Leopard's Baby

Tammy spent her first day at the hospital for the criminally insane doing nothing but resting. She was locked in a private room and given light, loose fitting pants and a matching top. She noted guards were everywhere. At 9:00 in the morning of the second day she was escorted by two large sheriff’s deputies–which reminded her she was still considered a prisoner–to a meeting with a psychiatrist. He introduced himself as Dr. Hubart and instructed her to sit in a comfortable armchair in front of his desk. A plastic pitcher of water and plastic glasses were placed within her reach. In addition to the deputies, two orderlies, also good-sized men, stayed in the room.

“I’m guessing there’s no doctor-patient confidentiality,” Tammy said.

“You’re a convicted felon, Tamara,” Hubart pointed out. “In addition, you have a history of violence. You’ve admitted in court that you’ve killed more than ten people. Most individuals with your record would be considered serial murderers.”

“People in the military wouldn’t,” Tammy replied, trying to avoid showing visible anger. “I never killed anyone who wasn’t trying to harm me or someone I care about. That includes Karla Roberts, the senator’s daughter. You’re treating me as if I had multiple murder convictions.”

“Nevertheless, this is the recommended protocol,” Hubart said. “Our session is being recorded with both audio and visual, and I have to file a report, so confidentiality wouldn’t hold even if we were alone. If it would make you more comfortable to have the others out of the room, that could be arranged. However, under those circumstances, you would be chained with leg irons bolted to the floor, and connected to shackles around your wrists. It’s up to you. What’s your preference?”

“I’d rather not be chained.”

“I thought not. Let’s get started.”

The beginning of the interview was benign. Tammy was asked about her childhood, her career goals before she was arrested, her likes and dislikes with respect to food, books, music, television, and so on. They talked about current events and other innocuous subjects.

At noon they broke for lunch. Tammy was brought back to her room and served there. She figured the morning session was to put her at ease and establish a friendly rapport with the doctor. She expected the afternoon session to be less comfortable.

***

Jennifer, Brendan, Sandra Burnham, the nurse/nanny, and a contingent of about twenty security people settled back into their seats as the Roberts family’s large, private jet took off. The initial flight plan had them headed for Chicago, but once they were in the air, Jennifer had the plane diverted to Dallas. She’d made plans to hire another private jet to fly them from Dallas to Denver. From Denver they’d make the four hour drive in large SUVs. Their destination was a highly secure home she’d purchased, through a cut-out, near Aspen, Colorado. The SUVs had also been purchased by a third party.

Brendan fussed until they’d reached level flight. Then he fell asleep. There was a closed-in office toward the rear of the plane. Its primary use was to give the senator a place to work, and sometimes nap, while traveling. Jennifer retreated to the office along with Kent Malone, her longtime head of security.

Upon his discharge from the military, Malone had joined a mercenary group where he’d led one of their action teams. A little over ten years previously he’d been hired away for his present job with the Roberts family. He’d been in that position ever since.

Jennifer took the chair behind the desk, habitually used by her husband. Malone took a facing chair. Neither said anything for several minutes.

“You’ve been with us for a long time, Kent,” Jennifer said, breaking the silence.

“The Roberts family has been good to me,” Malone said.

“Yes we have. We’re paying you nearly double what you received in your last job.”

“I appreciate it. I hope I’ve been worth the money.”

“My former daughter-in-law has gone on record as having killed more than ten people,” Jennifer said, changing tack. “Not only am I concerned about my own safety, I’m very worried about the influence she’d have on my grandson should she be allowed near him. I’d do anything to prevent that. Anything.”

“I understand your position, Mrs. Roberts,” Malone said. He slid forward in his seat so they were closer together. “So do the courts. Otherwise they would never have kept the baby away from his birth mother.”

“In your time in the military and with the mercenaries you must have killed people yourself.”

“It’s almost inevitable if you’re on the front lines. Which I was.”

“Do you ever feel remorse.”

“Not really. You do what you have to do. They would’ve killed me if they were able to.”

“If something were to befall my daughter-in-law so she was no longer capable of continuing her vendetta against me, I would be much more at ease. If an individual were to make that happen I would see to it they were rewarded. Handsomely.”

