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CHAPTER FOUR

    Geneva Victor!  Here with me! I thought, my head aching so much I wasn’t sure if I was awake or dreaming.  It doesn’t make sense.  She’s one of the bad guys . . . how could we both end up imprisoned together?
     Bits and pieces of memory swirled into strong images. 
     “You really want to go to a kiddie park?” Starr had asked with a sway of her dark head that jangled her beaded braids.  “Next you’ll be telling me you want to play with Barbies.  Please say this is a joke.”
     “No joke,” I’d answered. “And some of my old Barbies would be valuable collector items if I’d kept them.  Loosen up, Starr.  We’ll have our picnic by the lake and see the zoo.”
     “If you want a zoo, let’s go to the Sacramento Zoo.  Not a dinky park zoo.”
     “Sometimes the biggest surprises come in small packages,” I’d told her with a smile that hid the true reason I wanted to go to Moon Grove Park.  And I’d been right about finding a big surprise -- way beyond my expectations.
     At first glance the park looked ordinary.  Shady green trees and acres of freshly mowed lawn surrounding a sparkling lake dotted with clusters of ducks and geese.  There was also a playground full of swinging, climbing, chattering kids.  When we went inside the zoo, we paused to watch the monkeys, who also swung, climbed and chattered in their caged playground.
     The small zoo operated on donated funds.  The residents included a bear who’d come here as a cub after his mother had been killed, a lion who’d once starred with a magician, a three-legged cougar and many other creatures who’d found a safe haven after hardship. 
     Walking among the cages made me think of Chase and his ambitions to work with wild animals.  He’d recently had a job offer from WARR, which I knew he longed to accept.  The pay wasn’t great, but it was his dream job.  After the tragic death of his foster parents, then discovering he was cloned from a serial killer, he deserved some happiness.  The only obstacle was Titus, Chase’s current employer.  Titus gave Chase a job when he was going through a rough time, and Chase was too loyal to quit.
     I admired Chase’s unselfish loyalty, but thought he should tell Titus about the job offer. Titus was a cool guy, he wouldn’t stand between Chase and his dreams.  Only Chase refused to burden Titus.  I’d hoped to talk some sense into Chase at dinner.  But that was before Chase sided with Uncle Jim against me and I stormed out of the house.
     Dumb move.  I should have admitted I’d guessed that MGPARK meant Moon Grove Park.  But I was angry and wanted to show them I could find out more about Kitty then they could.
     Instead, I’d found trouble.  
     Shifting on the cold concrete, the ropes bit painfully into my skin. I tried to stand, but stumbled sideways and bumped my elbow against the wall.  Moaning, I tried to see through the darkness. All I could make out was a shadowy shape across from me.  I still couldn’t believe her identity, and had to find out for sure. I called out in a hoarse whisper, “Who you are?”
     “You know, Varina.”  Her voice drifted eerily through darkness. ”Gen . . . Geneva Victor.”
     “What are you doing here?”
     “He hurt me . . . wanted to hurt you, too.”  She choked, then added weakly, “Don’t you remember?”
     My head ached with confusion.  I concentrated hard, forcing memory to the surface, tracing back my steps.  I’d left the house, gone to the park with Starr, had a picnic and then made up a story about meeting Chase so that Starr would leave and I could snoop around without awkward questions.  Nothing unusual in the kiddie park or by the lake.  But at the zoo, I’d spotted a locked gate concealing a concrete-block building.  I’d followed the fence line until I came to an area where a tall tree draped over the other side.  I’d climbed the tree, jumped down on the forbidden side, and heard a noise....
     “Someone grabbed me!” I trembled over the memory of rough hands dragging me inside a dark building.
     “It was him.  We have to . . . to get away before he. . . .”  Geneva’s words trailed off.
     “Before what?” Fear stabbed my soul.
     “He comes back.  He almost killed you, but I stopped him . . . then he turned on me.  Locked us in here.  He’s crazy.”
     “Who?”
     “Mansfield Victor,” she sobbed.  “My husband.”  


CHAPTER FIVE

     “I hope Varina’s still here,” Eric told Chase as they left Moon Grove parking lot and entered the grassy park. 
