by Bobby Akart
Retailers began to feel the pinch as well. Consumers were so hungry for cash, they made small purchases like a bar of candy and requested a hundred dollars cash back on their debit cards. If the store restricted the amount of cash back, the consumers took what they could get. In a matter of hours Fiserv, the largest credit card processor in the U.S., suffered a major collapse of its servers. This set off internet rumors that the banks were insolvent, and soon retailers were demanding cash payments for their goods.
The president had been briefed on these events throughout the day and had voiced both dismay and amazement at how quickly the economic collapse was upon them.
President Grant Houston’s Call to Action, as his brief address came to be known around the world, would be delivered in just minutes, but it would be replayed on a continuous loop over broadcast networks and radio stations for so long as the power remained on. Then it would be transmitted across ham radio airwaves and emergency band radios, with the additional request that listeners stay tuned for updates as to when the power might be restored.
As he prepared to address the nation, programming was interrupted on every television network and radio station. The Call to Action was blasted through loudspeakers attached to military and law enforcement vehicles, and dropped in print form by helicopters called into service by the National Guard.
On a gigantic screen located in New York’s Times Square, an image of the Blue Goose, the nickname given to the presidential podium, appeared, drawing the attention of anyone who happened to be on the street. Remarkably, the usually packed streets of the city were devoid of traffic, as everyone had abandoned the island of Manhattan and headed for the suburbs in search of gasoline.
The president appeared somewhat disheveled, the stress of the day having clearly taken its toll. The White House producer checked the teleprompters and began the final countdown to the most important speech of President Houston’s life. It would be an address that would last less than seven minutes, about the time it took to smoke a cigarette. But the ramifications of which could last for many years, if not lifetimes.
Chapter 39
Brookfield Zoo
Chicago, Illinois
Kristi raced down the sidewalk, with Tommy close on her heels. They didn’t hear any more gunfire, but the metal grinding sound continued. She fumbled with her keys to unlock her office door, and once inside, she grasped Knight’s empty cage and flung it out of the way. Underneath it sat an elevated platform made of plywood. She dropped to one knee and stuck the index fingers of both hands into two holes that had been drilled in the center of the board, and lifted.
“Whoa!” exclaimed Tommy. “Are those legal?”
Within the hidden compartment, Kristi had a shotgun, two handguns and a few boxes of ammunition. Kristi ignored his question and grabbed a nine-millimeter pistol and quickly inserted a magazine. She pulled the slide to load a round.
“Can you shoot? Or, more importantly, will you?”
Tommy hesitated. “Um, yes, but it’s been a while. And, yes, if I have to.”
Kristi spun the weapon around so she was holding the barrel and handed it to Tommy. He took it and became familiar with the location of the safety. He held it so it was pointed safely away from Kristi as she retrieved two more guns.
She mumbled as she readied her weapons, “I can’t believe the cell service is still down and the damned landlines are constantly in circuit overload. We need to call the cops.”
“I don’t hear any sirens,” added Tommy. “Surely somebody in the neighborhoods will get through to them.”
Kristi removed her lab coat and tucked her sidearm into a paddle holster inserted into her waistband. She grabbed a box of shotgun shells and loaded them into her Remington 870. She racked a round and headed for the door when the sound of more gunfire could be heard.
“Stay behind me,” she said as she bolted onto the sidewalk.
“Kristi, maybe it’s something else. I don’t think any of our people would shoot the animals.”
The metal grinding noise was getting louder and was now coming from all parts of the zoo. The two of them jogged toward the middle of the zoo toward the Roosevelt Fountain. Kristi thought the first set of gunshots had emanated from the East Gate.
As they approached the fountain, the metal grinding grew louder, and Tommy came to a conclusion. “That’s the sound of an angle grinder. They’re cutting into the fences.”
“Hey!” shouted Kristi as she saw two people dressed in black pants and sweatshirts run through the trees of the West Mall separating the pachyderms from Tropic World, where the primates were located.
Bam! Bam!
More gunshots. Louder this time.
“This way!” She raced around the fountain, past the entrance to the big cats’ habitat and toward the north gate of the zoo. What she discovered there shocked her and immediately heightened her awareness.
Tommy pushed past her and knelt down next to the security guard lying in a pool of blood on the concrete sidewalk. He’d been shot in the back twice. Near the snack stand, a zoo maintenance worker had also been shot and killed, left slumped over a trash can he’d been emptying.
Kristi walked around with her shotgun pointing in all directions. Tommy called 9-1-1 once again, getting through this time. He got a recording instructing him to leave a voicemail, and he promptly unleashed a profane-laden tirade demanding police respond to the zoo. After he disconnected the call, he stood behind Kristi, pointing his gun in the opposite direction. The two now spoke in hushed tones.
“What do you think is happening?” asked Tommy.
Before Kristi could answer, the sound of a stampede coming their way caused them to seek cover. The loud clapping of hoofs on the sidewalk grew in intensity until several antelope and zebras came streaking past them toward the north gate.
“Shit!” she exclaimed. “Somebody’s letting the animals out.” She began to run in the same direction she and Tommy had walked just an hour earlier, when they heard gunshots coming from the south side of the zoo.
