War Dog

Chapter 67

I stand in the doorway, slack jawed as I look around. Fear pings through me as the smells hit me before the mask does its job and blocks everything out. The smell of fear, excrement, urine, vomit, blood. It sits in my nose clogging my airways making me feel as if I' suffocating. Years spring to my eyes as I look around at the conditions these people are being held in. 

Laswell had briefed us. She hadn't had enough information on what we might find inside. She's suggested members of her CIA group should assist, Ghost had disagreed on the grounds between the two of us we would manage. We should have agreed. 

I can feel their eyes staring at me. Some blank, empty like they'd been drugged, kept strung along. Others had a vicious rage vibrating their entire bodies, and others just stared dejectedly, sad and hopeless. Their cages too tiny, leaving them crouched into uncomfortable positions. The cages had bars so tightly wound together they couldn't even poke their fingers out. As my body began to move of its own accord stepping closer to the people in the cages. As I moved they collectively cowered away from me, some of them hissing or growling at me. I freeze, my heart dropping to my stomach as I hear the sounds, knowing full well what has happened here, but I need to see them closer. 

I move up to one of the cages, peering through to get a closer look. The man, thin and malnourished, scarred and scared. I try to swallow past the lump in my throat as I see the attempt to put animal ears on him. A procedure I had willingly undergone knowing the chances of success were minimal, my only consequence being death. This poor mangled creature had no choice. I suspected that whoever was in charge of these labs hadn't figured out the need for the bonding procedure. They had no idea how to mix the genetic coding. They didn't know not everyone could become a hybrid. There was a certain sequencing of genes required for the hybridisation to occur seamlessly. These poor bastards. 

"Ghost, we have hostages."

"Deal with it. I'm busy."

"Ghost. They're experiments... like me."

A breath. A whispered "Fuck." A heartbeat later. "I'm coming." I heard a commotion on the other end as his comms remained on. A gun shot, silence. "Where are you?" I could hear him shifting ready to come to me. 

"Turn left at the fork, second right, third left first door on the right."

He doesn't respond, his comms clicking off. Minutes later sees me standing there still frozen as my eyes rove around the room. Ten people. This room had ten. Would I be finding anyone else like this?

I heard the door creak open behind me, but I don't turn knowing it's Ghost just by how silent hes moving. He moves past me, peering into the same cage I was standing in front of. 

"Fuck. They're all feral aren't they?" I could hear the heaviness in his voice. He didn't need the confirmation, but I gave it anyway.

"Remind me, what was the Australian Government doing with anyone who went feral."

I hesitated , the answer heavy on my tongue. Ghost doesn't push for an answer and I suspect he knows what I'm going to say. What I really don't want to say. 

"Destroy them."

He sighs, looking at the poor creatures. My ears twitch at the sound. "Hey Ghost? Where is everyone?"

He glances at me, sighing again. The few who were here are dead now, but I suspect the majority of everyone was cleared out before we got here. Do you want to do the honours? Or you want me to?"

I looked around the room, knowing we'd wasted too much time here already and this place needed to be destroyed. Ghost knew what intel he was looking for from this place but I didn't. I knew what I had to do.