by Tina Chan
The tiger rumbled and bared its saber-like fangs.
“No need to get all hissy on me, twenty-three,” Jack said.
Troop gripped his black toolbox so tight his knuckles turned white. Jack’s footsteps echoed in the small, square room.
Crrkk. The cover of the crate grated open.
Troop bolted upright. Jack widened his eyes in astonishment.
“What are—” Jack began to say.
Troop slammed the heavy toolbox into Jack’s temple. Jack crumpled to the floor like a piece of paper. A thin line of blood oozed on the side of his head.
Subject twenty-three sniffed the air and let out a growl.
Troop nudged Jack with his foot. The scientist remained unconscious. Then he walked over to the single window of the room and slid up the panel. Next, he returned to the crate of chickens.
“Lucky day for you. I’m saving you guys from becoming tiger food.”
Troop caught and released each chicken out through the window. Subject twenty-three mournfully looked at its lunch escaping before its eyes.
Chicken-freeing task completed, Troop heaved Jack into the now-empty crate. The man’s lanky frame barely fit in the box; he had to bend Jack’s legs to ensure he was completely within the crate.
Jack let out a soft moan. Troop didn’t hesitate to give him another bash to the head. Then Troop opened up his toolbox and removed the bottle of window glue. He applied a thin layer of the adhesive around the rim of the crate and slid the crate’s cover back in place; someone was bound to find Jack when they came to kill the tiger. In the meantime, Jack wouldn’t be able to alert Troop’s presence to others.
Troop cracked open the door and slid into the East Wing hallway. Time to find Kristi and Chelsa.
chapter forty-two
[ Kristi ]
