“I noticed today they were so silent with their communication, and I had a thought. You can screen for different frequencies, right?”
“Yes, but I’ve already done that. It didn’t get me anywhere.” He pulled his own laptop out of a bag he’d carried in with him. “You can listen to the files if you want, but I couldn’t catch anything.”
I frowned as he threw a curve in my theory. My mind pushed back, insisting that we missed something. “What frequency ranges did you check?”
“Sixty to fifty-thousand hertz. Just above and below standard range for humans and dogs,” he responded.
I paced back and forth, tapping my chin. “We’re missing something. I’m telling you, O’Malley, I saw them talking today. Radia was being damn sure that she could see Sensee.”
“Well…” He shrugged. “Radia’s range of hearing is a lot lower than Sensee’s. She would probably have to see her to talk to her, and even then, I’m sure there’s communication gaps. Kinda like signing for Jaxx. There’s a huge difference in a whisper and a yell when she’s signing because you take away the loudness factor.”
My jaw dropped as realization dawned. “You’re a fucking genius!”
“I know.” He grinned at me. “Now tell me what I figured out so I can take credit.”
I laughed as I clapped him on the back. “Let me show you.”
As expected, the video from today remained on the server. I played it for Wulphgang, turning my head when Daxel finished Xander off. I didn’t need a video to repeat that scene for me. I’d see it forever in my nightmares.
After he ran it through his software, he turned to me with a frown. “I’m missing something.”
“That’s the point! Sensee isn’t speaking in tones we can’t hear. None of them are. She’s listening and conveying what they need to know, like a translator. When she does talk, it’s like sign language. She keeps it to the point, without unnecessary information. It explains why she talks in coos and chirps, instead of growls and barks. She’s had to create a whole new language to express concepts to them that only she can get.” I replayed where she howled, sending Radia on the attack. “What was it you heard that no one else could?” I asked the screen as I studied Sensee.
We replayed the file over and over, layering it as much as possible. We even changed to straight audio for a bit, hoping the lack of visual stimuli would help us focus more. Yet, nothing stood out to me. Neither I nor the acoustic scientist could find the trigger.
Finally, O’Malley sat back, rubbing his forehead. I glanced at the clock and realized the time pushed well past noon, and I wondered why I hadn’t heard from Jasmyne yet.
“I need a breather. At this point, it’s all just static in one big buzz to me,” he muttered as he stood.
I watched him go before replaying the clip again, video and audio together. “So, I rush in and tell them to stop. Evans comes in and tells me to stop. Xander pushes me out of the way and… That’s what it is!” I tapped the screen where the cattle prod remained clutched in the handler’s hand. “He turned it on. Before that moment, they knew something was different, but assumed the prod was just a new baton. Nothing they couldn’t handle and didn’t know about, right?”
Wulphgang came back with a bag of his spicy chips in his hands. “Yeah, but you can’t see that in the video. It’s not zoomed in enough to see him actually turn it on. It’s not like sparks jumped or anything.”
“Exactly. But I was there. I saw him flip it on as he pushed past me. And that is when Sensee sounded the alarm. She could hear the electricity the prod generated,” I said. “But how does she know electricity is dangerous?”
“Probably the same way your mouth knows these are spicy,” he said before shoving one in his mouth. “You’ve got other senses. So does she. Sensee has enhanced olfactory and auditory processors. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s super sensitive. That or she stuck a fork in an outlet as a puppy and remembers it.” He chuckled.
His comment reminded me of something else I’d meant to tell him. “Where were you last night?” I asked.
He raised a brow at the sudden change in subject. “I was with someone from the main department. She and I meet up once every few days to…exchange ideas.”
“AKA fuck?” I said with a sardonic smile.
Wulphgang shrugged. “I was trying not to be that crass. I’m sure you have a point in prying. What’s up?”
“We had a break-in last night. O’Malley, are you sure it’s been a person breaking in and tampering with your stuff in the past?” I leaned forward, intently watching him.
He tilted his head. “I’m sure someone has been coming in, eating my chips, and fucking with my room.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. Are you sure it was a person?” I asked, emphasizing the last word so he’d understand.
His shoulders rolled in a shrug. “I never saw who did it. Why?”
“A ged broke in last night. I’m not sure which. Not Radia; the claw marks weren’t big enough. But a ged somehow got into our quarters. Now, unless someone led it here on a leash, opened the door, and shoved it in…”
“That is really fucked up. Let me compile a list of factors on the days the break-ins happened. Let’s see if there’s a common theme. Because maybe you’re right, and the damn dogs are going for midnight strolls.”
I sat back as he spoke, but I couldn’t help the single thought that battered at my mind. God, I hope they aren’t.
Chapter Fifteen
Waves rolled in gentle caresses against the sand. I watched the rhythmic motion, allowing it to still my thoughts and calm my heart. The sun sat over the horizon in shades of pinks and oranges that seemed fit for a painting. Yet, none of it drove away the sense of impending doom that hung over myself and the various people that stood with me.
Jasmyne tapped on my arm, pulling my attention to her. “Can you talk for me?”
“Sure,” I said, while signing yes. “Where’s Lee?”
