her arm and then paused at the door. “I just need to look at this under a microscope. Can you wait or should we schedule a follow-up?”
“I can wait.”
“Good. I’ll be right back.”
“He isn’t so horrible is he?” Jake p
ushed to his feet and ambled toward her. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he moved in front of her.
“He’s nice enough—for a doctor.” She smiled.
“So what were you going to tell me?” He grabbed her hips and slid her forward until their lower bodies were flush. “Think we have time for a quickie?”
“No.” She laughed and tried to push him away. “I think we might have time to finish our conversation if you stop distracting me.”
He stilled, hands firmly grasping her hips. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers but pulled back as she tried to deepen the kiss. “So talk.”
She licked her lips, wanting his mouth back yet needing him to understand why she regretted the night before. “I missed the link as soon as you pinched it off. The next time we’re together, I want you to form it again.”
“My pleasure.” He kissed her then, a deep, consuming kiss that filled her with longing. Then he eased back and nipped her earlobe. “We promised Devon we’d come back when we’re finished here, but they’re going to be busy with the school tours. I think we should wait until after they close before we head back over there.”
“A much better plan.” She reached down and pressed her palm against the bulge in the front of his pants. “Let’s go. Dr. Garran can wait until tomorrow.”
“Not a chance.” Jake twisted away and reluctantly returned to his chair. “We’re going to see this through.”
She offered him a playful pout then slowly licked her lips. “I’m hungry. Are you sure you don’t want to come back later?”
Paul Garran rapped on the door as he pushed it open, postponing Jake’s reaction. “You’re definitely not defined. I took the liberty of running another test as well. Both Dhane and Devon now have an unusual antigen present in their blood. We believe it’s a byproduct of the formula. Your blood contains the same antigen.”
“But I haven’t taken the formula yet. How could I… Devon told you about the injection my father gave me the night I was supposed to be defined.”
Therian Prize Page 17