Chapter 1 Don't Hesitate

Zarda watched the scientists, private anderson, and the other two soldiers run towards a metal, double door on the left side of the room. They disappeared into an empty hallway, where more flashing red lights were blinking obnoxiously. Soldier gibbs grabbed his rifle and looked over his shoulder, back at zarda. His eyes seemed to read the lion's thoughts.

"Look kid, if you're going to escape, this is the best time to do it. I'll come up with an excuse on how you got away from me, but you got to go now." He said.

Zarda looked at the black doors behind him and back at gibbs. Why were his legs hesitating. Something forced them to the floor.

"What's happening?" He asked the soldier.

Gibbs shook his head in disbelief.

"Does it matter, just run! Oh, jeez. I'm sure it's one of their experiments or whatever you call them, has broke loose. Before they get back here. You need to leave. I'll keep watch." said Gibbs.

Zarda was turning to leave when a familiar scream caught his attention. It was the same voice he heard when they first walked in. This time he was able to make out some of their audible words.

" Please, someone help us out of here!" They cried.

Zarda's heart sank, he did know that voice. It sounded like queen maleena. She was the bride of the hyena king, king kwanza. Zarda wondered if she knew about her husband's murder? He doubted she did. He didn't have the heart to tell her.

Gibbs looked impatiently over at zarda.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" He asked, he was getting nervous time was running out.

"I can't leave before I rescue that familiar voice crying out." He replied.

"Forget them, they probably have tubes of wires injected into them by now. Perhaps even trackers. This is suicide, zarda." stated Gibbs.

Zarda's heart couldn't walk away. It was instinctive to be a good king and leader, and a great leader went to his people in times of need. He had no choice. Zarda darted down the staircase past gibbs. The old soldier didn't begin to understand why, but he followed the lion down.

Who was leading whom? It seemed with great authority zarda had become man's leader too. Gibbs followed him as if he were taking orders, not giving them. The influence zarda had was undeniable.

Around and through a maze of tables, cages, and equipment they went, following the faint voice. Science, chemistry labs bubbled and gurgled with colorful liquid and smoke. Machines hummed and chirped weird noises, while the motherboard lit up with orange, reddish lights. They could hear the loud cries of caged animals chattering, and screaming for release. Over all the sounds, zarda kept his keen hearing locked on maleena's.

"I'm coming. Where are you?" Called out zarda.

Maleena heard a voice, she was delusional, she thought.

"Are my ears playing tricks on me, or is that? No, it couldn't be. Could it?" She thought.

Maleena began to cry out louder for zarda to find her. He turned a right corner around tall standing shelves, and stepped into an open space. His eyes widen as he looked upon a large metal barred cage. It was big enough to hold an adult elephant at least.

Inside, clinging to the bars, was the hyena queen maleena. She was thin, a little too thin. Her eyes were pale and dull colored. Her fur on her face was thinning too. It was matted by her tears. Patches and bruises covered her arms and legs. At least she had a white medical gown on. Even though it seemed far too big for her frail body. The shoulder of it was hanging off and the material was bunched up where so much room occupied the garment.

Maleena couldn't believe it. She had been right. It was zarda's voice she heard. She began to weep with dry eyes. Her tears had all gone.

"I've never been happier to see your face, zarda. Thanks to the creator. Please, hurry before they come back." said Maleena.

She ran away from the bars over to a bundle of covers in the right corner of the cage. Wrapped inside was a young African wild dog cub. He was malnourished and barely alive. She held him in her arms like a baby. He was so small and undeveloped. His body was bone thin. His tiny chest heaved up and down with great effort. Zarda and gibbs looked in horror at one another.

"These sons of mitches! How in the hell could anyone do this to a young creature?" Gibbs asked. He looked around, checking the area for anything to open the door with.

"Is there a key they use?" He asked maleena.

She shook her head yes, but where, she had no clue. Maleena believed they kept the keys on them at all times.

"They have the keys I believe. Once in a while, I've noticed them during the treatments. By the way, we had others with us when we started. The pale people took us before we made it to your coronation. I'm sorry, It was my intention to go, but my small hunting party was snatched up before anyone knew it. Apparently, we weren't the only ones. They had taken cubs from the African wild dogs pack too. Footman echo was here an hour ago, now it's just jabari from king tambo's tribe with me. The alarms must mean that echo darted for it, while they were doing the routine testings. I believe that is who they are hunting for right now. There's no time to delay. Zarda can you break the bars?" She asked.

