Animal Kingdom (2 page)

So what else is happening? Why are so many people in a hurry to get their asses out of here?

Joe slowed down and eventually stopped, turning to look back where he’d come from. The huge boa constrictor was still inside the lean-to shelter, slithering over the lifeless body of its ex-handler. It was reason enough to panic, for sure, but Joe was certain that only those nearby would have noticed. He looked around the zoo, examining the multiple animal enclosures and exhibit buildings that lined the grass-edged pathways. A racket was coming from each of them, as if the caged specimens inside were agitated by something. The hoots and howls from the monkey compounds were particularly loud and Joe could see the various primates rattling their bars with unbridled fury. Joe could feel the vibrations in his teeth.

What the hell is happening?

He decided he wouldn’t wait around and find out. He needed to make sure his son was safe (from just
what
exactly, he did not know). Danny was rigid in his arms, making no sound other than the wet panting of his breath.

“
Everything’s going to be okay, Danny,” he said soothingly. “Let me get you somewhere safe and we can sit down and have a Coke.” Joe started moving again, a sense of urgency seizing his internal organs and pumping them like pistons. Some deep-buried instinct told him he needed to get away from the area as quickly as possible. Up ahead was the zoo’s brand-new visitor’s centre, RAVENCROFT ZOOLOGICAL CENTRE AND CONFERENCE SUITES. The lengthy, glass structure’s recent grand opening was advertised all over the park and it looked like as good a place as any to find some authority.

Joe picked up speed, his worn trainers wearing even thinner against the harsh grey cement of the pathway. All around him people were panicking, scuttling in all directions like frenzied ants. It was still unclear what was causing all of the chaos, but Joe knew it was more than just a snake attack. Something else was happening.

Something bad.

The visitor’s centre seemed to grow in size as Joe got closer and he could now make out the large glass doors of its entrance. Several people had already begun to move inside, but a vast majority were running past the building – likely heading towards the car park beyond. Joe wondered whether that idea was a good one.

I just want to get indoors. I don’t know what’s going on yet, but I know that a load of people panicking in their cars is gonna have a bad ending.

Joe broke off from the crowd and approached the visitor centre, hopping up a set of brick steps that joined with a landscaped patio at the front of the building. A middle-aged Black man with grey sideburns was standing amongst the potted trees and plants. He quickly moved aside when he saw he was in Joe’s way. Joe nodded ‘thank you’ to the man before moving through the building’s wide-open double-doors.

The fluorescent lights inside dazzled Joe as he left the bleak greyness of outside. The first thing his eyes finally managed to focus on was a large rectangular sign hanging from the ceiling. It declared the room to be THE EDUCATION HALL. The area was full of life-like exhibits of elephants, alligators, and many other creatures – each of them staring into the centre of the room with their soulless glass eyes. There were several other people inside the hall with Joe. Each of them looked as concerned and freaked out as he was. There was only a single zoo employee amongst them, given away by his bright-green waist-jacket against a khaki-coloured uniform. He wore the tatty, round spectacles of an intellectual man, and his neatly-combed grey hair only added to that impression. He looked as dumfounded as everyone else, but Joe still considered him the best person to speak to.

Nearby, several plush, cube-shaped chairs of varying colours were arranged in front of a wide plasma screen. Joe eased Danny down onto a purple one. “Just wait here one sec, little dude, okay?”

Danny nodded obediently and sat still.

Joe examined the boy for a few moments, saw how frightened he was, and then kissed his forehead. “I’m proud of you, Danny.”

The zoo employee had moved over to the far wall of the hall and was fiddling with a bright yellow, rubber-cased walkie-talkie. It didn’t seem like the man was having any success in gaining information, and his wrinkled brow gave away his frustrations. Joe approached slowly, trying to seem calm rather than agitated, somehow feeling that rationality would be at a premium right now.

When he got close enough, the zoo keeper looked up from the radio. “Sir, may I help you?”

“
Hello,” Joe replied. “Do you know what’s going on?”

The man shook his head and his spectacles jittered on the bridge of his long nose. He readjusted them before speaking. “Not the foggiest, I’m afraid. I can’t reach any of the zoo keepers to find out. A couple of the visitors I’ve spoken to have mentioned animal attacks, but they were too distressed to provide details. Seems unlikely, though.”

Joe thought about the snake attack. “You don’t think an animal attack is possible?”

“
Possible yes, but extremely unlikely. The enclosures are secure and the staff are dedicated, experienced professionals. There’s never been an incident of such a kind in the seven years I’ve worked here.”

“
Sorry to disagree,” Joe said, “but I just watched a large snake kill one of your staff about ten minutes ago, over by the World of Venom building – a boa constrictor, I think. It squeezed him to death in front of a dozen people.”

The man’s face dropped. “Terry? I pray that you are mistaken, sir, I truly do. Terry has been with us many years and loved Betsy a great deal.”

Joe raised an eyebrow. “Betsy?”

“
Yes, Betsy. She is the zoo’s Pearl Island Boa. She’s always been extremely gentle. I can’t believe she would ever attack anyone – least of all Terry. They had a…bond, for want of a better word.”

Joe nodded. He didn’t want to upset the man further, but thought he needed to wake up to whatever was happening. “Maybe he’s okay,” Joe supposed. “It did all happen suddenly.”

The other man thought about things for a moment and his expression seemed to get grimmer with each passing second. Finally, he looked back up at Joe and said, “I believe you. It doesn’t seem like you’re lying, and I see no reason why you would. Something is obviously going on, but I just cannot fathom the idea that any of our animals would attack their handlers. There are too many precautions.”

“
Look, I don’t mean to be impatient, but you’re the only representative of the zoo I could find. You need to do something.”

“
And what exactly would you have me do? I am a
curator
, not a crowd controller.”

