Animal Kingdom (12 page)

Randall smiled. “It certainly is. In fact my company owns a manufacture that produces chemicals just like it. I’m sure it will come in handy.”

Bill went back to what he was doing and Randall exited the room, closing the door behind him. The corridor was empty, other than the large stack of office furniture piled up at one end. Two doors down was a room marked: TODD SPETCHLEY, HEAD OF PRIMATE CARE. Randall entered the room and stepped inside. The space was mostly empty now, its furniture removed for the barricade. Some things still remained however: a desk too wide to get out of the door and a steel filing cabinet that was fastened to the rear wall by several bolts. Randall took a key from his pocket and unlocked the cabinet.

He’d found the key earlier still in its lock. Inside the cabinet he had found several bags of crisps and a chocolate bar amongst the useless paperwork and files. He had cleared out the cabinet earlier and replaced the contents with supplies. It now contained several bottles of water and some additional snacks that had been in various drawers and cupboards. There was also a scalpel from the laboratory as well, just in case he needed to defend himself. There were many other things inside, but not everything in the cupboard had an obvious use just yet. The way he saw it was that the more he had available, the more options he would have later.

Randall placed his Blackberry inside. It wouldn’t do to be caught with it on his person after he had declined to declare it. He would return to it later and try to gain contact with somebody outside of the zoo. Somebody had to be doing something.

After locking the cabinet up again and pocketing the key, Randall re-entered the corridor and immediately bumped into Joe’s group. “Oh, hello, everyone. How did it go in the warehouse?”

Mason was smiling. “Very well, as it happens. Fortunately, a delivery for the cafeteria came in this very morning, right before things became…inconvenient. There is enough food to last us for a while.”

The little boy, Danny, spoke up next. “We found weapons too, and an alligator!”

“
Really?”

“
Yeah,” said the boy’s father, Joe. “We found the litter spikes, and Mason found us some gardening equipment when he came down to help; shovels, pitchforks, and stuff. As for the alligator…it’s all dealt with. We managed to kill it. It got in through an open side-door in the warehouse, but we closed it up and blocked it.”

“
Excellent. I’m just glad you’re all okay. Perhaps when this is all done, you can get on one of those shows where they wrestle alligators all the time.” Randall laughed, pleased with hi banter. “Victor and the rest of us managed to secure the floor quite well so it looks like we’re in good shape. It’s getting dark outside so it may be a good time to bed down soon.”

“
Do we have any blankets?” Grace asked.

Randall shook his head. “Not really. There’re a few cushions and some lab coats to lie on, but other than that we’re in for an uncomfortable night in the cold.”

Joe shrugged. “We’ll manage. Things could be worse.”

The lights cut out.

Joe looked up at the ceiling. “You’re kidding me.”

Chapter Fifteen

The entire group helped bring food up from the warehouse, leaving about a third behind in case something happened to the main supply. They had filled up the seminar room with goods and were now piling cushions onto the floor. It was almost full dark outside and no stars were shining. They didn’t have much time left until visibility was next to nothing.

Joe threw the last cushion onto his pile and put Danny down on it. His son’s eyelids were already half-closed by the time his head hit the soft fabric. Today was too much for a child to have to deal with, and the large portion of chocolate cake Danny had wolfed down earlier had only added to his sleepiness.

“
Sweet dreams, son,” said Joe, covering his son with a spare lab coat. “Tomorrow will be better.”

Danny muttered, “Night, Dad,” then was fast asleep. Joe sat and watched him for a while. He was such a small boy, but so brave – full of energy and optimism. Joe hadn’t spent enough time with Danny since the divorce and it upset him to realise how little he knew about his son’s inner-strength.

Grace came and sat down beside the two of them. “What do you think happened to the electricity?”

Joe shrugged. “I don’t know, but it can’t be good. Things must be really bad for the grid to be down.”

“
I guess so. Mason told me the zoo has a backup generator, but it only runs to the indoor exhibits – the lizards and stuff. We’re gonna be freezing tonight.”

“
Doesn’t look like we’ll get any breaks, does it?”

“
I don’t know about that. We were lucky with the cafeteria delivery. Least we won’t starve. You should have a sandwich, everyone else has.”

Joe nodded. “Maybe later. I guess we can hole up here for a while. It’s not too cold at the moment either. Least we’re not having a load of snow like we did last winter. We’ll get through this.”

Grace looked him in the eye and seemed serious all of a sudden. “We’re lucky to have you, Joe. You saved my life today. Bill’s too. We owe you our lives.”

“
You don’t owe me anything. I just did what anyone would have.”

Grace frowned. “You think? I can’t see Shirley risking herself like you did.”

Joe laughed. “Okay, I did what
most
people would have done.”

Grace moved closer and lay against him. Her skin felt warm. “You did what only brave people would have done. I’m really glad you’re here. Danny too.”

Joe felt awkward for a moment. He hadn’t had a woman this close to him in years and it made him nervous, but at the same time very relaxed. “I’m glad you’re here too, Grace,” he finally admitted, wrapping an arm around her. “I don’t think I could have looked after Danny today without you.”

Grace looked up at him. “He’s a great kid.”

“
You should thank his mother for that. I haven’t been around so much lately.”

Joe expected Grace to investigate further, but she didn’t. “You’re making up for it now.”

“
Thanks,” said Joe, disagreeing with the comment but grateful that she said it all the same. Whether or not Grace knew that, he didn’t know. She’d fallen asleep.

It wasn’t particularly late, but Joe guessed it had been a long day for everyone. The others in the group had also begun to settle down into their own little areas. Bill and Mason were close by, while Randall, Shirley, and Victor sat further back in the room. Victor had built his bed beneath one of the study-desks. For what reason, Joe did not know.