     Chase didn’t say anything, afraid the chances of finding Varina were fading with the sinking sun.  He glanced around the lush trees and manicured lawn that stretched for acres.  Nearby a squirrel skittered up a tree, a couple sat on a blanket having a picnic, and a little boy tugged on a leash pulling a dog twice his own size.    Chase's gaze settled on the couple sharing a romantic picnic, and he felt a stab of regret.  He prayed Varina was okay.
     “So what’s the big attraction about a bunch of trees?” Sandee asked, her dolphin anklet reflecting silver in the sunshine.  “Nothing exciting happening here.”
     “Varina was here,” Chase said.  
     “Hours ago.” Sandee swatted a fly away from her face.  “By now she could be miles away.”
     “This reminds me of when my sister Kristen was kidnapped,” Eric said, his drawl more noticeable whenever he talked about his Texas family.  He turned to Chase, his brow knit with worry.  “By the time we realized she was missing, too much time had passed.”
     “But you eventually found her,” Chase said.
     “Only because my friends helped.”
     “And Chase has friends to help, too.”  Sandee gently touched Chase’s arm. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
     “Then we better get a move on,” Eric suggested.
     “Let’s start at the zoo,” Chase said.  “That’s where Starr last saw Varina.”
     “If only I’d gone with them.”  Eric scowled.  “They should have told me what they were planning.  But they shut me out.  Starr’s been doing that a lot lately. I can’t figure her out.”
     “Don’t even try.” Chase shook his head and ignored the “I told you so” look Sandee shot him.  Why couldn’t girls just say what they were thinking instead of sending mixed messages?  Starr needed to be honest instead of leading Eric on.
     “The zoo is that way.”  Chase gestured toward a paved path with a wooden arrow painted to read “zoo.”
     “Want me to use my super-eyes?”
     “Not yet.  Save your energy till we need it.”  Chase pointed beyond a grove of oaks.  “Come on.”
     They moved quietly with Chase in the lead.  He tilted his head, employing his enhanced cloned hearing.  Multitudes of sounds swarmed like bees; whispers, shouts, cries, laughter, cars, airplanes, and animal noises.  He concentrated, straining to find the one voice he yearned to hear.  But if Varina was out there, she wasn’t saying anything.  His head began to throb, his energy fading.  He gave up trying to listen and peered around the park.  Whenever he spotted a girl with curly auburn hair, his heart lurched. 
     They paid admission to the zoo, then walked down paved aisles between cages.  Chase moved slowly, studying everyone around him.  Who might have information on Varina?  The young couple holding a freckled toddler between them?  The exhausted teachers leading groups of young students?  Or one of the many employees who worked here?
     “Let’s split up and question the employees,” Chase told Eric and Sandee.  “Hopefully someone will remember seeing Varina.”
     “I’ll start with him.”  Sandee’s face lit up as she ogled a husky black-haired guy stepping out of a raccoon cage.  “He might not remember Varina, but you can bet he won’t forget me.”  With a finger-comb through her spiky hair and a sultry smile, she went after her target.
     “That’s our Sandee,” Eric said wryly. “I hope she remembers to ask about Varina.”
     Chase was only half-listening.  His gaze was on a dark-skinned teenaged girl who was talking to an older gray-haired man; both wore uniforms that identified them as zoo employees.  He pointed them out to Eric.  “Let’s start with them,” he said.
     When it came to describing Varina, Chase found himself struggling for the right words.  Hair color, height, age -- none of those facts summed up Varina’s essence.  The way her smile lifted his heart or the sweet music of her laughter. She was generous and honest, not pretending to be something she wasn’t.  She could share his soul without uttering a word, her gentle green eyes offering deep understanding.
     While Chase tried to think of what to say, Eric came to the rescue.  Maybe Eric had been a Boy Scout when he lived in Texas, because he definitely came prepared.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of Varina.  “Have you seen this girl?” Eric asked.
     The gray-haired man, whose name tag identified him as Gunther, peered closely at the picture.  He shook his head and said in a clipped accent, “Don’t think so.  But I’ve been tending to an injured hawk and haven’t been outside much today.”  He turned to his co-worker.  “Tracy, you recognize her?”
