"Aubrey, you miserable fuck!" Jerrod shouted. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him struggling against the gorillas’ grips.
"What's that they say about not missing if you come at the king?" he asked, shoving me back onto the couch as I struggled for breath. "And it's about to become even truer before too long; once I have this little war with the wolves all sorted out, I'll be the de facto leader of the lions. And soon after, the entire shifter society."
He dusted off his hands. "But for now, I think it's time to get back to the party. I do hope you both enjoyed hearing about my plans; a shame neither of you will be around to see them come to fruition."
He turned to the gorillas. "Take care of these two, just like we discussed. And please, try not to make a mess; just one of the cushions on that couch is worth more than either of you make in a year."
Then he faced Jerrod and me. "Toodles!" With that, he exited back through the large doors that led to the apartment, the lock clicking shut behind him.
"Get on the fucking couch," said one of the gorillas, shoving Jerrod toward where I sat. I was only now breathing normally, and now the adrenaline pumped through my veins as I realized that I was about to be in yet another do-or-die situation with some hulking gorillas.
Jerrod struggled to my side. "He was on to us from the get-go. I don't know how he did it, but he did."
"We've got to get the fuck out of here," I said.
"No fuckin' talking!" one of the gorillas shouted.
The two burly men, both of them dressed in tight-fitting tuxedos, stood over Jerrod and me.
"You know, that guy's a real fuckin' prick," the gorilla on the left said.
The one on the right turned to his partner, an incredulous look on his face.
"Seriously?" he said. "You seriously want to bring this up now?"
"I don't want to, but it's really fuckin' hard to ignore."
"You know," Jerrod said, sitting back in his seat. "If you two think that Aubrey's gonna do anything but cut ties with you assholes and toss you to the wolves, literally, then you're in for a rude goddamn awakening."
"Did either of us say you could fuckin' talk?" the gorilla on the right shouted.
A moment of silence hung in the air.
"What, you don't think he's right?" the gorilla on the left said. "I mean, I've been doin' some thinking, and Aubrey seems like the type of prick who'd fuck us over as soon as he decided he was done with us."
"Why the fuck would he do that? We're mercs; we're in this for money and that's it. Once the job is done, he pays us and that's the end of it."
"Yeah," the first gorilla said, "that's how it usually works. But this shit, man—it's got layers upon layers, you know? Like, I ain't never gotten involved in conspiracy shit like this before. And it's not just about whacking some asshole and keeping it a secret; this motherfucker wants to take over the whole goddamn city!"
"So?"
"'So'? That means he's probably not going to be too hot on keeping around mercs who know just what the fuck he's been up to. Dead men tell no tales and shit."
"Yeah, but part of the whole fuckin' arrangement is that we keep our mouth shut; that's what we're getting paid for. Plus…"
The two went back and forth, arguing the pros and cons of their particular situation. And as the two bickered, Jerrod flashed me a raised-eyebrow, tilting his head toward something behind the two arguing gorillas. Behind them, a small fire roared in the fireplace. At first, I had no idea what Jerrod had on his mind. But when I saw him flash me an impatient expression and flick his eyes again, I figured out what he was thinking.
To the right of the fireplace, about ten feet from where I was sitting, was a rack of fireplace tools—tongs for the logs, a brush for the soot, and, most importantly, a tong for poking—one with a very, very sharp tip.
"So, what, we just go back on our word?" one of the gorillas said. "Kill Aubrey and hope that shit works out for the best?"
"No way, man," the other said. "I'm just thinking out loud here; this shit all kinda started forming in my head when he was giving his little super villain rant, you know? Where exactly do we fall into this whole thing, and who's to say what he's got in mind for us after it's all done with? I mean, I don't give a shit who runs the lions, you know?"
Jerrod flashed me a signal of three fingers. Then, he closed his hand into a fist. Next, he stuck out one finger.
Shit, I thought, my heart pounding again. Count of three.
Then two fingers.
Then three.
Here goes nothing.