It was now fully dark outside and Joe could see the night between the gaps in the barricade that Victor had assembled in front of the window. He wondered what the evening would bring. Would the animals sleep? Or would they become more active? Did they even need to sleep anymore? Whatever had affected them seemed to have taken complete control.

As if to answer his questions, creatures outside began to howl, using whatever particular vocal abilities they had. At the far end of the room Randall got up from his pillow-bed and went to the window.

“
What’s happening?” Bill asked him.

“
I don’t know,” Randall replied. “I can’t really see anything. They’re out there though, gathered together like they were earlier.”

“
They know we’re in here,” said Victor. “They want our blood.”

“
That may well be,” said Randall, “but we’re safe in here. They’re just trying to agitate us. There’s no reason to worry.”

But as the volume of the catcalls outside increased, Joe couldn’t help but do just that. It was several hours before he got to sleep.

Chapter Sixteen

It was pitch black when Joe awoke. He had no idea what time it was and for a few moments forgot where he was. The darkness extinguished his vision and made remembering hard, but when his ears tuned in to the animal noises outside, it all came rushing back. That wasn’t what had woken him though. There was someone walking about. Joe strained his eyes, trying to see through the darkness. He could make out nothing solid, but someone was definitely there, creeping around in the shadows.

Should I shout out?

No, I’ll keep quiet. I have no reason to think they’re up to anything.

Joe felt around himself, checking for Danny and Grace. They were both there, sleeping soundly, their chests rising and falling steadily. He was pretty sure he could make out Bill’s silhouette lying nearby too, so the sneaking person had to be Mason, Randall, Victor, or Shirley. With the exception of Mason, Joe didn’t trust any of them. Again, he considered calling out, but still chose to remain quiet.

Probably just going to the bathroom.

After the mystery person left the room, Joe waited ten more minutes before he could take it no longer. Sleep would be impossible unless he knew where everyone was. He got up slowly so that he wouldn’t wake the others and then crept to the door in the same way the mystery person had; an almost impossible task in the dark. He kept his arms out as feelers to keep from bumping into the walls.

Outside in the corridor it was no easier to see, the dark just as suffocating. The air was cooler though and tasted fresher than the recycled atmosphere of the seminar room. Joe took a breath and enjoyed the feeling, then looked left and right whilst cocking his ear to one side. It wasn’t clear where the other person had gone, but as Joe listened he thought he could detect sounds coming from further down the corridor. Moist, slapping sounds.

Joe realised the animals inside the lab were no longer making noise. The first time since Mason had riled them up the previous day. Joe felt a tightening in his chest. The smart thing to do would be to wake the others, but something urged him to go on alone. If he was going to alert everyone, he at least wanted sufficient reason.

One tentative step after the other, Joe approached the lab, listening and trying to identify the slapping sounds. They seemed louder now and he could also make out the sound of gently rattling cages. It was possible that the animals had finally returned to normal and Joe clutched at that possibility as he stood and faced the door to the lab. He reached for the handle.

Someone grabbed him from behind.

Joe spun around. His heart threatened to leap out of his throat. Whoever had grabbed him was invisible in the darkness, only the dim shape of them visible.

“
Whoa there, Joe! It’s Bill. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Joe couldn’t speak. His lungs sucked in giant gulps of air. It was several moments before he managed to catch his breath enough to say something. “You sneak up and grab me in the dark and didn’t mean to scare me?”

“
Okay, guess you have a point there. You’re the one wondering around in the night though. What you up to?”

Joe’s eyes adjusted to the dark and he could now make out Bill’s shape sufficiently to pinpoint the man in the dark. “Actually, I’m not the one wondering around. There’s someone in the lab. I was about to find out who.”

“
Okay,” said Bill, a hint of concern in his voice. “Lead the way.”

Joe nodded but was unsure if the other man could see it in the dark. He turned back around and wrapped his fingers around the door handle.

Here goes.

He opened the door.

Inside, the lab was an unending blanket of darkness, except for a floating torchlight at the far end. Joe could not make out who was holding it.

“
Who is it?” Bill whispered.

“
I don’t know. I can’t see anything in here.”

“
Light the burners,” Bill suggested.

“
What do you mean?”

Bill placed a hand on Joe’s shoulder to find him in the dark. “The Bunson Burners run on gas. We could still light them even with no electricity.”

Joe thought about it. “Good idea. You got a lighter?”

Bill didn’t say anything but in the dark Joe felt the other man hand him a small metallic object. A Zippo lighter. Joe sparked it up and the flame lit a narrow cone of light around him, enough to navigate his way carefully over to one of the lab benches.

A few sweeps with the lighter, Joe managed to locate a row of gas taps. He released the valve on the first, waited for the hiss, lit it, and adjusted the flame to its highest. It took only a few seconds to light several more, but it still did not allow Joe to see who was flittering about at the other end of the lab. The light of the burners stretched only a few feet from the centre of the room.

Nothing left to do but shout out, so that’s what Joe did. “Who’s there?”

The torch beam spun erratically as the person realised they were not alone, the tunnel of light eventually finding its way into Joe’s face, blinding him. Bill came up beside him and stood shoulder to shoulder.

“
We said who’s there?” Bill’s voice was strong and forceful. “Show yourself.”

The torchlight bobbed about as the person approached them. Joe thought for a moment that it felt like being in a train’s headlights. His eyes were forced shut as the torch continued to shine in his face. His retinas ached.

“
How ya doing there, fellas? Up to some late night dogging?”