Chapter 2
Chapter Two
The big feline went to sleep without incident, and Nadirah breathed a sigh of relief.
She’d not been sure what to expect when she’d gotten the call that a tiger had been found on board a docking freighter.
Usually, Nadirah rescued tigers and other animals before they got smuggled out of the country.
This was the first time she’d ever been called to recover an animal being brought in.
Despite what had to have been a rough crossing, the bedraggled feline had met her gaze and stared as if fascinated by the sight of her.
The fixation went two ways because, what beautiful eyes.
Nadirah had been working with tigers for years.
Had studied them extensively before taking on a job as an animal caretaker for Zoo Negara.
Never had she seen one with such unique eyes as the male cornered on the ship.
The orbs almost appeared human, given the small round pupils. A genetic anomaly, most likely.
While she’d kept it distracted, two people armed with tranquilizer guns had crept in close enough to dart it.
One seemed to be enough to put it to sleep, but just in case, she administered a second injection to ensure the big male remained unconscious during its transport to the zoo.
They currently had an empty enclosure since they’d had a feline relocated to another facility.
Whether or not this tiger would stay with them would depend on a few factors, the key one being, had it been stolen from elsewhere?
It took just over an hour to make the journey from Port Klang—the busiest dock for freighters in Malaysia—to Zoo Negara. The 110-acre zoo catered to over 470 species, which included various mammals, birds, reptiles, and aquatic creatures.
Nadirah monitored the transport of the mystery tiger, ensuring he was handled with care.
She didn’t immediately place him in the enclosure for public viewing but rather in the closed-off indoor area where she could examine him.
It took a few men to lift the beast onto her scale for weighing.
She took notes. Three hundred and thirty-seven catty, which was just over two hundred pounds.
Full length, including tail, just over three meters.
His stripes were distinctive, despite his bedraggled fur.
He’d obviously not groomed himself since being discovered in the storm.
She ran her hand over his flank, smoothing the hair and feeling the toned muscle.
She inspected the feline, head to tip of the tail, and found, other than being disheveled, he appeared in perfect health.
Whoever smuggled the tiger aboard must have been taking care of him.
Still, one couldn’t be too cautious, hence why she prepared a few inoculations.
She managed to inject two before the smooth breathing of the beast changed.
She hustled out of the cage and shut the door just as the tiger opened an eye.
He blinked and then immediately fixated on her with those strange orbs. So human-like.
“Hello,” she said in Malay.
The tiger stared but didn’t growl or move.
“Welcome to your new home. For now, at least. Inquiries are being made to see where you might have been taken from.”
The tiger rolled to its feet and approached the bars.
“If you’re thirsty, there is water in the corner.
” She spoke to it as if it could understand, an odd quirk of hers.
She found it sometimes helped to keep the beasts she worked with calm, but she also did it because of her Nenek.
Her mother’s mother loved the old legends and used to tell Nadirah stories of weretigers, folk who could change into the striped felines.
According to Nenek, these werecats lived in a remote village in the wild jungles covering the southern peninsula.
Complete fantasy, of course. Still, those stories started Nadirah’s fascination with the striped felines and led to her specializing in their care.
“You appear healthy, although I am curious as to your origin. You’re definitely not from here,” she stated. Unlike Malaysian tigers, he had wide stripes.
The beast cocked its head and uttered a chuffing sound before pawing at the floor. Trying to communicate?
“You must be hungry. I’ll fetch you some food. I shouldn’t be too long.”
Nadirah honesty meant to return within the hour, only the moment she emerged from the building, she found herself bombarded.
It began with Ahmad, the zoo’s director.
He texted as she exited and indicated the authorities were in his office and wanted to speak to her about the tiger.
Nadirah didn’t have much to tell them, not yet at least. Upon finishing with that meeting, she then had to deal with another feline who’d somehow managed to get its head stuck in a bucket.
Then, on her way back to the tiger she’d recovered, with a bowl of ground beef, she was waylaid by a reporter and her cameraman.
A microphone got thrust into Nadirah’s face matched with a rapid-fire question. “You are the one taking care of the tiger retrieved earlier today from the freighter?”
Nadirah recoiled. “Yes.”
“What can you tell us about it?”
“Not much, I’m afraid, other than it appears in good health.”
“Where did it come from?”
“I don’t know. You’d have to speak to the authorities investigating.”
“Was it stolen from the Royal Reserve?”
“Doubtful. Its patterns don’t match those currently in custody, nor did I find a tag.”
“Can we see it?”
“Not today, I’m afraid. We’re currently getting him settled.” Flies discovered the container of raw meat and began buzzing, making Nadirah grimace.
“So you will be showing him to the public?”
Nadirah hesitated. “I’m unable to say what the plan is yet.” Although, given the interest, the zoo director would most likely approve it for public showing until they figured out where it belonged.
“Why would someone be smuggling a tiger into the country? That seems odd,” the reported stated.
“It is strange,” Nadirah agreed.
“Why do that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Surely you have a theory?”
“I’ve barely had time to think about it,” she admitted.
Apparently, the reporter didn’t like Nadirah’s answers because she huffed. “This wasn’t very helpful.”
“Sorry,” Nadirah said with a shrug. Apparently, the truth lacked excitement.
“Let’s go see if the director will talk to us,” the female reporter stated before strutting off with her videographer in tow.
