No Choice

by Mel Todd

  Charley pulled off his shirt, shoes, and socks, then shifted. A white wolf wiggled out of shorts and underwear. He went over and bump shoulders with the twins, then moved to Nam, putting his head on her flank. Just resting it there.

  “Go ahead you two, it’ll be okay.” McKenna gently encouraged the two remaining kids.

  Paul and Jalmer both looked at her. “It will help your leg heal, Jalmer. Go ahead.”

  A bit of uncomfortable shuffling with their clothes, and she looked away to give them the illusion of privacy as she helped Nam out of the tangled mess they had twisted into in her cat form.

  When she looked up, she had two jaguars, a cougar, a white wolf, and a honey badger all sitting looking at her. Even in their animal forms she could see the stress and worry in their expressions.

  She closed her eyes for a moment, petting Nam, who stayed next to her, a low rumble, not a purr as much as a half growl half whine. She hadn’t researched tigers as much, and other than the fact that they were meat eaters and that Shere Khan had been the bad guy in the Jungle Book. Which didn’t tell her much at all.

  “I’m going to need to feed them. They will need a lot of food. Is there enough here?” She raised her voice and asked the room as she set Nam down, the girl though tiny wasn’t light after a while.

  “Yes. I prepared for that, and you will have food delivered weekly. There should be plenty of supplies for all of you.”

  McKenna couldn’t prevent the next words that came out of her mouth, she should have, but she didn’t.

  “Coffee?”

  “Officer, I am not a monster, I assure you. Yes, there is coffee. And I even provided treats for the children though no sugar for reasons I am sure you can understand. Now go, investigate. I’m positive you will find everything you need.” The voice remained calm and cool, and McKenna, with reluctance pulling at her soul, stood up to find out exactly what she would be dealing with for the foreseeable future.

  Moving on automatic, she picked up all the kids clothes and moved to look at the cupboards, looking for one with space to put the clothing in. With luck they would need it soon.

  I have to think we will need them.

  McKenna stood at the counter, part of her attention on the sounds of the animals, the kids, behind her, and part of her struggling to get her fear under control. From what she had figured they could see her back but not her face or actions, and that gave her a few moments to not have to worry about what might show on her face.

  She folded the clothes on automatic, frowning as she came across a small square object in one of the kids clothes. She wasn’t even sure whose jeans she was folding right now. Pulling it out, she looked at it, a rounded square object with a logo on it. Trax.

  Holy shit, they missed this.

  One of the parents had put a GPS tracker on their kid.

  Thank god for paranoid parents.

  She wanted to dance for glee, but she looked around and took a deep breath. Earth, dampness, and the temperature all fed into the knowledge they were underground, which since they hadn’t been found already probably meant they were too deep for the signal to reach.

  Biting her lip, she carefully tucked the tracker into one of the shoes, then pulled open a cupboard. She blinked to see it stuffed with canned food. McKenna spent the next few minutes investigating the cupboards until she found one mostly empty with only cleaning supplies in it. She carefully put the clothes away there, the shoe with the tracker carefully place, and then went to investigate the refrigerator.

  It too was full of food, mostly proteins, but also some vegetables. She looked at the various animals, trying to remember what they would eat. The cats and the wolf could eat most meats and vegetables, but the honey badger she flat out didn’t know, and she couldn’t take the risk of poisoning the child by feeding the wrong thing. Which meant asking for help.

  Every instinct in her rebelled, but surviving right now meant being biddable, and not resisting.

  “Do you know if there is anything that honey badgers can’t eat?”

  She had to assume they were monitoring 24/7, anything else would be stupid. So, every word, expression, and action would be noticed.

  As she waited, she gathered ingredients to make a simple soup with lots of meat and the vegetables, hoping the bodies would get what they needed and that the calories would be enough.

  A click from the ceiling, and the voice she thought of as ‘smiling man’s’ voice came over the speakers. “They can eat the same thing as the other animals. You’ll notice there is no junk food, though I included some fruit as treats or rewards. But for now, I am assuming the jerky will act as food rewards. I do understand they are not animals, but instead the beginning of a highly trained work force. Starving them will not achieve my goals.

  She didn’t snarl back, just nodded and kept cooking, turning often to watch the kids.

  The four cats were all curled up together focused on the small tiger, licking and rubbing against her. The wolf was inspecting every inch of the room, sniffing along each wall, and constantly glancing up to check on the positioning of everyone. The badger sat in the middle, a bit away from the cats, but still close enough if it stretched he would touch them.

  The dynamics were fascinating, and it raised questions in her mind. Though some of them faded as one of the jaguar’s, in cat form without looking at their genitals she couldn’t tell which twin it was, trotted over to the badger flopped in front of it and nudged the boy with its head. The badger seemed to sag a bit and rubbed noses before pulling back and rising to go over to the wolf, starting to follow and mimic his actions. With a leisurely stretch the cat rose and came over to McKenna, rising up on hind legs to peer at the food she had going.

  “Uh huh. While I don’t mind having helpers in the kitchen, I refuse to eat fur in my food. For now, since you can’t change,” she stressed the words, looking hard at the small black jaguar, “you get to stay out of the kitchen.”