Tommy abruptly stopped. “They’re not shooting animals. They’re shooting people. People like us. Employees.”
“We’ve gotta help them!” Kristi started to run, but Tommy grabbed her arm, swinging her around toward him.
“No! We gotta wait for the cops to handle it.”
“They’re killing innocent people and maybe the animals, too. They can’t just let them loose. That’s insane!”
“Kristi, I’ve never shot anyone. I don’t even know if I can hold my hand steady.”
She walked up to him and stood barely six inches from his face. “All I need you to do is have my back and follow my lead. My brothers and I have practiced this stuff back on the farm. Trust me. Okay?”
Tommy gulped and nodded. “I’m with ya. One hundred percent.”
The sounds of the saws starting up again gave them a new sense of urgency. Without another word, they raced back across the zoo, dodging startled animals that suddenly found themselves free and unsure what to do.
At the Roosevelt Fountain, she paused and listened. Tommy whispered in her ear, “They’re moving west, along the perimeter.”
“Crap! The bears and wolves. Tommy …” Her voice trailed off.
“I know,” he said through gritted teeth. This time he took the lead, throwing caution to the wind as he ran as fast as he could along the West Mall. As the grinding noise got louder, the two knew they were about to encounter the people responsible for the mayhem.
A flock of birds suddenly flew over their heads, startling them both and causing them to drop to a knee. This likely saved their lives as several gunshots rang out, sending bullets flying over their heads and ricocheting off the trees.
“Dammit!” shouted Kristi in anger. She resisted the urge to wildly fire back until she had a target in sight. Most likely, she surmised, the murderous intruders didn’t expect the zoo personnel to have firearms. At every gate was a prominently displayed sign that the zo
o was a gun-free zone. That was why she’d kept her weapons hidden from her coworkers. She wanted them for protection and didn’t appreciate anyone else deciding whether they were necessary or not. In this moment, she was glad she had them.
“Hrrrwrrrwrrr!”
A low, guttural, menacing growl was heard just ahead of them. They remained low to the ground, as they were familiar with the surly tempered, grumpy voice of a bear. To their left the creature lumbered through the trees, pawing at the ground periodically and sniffing at the air.
“Stay perfectly still,” advised Kristi.
“No problem.”
The bear sniffed again and glanced in their direction. Fortunately, the black bear had been raised in the zoo since birth and was familiar with the scent of humans. This helped avoid a hostile interaction with Kristi and Tommy, but would not serve the bear well after it made its way through the East Gate thirty minutes later.
Tommy and Kristi remained in a low crouch as they ran along the tree-lined walkway toward the Great Bear Wilderness. The saws had stopped and they heard shouting up ahead. They also had to be aware that they’d been spotted by someone who’d fired wildly in their direction. It was obvious that the people responsible for letting out the animals were willing to kill anyone who stood in their way.
Chapter 40
Brookfield Zoo
Chicago, Illinois
Shouts of jubilation and triumph suddenly could be heard from the area of Swan Lake located at the far western end of the zoo. A nature trail wound its way around the lake, touching the perimeter security fence of Brookfield at Salt Creek.
“Woo-hoo! We did it!”
“That’s all of them!” shouted another before adding, “Every single prison cage has been torn down.”
“Well done, people! Well done! Now, listen up.”
Kristi and Tommy inched along the low side of Habitat Africa to get a better look at the revelers. Under the sidewalk light at the entrance to the nature trail stood two to three dozen people dressed in all black clothing with bandanas over the faces. They were gathered around a group of four men, who’d removed their face guards. Kristi and Tommy crouched along a fence at the back of the bear habitat to listen.
The leader continued. “We got a call from our scouts who are monitoring the gates. We need to wrap things up, but first, let me tell you the animals have done their job and are finding their way out of this hellhole!”
“Yeah!”
“Good on them!” exclaimed a man with an English accent.
“Mission accomplished, right, everybody?” another man proudly asked.
The leader continued. “It is mission accomplished, although we need to get out of here as planned. Is everybody accounted for?”
The leader paused as his gang of anarchists accounted for their partners. They’d established a buddy system to keep track of each other.
While there was a pause, Tommy leaned in to Kristi. “Whadya wanna do?”
“They’re murderers,” she replied. “We can’t let them go.”
“I agree, but there are thirty of them and just the two of us.” Tommy paused before continuing. “Wait. Do you hear sirens?”
Kristi whispered back, “Barely, but yes.”
The leader continued. “Okay, we’ve got to get out of here, so remember the plan. Take the nature trail around the lake and make your way through the woods to the neighborhood just west of here. We’ll have cars waiting to take us back to Bolingbrook.”
Kristi suddenly stood and motioned for Tommy to join her. “I’ve got an idea, but we have to move fast.”
Without hesitating, she moved steadily through the trees toward the north entrance to the nature trail. She knew the trail well, walking it with Knight whenever she had time. It was always an opportunity for her to allow Knight some playtime in the trees without being under the watchful eye of her coworkers.
The two entered the trail and began to run toward the back side of the zoo.