     “I-I’m not sure ... maybe.”  She pushed back wavy black bangs as she studied the picture.  She was about Eric’s age, with a round face and a shapely figure.  Her soft voice was high-pitched like a little girl. 
     “She would have been here around noon,” Chase added.
     “That was our busiest time.  A school bus came in.”
     “Think hard,” Chase urged, biting his lower lip and trying not to think too hard himself.  He didn’t want to imagine the terrible things that could have happened to Varina.  He kept his emotions on hold, frozen with anxiety.  “It’s really important we find our friend.”
     “I’m trying.  It’s been hectic today.”
     Eric smiled sympathetically.  “A real zoo around here, huh?”
     Tracy’s gaze lingered on Eric, as if noticing him for the first time.  A smile crept on her lips and she met Eric’s dark eyes as she returned to the picture.  “Yes, I’m sure this was the same girl.  She was standing by the giraffe pen.  It’s popular because of the baby giraffe.  He’s an adorable little fellow.  All the visitors ooh and ah when he wobbles on his skinny legs.  But that girl wasn’t watching the giraffe.”
     “What was she doing?” Eric asked.
     “Staring beyond that fence.”  She pointed in the distance to a dense area of trees trailing down an imposing wire fence.  “I couldn’t figure out what she was looking at.  There isn’t anything out there.”
     “Nothing at all?” Chase questioned.
     Gunther, who’d been quietly listening, spoke. “Actually there is a building.  But it’s off-limits, even for park employees.”
     “What’s inside?” Chase asked.
     “No one knows.”  Gunther lowered his voice and glanced around anxiously.  “But we’ve heard strange sounds coming from there.  And there are rumors.”
     “I’ve never heard about this, but I haven’t worked here long.”  Tracy looked at Gunther curiously.  “What rumors?”
     “It’s best to stay away,” the older man warned.  “Don’t mess with things we don’t understand.”
     “What rumors?” Tracy persisted.
     “Ghosts.”  Gunther shuddered.  “The building is haunted.”

CHAPTER SIX

    Dr. Victor imprisoned his own wife!  Unbelievable!  I couldn’t stop thinking about Geneva’s revelation.  I knew Dr. Victor was bad news, but he must be completely mad.
    My memory came back with a flood of images, and in the darkness of my prison, I relived Dr. Victor’s furious snarl as he wrenched my arm and dragged me into the gloomy building.  For a slim man, he was surprising strong.  He kicked the door shut, then pushed me to the hard concrete floor.  While my body exploded in fear and pain, I tried to make sense of everything.  It was a shock to find Dr. Victor, but not a complete surprise.  I’d suspected Kitty was the result of a cloning experiment, much like the experiment that created human clones.  I should have guessed Dr. Victor was involved.
     He acted more crazed than ever -- worse than that horrible moment he’d aimed a gun at me.  He pretended to the world that he was some kind of wise self-help guru, but I read the truth in his insane eyes.  And I was afraid.
     I was sure he was going to kill me right there, then dissect me like a science project to further his warped career.  I lay half-stunned on the floor; a helpless fly snagged in a spider web.  But Geneva had burst into the room and ordered her husband to let me go.  She actually defended me.  My world spun dizzily.  My stomach churned with terror.  It was hard to concentrate on what was happening, yet Geneva’s protective voice was unmistakable.  She’d transformed from Enemy to Heroine.
     But Dr. Victor was stronger and he pushed his wife aside.  His fingers dug into my arm and a cloth closed over my face.  A strong chemical odor and blackness engulfed me.  Next thing I knew I woke up in this dungeon.  With Geneva.
     “What -- What happened?” I cried, straining to see in the dimness.
     “Trouble . . .Terrible danger.  We . . . we can’t stay. . . .”  Geneva's voice trailed off and I heard a clank of metal.  Was she handcuffed, too?
     “So how do we get away?” I called out.  “I can’t move.”
     “Hopeless.” I heard a sob across the room. “We’ll die here.”
     “No, we won’t.  My friends will come for me.”
     “No one will find us.”
     “They can.  You don’t know them like I do.”
     “We’re underground . . . steel walls . . . trapped,” Geneva said, her voice growing fainter. "No one can help us."
