Instinctively, the pack turned as one, their bodies pivoting to face a large window that revealed a grim scene. The room they had taken lair in resembled an auditorium, with rows of chairs neatly arranged. They saw a man in a white coat through the transparent window, his attire disorganized and suit pants sagging. His round glasses framed crazed orange eyes, and his wild, curly hair obscured much of his face. The horrifying grin that stretched across his lips shocked them.
Upon the table before him lay a small wolf pup, a member of the Mexican wolf pack, clinging desperately to life. The poor puppy was chained to a tall table; he had torn skin around the restraints. Despite his valiant struggles, he remained trapped. Bags sagged beneath his eyes, his eyelids were crusted with dried tears, and his once-pristine fur was now tarnished by dirt and dried blood.
Athen asked, "Is that the Alpha's son?"
"No," The Beta wolf gradually sank his head, exposing his teeth, "But he belongs to a Delta wolf in our clan."
Jack loaned a courteous paw on Sakura's shoulder. He whispered in her ear, "Look away, you shouldn't have to see this."
"Kenjiro most likely laid on that table," Athen said.
Sakura shook her head and gazed quietly upon the unfolding events. The scientist fastened a white mask securely across his face, ensuring its snug fit as he prepared himself for the upcoming procedure. He tied a surgical gown on his body and reveled in the unfortunate wolf pup's grating cries for help.
The scientist snapped a pair of rubber gloves onto his hands. His attention turned to a gleaming metal tray, where he arranged various surgical tools.
The man's laughter rang out, an alarming sound mocking the pup's distress. "Why are you crying, little one? What's the matter? Don't you want to grow up to be big and strong like your father?"
Unknown to the man, the wolves on the other side of the glass remained concealed. The room was separated by a one-way mirror, allowing the scientists to remain oblivious to the silent witnesses to his cruel experiment.
The wolf pup's desperate cries persisted, a haunting backdrop to the man's chilling words. "Oh, I apologize," he taunted with a cold smile. "It appears I've run out of anesthetic." His callous laughter filled the room.
The scientist began to chop him up like a corpse, causing him unimaginable suffering.
Athen turned away, unable to bear the gruesome sight, as it resurrected painful memories of the war that had ravaged his village. The racket of agonizing cries resonated, threatening to shatter their eardrums. Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears, her gaze fixed on the scientist's disturbing laughter. A searing fire smoldered within her, burning like a flamethrower. Her fists itched to shatter the glass, but knowing the consequences that might entail if the enemy was alerted, she held back. The thought of any sacrifice was unbearable, yet Sakura faced an agonizing choice that could determine the fate of everyone she held dear, including herself.
Cupping her ears and huddling in a fetal position, her feet rooted to the ground, Sakura grappled with her internal turmoil. Jack understood the moral conflict within her, but they had to stay hidden, maintain their cover, and complete their mission at any cost. While he longed for the scientist to stop, he knew they couldn't afford to reveal themselves.
The pup's cries had gradually diminished to the past like a fading memory. Its innocent eyes had grown dull, and a final, labored breath escaped its gaping mouth. The life of this harmless being slipped away before their eyes. The scientist shifted the lifeless pup's body, exposing its soft white belly.
Sakura's voice trembled with tears as she whispered, "What's he doin' now, Jack?"
Jack clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, a low growl emanating from his throat. He replied, "He's skinning it using a technique that starts with a cut along the belly. It's utterly despicable."
Starting with the rear left leg, the scientist firmly gripped the paw pad in his hand and started the incision, running it from the palm to the rear of the leg.
"I can't watch this," Sakura admitted. Her nausea was evolving by the second.
Athen concurred, realizing the urgency of the situation. "We need to get out of here before a guard spots us."
"This isn't good," The Beta wolf whispered. "How are we supposed to walk through the facility with no one seeing us?"
Jack, sharp-eyed as ever, spotted a vent on the wall above them next to a set of speakers.
Jack gently raised a paw and tapped Athen's hind leg to get his attention. Athen turned to him, inquiring, "What did you find?"
