by RR Haywood
‘On what? With what?...’ I scream out but it’s too late. The barking is drowned out by the front end colliding with something big and metallic which I can only guess is another big chain link fence.
‘ANOTHER ONE…’ Clarence bellows above the noise of twisting metal and groaning car panels. The sounds comes back again, shuddering and jolting the vehicle violently, shaking us all over the place as he punches through.
It seems to go on for hours, a constant scream of metal being warped and torn apart. Then, suddenly, it’s all over and the vehicle coasts along quietly.
‘Have we stopped?’ I shout out, getting the eerie sensation of no longer being in motion.
‘Yep,’ Clarence answers clearly.
‘Oh…why?’
‘Do lions like Gorilla’s?’ Clarence asks.
‘Don’t…don’t say it…’
‘Yeah…about that,’ he says drily.
Fighting through the limbs and bodies, I manage to pull myself through the gap and into the backseat, shaking my head before peering up over the back seat. The trail of destruction behind us is immense; two big chain link fences torn apart with the twisted remains poking up all over the place.
The lions have stopped on their side, clearly wary of passing over the metallic panels that lie blocking the route. They must be aware of the fence being electrified and, even now with the power off, they still hold well back.
‘Time to go,’ I announce, ‘keep hold of the dog someone.’
‘I got her,’ Blowers replies. The doors, impacted by the charging lions have to be forced open from the warping of the frame as we clamber out nursing bruised appendages. Clarence holds Milly in one arm and looks very at home in the Gorilla enclosure. Stick a black fur coat on him and he’d blend right in.
Meredith’s eyes stay fixed on the trail behind us, as though daring that pride of cats to try and come after us.
We retrieve our axes from the car and set off, moving quickly away from the vehicle before the lions decide to try and get through. However, hunger is a powerful motivator and within minutes the lions are edging closer to the gaping hole.
Scurrying on, we stay together, advancing into lusher, green pastures with long grass and sturdy trees covered in ropes with tyres attached.
Over another crest and we start dropping down and out of sight of the fence line. A large, old fashioned wooden shack lies nestled in the grounds looking like something from a fairy tale. Cresting the apex the gorillas are immediately obvious, clustered in a large group of about a dozen primates. They range in size from tiny tots no bigger than Milly, to their very own Clarence, except their Clarence makes our Clarence look like scrawny teenager.
The male Silverback is huge, with shoulders that seem to stretch away from an enormous broad head, and arms like a steroid pumped wrestler. His chest is just staggering, so powerful, so strong and he doesn't flinch at the sight of us rushing towards them.
There is no threat to him. He could snap any of us in half and use our limbs as toothpicks if he so desired. Even the sound of the fence crashing down doesn't seem to have perturbed them. Sitting in small groups close together, several are well into a grooming session, rummaging through their thick black fur to find mites and bugs to eat.
They look as we approach but that’s it. We hold no greater interest to them than a small crowd, walking down an average High Street on a Saturday afternoon and I guess they are used to close human contact from living in this sanctuary for so long.
Even Meredith goes quiet. Nose down and sniffing the ground she keeps glancing up to view the animals warily but fortunately doesn't growl or show her teeth.
‘They relatives of yours Clarence?’ Cookey whispers.
‘I knew one of you would say it,’ he grumbles, still holding an enraptured Milly staring at the Gorillas. ‘This one needs a bath,’ he adds turning his head away from the small girl.
Slowing down, we take it easy and keep to furthest edge of the clearing. No one speaks other than very low whispers, and we keep our eye contact to a minimum.
However, going along with our current trend of everything fucking up, the big Silverback slowly rises to his feet showing us just how bloody enormous he really is; easily standing the same height as Clarence at well over six feet.
‘He’s got to be thirty stone,’ Clarence mutters, ‘easily…look at him!’
‘Why is he getting up?’ Lani whispers. The others gorillas start moving back away from us, some low noises sounding out. The way the females scoop the young up to hold close is so similar to human behaviour it’s staggering.
