"I see you have not learned your lessons Major. Very well. If you wish to act like an animal, you will be treated like one. Take her to the kennel, and be sure she is muzzled at all times." Arden left without a backwards glance, and Sam was carried from the room.

Chapter 36

Sam had been taken to a large room, filled with row upon row of cages, of all sorts and sizes. A cacophony of noise assaulted her sensitive ears as numerous dogs, cats, birds, and other animals barked, squawked and yowled. Sam even thought she'd heard a roar of a large cat, like a tiger from the back corner of the room but couldn't see around the cages in the way.

Sam heard the man carrying her speaking with a new man. The new voice was instructing the man where to place her. As her carrier swung about, Sam caught a glimpse of a desk and computer, where a man was typing out a few commands. She was removed from the carrier, and placed in a new cage, and from her vantage point, Sam could see the man press another key, and the cage door locked. Sam deduced that the computer likely controlled the electronic locks on the cages. Her heart sank; she'd not be able to get this cage open either.

Sam was exhausted, and after being pushed into the new cage, she lay down on the floor of the cage, surprised to note that the floor was solid. Looking around she saw that the cage included a litter tray at the back. Metal separators on either side of the cage prevented her from seeing what was on the other sides, she could only see out the front of the cage. Food and water were also inside the cage, small slots lifted up to allow access to the dishes and tray. In fact, it looked like the whole cage could slide in and out allowing access to things. None of the slots were large enough to fit through. Sam turned her attention back to outside the cage as the man that she had seen using the computer approached her.

He regarded her quietly, as she lay sprawled with her chin flat on the floor of the cage. "Bit the master did you? It's good for you that he finds something special about you, worth keeping you over. Pretty little thing, aren't you? Ah well, he gets tired of everything eventually and they all get sent here. Even pretty little kitty cats." The man continued to talk to her, or to himself, Sam wasn't sure which, but eventually his words combined with the sound of a rainstorm blurred together, and fatigue won over. Sam gave in to sleep.

Some time later, Sam woke again, even more stiff and sore than she'd been before. Sam lay where she was, and took stock of her situation. Her right side was a good bit tenderer than anything else, and she realized she must have hit the table a lot harder than she'd thought at the time. And then there was the muzzle. Sam experimentally opened her mouth a bit, but could only open it enough to poke her tongue out, just enough that she would be able to eat and drink. Twisting her head she tried to slip it off, but the straps were secure around her head. Sam dropped her head back down in disgust.

Glancing over at the food and water, Sam realized that the past several days of poor food intake must have been taking their toll finally, because she had no appetite. Which meant she needed to eat, or it would only get worse. Sam forced herself to her feet, making a small noise of pain, which was lost in all the other noises of the room. She made herself take some water and a few mouthfuls of food, but it was all she felt like eating. She ignored the litter tray; lack of food had some advantages after all.

Sam moved back to the front of the cage. Over all the animal sounds, she could hear male voices, two of them. They seemed to be arguing over something.

"Hey, Jim, you know you aren't supposed to have the window open, you know Mr. Arden doesn't like it." Sam recognized the voice as the man that had spoken to her when she'd first been brought here.

"Relax Dave," the new voice replied. "Mr. Arden went out of town, and the security camera is on the blink again. Besides, you know how stuffy it gets in here." The two men laughed, and the second voice, Jim, continued. "I'll get started on checking on the animals for the night, if you take clean up duty."

Dave must have agreed with the arrangement, as Sam saw the owner of the second voice come into view, and he pulled out a cart covered with various containers. Sam was able to see him as he started on the row of cages where she was. The containers seemed to have food and such in there for the various denizens of the kennel. The man started along the row, filling dishes and cleaning cages.

A sudden idea possessed Sam, and she shifted position, so that she was lying fully on her side. Poking her tongue out, Sam concentrated on slowing her breathing and making herself limp. Eyes narrowed to mere slits so she could see what was happening, she didn't know if she could pull it off or not, but she knew she had to try. Recent events told her that perhaps the man earlier was right, and that Arden had grown tired of her. Certainly he didn't seem to mind risking her life with those dogs of his. And now she'd pissed him off, she didn't know what he'd do next. Sam wasn't sure if she could survive many more "lessons".

Sam heard the man in front of her cage when he swore, loudly and vehemently.

"Dave, jeez, get over here!" The man called frantically. "Isn't this the new one? I think its sick!"

Dave joined the first one and added his own curse. "Shit, Jim, go get the vet, I'll get her over on the table." Sam heard running footsteps as Jim left the room, and she watched as Dave went to the computer pressing the same sequence from earlier. A click and she knew her cage was unlocked, and by watching the man, she also knew that it wouldn't take much to get the other cages unlocked either.

Before she could finish her current line of thinking Dave had returned pulling the door open. She forced herself to remain still and limp as she felt his hands lifting her up. She allowed a soft mewl to escape as his hands came in contact with the bruise on her right front leg, and let her head loll. She heard the man curse again and she could barely suppress her elation as he carried her towards the computer, to a table nearby. Sam didn't move yet, she was still searching, yes! There it was, the window, open wide, not even a screen in it. It was right next to the computer, over a shelf. The table where she thought Dave was taking her was just next to the computer on the other side. Sam waited, barely remembering to stay limp and slow her breathing.

He laid her on the table, and Sam waited until the hands released her, and she felt the man turn away before she made her move. Muscles screamed in protest as she forced them into instant action, but Sam knew she probably wouldn't have another chance again. She lunged for the computer, which was still on the screen to unlock the cages. All she had to do was hit enough of the buttons...

At the sound of cages opening, the man turned to see the supposedly sick cat make a miraculous recovery. Dave shouted, and lunged for her, but Sam would not be caught. Ignoring the pain from her leg, she dodged his hands, as a large bird flew by. The man tripped over a dog as she leapt onto the shelf, heedless of the bottles and other objects she knocked over. Sam glanced back, once, over her shoulder as she obtained the window ledge, and smiled to herself. The room was already in chaos, and she realized as a large shape came into view, that Arden did indeed have a tiger. Sam decided now was a good time to leave, as she checked the distance to the ground. It was further down than she would have liked but she couldn't be picky.

Sam leapt, the ground rising way too fast to meet her. Already bruised, her right front leg crumpled on impact and Sam landed in a heap on the soggy, muddy ground, the wind momentarily knocked out of her. Sam struggled to her feet, dismayed when her leg would not support her. Forcing herself to move and start putting distance between her and Arden, she limped out of the way just in time as a large shape landed where she'd just been. The hairy looking dog ignored her, heading for freedom. Sam decided that now would be the time to retreat before the tiger, or something equally as bad, discovered the open window.

Limping as fast as she could, Sam picked a direction at random. Away was good, she'd figure out the rest later. An alarm was now sounding inside, and lights sprang to life about the grounds. She didn't have much time. She could hear men shouting and dogs barking as she tried to head for the cover of the trees in the distance. She could make out a low wall, and made for it. Summoning her nearly depleted reserves of strength, she jumped to the top to the top of the wall, and stared in dismay at the ravine several feet below filled with rushing water. No doubt, the recent storm she'd heard earlier that evening had swelled the water.

As if things couldn't possibly get any worse, the barking of dogs was getting closer and Sam looked over her shoulder to see a pair of Dobermans that looked familiar bearing down on her position. She was just in time to witness the men behind them, one of them leveling a gun at her. She ducked, flattening herself to the wall as the man fired, a burning, stinging pain across her shoulders telling her she'd at least been grazed. Sam was suddenly faced with a choice. Take her chances in the ravine, or stay and face the dogs and men behind them carrying guns. Sam decided.