Animal Kingdom

by Iain Rob Wright

  “Hit them with the fire,” said Victor. “Anything with flesh burns.”

  Joe tossed his bomb through the window and watched it plummet toward the ground. It smashed against the flank of one of the elephants, sending it wheeling around in agony as the flames engulfed it.

  What happened next demoralised everyone.

  The elephant on fire lifted its snout into the air and angled it over its back. A sudden gush of water released from its trunk.

  Joe watched the flames disappear. “They’re carrying water in their trunks. They planned for this.”

  Victor was grinning madly. “Looks like we have a proper fight on our hands, lads.”

  Bill was in full blown panic now, both his hands on top of his head as he chewed ravenously at his lower lip. “You’re fuckin crazy man. What the hell do we do?”

  Victor threw another acid beaker and it hit the partially-burned elephant in the face. It staggered back falling to its knees. Smoke hissed from the surface of its skin as globs of grey flesh fell from its face. A moment later the pachyderm fell to the floor dead.

  Victor turned to Joe and Bill. “We die fighting.”

  “Screw that,” Bill shouted. “We need to get out of here.”

  Victor thrust his knife at Bill, holding Martha just inches from his nose. “No one leaves without Randall’s say so.”

  Another impact hit the building. Joe shoved Victor’s arm away from Bill’s face. “Screw Randall! He’s been holding out on us all. He has a phone and knows about a rescue centre nearby.”

  Victor didn’t seem impressed. He turned and threw another acid bomb through the window. “Desperate times call for desperate measures, pal. I’m sure he had his reasons.”

  Joe shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t you care? We could find help out there, the army even.”

  Victor laughed. “I know all about how the army works, pal. I’d rather take my chances here.”

  Joe threw his hands up. “Fine. Have fun going down with the ship, but we’re going. Come on Bill.”

  Joe started to leave when he realised that Bill was not following, instead staring out of the window with bug eyes. Shirley and Mason were staring too, several feet away. Joe turned to see what they were looking at.

  “Holy shit!”

  “Aye,” said Victor. “Quite a sight ain’t it?”

  Coming towards the building was a herd of giraffes. Covering their backs like flies on a sandwich was a legion of monkeys. Joe understood immediately. “They’re going to climb up the giraffes to get in.”

  “Just like using a siege tower to breach a castle wall,” Victor marvelled. “Beautiful.”

  Joe grabbed Bill and pulled him away from the window. “We’re getting Grace and Danny and leaving, Bill. Right now!”

  Bill snapped out of his daze and allowed himself to be ushered away. “Okay,” he said. “Where is Danny?”

  Joe stopped in his tracks and examined the room. Danny was gone, his pile of plastic animals the only indicator that he had ever been there. The next thing Joe noticed made him feel sick.

  Randall was missing too.

  “That bastard has my son!”

  Bill looked confused. “Huh? You don’t know that. Why would he snatch Danny?”

  Joe growled. “Because I know what he’s been up to, and like any politician he’ll do whatever it takes to shut me up.” Joe suddenly had a worrying thought. “Grace too.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Joe shook his head and grabbed Bill’s arm again. “Doesn’t matter, but we have to go now.”

  Joe sped into the corridor, Bill limping behind. He had a bad feeling.

  A really bad feeling.

  Joe didn’t knock on the office door this time. He threw himself at the wood. The impact made him see stars as he bounced off and fell to the ground. Bill reached down and helped him up. “I don’t think a door like that is gonna give.”

  Joe leapt up and hit the door again and again.

  The wood was too thick and Joe slumped against it in defeat. His shoulder was numb, but his heart was where the real agony was. Bill grabbed the door’s handle and turned it. The door swung open and Joe fell through onto the floor inside. The shock confused his brain and he lay there, stunned.

  Bill entered the room behind Joe. “Always try the handle first, man.”

  The words didn’t reach Joe as they were meant to; they seemed to float into his ears before fading into nothingness. His mind was too chaotic to accept any new information.

