Page 57 of Tracking the Alpha
“Why even keep them alive?” Tanis asked.
A query that led to Brittany shrugging. “Who knows? The general must have his reasons.” She slapped a red button, and the lock for the door disengaged, allowing her to pull the metal handle to crank it open. “In you go, asshole,” Brittany cackled as she heaved the major’s body into the closet-sized space and then slapped the red button again. Thunk. The door sealed shut. She then hit a blue one, and Tanis heard a faint grinding sound.
“What did you do?”
“Opened the inner door so our hungry reject can feed. Wanna watch?” Brittany offered, stepping aside to show the screen active, if split down the middle. The left pane appeared dark, but on the right, Tanis could see the antechamber holding the body. “This is Patient 17. Not sure what animal she’s supposed to be. Unlike the others, she prefers her food already dead.”
Tanis’ eyes widened as something heaved itself from the dark chamber. Mottled and mishappen arms ended in hands with webbed fingers tipped in claws. They dug in and pulled a body dragging limp legs. It wore no clothes, revealing the scales covering every inch of a body that undeniably started out as human. Horror struck Tanis at the sight of the small incongruous bald head with a face that would have once been called pretty. Now this woman was a monster. An IT with slitted reptilian eyes and a mouth full of jagged teeth. Tanis couldn’t look as it dove onto the carcass.
Brittany cackled. “Isn’t she purrrrty? Rumor has it she used to be the major’s girlfriend and he didn’t handle their breakup very well.”
“Keeping her alive like that is cruel,” Tanis whispered.
“Wait until you meet the one I’ve got planned for you.” Brittany wheeled her down to the end of the hall to a screen that wasn’t dark like the others. Tanis could clearly see the creature hanging upside down on a bar with its claw-like feet. It had leathery wings wrapped cocoon-like around its body, with hairy legs.
“This here is Patient 39. Doctors tried controlling the outcome of the animal with this fellow. Didn’t work so good. Speculation says it’s part bat, bear, and who knows the fuck what. I will say it’s ugly, mean, and always hungry. Also strong as hell. Doctors keep the light on almost twenty-four-seven because it’s the only way to keep it calm. Soon as it gets dark, it starts pounding.” She indicated the screen where Tanis could see the dents on the inner door. “Ready to meet your maker?”
“Don’t do this.” A last-ditch plea.
“Don’t make me knock you out. It will ruin my fun. I wanna watch you flail as it tears you limb from limb.”
The woman was certifiably insane. Brittany slapped the button and not just the first door opened; the inner one did as well.
“Wait, what happened to both doors not opening at once?” Tanis huffed.
“This one is the exception,” Brittany stated as she grabbed hold of the metal table and rolled it. “Unlike the others on this level, dinner needs to be taken inside for this big fella ’cause the last time the inner door was left open, he did something to jam it and started going ballistic on the hallway portal. The big lug almost broke free.”
“Isn’t entering its cell dangerous?”
“Not so long as the lights are on and I stay out of reach,” Brittany explained. “In good news, the cameras for this room can switch to night-vision mode. I do so love to watch. Only shame is, it doesn’t have sound. I would have loved to let your shrieks paint a picture for me.”
Brittany’s psychotic attitude must be why they thought Barrett was a success and not the woman humming as she wheeled Tanis into the chamber with the monster. The reek of animal and feces, made worse by the heat in the space, had Tanis holding her breath.
Up close, the creature—who showed no trace of humanity—appeared even larger.
“Will you at least untie me?” Tanis asked.
“What’s the point?”
“Exactly. It’s a foregone conclusion this thing will eat me. At least give me a pretense of a chance.”
Brittany cocked her head and smiled. “Why not? I’m sure 39 could use the exercise chasing you around the room.” The woman grabbed hold of the buckles holding Tanis’ hips first. Then the one across the middle of her chest, and finally, the one pinning down her shoulders.
Before Tanis could sit up, the lights suddenly went out, and in the darkness, absent of sound—no hum of electricity or fans for air circulation—something woke and growled, “Din. Ner.”
Chapter Seventeen
Gas hissed from the vents, and there was little Barrett could do but curse as his limbs went limp and he slumped to the floor. He struggled to remain conscious, lambasting himself. He’d walked into a trap, and now, because he’d fucked up, he’d be a prisoner again.
When Barrett woke, face pressed to concrete, he assumed himself in his cell, only to realize he remained in the hallway for sublevel five. He pushed himself to his knees and then unsteadily to his feet. What happened? How long had he slept? Obviously not long or he wouldn’t still be in the corridor. A glance showed Wendell passed out hard and drooling, but Freya twitched and stirred, mumbling in her sleep. Had repeated dosages allowed them to acquire a resistance to the sleeping serum?
Did the why matter? He still had a chance, but he’d have to be careful because the fact someone turned on the gas meant someone was aware he’d infiltrated the operation. He’d have to work fast, and for that, he needed help. He staggered to Freya’s side and crouched to shake her by the shoulder. “Wake up.”
To his relief, she shook off the grogginess quickly at his touch and sprang to her feet with a snarl, ready to attack until she realized it was Barrett.
“What the fuck?” she asked as she glanced around with a frown. “How come we’re not in a cell?”
Barrett eyed the still-blowing vents. “I don’t know, but obviously someone wants to stop us.”
