by Dale Mayer
The two brothers grinned. "If you're ready," Tabitha said, "let's get Eric down and you guys can take him away. My place is a mess and I have a lot of animals looking for food."
"Yeah, I presume you've picked up Germaine already?" Ronin asked.
"No. We think he's hiding in the one of the pens. We're looking for him now."
"Not the smartest place to hide."
"And yet you're fine."
Ronin motioned to Tabitha, who'd entered the pen where Eric hung, suspended, just out of the cat's reach. "She's the reason. I can't say for sure how these guys would act without her, but in there with her, the damn things were pussycats." Ronin shook his head. "I had no idea such a thing was possible."
"Like that?" Roman pointed out Tabitha's progress toward the tiger.
In the distance, Tabitha called, "Boran, come here, boy."
And the damn tiger barreled toward her, his big body jumping and twisting with joy.
"Jesus."
Roman stood beside his brother, watching as Boran knocked her to the ground, lay on top of her and proceeded to clean her face with long slow licks.
Eric chose that moment to sneak down the fence and bolt for the gate. Roman let him out and Ronin cuffed him. Dennis left with the police and their prisoner. Germaine had been picked up on the other side.
"Tabitha, we got Eric." Ronin called out.
She waved a hand in the air but didn't appear to be in any hurry. After a moment, she stood up and walked to a gate on the far side. From where the men stood, Ronin could see that Tango and a large golden-colored tiger were pacing on the far side. She pinned in the code at the gate and walked through to Tango.
"Boran isn't too happy to be left behind."
Ronin watched the golden tiger pace and whine at the closed gate. "Neither is the golden one," Ronin said. "She's magic with them."
"It's an energy thing."
"Can you see it? The energy stuff?" Roman asked.
"No," Ronin said, "but weird stuff is definitely happening."
"Like?" His brother slid him a long sideways look.
"I can't say exactly. It happened after the knock to my head." He shrugged. "I'll ask Stefan about it."
"It seems he's always around."
A contemplative silence fell between them.
Roman nudged him. "Is she the right one?"
Ronin didn't have to guess at his brother's meaning. "Hell, yes."
With a grin, Roman asked, "Does she know?"
"She should. It seems as if she knows everything else." Ronin laughed. "It's an odd feeling."
"You’ll get used to it."
***
Tabitha bent and gave Tango a big hug. "It's been a long day, hasn't it, big guy?"
He rubbed himself all over her, hard enough to make her stumble against the fence. Boran's cold nose poked at her from the other side. Feeling better about life than she had in a long time, she reached through and scratched his nose. "We got the guys. Somehow, we'll fix the rest of this mess."
She had to. That so many people had been involved in the damn conspiracy scared her. She'd been so unaware. It had happened under her nose and she never knew. Then her father had also been totally taken in. That had to be tough for him.
Her poor grandfather. She had avoided going through his papers, not being in great shape herself. She'd been happy to leave everything to the others. The pain had been too sharp for her to delve in any deeper until she could handle it better. Now, there was no choice. She needed to find out if anything else had gone wrong and to make sure her house was in order.
She'd spent her life helping these animals. She would make sure they were taken care of.
She glanced through the fence to see Ronin standing on the path with his brother, watching her. She waved at him. She had a mess to clean up, but with Ronin at her side and her father back in her life, she was confident she could handle it.
She opened the gate to return to Ronin's side through Boran's pen when her knees buckled.
She cried out. "Ronin!"
"Tabitha, what wrong?" Ronin cried.
The cries inside and outside overwhelmed what little clarity she had left. A roar, loud and panicked, ripped through her mind. Ripped into her body and soul.
Trinity was in trouble.
With all the chaos here, she'd forgotten about Trinity. And her own fate that was so connected to the captive tiger.
Now it was too late.
"It's Trinity!" she screamed. Through the long distance of energetic time, she heard the sound of gunshots.
Her body jerked. Once. Twice.
She looked down at her body.
Blood welled from her side, with more coming from her left hip.
"Noooo!" she screamed. Stefan, help.
And she collapsed.
***
Ronin raced to the fence. "Tabitha? Tabitha!"
No answer. Roman was at his side, studying the locks. "I can open this gate," he said, "but I do not know what to do about the tiger."
Ronin stared through the fence at Boran. The Bengal tiger roared fury. The gate was open between Tango and Boran, but they were more concerned with Tabitha, who'd fallen face first on the ground. They circled her, nudged her. Tabitha never moved.
"What do we do about him?"
Just then Boran roared at the top of his lungs. Then Tango answered.
"Ah shit," Ronin cried. "There's no way we can get in there."