‘Not us,’ Dave says in a low voice and a glance behind. Turning slowly, I catch sight of the big alpha male lion standing proud on the crest of the hill. Squat and with the lush meadow rolling away beneath him he looks every inch the king of all he purveys.
‘Fuck,’ Cookey mutters, ‘fucking stand-off between a silverback and a lion…no way…no fucking way…’
‘Mr Howie, Cookey said rude words again…you said…’
‘Yes I know Milly, Cookey don’t keep swearing.’
‘Sorry, sorry Milly,’ Cookey whispers, ‘who would win?’
‘What these two? The lion easily,’ Blowers replies.
‘No way,’ Clarence says, ‘a silverback will beat a lion.’
‘Get off would it,’ I scoff, ‘a lion is made to kill…look at it…’
‘Yeah, they’re about the same weight,’ Clarence whispers urgently, ‘but the silverback has something like ten times the strength of a human male, his arms are over two metres long.’
‘What each?’ Cookey asks.
‘No you twat, the arm span,’ Blowers hisses.
‘Oh…I’m with Clarence, that Gorilla would tear it apart,’ Cookey says.
Still shuffling along, we keep tightly together glancing back and forth between the gorilla and the lion. Neither of them move, but the lion has clearly breached the gorilla’s territory. The lion however, must be bloody hungry because despite the size of the primate, he isn’t moving away.
The gorilla moves forward, a clear sign of advancement to protect his pack. The lion looks down with an almost scornful look and I can imagine the rest of his pride gathered behind him.
‘Lani? What do you reckon?’ Cookey asks.
‘I don’t care,’ Lani hisses, ‘I’m not getting drawn into another stupid conversation in the middle of another life-threatening situation. Can we just be quiet and get out of here in one piece.’
‘Okay,’ Cookey whispers, ‘Dave? What do you think?’ He asks moving straight on as Lani rolls her eyes with frustration.
‘First we have to understand the skills and advantages of each combatant,’ Dave speaks in his flat tone, ‘they both weight about thirty stone each so weight is equalled out. The lion has enormous explosive strength to propel is forward for attack whereas the gorilla has incredible static strength and could tear the lion apart with ease…’
‘Told you,’ Clarence cuts in.
‘But,’ Dave cuts in himself, ‘the lion is designed to attack and fight, that’s pretty much all it knows so it has the advantage of aggression and experience.’
‘Ha!’ Blowers whispers in triumph, ‘the lion wins.’
‘Having said that,’ Dave continues as we keep shuffling on down the side of the clearing, ‘the gorilla effectively has four hands and incredibly dense muscle and bone. The lion would need to get a good grip and avoid being beaten by those arms if it stands any chance of winning.’
Seconds pass while we wait for him to continue, only he doesn't, he just tails off into normal Dave silence.
‘So?’ I prompt him.
‘So what?’ He asks.
‘Who would win?’
‘I don’t know,’ he replies to a low chorus of groans from the lads.
‘If you had to choose?’ I press him.
‘Why would I have to choose?’ He asks.
‘Say someone put a gun to your head and said pick one.’
‘I’d kill him,’ Dave answers promptly which takes me back to that bloody conversation we had about the glass of water.
‘Does it really matter?’ Lani seethes, ‘can we just get out of here please.’
‘We are,’ I protest. We watch in complete fascination as the lion starts a slow walk down the hill. The gorilla darts forward while making loud noises then stands upright to wave its arms about. The other gorillas start yelping in high pitched barks and yelps. The tension ramps up within seconds as the lion slowly ambles down the slope and shows no signs of being intimidated.
‘We should run,’ Lani whispers, ‘run now.’
‘No,’ Dave responds, ‘don’t draw attention, just keep moving slowly.’
‘Is the monkey gonna play with the lion?’ Milly asks in a voice that is far, far too loud, immediately getting shushed by every one of us.
‘It’s not a monkey it’s an ape,’ Dave says once the shushes have ceased.
‘Dave,’ Lani warns, ‘don’t start them off again.’
‘What’s the difference then?’ Cookey asks to a low groan from Lani.
