She placed the flashlight’s barrel between her teeth before pulling her backpack from her shoulder.The heavy-duty bolt cutters tucked away inside would free the animals—she tossed a quick look at the still-staring wolf—allthe animals of their metal-barred prisons.
Her hand brushed the hard plastic case of her anaesthetizing kit and she turned to the shepherd.At least the poor thing wouldn’t die behind bars, even if its freedom only lasted a few moments.
On silent feet she crossed to the caged dog, holding her head down and to the side, right hand held out.She doubted the animal had the strength to bite but she wasn’t taking any chances.Everything about her body language was by design:I am not a threat to you.
The dog’s sad, brown eyes watched her approach, its tail giving a small, almost desperate wag as she drew closer and Regan’s heart clenched again.She let her lips pull into a soft smile, careful not to show her teeth.“Yes, I know, boy,” she murmured.“I’m going to take the pain away.I promise.”Tail wagging weakly, the dog watched her.
As did the wolf.
Regan felt its silver gaze study her every move.It was unnerving somehow.Like the wolf judged her actions.She gave it a hurried look over her shoulder, butterflies flapping into frantic activity in her stomach.It looked like it could tear her apart with one simple snap of its jaws, sick or not.Lord, was she really going to set it free?
Of course you are.Would you really leave it behind?After seeing what Epoc is doing?
She turned back to the shepherd and quickened her pace.No.She wouldn’t leave it behind, regardless of how it unnerved her.Reaching the dog, she placed her right hand through the bars of its cage, slowly raising it to the level of the dog’s muzzle, allowing it to smell her scent.“It’s okay, mate,” she soothed.“I’m going to help.”The dog’s nose—drier than parchment—touched the small strip of exposed flesh between her glove and sleeve and its tail thumped weakly again.
Damn, I hate you, Nathan Epoc.
A soft snarl shattered the tense silence and Regan turned her head, the wolf catching her eye in the powerful glow of her flashlight.Its steady, silver stare bored into her before flicking to the left.
Her stomach twisted with unease.Pulling her bolt-cutters from her backpack, she severed the chain on the shepherd’s cage, the noise like a gunshot in the silent lab.Hurry, Woman.Hurry.Pulling the chain free, she unlatched the lock and swung the door wide.
The dog stared at her, sunken eyes unblinking, tail wagging weakly.
Time pressing down on her, the weight of the wolf’s gaze like a branding iron on her back, she withdrew her hypo kit from her backpack.“This won’t hurt,” she whispered, reaching into the cage.“I promise.”The dog cowered, tail thumping in nervous swipes against the bars, its eyes fixed on her.With gentle fingers, she pinched a fold of skin on the back of its neck and injected the painkiller directly into its blood system.Tucking her torch under her armpit, she placed the hypodermic between her teeth and ran her hand down the dog’s chest, feeling its wildly beating heart.“I’ll do this as painlessly as I can,” she said, her throat growing tighter at the animal’s implicit faith.She moved her hands to one of the thick tubes inserted into dog’s neck, readying to withdraw it.
A low grumble sounded behind her.Like a warning.
Muscles tense, Regan looked at the wolf again.I’m coming.I can’t rush this.
The wolf studied her, before flicking its silver stare to the left again.
A chill shot up Regan’s spine and the hair at the back of her neck stood on end.Fair dinkum, it was like the animal was trying to tell her something.
Yeah.To hurry up!Pull your finger out, Woman or you’re going to get caught!
Gnawing on her bottom lip, she turned back to the shepherd.Hoping against hope the Rimadyl had started to take effect, she removed one tube.The dog whimpered but didn’t flinch.“Good boy,” she murmured, giving it a soft smile.Another tube followed.Another.Another.The dog gazed up at her, the thumps of its tail growing weaker.Regan’s throat constricted.It wasn’t going to last much longer.
“I need you to stay here for a moment, mate,” she whispered, scratching it behind the ear.“Just until I see to the other animals.Then we’re outta here, okay?”
Another tail wag, weaker this time.As if it knew what she wanted, the dog dropped into the down position and rested its muzzle on its extended front paws, liquid-brown eyes still locked on her.Trusting.Hopeful.
Tears burned at the back of Regan’s eyes.She placed her palm on the shepherd’s head…
And the wolf growled again.
“I’ll be back,” she said, knowing the high dose of painkiller would end the dog’s misery before she returned.Blinking, refusing to let the tears fall, she moved silently.Across the lab.To the wolf.
A flash of white in the dark told her its teeth were bared, but she continued forward.Pulling the bolt cutters from her backpack, she quickly severed a link in the chain wrapped around the cage’s locked door.
A soft growl emanated from behind the bars and she looked up, her breath catching at the silver eyes staring at her.This close, the wolf’s power was almost suffocating, as was its pain.“Not much longer,” she muttered around the barrel of the flashlight.She slipped the bolt-cutter blades around one thick, shiny metal bar and—with considerable effort—managed to slice into the metal.Half an inch.She tried again.Maybe a bit more this time, but not much.
Regan scowled.This was going to take longer than she thought.
The wolf watched her, silent, before its hackles rose and it swung its head to the left.Seconds later, the chimp burst into screeching wails and a concealed door in the far left wall flung open.
Three armed security guards barged into the lab, guns and flashlights aimed at her.“Hands up, missy!”
Ah, shit!