“I get your drift, Mrs. Roberts,” Malone said. A slow grin crossed his face and he rubbed his palms together. “I surely do.”

***

Dr. Hubart began the afternoon session with more light conversation. After about fifteen minutes he said it was time to get to events that may have traumatized her. He asked her to describe in detail her kidnapping and subsequent rape when she was held as a sex slave in Saudi Arabia. Since it was seven years in the past, and she’d talked about it more than once, she was able to comply without showing any emotion. Then Hubart wanted to know about the rescue. This was more difficult because she had to be careful to make no mention of were-leopards. Even though their session was being recorded, he took careful notes, and she was sure he was aware of the times she hesitated before speaking. She hoped he’d think her reticence was caused solely by unpleasant memories.

Next she was asked to talk about the “adventures” she and Karla had two summers previously. Once again she had to be cautious since were-leopards played a major role. Finally she was asked to talk about her son and the custody hearing. Tammy had a hard time keeping her composure. She suspected Hubart noted it.

“You want what’s best for your son, Tamara, I’m sure,” Hubart said.

“Of course I do,” Tammy replied.

“Don’t you think a stable life with a wealthy family being raised by a grandmother who dotes on him would be better than what you could provide?”

“It’s not as if I’d be living on the streets,” Tammy said emphatically. “My family is solidly middle class. He’d be better with his natural mother who loves him and would see to it that nothing bad happened to him.” She realized she was beginning to sound strident. She took time to pour herself a glass of water in an effort to calm down. She drank the water, put the glass back on the tray, and continued. “To Jennifer he’s nothing but a toy. A prize to show off to her friends. She’s not raising him any more than she raised her own kids. Nannies do all the work. I doubt she’s changed a diaper in her life. Also she blames me for the death of my husband. She’ll do anything to ‘get even.’ That’s why she won’t let any member of my family see him. If she really had my son’s best interests at heart, she would’ve at least let me breast feed him while he was in her custody. You’re a doctor. I shouldn’t have to tell you the benefits of mother’s milk.”

“Millions of people have been raised on formula,” Hubart said. “But that’s neither here nor there. Why did you sign the prenuptial agreement?”

“I didn’t.”

“Mr. Covington, a respected lawyer, testified otherwise. Your signature was witnessed. Your fingerprints were found on the document on nearly every page.”

“Covington is a fucking liar!” Tammy shouted. She immediately realized losing her temper was a mistake. It’s what got me into this mess in the first place, she thought. She took a moment to regain control, and in a more normal tone, said, “I’ll take a lie detector test.”

“A lie detector test would do no good, Tamara,” Hubart said. Tammy thought he sounded condescending. “I believe you think you didn’t, so by denying it you wouldn’t be lying. An FBI expert, who’s testified hundreds of times at various trials, found the signature and the fingerprints genuine.”

“He also testified it was possible to forge both. The Roberts have billions of dollars to spend. They could have, must have, found someone to do the job.”

“Tamara,” Hubart said as he reached inside his desk and took out a small case. “My job is to ascertain whether or not it’s safe to allow you back into society. Believe it or not I want to recommend you be released. You’ve been through a lot and have had far too many traumatic events in your young life. Maintaining the delusion you didn’t sign the prenup isn’t helping your case. It makes me wonder about your mental stability. Also I’m not completely satisfied with your description of the events of your kidnapping ordeal and your time with Karla Roberts.”

Hubart paused, opened the case, and took out a hypodermic syringe. “I’m going to inject you with a drug which will lower your inhibitions. Other than that, it’s harmless. You’ll talk more freely. It will also allow me to hypnotize you. I’m an expert at that. I believe you’re deeply disturbed, the cause of which started well before you lost your son. If I can discover the root cause of your disturbance, I may be able to recommend a course of treatment which will lead to your cure. After a time here, your treatment may even be able to be carried out on an outpatient basis.”

“No drugs!” Tammy yelled as she jumped out of her chair. “I don’t take drugs! I don’t like needles!” She knew she couldn’t allow herself to be given a drug which might have her babbling about being a were-leopard. Either that would convince Hubart she was totally off her rocker, or she’d prove she actually was one by changing, which could well be worse. It would show she was really dangerous and could easily get her locked up either as a curiosity or where scientists could “examine” her. Possibly it might get her killed outright.

