Jericho saw the dark model sedan approach the back gate slowly, stopping just before the entrance. He heard a howl and a roar from behind him, a sign that a few of the Wild Zone residents had noticed their visitor.
"This is Jericho," he radioed in, "I've got action at the back gate. Request backup."
"Got it Jericho," he heard Tiger answer, "we're headed to you."
Jericho stood on the wall, watching the car idle. It turned off and the door opened slowly. With the glare from the sun, he couldn't see if there was a male or female driving. Nor could he see if there was more than one person in the car.
He shouldered his weapon and raised it, clicking off the safety, "Keep your hands up and exit the vehicle slowly."
Jericho saw two small hands lift above the door, and then a small girl exited the car; she had to be just a girl, because she didn't look a day over twenty.
"I'm alone," she called out, and stepped away from the vehicle, keeping her hands in the air.
Jericho heard an enraged roar behind him and realized that someone had picked up the scent of a human. Shit!
He jumped off the wall, and started slowly to the car.
"You're alone?" he asked angrily.
The girl nodded quickly, looking up into Jericho's eyes, "I'm alone. My name is Stephanie Taylor, security is expecting me," she called out.
Jericho didn't take his finger off the trigger, but he felt disarmed by her. She looked directly into his eyes and didn't flinch, didn't show any discomfort. He tore his gaze off of her reluctantly and moved a bit closer to the car, trying to refocus. He needed to go back to his routine, to complete the expectations that were associated with this sort of event. There was no time for personal thoughts. This wasn't about him, this was about keeping New Species safe. It didn't matter if this girl was little more than a teenager, that she was female, and that she didn't stare at him like he was some kind of freak. Jericho studied the car without going closer, and felt relief that, now that he was on the ground, he could see that it was empty.
The girl cleared her throat, "Do you want me to pop the trunk?" she asked.
While not having the scent ability of felines and canines, his sense of smell was still much more advanced than other primates. He could smell her nervousness, and overlaying that, the scent of other humans: a male and another female. They had been in contact with the girl, and most likely had been in the car, though they weren't there now.
"No," he answered, "put your keys on the ground and step away from them."
The girl, Stephanie, put the keys on the ground, following his directions to a "t."
Jericho heard a howl, felt the air shift, and heard the neat landing of a body next to him. Jericho shifted his stance, pulling himself up to his full height so the New Species didn't see him as an easy target. Jericho didn't recognize the canine male next to him. His eyes were yellow, and his hands, that were curled to fight, had black claws: he was definitely a Wild Zone resident from the look of him.
As the canine stood to his full height, he breathed in. "Werner," the male hissed and leapt at the girl.
She went down under his assault, and cried out. It took Jericho a second of surprised shock to react, before he leapt forward himself, dragging the male off the girl.
"Back off," Jericho hissed, angry that the male had made him break protocol.
"He hasn't mounted her," the male ground out huskily, "but I can smell him."
Jericho swallowed the sick feeling that was rising up in his stomach along with the memories that the name Roger Werner conjured. He knew Roger Werner. He had been an exceptionally cruel psychologist at the facility where Jericho had been kept. Though Jericho certainly wouldn't call himself lucky, he had managed to escape most of Werner's notice. Instead, Werner had taken a special interest in Leo, and designed most of his sick experiments to include the feline. Once Jericho had been transferred to a facility away from the New Species "failures," he hadn't seen Werner again.
Stephanie sat up slowly. Jericho could smell the blood from scrapes she must have incurred falling backward, but she didn't complain. In fact, she didn't say anything. He could smell her fear and nervousness, but she didn't cry; in fact, her entire posture was one of resignation.
The canine crossed his arms and stared at Stephanie, "I'm not leaving," he said, "I want to know what's going on."
Jericho nodded and sighed, realizing he would have a battle on his hands if he tried to make the male leave, "Just don't kill her, okay?"
The male smiled, sharp teeth and long fangs visible, "No promises," he said, "especially if she's part of Werner's group."
Stephanie kept her hands with palms outstretched, only shifting from foot to foot, but not moving otherwise. If she heard the male, she didn't say anything, just continued to look off into the distance. Jericho didn't like it. He didn't like the distance that the girl seemed to keep between what was happening and her reactions to the events. It reminded him too much of his own reactions when in captivity, of the disconnect he'd tried to keep between his body and his mind.
"Tiger's here," the male said, and a second later, Jericho heard the jeep.
It roared down the road in a cloud of dust and screeched to a halt, skidding in the dirt.
"Stephanie Taylor?" Tiger asked, jumping out of the jeep.
Jericho saw the girl hesitate, just momentarily, but then nod, "Yes."
"What the hell do you think you're doing coming to the back gate? I told you to go to the front, through security there," he yelled at her.
Stephanie flinched, but then Jericho saw her stand up straighter, "Yes," she answered.
"Yes?!" Tiger seemed enraged, "Like I have time for idiot humans who seem to be trying to get themselves killed. You seen that male over there?" he said pointing to Jericho, "He would have been totally justified in shooting you. And the other male? He could have ripped your throat out and then continued on with his day."
The girl's face paled, but she just nodded her head, "I understand," she answered quietly.
Tiger pulled handcuffs out of his belt and approached her, "Have you searched her yet?" he asked Jericho.
"No," Jericho replied, raising his weapon so Tiger could search her.
He watched Tiger swiftly and efficiently pat her down before pulling her hands behind her back and securing the handcuffs. She winced slightly, as if they pinched, but again, didn't make a sound. As he turned her around, two more jeeps pulled up to the entrance.
"Jericho," Tiger said "Book and Jinx are taking over for you. I want you to accompany me to security with Ms. Taylor."
Jericho nodded.
"She smells of Werner," the canine said suddenly, "Keep her out of here. I want to kill her. If anyone else scents her, they will too," he added before jumping back over the wall and disappearing into the forest.
"I guess you got lucky, Ms. Taylor," Tiger said, leading her to the jeep and pushing her into the back seat.
As if she couldn't help it, Stephanie made a sound between a laugh and a sob, before biting her lips and looking away from Tiger.
Jericho sat in the front with Tiger. He was confused. Everything about this girl was a contradiction. She smelled of a Mercile doctor who had tortured New Species. She was scared, but polite. Jericho was disconcerted; he didn't know what was going on, but he didn't like it.