Animal Kingdom (16 page)

A fireball exploded.

The silverback turned away, covering its giant head with an arm. The liquid fire crackled for a few moments, releasing thick plumes of black smoke. The gorilla turned back to face the building and Joe saw that the firebomb had been a partial hit. One side of the silverback’s face was a melted mess
.
It reminded Joe of that famous painting -
The Screamer?

Victor punched at the air. “We got the bastard.”

“
Just about,” Joe said. “I think he’s pulling back.”

Sure enough, the silverback grunted at the other animals and the whole army was beginning to turn away. Retreating.

Bill ran up to the window and looked outside. “We did it. They’re going away. They’ve had enough.”

Everyone in the room cheered. Danny came running up to Joe and hugged him around the waist. “You did it, Dad! You opened up a can of whoop ass on them.”

Joe sniggered. “I sure did, son. I told you I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt you.”

Danny hugged him again then ran off to look out of the window.

“
Hey, you be careful. Any of those animals start coming back and you move away from that there, you hear?”

Bill placed a hand on Joe’s back. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“
Thanks.” Joe found the nearest chair and plonked himself down. He hadn’t realised it, but he was breathing in great, heaving gasps. Excitement coursed through his veins.

What just happened? I’m not sure, but I think I just firebombed a gorilla. That’s definitely not something I had on my list of ambitions.
Joe saw Randall making a beeline for him and nodded to the man.

“
You okay, Joe? You don’t look too well.”

“
Just trying to come to terms with the fact that I just fought in a war against a silverback gorilla and its animal army.”

“
It certainly is an unusual turn of events. Not what I was expecting the day I walked into this zoo for a simple business meeting.”

Joe smiled. “So, you really paid for this building?”

Randall nodded. “Well, a consortium did which I was part of. It’s good business practise to spend a certain amount of profits on community projects – and everyone loves animals.”

Joe laughed. “Ha! I think that may have changed.”

Randall laughed too. “I think you’re probably right, my friend. Still, we’ll ride this whole thing out. We can settle here, rebuild.”

Joe frowned. “You think? Maybe we can find help outside.”

“
No,” Randall almost shouted the word. “There’s no chance. We’re the lucky ones. Can you imagine what it’s like elsewhere? How many homes have pets? Dogs, cats, hamsters, all turning on their owners. I think we are on our own, and our only chance is to dig in here.”

“
Okay,” said Joe. “Perhaps you’re right. It wouldn’t hurt to hope though. We have no idea what everywhere else is like.”

“
You saw the news in the staff room when all this started. It took everyone by surprise.”

“
Fine,” said Joe. “I don’t want to argue. You’re probably right anyway.”

“
I usually am,” said Randall smugly. “Don’t worry though. I will get us all through this.”

Randall walked away, and Joe pondered the man’s words.
You’ll get us through this? Who put you in charge of everybody’s welfare? I don’t care what you say, Randall, I have to believe that there is more to hope for than life at this zoo. There must be other survivors.

“
Joe.”

Joe spun around. Grace was awake. He hurried over to her, pulling up a nearby chair. “Grace, thank God you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Her eyes fluttered, unable to open fully. She tried her best to focus them on Joe and smiled when she saw him close. “Joe…”

“
What is it?”

“
I really need…my pills.”

Grace was still pretty out of it, so Joe went and got her some water. He lifted her head up from the cushions and tipped a small amount into her mouth. She swallowed, and a spark of consciousness returned to her eyes. A couple minutes later, she was fully awake.

“
Thanks,” she said, taking another sip.

Joe cut straight to the point. “What pills do you need?”

Grace turned her head away. “They’re in my bag.”

“
Okay, great. Where’s your bag?”

“
By the snack machines.”

Joe frowned. “What snack machines?”

“
The ones downstairs. Where you saved me.”

“
Oh. Well, we can’t get those. There’s no way.”

“
I know.” Tears began to spill from her eyes. “That’s why I’m so scared.”

“
I don’t understand. Scared of what?”

Grace turned her head and looked into his eyes. She looked terrified. “I’m scared of hurting myself.”

Joe scratched at his head. His hair felt flat and greasy. “Why would you hurt yourself?”

“
Because that’s what I do when I don’t have my pills.”

Joe sighed. “You’re really gonna have to make this easier for me. What do you need the pills for? Are you ill?”

Grace nodded as more tears left her eyes. “Yes. I have OCD.”

Joe shrugged. “Doesn’t that just mean you have to be really clean or something?”

“
For some people it is. OCD causes compulsion, but I don’t get urges to clean, I get urges to–”

“
Hurt yourself.” Joe was starting to understand and he didn’t like it. “Surely we can do something.”

“
It’ll just get worse and worse until there’s nothing anyone can do. It’ll drive me insane until I start slicing myself.”

A light bulb went on in Joe’s head. “That’s what happened to your arm isn’t it? That’s why you were in a room alone when the scorpions attacked.”

Grace shut her eyes tightly and more salty liquid ran tracks down her cheeks. “I found some scissors in there. I was cutting myself when they appeared. Maybe if I hadn’t been so distracted I would have known how.”

“
What if we get rid of all the sharp objects?”

Grace laughed. The sound was hollow and broke Joe’s heart. “You mean take away everyone’s weapons when we’re being attacked by a zoo full of animals? I don’t think so. Besides, I’ll find a way. Even if it means biting chunks out of myself.”