‘Not sure,’ Dave replies, ‘the tail I think…monkeys have tails I think.’
Panic ripples through the gorillas, screaming and yelping in fear and fright at the sight of the big cat stalking towards them.
The silverback stands his ground, slamming his huge fists onto the ground while roaring and jumping about. The message is abundantly clear but still the lion comes on. Step after casual step, head held steady and eyes fixed on the big primate.
The silverback charges in and stops again, a threatening motion designed to send the predator scurrying off. Only the lion doesn’t scurry off but keeps coming.
The action is obvious. The lion is hungry and wants food, he has his own pride to take care off. The silverback is the protector of his group so the end result is pre-destined. A pause between them, the lion goes stock still, the gorilla the same. For a second it looks like that might be it, but one of them must twitch or make a movement as they both suddenly charge, running at each other flat out.
The sight is indescribable, the two biggest animals I have ever seen about to attack each other. The lion leaps with predictability but that’s only from having watched so many documentaries. The gorilla, I guess, hasn’t spent much time in front of the Discovery channel and maybe isn’t aware of the lions basic attack method.
He chooses to meet the attack full on with head down and shoulders ready to slam the beast back. The collision is a dull thud of solid meat hitting solid meat.
They go at it. Snarling, twisting fangs that lunge while paws swipe and lash out. The gorilla moves with incredible speed, beating those huge arms down again and again. Evenly matched and neither has the advantage. The lion feints and comes in again. The gorilla presses the attack home, driving its arms into the beast’s flanks with thuds we can hear from this distance.
The lion shows no reaction but rears up on hind legs with the front paws slashing down to rake the front of the gorilla. They break away to circle and snarl. Blood is clearly visible on the gorillas chest from the deadly claws of the big cat. Bang, they go again. Both lunging at the same time to meet with a force that would see even the biggest men be killed outright.
Both take a beating. The lion must suffer broken ribs from the blows rained down and how the hell its spine doesn't snap from the power of the gorilla’s fists is beyond me. The lion uses those huge teeth with jaws extended to bite and savage, claws raking again and again. Blood sprays out as the rage and pain between them builds.
Still shuffling I become aware of just how insignificant we really are. These creatures would spend their entire lives living peacefully in accordance with the rules laid down by nature. Neither wants to fight and neither does it for pleasure.
The lion needs to eat. The gorilla needs to defend his group. That’s it. It is humbling and awe-inspiring at the same time. Our species would do anything to wipe each other out, wars, famine, disease and violence everyday but here, right here there is the true savagery of nature at all its grittiest best.
If we ceased to be right now, if we simply lay down to die and all our species did the same, life would just keep going. Gorillas would sit and groom each other. Lions would lie in the shade and sleep between meals.
These generations of animals will die, but their species will continue and the new-borns would never know of the race that once dominated this planet.
Entranced and unable to stop watching, we view the most awful of battles taking place. Lion against gorilla and they are so evenly matched that the end is just un-knowable. The gorillas strength is his greatest asset and when he co-ordinates he dominates the lion with ease, throwing him away like a disused tissue.
The lion is ferocious beyond compare, attacking again and again with ceaseless violence and a thirst for blood greater than the undead. The sounds are terrible, rendering all of us speechless and I for one can feel a tear falling down my face from the majesty of the creatures fighting. Something about being attacked by the lions and the peaceful nature of the gorilla has me clearly on his side, willing the primate to be victorious.
Blood is spilt, flesh is torn and bones are broken but still they refuse to yield. The explosive energy expended again and again now takes its toll as both animals move slower, both of them breathing so hard but still lunging again and again. They will never yield. There is no option. Both of their groups depend on them to do this, their very survival hinges on one of them winning.
With a move that makes me gasp, the lion launches with a roar that rolls over the ground. The gorilla is too slow to react. The lion sinks teeth into the gorillas face and they both go down. The lion has grip and refuses to let go. The gorilla beats and beats against the lion with bone snapping power. Both of them sink, the strength waning as they cling to each other in the final throes. The lion just refuses to relinquish the bite. The gorilla screams but still he fights until his thick arms loop over the lions back and squeeze as the gorilla pushes up to stand upright.