He looked at them closely, doubtful that he could, but he wouldn't allow that to stop him from trying. Zarda gripped the bars tight with both hands. He steadied his feet shoulder width apart. He started pulling them in the opposite direction. His veins bulged and his muscles flexed. Zarda's arms shook from all the strength he used. Yet, he was unable to budge the bars, not even a smidgen.

Soldier gibbs ran over to a pile of broken metal bars and grabbed two. He drugged them back for them to pry open the cage.

"Take this pipe. Use pressure and leverage to our advantage to bend the metal open. It should be enough to widen them up a bit. She could surely fit through." said Gibbs.

Without hesitating, the soldier slipped the steel pipe between two bars, and began twisting it repeatedly. Zarda observed and quickly mimicked his every move. He worked on the lower half, copying everything gibbs had done to the upper portion. It was working, they were able to pry open enough space that maleena could slip through. First, she handed jabari through the bars, over to zarda. He held the tiny body in his arms. Zarda looked upon jabari's pitiful face. He called out to him with a gentle voice. His soft words, became prayers, and his prayers were answered. The young pups eyes popped open. Jabari at first gasped in fear, then relaxed. He smiled up at zarda when he recognized his face. He felt comforted and safe in the lion's arms. Jabari hadn't had that in months or longer. Zarda nuzzled the cub on his head. Moving down the hall, were the sounds of scientists and soldiers.

"Let's go, zarda I hear footsteps. Follow me." said Gibbs.

They chased the soldier back through the maze of the laboratory. Zarda held jabari close to his warm chest. He frequently looked over his shoulder to make sure maleena was still near. Her body may have been weak, but her spirit was strong enough to power her legs forward. She could feel hope and freedom, just a head. Her heart was pumping fast. Maleena saw the lab in its entirety for the first time, and it made her sick to her stomach. She pushed on despite the negative feelings begin to surface.

"How many others are here? Where are they right now?" Zarda asked, as he yelled back over his shoulder.

She replied between sporadic breathing.

"There were five of us hyena's and four cubs, I believe. Only three of us now. Myself, jabari, and echo. Well. Maybe just two of us. The rest lost their lives do to side effects of testing." replied Maleena.

Zarda was angered. He would do everything to safe maleena and jabari. They made it through, and back up the stairs, that seemed to climb for miles. Zarda didn't realize how far up they were as they descended them. Gibbs opened the black doors and backed up against the rails. It was right then when the scientists and soldiers entered the room. Hopkins yelled up to soldier gibbs to stop them. He acted as if he had been beaten up, just waking from a sleep hold. He pretended to fumble to his feet. Zarda looked funny at gibbs, until he realized what he was doing.The theatrics worked in gibb's favor. The scientist assumed the worst.

"Hurry private anderson shoot the beasts. It seems soldier gibbs was under attack and needs our help. Shoot them both!" She shouted.

Zarda immediately bent down and placed jabari on the ground outside the open door. Zarda had just missed, a liquid dart to the skull. It flew past and stuck into the door. Zarda looked up at it wearily, then he turned to look at jabari sternly.

" I need you to run to the woods and don't look back. Run and find a tree or anything to hide in. If I make it out alive, I'll find you. I promise. Now go, hurry." Zarda said, as tears, for the first time in a long time, ran down his cheeks.

A scream, followed by a thud on the floor behind zarda, disrupted his focus. He looked back to see a liquid arrow had penetrated maleena's backside. He stood up quickly, just in time for an arrow to be shot in his right bicep. Zarda looked down at it, then up and over to soldier gibbs. He looked down the barrel of a steel gun pointing directly at him. Gibbs lowered his gun slowly. His eyes were saddened. He knew it had to be done. In order, to save himself from being removed from the mission. Gibbs staying on board would secure zarda a better chance at another chance of escape later on. Gibbs vowed to get his friend and now maleena to safety. Jabari, at least, was safe for now. Adrenalin propelled his tiny legs forward as he ran towards the dark forest.

Zarda's vision was going fuzzy. He knew what was happening and what was coming next. He knelt down to the ground, preventing a sudden drop. Zarda laid his right arm down and pressed his head to his elbow as his body relaxed on its side. The room went from a fuzzy white to a solid black. Zarda was out and at the mercy of the scientists.