Page 59 of Tracking the Alpha
They didn’t have time for this. Barrett stalked for the furry distraction and snapped, “I don’t know who you are, soldier, but you need to calm the fuck down. We’re here to help you.”
The eyes that turned on him had a wild light in them—and were familiar.
“Zendaya, you will stop your shit right now.” He didn’t use her last name and rank, choosing a more personal approach to try and reach the woman.
In reply, Zendaya turned her head and tried to bite Slater, who yelped as a tooth dragged across his arm, leaving a furrow. “Bitch!” he exclaimed.
“Let her go,” Barrett ordered.
“Are you sure, Captain?” Freya questioned.
“I’ll handle this. Let her go,” he repeated in a firm tone while pulling a utility knife from his pocket, the only weapon he’d managed to find while scouting.
Everyone scattered from the feral wolf. Zendaya stood, shook out her fur, and bared her teeth.
Barrett never once took his gaze from the wolf as he said, “Keep unlocking doors. I’ll handle Zendaya.”
“Yes, Captain,” Slater quipped.
“Are you in there, Zendaya?” Barrett asked.
Judging by the crazed gleam? No.
“What are you going to do? We can’t have her attacking us while we’re trying to escape and fending off the general’s forces,” Freya whispered. She’d stuck by his side, while Slater and the stranger grabbed a still-limp Wendell and followed orders.
“Agreed, plus there’s the fact that if she’s rabid, we can’t let her loose.”
“You’re going to kill her?” Freya squeaked before adding, “I guess it’s the most merciful thing you could do.”
“I’m not killing until I know she is well and truly gone.” Before Barrett could figure out what he should do, the wolf lunged. Only his speed allowed him to evade the snap of jaws and turn his defense into a counterattack. He slashed with the blade, opening a deep furrow across Zendaya’s flank.
As blood poured from the wound, Zendaya didn’t whimper, nor did the crazed gleam disappear. She attacked again, and this time, he managed to cut the tendon across her foreleg.
Zendaya collapsed. Bleeding. Grievously injured, and yet nothing happened.
Barrett crouched and watched as tremors shook Zendaya. She shuddered violently but remained a wolf.
“Come on,” he whispered. “I know you’re in there still.”
The body went limp as life left in a last exhale. Barrett might have cursed himself for killing when he’d only meant to injure, but a new snarl had him whirling in time to see a tiger of all fucking things springing from a cell. Unlike Zendaya, it didn’t attack but cocked its head and made a noise that could have been a question.
“Holy Tina the Tiger, I think that’s Takhi,” Freya announced.
“She’s the last one,” Slater announced, standing with the unknown man plus another male and female Barrett had never seen before. A wan-looking Radley stood in the doorway for his cell, hugging his upper body, looking pale and sickly. But at least he was moving.
Only Gage was missing of his section, dead because of the general. Including Barrett, there were eleven of them looking to escape. Better than expected.
“Okay, troop, I think it’s time to move out.”
“Captain, the elevator is on the move again,” Idris shouted, pointing to the flashing numbers of the descending cab.
“Everyone be ready,” Barrett stated as they rushed to flank the opening to ambush anyone that might emerge.
The elevator went past their floor back to B6.
“What the heck is down there?” Idris inquired. “Seems to be getting a lot of traffic.
“I dunno.” But Barrett planned to find out.