Joe cringed at the image in his head. He needed a minute to digest everything. He didn’t know such conditions existed.
And Grace seems so normal.
It wasn’t his place to judge though. Grace was his friend…

“
I’ll make sure nothing happens,” he said. “Even if I have to watch you twenty-four-seven. We’ll get through it together.”

Grace smiled again. This time it seemed a little more heartfelt, but Joe could tell that he had done nothing to allay her fears. She was still terrified.

Joe stood up, not before leaning forward and kissing her cheek. “I’m just going to check on Danny. I’ll be right back and if you need me I’ll only be a few feet away.” Once he was happy Grace would be okay, Joe left her to rest. By the room’s window, Danny was on tiptoes and hanging over the ledge. Joe shouted at him to get down and he did so obediently.

“
Dad, you need to see this. They’ve all gone.”

Joe slid up beside his son and looked out. No sign of any animals, besides a few burnt llama husks and some unidentified stains on the pavement. Mostly what remained was trampled grass and scorch marks from the firebombs. The attack was over.

For now…

Victor stood nearby, checking over the remaining firebombs and weapons. Joe approached him. “You think we’ll need those?”

“
Who knows, but a retreat in battle does not mean the war is over.”

Joe nodded. “They could come back.”

“
Aye, and likely they will. But we beat them once and we can beat them again. We proved today that we’re far from toothless.”

Joe offered his hand to Victor. “We should all thank you for getting us organised.”

Victor did not take his hand. “We did our jobs. If you’re gonna thank anybody, thank yourself for doing what was required of you.”

“
Okay,” said Joe, reeling back his arm. “I’ll leave you to it. Just one last thing?”

Victor looked at him. “What?”

“
How long do you think they’ll be gone for?”

Victor thought for a moment then shrugged. “No idea. Maybe a day.”

Joe nodded and took a deep breath. “That’s good to hear.”

“
Why?”

“
Because,” Joe said, “it will give me time to go downstairs.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Joe could see Bill wasn’t happy with his plan. “You’re crazy,” he said. “You can’t go down there!”

Joe leant in close. “Look, I just have to, alright. Grace is ill and I need to get her medication.”

Bill shook his head. “What’s wrong with her? I’m sure Mason would be able to find something to help in one of the labs.”

Joe wished it were true. “I can’t say what’s wrong with her, but if I don’t get her pills then she’s really going to suffer.”

Bill didn’t answer. He just kept shaking his head.

“
Look,” said Joe. “We all have to stick together, and Grace needs help. I’ll feel better knowing she’s safe. Wouldn’t you?”

“
What about Danny? Is he going to be safe if you get killed down there?”

It was something Joe couldn’t think about right now. If he did then he wouldn’t be able to do what he needed to. “I don’t intend to die down there. I’m not insane. The animals have retreated for now. It will be safe, and perhaps my only chance to do this.”

Bill took a deep breath and scratched at the salt-n-pepper stubble on his chin. “Okay, then I’m coming with you.”

“
What? No way. There’s no reason for us both to take a risk.”

Bill smiled. “I thought you said it would be safe?”

“
Yeah…probably…most likely.”

Bill grabbed a litter spike from a nearby table and held it up like a spear. “Well then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Joe had no argument. He picked up his own litter spike and prepared to get going. The quicker he got this whole thing done the better. Danny would be fine with Mason, but Joe didn’t think the man was particularly experienced in minding children. It would be unfair to leave them together too long.

He headed out into the corridor and Bill followed him. If he was honest with himself, he was glad for the company. There was every chance that the lower floor would be deserted, but that didn’t make it any less scary. But before he even got there, he would have to get through Victor’s barricades.

Victor was unwilling to let anyone tamper with the barricades and was standing beside the first one at the top of the stairs. Earlier he had made it clear that keeping the upper floor safe was the only priority and that if the animals were still downstairs then Joe wasn’t getting back in unless it was completely safe. If things were still bad then this would be a one-way journey.

“
You ready there, pal?”

“
Yeah, I’m ready. Bill is coming too.”

Victor eyed up Bill and laughed. “Queer
and
crazy? You’re both bloody mad for doing this. Still, you’re not prisoners. It’s your choice.”

“
It is our choice,” said Bill. “About whom we are and what we do.”

“
Aye, well, watch your backs out there.” Victor nodded to Joe. “You especially with this one around.”

Bill sighed, but let it go. Like Joe, he was probably just thinking it wasn’t worth the time. “Just let us past,” he said.

Victor pulled a printer off the top of a desk and slid the furniture aside, creating a narrow gap. “Remember, if I hear a ruckus down there then the barricade stays up. I’ve already cleared a space for the door downstairs, but I’m gonna block it back up when you’ve left.”

Joe nodded and moved past the stack of furniture. His footsteps echoed as he took the stairs downwards. There were no other sounds though and Joe started to relax as it appeared more and more likely that the coast would be clear. The barricade in front of the staff room door was cleared of debris just as Victor had said it would be, the furniture having been moved to one side.

Joe waited Bill to catch up. “You ready?”

Bill nodded. “Whenever you are.”

“
Let’s do it then.” Joe pulled open the door and slid through, Bill close behind. The staff room was a mess. Chairs and tables were upturned, the television had been pulled down and smashed, and the stench of monkey faeces filled the air and covered everything.

Bill picked up a broken pool cue, smeared with excrement, and examined it. “They really did a number on this place, huh?”

Joe nodded. “Stinks like hell.”

“
All the more reason to just get this over with.”

The two men headed for the door that led into the next corridor. As they went, Joe kept a watchful eye on the shattered windows at the edge of the room. A gentle breeze came in through the gap.