Jack lifted his paw to point at the vent in the wall and explained, "Look up there. The vent is big. We could squeeze in, but it'll be a tight fit."
One of their companions, a Mexican wolf, added, "I'd rather squeeze through a tight space than face the same fate."
Jack nodded, adding, "Let's move quickly and get out of here before we become the next victim." Sakura skillfully retrieved a hairpin from her hair and used it to unscrew the flathead screws, removing the vent gently. As she opened it, a small cloud of dusty air billowed out when she carefully set aside the metal mesh, which landed atop the nearby speaker.
With a calm tone, Sakura reminded the group, "Stay quiet. The metal isn't meant to hold animals, especially not large wolves." The entire pack nodded in agreement.
Athen positioned himself beneath the open vent, allowing Sakura to climb on his back and give her the height to reach inside. The metal provided a good grip, enabling Sakura to hoist herself up and enter the vent, moving with her elbows and forearms.
Once Sakura was securely inside, Athen joined her silently. Jack followed suit, and the rest of the pack members hurriedly followed suit, one after the other, all before a patrolling guard could pass by and discover their daring escape.
The narrow ductwork was dark and dusty, and they had to move as quietly as possible, for any sound could reveal their presence to the enemy. The metal floor under their hands and knees was cold, but they pressed on, knowing the importance of their mission.
The pack of Mexican wolves followed closely behind, their warm breaths and the occasional soft growl showing their presence. The darkness seemed to stretch on endlessly, and the only sounds were their shallow breaths and the faint echoes of footsteps from below.
Sakura suddenly halted the pack's progress in the ventilation shaft. She spotted an opening below her and cautiously peered through the vent.
A company of army soldiers had gathered in a dimly lit room. The flickering glow of a lone lightbulb overhead cast eerie shadows across their faces, adding an ominous tone to their hushed conversation. A detailed diagram of Paradise Island lay on the table in front of them.
Sakura listened intently as the soldiers spoke.
One soldier leaned over the table, pointing at various points on the diagram. "Kenjiro will lead us directly to the main island of Nishinoshima. We have to find the source of their powers and take it before North Korea can claim it for itself."
The strategist stated, "We've dispatched a few of our landing craft vessels with a couple of black hawks and strykers."
Another soldier, sitting on the table, leaned back and asked, "Where is Kenjiro currently stationed?"
The strategist responded, "He's on the vessel."
The soldier forcefully pushed back his chair to take a stand and shouted, "Why are we taking orders from a werewolf with no American training?"
The commanding strategist retorted, "Sit down, private. You know better than to question orders."
The defiant soldier persisted, "No, you have no idea what we are up against!"
The strategist explained, "The Japanese military harbors a secretive branch composing soldiers who aren't entirely human. The Japanese refer to them as Kami. We've dealt with these monsters since before the first world war."
"So, we're eliminating the competition," the private remarked.
The soldier chuckled and clarified, "No, that would be wasteful. We will use them as we have before Korea gets there first."
The private raised a concern. "Wouldn't that be seen as an act of war?"
The strategist explained, "No, it's a complex situation to grasp, but the island has its government."
The private slumped back into his chair, feeling overwhelmed by the influx of information he had sought. "This is all so confusing..."
A heavy silence filled the room until the standing strategist resumed his explanation by drawing out his plans on the board. Sakura discreetly retrieved her cell phone from her pocket and snapped photographs of the diagrams.
Athen smirked. He whispered, "Great idea."
Sakura replied, "We have to act fast, or our home will become a graveyard for future generations to gawk at."
Athen nodded in agreement, his eyes reflecting the same conclusion. They had a duty to protect their home and would stop at nothing to ensure Paradise Island remained safe.
As they progressed, Sakura listened attentively, hearing the human voices gradually fade into the distance. An alarming screeching noise emanated from the metal beneath their paws, causing Sakura to whisper, "Everyone, stop moving."
The pack immediately froze to prevent any further noise. Below, the men in the room fell into silence.
One soldier asked, "What was that noise?"
His companion replied, "It sounded like it was coming from the vents."