Her lips pressed in a thin line. “I do not trust him.”
I signed my understanding before turning toward the group with her. Her security team, plus O’Malley, Mal, and a couple of people I didn’t recognize that Jaxx invited, stood huddled in a mishmashed group. The man and woman I didn’t know wore maintenance coveralls, and the man kept tossing worried looks over his shoulder at the path that led back to the complex.
“Hi, everyone. For those that don’t know me, I’m Cossondra Poole. I was called in for animal behavioral consultation on the geds. Jaxx has asked me to serve as her interpreter during this meeting. We’ve asked you all here as we all seem to share similar concerns about the geds and their handling.”
A couple of people murmured agreement while some simply nodded. At least we all were on the same page. I turned slightly so I could watch Jaxx sign while she spoke to the group.
“I’m very worried. In the meeting today after Xander’s death, Evans said he has no plans to change the way the geds are handled. He will not hire a real security team either to ensure safety. My job is to keep animals from escaping enclosures and to instruct facilities on safety protocols. Evans does not want to make the changes I have suggested.
“Today, a man was killed. While this is frightening, what worries me most is that the geds worked together. The inhibition they felt over intentionally killing is now gone. That makes them far more dangerous to work with or around. That warning being said, I must admit, I’m more afraid of CGC.”
At this, I paused for a moment to frown. I wanted desperately to pause her and question her, but she continued on, so focused on conveying what she wanted to say that she didn’t see my hesitation.
“CGC is pulling strings they don’t want us to know or understand. While we have all worked on the Ged Project in one form or another, how many of you know everything about it?”
No one raised their hand, as expected.
“How many of you have found yourself asking questions that are dismissed or ignored?”
>
All of us raised our hands.
“What do we know about the geds? Doctor Mal, could you please fill us in?”
He crossed his arms as concentration lit his expression. “I know that the geds are all metabolically different and structurally different. However, every effort I’ve made to study their biology or composition is blocked. I’m told to administer antibiotics and measure tranqs, look at the occasional wound. I’ve recently discovered that Daxel’s saliva can enhance and transfer the effects of not just tranquilizers—which is how previous handlers died—but antibiotics as well. I’m uncertain the time the effect lasts as subjects bitten were often bitten within an hour and a half of initial injection.”
Several people milled around as they voiced concerns over this new information.
“How do you know about the antibiotics?” Kat asked.
“I was bitten during the first training session I sat in on,” I answered. “The bite wound I received, though relatively minor anyway, healed within hours.” I held out my arm to show the deep black and purple bruising that looked days old.
They gathered around my arm, studying it for a moment. When they stepped back, leaving me feeling like a guinea pig that sprouted a third ear, O’Malley spoke up.
“I’ve been studying their communication. We’re told over and over they are stupid animals. No more intelligent than your average dog. I disagree. Not only did they create their own language in the absence of one taught by a mother-figure, they also closed gaps between themselves and use each other’s strengths to relay information to the entire pack. Sensee, especially, is their decoder. I think they can all understand human language, but she’s able to make logical jumps in lining up context with non-verbal language. This means we’re dealing with an animal that’s on par with fellow human beings in not only language, but thought process.”
The woman wearing coveralls whose name tag read Cindy raised her hand. “I’m not sure what I have is observations so much as concerns. For two days each week, they lock everyone out of the geds’ complex. I’ve been watching and I don’t see food taken in or scientists going in or out. All camera feeds are shut off and we’re barred from doing any form of maintenance. When I ask if they’re being taken care of, I’m basically told to mind my own business. When I ask around the gossip chain, nobody knows anyone who is allowed in.”
“What activities follow when it opens back up?” Jaxx asked.
A man named Destry answered. “Xander would go in and train them, hard. That’s usually vet day too.”
I frowned as an idea clicked. “They are routinely starving them of interaction and food to force compliance. It’s turned into a weekly thing at this point to keep striking the point, ‘we control you.’ Problem is, the geds aren’t having it anymore.”
“But that’s a recipe for disaster,” Mal pointed out. “All you do is teach the animal they can’t trust you to care for their needs, which completely flips the script.”
“They…want to,” I said, voice soft as realization dawned. “Jaxx, they aren’t enforcing your security measures, just like they aren’t changing their handling with my suggestions. It’s deliberate. They are creating this catalyst for chaos on purpose, but why? Why take an animal manufactured for servitude and push its buttons?”
“Are we sure they were made to serve?” Kat asked, crossing her arms with a raised brow. “Seems to me these dogs got a lot more going on than sit, stay, help granny cross the street.”
“More like sit, stay, kill,” Jaxx said, eyes glittering with an emotion I couldn’t label. “What if these things are being tested for weapons of war, and we’re on the killing ground?”
“We need to get into the systems or find a geneticist that’s involved and willing to talk. We need to know not only what they spliced into this DNA, but what they enhanced specifically. I hate to say we need a coup at this point. I, for one, would feel like shit if I tossed my hat in, left, and read about a mass murder on this island later,” I said.
“You wouldn’t read about it. You’d never hear about this island, or from anyone on it again. Poof. Out of sight, out of mind.” Wulphgang made an exploding motion with his hands.