  The cat looked at her, flicked both ears back for a moment, then dropped back to all fours and walked out of the kitchen area. With everything browned, she threw it all in a pot and set it to simmer. Hopefully with the extra veggies and some cheese there would be enough calories to make up for the change.

  She walked and inspected everything this time, having achieved a calm that might allow her to not lose it. Patience had always been more JD’s specialty than hers. The place was shaped like a plus sign. The kitchen in one square, a sleeping area in another, the entrance she couldn’t access in the third, and the two doors one with a bathroom and the locked room in their fourth. The center area made for a large empty area. With a deep breath she headed into what she inferred was the sleeping area. There were mats, blankets, and a sleeping bag. She glanced at the walls and could see the outlines of what looked like bunk beds. It was a basic area, with only a vent up in the ceiling too small for even the badger to get into. With a mental shrug she walked into the bathroom.

  A simple square shower and a flushing toilet, which had to mean a septic system, not that knowing that information gave her any advantage, but it meant fresh water. She ran the water happy at the heat that came out. There was toilet paper, but no hygiene supplies.

  Dammit, thank you so much for making me ask for this. Not!

  She walked back out into the main room, glancing at the ceiling. There had been a camera in the bathroom also and she kept trying to console herself with the idea that everyone in the whole damn world had already seen her naked, so the knowledge they would watch her in the bathroom didn’t get them anything else of her except a thrill. Whatever. If they were watching her naked, the kids were safe, in the long run only that mattered. In an odd way the animal shapes of the kids would protect them, or at least she hoped that was the case.

  Flatter them, make them like you, be diplomatic.

  The thoughts ghosted through her brain, training or something else? She didn’t have the energy to track it down, and just acted on it instead.

 
“You did really well. This place has almost everything. But unless I’ve missed something, there is a few items you forgot.” McKenna kept her voice calm, even conversational, as she lowered herself to the carpet next to the cats, the wolf and badger were still investigating everything.

  “Oh? And what would that be?” The voice sounded curious almost amused.

  She took a deep breath and petted the knot of fur that was a cougar, tiger and jaguar. The other was pulling blankets into a nest at this point.

  “I will need tampons, super absorbent, and some pads for my menstrual cycle, which should start in the next three to five days, if I stay on pattern.”

  Granted, she only knew that because she had looked when packing to see if she needed to put her supplies in her bag or could put them in storage. Regularity defined her periods, but an app on her phone still made it a hell of a lot easier than trying to remember.

  There was silence, so long she didn’t know if she should ask again, but at least Nam had quit shivering and Paul - the cougar - had convinced her to start romping with him while she waited.

  “I do apologize, Officer,” the title made her wary and proud, “you are correct I had forgotten that necessity. I will have that delivered prior to your cycle starting. Is there anything else that I might have forgotten?” The might was stressed, and she knew to take it easy on her demands.

  “Only some ibuprofen? I am subject to pain that might make the children uncomfortable if I don't have something to tamp it with.”

  Another long silence, the voice which had a tinge of respect.

  “So noted, Officer. You are good at this. But be aware, I’ve been preparing. Have a good night, and oh - teach the animals how to use the toilet.

  The speaker clicked off, and the only sounds were the padding of paws as all of them came over and curled up around her.

  Chapter 32 - Training Starts

  There is still outcry across the state and nation after the brutal killing of shifter Police Officer Kala Mansour and the abduction of Officer McKenna Largo, of the viral shifter video fame. To add to the stress six children all under the age of nine were all taken also, and they are all shifters. Outcry has risen from emerging groups championing the rights of shifters and pointing out if shifter children are going to be highly sought after targets, special protection and thought needs to be given to them. Others are calling this a publicity stunt by the highly visible Officer Largo. The odds of that being true seem unlikely given the death of another officer, and parents who are clamoring to have their children back. ~Local KWAK News

  The crackle of a voice over the speakers pulled her from sleep, a deep darkness that had protected her from her own fears. Blinking she looked up to stare at the ceiling and became aware of the animals curled up around her, refusing to move even as she tried to get her brain to snap into gear.

  “Wakey, wakey. Time to start training.” The smiling man's voice sounded way too cheerful.

  McKenna fought down the urge to snarl as she pushed the kids away from her gently. After dinner last night, they had all just curled together for comfort, and the silence from above had been a blessing. She murmured to the kids as she stood and headed to the bathroom. Shutting the door, more for the kids' sake than anything, she did her business and headed out to make coffee and figure out what to feed animals that were kids for breakfast.

  Dammit, I need to watch that. I think of them as animals the longer they are in that form. I can’t do that.

  She had to keep thinking of them as kids and hope that staying in animal form didn’t have long term consequences. There was no reassuring whisper from the depths of her mind to try to keep her hopes up. That made her more depressed than anything else.

  Setting the coffee maker, which had been stored under the sink, to brewing, she pulled out eggs and some chicken breasts and started cooking them. In minutes she had six sets of eyes looking at her with pleading need and she had to smile. There was no sugar, but a bit of milk, so she doctored her coffee and set about fixing plates of eggs and chicken for all the animals. A small whine grabbed her attention, and she looked to see most of them shifting uncomfortably, and it dawned on her she had no idea how long they’d been here.

