Chapter 5 A Gardens Bloom

"What are we going to do with the problem specimen? " Asked scientist jasper.

Hopkins rubbed her temples with her index fingers.

" We burn his body. What else could we do with him? He ruined his self, by drinking contaminated blood. He did it on purpose. That hyena was the perfect sample. His DNA was a key candidate for the cure. Ugh, this frustrates me above and beyond. We were so close, now this sets us back at least a month's worth of work. Let's pray this zarda beast has what we need." Said scientist hopkins.

"So, say this zarda specimen becomes our new hope. Then what? Do we drain him, until his life is finished? Are we killers or scientist? I thought we took an oath to preserve life, not destroy it. So far, we've managed to annihilate a pack of hyenas and African wild dog cubs within less than a month." Said scientist Eugene.

Hopkins sneered at Eugene.

"Believe me, we don't need your condemnation. Listen, my desire isn't to kill anymore, but we must do what it takes to advance our species. If we don't, then perhaps they are promoted to usurp us. That means we become in trouble of extinction. We can't allow that." replied Hopkins.

Everyone quietly looked at each other fearfully, then over to their lead scientist. Hopkins sat upright. With her hands folded in front of her.

" I disagree. Although, I will agree that zarda is the key for the cure. I do not believe that they will usurp us, nor will we become extinct. I was speaking with zarda one on one. He claims to have something that will give us what we need." said Delilah.

Hopkins looked at her friend, taken back a bit.

"Why did you speak with him? Your job last night was to escort him to his room. Not mingle with the science projects. I'm a little disappointed in you, delilah. So, what is it that he has that will be the help we've searched for?" asked Hopkins.

Delilah was hurt by her friend and didn't understand her rude reaction.

"He didn't get a chance to tell me. So, we made plans to meet up today. I plan to get as much information as I can." She replied.

Hopkins laughed, the others joined in with her.

"You're kidding me. Since when did we start surveying our work instead of dissecting for the answers? You're incredulous. Why can't you see this will work the way I'm already doing this?scoffed Hopkins.

Delilah had enough of the berating condescending remarks. She got up from the table and walked away. Hopkins looked shocked that her friend would leave so abruptly.

"Never mind her. We will carry on with the usual procedures. Okay let's get to work. The blood samples need testing." said Hopkins.

Zarda and Maleena sat at a tiny kitchen table eating buttered toast. Unfortunately, it was what the humans had decided their breakfast to be. Zarda hated it, but he needed to eat to keep up his strength.

"So, are you planning to leave me today?" asked Maleena.

Zarda shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure for certain. He had to wait for delilah. It wasn't long, after she had questioned him, that zarda's patience paid off. A soft knock rattled the door. They both hopped up and moved towards it. Zarda opened to find a beautiful brunette staring up at him. Delilah smiled softly at Zarda, he returned one back down at her.

"Hello delilah. Are we ready to go?" Zarda asked.

She shook her head yes. Delilah looked past zarda over at maleena.

"Don't worry, I won't keep him long. By the way, they aren't planning to take either of you in today for testing. Finishing work over blood test will keep them occupied." She stated.

Delilah led zarda out of the room, and down a long, quiet hallway. The walls were the same boring white like in the examination room. They weren't much for decorating. Delilah shared the morning news with zarda as they walked. He didn't understand why they weren't opened hearted like delilah.

"I'm doing my best to vouch for you. I hope somehow you gain favor in their eyes. We need to talk more about your staff. The scientists want to know what it is that it does?" asked Delilah.

Zarda remained silent, distracted by the sliding glass doors in front of him. The violent sound they made running into each other. Zarda was terrified of them slamming into his body. They looked as if they could slice him in half. Zarda would hate to have his tail chopped off. He reached for it and pull it up between his legs.

Delilah took no notice of his fear and moved closer towards them as she spoke. He followed her more cautiously. As he drew nearer, the doors opened and delilah passed through, but not zarda. Just beyond their clear panels, he could see the lush green garden. Yet, he refused to walk past the doors. As he watched them slam back shut a few inches from his face. He jumped and quickly moved away from them. Delilah turned back, seeing his fear, she waked through the doors once more. Delilah took zarda's arm into hers and walked him past the bizarre glass contraption. He gripped his tail tight as they made it to the other side. Delilah was tickled and smiled up at the frightened lion.

They entered into a garden wonderland full of beauty. The garden's blooms were opened brightly into shades of pinks, yellows, magenta, and light blues, they blended among the green herbage. More baby buds were forming on the surrounding stems. The mixture of aromas were sweet to his senses.

Zarda stopped where he stood and closed his eyes to take in everything at once. He could feel the warmth of the sun, the smell of the sweet florals, and could hear the soft buzzing noises of pollinating bees. The scientist had chosen well, thought zarda. The garden was the perfect spot to spend time with her. Zarda's eyes gently opened back up, when he felt delilah's softly tugging on his arm. She guided them over towards a cement bench in front of a burbling fountain. Inside, swimming around, were brightly colored KOI fish. They sat down to enjoy each other's company.