  The room was empty and Danny and Grace were gone.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Sit there!” Randall ordered Grace. He pushed her down on a chair in the warehouse’s small office. Danny struggled against him, but it was useless. The cable ties that bound them together by their wrists were far stronger than the boy’s meagre strength. Randall reached forward and fastened a new set of cable-ties to Grace’s wrist, securing her to a swivel chair. Her blood was all over him, not because of anything he had done, but because of all the thick gashes and tender slices she had made on herself with the scalpel he’d left her overnight.

  So I guess I did kind of do it to her in a way.

  Luckily, she had been lying in a pool of her own blood when he’d entered his office earlier and not coming at him with the blade as he had expected. It was easy to get her and the boy down the corridor while everyone else was distracted by the animal attack. His plan was to exit through the warehouse and make it to the next nearest building, or perhaps even find a car. He still wasn’t about to go and seek out the government’s rescue aid, but had at least come to terms with the fact that the visitor’s centre was a lost cause. It would only be a matter of time before the animals breeched it.

  Or bring it down all together. Damned elephants!

  The only detail he hadn’t worked out yet was how to proceed safely. It was a fairly reasonable guess to think that the coast would be clear, the bulk of the animal army busy attacking the east side of the building. Hopefully, Victor and the others would distract them long enough for Randall to make his escape unobstructed.

  “You can’t do this,” Grace shouted at him. “We don’t want to come with you.”

  Randall pulled the cable-ties tighter and she winced as they bit into her flesh. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? I thought you liked pain?”

  Grace was weeping. “No I hate it. I fuckin hate it!”

  Randall cackled. “Tough shit! You’re going to have to get used to it, and if you don’t shut up I’m gonna pull one of these tight around your throat and watch while you strangle to death. You’re coming with me whether you like it or not, and when it’s just you, me, and the boy you won’t have the option of resisting me. There will be no one to save you.”

  Grace didn’t speak.

  Good girl. Learning so fast.

  Randall stood away from Grace and closed the office door. He yanked Danny in front of him on the metal walkway and stared at him. “And I’m gonna be your new dad. How’d you like that?”

  The boy tried to pull away. “You don’t deserve to be anyone’s dad. You’re horrible.”

  Randall backhanded the boy which made him cry out, shoved his hand over his mouth and shushed him. Danny bit his palm, and Randall leapt back in pain, yanking the boy with him by the cable ties connecting them. They crumpled to the floor with Danny landing on top. The boy started to beat at Randall with his fists.

  “Get off me, you little brat!” Randall reeled back his free arm and struck the boy across the head. The small body went limp and fell against him. “Damn it, wake up. We have to get moving.”

  “You’re a monster,” Grace spat. “A pathetic monster. You think you’re a big man, but you’re the type of person that hits women and children. When it comes to taking on men, you hide behind Victor.”

  “Shut up, shut up, you bitch!”

  But she did not shut up. She laughed at him, the sound cruel and mocking, making him think about all the people
he hated, from school all the way through to this god-forsaken zoo. He scowled at Grace. “I’ll kill you, whore.”

  “What the hell is going on here?”

  Randall looked up from his place on the floor to see Mason standing in the doorway. The man’s eye’s shone with suspicion behind the lenses of his spectacles. Randall took in a deep breath. He tried to swallow, but found his throat was dry. “Mason? What are you doing here?”

  “I came to grab some more petrol to make bombs. Victor said there was still some left here.”

  “Yes,” said Randall. “Indeed there is. How goes the battle?”

  Mason shook his head. “It wouldn’t be going so bad if everyone hadn’t deserted. Victor and I are the only ones left since Joe and the others disappeared.”

  Randall raised an eyebrow. “Joe isn’t with Victor? Where did he go?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps he’s looking for his kidnapped son?”

  “That’s right!” Grace cackled from the office. “He’s going to kick your ass soon as he finds you.”

  Randall tried to pull himself free from under Danny’s limp body with no success. “Kidnapped!” he said, laughing despite being short of breath. “Don’t be absurd. I caught these two trying to escape.”

