Animalis by John Peter Jones Page A

grasp. Small retractable claws had extended from her fingertips and were now anchored into his skin.
    “You—” the captain said, then stopped. “I’m giving you an opportunity to correct your earlier mistakes. I will not expect you back in my presence without, at the very least, the contents of that plane destroyed.”
    Jax felt ready to put up a salute in a heartbeat. It seemed almost too good to be real, the chance to really make a difference in the conflict. Even more, standing together there while packed into the tiny quarters, Jax felt like he was part of a conspiracy—and the plot was to strike at the heart of the enemy.
    Hernandez stepped back toward the door, but then stopped as it folded open. “And I need you to look into the possibility that the Animalis are creating new animals. The rest of the details will be in the orders I’m sending out shortly. Since this assignment isn’t strictly adherent to convention, I’ve arranged for a dear friend of mine to transport your unit. Her name is Hurley Grimshaw. She …” He looked down, seeming unsure of himself for a moment, which took Jax by surprise. “She was in the area, and I … Well, she always loved visiting Australia.” He shook his head, looking almost angry with himself. “Ms. Grimshaw is somewhat of an animal expert and has agreed to take a look at these animals you’ve brought on board.”
    “Yes, sir,” Hank said.
    Before the captain turned down the hall, he held onto the frame of the door. “Make sure that Ms. Grimshaw is kept safe. And, if you could, let her know that if she needs anything, I’m always here for her.”
    Jax brought his hand up to his forehead before the captain turned again. Hernandez matched the salute without straightening his posture, and then left. Jax just stood there and blinked. The captain was putting his trust in Jax again, even after he’d gone against orders. He wouldn’t let him down this time, not again. Jax had given himself to the army, and he couldn’t put himself first again. He nodded to himself. There were others to think about.
    On the wall, the screaming of the man had died down. The lioness, Narasimha, now stood there in the center of the arena, fawning to the crowd. She finished waving, bent down to the man’s mortified face, opened her powerful jaws, and bit.
     

Chapter 4
    The Atticus Five
     
    According to Jax’s retina monitor, the lady he was eyeing as likely being Hurley Grimshaw stood five feet, ten inches tall. Jax kept himself from smiling as he gave her a quick once-over: flip-flops, a mass of curly red hair tied in the back, a pound of metal bracelets dangling and twinkling on each wrist, and wearing a light, billowing blouse and shorts. What got him most, though, was that she didn’t look a day over twenty-five.
    Jax rechecked the location in his retina monitor. In civilian clothing, he and Hank stood in one of the outdoor terminals of the Buffalo New York Airport, where the Hornet had landed for their rendezvous. Yes, this was where the small private planes sat in between patches of lush greenery that broke up the sidewalks—and Jax again took note of the fifth plane down the row, which was being prepped for takeoff. Yes, this was where Grimshaw was going to be. There was the plane, and there, if Jax had her pegged correctly, was Grimshaw.
    She waved.
    “That’s Hurley?” Jax asked.
    Hank shook his head and put up his hand to return the wave. “Our captain is a mystery. The way he talked about her, I was imagining a grizzled ex-wife he was trying to bring back into his life.”
    “Maybe this is his daughter, or a niece,” Jax said. But even as he said it, he recognized that Grimshaw didn’t appear to be from the same genetic line as the captain. Jax didn’t know how old the captain was, but certainly, he was much older than this fair-skinned, radiantly smiling, green-eyed, dimple-cheeked, carefree girl.
    “The brief said they had served together, but she separated from