"Screw it," the other said gorilla, pulling out a gleaming, silver pistol. "I'm cappin' these motherfuckers and that's the goddamn end of it."
But before he could raise the pistol, I leaped from the couch, landing hard on my stomach in front of the fireplace. My hands shot out for the poker, and after yanking it out of where it lay, I swung it around as hard as I could, the solid steel connecting with the leg of the gorilla on the left.
"Fuck!" he shouted, a dull thud sounding. "Fucking fuck!
"What the shit?" the other gorilla said, turning to see just what had happened.
But before he could react beyond that, Jerrod reached for the gun, pulled it out of the gorilla's hand, raised it up and fired off two rounds in quick succession right into his chest. The gorilla staggered backward, tumbling into the fire and screaming from the pain of the flames. Jerrod jumped out of his seat and fired another round at the gorilla, putting him down for good.
"Fuck!" the remaining gorilla shouted, still staggering from the pain of the poker.
He turned to me with rage boiling in his eyes and began to shift. But before he could make the full transformation, I jumped to my feet, pointed the poker forward, and drove it right into his chest. The thing buried into him, he stumbled backward, landing on the couch, the life draining from him by the second. He was still in half-shifted form, a strange hybrid of human and gorilla, a look of shock and pain on his half-hairy face.
The flames began to crawl up the body of the gorilla that Jerrod had put down; they looked primed to jump onto the nearest combustible thing.
"You good to go?" Jerrod asked, shoving the gun into his back waist.
"I could ask you the same thing," I responded, dashing away from the flames.
"I'm fine. They just roughed me up a little."
The flame leaped from the roasting body of the gorilla onto a nearby chair, the piece of furniture going up in flames in mere seconds.
"This old furniture isn't exactly fireproof," Jerrod said. "If we don't get out of here right the fuck away, we're gonna burning along with the rest of the apartment; if we don't die of the smoke first."
"You don't have to talk me into it," I said, looking around for some way to get out. "You got a big plan?"
"Aside from taking out these ugly assholes—no, I don't."
"Well, you better think of one fast," I said, my eyes flicking to the fire that rapidly spread, the heat already palpable.
"Hey," Jerrod said, "when did I become the big decision-maker?"
"Since it was your bright idea to break into this place!"
A series of bangs on the apartment doors stopped the argument in its tracks.
"Hey!" a voice shouted from the other side of the doors. "What's going on in there?"
My heart began to race faster than it already was.
"Goons at the door, fire in the apartment," I said. "Not a lot of options!"
Jerrod's gaze moved to the flaming chair.
"I can think of one!"
Oh, shit! I knew exactly what he had in mind. I turned to the bay windows that looked out onto the park, my face already tightening into a wince. More bangs sounded against the door.
"Open the fuck up, right now!" a different voice shouted on the other side, followed by more bangs.
But before anything else could happen, Jerrod rushed over the flaming antique chair, hoisted it by the back, and in a single, continuous movement, whipped it
at the massive windows. The piece of furniture arced across the room, smashing through the glass and sending the huge panes down in large, jagged chunks that smashed onto the floor.
More bangs sounded, followed by the impact of a body slamming against the door. The door bowed inward against whoever was trying to smash through it.
"You wanted a way out!" Jerrod said, his body now obscured by the haze of smoke. "There it is!"
I turned to the new opening created by the chair, the space framed by mean-looking, sharp glass. But between the thugs on the other side of the door and the fire that was consuming more and more, I knew that I didn't have a choice.
"Ladies first!" he said with a smirk.
I stood in front of the shattered window, took a deep breath, and leaped through, the image of glass stabbing through my skin clear in my mind. But I a landed safely on the other side of the window onto the fire escape. Jerrod jumped through right after, and soon the two of us were rushing down the wrought-iron steps of the escape, our feet clanging against the hard surface. Once we got down to street level, noting the flaming chair right in the middle of the road and a crowd gathering around the apartment, we took off for the park. Turning and looking over my shoulder, I spotted three guards at the window, each dressed in a sleek suit and holding a pistol. They watched Jerrod and I make our escape before climbing down the fire escape themselves.
