Suddenly, the grasp his hands held around her neck loosened. Chang gasped for breath, feeling the glorious sensation of air entering her lungs. Sans stood up, pulling himself together. He looked exhausted, but angry.
“I’m going to keep you around,” he said, pointing his finger down at her, “just so that I can prove you wrong. When you start to bore me, I’ll leave you to the animals.”
He walked off. Slowly, she sat up and coughed, still breathing heavily. The worker stepped closer and silently stood over her, waiting to take her back to her room where she wouldn’t be let out without supervision.
As she prepared to stand up, her heart still pounding, she looked off at the horizon and saw the last glimpses of orange were gone.
Night had descended on the Serengeti.
OPTIONS
Sydney huddled in the darkness at the back of her cell. The distant dripping of water became ever more noticeable in her ears, which, as far as she could tell, hadn’t started morphing into a cat’s yet. Everything hurt and she was still hungry, but her mind was fixated on other things.
Tomorrow, she was going to be hunted for sport. She would have a week to evade Sans before he agreed to continue his pursuit with non-lethal force. She could hide from him on the reserve forever and the implant would still prevent her escape. She had thought of tearing it out, but she didn’t know where they would put it in. Sans or Graves would have thought that through.
She didn’t know why he was holding Chang and Andy over her like that. They were all as good as dead now, anyway. She was just postponing their suffering by agreeing to his rules. Gradually, she realized that Sans had everything under control and could decide people’s fates on a whim, depending on his mood.
Or really, he thought he had everything under control.
His hubris was her opening. Sans was getting cocky, and when people got cocky they were likely to overlook certain things. Tonight was her last chance before they put the implant in. She wouldn’t be able to get back into the lodge perimeter after that, and it didn’t look like she’d be able to infiltrate the labs through the cave unless she wanted to end up like Jones.
So she had to do something and she had to do it now.
There was no clock down here, so she didn’t know what time it was. The cavern had the same dark gloom all hours of the day and night, so the only frame of reference she had was when Sans had brought the others to see her. That had been many hours ago, but she was sure it was now sometime very early in the morning. She assumed that she only had a few hours to work with.
Slowly, she got up and walked over to the bars. The keypad was out of sight, but she knew where it was and she could probably reach her arm through enough to get to it. Still, she didn’t know the code and there was no way of getting it.
Graves and the technicians hadn’t run any more tests on her and she knew that when they came for her next, it would be for the implant. Besides, there were always too many of them. She would be overwhelmed, even with her claws. It just took one well-placed injection to sedate her and then she was entirely at their mercy. She sat down and looked around the enclosed space, thinking.
All that was left of the rat earlier was a few bones scattered on the floor.
Then she thought of an idea.
Around twenty minutes later, two technicians entered the cavern. They were heading towards the computer lab down the operating room corridor when one of them stopped.
“Do you hear that?” he said.
The other listened. A strange, guttural noise was coming from one of the cages, the one with the girl – or whatever the hell she was now.
They rushed over to the cell. Behind the bars, Sydney was doubled over and clutching her throat. She glanced up towards them and the look in her eyes pleaded for help.
“Shit,” the first man said, sliding over to the keypad and punching in the code. “She’s choking on the rat bones.”
“Didn’t anybody clean that up?” the other asked.
“We only clean the cages once a week,” the first technician said as the gate slid open. He ran over to Sydney, then stopped before getting too close.
“What are you waiting for?” the second asked.
“I mean, she’s dangerous–”
“If she dies on our watch, Dr. Sans will feed us to the others.”
“Fuck,” the man said, bending down to Sydney–
She shot up and slammed him back against the wall with as much force as she could muster, his skull cracking against the rock.
“Oh shit,” the second tech said, diving for the keypad.
Thinking quickly, Sydney pushed the dazed man into the opening as the titanium gate shot across. He landed on his side and the metal connected with his chest, crushing his ribs inward. Blood spurted from his mouth and he began to twitch, but he was heavyset enough that there was still nearly a foot gap left open.
The other technician’s eyes went wide with horror and he ran off back the way he came screaming, “Security! Help!”
She had to move quickly; there wouldn’t be much time before more came. Holding her breath, she squeezed herself through the opening and fell to the ground. She scrambled back to her feet and moved towards the other hallway, looking back over her shoulder. There were voices approaching from the way the tech ran off.
Sydney entered the corridor and ran to the door on the right, opening it to find the lab pitch black save for the glow of computer screens. Her eyes adjusted to the dark much faster now and she dove under a desk beside the door and waited, her heart pounding.
Several minutes passed.
She slowly peered out from her cover to look out the hallway window, but no one was visible. She could hear voices coming from the cavern. They would know she had to have come this way, and other than the lab there were only the two operating rooms.
It wouldn’t take long for them to find her.
She’d positioned herself near the door so that if they went to the back of the room, she’d have a chance at escape. But she didn’t know how many were out there. If one of them remained outside the door, she could take them. After all, she’d handled that technician.