“Does anyone know one of the geneticists enough to bring them in on our concerns?” Mal asked, eying the group.
Everyone shook their heads. That worried me. As small an island as the facility sat on, everyone should know everyone. You couldn’t tell me there wasn’t a single weak link amongst the elite scientists that cooked these things up. Someone, somewhere, had to be dying to tell.
“We fired them.” Evans words echoed in my head, and I realized he’d covered the angle before we ever even thought of it. Anyone who might possibly have moral objections or could provide a link, they’d already removed from the island.
Jaxx’s radio static cut through the air, and we all fell silent. Lee’s voice came on the line, and I fought the urge to sneer until I actually listened to his words.
“Jaxx! If you can hear me, I’m hiding in my room. The geds are loose. Oh God, they're loose and no one knows where they are. How can you lose something as big as them? Call the helicopter. I quit.”
Our eyes met as her hand hovered over the walkie talkie and the specialized buttons while Lee babbled on. When she finally pushed the Stay button, the rest of our group broke out into shouts and protests.
“Enough,” I yelled, motioning for everyone to calm down. “We stay together, as a group. If we encounter the geds, you say nothing, you do not engage with them unless it’s to show submission. Jaxx will get us to a secure location before her team sets out to find the geds.”
I turned to her. “Remember what Mal and I said about the tranqs, though? Be damn sure Daxel can’t bite you.”
Even as I spoke, I knew the geds had come up with more creative ways of killing people. One only had to look at Xander’s corpse to realize that.
Chapter Sixteen
We trekked through the thick trees and underbrush, quiet and as calm as we could be. Every bird that called, every animal that scampered, froze us in place as we waited for a large red and black creature to materialize from the shadows.
“I want to know how they just waltzed out of their pen in daylight,” I said as I batted a gnat away. “It’s always in the dead of night in the movies.”
“Or during a storm,” Mal quipped.
“Not going to lie; totally expected to wake up to massacre city when the tropical storm hit.” O’Malley chuckled. “Geez, listen to us. Why are we assuming the geds are going to kill everyone on sight?”
“Because we’re realists?” Cindy asked, voice shaking. “I mean, I watched what they did to Xander. That was intentional. I—”
We all stopped dead in our tracks at a soft cooing. It repeated itself a few more times before everything fell silent. My heart thudded in my chest as my gaze darted around us, trying to discern whether we heard a dove or Sensee.
Jasmyne beckoned us to keep moving, but we did so in silence. I strained so hard to listen that the gnats sounded annoyingly loud and every stick or leaf someone crunched set my teeth on edge. In all my years in the wilds observing animals, I’d never felt as irritated with noise made by my fellow travelers as I did now.
When the complex came into view, everything looked normal. No blood splashed the buildings. No corpses lay strewn across the dirt. The setting sun dappled the complex in rays of fading sunshine while shadows stretched lazily across the ground. Nothing radiated death or destruction.
“Maybe they’ve been captured already. Or they’re off enjoying their freedom romping through the trees like goofballs,” Mal offered.
A lone figure exited from the main lab building, and I recognized Evans’ stride before his features became clear. When he approached, nervousness welled up within my stomach. I knew he’d have questions about why we’d wandered off as a group. I sucked at lying and couldn’t think of one good plausible reason to give.
“Jaxx, I’m in need of your assista
nce. Everyone else, if I could kindly ask you to return to your housing. One of the geds has escaped, and in light of recent events, I can’t trust others won’t be harmed. I’m sure you understand.”
“Which one?” Kat asked as she leaned against a tree casually.
“Pardon?”
“Which one of the geds escaped?” Destry clarified.
Phillip’s gaze flicked over all of us, as if just now registering who exactly he dealt with. I wasn’t sure our identities made a difference, but I knew he filed it away for a reason. Maybe we’d get voted off the island? One could hope.
“Ah, Radia is missing. We believe she climbed the bars and pushed her way through the hole in the top. With Jaxx and her teams’ help, we expect to have her safely back home within an hour. Now, if the security team could come with me, please…” He motioned them forward, and I noticed something. Phillip Evans, King of CGC Public Relations, developed a tic near the corner of his left eye when he lied.
Or maybe he displayed the nervous behavior because he knew it would only be a matter of time before Jaxx told me the truth. No way he’d be able to withhold from her that she needed to capture three geds instead of one.
Though, the thought did occur to me that Lee could have over-embellished the truth. He did hit me as the neurotic kind. Yet, the absolute lack of anyone outside did indicate they’d placed everyone on indoor-only orders.
Jaxx motioned at her team and they followed her. The rest of us trailed after, and our steps collectively dragged in comparison to Evans and the others. When they reached far enough away, Destry shook his head.
“No way Radia got out the top. It was sealed with mesh welded into the frame. Strong mesh. Not to mention, she would need to hang upside down for the last few bits,” he murmured to us.
“Yeah, but with those claws, maybe she was able to do it,” Cindy countered. “I mean, we have found a couple gouges up there during safety checks.”
“The mesh is welded into the frame,” he reiterated. “And that’s never been loose.”
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