He touched his left ear. “This was done by orderlies. I was being taken to one of the scientists for some sort of testing and came across other orderlies escorting a female. One of them had her cornered and was kicking her for some unknown reason. She might have resisted going with them or one of them could have touched her wrong. The others were laughing and helping him keep her trapped. I attacked to defend her. They all turned on me with their batons. We’re good fighters but ten on one wasn’t good odds. I wasn’t fully grown.”
Kat reached out and touched his arm. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t do it. I don’t blame all humans for the actions of Mercile or the other facilities. I was taken to a second location then later freed. The humans planned their assault badly. They should have struck all the Mercile facilities at once but instead they did it over a matter of days. It gave some of the staff time to transfer small groups of us out before all the locations were searched.”
“Your task force found you?”
“Yes. See? Some humans are our heroes.” He nodded, patted her hand and turned away, breaking their physical connection.
“May I ask you another question?”
“Sure.” He closed the door and led her down the hall to a room full of mats. It was obviously used for wrestling and sparring.
“How come most New Species are feline or canine? I hardly see any of the primates.”
“There used to be more ape primates but few made it out alive. They are pretty aggressive, with short tempers.” Jinx threw open a door. “Welcome to my favorite place.”
Kat peered in and grinned. “Wow!”
“Do you want to have some fun?”
She stepped into the room and stared up at the sixty-foot wall. The entire surface had been sectioned into three parts. The first was covered in rocks, the middle smooth with handholds and the third appeared to be a flat cliff face with small cracks running through it, as if nature had put it there.
“Our climbing room. We added this. The original ceiling wasn’t high enough. Would you like to try one? I’d suggest the handholds. That is the easiest.”
She stared at the ceiling. “I don’t see safety lines anywhere.”
“The mat is thickly padded. It won’t kill you if you fall.”
She turned to him. “You don’t use safety equipment?”
“What would be the fun in that?” He laughed. “Watch but don’t stand directly below me. I wouldn’t want to fall and land on you. That would hurt.”
He crossed the room and kicked off his shoes. In seconds he was climbing the rock section. He used his fingers and toes to hold his weight while he changed each handhold. He made it to the top in record time and turned his head to grin at her from above.
“It’s fun.”
“It looks dangerous,” she called.
“Not for us. Watch.”
He kicked off and Kat gasped when he flipped in the air, falling. He landed in a crouch and stood. “Easy.”
She was too stunned to speak. He approached with a grin.
“Felines are good at leaping and landing. The floor is very padded. I wouldn’t want to do that on solid ground. Our bone density is stronger than yours but they can be broken. Anything over thirty feet is iffy.”
“You look pretty agile to me.”
He laughed. “That’s easy. Don’t watch me run on a six-inch-wide balance beam. I can’t make it twenty feet without missing a step. I actually wanted to land a little closer to you.”
“I couldn’t do that.”
“Try the handholds. I’ll catch you if you fall. You’d have to slip to do that. They are for…” He sobered. “Um, beginners. I have faith in you.”
It was her turn to laugh. “I’m glad someone does.”
“Have a little fun, Kat.”
She bent to remove her shoes. “Okay. I know you guys have an onsite medical center, right? I might need to use it. I’d hate to go home with crutches or an arm in a sling.” Or dead. That fall could kill a human, no matter how thick the mat was.
Jinx cleared his throat. “You might want to leave those on. Your toes are human.”
She straightened. “And?”
He bent a leg up to show off the bottom of his foot. “See the padding on my toes? You could compare them with calluses. I’d hate for you to hurt yours or get a blister. You’ll also have better traction with your shoes on so you don’t slip.” He dropped his leg.
“Okay.” She blew out a breath and approached the middle section. She’d done indoor climbing before but not without being in a harness, rigged to a rope in case of a fall. “I wish I had gloves.”
He took her hand and turned it, studying it closely. One of his fingertips brushed over the tip of her index finger. He frowned. “Perhaps you shouldn’t climb. We don’t have gloves. I didn’t think about that.”
“I’m good.”
She grabbed one of the handholds. It was curved in a way her that fit her fingers comfortably and the rim seemed solid. The inside and top even had rubber to help a climber keep a firm grip. She caught one a little higher. There were no footholds until about five feet off the ground so she had to use her upper-body strength to hold her weight until she could climb high enough to brace her feet.