Still the lion clings on, hanging from the gorillas face by the power in its jaws. Blood sprays from the wounds, but the gorilla squeezes harder and harder, driving the lions magnificent chest inwards.
Bones are crushed, lungs are restricted and the lion cannot draw breath but my god that animal will never let go. Upright they dance round in a movement that gets slower with every step. Sinking down, the gorilla gives one final hefty pull, snapping the spine of the animal with a strength unknown in nature.
The lion is killed outright and pushed away as his jaws finally unclamp. With a heave, the gorilla pushes it off but the damage is done. The creatures face is ruined, eyes gone and punctured with wounds down to the bone. Blood pours out as it sucks in air in a desperate fight to stay alive.
Without realising it, we’re all rooted to the spot. No longer shuffling or trying to get away but witness to something that has probably never been seen before and probably never will be again. Tears stream down my face and I’m not the only one. All of us are choked at the sight, even Clarence stares with misted eyes at the utter heart-breaking sadness of watching two magnificent beasts destroy each other.
‘Gorilla then,’ Dave nods, the only one of us with a dry eye. Even Milly has turned to sink her head into Clarence’s neck but not Dave. The cold bastard watched the whole thing with professional disinterest and for the most fleeting of seconds I hate his coldness and I hate him for the lack of compassion he has.
‘We go now,’ he prompts us all. I have to look away, simply unable to look back to watch the gorilla die. The rest of the pride will probably move in now and the same thing will happen again as the females go at each other.
We don’t shuffle now but start moving faster and faster, a brisk walk that builds to a jog as we run through the enclose searching for an exit. In silence, in oppressive silence and oppressive heat we run and get away.
Thirty Two
The van rolls
to a gradual stop and waits. The driver watches the cluster of armed men stood between the two vast stone pillars. A high wall newly topped with coils of razor wire runs off in both directions.
With the engine idling, the driver waits for the men to approach him, absorbed in his own thoughts at what he’ll say and whether to be completely honest or not.
‘Vince,’ one armed man nods. Stepping up to the open driver’s window, he peers into the cab and takes in the silent form of Billy and the absence of the other man. ‘You on your own then?’
‘Yeah,’ Vince nods, still undecided whether to be truthful or lie. Whatever he says now will have to be the story he sticks with.
‘Something happen then?’ The guard asks.
‘Yeah,’ Vince nods grimly but with a lack of elaboration the driver nods and signals to the main gate, ‘open up…’ere Vince,’ the guard calls out before Vince drives forward, ‘you seen Terry and John? They were due back hours ago.’
‘No mate,’ Vince shakes his head and slowly eases the van forward, waiting for the truck parked inside the gates to be moved. Sandbags stacked high by the entrance, with a garden shed hastily erected to serve as a guard hut.
Vince nods back, noticing the confused and puzzled looks as they see he is now alone. The guard that approached him shouts that he has a boy, which sends a ripple of fresh interest buzzing through the other guards as they move in to peer in the windows.
Billy stays quiet, watching the hard faces staring in at him. With Todd gone he feels desperately alone and terrified. Vince is quiet and doesn't shout like the other man did, but he’s still scary.
‘You’ll like it here,’ Vince says, the first conversational words he has said since seeing Nick stood over his mate. ‘It’s nice,’ he adds with a quick glance down at the lad.
Billy looks up but doesn't say anything, too frightened to speak or move.
‘We got lots of nice food,’ Vince tries to smile but the humour isn’t there and it quickly dies off. ‘There are other boys here too, so you got friends to play with.’ Vince knows what questions the boy will be asked so this is the last effort to imprint a memory in the boys head. ‘Comfy beds and loads of toys, do you like football? We got football, and games, and we got a pond with fish,’ Vince explains, ‘but the best thing,’ he tries to entice some interest from Billy, ‘is the swimming pool eh? We got a swimming pool…do you like swimming…No? Suit yourself,’ Vince shrugs.