Chapter 6 The Tables Have Turned

The light swoosh of sliding glass doors opening was an earshot away. Both delilah and zarda looked up to see scientist hopkins and two soldiers walking towards them. Zarda stood up tall. His eyes narrowed in on hopkins face. She had a peculiar demeanor about her. He felt within his gut, something wasn't right. Zarda looked down at delilah and whispered.

"Whatever happens, stick to the gibbs and anderson plan. Trust me, it will work." He said.

Suddenly, the soldier's hands gripped zarda underneath his armpits tightly. They placed the tips of their hand guns on both sides of his head. Hopkins stood in front of him, smirking up at zarda with an evil grin.

"Well, zarda it seems your luck has finally run out. You're no longer going to be in room seven. I've removed your friend as well. You can find her back in your new location. I do hope our accommodations are to your liking. As for you, delilah, I hope you've enjoyed your visit. Because it is the last one you will have. You have two weeks to finish your task here, then I'm sending you back home. Starting immediately, you are let off." said Hopkins with a smile.

Delilah shook her head no repeatedly.

"No. You can't do this, anastasia. I'm your friend and colleague. We have the same mission for the same cure. Please don't do this, anastasia. If you don't want me talking to zarda, then I won't, but please don't send me away. I need this job." said Delilah, sobbing and pleading.

Hopkins glared down at delilah soberly.

"Correction, I can do this, and I did. Furthermore, you are no longer considered a friend or colleague of mine. Also, you're wrong again. We don't share the same mission or desire for the cure. If we had the same heart, we wouldn't be here now, would we? You're a smart girl, you will manage to rustle up another job. There are plenty of science labs or schools in your hometown. Now, do not waste any more of my time. Gather yourself up and go back to work. Once your job is complete, you will be escorted away from Nexus." replied Hopkins.

Zarda was fuming, he hated seeing delilah upset like this. He could feel his rage boiling to the surface. The soldier's holding zarda hostage were beginning to tremble. He could smell their fear in the air, and feel their guns shaking in their hands. Zarda's green eyes flashed a fiery hue. His muscles tensed.

"Do not even think about it pretty kitty. I will destroy you, if you try another act like the one a day ago. I will rip your arms off. I'm not afraid of you. Not only that, but I won't kill you off fast. Push me, and I'll slowly drain your life little by little." She stated.

Zarda was powerless. He unclenched his jaw and relaxed his body and mind.

"Take him boys, if he attacks, the one who remains standing. I order you to shoot, until you know, without any doubt, that he's dead." ordered Hopkins.

Zarda smiled down at her. He planned to pull a natia move over on her. His queen had taught him the game of intimidation very well.

"Hopkins. By the way, Keenan was my best work yet." snarled Zarda.

Hopkin's eyes grew wide. Her smile turned to a frowned up, angry grimace.

"What the hell did you say?" She asked in response.

Zarda's words cut hopkins like a sword to the heart. Delilah did not realize, when she shared the information with zarda, that he would use it as a weapon. It was her weakness, and he was going to use that vulnerable ammo to his advantage. If he couldn't use the power of his staff. Zarda would use the might of his wits and anything else he could get his hands on. Zarda could sense hopkins wasn't afraid of him, but he also knew he had struck a nerve. She pressed up closer into him. She reached up with both hands, grabbing a hold of his beautiful white mane, she forcefully yanked him down to meet her, face to face.

"If I find out, you have killed my keenan. I will personally disembowel you myself. You will watch me take your entrails and boil them in a pot, then you will be forced to eat them one bite at a time. I will take great pleasure in assisting you in the matter. Don't you mess with me lion" she said viciously.

Even though it was painful when she had grabbed at his mane. Zarda kept his face solid as a rock. He didn't allow her to see him any other way other than a powerful, dangerous lion. She let go and stepped to the side, waving off the soldiers. They readjusted their grip underneath his armpits, and walked him through the glass doors back into the facility. They were leading him to the bunker room. They were bringing him to a new cage.It was not like the same cage maleena was in when he first arrived. Zarda would soon be surprised to see his new living quarters. Hopkins walked over to delilah slowly. Anger was building up in her hands, she felt a release as she slapped delilah across the face. Delilah's brown locks moved with the impact. She was stunned. Her eyes began to water and she wept bitterly. Hopkins was satisfied. She leaned down to her ear and whispered.

"You have really messed up now girly. You will finish your work. Do you know why? Because if you don't, not only will I kill zarda in front of you. I'll go after your brother and your family too. I'll be sure and save you for last of course. If you keep your mouth shut and complete your job, then no one will get hurt, except for zarda. He has it coming to him. My my my how the tables have turned." She said, laughing a nefarious cackle.

Hopkins turned on her heels and walked out of the garden, leaving delilah to collect herself before she, too, walked back to her cubicle.

The soldier fumbled with the keys at the cage's lock. He struggled to get the right one, until finally a key slid in, making a loud clicking noise. It signaled the lock was open. Maleena was laying on the cold ground motionless. Her spiked hair was a mess. Her eyes were black and blue. She had dried blood under her snout and upper lip. It looked to zarda that they had given her a good beating before releasing her inside. The cage was smaller than the first one. It wasn't even big enough for two animals, let alone zarda, who was massive, and a fragile hyena. Zarda quickly sat down beside maleena, he lifted her head up onto his lap. The soldiers locked the cage door and walked out of sight. Zarda closed his eyes as he laid his head back against the wall. He shook it in disbelief. He wanted to pray, but he felt he knew what the master would already say. Zarda was content in leaving him alone. Looking down at her, he noticed her eyes were opened up.

"Zarda. I want to go home." Maleena said.

He understood and desired the same.

" I know, friend. Don't worry, delilah and I have come up with a plan. It's going to take at least a week to accomplish, but it will be done. Then you, me, and delilah can be out of this place forever." He replied.

Maleena turned her swollen face up towards zarda's.

" What do you mean to say, she, too, will be out of here? I thought it was just you and me?" she asked.

He nodded his head yes.

"Well, things have turned against her at these facilities. Hopkins let her go, and she threatened my life. Now, all three of us has to leave." he replied.

Maleena shook her head.

" I don't understand why she's your problem. Why not leave her to figure out her own path. It's not like her life is at stake, as ours is. So, what is the plan, you two have come up with?" She asked.

Zarda didn't respond. He didn't speak again. He could feel his emotions coming back. Maleena did not bother to ask again. She laid her head back down on zarda's lap and closed her eyes. Before she drifted off to sleep.

She said. "It sure was nice to have had a bed, at least for one night."

Tears rolled down zarda's cheeks. He felt bad for the hyena queen. He sat motionless, thinking up everything he'd ever seen, heard, or did. Zarda was miserable and frustrated. He wanted to punch a hole into the ground and crawl out from it.