by KD Jones
“Where are my healers?” Stein demanded.
Trig sat down beside her. “They are on their way. They might get here faster if you answer my questions.”
He glared at Trig, refusing to look at Zara. “Fine. Ask your damn questions.”
“Do you remember this woman?”
Stein looked away. “Everyone knows her. She is Zara the Amazon from the GCFA circuit.”
Trig shook his head. “Did you meet this woman while you worked for…” He looked down at the piece of paper that had the fake business name on Stein’s paycheck. “The Gambit Company?”
“I don’t know that company.”
“Really? Because we have uncovered over two years' worth of paycheck stubs from the Gambit Company to a one Donald J. Stein living at the exact address we found you.”
“Uh...sure I worked for the Gambit Company. But that has nothing to do with…her.”
“What did the Gambit Company do Mr. Stein?”
“What?”
“You worked there for years. What exactly did the company do?”
“It…manufactured things. It was a manufacturing company.”
“Interesting. I have it on good authority the Gambit Company was a front for an illegal breeding facility. One of which had imprisoned Zara there and many others.”
“I don’t know who told you that but they lied.” Stein denied it.
Trig stood and looked at the cameras. He did a cutting signal across his throat. The camera light went off.
“What are you doing?” the ex-guard looked nervous.
“That was the official interview. Now comes the unofficial part. You obviously have watched the GCFA circuit. You have seen what Zara the Amazon can do. You even had a little taste of it earlier. But you didn’t get the full effect. She didn’t use her Beastial strength on you. That was just her regular old pissed off strength. She kept it leashed. How about I ask her to take that leash off?”
“No, you can’t do that!” He looked between Trig and Zara in fear.
“Oh, but I can. Or I should say, Zara can. You see, the IDJ also authorized that prisoners of the breeding facilities have the right to exact justice on any individual from the facilities that had directly hurt them.” Trig turned to Zara.
“Did Mr. Stein directly injure you in any way?”
“Yes, he did,” she answered with heat in her voice.
“You see, she has the authority to kill you if that is the justice she seeks.”
“No! Don’t let her kill me!”
Trig motioned for the cameras to be turned back on. He sat back down beside Zara. “Okay then. You worked for the Gambit Company, which was what?”
“A front for Breeding Facility 108.”
“On the day the IDJ raided Breeding Facility 108, you were video recorded leaving the facility through an unknown passage with a small child, two years of age. Where did you take the child?”
The ex-guard hesitated to answer.
“I guess I will leave you and Zara to reacquaint yourselves.” Trig stood halfway up.
Zara growled at the ex-guard with vengeance gleaming in her eyes.
“No! Okay, okay! The scientists told us that in a situation like that, the guards were to grab as many of the children as possible and take them through the passage to a hidden shuttle.”
“Where did you go after that?” Trig asked.
“An orphanage. We took as many of the children to an orphanage that had connections to the breeding facilities.”
“Which orphanage?”
The ex-guard hesitated.
“Which one?” Trig demanded again, bending down in the man’s face.
“Children United Orphanage.”
“Was it the last time you saw the young child that you took?”
“Yes.”
“Very good. Thank you, Mr. Stein.”
“I can go now?” The ex-guard looked hopeful.
“Nope. You will remain here for further questioning. Then await your judgment.” Trig stood to leave.
“You can’t leave me here!” the ex-guard yelled at them.
Zara turned around, “I have dreamed of ripping your head off your shoulders on so many nights, give me a reason to do it.”
The male sat back down defeated. A puddle dripped down from the man’s chair to the floor followed by a strong odor. Evidently, he did more than just wet himself.
Zara turned away in disgust.
Chapter Fourteen
Zara followed Trig out of the room. It was hard to keep her emotions in check to allow Trig time to ask his questions. All she wanted to do was beat the shit of the male.
“Wait, Zara.” Trig motioned for her to stop.
“Wait? Come on. Let’s get to the orphanage.”
“I have to report this and then request a few IDJ agents to go with us.”
She folded her arms across her chest drawing his eyes to her breasts unintentionally. She raised an eyebrow when he just stared at her chest with longing. “Today, Trig.”
“Right. Be right back.” Trig disappeared down the hall.
Zara watched him walk away. He had the finest ass she had ever seen on a male. She licked her lips remembering how she had gripped that ass as he drilled into her over and over. She wanted him again. She always wanted him. She feared she would never get enough of him.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a few of the IDJ officers watching her. She ignored them the best she could. It was the price of fame. Being a GCFA fighter brought attention to you whether you like it or not. But it had allowed her to travel and search for Angel all these years.
She had been created in a lab. Born and trained to be a fighter. The scientists originally wanted her to be sold to the military. However, the original corporations that had paid for her to be created had been busted by the IDJ. She had been thrown into an orphanage, then a few years later they sent her to a breeding facility.
