Feral

by Vesper Brooks

  “What sort of enrichment activities are they given?” I asked.

  The handler’s shoulders rolled. “Training.”

  “But what are they given to do in their spare time?”

  He turned and shot me a look before kneeling next to the ged’s face. “They get a break from training.”

  I pursed my lips, unwilling to take this fight any further. No wonder the creatures were acting up. If they acted upon half the intelligence I saw in the one’s eyes earlier, they were probably pushing boundaries just to shake things up a little.

  My attention turned to the animal in question as I closed the distance. The deep, raspy breaths of the sleeping form caught my attention first. Heavy and rhythmic. Still sedated. Relatively safe. I wouldn’t say completely safe after my near miss with a wolf years ago when it jerked awake out of heavy sedation as the vet I aided stuck a needle in his leg to take a blood sample. A scar remained on my hand from that encounter, serving as a reminder to never let my guard down around animals again.

  As I drew closer, I realized the creature sported black and red mottled skin, and a series of stiff, spine-like bristles traveled down its back, where the hackle line usually existed. They reminded me of porcupine quills, though shorter and thicker. The spines spread down the visible shoulder and across the scruff, like a natural collar. A red band ran around each spine, and overly large ears crowned his head. The creature’s entire body seemed to be carved from sheer muscle, and the gloss of his skin appeared healthy enough, at least. I mentally weighed him in at close to three hundred and fifty pounds, with five to six feet in length. The sheer muscle and mass to this animal coupled with the way in which its physical features presented themselves caused a chill to run down my spine. The overall size of the creature unnerved me, to say the least.

  “You said his name is Daxel? That’s an odd name,” I mused aloud.

  “Yeah. Doesn’t Excel,” Xander said with a snort. “Other than being the only male and ugly as fuck, he doesn’t have any helpful qualities. He just exists.”

  Ignoring the jerk, I ran my fingers along the ged’s hide. The soft, warm skin seemed far more pliable than it appeared. His behemoth sides rose and fell in a lulling rhythm as I lifted a massive paw and studied a strange dewclaw that jutted out like an opposable thumb. I froze when the animal shifted and lifted his head, muzzle inches from my head. Those intelligent yellow eyes studied me again in the silence that fell between us, though he made no aggressive noises or gestures. I felt like my next move would make or break my threat levels in his eyes, and I took a slow, deep breath.

  “Hey, Daxel. Had a close call earlier, didn’t you?” I asked, keeping my voice soothing as I lowered his paw in a languid motion. “I’ll leave you alone now.”

  His head cocked as he followed my movements, but still, no sound came from him, nor did he tense as if about to attack. When I stood, he continued to lounge, and once more, his sheer size made me wonder just what the fuck they’d concocted him from.

  “Come on. Time to go, Doc,” Xander said.

  Daxel’s attention jerked away to rivet on the man, and the most terrifying growl I’d ever heard emanated from his body. The sheer intensity of it vibrated through my body, setting off every warning bell my instincts had. I prayed the sedatives kept him from being able to act on that threat, or we were fucked.

  Chapter Eight

  At my insistence, we backed out of the room quietly. Xander grumbled under his breath the entire way but followed my directives without fail. I guess a several hundred-pound beast growling his displeasure at your existence will make a fellow shut up and listen once in a while. Daxel made no move to follow us, but that low rumble continued the whole way. When we closed the door securely behind us, though, the man blossomed into an outright ass.

  “See, this shit’s why I need a fucking cattle prod. He wouldn’t be throwing that disrespect around if I tased his ass. Fucking ugly ass mutt.”

  “Oh, shut up,” I snapped. “Clearly, Daxel thinks you’re an asshole. I couldn’t guess why.”

  I left him stuttering behind me as I made my way to the first door we passed. When I pointed at it, I said, “Which one is this? And does it hate you too?”

