Cut and Run 6 - Stars and Stripes

asked.
    “Of course.” Tish swiped a hand over her forehead. “They were two white Bengal tigers.”
    “Bengal tigers?” Ty repeated.
    “Yes. A male and female. Hansel and Gretel.”
    Ty leaned in to whisper to Zane. “Those are the big-ass ones, Zane.”
    Zane nodded.
    “Actually, the Siberian tiger is bigger,” Tish said, babbling faster and wringing her hands. “Most people think white tigers are Siberians, but they’re usually a mixture of the two. The white gene comes from the Bengal, but they do tend to grow bigger than the orange ones.”
    “So, very large tigers,” Zane said. Tish nodded and smiled weakly.
    “I fucking hate Texas,” Ty hissed in Zane’s ear before turning back to Tish with a charming, fake smile.
    Tish led them through the grounds, between large holding pens filled with every imaginable species of big cat and the trappings of keeping them healthy and happy. There were over forty habitats. Most were at least fifty feet square, with soaring cages that went over twenty feet high. They had inside and outside areas, with platforms as high as thirteen feet up, built around trees and hills. There were plastic playhouses and igloos, fake ponds with burbling waterfalls, tires on the ground and hanging from the trees, and debris that had probably once been rubber toys.
    Leopards, cheetahs, lynx, tigers, cougars, bobcats, servals, and lions occupied the habitats, along with one small raccoon-like creature that lay curled protectively inside a hollow log, as if it smelled the fact that it was the only omnivore in the place.
    Zane kept an eye on Ty as they moved through the facility. He felt sorry for his partner, sort of, but he was also amused. Ty seemed to have developed an extra nervous twitch the closer they got to the animals. Not that Zane could blame him.
    When they passed a mountain lion named Duke, Ty skirted around the cage, putting Mark between the chain link and him. He didn’t look at the cat, and Zane grew concerned when he saw Ty shifting his weight from side to side, like he might be ready to bolt. His fingers constantly played with his USMC signet ring, and several times Zane saw his hand drift toward the gun in his holster. Zane frowned. Maybe he’d pushed too far, forcing Ty to come with them. He put his arm around Ty’s shoulders and squeezed.
    “I’m sorry I made you come.”
    Ty took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m okay.”
    They followed Tish as she told them about each occupant in loving detail. Each cat had a tragic beginning, and Zane found himself lingering over the plaques that displayed their names and how they’d been rescued.
    They walked past a pair of large jaguars up a tree, one black, one spotted. Green eyes tracked them from on high as sinuous tails flicked through the air.
    Zane was beginning to feel more and more sympathy for Ty as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
    They continued on, through winding pathways and up shady hills until they topped out on a plateau. The habitats were larger here, and further back sat sheds that housed equipment. The first enclosure they came upon on the plateau held a spectacular creature, one of the most beautiful Zane had ever seen up close: a white tiger.
    “Baihu is a cross between a Bengal and a Siberian,” Trish said, slowing as they crossed in front of the new enclosure. “White tigers are prized among collectors, but they’re not at all rare like people think. Most are inbred for the recessive white gene and have certain health issues. If you look closely, you’ll see that Baihu is cross-eyed. And I must warn you, he’s quite aggressive, so when you pass by you may want to give him a wide berth.”
    Ty muttered under his breath as they walked between Baihu’s fence and the fence of a small lynx named Zelda. Zane watched him closely, so focused on Ty that he was only dimly aware of a movement to his side. By the time he was able to turn his head, all he could see was the massive white tiger rushing at them, teeth bared. It leaped, hitting the fence with a growl. The chain rattled. Teeth gnashed at the chain link and claws hooked through it as the weight of the tiger’s massive body swung the fence back and forth.
    Annie screamed and ducked behind Mark, grabbing him as he flinched away. Zane stumbled back, throwing his arms up and ducking. The urge to flee was instinctive, even knowing the fence would protect them.
    Tish was laughing, obviously accustomed to seeing that reaction when