Read Takedown for Free Online Page B

eyes.
    “Come on, Jeremy,” Cocchiola said. “I don’t understand. He’s usually more predictable than this, sir.”
    After another long moment of nothing, Kormoski looked at his wristwatch. “Well, maybe Jeremy’s not angry today. Anyway, I’ve
     got to get—”
    In that instant, with the speed of a raptor, the tortoise stabbed at the rat with its beak, killing it instantly. Jeremy picked
     up the limp body, momentarily displaying the kill before whipping his neck and hurling the dead rat at the glass partition,
     where it hit with a hard thud, six inches from Kormoski’s startled face. Both Cocchiola and her tech inside the cage shrieked.
     The rat fell off the glass, leaving remnants of fur, flesh, and dripping blood.
    Kormoski slowly looked at Cocchiola. “What in the name of God is going on here, Susan?” he asked quietly. “Is this your idea
     of a demonstration?”
    Not her idea,
Davis thought, keeping his eye on the tortoise.
    “I’m sorry, sir. I had no idea Jeremy would—”
    Kormoski held up his hand to interrupt. “Let’s forget for the moment that tortoises
don’t
throw things. Let’s also put aside the speed and accuracy this particular tortoise has in throwing recently deceased animals.
     What I would like to know is
Why did he throw the rat at me?
” Kormoski’s voice grew louder as he spoke. “It behaved like a gorilla. It stared me down and threw a rat at me.”
    “Get her out of there, Susan,” Davis said softly.
    “Sir, I suggest we waste no time in shipping—”
    “I said you have to get her out of there, Susan,” Davis interrupted, louder this time.
    “Excuse me?” Cocchiola turned to Davis.
    “Karen!” Davis now shouted angrily to Cocchiola. “You have to get Karen out of the cage. Radio for someone to help her now.”
    Cocchiola snapped her attention to her tech, who was still on the other side of the glass. Jeremy was motionless but staring
     at Karen. Susan depressed the button on her radio. “Karen, get out of there. Move around to your left.”
    Karen nodded, but before she could move a muscle, Jeremy quickly moved in the direction Karen had been instructed to go. The
     tech froze.
    “Radio someone else for help, Susan,” Davis said. “There’s a net in the rear hall. Don’t say anything Jeremy can hear.”
    Cocchiola looked at Davis in disbelief. “You’re not trying to tell us Jeremy understands English?”
    “Yes.”
And every other language on the planet also,
Davis thought.
    “But that’s preposterous,” Kormoski said.
    “There’s no time to talk about it,” Davis yelled as he ran away from them, down the hall.
    The tortoise watched Davis disappear, then looked back at the tech.
    “Just go around the other way,” Cocchiola radioed, motioning with her hands.
    Karen looked scared. She took a step to the right and Jeremy immediately compensated, moving more like a lizard than a tortoise.
    Davis lugged a heavy net the size of a blanket with him as he hurried to the rear door of Jeremy’s cage. He had made this
     net especially for Jeremy and had used it on several other occasions to separate him from other tortoises. He could hear someone
     coming from behind at the far end of the hall. He glanced to see two other techs running toward him. Cocchiola had apparently
     called for help. He heard muffled screams as he crashed open the door. To his horror, the tech was facedown on the floor of
     the cage, the tortoise over her with the weight of its front leg on the back of her thinneck, pecking at her back and hand-covered head. “Krogan! Stop! In the name of Jesus, stop!” Davis yelled as he rushed at
     Jeremy, not caring who heard him. He threw the thick netting like a lasso spinning through the air. The tortoise stopped its
     attack and glared at Davis as the net landed on target. Cocchiola and Kormoski, their hands pressed on the thick glass, mouths
     moving, stared helplessly. Davis quickly gathered the back of the net in his hands and pulled as