I killed him, she thought, the horrific realization just dawning on her. Her hands started trembling for a moment, but she took a breath and clenched her fists. Get it together. She thought the man had looked familiar, but couldn’t quite place his face. It took her a moment to realize that when she’d seen him before, he’d been wearing a medical mask and had been seated behind the monitors during the electroshock session.
She shivered at the memory. It was time to get the hell out of here. Just as she started to crawl for the door, it swung open and a tall Afrikaner man entered, swinging around a Glock pistol in one hand and aiming a flashlight with the other. She vaguely remembered him as the driver of the other SUV on the first day’s safari.
“Come out, come out, pretty kitty,” he muttered, walking past where she hid towards the rows of computers on tables in the center of the room. “Time to go back to bed.”
She briefly glanced out from under the desk and saw the nervous second technician from earlier in the hall. So, it was just two of them right now. Most of the others must’ve been upstairs or off shift. And the tech wasn’t armed.
A radio on the driver’s belt crackled. “Kobus, what’s your status?”
“I’ve got a small situation down in the cave. Cartwright is dead, but don’t worry – I’m on it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a small situation–”
“I said I’m on it, okay?”
She wondered if she should move now, take out the tech in the hallway, then make a break for it. No, she didn’t know how good a shot Kobus was. She needed to–
He swung the light onto her. “There you are! Don’t move!”
She dove out of the way and crawled through the dark past one of the rows of computers. Kobus tried to run around the back, but she rolled under the table to other side.
“Wha
t the hell are you doing?” she heard the tech ask from the door. She recognized his voice as the American who tried to sedate her the night before.
“I train the gun on her, you ready the syringe,” he said.
“Yeah,” the American said. “But how the hell do you think you’re gonna–”
Sydney made her move. She leapt out at Kobus, but he had better reflexes than she’d anticipated. He hit her forehead with the flashlight so hard she nearly blacked out. The next thing she knew, she was careening backward and toppling over a table, knocking several flat-screen monitors off the edge. They smashed on the floor around her as her body hit the hard surface.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” the American screamed. “Do you know how much those cost?”
“Shut up and get over here, Marcus,” Kobus said.
Everything hurt. She heard footsteps and saw him coming closer, shining the beam directly at her face. She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the light and could make out the barrel of the Glock aimed down at her. Marcus was making his way around the other side.
“Hurry, before she tries anything again,” Kobus told him.
She groaned, rubbing her forehead. She hoped she didn’t have a concussion.
Marcus crouched beside her and readied the syringe. She quickly glanced between him and the gun. They won’t shoot me. Sans would kill them.
Marcus quickly jabbed the needle towards her neck–
She grabbed his hand, pulled it in front of her face, and bit down on his wrist in a fluid motion. He screamed as her teeth reached the bone and Kobus swept down like a bird of prey to pin her down, pressing both of her arms against the floor.
Marcus reeled back and clutched his wound as the syringe tumbled away.
“Get back here!” Kobus hissed. The flashlight pointed away and the gun was still in his hand, aimed away from her head as he applied pressure to keep her down.
Angrily, she jerked her shoulders as hard as she could and her right arm came free just long enough for her to reach up and stick her clawed thumb into Kobus’s left eye. He howled in pain as she pushed deeper into the socket, thick drops of blood raining down on her. The gun and flashlight scattered away across the floor as she got to her feet and pulled her hand away.
Kobus was on his knees, clutching his face. Channeling her rage, she grabbed him by the back of his head and smashed his face against the side of the nearest table. His limp body slid to the floor, unmoving. Before she could figure out if he was dead or merely unconscious, she heard a door closing and saw Marcus fleeing down the corridor through the window.
Turning, she made out the shape of the pistol lying on the darkened floor, grabbed it, and ran to the exit. Her own speed surprised her as she flung open the door and gave chase to the running technician, who was now out into the cavern.
“Freeze!” she yelled after him. He didn’t listen. She fired the gun.
Marcus stumbled to the ground and turned around, arms outstretched. He looked terrified as she came out into the high-ceilinged space and trained the weapon on him. She didn’t consider herself a good shot, but he didn’t know that.
“Please,” he pleaded, getting to his feet. “You don’t understand. Dr. Sans…he’s a visionary. What he’s done with you is nothing short of remarkable–”
“Shut. The fuck. Up,” Sydney said, moving closer. She could definitely hit him at this range. From the hallway that led back to the upper floors, she could hear several more footsteps approaching. They sounded far off, thundering down flights of stairs. Her eyes darted over to the gate about twenty feet away, with the big heavy door that led to the rest of the cave system.
She looked back at Marcus. “You know the code?”
“Yes.”
“Open it.”
“I can’t let those things out. They’ll kill us all!”
“You think I won’t?” she said.
Marcus slowly got up and started walking over to the gate. He was about to punch something in on the keypad, then turned back to her. “This is a very bad idea.”
“Add it to the list.” She watched as he punched in the code. The door clicked open. “Block it with your shoe.”