  Mason huffed. “Escape? What are you talking about, you fool? No one is a prisoner here. I think you all need to come back to the seminar room. In the slim chance that we survive the current attack, we can discuss exactly why you have abducted Joe’s son and tied up Miss Grace.”

  Randall scowled. Don’t you dictate to me, you pathetic excuse for a man.

  “Have you forgotten what we agreed?” said Randall. “I’ll close this place down. I swear it, my friend. Forget about all the money I promised to invest. I’ll bulldoze this fucking place and turn it into flats.”

  Mason was solemn. “I’m afraid this zoo is already closed for business. I think I’ve realised it’s never going to open its doors again, no matter what happens, with or without your money. Thus, our deal is off. I should never have helped put you in charge. You’re a bully. Unstable.”

  Randall felt dizzy. This was not part of his plans. “Look,” he said. The pleading in his own voice made him feel nauseous. “I went about this all wrong. Help get this lad off me and we’ll go back and join the others.”

  Mason nodded. He stooped forward to lift Danny away, but stopped when he realised there was a cable tie connecting him to Randall. “I can’t get this off his wrist.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Randall with a cat-like smile. “I have a knife.”

  He shoved the blade into Mason’s ribs and twisted. It felt good going in between the bones. The warm blood of vindication flowing freely over his hand. Mason sucked in a deep mouthful of air that never came back out again. He flopped forward on top of Randall and Danny. Randall grunted beneath the additional weight. “Will people please stop falling on me!”

  It took several minutes for him to get out from under the pile of bodies, and he had to use the gore-soaked knife on the cable tie to get himself loose from a still-unconscious Danny. Finally, he got to his feet and stretched out his limbs, trying to regain some feeling.

  Right, time to get back on task.

  Just when Randall was beginning to feel back in control of the situation, a snarling voice from behind him said, “What the fuck have you done to my son?”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  So much rage flowed through Joe’s veins that he almost took flight when he lunged for Randall. The sight of Danny, unconscious, pulled at every part of his emotions.

  And he knew exactly who was responsible.

  “I’m gonna kill you,” he screamed, thrusting his arms like pistons. One blow took Randall by surprise, knocking the man backwards. It was then that Joe saw the knife, and noticed Mason lying face down in a pool of spreading blood.

  The bastard stabbed Mason. Did he stab Danny too?

  Any fear Joe may have had of Randall’s knife was momentarily forgotten as he rushed forward and kicked at the man. The blow glanced awkwardly off Randall’s ribs, but was enough to send him reeling back farther along the catwalk, his wobbling frame coming to a stop against the safety railing. The knife fell to the floor and he put his empty hands up in front of himself. Surrender. “Joe, please. Stop.”

  Joe snarled and stalked after him. “I’m going to kill you.”

  Randall backed away, slid along the railing. “Let’s be grown up about this. Your son is fine. He just fainted.”

  “What about Mason? Is he just unconscious?”

  “Kill that motherfucker, Joe,” said Bill, entering the warehouse and seeing Mason’s body on the floor. “Gut him like he gutted Mason.”

  “Yeah,” added Grace from the nearby office. “I watched him kill Mason without a second thought. He’s evil. Sick.”

  Joe glared at Randall. “I think we’re all in agreement. Or would you prefer a vote?”

  Randall reached the edge of the steel staircase leading down onto the warehouse floor, realised there was nowhere else to go. He teetered on the edge of the top step, seemed to hold his breath as Joe approached. “I-I found Mason like that,” he said. “I don’t know what happened. I swear, Joe.”

  “Really,” said Bill from behind them both. “Then why is Grace tied up in the office?”

  Joe Saw Grace bound to a chair by a series of cable ties. She was in bad shape, wounded in several places. Joe didn’t know if the injuries had been inflicted by Randall or if she’d made them herself.