"They're coming!" I shouted as we ran side-by-side through the park.
"I noticed!" Jerrod shouted.
And before either of us could say another word, a pair of NYPD cruisers tore through the winding streets of the park, their sirens wailing and lights flashing.
"Hide!" Jerrod shouted.
He then grabbed me by my arm and pulled me down behind a large rock, hiding us both from the police. We stayed down for a half minute or so until the cops passed. But before I could start to think we were too out of danger, the forms of the pursuing guards appeared over a bluff behind us.
"Shit," Jerrod said. "Shit, shit!"
"We need to get moving, like, now," I said.
"No kidding. We need to get to Flushing pronto."
"Flushing?" I asked, wondering what we would possibly need in the far-flung Queens neighborhood. "What's there?"
"Extra apartment," he said, keeping his voice low. "Safehouse."
"Jesus," I said. "You've really planned for everything."
"Taking a bullet to the head tends to make one a little more cautious."
"That why you jumped out of a flaming window just now?"
"That was just being smart." He flashed another one of his smirks.
"Where the fuck are they?" one of the guards shouted, his voice closer. "They couldn’t have gone far!"
"What's the plan now, smart guy?" I asked.
"Park's got a zoo, right?" Jerrod said.
I didn't like where this was going. "Yep."
"Lots of animals; good place for a couple of shifters to lose a tail."
"Are you serious?"
"Are you telling me you've been a shifter your whole life and never used the ‘escape through the zoo' trick?" he asked, his tone incredulous. "First time for everything, I guess."
The guards called out again; we didn't have much more time.
"Just follow my lead," he said.
Before I could say another word, Jerrod stood up and took off in a sprint toward the south end of the park. I watched him for a moment before realizing that I didn't have another choice. I needed to follow him. Soon, I was in a sprint of my own, trying my best to catch up with Jerrod. Moments later, I was at his side.
"Quite the runner," he said, mid-sprint as I approached his flank.
"I am a panther. We aren't very strong, but we sure as hell can run!"
"I see that!"
A gunshot sounded behind us and both Jerrod and I looked over our shoulders as we ran.
"Jesus!" I said. "Opening fire in Central Park- these guys aren't fucking around!"
"Forget it!" Jerrod shouted. "Just keep running! And shift when I say so!"
Another gunshot sounded; it took all the restraint I had not to look over my shoulder. Soon, the tall steel fence of the Central Park Zoo appeared in the distance. We were only a few minutes away; I ran as fast as I could, soon putting distance between Jerrod and I as I focused on nothing other than cutting down the distance.
Right as we approached, Jerrod called out once again, "Okay! Shift…now!"
I did just that. I changed into my panther form mid-run. I was soon at the gate, and using a rock as a platform, I leaped onto it and over the fence. Jerrod, on the other hand, simply smashed through a wooden door, the barrier bursting into splinters under the weight of his massive form.
And then we were in the zoo.
CHAPTER 8
The zoo was closed, so aside from the animals in their pens, Jerrod and I were alone. We ran through the narrow paths of the zoo, sticking close to one another. I couldn't hear anything of the pursuers, and part of me wondered if we were safe for the time being.
But as soon as the unmistakable roar of a lion cut through the still night air, I knew that this was nothing more than wishful thinking. The two of us reached a pathway hidden behind one of the larger buildings, and the two of us shifted back into our human forms.
"Now what?" I asked, my heart still pounding.
"I go to the bears, you go to the panthers. Keys are hung up in maintenance; it's not hard to break in—I've done it a million times."
"Then?"
"Then get with your kind!" he said. "The scent of a true animal is a little different than a shifter, but it's close enough to make you blend in. And once we've lost them, go to the Forty-Second Street Seven station. I'll be waiting and we can head to Flushing from there. Now go!"