"I don't know how often, I'll get the chance to do this with you. This morning's short meeting didn't go as I had hoped. Hopkins, she's changed. When I agreed to join on, it wasn't, so we could destroy life. It was to cure life." said Delilah, staring into the pond.

"How does one cure life, if they have no power over it at all? Should you not just let life be as it will be?" He asked.

Delilah didn't understand.

"I may not be able to control everything in life, but we can control what we have authority over. We have freewill to make choices over matters. You and I have a choice to help the cure. The scientists have a choice to either destroy or not to destroy. As of late, all we do is seem to play god; only we bring death willfully. I'm scared to be honest. From this day on, I'm here for you zarda, you and your friend the hyena. I will figure a way to steal your staff back and get you out of this facility." She said, looking up into his green eyes.

He had been locked on her the entire time.

Zarda's heart thudded, His palms were sweating.

"I appreciate your help. If I leave, what is to keep them from collecting more of my people, until we all vanish? I must take down the root cause. Are Nexus and Severance hopkins creations, or are they controlled by a higher source of power?" asked Zarda.

"I don't have an answer for your first question. I assume they would carry on collecting animals from your home land. Yours and many others. I know as far as she's ever led us to believe, they are both her creations. Well, the missions are not Nexus and Severance. The two facilities, actually, are hopkin's fathers, a well-known scientist and zoologist. We call him Dr. Reese Hopkins. During my last year in college, I was privileged to have him as one of my professors. I remember the accomplishments and foreign adventures he would share. He was a bit of a historian and archeologist too. Dr Reese Hopkins traveled for historical artifacts, he would explore exotic habitats and study animals native to those locations. He's sick now, and has been bedridden for half of the year so far. A sudden health scare out of nowhere come upon him. I believe because of this, Hopkins, his daughter is trying to find a way to heal her father. I don't blame her, but the way she's going about it, wouldn't be the way her father would have done things." Delilah replied.

Zarda listened to her answer carefully. He was already planning ways for her to leave to the other facility.

"Tell me, are you allowed into Severance?" Zarda asked.

She raised her hand up flat and rocked it back and forth, while making a weird face.

"Sort of, I could possibly walk around the facility unbothered once inside, but getting in. That's the difficult part. You need a specific key badge, which I don't have." She replied.

Zarda looked puzzled at the one hanging from her neck.

"Then what is that?" he asked, pointing to it.

She looked down and grabbed it up with one hand.

" This is a badge, but it's coded only for this facility, just like if one of their scientists come here their badge wouldn't open the front doors. We are assigned to our individual locations. Like I said, once inside there's no one who would question me, but at the doors the security guards would escort me back, not to mention report it over to hopkins." She replied disappointingly.

Zarda thought up more ideas. He had one in mind, but needed an answer first.

"Can the soldiers move freely back and forth from the facilities?" He asked her.

Delilah's eyebrows went up. She didn't think about that, but she knew they could, and did often. In fact, over at Severance is where they had their living quarters.

"Yes, they can, but what good does that do us. Which of them would do such a thing? They all work for hopkins." She said.

Zarda grinned from ear to ear.

"I know two or three who would." replied Zarda.

Delilah didn't know how he could possibly know any soldiers to do the job, then it hit her. He knew soldiers gibbs and anderson, but who was the third candidate he spoke on?

"Your talking about gibbs and anderson aren't you? They won't be back here, until next week. Besides, I thought gibbs shot you? Do you really trust him?" She asked.

Zarda shook his head yes without any doubt.

"Yes, I trust him. I understand why he did it. I knew he was faking the attack the entire time. If hopkins had known of him, aiding us in the escape. Do you really think she would keep him around? Gibbs and anderson will help us, but you're right they won't be back, until a week from now. That still leaves us soldier option number three. Piss pants erickson. I think I can persuade him to do whatever I want." said arda.

Delilah rolled her eyes at him.

"I don't know about him. Even if he did it out of fear, somehow he would manage to sabotage the mission. How he became a soldier baffles me. Honestly, I think he's just wearing a costume and filling in the empty void for soldier keenan. He's a friend of hopkins or more like a lover I should say. She sent him over to Africa three weeks ago to capture more specimens like yourself. He was supposed to be one of the soldiers escorting you back, instead no one has seen him since. Soldier gibbs and anderson swears they saw him leave with the others, who fell back after some big fight you all had. Still, keenan is missing. He never returned with the other four." Delilah said.

Zarda knew exactly what happened. A flashback of a dog tag falling to the ground entered into his memory. He remembered the soldier who he blasted with ice. Was that soldier keenan? He asked him self.