She didn’t hate the IDJ. They didn't know they were sending her and the other created halfsies to a worst situation. But she did feel resentment that it took them years before they realized their mistake and the children they had once freed were once again prisoners.
“Ready?” Trig had returned. He had two IDJ officers with him. He looked at her with concern. “Zara?”
“Let’s go.”
*****
It took them only five minutes to get to the Children United Orphanage. There were children playing out in the playground laughing and smiling. All of them were pure human children. Whenever she had visited the different orphanages over the years, she had hoped Angel had ended up in a good one and that maybe a kind and loving family had adopted her. She now knew that had not happened. How was she to face her daughter after having failed to protect her?
The shuttle stopped in front of the building. Trig helped her out. She was instantly comforted at the touch of their hands. She hated letting him go, but she did and pulled her shoulders back.
They walked side by side up to the front door of the place, Trig reach out and rang the bell. A pretty little blond female answered the door. She looked nervous until she caught Trig’s eye. As soon as the woman saw Trig smile at her, her whole demeanor relaxed. What the hell kind of pheromone was Trig putting off? He could make a female’s panties drop with a wink of his eye.
“May I help you?” she asked Trig.
He smiled at her. “Yes, ma’am. I am Special Agent Trig Roberts with the Intergalactic Department of Justice. We are here to look for records of a halfsie child brought here about eight years ago.”
The woman moved out of the way so they could all enter. She looked at Zara briefly, but she didn’t show any signs of recognizing her. She must not be into the GCFA events.
“My name is Miss Caroline Berkley. I am the Assistant Director for the Children United Orphanage.” She motioned for them to follow her down the hallway.
“Mrs. Berkley…”
“Miss…I am not married. But you can call m
e Caroline.” She smiled at Trig and blushed.
Zara held back her growl. The female was flirting with him. To his credit, Trig seemed to be ignoring it all.
“Miss Berkley, how long have you worked here?”
“About three years.” She showed them into a small sized office. The two IDJ officers had to stand outside in the hallway. There was only room enough for Zara, Trig, and the flirty female.
“The information we are looking for would be eight years ago. A little brunette halfsie was brought in.”
The female frowned. “We don't have any halfsies here currently. Let me check my computer.” She began to type on her computer. Her fingers flew across the keyboard. “This is unusual.”
“What is?” Trig asked, standing and coming around to the female’s side of the desk.
The female pointed to her screen. “There is not an official record of children being admitted, but there is an invoice for receipt of ten ‘special’ arrivals. It was done at an odd time frame, middle of the night,” she continued to type and pulled up something that had Trig frowning.
“Two days later there are ten new halfsie children registered. How long were they here?” Trig asked.
The female typed some more. “It looks like all ten of them were fostered out two years after their arrival. Another two years later two more children were fostered out to the same foster parents. This is highly unusual. The last two girls were here almost five years, but fostered out a little more than three years ago, right before I started here to the same exact foster parents.”
“I see there were a few early pictures. Do you have the most recent pictures…three and a half years ago?”
“Yes, I have them.”
“Could you print them for me?”
“Of course.” The female hit the print button and the printer in the corner started to print out stuff.
Trig walked over to the printer and pulled the two pages off. On each page there was five pictures printed in color. One in particular caught his attention. He brought it over to Zara and handed it to her.
Zara held the pieces of paper in her shaking hands. She was staring at a color picture of her daughter taken three and a half years ago. The first image she had ever seen besides the black and white sketch Taurus had done.
“Angel,” she whispered, touching the child’s face with a loving touch.
Trig watched as emotions played crossed Zara’s beautiful face. Usually she kept her emotions closed off from others seeing it, but not this time. “Do you have the records of who the foster parents were?” he asked the woman.
“Yes, I’ll print that out for you.”
“Thank you.”
*****
A few more minutes later, they left the orphanage. Zara felt extremely anxious. She wanted to rush to get to her daughter but the address of the foster parents was listed as the northeastern part of this region. It would be at least an hour before they reached the location. There was no guarantee it would be a valid address either.
Trig’s phone went off. “Roberts here.” He looked at Zara quickly before turning away. “He’s there now? Yes…we’ll meet with him.” Trig hung up the phone, but it was clear from his expression he was not happy.
“What’s going on?” Zara asked with concern.
“We have to head back to the IDJ headquarters.”
“Why?”
“We have an unannounced visitor that is requesting to see us.”
“Who?”
“The officer said the name given to him was…Tiger.”
Zara felt all the blood rush from her body. Tiger was here. He was looking for her. What was she going to do? What was she going to say to him? At least she would finally be able to get the secret out that had been weighing on her for years.
Trig watched her reactions play across her face. The last reaction—eagerness—worried him. What if Tiger wanted her back? What if she wanted to rekindle things with Tiger? What was he going to do? How was he ever going to let her go?
A few minutes later they were climbing out of the shuttle. Both lost with their own worried thoughts. Zara was shaking. She had to cross her arms around her body to hold herself steady.