“It’s for your own good, Tamara,” Hubart said. He came around his desk with the hypodermic in his right hand and cotton swab in his left.

One orderly grasped Tammy by her right arm. The other reached for her left. Hubart was about to jab her. She ducked away from Hubart, yanked her arm free, lifted orderly One up, and spun him toward the doctor. Hubart was coming forward with the syringe. He plunged it into One. In the meantime orderly Two got behind her and grasped both her arms. She head-butted him in his face. He staggered back and fell, blood gushing from his nose.

The deputies each reached for tasers. Tammy stepped forward, seized Hubart by the lapels of his white coat, and whirled around. The taser darts of the first deputy went into Hubart’s body. He spasmed. She raced at the second deputy still holding Hubart in front of her. The three of them went down. The deputy lost his grip on his taser. Tammy picked it up and shot him with it. The first deputy reached for his gun. Tammy was on him before he could get it out of his holster. She twisted his gun wrist, breaking it. The gun fell to the floor. She kicked it under Hubart’s desk.

A loud bell started to ring. A secretary in the outer office was on the phone speaking animatedly while she looked through the thick glass window into Hubart’s office. The door was locked. Tammy picked up the armchair she’d been sitting in and smashed it into the glass window. In spite of her leopard strength, it took four tries before the glass was knocked out of its frame.

Tammy dove through the open window, ran by the cowering secretary, and entered the hallway. She ran to the end of the corridor. The steel door was locked. She ran back to a set of stairs. People were pounding up the stairwell. She darted into it and looked down. A man holding a gun was one flight down. Several other armed men were behind him. He saw her and shouted something.

Down was no good. She ran up five flights and came to a locked door. A sign on it read “Roof Access. Authorized Personnel Only.” Fueled by desperation and adrenaline, she kicked at it using every ounce of her leopard strength. After three tries it was knocked off its hinges. She ran out onto the roof and found herself ten stories above the ground. The top of a tall tree was about twenty feet down and forty feet over. Men were coming up the stairs. They sounded as if they were two flights down. She had only one chance. She ripped off her clothes and changed. The leopard got a running start and leaped for the tree.

***

“I saw someone dash up the stairs!” called one of the men responding to the security alert.

“If she did, she’s trapped,” their leader said. “I’m going to check on the doc. The rest of you wait here. She can’t go anywhere.”

“Oh my God, oh my God!” the secretary screamed as the security team leader entered Hubart’s office suite. “She smashed the window and jumped through it. She might’ve killed everyone in Dr. Hubart’s office!”

The security man entered the doctor’s office. All were alive, but two obviously needed medical attention. Hubart was just recovering from being tased. The security leader picked up the armchair, helped the doctor into it, and got a cup of water for him. It took a few minutes for him to stop twitching.

“Where is she?” Hubart asked in a raspy voice. He cleared his throat. “Did she get away?”

“She ran up the stairs, Doctor,” the man replied. “She can’t get away.”

“Go after her but be very careful. She’s extremely dangerous. She took out two deputies and two orderlies, all bigger than she is. I’ve never seen anyone move so fast in my life. If you can capture her without hurting her, I’d appreciate it. I’d love to examine her and write up my findings. Obviously we’d have to keep her in chains.”

“We’ll get her doc, don’t worry.”

The security leader and his men went cautiously up the stairs. At each landing they checked to make sure the door to the floor was locked. Eventually they came to the top floor and found the roof access wide open with the door off its hinges. The roof wasn’t that big and there was no cover except for a few air vents. Leaving two men to guard the entrance to the stairs, the remaining men spread out in a line and carefully moved from one end to the other. The only thing they found was Tammy’s clothes.

“Looks like she jumped off the building and committed suicide,” a man said. “We’re about a hundred feet up. Nobody could survive a fall like that. Too bad. I guess she figured death was better than being held prisoner. Especially in a psych ward.”

“We have to make sure,” the leader said. He pointed to two of his men. “You guys go around the building checking to make sure she’s not hanging on by something or other. I don’t believe anyone could do that, but I also didn’t believe she could take out four big men with only her bare hands. The rest of us will go outside. We’ll see if we can see something from ground level.”

