Page 35 of Monkey Business

“I need to get the babies home,” she said, wiping her tears back. “I gotta get them bathed and somehow explain that Mama is away for a while. Don’t know what I’m gonna say to them. Ain’t nothin’ to say.”

“Ma’am, before you go, do you have anything that belonged to your daughter? I mean, like a t-shirt or jacket. Something that the dog could get a sniff of?”

The woman nodded, walking back to her car and returning with a blanket. She handed it to Erin.

“This was hers. She and the kids used to lay on it in the front yard countin’ stars at night. Cutest damn thing you ever saw. She was a good mama. A good mama.”

The woman walked away, hugging the children as Rose handed them their fruit cups. She shook Rose’s hand and led the children toward her car. A police officer followed her, handing her his business card. When they were gone, Lissa and Rose looked down at Beast.

“Time to work, boy.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“We spent three hours walking around that place. Beast just couldn’t pick up her scent,” said Lissa. “There’s so much there. Animals, food, sawdust, all of it. He struggled, poor guy.”

They looked over at the animal, still panting from the heat. He had a huge water bowl filled with ice chips and water and some sliced apples in another bowl.

“It was the monkeys,” said Erin. “They literally took her by the hand and led her out of that ring. It was like a horror version of The Wizard of Oz. We couldn’t see where she went, but they led her from that circus.”

“The monkeys must be trained,” said Sniff. They all looked back at Beast. “He’s okay. He knows that he couldn’t find the scent and feels like he didn’t do his job.”

“He did his job,” said Erin. “He was such a good boy. There was just too much there, and he couldn’t find what he needed.”

“We need to send the other teams tomorrow, Nine,” said Ani. “Erin is right. There’s a lot there, and it’s too much for just one team.”

“I agree, but you guys need to hang back a day or two. We’ll send teams two and three tomorrow. Sniff? Can the monkeys be trained to bring people to someone?” asked Nine.

“They can be trained to do just about anything,” said Sniff. “They’re animals, and monkeys are very, very smart animals. They think much like humans and act in the same ways. They don’t know right from wrong. What they know is if they do something well, they get a reward of some kind. We looked on the drone footage and didn’t find any signs of the animals being abused.”

“But why hasn’t someone noticed the animals walking away with people? I mean, if that’s how they’re taking the women, why didn’t someone make that connection sooner?” asked Ani.

“Maybe because they were all turning to leave as the animals were walking away,” said Ghost. “If you look at the drone footage, once the monkeys take her hand and wave at the crowds, everyone starts to leave. She must think it’s part of the act, and so does the audience, so they leave.”

“But she left her children,” said Lissa.

“She did. There was a performer near her. Maybe he assured her that she’d be right out,” said Ian.

“Or maybe they threatened her,” said Ani.

“I think we need to send someone in to investigate that entire site. After hours,” said Ghost. Gaspar nodded at his friend.

“Alright. Trak, Angel, and Vince. Use the stealth suits if you have to. Just try and find those women. They have to be there somewhere.”

“Let’s go, Mr. Mysterious,” smirked Vince, looking at Trak. “I need for you to do your famous tracking exhibition. Time to turn on the charm.”

“I don’t have charm.” Angel laughed, slapping his friend’s back.

“We know, buddy. But we still love you.”

An hour before the gates were to close, the three men bought tickets and walked onto the grounds. When the announcements were made that the event was about to close, they stepped into the bathrooms, donned the stealth suits, and walked out, waiting for the pedestrians to leave.

“Why is this thing cool?” asked Vince.

“Thank you for noticing. This is your captain speaking,” said Code. “Our child geniuses figured out a way to incorporate cooling technologies that operate like mini-air-conditioners in the mesh of the fabric. You’ll stay a comfortable seventy degrees no matter what the temperature is outside.”

“You couldn’t tell us that before?” growled Trak.

“Uh, well. I could have. But this was way more fun.”

---