Tommy kept up but was unsure of the plan. “Now what?”
“This trail is narrow and is surrounded by the lake on the inside and the creek on the outer perimeter. Our only chance to keep them from escaping is to pin them down and drive them back into the zoo before they reach the west side and the work sheds. If the cops are coming, at least there will be a chance of arresting these killers.”
They reached the point where the trail neared a service road that led to the maintenance buildings and the surrounding neighborhoods.
“So what are we supposed to do? Shout stop, go back? Kristi, there are thirty of them and they’re armed.”
“And they’ll be surprised and scared. Nobody wants to die. They’ll tuck and run, I guarantee it. Especially when they hear this.” She lifted the Remington shotgun in front of her.
“I hear them running this way,” said Tommy.
“Me too. From both sides, actually. Can you hold your ground?”
Tommy shuddered. “I’ll hold them off by firing over their heads. If they shoot back, well—”
“They’ll run the other way. This exit isn’t worth dying for.”
Kristi hoped she was right.
The two split apart, and Tommy took the north side of the trail that encircled Swan Lake, and Kristi took the south side, which was closer to where they were just gathered. As soon as she saw the first wave of people round the bend, she fired birdshot into the tree limbs hanging over the trail, sending hundreds of lead pellets into the foliage. The loud boom caused by the shotgun caused all of the oncoming anarchists to shriek in fear. The close proximity of Kristi’s first round of shot scared them even more as pellets and foliage alike rained down upon their heads.
Seconds later, she heard Tommy fire two rounds toward his oncoming group. Likewise, they shouted in fear, and she heard the words she’d hoped for.
“Quick! Turn around!”
“Go back! Somebody’s ahead.”
“It’s more than one! I heard two shots!”
“Shut up and run!”
Tommy fired again.
And again.
“Shit!” she cursed under her breath. She didn’t want him to deal with this alone, especially with his lack of training. She’d played with Chapman as a kid, and they grew up practicing with all types of weapons. As Levi got older, the two would teach him the things they’d learned during family gatherings. It was a Boone rite of passage that had been handed down for centuries.
She walked backwards toward Tommy’s position. She was considering joining him when movement caught her eye. Someone, or something, was lurking in the woods along the trail. She hesitated to shoot because the person could be unarmed, but that was not the real reason. Anyone associating with armed thugs knew the risks and they could die.
She didn’t want to shoot one of the innocent animals that had been released from their habitats. That was something she couldn’t live with.
Kristi inched into the trees on the opposite side of the nature trail and took cover behind an oak tree whose trunk had split during its early growth period to create a V-shaped gap. She settled in behind this tree and pointed her shotgun through it.
Then she waited.
Their feet were heavy on the mulch-covered woods. The shouting had died down from both sides of the trail, and a tense quiet came over the zoo.
Kristi was protected, yet she felt exposed. Whoever was stalking her had no compunction about killing and was intent upon murdering anyone who worked at the zoo. It was if they wanted to exact some kind of revenge or punishment on Brookfield Zoo and its staff.
She gripped the shotgun a little harder. This is not my day to die.
“Kristi! Where are you?” Tommy whispered loudly.
Oh no!
“Tommy! Go—”
Three shots rang out in rapid succession from across the trail in Tommy’s direction.
“Shit!” a male voice, not Tommy’s. It came from where Kristi caught a glimpse of a muzzle flash.
She unloa
ded two rounds in that direction. It was the second round of birdshot that found its target.
A man screamed in agony as he took the lead pellets in his chest and shoulders. Kristi didn’t hesitate. She looked down the trail to make sure no one was coming up on her, and she raced across to the other side. She crouched down and carefully walked through the trees, like a deer, as her grandfather had taught her, barely making a sound.
The sound of the man groaning could be heard twenty feet away. He was making so much noise from the pain that he didn’t hear her approach.
When Kristi came upon him, he was lying on his side, doubled over in pain. Keeping the shotgun pointed at his body, Kristi walked around and grabbed his AR-15 rifle. She ran her arm and head through the sling to secure it on her back.
Her eyes darted in all directions, looking for any of the attacker’s friends. She couldn’t hear any movement, so she turned her attention back to the gunman.
“Who are you?”
“Screw you!”
“Tough talk, tough guy.” Kristi kicked the man in the ribs, causing blood to splatter on her pants.
“Arrrggghhh!” He doubled over and tried to crawl away but didn’t have the strength.
“Let’s try again. Who are you?”
“Kiss my ass!” The man lifted himself up to his knees and tried to crawl away.
Kristi smiled and shook her head. “Whatever. Here, let me help you.”
Kristi pulled her right leg back and kicked the man in the butt, causing him to lose his balance and surge forward toward Swan Lake. The momentum carried him toward an embankment, where he began to roll down the hill into the swampy, algae-covered water.
She quickly returned to the trail and whispered for Tommy. “Hey, where are you?”
“I got one,” he replied in a whisper.
Kristi raised her shotgun and ran toward Tommy’s voice. She entered the trail and stood waiting for him. Seconds later, Tommy walked out of the dark cover of the woods, holding the hand of a chimpanzee.