Joe sighed. “Nevertheless, you have a responsibility.”

The man looked at Joe for several seconds before replying. “I suppose you’re right. I should find out what’s going on.” He pushed Joe aside, headed for the front of the hall, and spoke over his shoulder as he went. “I still don’t believe things are as bad as people are-”

Joe turned around to see why the curator had stopped mid-sentence. He could hardly believe his eyes as people started to scream. Four lions blocked the far entrance to the visitor’s centre and were snarling at the people inside. Each of their fangs was the size of a tent peg and syrupy-thick blood dripped from their jaws.

Joe had a feeling that he was about to have a very bad day.

Chapter Two

“
Lions!” Joe didn’t know why he needed to state the obvious, but saying it out loud was the only way he could accept what was happening. “Those are goddamn Lions!”

The curator headed back toward Joe, away from the snarling beasts at the other end of the hall. “This is not possible,” he said, voice trembling like lime-jelly. “The enclosures are too secure for anything to get loose.”

Joe grabbed the man’s collar and shook him. “Think about how they got loose later, okay! I need to get my son somewhere safe, right now.”

The curator finally seemed to accept the situation. “We should…we should get everyone further inside the building.”

Without further comment, Joe raced over to get Danny from the cube seats. The boy was frozen solid, eyes fixed on the quadrupedal menaces stalking the hall. Joe took his son into his arms and turned back towards the zoo’s curator. “Where can we g–”

The sounds of fresh screams cut Joe off. Four lions, led by a heavily-maned male, were now fully inside the building. Two females split off to corner a young brunette woman in the gap between two snack machines. The beasts toyed with her, swatting her back and forth, and blood formed on the woman’s white blouse where a set of razor-sharp claws penetrated. Elsewhere, the remaining two lions pursued anyone unable to find a hiding space.

“
We have to help these people,” Joe said. “Take my son somewhere safe.”

The curator quickly took Danny into his arms, then turned to Joe. “We’ll be in the research wing, through the red door in the far corner. I suggest you come with us now not later.”

Joe nodded, “Be right behind you,” then headed towards the brunette woman. He came to a sudden stop when he encountered the male lion ripping out the throat of an elderly gentleman. The big cat’s jaws cut off the old man’s screams, left him gargling blood. Joe swallowed back the burger and fries he’d eaten that morning, while battling to fight away the dizziness that erupted from the base of his stomach.

How the fuck did this happen? People aren’t supposed to get eaten alive by lions in the middle of England. Or anywhere for that matter. This isn’t Jumanji!

More screaming. People being ripped to shreds. Torn apart. Somehow the young brunette was managing to fend off the two lionesses, kicking out at them each time they attacked. It was working – for now – but wouldn’t be long before her timing was off. Then she would be done for.

Joe grabbed one of the coloured cube-seats and hoisted it up to his chest. It was heavy – too heavy. Joe sucked in a deep breath and heaved with all his might, just about managing to get the cube up above his head. Then, like a circus strongman, he waddled across the hall towards the two attacking lionesses. The male lion was nearby too, ripping apart another victim. This time a young girl.

I must be insane. The first weekend I’ve had with Danny in a month and it ends with me taking on a pride of lions with a chair from IKEA.

Without allowing himself to think anymore – or back out altogether – Joe flung the cube as hard as he could. Through some stroke of fortune the heavy piece of furniture barrelled into both of the big cats, like a bowling ball hitting a pair of skittles. The lionesses sprawled onto their sides, their attack on the young woman ceasing temporarily.

“
Come on!” Joe shouted, holding out his hand.

The woman looked at him, quaking with fear against one of the snack machines. The shock in her round, hazel-brown eyes made her seem more like a cartoon character than a human being.

“
Come on!” Joe shouted again, louder.

Finally, the woman started to move, edging toward him slowly.

Get yourself moving, woman! I don’t fancy dying today.

One lioness back on her feet. Coiled up. Ready to pounce. The woman saw this and stopped. She looked at Joe pleadingly.

There was only one thing on Joe’s mind and he expressed it earnestly. “RUN!”

Thankfully, she did as directed and the two of them bolted. Up ahead, people screamed hysterically, rational thought blocked by sheer terror and incomprehension. Joe wanted to help them. He stopped and shouted as loudly as he could. “Get in to the next room. Everyone, follow me, now!”

Joe’s words were almost pointless. One or two people responded, joining him and the young woman in their sprint toward the back of the room, but a majority continued screaming aimlessly. There was nothing Joe could do for these people. They wouldn’t even help themselves.

Up ahead on the left was a wooden, red-painted door that read STAFF ONLY. Joe was sure it led to what the curator had called “The Research Wing.”

Roaring – from behind Joe – so loud it made his fillings ache. Without looking, he knew that the lions were giving chase, their instincts unable to resist the sight of fleeing prey. He could almost feel their rancid, blood-soaked breath on the back of his neck and expected to feel their thick claws slicing through the sinewy fibres of his thighs any second. Joe picked up as much speed as he could muster.

He just prayed it was enough.

Enough to outrun a lion…

When he and a handful of others reached the thick red door, Joe slammed right into it, unable to slow down in time to stop. It was then that he noticed the entrance was locked, an ominous steel number pad set beside it on the wall. He bashed at it with his fists, hammering until his skin cracked, but it would not swing open. Behind Joe, the others gathered frantically. Behind them, all four lions approached, led by the male with the thick, blood-soaked mane.

“
What do we do?” asked the young brunette woman.

Joe shook his head. “I don’t know.”

To his surprise, she laughed. “Fabulous!”

The lions were upon them fast. The assembled group shoved one another to get to the back where it was safer. Those at the front began screaming and one man, dressed in a grubby chef’s uniform, was knocked forwards onto his knees by the people behind.