Chapter 1

The morning rush at "The Daily Grind" was finally slowing.

I wiped down the counter, the smell of coffee and burnt sugar thick in the air.

A fluffy poodle whined softly outside the cafe window.

He dropped it. The man dropped the sweet bread. So close.

I glanced down. A piece of croissant lay near the poodle' s paws, just out of its reach on the busy sidewalk.

I picked up a napkin, "accidentally" knocked a small piece of a day-old scone off the counter, and swept it into the trash near the door.

Later, when I took the trash out, I made sure the scone piece landed near the poodle.

It wagged its tail, its thoughts a burst of pure joy. Sweet! Yes!

This was my secret, the one I told no one, not even Mark, my boyfriend. I heard them. Animals. All of them.

My phone buzzed. It was Chloe, my best friend.

"Sarah! Are you free this afternoon? You have to come see the Center. Dr. Albright is actually letting me show a friend around certain areas!"

Chloe was a research assistant at the Primate Cognition Center, a new, fancy facility built just outside town, tucked away in the woods. She was always excited about her work, a little too trusting of the "cutting-edge" science they were doing.

"Sure, Chlo. What time?" I said, already feeling a familiar unease about that place.

"Two o'clock? I'll meet you at the main gate."

"See you then."

Mark was a software developer, steady and kind. He' d be working late tonight on a project, so the apartment would be empty.

The Primate Cognition Center loomed out of the trees, all sleek glass and imposing grey stone. It looked more like a fortress than a research lab.

Chloe met me, practically bouncing. "It's so amazing, Sarah. We're learning so much."

She led me through sterile corridors, past labs with one-way glass. I tried to ignore the faint, anxious chatter of smaller monkeys, the low hum of machinery.

"And this," Chloe announced, stopping before a massive, reinforced enclosure, "is Brutus."

Behind a thick pane of specialized glass, a huge gorilla sat. He was enormous, his eyes dark and incredibly intelligent. He watched me.

I focused, a habit I couldn't break, and his thoughts hit me, clear and cold.

Her skin. So smooth. It looks soft.

I flinched.

Chloe didn't notice. "Isn't he magnificent? He's part of a cognitive enhancement program. His intelligence scores are off the charts."

Brutus stared, unblinking.

I want it. Her skin. Tonight. I'll take it tonight.

A shiver went down my spine. His thoughts weren't animalistic hunger. They were possessive, calculating.

"He's... intense," I managed.

"He's just curious," Chloe said, smiling. "Don't worry, this place is Fort Knox. Triple-redundant security, electrified perimeter, round-the-clock surveillance. Nothing gets in or out without authorization."

I nodded, trying to shake off the gorilla's silent vow.

It was just a thought. A weird, disturbing animal thought.

The facility was miles from my apartment. He was behind multiple layers of steel and glass. Impossible.

I forced a smile for Chloe. "Impressive."

But Brutus's eyes followed me as we walked away.

Tonight.