They walked in and an officer was there waiting to show them to the conference room. Zara followed behind Trig. She was scared. Not a lot scared her now a days, but seeing Tiger again made her experience the unwanted feeling. What if he hated her for not finding him sooner and telling him about Angel.
The door opened and Trig entered. Zara stopped at the entrance. At first glance, the tall male with the beautiful brown hair looked so much like Tiger. Then as she stepped forward slowly she noticed his face was different and his eyes, they were blue not brown.
“You’re not Tiger.”
“No…I’m his brother, Torch.”
Zara looked around the room but no one else was there. “Where’s Tiger?”
“He’s dead.”
Chapter Fifteen
Zara reached out to steady herself. She had always imagined Tiger alive and well somewhere. That he had forgotten about her and their time together at the facility. Never had she imagined he would be dead.
Trig gripped Zara’s arm and helped her to sit down. “Do you need anything, baby?”
She shook her head. She didn’t even hear him use the endearment.
“When? How?” Zara asked as she sat down in the seat Trig pulled out of her. She was in shock.
The male sat down close to her. “The scientists had deemed me unviable and had scheduled me for termination. My older brother, Tiger, helped me to escape. He sacrificed himself to make sure that I got out. As soon as I did, I went for the IDJ’s assistance. They had been investigating but had no grounds to raid the building yet. That was until me. I gave them the proof they needed.”
“The night of the raid, the guards had taken Tiger to the room with the red door.”
“Oh God, no!” Zara reached out and clasped Torch’s hand.
Trig sat on the other side of Zara. It hurt when she reached out and touched the other man instead of him. He didn’t trust Torch at all. How did he know where to find them? Why wait until now to show up?
“I came with the IDJ to show them where the prisoners were located. Tiger wasn’t in his room. When I found him, he had been injected with some agent that started to shut down his system. The healers that came with the IDJ were able to stabilize his condition but…permanent damage had been done. They didn’t know how much damage until much later.”
The man gulped. “It took a while for him to be able to communicate with me. He had gotten better for maybe less than a year. Then he slowly deteriorated over the following years. He had written down everything that he could remember from his time at the breeding facility. Most of it was about you.” Torch looked Zara up and down, desire showing in his eyes. “His descriptions of you did not do you justice.”
“When did Tiger die?” Trig asked with a bite to his voice.
Torch glared at Trig. “He died about two years ago. I was away on business when I got the call that he had passed. I got home as soon as possible but there was nothing I could do.”
“Why wait two years before searching for Zara?”
“I was devastated at losing my brother. I mourned for about a year. Then last year I was asked to clean out a storage unit my brother had used to keep the excess of his things. That’s when I found his journal with his experiences in it. That’s when I found out about you…Zara.”
“You’re brothers? But you are not a full Beastial?” Zara asked, ignoring the way the male’s voice deepened when speaking to her.
“No, the labs mixed me with Voltan, Beastial, and human DNA to make me a halfsie. Tiger and I had shared the same Beastial DNA, but he was full Beastial. None of that mattered. We could smell our DNA connection and felt a brotherly bond for one another.”
“He told me once that he had a younger brother,” Zara said, getting lost in a memory of Tiger for a moment.
“He told me that he regretted how the two of you had been thrown together, but his biggest regret had been in not finding you afterwards,” Torch said to her.
“Why didn’t he?” Trig asked, not really believing everything the stranger was saying. He glared at the way the other man held on to Zara’s hand.
“He wasn’t quite right in the head after what they did to him. I had to work several jobs to pay for the special care he needed. He was in and out of reality. There were times…near the end that…he was barely conscious. He just sat there and stared off into space. It was almost a relief when he finally passed on.”
Trig looked away. He might not like the fact this man had a connection to Zara, but the pain over what his brother suffered and then losing him was not a lie. No one could fake that kind of misery.
“I may not have found you at all if it had not been for the IDJ officers coming to inquire whether Tiger stilled lived at that residence. They informed me of a Special Agent Roberts that was looking for Tiger. I told them I wanted to meet with you. I didn’t know until just now, when Zara walked through the door, I would be seeing the female my brother had fallen in love with all those years ago. And I especially had no idea that Zara the Amazon was that female.”
“How do we know you are telling the truth? How do we know you are really Tiger’s brother?”
Zara leaned forward almost putting her nose against Torch’s neck. She took a deep whiff of his scent. Then she pulled back.
Trig almost growled at seeing how close Zara got to the other man. He was not going to share his woman with anyone. He didn’t care who the guy was. No one was taking the woman he loved away from him. Loved? Shit, I am screwed. “What the hell was that?” Trig demanded.
Zara looked at him in surprise. Trig had never raised his voice like that before. He sounded—possessive. “I scented him. I can detect his Beastial scent, which matched what I remember of Tiger’s. He is definitely Tiger’s brother.”