  The look he shot me could have withered a person with a weaker mentality on the spot. I stood my ground with a steady gaze, waiting for him to open the door. He’d received clear orders from Evans, and I doubted he would go back to his boss, task incomplete with his tail between his legs over something as petty as the fact I called him an asshole.

  Finally, Xander marched over and opened the door. We entered a room identical to Daxel’s. No bedding, no food or water, no enrichment items. I ticked off the mental list of things I planned to have a word with Evans over as we approached the second ged.

  “This one is Sensee. She’s our hearing and seeing assistant prototype. Again, ugly as fuck, but I’m sure by the time the company advertises them, the eggheads will figure out how to put them into a cute, fuzzy package.” He prattled on some more, but I only half listened as I studied the new animal.

  She couldn’t have been more different from the first if she tried. Her build, akin to a Doberman, but three times the size, spoke of a much more agile body than Daxel’s stockier form. Sharp angles and lithe muscles met my assessing gaze as I visually catalogued her body. They did share the same black skin with red highlights, and my stomach lurched as my gaze traveled to her face. The skin around her muzzle pulled back so tightly that it revealed elongated canines and gums as if she had no lips. The nose appeared to be a basic covering over the cartilage, and thin, tall ears jutted from her head in bat-like fans. When I imagined hellhounds, they looked like Sensee.

  “How does she respond to commands?” I stepped back from her, unwilling to handle her paws until I knew more about her interactive personality. If I based it on appearance alone, I’d be too scared to touch her. She reminded me of something out of a horror movie. All sinew and bones and bared teeth.

  “Obedient until Daxel starts his shit, then she falls in line beside him,” Xander answered. “I keep telling them to just can that thing. He’s as useless as a cinderblock. Fucking dumb too. He’s screwing the whole program up.”

  “Let’s go see the other one,” I said, hoping to redirect him before he worked himself up into a rant.

  We left the room at a far less cautious pace than the previous one and crossed the bay to the furthest door at the end. When he opened the door, I hesitated. The ged within lounged upright, far more awake than her pack mates. The broad shoulders and blunt snout, not to mention the oversized jutting claws that reminded me of a velociraptor, made me uncertain over the sanity of walking into the room. Out of the three, she gave off the most dangerous aura.

  Xander pushed past me and strode right in. “This one’s Radia. She’s got a face for radio.” He chuckled at his own joke.

  “And what’s her specialty?” I asked as I ventured closer.

  The ged turned to look at me, and the all-black eyes seemed to assess me as thoroughly as I assessed her. As she stood, I took quick note of her physical build. The barrel-like chest tapered off immediately after the ribs into a thin, almost gaunt hind end. A small smattering of fur gathered at her back, like a lion’s mane. She reminded me more of a boar than a dog, except for the fascinatingly long claws that tipped each of her toes.

  “She is built for mobility assistance. If there’s somewhere you wanna go, she can get there. This girl’s got built-in four-wheel drive,” he said as he patted her roughly on the head.

  Radia let out a soft groan, and Xander laughed. “You like that, don’t you, bitch? You like it rough.” He ended the statement with another hard pat.

  Contrary to his statement, nothing about her body language indicated she liked his treatment to me. I watched her turn her head away from him in a classic I’m finished and need space canine gesture. When he ignored it, I questioned how the fuck he’d managed to work with them this long and not be bitten.


  “I think I’m ready to go back upstairs now,” I said.

  We made our way back in blessed silence, and once we entered the control room, Xander ambled back out the main door, leaving myself and Mr. Evans alone.

  “So, what did you think of our miracles?” Phillip asked as he sat down on a computer chair.

  I approached the window and stared down at the poor creatures, trying to find a way to express my concerns without the use of foul language. I’d found, in the past, that if I used colorful language in my descriptive of an employer’s treatment of their animals, I often encountered resistance to the needed changes I proposed. Step one: play nice.

  “I have a few observations that could enhance your interactions with them in a more positive fashion that should create a better training atmosphere,” I finally said.

