Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) (22 page)

After a long, tense minute, the tigress sighed.
I have nowhere else to go.

Then relax and let us help you. Is there anything you need?

Serra ignored the question and looked at Heather.
What is she?

A friend. Her name is Heather. She will not hurt you.

Obviously unconvinced, Serra returned to her corner and curled up. At least she faced them this time.

Are you able to return to your human shape or do you require assistance?

The keepers call forth my other self. I have nothing to do with it.

He nodded. That’s what he’d feared. When one of the backers’ formulas had trapped Dhane in his animal form, it had taken a second formula to release him.

Serra cocked her head, apparently intrigued by the question.
Are you able to transform without the keepers’ help?

There are no keepers here and yes, we control when we shift.
Jake waited for her to react to the fact, but she said nothing more and he felt no emotion flow across their link.
Either she didn’t believe him or she refused to even consider the possibility.
May I tell the others what you told me?

If you like.
She sounded bored and her eyelids drifted shut.

He wasn’t fooled by her nonchalance. Her heartbeat was still racing.

Pushing to his feet, he dusted off his jeans. “This is Serra and I suspect she escaped from one of the backers’ research facilities.”

* * * * *

Zophiel paused on the balcony of her borrowed apartment and savored the sweet aches and stiffness a night with Nate had left behind. Feeding gradually enough so he didn’t feel the drain had been seriously challenging, especially while he commanded her body with surprising skill. Despite her provocation, he hadn’t called his guards. However, he’d used his belt on her bare behind, which had been almost as thrilling. Next time she’d make sure—next time?

The thought sent lust crashing over her but logic immediately banked the fire. She’d siphoned more than energy out of Nate during their sexathon. She’d learned that Milliner had contacted Nate and offered to trade Dhane for Heather. Which meant Nate wasn’t a traitor, just a detestable father. She really should wait and see how it all played out before she even considered seeing Nate again, but last night had been incredibly entertaining.

Distracted by the conflict, she slid open the door and stepped into the apartment.

“You selfish bitch! I’ve been trapped here for hours, without water or food, or even a goddamn toilet!”

Sean’s furious tirade made Zophiel smile. She hadn’t intentionally tortured her pet. His needs had simply slipped her mind. Reinforcing the compulsion that kept him in the bedroom had been a safety precaution. She hadn’t planned on being gone all night. Still, why in the world did the human think she’d be moved by a temper tantrum?

She strolled into the bedroom and looked around. “You’ve been busy.” He’d trashed the place, smashed every breakable object within reach and torn the pictures off the walls. The television was on the floor and the small table she’d been using as a desk was upturned and broken.

“Kill me or let me go.” Hopelessness replaced his anger, making him look even more pathetic. “I cannot go on like this.”

She’d been thinking the same thing all morning. Sean had become bothersome, besides it was past time for her to find a new hideout. “As you wish.” Guiding her destructive thought with a sharp hand gesture, she broke his neck and watched unmoved as he collapsed on the bed. The mess he’d made would have the investigators debating the true nature of the crime. Had a murderer tried to cover his tracks by ransacking the room or had the victim interrupted a violent burglar? She didn’t care what the humans concluded as long as nothing connected her with the crime.

A focused cleansing pulse dissolved any trace evidence she might have left behind. It had taken centuries to perfect the technique but the skill became more important as DNA testing advanced. Satisfied that the apartment was clear, she cloaked herself in an invisibility shield and returned to the balcony. She needed to find a new location, but it was even more important that she contact Tias. It would be interesting to find out if Tias knew Milliner was making deals with Nate Fitzroy.

For decades the backers had operated separately, each overseeing a specific element of the program on a different continent. Roberto ran Europe, Tias focused on Asia and Milliner governed North America. But as the program advanced and more direct interaction between the departments became necessary, the logistics of a multinational system proved impractical. So the backers began looking for the perfect location to bring everything together under one roof.

The backers had searched their territories, hoping to control the final location, but Milliner’s military contacts proved most valuable. He learned of an army hospital that would soon be decommissioned on the outskirts of Aurora, Colorado. Though larger than the project required, the hospital had far more advantages than drawbacks, so Milliner moved ahead with the negotiation. The backers were in the process of retrofitting the hospital with modern surveillance and security when Therians attacked the mountain complex, forcing the consolidation to take place several months ahead of schedule.

Zophiel had been curious to see the central location ever since she learned about it from Roberto. She also needed to speak with Tias. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Cloaked in invisibility, she jumped off the balcony and unfurled her wings. The air was cool despite the bright sunshine. She soared across the sky, focused on her destination rather than the scenery below. Denver became a blur of cluttered high-rises and reddish-brown rooftops as she headed southeast toward the backers’ headquarters.

The hospital easily dominated its surroundings. The main building was six stories high while matching wings only had four floors. There were two sublevels, which had undergone significant changes since the backers took over the property.

Roberto’s mind had been filled with plans and computer mock-ups. Apparently he’d only actually been inside the hospital a few times before Zophiel took control of him. Still, if his information was accurate, Zophiel was in for a treat.

She glided to a stop on the front lawn not far from the entrance. Judging from the vehicles in the main lot, there were forty or fifty employees inside. She had no idea how many “test subjects” were being held captive but she was about to find out.

Humans couldn’t detect her as long as she was shielded and Therians tended to shrug it off even if they did sense her lurking about. She could move soundlessly and remain invisible but she couldn’t pass through walls or teleport. Guards were posted at the entrance and surveillance cameras were everywhere, so she needed someone to open the door and let her in.

She didn’t have long to wait. A man in a dress shirt and pants with the jacket folded over his arm walked briskly toward the exit. He waved at the guards as he passed but didn’t let them distract him from the conversation he was having on his cell phone. He shoved the door open and departed. Zophiel ducked through the opening before the door swung shut and then hurried across the wide lobby.

According to Roberto’s information, only the first two levels were in use. The rest of the building had been cordoned off and several sections had been completely sealed. She found a stairwell away from prying eyes and jogged up to the second floor. There was no way to avoid creating anomalies on the surveillance cameras, but lesser used areas tended to be ignored by security.

Drawn by voices and light, she easily located two large laboratories. The workers on one side of the hall wore protective clothing, gloves and masks, while the workers on the other side were dressed casually. Zophiel didn’t know enough about microbiology to even guess what they were doing. The corridor looped around and brought her up on the other side of the casual laboratory. Apparently there were no patients on this floor.

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.