“The only thing we’ll find is her body somewhere,” another man predicted.

***

The leopard descended from the tree. She crouched in its shadow to get the lay of the land. The grounds of the hospital were surrounded by a concrete wall ten feet high, with another foot of razor wire on top. The leopard found a spot where there were trees on the other side of the wall. She easily leaped over it and headed away from the hospital compound. After about a mile she came to a road. Staying amongst the trees, she trotted paralleling the road. Two miles later the road ended at a larger road. She had no idea what she should do, so she changed.

Tammy picked the direction that appeared to be heading away from the hospital and ran along the road. There were trees on both sides. Traffic was sparse, but not nonexistent. Whenever she heard a car approaching she ducked behind a tree until it passed. Her immediate goal was to get as far away from the hospital as she could. Normally she could run a mile about every six minutes and keep up the pace for close to an hour. Now, however, she was naked and barefoot, plus she had to hide about every ten minutes or so. She estimated she could cover five to six miles every hour. As time passed she had to rest more frequently and her pace became even slower.

Three hours later the sun had set. The only light came from a half-moon. She was resting by the side of a dirt road leading into the woods when a car holding three teenaged boys turned onto the dirt road and continued along it. Sensing a potential opportunity, she walked in the same direction as the car.

Two miles farther on, she found the car was parked. The boys had lit a fire in a clearing by the side of the road. They’d spread a blanket out and were sitting on it, roasting hotdogs, and drinking beer.

Tammy crouched in some bushes by the clearing and observed. After a few minutes she figured they were settled in. She called, “Guys, I need help.”

They jumped, one spilling his beer. “Who’s there?” the largest boy shouted.

“My name is Maggie,” Tammy said. “Can you guys help me out?”

“What do you want us to do?” a second boy asked. “Come out where we can see you.”

“That’s part of the problem. I can’t come out. I’m naked.”

The boys looked at each other, grinned, and made ribald remarks they didn’t think Tammy could hear. Finally the third boy said, “We have to see you’re not trying to put something over on us. How did you come to be naked in the woods?”

“My boyfriend and I were having sex. Then he wanted me to do his buddy, but I didn’t want to. His friend didn’t smell good. It was bad enough he made me do it while his friend watched. I don’t like to have sex with an audience. He got mad and threw me out of his car, naked, and the bastard drove off. I saw you guys come this way and hoped you might help me.”

“We need to know this is not some kind of scam,” boy One said. “Come out!”

“I don’t have any clothes on,” Tammy complained.

“You already told us that,” Three said. “We need to see if you’re telling the truth.”

Tammy came out with her left arm across her breasts and her right hand over her pubic area.

“Step closer to the fire and put your arms by your side,” Two ordered.

“Why do I have to do that?” Tammy asked in a whiney voice. “You can see I have nothing on.”

“If you want us to help you, you have to do what we say,” Three said. “We were having a party. You’re breaking it up.”

Tammy moved forward until she was clearly visible in the light of the fire. She allowed her arms to fall to her sides. All three boys gawked at her. She could see at least two of them were getting erections.

“Sweet Jesus!” One exclaimed. “She’s really hot! Her boyfriend must be nuts to want to share her.”

“Okay, we’ll help you, Maggie,” Two said. “After you’re nice to us.”

“What do you mean?” Tammy asked with a puzzled expression on her face. “I’ve been nice. I haven’t called you names or anything.”

“What my friend means is you have sex with us,” One said.

“All of you?”

“All of us,” Three affirmed. “If you want our help. Otherwise, you can be on your way.”

“Not all at once,” Tammy said. She put her arms back covering herself. “One at a time. And the other two can’t watch. I already told you I don’t like to have sex with people watching. I don’t enjoy it. Trust me when I say you’ll like it better if I like it too.”

“Okay, when we’re not doing it, we’ll have our backs turned,” Two said.

“You could peek,” Tammy pointed out. “I could see you. That would make me nervous. If I’m nervous I won’t like it. We’ll do it like this. One of you will come with me. We’ll find a spot. We’ll bring the blanket so I don’t have to lie in the dirt. When we’re done he’ll come back and another will come to me.”