He didn't let me get in another word. Still in his human form, he dashed toward the bear exhibit.
"Shit," I said to myself, finding the nearest map and locating the panther exhibit. It wasn't too far. I started off at a brisk trot, still wondering if this insane plan was going to work.
He said he'd done this before. Guess I'll just have to trust him.
Another lion's roar exploded through the silence. I stopped in place and looked behind me, spotting the dark forms of three big cats in the far distance. They hadn't spotted me yet, but it was only a matter of time. I ran as fast as I could, my legs throbbing as I pumped. Soon, I reached the panther exhibit and looked around for maintenance. Thankfully, the door was guarded with only a cheap lock that I was able to pick without a problem. Grabbing the key ring from where it hung in the dingy office, I made my way through the back entrances until I was at the service door for the large panther pen.
I stood still for a moment, watching the sleek, obsidian-dark forms of the panthers as they stalked the grounds. I'd seen non-shifters of my kind in person before, but it never stopped being strange. We were indistinguishable, but so different. After slipping the key into the lock, I opened the door and stepped through. The panthers all turned in my direction as I stepped in, observing me, standing still and silent as statues. I held up a hand as I shut the door behind me. Before they could become too alarmed, I shifted into my panther form and approached the handful of animals. They were wary at first, sensing that something was seriously amiss about this addition to their pen. But once they sniffed me and determined that I was a panther, just like them, they left me in peace.
Looking up through the thick barrier that separated the panther pen from the visitor's area of the zoo, I could hear the plodding of heavy paws approaching, along with the low snorting and snarling of the lions. Picking an inconspicuous spot, I lay down next to another panther and closed my eyes. My heart pounded as the lions approached, but I knew that I couldn't react in the slightest if my ruse was to work. I sensed the beasts watching the pen, scanning the panthers for any sign of something being amiss. Then they sniffed the air. My heart felt as though it might leap out of my chest.
After a time, however, th
ey moved on. Unless they wanted to break into the pen and inspect each panther one-on-one, there was no way that they were going to determine if I was even in here. I waited another ten minutes until I was sure they were gone, then headed back to the service entrance, opened the door, and stepped through. Once I returned to my human form, I hurried back to the main zoo area, taking one last look at the sleeping panthers as I did, feeling an odd kinship with the beasts who were a part of me in some strange, supernatural way.
Moving as quietly and as carefully as I could, I slipped through the zoo. Soon, I was back into the park, where I hurriedly blended into a mass of tourists. I didn't catch any sign of the lions or of Jerrod, so I assumed the former still searching and the latter was on his way to the seven station. I flagged down the first cab I saw and, ten minutes later, I arrived at Bryant Park, the small, square bit of green in Midtown surrounded by modern towers. The station was there, and I hurried down into it.
"Took you long enough," Jerrod, who was waiting, leaning against the station wall, said.
"Sorry," I said. "Breaking and entering into the Central Park Zoo is a first for me."
"Shouldn't be a last, though," he said with a grin. "It's a good trick."
"I'll keep it in mind."
Soon, we were on the train headed out of Manhattan and into Queens. Flushing was the last stop on the seven, so we had a bit of a ride. And during the ride, as I watched the glittering skyline of Manhattan shrink into the distance, I couldn't help but look at the cuts on Jerrod's face, still fresh from whatever Aubrey put him through.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Huh? Oh, this? I've been through worse."
I glanced at the scar from the year-old gunshot wound—he wasn't lying.
We rode in silence, the events of the evening playing over and over in my head. Again, for the second time in just a few days, I'd barely escaped death. But now Aubrey knew who we were, and would soon know that we were still alive. Not to mention the fact that we knew his plans. He'd be doing everything in his power to find us.
After a half hour or so ride, we arrived at Flushing. Stepping out of the station, we emerged in a part of town that was so heavily populated with Asian immigrants that it almost seemed like stepping into a bit of Tokyo that had made its way to New York. Neon signs in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean abounded, and crowds tightly packed the streets, even at this hour.
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