The metal continued to creak and bend, and before anyone could react, it gave way beneath one of the Mexican wolves. He fell through, cutting his thigh on the jagged metal edges and landing on a table. In excruciating pain, he writhed and screamed. The humans in the room stood up from their chairs, their faces etched with fear.
One of them slammed his back against the wall and exclaimed, "What the hell? How did that get up there?"
Another pounded his fist on the table and yelled, "The wolves are escaping through the vents! Sound the alarm!"
The Beta wolf said, "Mierda, Grimaldo, aguanta ahí hermano!"
Panic spread through the group. Another Mexican wolf desperately cried, "What do we do now?"
A soldier violently pressed a large red button on the wall with his clenched fist. Immediately, loud alarms blared throughout the facility, drowning out all other sounds. The intense flashing of red lights filled every room and hallway, creating a chaotic and disorienting atmosphere. In their frenzy, the soldiers drew pistols from their holsters and began firing rounds through the vents.
Sakura cried out orders, "Move quickly, or we'll all end up like your friend!"
She led the way through the narrow vents on her forearms and knees and urged the pack to keep pace. They navigated the metallic maze, taking sharp turns left and right, desperately searching for an exit.
Athen's voice grew urgent. "Sakura, we've got to get out of here. They're onto us."
"I know, I'm trying!" Sakura yelled, her voice echoing through the narrow metal confines. She scrambled through the vents as quickly as possible, her hands and knees moving in a blur. She barely noticed her surroundings in haste, the dim light and crisscrossing pathways blending into one.
Suddenly, the vents ahead branched out in multiple directions, including a sharp drop downward. Before she could slow down, her hand slipped, and she tumbled through an open vent. With a startled scream, she plummeted, narrowly avoiding a headfirst collision with another section of the metal tunnel.
"Sakura! Are you alright?" Athen's voice boomed from the opening above as he stuck his head into the vent.
Sakura shifted awkwardly in the tighter corner where she'd landed, unable to fully raise her head. "Yeah, I'm fine," she called back, her voice muffled by the confined space. "Come on down. I see an opening ahead."
Athen hesitated. "Are you sure we can fit?"
Jack snickered from behind him. "Barely. Michael's broad shoulders are practically wedged in. I'm surprised he hasn't brought the whole vent system crashing down with how bulky he is."
Michael growled, his voice low and menacing. "Keep talking, Jack, and I'll shove you out of here myself."
Below, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's a tight corner, but once you get down here, the vent opens back up. Now hurry!"
"Alright, we're coming," Athen replied.
Sakura shuffled forward, making space for the others to slide down. They descended into the lower vent one by one, their movements clanging like a makeshift metal slide in a children's park. Each landing was accompanied by a grunt or muttered complaint.
"Next time," Sakura muttered, "we're finding a more dignified way to sneak in."
The pack huddled around her as she tried to figure out how to open the grate. Unable to unscrew the mesh from the inside, she used brute force. She clenched her fist and pounded the vent, scraping her skin and drawing blood until the mesh finally popped out. Her body rolled out of the vent headfirst, landing on the floor with a thud.
Sakura lay sprawled on the cold, sterile floor, her fingers gently massaging her throbbing head. Her wide eyes were filled with fear as they darted around the room, taking in the unsettling sight before her.
She was in a dimly lit autopsy room, the overhead lights casting eerie shadows across stainless steel tables and clinical instruments.
A sense of dread washed over her as she realized the gravity of their situation. In this room meant for the dissection of lifeless bodies, Sakura couldn't help but shiver, her heart pounding with fear and unease. The room had clinical steel tables, cabinets filled with gruesome tools, and large refrigerators lining one wall. Sakura cautiously approached one of the fridge doors.
In an instant, Athen transformed from wolf to human form, desperate to stop Sakura. He grabbed her by the shoulder, trying to pull her away from the fridge, his voice filled with urgency. "Sakura, please don't look inside. Trust me on this."
She refused to heed Athen's warning. With trembling hands, she reached for the fridge door and slowly opened it. The shelves inside were stacked with large black bags, each bearing a chilling label with experiment information.