The boys conferred briefly and agreed to Tammy’s conditions, provided she stopped covering her breasts and pubis. One picked up a flashlight and handed the blanket to her. With his arm around her waist they walked along the road for about a quarter mile until they came to another clearing. While they walked he moved his hand up and caressed her nipple. Tammy could see by the rapid pulse of the carotid artery in his neck that his heart was racing. She spread out the blanket. Tammy told One to prop the flashlight against a tree and take off his clothes. He did. Then he put his arms around her.

Moving so rapidly he had no time to react, she grasped his right arm, twisted it up behind his back, and pushed him face first onto the ground next to the blanket. She held his arm in place with her left hand and put her right hand over his mouth. He struggled but quickly found he couldn’t dislodge her.

“I could easily break your arm and dislocate your elbow,” Tammy said in a low, menacing tone. She pushed his right arm slightly upward. He gasped in pain. “I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth. If you yell I will break your arm. Understand?”

“Yes!” he said in a hoarse voice. “Who are you? What are you?”

“I’m going to release your arm,” Tammy said, ignoring his questions. “If you try to get up it’ll be your last move. Ever. Do what I say and you’ll be fine.”

Still straddling One’s buttocks, Tammy released his arm. He straightened it out, but otherwise stayed still. She reached for the blanket and tore it into strips which she used to bind and gag him. She tied him securely to a tree, emptied the pockets of his clothes, and donned them, except for his undershorts. She looked in his wallet and saw his first name was Connor.

“Thanks for the clothes, Connor,” Tammy said. “Consider it payment for letting you and your buddies see me nude. I’m going to take your phone, but not your wallet, money, or the flashlight. Sooner or later your friends will get tired of waiting. They’ll come along and release you.”

Tammy started off. The moonlight filtering through the trees was plenty for her cat-like vision. The going was much easier now that she was wearing Connor’s sneakers. She used the phone to call up a map of the area. There was a north-south road about seven miles ahead. Next she called her mother’s burner phone. She gave Olivia a brief account of developments and the GPS coordinates of the spot she thought she’d be when she reached the road. Olivia said she’d call Jeremy. Tammy should expect him within two and a half to three hours.

“Be sure to caution him to stay within the speed limits,” Tammy said. “We don’t want any record of him having been here. If I get there before him, I’ll wait in the woods.”

She turned off the phone, took out the battery and sim card, crushed the sim card, and ground it into the dirt. She heaved the phone as far as she could to her left, and the battery as far as she could to her right.

***

“Connor and the bitch have been gone for over a half hour,” boy Two said. “How long does it take to get laid?”

“Maybe she’s giving him a blowjob also,” Three surmised.

“I bet he couldn’t get it up and she’s trying like hell to help him out,” Two said with a cackle. “The fucker’s always bragging about how well he does with girls. He’s probably a virgin and this is his first opportunity to get some. I wouldn’t be surprised if he froze up.”

Three laughed so hard he had to grab a tree to keep from falling. “I think you’re right! Grab the other flashlight. Let’s go up the road until we find them.”

“She said she doesn’t want anyone watching.”

“Big fucking deal what she wants,” Three said. He blew a raspberry. “What’s she gonna do? Run away naked? Conner’s had her long enough. It’s our turn.”

Two and Three walked the quarter mile up the road laughing and joking about Connor. Each of the possibilities they thought of was wilder than the previous and sent them into ever deeper spasms of laughter. The actual scene they found was not one they’d considered. Conner was trussed up, gagged, and tied to a tree.

“It took you guys long enough to get here,” Connor complained after being released. He put on his undershorts and moved his arms and legs. “Shit! I think both arms and both legs are asleep.”

“What the fuck happened?” Three asked.

“The bitch got the drop on me,” a red-faced Connor said.

“You let a girl do that?” Two said as he bent over with laughter.

“C’mon guys,” Connor pleaded. “She took all my clothes except for my skivvies. Took my phone too. She went up the road more. Let’s get after her. We’ll fuck her and leave her here. Two of us can hold her down while the other does her. We’ll take turns. Maybe we’ll make her blow us too.”

The three of them continued up the road, but could find no sign of Maggie. After nearly an hour of fruitless searching, they returned to their car and left.