"What about the other staff?"
"Which ones?" Ronin searched for Sue. "The ones that double crossed her to steal the damn place or the ones that worked here before that?"
"We need Stefan." Ronin was already keying in his number.
Roman looked at him quickly. "Can't you call him telepathically?"
"No idea." Ronin lifted the ringing phone to his ear. "Can you?"
"Sometimes." Roman stared back at Tabitha and the milling tigers. "I expect he's already over there with her."
"Well, he's not answering his phone."
I'm busy. Stefan's exasperated voice slipped through Ronin's head. I can only help one of you at a time, and right now that's Tabitha.
"What can I do to help?" Ronin rolled his eyes at his brother as he put away his phone.
Get in there and keep her safe.
"And the tigers?"
Remember that personal problem about cats you asked me to look into?
Damn, he didn't want to go in there. He'd survived because Tabitha had taken care of the lions. Now it was his turn to take care of her...and he could barely function.
You have to. Someone has to keep her safe.
***
Stefan left Ronin to make a decision about the cats. He had bigger issues. Tabitha had disappeared quickly. She'd had no warning. That meant the layers of calming energy she'd left surrounding Trinity had been cut through by something major. Something drastic. And there were injuries showing on Tabitha's body. Which meant, as he assumed it had something to do with the tiger, that Trinity had been the one injured.
That was no good. They had to separate Tabitha from Trinity before the tiger died. Yet Tabitha would give everything to keep that tiger alive. She invested herself a hundred percent in her animals. If she failed in this case, it could kill her too.
As he looked down at her prone body, he realized she might already be past the point of saving. Except...he could see her cord, faint and thin...and that was a first. He zipped down the path. Flying as fast as he could travel, he whipped through the ethers, desperate to keep an eye on the tricky cord as it wove in and out of the clouds. He'd never been able to see it before. He could only assume that whatever method she’d been using to return to her body had helped to strengthen it.
Animal energy surrounded it, protecting it. Tango’s. Tripod’s. And another one’s... He'd sensed the same extra energy inside Tabitha's house – Tobias! Stefan smiled in wonder as he searched through the rest. There was a lot of Ronin's energy, but as if it wasn't sure – as if he wa
nted to help out but did not know how. Stefan couldn't waste any time offering suggestions.
This was it. He knew it in his heart. This was the last chance to find the tiger and save Tabitha.
Just then he saw the cord lead into a warehouse.
And could see the address.
***
Tabitha slammed back into Trinity's sinewy body. And screamed. Her body twisted in agony. So much heat. So much panic. Her leg refused to work and blood dripped steadily onto the floor of the cage. And her mind was so afraid that she couldn't function. It sent her emotions immediately back into victim status.
She opened her eyes, adjusting to Trinity's sight.
Instantly, she slammed her eyes closed and opened her hearing.
"Well, she's dead. See what price you can get for her now." Footsteps strode away, angry, clipped.
"Damn it. The boss is going to get you for this," Fez blustered to the stranger's retreating form.
She re-opened her eyes as she lay down a mess of healing energy, trying to keep Tabitha alive. Trying to stop her from bleeding to death. They had to hang on. Ronin would save them.
Somehow.
She poured healing energy into the wound, into Tabitha's aging heart. She needed her to keep the faith. To keep trying. Once an animal gave up, it was almost impossible to bring them back.
The smell of blood, of fear, of death, surrounded her.
Stefan, I could really use some help.
No answer.
Crap. Ronin, where are you?
***
Ronin stared at the gate Roman had managed to open. He took one step forward when Stefan spoke.
3346 Calder St.
And just as fast, Stefan was gone. Ronin quickly relayed the message to Roman then took a deep breath. "You go to that end and help her there. Save the tiger."
"I'm on it. I'll take a few men from here." Roman turned away then stopped and looked back at Ronin. "What about you?"
Ronin smiled grimly. "It's time to face my past." And he turned to walk into Boran's pen.
The tiger raced toward him, his roar deafening...and freaking scary. The huge cat was going to defend Tabitha, and as far as he was concerned, Ronin was an intruder.
When Ronin approached cautiously, he heard Stefan say, Talk to him. He's an animal. He's a feline. You have an affinity for them or else your pet wouldn't have been there in the back of your psyche all this time.
"Haunting me, I believe you said. How is that having an affinity?"
Oh, it is. You loved him and that love is what attracts him. He needs it as much as everyone else.
"Except he's dead."
Energy never dies. Remember that rule of physics.
"And that applies now – how and why?"
Because he can help you deal with Boran.