A bemused Nadirah watched her go. Her first interview and she doubted it would air, given she’d been unable to answer anything.
She hurried inside the building and noticed the tiger lay seemingly asleep.
“I’m back,” Nadirah chirped as she set the container of meat on the floor by the cage. She unlocked a hatch and slid the food bowl inside. “Here’s some dinner.”
The tiger rose to its feet and wandered over for a sniff—and gagged.
She blinked. She’d never heard that sound before from a giant cat. “Is something wrong?”
The tiger put a paw on the rim of the bowl and gave it a shove in her direction.
“Not to your liking?”
He uttered a low growl.
“Don’t tell me you have fancy tastes.” Then again, she couldn’t blame it. A glance at the ground meat showed it mostly gray, the air having oxidized the once-red beef, making it less than fresh. The flies that swarmed probably didn’t help.
The tiger sat and stared.
“Is this your way of asking me to fetch you something else?”
She’d have sworn he understood, seeing as how he nodded his head.
She sighed. “Let me go see what else I can find.” It took her almost two hours.
The zoo fridges had only ground beef, as they weren’t due for a meat delivery for another day or two.
She chose to hit the market, where she took a moment for herself and had dinner before she hunted down some fresh cow femurs that still had hunks of red on them.
By the time she returned to the zoo, it had closed for the night.
It made her trip to the tiger’s enclosure quick, since no one stopped Nadirah to ask questions.
As she put her hand on the door to the secured part where her new tiger guested, a voice stopped her.
“Is this the building with the big cat found on that ship?”
She whirled to see a stranger, a male about her height but stockier. “Excuse me, but you shouldn’t be here. The zoo is closed.”
The man, dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt, pulled out a knife. “I asked you a question. Where’s the tiger that was brought in this morning? And don’t tell me you don’t know. I saw you on the news.”
Her mouth went dry. Did this man work for whoever was buying the feline? Had he come to fetch it? The tip of the blade aimed in her direction had her licking her lips before replying, “He’s inside undergoing a medical evaluation.”
“Show me.”
“Why?” she blurted out.
“Because the person paying me wants it dead.”
Nadirah couldn’t help but gasp. “Why?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care. But they’re paying lots to have it done.”
The ludicrousness had her laughing somewhat hysterically. “You realize you most likely won’t get a chance to spend it since the cat will most likely kill you. The tiger not only outweighs you, but its claws are longer than your knife.”
“So you’ll put it to sleep first. I know you can do that,” he blustered.
“I am not helping you to kill a defenseless beast,” she huffed.
The knife waggled in her direction. “You will if you don’t want me to cut you.”
A threat she couldn’t ignore, but at the same time, she didn’t want to help this thug. “How much are they paying you to kill the tiger?” Perhaps she could offer a sweeter deal.
The amount he mentioned staggered. It was more than she made in a year. “That can’t be right,” she exclaimed. “Whoever asked you to do this is lying. They won’t pay you that much.”
“They’d better, or else,” he grumbled, waving around his short blade. “Now stop stalling and get inside.”
She’d rather stall longer in the hopes the night watchman came strolling by. However, the hired thug appeared to be done talking and waiting. The knife tip came alarmingly close, and Nadirah had no choice.
They entered the building, her first, the thug at her back. The tiger lay with its head resting on its paws but lifted its noggin at the sight of her. He made a noise. Probably smelled the bag of femurs in her hand.
An idea hit.
As the thug stepped to her side and exclaimed, “He’s a big brute,” Nadirah swung the sack, the heavy bones connecting with the wannabe killer’s face, knocking him back.
The man recovered and darted for her, spittle flying. “How dare you!” The knife slashed, and Nadirah knocked it aside with the bag, which split, spilling the contents.
The tiger uttered a barking noise, most likely of hunger, but Nadirah didn’t have time to feed him, not with her life in jeopardy.
The thug advanced with murderous intent in his gaze, and she had nothing left to stop him. She retreated until she ran out of space, her back pressed to the bars of the cage. Not exactly ideal, as it put her in reach of the tiger’s claws, but she had nowhere else to go.
And the thug knew it.
He smirked as he stalked for her. “Wonder if I’ll get a bonus for killing you,” he stated.
The tiger snarled, as if reacting to the threat, and she had another idea. Not a good one; however, she’d run out of options.
Before she could change her mind, she whirled and unlocked the cage, flinging the door open, even as the thug yelled, “What are you doing?”
She couldn’t help but riposte, “Feeding a hungry tiger.”
A tiger who wasted no time exiting the cage. It pounced, landing on the man, knocking him to the floor hard enough the thug lost his grip on the knife.
The would-be tiger assassin screamed as he became the victim instead. Nadirah turned her head aside, not wanting to watch the mauling. She kept her eyes shut tight but couldn’t unhear the sound of cracking bone. A rattling wheeze was followed by silence as the thug died.
A rustle of movement had her wondering if it was her turn next. When she didn’t feel any claws or teeth, she dared to glance at the tiger, who still had the man pinned, his jaws locked around his bloodied neck.
She blinked, because, as she watched, the striped feline blurred and became something else.
A man.
A handsome, and very naked, Caucasian man, who stood and wiped his bloodied lips before saying in perfect English, “Please don’t scream. I can explain.”