“We’re working on it,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Barbie, get out. We’re on the two-minute countdown.”
She didn’t respond, but I could hear her breathing heavily. The young guy Barbie had bumped into earlier, Devon, came barreling around a corner, nearly colliding with her again. His eyes grew wide when he saw her. “What the hell is going on?” he shouted.
“I have no idea,” she said, skidding to a stop. “An alarm just went off. Looks like there are animals running loose. I picked up this poor little dog so it didn’t get trampled. I’m getting out of here.”
He swore and ran back past her toward the containment lab. Barbie resumed running for the exit. She burst through the lobby and then stopped and grabbed a small end table to prop open the main doors of the lab to allow some of the animals following her to escape as well. I looked up from my laptop and through the car’s windshield, where I could see her racing for the interior fence with Ginger hot on her heels.
The alarm from inside blared into the parking lot now that the lab lobby doors were open. Animals spilled into the area between the lab and the fence as the situation tipped firmly into chaos. Dogs barked nonstop, chasing one another in frantic loops, while the pig snorted and dug at the hard ground with alarming dedication.
A couple of staff members finally appeared. They removed the table and closed the main doors. One stayed inside while the other rushed outside and attempted what could generously be described as animal control. He waved his arms and shouted instructions that no one, human or animal, followed.
A large dog jumped on him, putting its front paws on his chest, unbalancing him. He toppled and fell, his white lab coat showing large, dark splotches in the perimeter lights. For a moment, the animals weren’t the biggest spectacle.
Disgusted, the employee got up and stormed back toward the main doors. Unfortunately, the doors were now locked, so he headed for the exterior gate, apparently deciding that escape from this disaster was more important than containment.
It was not.
As he opened the gate, dogs, cats, and the two monkeys bolted through his legs, knocking him down again as they spilled into the parking lot. They were followed by the pig, who squealed and steamrolled the employee as he tried to rise again.
Then, to everyone’s horror, the chimpanzee quickly climbed the fence, adeptly avoiding the barbed wire at the top, and escaped. Animals were now racing around the parking lot, enjoying their first true freedom in months or perhaps years.
The chimp leaped onto the hood of a nearby car and crouched there, chattering angry threats at unseen enemies. The car alarm immediately erupted, adding a high-pitched soundtrack to the disaster while the chimp repeatedly slapped the hood as if personally offended by the noise.
A police cruiser screeched in, lights flashing red and blue, siren blaring, just as Barbie and Ginger made their way to our car. The alarm on my phone vibrated, signaling time was up. They’d made it.
Barely.
“They’re out and safe, Angel,” I said and set my laptop aside. “Good work. I’m leaving the cleanup and our special project to you.”
“On it, boss,” she said.
I hopped out of the car just as Ginger reached me, throwing herself against me and pressing her head to my chest. I gave her a big hug, drawing her closer.
“Good girl. You are so brave. I told you we wouldn’t leave you. But now, you need to run for the tree line and wait for me there.” I pointed at the tree line. “Just like you did at the vet. It may be a little while, but I’ll come get you when it’s safe. They can’t find you here with me or they’ll take you away again, okay?”
Ginger didn’t have to be told twice. She nudged my hand one more time before bolting through the parking lot and disappearing into the darkness. Meanwhile, several other cars had entered the parking lot. It sure was getting crowded on this lonely road at three in the morning.
Barbie was still breathing heavily as she handed Tootsie to Basia, who was still seated inside the car, and tore off her lab coat. I took it from her, balled it up, and tossed it under a nearby parked car.
“Good work,” I said as she handed me the knit hat, head mount, and camera next. “Did you get rid of the ID?”
“I dropped it inside the fence between the building and the gate just as we discussed,” she replied.
“Perfect.” I put the hat, head mount, and GoPro camera in Gray’s glove compartment. Then I strode quickly toward Gray with Barbie following.
Gray stood about ten feet away, talking with several people—men and women—all of whom were staring in disbelief at the chaos unfolding. Before I could get to them, another car screeched into the lot, slamming to a halt in front of the gate, nearly clipping two dogs and a monkey.
Baldy burst out, his face red, shouting orders as he sprinted toward the building.
“Right on time,” I murmured. “Good for us. Let’s just hope it all goes down like we planned.”
“It better. That bastard tortured and stole my dog.” Barbie narrowed her eyes at his back and then looked at the riot of animals, sirens, police, and staff scrambling in every direction. Her glare slowly turned into a satisfied smile.
“He pissed off the wrong people,” she said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “And now the crap is officially about to hit the fan.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Lexi