“You’ve done this before.”
“It’s been awhile.” She was a little out of breath but it was fun. “I forgot how much I like it.”
Kat reached out and touched his arm. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t do it. I don’t blame all humans for the actions of Mercile or the other facilities. I was taken to a second location then later freed. The humans planned their assault badly. They should have struck all the Mercile facilities at once but instead they did it over a matter of days. It gave some of the staff time to transfer small groups of us out before all the locations were searched.”
“Your task force found you?”
“Yes. See? Some humans are our heroes.” He nodded, patted her hand and turned away, breaking their physical connection.
“May I ask you another question?”
“Sure.” He closed the door and led her down the hall to a room full of mats. It was obviously used for wrestling and sparring.
“How come most New Species are feline or canine? I hardly see any of the primates.”
“There used to be more ape primates but few made it out alive. They are pretty aggressive, with short tempers.” Jinx threw open a door. “Welcome to my favorite place.”
Kat peered in and grinned. “Wow!”
“Do you want to have some fun?”
She stepped into the room and stared up at the sixty-foot wall. The entire surface had been sectioned into three parts. The first was covered in rocks, the middle smooth with handholds and the third appeared to be a flat cliff face with small cracks running through it, as if nature had put it there.
“Our climbing room. We added this. The original ceiling wasn’t high enough. Would you like to try one? I’d suggest the handholds. That is the easiest.”
She stared at the ceiling. “I don’t see safety lines anywhere.”
“The mat is thickly padded. It won’t kill you if you fall.”
She turned to him. “You don’t use safety equipment?”
“What would be the fun in that?” He laughed. “Watch but don’t stand directly below me. I wouldn’t want to fall and land on you. That would hurt.”
He crossed the room and kicked off his shoes. In seconds he was climbing the rock section. He used his fingers and toes to hold his weight while he changed each handhold. He made it to the top in record time and turned his head to grin at her from above.
“It’s fun.”
“It looks dangerous,” she called.
“Not for us. Watch.”
He kicked off and Kat gasped when he flipped in the air, falling. He landed in a crouch and stood. “Easy.”
She was too stunned to speak. He approached with a grin.
“Felines are good at leaping and landing. The floor is very padded. I wouldn’t want to do that on solid ground. Our bone density is stronger than yours but they can be broken. Anything over thirty feet is iffy.”
“You look pretty agile to me.”
He laughed. “That’s easy. Don’t watch me run on a six-inch-wide balance beam. I can’t make it twenty feet without missing a step. I actually wanted to land a little closer to you.”
“I couldn’t do that.”
“Try the handholds. I’ll catch you if you fall. You’d have to slip to do that. They are for…” He sobered. “Um, beginners. I have faith in you.”
It was her turn to laugh. “I’m glad someone does.”
“Have a little fun, Kat.”
She bent to remove her shoes. “Okay. I know you guys have an onsite medical center, right? I might need to use it. I’d hate to go home with crutches or an arm in a sling.” Or dead. That fall could kill a human, no matter how thick the mat was.
Jinx cleared his throat. “You might want to leave those on. Your toes are human.”
She straightened. “And?”
He bent a leg up to show off the bottom of his foot. “See the padding on my toes? You could compare them with calluses. I’d hate for you to hurt yours or get a blister. You’ll also have better traction with your shoes on so you don’t slip.” He dropped his leg.
“Okay.” She blew out a breath and approached the middle section. She’d done indoor climbing before but not without being in a harness, rigged to a rope in case of a fall. “I wish I had gloves.”
He took her hand and turned it, studying it closely. One of his fingertips brushed over the tip of her index finger. He frowned. “Perhaps you shouldn’t climb. We don’t have gloves. I didn’t think about that.”
“I’m good.”
She grabbed one of the handholds. It was curved in a way her that fit her fingers comfortably and the rim seemed solid. The inside and top even had rubber to help a climber keep a firm grip. She caught one a little higher. There were no footholds until about five feet off the ground so she had to use her upper-body strength to hold her weight until she could climb high enough to brace her feet.
“You’ve done this before.”
“It’s been awhile.” She was a little out of breath but it was fun. “I forgot how much I like it.”
