Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run 6)

Annie screamed and ducked behind Mark, grabbing him as he flinched away. Zane stumbled back, throwing his arms up and ducking. The urge to flee was instinctive, even knowing the fence would protect them.

Tish was laughing, obviously accustomed to seeing that reaction when Baihu charged.

Zane sought out Ty as he tried to force his heart to settle. Ty stood several yards away, staring at the tiger as the animal clung to the chain link fence. He was covered in dirt like he had rolled away from the attack, and he had his gun in his hand.

“Ty,” Zane yelled, “don’t shoot the tiger!”

“He started it.” Ty continued to stare at the tiger, and the tiger at him.

Zane pointed at him in warning. If Ty went bonkers in this place, Zane was leaving him here.

Ty glared at him, but then handed over his weapon without Zane having to ask for it. Zane shoved it into his pocket.

“Way to leave the rest of us hanging, there, Grady,” Mark said as they moved on.

“Mark,” Annie hissed.

Ty grunted. “Guy with a gun, I’m your man. Big white tiger with teeth, it’s every steak for himself.”

Zane ran his hand down Ty’s back, trying to comfort him.

The next enclosure held two orange Bengal tigers roughhousing in a playground of ponds, tires, and large blue barrels.

“This is Barnum and Bailey,” Tish said, a hint of pride in her voice.

They gathered at the fence to look in, and Tish gave a short whistle. The two tigers looked up and started barreling toward them. These two weren’t attacking, however, but cavorting. They threw themselves against the fences, gnawing on the chain link, grunting and making sounds that seemed pretty happy to Zane’s ear.

“That noise they’re making is called a chuff,” Tish said. “Only tigers can make it; it’s sort of like their version of a purr. Barnum and Bailey are brothers. Inseparable. They came to us earlier this year. Barnum is the one with the limp ear. We rescued them from a—”

“Circus,” Ty said. Surprisingly, he stepped toward the fence, as if drawn toward the two animals.

“Yes! How did you know? They’ve been around people since they were young and they’re quite friendly. They love to roughhouse—just don’t let one of them get behind you or they’ll think you’re playing tag.” Tish put her hand out and let one of the tigers lick her fingers through the fence. “And you do not want to play tag with a tiger.”

Zane glanced at Annie and Mark, then met Ty’s eyes. Ty shook his head. There was no way they were getting him to stick his fingers in that fence. Annie stepped closer, though, putting a tentative hand out. The tigers grew still, watching her approach, and then sniffed at her cautiously. Bailey gave her fingers a nudge with his nose, but neither animal seemed thrilled by her.

She backed away. Mark took a hesitant step forward, and Barnum made a sound in the back of his throat that nearly triggered Zane’s most primal instinct to turn and run.

“Then again, maybe not,” Mark mumbled. He stepped behind Annie and hid there.

“Try it, Zane,” Annie whispered.

Zane reluctantly moved forward, holding his hand out. The tigers reacted much as they had to Annie, sniffing him and staring. Not the type of reaction that would inspire him to jump in there and wrestle with them.

Barnum began to stalk along the fence, toward where Ty was trying to hide.

“Oh God, why did I come here?” Ty whispered as he took a step back. The tiger leaned its heavy body against the fence, and the entire cage rattled with his weight. He rubbed his face against the chain link, looking at Ty as if inviting him to rub him.

“Special Agent Grady, you have a real way with animals,” Tish said. “Look, he likes you!”

“Yeah, so did the last one,” Ty said under his breath. He reached out his hand, though, tentatively as if forcing himself, and pressed it to the fence with a shiver. The tiger rubbed his nose against Ty’s palm, trying to edge around so Ty would rub his ear. Ty stared at the tiger for a moment, but then pushed his fingers through the fence to scratch at the bottom of Barnum’s floppy ear. Barnum plopped down and threw his head back, basking in the attention. He started chuffing again, purring on every exhale.

Tish laughed and clapped her hands. “Usually it’s Bailey who makes friends. Barnum rarely warms so quickly.”

“Really,” Zane said, eyes on his partner.

“Yes. I’ve never seen Barnum react that way! Perhaps you could come back and spend some time with him. We love to give the animals human contact when we can.”

“Wrong tree to bark up,” Zane said, though he watched his lover with a fond smile.

Ty was scratching under Barnum’s chin, a half-smile on his face. He finally withdrew his fingers, and they moved on. Barnum followed them, eyes on Ty, making a variety of sounds, like he was trying to talk to them. When they passed the end of his enclosure, the tiger stood on his back feet and propped himself on the fence, grasping at the chain link as he watched them walk away. Ty glanced back at him, and Zane knew the look in his partner’s eyes. He had a feeling they might be back here after all.

“Go on,” Ty said to the tiger, waving a hand at it.

The tiger made a grunting sound and dropped back to all fours, then sat and watched them walk away.

When they reached the final pen, where Hansel and Gretel had been housed, Ty and Zane circled the exterior once, looking for any evidence of a break-in. But the hard-packed dirt was so full of footprints and wheel tracks it was impossible even for Ty to follow their story.

Zane shivered as a lion roared in the distance.

Ty knelt to examine the lock on the door. “It hasn’t been picked.”

Zane turned to Tish. “How many people have access to the keys to these cages?”

“Oh, every staff member and intern has a master key. In case of emergencies, of course.”

“Interns stay on the premises?”

“Yes.”

“How long are they here?” Ty asked.

“Six-month stints. Most of them go on to work at zoos. Some stay here.”

Ty dragged his fingers through the dirt, then stood. “What sort of preparation do they need for the internship?”

“Most are getting their Master’s degrees.”

“So, not an easy thing.”

“No.”

“When did this batch get here?”

“Last month. Why?”

Ty and Zane shared a look. That was when the problems had started.