Marcus slipped off his loafer, pulled the door open slightly, and wedged it in. Sydney scanned the darkness for any sign of red eyes or a moving shape. Nothing. Marcus glanced over at the hallway, shaking with terror. He was clearly hoping the cavalry would save him, and by the sound of it, they were right around the corner. She started to back up.
He looked at her. “This isn’t going to end well for–”
A massive creature burst out of the door, lunging forward with sharp claws extended and horrifying teeth barred. Its eyes were the color of blood.
BREAKOUT
Marcus screamed and darted for the safety of the corridor. The monster was upon him in an instant, knocking him to the ground and biting through his vertebrae with a bone-chilling snap. Sydney backed towards the computer lab and operating rooms as quickly as she could, never taking her eyes off the feeding predator.
Suddenly, it turned its head toward her and growled. Now that she had a full view of the thing, it was even more terrifying. It was at least eight feet long and didn’t have a mane, so it was probably female. Its mangy beige fur was covered with hyena spots and the claws appeared to be over two inches long. Viscera clung to its teeth and crimson saliva drooled onto the cave floor as it pawed its way closer.
If she broke into a run, it would leap for her. If she kept backing up, it would gain on her. She could shoot it, but if she missed the head she risked just pissing it off. She was wondering how quickly she could sprint for the nearest operating room door when two of Sans’s men burst in with pistols and opened fire at the creature.
One bullet grazed its back, and the hybrid angrily turned and moved in their direction with frightening speed. The men backed around the corner, the sounds of their gunfire receding with them as the beast gave pursuit. It disappeared after them and she heard screaming. The gunfire stopped.
A second one smashed the door open again and she realized the shoe was still in place. She pressed her back against the rocky wall. The thing looked between her and where the screams were coming from. She gripped the pistol at her side, this time ready to fire.
There was a burst of gunfire and a dog-like yelp. The hybrid immediately bounded in that direction. There were more gunshots and suddenly the sound of something bursting and a rushing noise that sounded like gas escaping.
Then there was an explosion.
The bang resounded all around the cavern and Sydney covered her ears. Her improved hearing made her more susceptible to loud noises and she waited a moment to gather her bearings while the ringing subsided.
Flames were licking around the corner of the hallway and an alarm was blaring. The limp figure of a man lay just in her line of sight. She stumbled closer to get a better look when she saw him start to get up. He put a hand to his head, then turned towards her.
It was Ramsay.
He shot her a look that could kill and drew his revolver, entering the cavern. She was beginning to take larger steps backwards as he raised the gun toward her.
“I told Dr. Sans you were a problem. Told him you proved the leopard virus worked and that we should just move onto the boy, but no. He was convinced. I never doubt Dr. Sans, but this time I’m afraid I’m taking matters into my own hands.”
He fired. Sydney ducked, but in the process her Glock slipped from her fingers. Before she could pick it up, he shot another round and it whizzed by her close enough for her to hear it. She took off into the corridor and he fired a third shot, the bullet cracking the computer lab window She made it to the end of the hall just as he reappeared.
Sydney swung the second operating room’s door open and slammed it behind her before he could fire again, frantically checking for a lock.
There wasn’t one. She moved a table beside her in front of the door, even though she knew it would barely slow him do
wn. Then she turned around to look for a place to hide and gasped.
Brandon was lying on the operating table, his eyelids closed over. A monitor was showing his heart rate constant at 70 beats per minute. He was clad only in blue latex medical shorts but there were bandages all over his torso and around his head. He possessed more animalistic features than she did, with a thicker coat of fur and a much bulkier muscle mass. The talons on the ends of his fingers were thicker and sharper than hers.
Without thinking, she ran up to him and swiftly pulled the IV tube out of his arm.
His eyelids fluttered just as Ramsay kicked the door open, knocking the blockade a few feet back. She hid behind the operating table as his second kick dislodged her barrier entirely and her pursuer came into the room.
She expected him to wait there for a moment, taunting her to come out and that there was no escape like they always said in movies. But instead, he silently started around the operating table towards her. She quietly scurried to the other side, trying to keep low.
It was too little, too late. He swung the firearm over Brandon’s body and aimed for her skull. Sydney’s eyes went wide and she swiftly ducked just as a deafening gunshot resounded in her ears and the bullet passed less than an inch over her head.
She collapsed to the floor, the ringing unbearable. Get up, she told herself. Get up now.
There was a commotion on the table above and she heard Ramsay cry out. Scurrying for the door, she looked back to see Brandon digging his claws into the man’s gun-wielding arm and sinking his teeth into his bicep.
Not wasting a second, Sydney hauled the door open and dashed out into the hallway. She only got about halfway back to the cavern before she heard glass breaking behind her and threw her head over her shoulder to see Ramsay tumbling to the gray floor amongst scores of shards.
The Brandon-thing pounced out from the room onto him and she found herself stopping to watch in horrified fascination as it dug its talons through Ramsay’s abdomen. The man screamed, his eyes wide in terror, as the bestial hybrid ripped his intestines out and brought them to its mouth.
Safari: A Technothriller Page 15