     “Don’t give up.  There isn’t a dungeon deep enough to keep my friends from finding me.”  I spoke confidently, but I wasn’t so sure.  Only Starr knew where I was, and she was going to a party tonight -- the kind of party that would last till tomorrow.  Tomorrow might be too late.
     “What’s going on?” I asked, trying to make sense of everything. “Why did your husband lock us up?”
     “To stop you . . . you from finding out.”
     “About what?”
     “His work.  With animals.”
     “Did he clone a saber-toothed tiger?”
     Geneva gasped.  “You -- You know?  But how?”
     “A friend of mine found the tiger cub.”  I started to explain more, but stopped with caution.  This was Geneva I was talking to; my enemy.  She’d once pretended to be my aunt, conned me into believing her.  I’d never forget that humiliation and hurt.  I couldn’t trust her.  Not ever.
     Yet she had risked her life to help me.  Confusing.
     There was silence for a while, and I began to worry that Geneva had passed out.  “Are you okay?” I asked. 
     “Yes,” she answered in a pained whisper.  “My ropes are loosening . . . I’m trying to get free.”
     “Try hard!” I wiggled to loosen my own bonds, but they were too tight.
     There was a groan from across the prison, then a sharp cry.  “Geneva!  What happened?”
     Her answer was a groan, and my fear heightened.  She groaned again, and I worried she’d hurt herself until she exclaimed, “I did it!”
     I heard a gasp, grunt of pain, then quick footsteps.  A shadowy shape sprang out of the darkness, coming closer and clearer.  Geneva.  Although her hands were still trapped in handcuffs, her legs were untied and free.
     She bent down beside me and fumbled with my bonds.
     “Hurry!” I cried.
     “I’m doing my best.  Don’t squirm.”  She worked at my ropes with slow, jerky movements.  Her tugging and pulling seemed to last years, until the ropes fell limp to the floor.
     “Now what?” I asked, stomping my feet to bring some feeling back into them.  My legs tingled with numbness and yet burned where the ropes had cut into me.  My hands were still trapped in cuffs and my head swam with dizziness.  Moving was awkward, painful and wonderful.
     “Come on.” Geneva grabbed my hand.  “Not much time.”
     “Time before what?”
     She didn’t answer and I didn’t waste time with words.  I followed her up steep steps to a metal door.  Her fear was a third presence moving with us.  I expected the door to be locked, but to my amazement, it opened easily.  Geneva pushed through, her breath coming faster, more urgently.
     There was another staircase.  My chest ached as we climbed up cement steps.  An eerie silence was broken only by the slap of our footsteps.  My senses quivered with alertness.  Was Dr. Victor waiting for us like a predatory cat toying with mice? Was he dangling escape before us, only to snatch it away, then lunge in for a kill?  
     We reached another door, also unlocked.  Any relief I’d felt at escaping was replaced by anxiety.  This was too easy.  Something awful awaited us beyond this door. I was sure of it.
     But when we pushed through the doorway, there was only a shadowy room with rays of sunlight shining through high windows.  Chairs, a table, cabinets, and papers scattered on the floor.  No living soul present.  The air reeked with chemical odors and musty animal smells.  As my eyes adjusted I noticed rows of empty cages along a back wall.  The cages hinged opened, as if someone had left in a hurry.
     Leaving in a hurry sounded like a good idea.
     I nudged Geneva with my shackled hands and gestured toward the front door.  “Let’s get out of here.”
     She held back, shaking with terror.  “No ... No escape.”
     “We made it this far.  We’ll be okay once we go out through the door.”
     “You don’t understand.”  She shook her head.  “He planned this.  Left us to die.”
     “But we’re alive and free.”  I started for the door.
     “STOP!” Her handcuffs scratching my arm as she grabbed me.  “Don’t go further!  You’ll kill us both!”
     “What are you talking about?”  I tried to shake her off, but she clung tight. 
     “Don’t you see?” her voice was a harsh whisper.  She pointed to the door, her skin ghost-white.
     “See what?” I demanded.
     “By the door.”
     I squinted through the dimness and saw nothing a wooden door.  I started to move forward again, but Geneva shrieked and jerked me back.
     “The wires.  The door is rigged.”  Her pale hand trembled as she pointed.  “To explode.”

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