Free The Fixer by T. E. Woods

communicate thoughts and feelings with us.”
    The Fixer watched Ortoo grab the iron bars of his cage in his massive hands, yanking on them as he roared and bared his teeth.
    “Ortoo must have been the dominant troop leader prior to his capture.” Jones continued the lesson. “He never went submissive. In the end I think that’s what cost him. Bastian was never able to make Ortoo grovel.”
    “Bastian has a gorilla?” The Fixer asked. “Does he conduct research at a zoo?”
    A soft sigh came through the speakers. “No one knows how Bastian got him. He kept him in a secret facility. The few assistants who held Bastian in god-like esteem were the only ones who knew Ortoo existed.”
    “How did you get this tape?”
    “I can’t answer that, Ms Carr. Please allow me one last story. Like I said, Bastian was incensed by the gorilla’s insistence on dominance. He could get near Ortoo only when the animal was fully sedated. He implanted electrodes but all he got from Ortoo was rage. No fear. No submission. Ortoo never gave him the subtle emotional distinctions Bastian was looking for in his research. I even think Bastian began to fear him. At least that’s my hope.”
    The Fixer wasn’t watching the clock any more.
    “After nearly a year Bastian realized Ortoo was a liability. He was of no research benefit. Bastian couldn’t give him to a zoo. He’d have to explain how he came into possession of a Silverback. He couldn’t return him to the wild. It must have been difficult enough to smuggle Ortoo in. He couldn’t risk detection by returning him to the jungle.” A resigned breath came across the speakers. “One night a casual conversation gave Bastian his out. And his revenge.”
    “What happened?”
    “Bastian was holding court with his inner circle of research assistants. Wine and cheese while Bastian pontificated and soaked up the unquestioning worship he demanded of his graduate students.” The speakers shifted to a woman’s tender voice. “One particular night the topic centered on proving that a severed head could, indeed, continue to function once it was separated from its body. Neuroscientists are often intrigued by ghoulish topics. Bastian suggested an experiment.”
    “Ortoo?” The Fixer whispered her question.
    “I imagine some of the lab assistants were emboldened by the wine. Maybe others were terrified of Bastian’s power to ruin a career with one phone call.” The woman’s voice turned sad. “For whatever reason the entire meeting headed out to Ortoo’s hidden prison.”
    The overhead television came back on. The Fixer saw again the spartan room. She heard various voices, male and female, chattering behind whoever carried the video camera. She watched Ortoo pacing his cage. Saw him look up when the research entourage approached the mighty behemoth. Ortoo shifted into a violent rage several seconds later and The Fixer assumed Bastian had entered the room.
    “He recorded this? Why?”
    “Ego, Ms Carr. Bastian believed every move he made was of profound importance. He was convinced future generations of scientists would benefit from his archiving every step of his work. No matter how mundane or cruel.”
    The Fixer watched a dart fly into the raging beast’s chest and tried hard to swallow the bile rising in the back of her throat. Less than a minute later Ortoo was slumped in his cell, his breathing rapid and shallow. The screen went black for a second, then resumed to show Ortoo chained spread-eagle in his cage. Wires had been connected to the dozens of permanently implanted electrodes in his giant skull. Lingering effects of the tranquilizing agent were evident as Ortoo struggled to lift his head off his gargantuan chest.
    No people were seen, but the television speaker blared the audio of a scolding man.
    “Damn it, give me the blasted tool.” Bastian’s angry face came into view. The camera captured him as he approached Ortoo’s cell and opened the door. The gorilla tried to