The backers trapped gestating females in their animal form to shorten the length of their pregnancies and the offspring were kept as animals for much the same reason. A tiger reached physical maturity in four to five years while a human took eighteen or more. It was diabolically efficient. Zophiel had first learned of this practice during an interrogation of one of the backers’ former employees. Hearing about such a program and seeing it in person were two very different things.
Once the shock wore off, Zophiel was able to appreciate the ruthless order of it all. The cages were clean, the captives seemed healthy and… Where were the mothers? Tension curled through Zophiel’s gut, making her restless and edgy.
Enough skulking around like a shadow. She needed to find Tias.
Zophiel returned to the ground level of the hospital and paused in the lobby. Guards flanked the front door and another was stationed at the mouth of a hallway branching off to the right. Security meant something worth protecting, so she approached slowly, ensuring that her steps were silent. She eased past the guards then hurried down the hall, not yet sure where she was going.
She passed several private offices and an open area separated into cubicles but there was not a person in sight. She discovered areas labeled “Imaging” and “Radiology” though each seemed deserted. Finally the muffled sound of voices led her to another cluster of office space.
A gray-haired man stood in the corridor, speaking with a heavyset man in a lab coat. It took her a moment to recognize James Milliner. Roberto’s dislike of the general had distorted the image locked within his mind. In person Milliner was far less intimidating.
Milliner nodded to his companion then turned toward one of the offices. “I need to inspect the delivery, Tias. I’ll be back in thirty.”
Perfect. Zophiel waited until the men disappeared down an adjacent hallway then slipped into Tias’ office and looked around. She’d seen pictures of Tias on the internet as well as in Roberto’s mind, so her appearance was less surprising. Petite and pretty with graceful features that made her age extremely hard to determine, Tias sat behind a wooden desk, working on a laptop. She tensed and looked up, dark eyes gleaming as she searched her surroundings.
Zophiel held perfectly still. If Tias was human, how had she sensed an intruder? Curious. Humans were generally oblivious to her presence.
“Who’s there?” Tias didn’t rise but she slipped one hand under her desk.
Zophiel flew across the room and dragged the chair back from the desk before Tias could press the panic button. “There’s no need for that. I just came to talk.”
Still seated and obviously stunned, Tias held up her hands. “Who are you?” She tried to look behind her, but Zophiel guided her head back around and held it there. Tias gasped. “You’re corporeal. Why can’t I see you?”
“I’ll ask the questions and as long as you answer honestly this should be fast and painless.”
“You’re the one who called me.” Her voice sounded breathless and thin. “You’re Roberto’s mistress.”
Zophiel laughed as she moved both hands to Tias’ shoulders. “Roberto’s dead, so I’m not his anything. Now focus. Where do you keep the mothers?”
“What mothers?”
Sliding one hand up to Tias’ throat, Zophiel squeezed just hard enough to communicate the warning. “I’ve seen your baby zoo. Are the mothers still alive?”
“Of course.” Tias sounded offended.
Annoyed by the hypocrisy, Zophiel snapped, “Then where are they?”
“Third floor. The old psych ward.”
She had no idea why Roberto hadn’t known about this but it made sense. A locked ward would secure the mothers while still giving them access to bathrooms, maybe even showers. “I know you keep them in animal form to speed things up, but run me through the rest. How does it work? Do you have breeding pens or are the females impregnated through medical procedures?” Tias hesitated. Was she trying to figure out which answer would please Zophiel more? “I can sense lies, so don’t bother.” It was a vast exaggeration. Sometimes she’d have an inkling when she heard an untruth but it was little more than intuition. When she really wanted accurate information, she stripped it from the person’s mind. Unfortunately the process was always damaging.
“We prefer a more controlled environment, but we have a higher success rate with natural copulations.”
Refusing to dwell on the detail, Zophiel asked, “What happens once pregnancy is confirmed?”
“The female is locked in her animal form until after the offspring are weaned.” She sounded calm now, as if she were ticking off steps in her favorite recipe. “Sometimes it’s necessary to release them if they become too weak, but the longer we can keep them in their animal form the faster they deliver.”