  “Go on.” He leaned forward, steepling his fingers as he listened to me.

  I pointed down at the pens as I met his gaze. “If their holding cells are usually this bare, I suggest enrichment activities and items be introduced. While you might see it as frivolous, I can safely say half the behaviors you are seeing could very well stem from boredom.”

  “If you’ll provide an appropriate list of such items, I will see they are procured and introduced,” he answered.

  Good. He’s willing to listen…at least for now.

  “Are there other handlers who work with the geds?”

  He shook his head. “Xander’s the only one brave enough to stay. Once they grew bigger than your average puppy, people grew…fearful of their appearance. An anomaly we’ll have to address in future specimens.”

  I frowned, uncertain how to proceed with my next piece of advice without being too blunt. The seconds ticked by as I struggled to find the right words. “I highly suggest seeking a new handler for them. Especially for the male. Xander’s…aggressive personality and his lack of awareness of the animal’s social cues are creating a cesspool of bad mishaps waiting to happen.”

  “Xander can be a bit abrasive, but he means well. And working with the geds requires a firmer hand. I’m sure you understand,” Evans said.

  I turned to him fully and couldn’t help the barely-contained fury lacing my words. “No, Mister Evans, I don’t understand. I don’t understand why a man as dull-witted and arrogant as your handler has managed to mistreat these animals like he does without anything more than a growl directed at him. I’ve seen far more fairly treated animals act with greater aggression for less.”

  “Ah, then you admit that animals are finicky, and the behavior does not always suit the treatment.”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m suggesting you remove him from the equation before you end up with a dead employee, and animals that have learned extreme aggression make the source of agitation go away…permanently.”

  We stared at each other in silence, each waiting for the other to concede their point. When I contemplated storming out the door and demanding I catch a ride on the next helicopter out, he broke the tension.

  “How about tomorrow, you attend the training session and direct our handler on how to interact with these animals better. Maybe, if you are there in real time, things will become clearer,” he said, his tone smooth.

  I chewed my lip as I considered the possibility. “And if I still say you need a different handler afterward?”

  “Then I will be completely open to your suggestions on possible candidates,” he responded.

  “Fine, but I want to record the sessions. Audio and video. That way I can analyze it later and provide you better insight on their behavior patterns,” I countered.

  He nodded as he stood and smoothed his shirt back down over his thighs. “Absolutely. Anything you need, Doctor Poole. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  As we reached the door to leave, the lights flickered before going out completely. My heart raced in my chest as I calmly exited the building and prayed the lights came back on before the geds learned how to open doors.

  Chapter Nine

  Radia and Sensee milled around in Daxel’s cell while he lounged in the center. I studied the interaction of the three animals, taking note of their positions amongst each other. The male ruled with no effort on his part, as the females instinctively deferred to him. What concerned me most centered on their communication.

  The body language remained present, but these animals relied heavily on sounds. A wide variety of them, in fact. Some of which shouldn’t be possible. When I fed a clip of one of the painted dogs off my laptop from my time at the sanctuary through the sound system, Radia tilted her head as she chirped a response while Sensee’s gums rippled back exposing her upper teeth. Daxel, meanwhile, didn’t so much as twitch an ear the entire time.

  Stupid as Xander claims, or more like a lion who lets the females do the work for him?

  I catalogued the thought for later and tried to take a few deep breaths to prepare myself when the handler walked in. If I hated him this much after only spending an hour with him, I could only imagine how much the geds detested his presence. Or maybe I misread their signals yesterday. As memories of Daxel’s growl filled my head, I gave it a soft shake. No, there was no mistaking the outright aggression in that growl.

  “Ready to play with the pups?” the man asked, a lazy smile on his face.

  “No, but I am ready to give you tips as I see fit,” I retaliated.