  Anger took an unbreakable hold. Joe lashed out and punched Randall as hard as he could, caught the man beneath his double chin, and launched him backwards. Right down the stairs. After crumpling and rolling against every step on the way down, Randall came to halt at the bottom, a broken, tangled mess. Bill managed to snip Grace loose with some scissors and brought her alongside Joe. The three of them looked down at Randall’s unmoving body.

  “He dead?” asked Bill.

  Joe shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t care.” He turned around and knelt beside his son. “Danny, wake up.”

  Thankfully, Danny opened his eyes without much delay, and after a few moments of heavy breathing it seemed like he would be okay. “Dad, what happened?”

  “You had a bump on the noggin. Do you feel okay?”

  Danny nodded and got to his feet. “I feel like someone did a DDT on me, but I think I’m okay.”

  Joe hugged him and then looked up at his other companions. “Bill, Grace, you ready to get out of here?”

  “God yes,” said Grace.

  Bill seemed less enthusiastic, but nodded all the same.

  “Okay then, let’s take things slow. Get yourself armed and keep your eyes open at all times. Any sign of danger and we bolt back inside, or to the nearest safe place.”

  “I don’t think there are any safe places anymore,” said Bill.

  “You might be right, but things have gone too far now. We have to go.”

  With everyone in agreement, the group took the stairs to the warehouse floor, stepping over Randall’s sprawled body at the bottom. Danny whimpered, but didn’t ask any questions. Joe knew his son was smart enough to figure out what happened.

  On the warehouse floor, they set about finding some weapons. It was a difficult task, seeing as Randall and Victor had hidden away anything useful in their own private stockpiles. The best they could find was a couple of mop handles and a length of chain wrapped around a recycling cart. Hopefully there would be no need to use them. Joe walked up to the far side of the warehouse floor, toward a large, square shutter. It was electric, but at the side was a crank that could be used to wind it up manually. Bill stood ready with his chain while Grace and Danny wielded the mop handles behind him.

  “So, we really gonna do this?” Bill asked again.

  Joe nodded. “Just as soon as you’re ready.”

  Bill sighed. “Let’s just get this shit over with.”

  Joe grabbed the crank handle and began to turn.
The shutter rose gradually, making a grating squeal as it ascended. Joe cringed at the sound and wished it would move faster. Each rotation of the crank led to the entrance opening by only a few centremetres.

  Bill began sidestepping left to right. “Doesn’t that thing go any faster?”

  Joe huffed. “You’re watching me turn it. You think there’s a better way?”

  “Yeah,” said Bill, stepping forward. He draped his chain around his neck and kneeled at the shutter. He placed the palms off both hands underneath its edge, and, gripping tightly, he straightened out his legs, deadlifting the shutter like a barbell. It began to rise faster until, only moments later, it was open to waist-height. Bill motioned with his head to the opening. “Who’s first?”

  Joe swallowed. Time to jump into the fire. He ducked beneath the shutter and re-emerged on the other side. The cold bite of the autumn-air nipped at his cheeks, but was also exhilarating. It felt like he could breathe properly for the first time since this whole thing happened. Bill, Grace, and Danny crawled out behind him and each of them looked around nervously.

  “What’s the plan?” Bill asked, scanning left to right. “I don’t wanna just stand around.”

  “I’ve got the answer,” said Joe, dangling a set of keys from his finger. “No reason my car won’t still be waiting in the car park.”

  “Great,” said Bill. “How far?”

  “Back of the zoo. Quarter mile, maybe?”

  Grace put a hand on Joe’s shoulder. “Easy…peasy…”

  Joe grabbed her just in time to stop her falling. He propped her up by her armpit. “You okay? You don’t look good.”

  Grace shook her head and heaved in a series of shallow breathes. “I…I’m fine. I just feel a little faint.”

  “Blood loss,” said Bill, pointing to the many wounds on her body.

  Joe agreed. Grace was a mess, covered almost entirely in dried, caked-on blood. The cuts didn’t seem fresh though and he was confident that the bleeding had stopped. “I think you’ll be okay,” he said. “Are you going to be able to carry on?”