Human Pets

Chapter Twelve

The wall bordering the steps is ice cold, seeping through my black jumpsuit, chilling my skin and causing me to shiver slowly. Everyone ahead of me is keeping a slow pace down the steps cautious of what disasters could await us. A few flashlights are floating around in the dark scanning the surroundings. The steps don't go far until we make it to the ground floor and gasp as we see the condition of the room. 

Rows and rows of clear cells extend down the length of the room. Every cell is occupied by a pet, balled up and in a corner clothed with a plain white and blue patterned slip. They all look tired but very healthy. I suppose they have to be healthy in order to be bred. I look down at the tiled floor and sigh, I'm glad I wasn't taken here.  

Everyone slowly disperses whispering to each other of what they see as Charlie looks over the whole room as he stands in beside the stairwell. He seems to be thinking out a plan but I could be wrong. My attention shifts to Cindy rummaging through a black back that is beside Charlie's feet and she seems determined to find something.  

I pry my eyes away from everyone else's actions and begin walking down the long isle watching as the pets in the cells slowly wobble up onto their feet to get a closer look at us. It eases my mind there are no children here but I still don't like the looks of this. The thing that worries me is we haven't come across a trap or surveillance camera...  

The thought keeps popping up in my mind and I have to swallow down the dryness in my throat to keep sane. I am just dreading and anticipating an attack. I hover my hand over the extendable baton on my belt to help ease my stress. I glance around slowly and see everyone inspecting the locks on the cells. I spot Pheno over at one already getting to work on a lock.  

"Hey!" Someone whispers loudly to me. I flinch, startled with a defensive hiss before turning slowly to find the owner of the voice. A thin man is pressed against his clear cell looking straight at me with pleading eyes.  

I slowly approach him and relax to reassure him that I am here to help. 

"Don't worry, we are working on getting you guys out, it shouldn't take long." I explain, giving him a soft smile. The man shakes his head furiously and I give him a puzzled look. "Why are you shaking your head? You don't want to be saved?"  

"This is a trap, they knew you were-"The man is interrupted by a zap through an anklet wrapped around his ankle. I gasp and notice the anklets on everyone else in the cells. My eyes get wide with horror and my hand grasps the baton ready to fight. I turn to see if anyone else is seeing this and I am frozen in place from what I see.  

Everyone sees him. If I can see him, then they must. Charlie is unconscious with Cindy holding him in her lap beside the stairwell. Pheno is no longer tinkering with the cell lock. Everyone else is dispersed throughout the room while I am only a few feet from. . . Gregor. I feel a hiss try to surface but I bite it back as my nose scrunches in disgust.  

Gregor is much bigger than I imagined. He fills the stairway, his mane grazing the border and his feet spreading down on the tiled floor. His eyes are white and piercing as he locks onto mine and lets his huge white teeth spread into a grin. The thing that sickens me the most is the blood stained on his white dress shirt that could only come from Victoria who is being held up by the back of her neck in the air.  

I can only imagine how Dereck feels right now, his heart slowly tearing apart as he watches her gasp for air. I have to avert my gaze and focus on Cindy and Charlie to keep from getting too emotional, I feel horrible that I ever doubted her. I was right though, Dereck is slowly dying inside.  

"You sick bastard!" Dereck shouts across the room, his voice echoing and bouncing off every cell, tile and wall. The captives seem to have receded back to their corners ignoring what scene is occurring right in front of them. "You have no heart at all! To do that to someone you love!" Dereck continues. I am hoping he doesn't do anything drastic because we are no match right now.