"What?" And then he had no time to ask any more questions. Boran was on him.
Never show fear.
Ronin snorted. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes against the rush of tiger teeth.
And waited.
Nothing.
He peeked under his lashes to see Boran sniffing around his legs.
With a second deep breath, he murmured, "Hey, Boran. Let's help Tabitha, okay?" He took several steps toward Tabitha.
Boran roared again, but he seemed confused. He milled around Ronin's legs and got in the way but didn't attack. In truth, he seemed not to know what to do with Ronin.
Ronin took another step forward and Boran swatted at him. Not in anger or hunger. It was playful. Maybe. Ronin didn't want to count on that. And if the next swat was any worse, Boran would draw blood. "Boran, we have to help Tabitha. She's in a bad way."
He took another step. Boran roared. Ronin felt his throat close up. Shit. Shit. No time for a panic attack. Feeling like an absolute idiot but willing to try anything, he murmured, "Mr. Boots, if you're here, please tell Boran I mean Tabitha no harm."
There was a weird whooshing energy, as if a bird darted past so close to his face that he could feel the movement of the air.
Boran whined.
"It's not a good time for any of us, is it?" Ronin offered.
He had no idea if Mr. Boots was here or if he'd spoken to Boran – if he even could be, for that matter. However, Boran walked back over to Tabitha. He glanced up at Ronin as if to say, What's taking you so long?
Stiffening his spine and expecting to feel claws raking his side open at any moment, Ronin dropped to his knees beside Tabitha. He knew one shouldn't touch a psychic when they were deep in a session. But he had many times and so had the animals... Surely that didn't apply in Tabitha's case? She wasn't even in her body, was she?
He lifted the corner of her shirt and sucked in his breath. Bullet holes. One on the hip and one on the top of her thigh on the opposite side. Blood was slowly dripping from the wound and sliding down to pool in her flat belly.
There was no smell of gunpowder, but the blood was real.
Except there had been no shots fired. There'd been no gunfire, but the gunshot wounds were unmistakable. The smell of fresh blood was something he would never forget. The small entrance wound was clean and too damn real to ignore. He ripped off his shirt and used it to staunch the flow of blood. That it was sluggish and dark scared him. He was afraid the worst of the bleeding would be internal. He slipped a hand underneath but found no exit hole. Shit. That was so not good. He reached for his phone to call for a paramedic.
And heard Stefan's voice. They can't help her.
"Then who can?" he called out, grateful he was alone in the field. "There has to be someone or something that can."
Dr. Maddy. But I can't reach her.
"Where is she? We have to find her."
No. The problem is the tiger is dying. Tabitha appears to be showing the same injuries as the tiger. You need to find the tiger and try to save it.
"Roman is on his way, but what can I do from here? I can hardly leave her. Not bleeding and in the middle of two damn tigers."
Both tigers are essentially her pets.
"Yes, but she said something about laying down a level of suppression energy to keep the aggression levels of the animals down. If she's out like this, what happens to that? Will these animals turn on her?"
Interesting, murmured Stefan. That's very clever of her. The energy stays for a long time and these animals know her.
"Animals in captivity attack their owners and trainers all the time."
This is a very different situation.
Ronin stared down at Tabitha. Sue, one of the workers from the reserve, called out to him. "Is she okay? Have you called for an ambulance?"
Ronin shouted back, "Yes." Although it was a lie. He'd yet to call anyone. He looked down at Boran, now lying beside Tabitha.
"Do you think you can move Boran to another pen?"
Sue snorted. "If he's not hurting anything, then maybe he's better in there with you. He's very protective of Tabitha. If we try to move him he's likely to be difficult."
Ronin blew out his breath hard. Shit. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back, but at the same time there was this voice inside saying these reactions were what he'd expect to see. Because these were the reactions he'd always had to cats. That didn't make them real.
"So, assess," he said aloud to himself. "You're in here with two tigers. Two tigers that appear to be uninterested in your presence. You made it across the field to Tabitha. You managed to speak with Boran and now you are squatting between the two of them. Not only that, your stomach isn't attempting to empty itself. All in all, this is major progress."
Maybe Stefan was right.
I usually am.
"And always irritating," Ronin said absently as he stroked Tabitha's arms. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do from here?"
There's always something you can do. You can fill her with love, cover her with adoration and make her want to come home to you. She's using her animals to ground herself. And in a weird way, she uses lots of them. As if she
doesn't believe that one will be enough. Or if one betrays her – dies, so to speak – then she'll have backup.
"Yes, that would be Tabitha," Ronin added thoughtfully. "Her grandfather. Her mother. Her father."