  A sour expression appeared on his face immediately, and I knew without a doubt he held no intention of implementing anything I suggest. That didn’t matter. If he acted like a total ass, I’d recommend some animal behavioral specialists I kept in contact with and admired. Last night, I composed a list, ready for this exact scenario.

  We headed downstairs without a further word to each other, and I couldn’t say I hated the silence. When we entered the cell with the geds, I allowed Xander to take the lead. I wanted to observe him first to give the situation a fair assessment.

  “What up, bitches? Get in line.” He pulled out a whistle and the shrill sound seemed to pierce the air with stronger vehemence than normal.

  Sensee and Radia lined up, but Daxel stood in the background. His gaze remained riveted on me as he paid the handler no heed. I fought the urge to call out to him, to attempt to forge a positive association with the animal that would enhance a bond.

  “Yo, you deaf, asshole? I said get in line, Daxel!” With a deft movement of his hand, Xander jerked out an expandable baton and slapped it against his thigh.

  “Is that really necessary?” I asked, eyeing the metal implement with disdain.

  “Relax, Doc. It’s no different than hitting a horse with a whip.”

  I bit my lip, holding back the rant I wanted to explode into over the use of whips as well. The larger animal made his way over to stand beside the other two geds. One of them issued a strange rattling moan that reminded me of a frog, but I couldn’t tell which.

  I took in all the details of their body language. The way Daxel’s ears laid back as he stared at Xander with an intensity that made my blood run cold. How Sensee sidled closer to the alpha male, silently backing him. How Radia’s legs quivered just slightly as her muscles strained to burst into motion.

  These creatures prepared for a fight, and the only thing holding them back lay at Daxel’s whims. I tilted my head, allowing my own body language to express my curiosity. “I’m not a threat,” my posture said. “I’m new and learning.”

  “Crate up,” Xander commanded, using the baton to motion at the three crates against the wall, doors wide open.

  Daxel took a step back as he glanced at the crate. Radia turned and obediently made her way to one. The sharp screech of her elongated claws on the metal hurt my ears, reminding me of nails on a chalkboard. Sensee stopped halfway to her crate before pausing to look at the male. A soft coo issued from her throat as she called to her pack mate, and I wondered if she coaxed him to obey, or if she asked him whether she should continue.

&nbs
p; The large ged chuffed at her in a sound that reminded me of a tiger. Before I could blink, the baton came down across his neck, causing him to stumble.

  “She listens to me, not you. Fucking remember your place!” Xander snarled.

  “Hey, that’s enough.” I launched forward to place myself between him and the animal he abused.

  I threw an arm out, blocking his access to land any more blows on Daxel unless he hit me too. The man stared at me, and the arrogance on his face made my stomach churn. We stood there, chests heaving, locked in a silent battle of wills.

  The ferocious growl behind me froze the blood in my veins, and I knew beyond a doubt we stood in a very dangerous situation. I half turned so I could make eye contact with the ged without yielding ground to the handler.

  “Easy, boy. Easy. Xander, walk away. Now. You are in danger.” I knew as soon as the words left my lips, I’d fucked up.

  Daxel turned his head slightly, ears pricking forward as he listened to me. The growling subsided and the muscle tension in his chest and shoulders eased. Xander, however, grabbed my shoulder and shoved me to the side, causing me to hit the ground from the unexpected physical contact.

  “In danger? Bitch, he’ll never growl at me again once I’m done with him.” The anger dripping from his tone made his intent clear, even if the geds couldn’t understand his words.

  Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. His hand raised above his head as he prepared to bring the baton down straight across the ged’s muzzle. Daxel’s entire body tensed in preparation to launch at the threat. I surged upward, shoving at Xander’s arm to intercept the blow.

  White-hot pain seared through my forearm as teeth clamped down on flesh. I sucked in a hiss of breath, refusing to scream. A scream could excite his predatory state, inducing a frenzy. Calm, cool, collected—just as I’d been trained—I made direct eye contact with Daxel.