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“I know,” said Nine, “but I’m not letting this woman get away. If I have to blow the whole fucking house with her in it, I will.”
“NO! Not without me!” cried Miller through their comms.
“Jesus, you’re such a fucking pain in the ass some days,” smirked Gaspar. “Fine. If we blow it up, you get to do it.”
The sun was setting behind them as they drove toward Lake Catherine. The narrow roads had barely any traffic at all. The occasional pickup truck hauling a small fishing boat toward the bayous, but that was all.
Rounding the bend toward the lake, the unmistakable home of Dr. Marks came into view. Looking like a miniature version of Southeast Labs, the two-story, all-glass structure seemed far too modern for the small woman scientist.
Security lights lit up the property, shining their bright bulbs onto the road, driveway, and lush landscape around the home.
“I don’t suppose we have to worry about a watchdog,” frowned Ghost.
“No, I can’t imagine the good doctor would want one of those vile creatures. But I imagine she does have some sort of protection.”
Turning off their headlights, they parked on the other side of the road in a narrow dirt lane. Any further back and they’d be in the water.
“There she is,” said Gaspar, pointing. She walked toward her bed with a stack of clothing. “Looks like she’s going somewhere.”
“Looks that way,” said Ian. “I have an idea.”
Ian stepped out of the car, walking across the street and to Dr. Marks’ front door. He casually rang the doorbell and waited for her to appear. Across the street, they could see her peering down from her bedroom window, trying to see who was interrupting her plans. As she walked down the steps, Ian took a step back.
“Can I help you?” she asked, opening the door.
“Yes, ma’am. I met some fellas earlier that said you might be lookin’ for a gorilla or a chimp.”
She stared at him with wide eyes, filled with excitement and possibility. Damn. Why now? Why when she was ready to move on? She had to move on.
“I was interested. I’m sorry, I can’t take one now.”
“That’s a shame,” he said, shaking his head. “This is a good one. Smart as a whip. Knows sign language and everything. I ain’t never seen nothin’ like it. Some folks in Texas closed their safari park and couldn’t take care of it no more.”
He could see it eating at her, and he smiled inwardly. Ian took another half-step backward, waiting patiently for her.
“Where is it? Where is the gorilla?” she asked.
“Well, it’s in a cage down south of here. I can get it, but it’ll cost ‘ya,” he said.
“How much?”
“Ten thousand.” She didn’t even flinch.
“Done. I’ll give you half now and half when you bring the gorilla back here.” He nodded, shaking her hand. “Come inside.”
That was what they were waiting for. The invitation into her home would allow them to enter legally, although that never stopped them before.
As she shuffled toward her desk, Ian stepped inside, the other three right behind him. Marks opened a wall safe and counted out five thousand dollars, then turned, seeing not one but four men.
“Who are they? Business partners? It’s ten thousand for the gorilla. Not for each of you,” she said.
“You can keep your money, Dr. Marks,” said Gaspar. She narrowed her gaze, staring at the four men.
“Do I know you?”
“In a manner of speaking,” said Nine. “See, we run an animal sanctuary and became the unwilling beneficiary of some of your discarded puppies.”
“Pfft!” she said, waving her hand. “Is that all? Listen, those puppies wouldn’t have survived, no matter what. They became diseased the moment they were born, and I couldn’t let them infect the others.”