  “Bathroom - can you guys use it in animal form?”

  The four males looked at each other, then tilted heads as if unsure.

  "Well go try. Better to know now."

  The boys trotted off to the bathroom, and she ignored the rattling around in there, but eventually there was a flush and they came back looking calmer. At least that was how she interpreted their more relaxed body language.

  A whine came from Jessi, at least she assumed that was Jessi as the other jaguar had gone with the rest of the boys.

  "You have to try. Call out if you need help."

  Jessi shook her head and shifted into human. “I’m not using the bathroom as a cat, I wanna go home.” Her voice broke on the last part, and she thought the other girl was about to start changing back to human form.

  “Officer, apparently I didn’t make myself clear. They may not assume human form. If they can’t listen, I will have them beaten and drugged. If nothing else I figure I can get a nice price for their pelt.” The voice came out of the ceiling and everyone in the room froze.

  McKenna felt her blood drain from her face, and she dropped to her knees holding Jessi in a grip she knew would leave bruises.

  “Jessi, change back. It will be okay.”

  The girl looked shaken and the rest of the kids were staring at the ceiling with reactions varying from growls to whimper.

  Jessi’s lip trembled, and McKenna pulled her close. “I know,” she whispered, “but you have to change back.”

  Two tears tracked down the girls’ face, then she shifted and she held a cat in her arms. McKenna released her slowly, and Jessi walked over to Nam. They looked at each other, then set off at a fast trot to the bathroom. More rattling, but an annoyed hiss that she was sure came from Jessi, but then again, a flush. They came out, Jessi with a wet tail and ears laid back, but they were now more interested in her activities at the stove. Though all of them seemed subdued, and she had to fight to focus on what she was doing, the image of Jessi’s body covered in bruises flashing through her mind.

  Time passed in a haze of food, coffee and cleaning up. But when they were all done eating, and the dishes put away, the speaker crackled again. The relaxation that had filled her disappeared in wariness.

  “Now that you are ready, you will begin training today.”

  Her body locked into stress, but she continued sipping her coffee even as the kids all waited with similar wariness.

  “You will receive a delivery shortly with all the information you need to train them. Please don’t try to prevaricate. I am watching, and I expect them to learn quickly and well. I am sure I don’t need to explain the consequences to you.”

  “Of course not. I’m sure the children will learn quickly.” Her voice calm and unruffled, even as the image of her claws sinking into his smiling face flooded her mind. His smirk while on the bus had carved into her memories. The taste of his hot blood on the back of her tongue became a craving she didn’t want to resist.

  “I’m glad we understand each other.” A creak of metal from the door to the outside echoed through the room and McKenna whirled to face the door, but she didn’t step away from the counter.

  “See, I knew you were smart.” The approving voice commented from the air.

  The snarl was harder to restrain this time, but she did as the door pushed open revealing a vault like wheel on the other side. Two men stood there, both with guns. One held a TEC-9 confidently in his arms, aimed directly at them, his face blank and unmoving. The other held a nine-millimeter that he holstered as he verified their locations bending to pick up a small bag. He tossed it into the room, then stepped back and pulled the door close. Even as he did so she caught him looking at all of them, and the look gave her chills at the bottom of her soul.

&nb
sp; McKenna watched all of this, using the coffee cup to help hide any reactions from the watchers. The men had both been in the bus, but she didn’t know for sure if that was all that was involved in this. At least three, but she had to assume more. She could possibly block the door from being opened, but it was their only way out so it really hurt her move than them. She depended on their good will for damn near everything.

  Setting the cup down and trying not to growl at her own failure in seeing a way out of this, she moved over to pick up the bag.

  “You will find a binder in there with all your instructions, as well as the supplies you will need to train them. Use your creativity as I expect to see progress in quick fashion.” There was a click on the other end as the voice cut off. She felt more alone, as if attention had shifted away from her, but she couldn’t trust that, not ever.

  You are always being watched. Remember that, always.

  Again, she didn’t know if the voice was hers or something else, and right now she didn’t care. Her attention focused on the bag. With a mental sigh wishing for a table, she sank down on the floor and pulled out the contents.

  A three-ring binder filled with sheets and a large handful of small packages of stuff. Curious she looked at the packages, her confusion growing as she identified them. In small sealed baggies there was pot, cocaine, crystal meth, gun powder, gun oil, and C-4. Her hope jumped with the C-4, but she had no blasting caps, and her knowledge of how to use it was low. She doubted she could do anything with it, besides the amount was about the size of a teaspoon. There was too little here for them to want to dose the kids, which she would have fought tooth and nail, so she couldn’t figure out the reasoning behind the samples.

  Setting them aside, she glanced at the kids, they were all curled up watching her, though she noticed their tails lashed back and forth betraying their agitation.

  “No worries guys, we’re okay so far.” She wanted to pull them all into hugs, but she opened the binder instead wanting to know the crazy idea behind all this.