War Beast

Book Four: Chapter 5

The sleek glass tower of Thunder Tech gleamed against the city skyline, a monument to human ambition and technological prowess. Within its walls, the hum of computers and machinery thrummed with a steady pulse, the lifeblood of the multi-billion-dollar corporation.

Walter Freeman, CEO of Thunder Tech, sat in his expansive corner office, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of New York City. His expression was stern, lips pressed into a tight line as he pored over the latest mission report on his desk.

The dossier detailed the successful retrieval mission to the savage future, a world dominated by warring Beastmen tribes and strange mutated creatures living among human ruins. His expedition team had returned with a fresh batch of prisoners - twenty living specimens captured for study and a cache of artifacts and resources plundered from the future timeline.

A hungry glint flickered in Walter's cold brown eyes as he absorbed the details. This was the opportunity he had been seeking, a chance to stay ahead of his competitors by exploiting advanced technology. By reverse-engineering the future artifacts, his company could develop groundbreaking products and cement Thunder Tech's dominance for decades to come.

Not only that, but the live Beastmen specimens presented a lucrative opportunity. With their extraordinary physical capabilities, Walter could study their anatomical secrets and biological enhancements. A pleased smile crept across his features as visions of lucrative military contracts and privatized super soldier programs danced in his mind.

The sharp rap of knuckles against his office door shattered Walter's reverie. "Come in," he barked, hastily rearranging the dossier into a neat stack.

His secretary, Lisa, burst through the door, eyes wide with panic. "Mr. Freeman, we have a situation!" She gasped for breath, her usually pristine appearance disheveled. "The Beastmen specimens...they've escaped containment!"

Walter shot to his feet, the chair clattering backward as his hands slammed against the desk. "What?!" He roared, spittle flying from his lips. "How is that possible?"

Lisa flinched, shrinking back slightly. "We're still trying to ascertain the details, sir. But three of them escaped into the city. The lion-man, zebra-woman, and rhino-brute."

A vein throbbed in Walter's forehead as he struggled to regain his composure. Losing such valuable assets was unacceptable, a blow to his ambitions and reputation. He could not allow these primitive brutes to jeopardize everything he had built.

"Mobilize all available mercenary teams immediately," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I want those three beasts found and recaptured at any cost. Lethal force is authorized if necessary, but I want them taken alive if possible."

Lisa nodded rapidly, her fingers tapping the screen on her tablet to relay his orders. Within seconds, Thunder Tech's extensive private military forces will scout every corner of the city in pursuit of their escaped quarry.

As his secretary rushed off to coordinate the search efforts, Walter turned his gaze back towards the sprawling metropolis beyond the glass. His jaw clenched, a muscle twitching in that harsh line of determination.

The hunt was on. And Thunder Tech's CEO intended to be the apex predator.

*****

The descending sun cast long shadows across the crumbling apartment building, its fading rays filtering through grimy windows. Huntar eyed the peeling paint and cracked cement with curiosity as Jenny led them inside.

"Not exactly a palace, but it's home," she said with a shrug, offering them a sheepish smile over her shoulder.

Zena snorted, her sharp gaze roving the dingy hallway. "I've camped in caverns cleaner than this dump."