The World's Last Breaths: Final Winter, Animal Kingdom, and The Peeling

by Iain Rob Wright

  “I don’t know,” said Joe. “It’s like an earthquake or something.”

  Randall shook his head. “No. Something is hitting the building.”

  Victor was already at the window, pulling away some of the barricade to see through the glass. Randall moved up beside him and looked too. He could not believe what he saw.

  This is not good. We’ve been caught napping.

  “What is it?” asked Joe.

  “Elephants. Elephants, Rhinos, and I think a hippopotamus.”

  Another tremor hit the building as an African Elephant crashed its thick torso against the building, the sound of splintering brickwork and shattering glass accompanying the impact.

  “What do we do?” Joe pointed at a beetle scurrying from a widening crack in the wall.

  “We do what we planned,” Randall replied. “We strike back.”

  Victor turned from the window and started to shout. “Okay, squaddies. Get to your battle stations. Joe, you and me are up front with the fire bombs. Make sure you spread your hits to maximise bombardment area. Everyone else, get armed and ready to drop the monitors on anything that gets too close. Remember, everybody, the silverback is the priority target.”

  Randall stood back and watched everyone assemble. This was to be his moment of glory. Years of boardroom success would not compare to this victory. This moment was going to define the rest of his life.

  “Okay, everyone,” Randall shouted. “Let them have it.”

  Joe and Victor threw the first round of firebombs.

  20

  Joe watched his firebomb arc through the air, flames flickering majestically in the wind. It struck a pair of snarling cheetahs and their pelts went up in a burst of heat that Joe could feel from the second floor window. In mere seconds, the flesh of the floundering big cats bubbled and blistered before sloughing off in thick sheets of spitting meat. The odour of singed fur filled the air.

  Joe watched the cheetahs retreat in dying agony and turned to Victor. “It’s working.”

  “Aye, but don’t start celebrating yet, pal.”

  He’s right, Joe thought. That was nothing but a pinprick in the ocean.

  Joe picked up another firebomb, just as one of the African elephants hit the building again. The entire floor rocked and he almost dropped the volatile incendiary at his feet.

  Victor shouted out so that everyone could hear. “Defend the walls!”

  Bill, Shirley, and Mason rushed forward, clutching bulky PC monitors in their hands. They hoisted them through the open windows and let them go. Two of the monitors hit the elephant below, breaking into smithereens against its thick head.

  It did nothing.

  The elephant trumpeted in fury and then resumed its onslaught on the base of the building. The floor shook again. Plaster flakes showered from the ceiling, and Joe actually had to fight to keep his balance. “The whole building is going to come down.”

  “Throw another firebomb,” Bill ordered.

  “No,” said Victor. “It’s too close. We can’t risk setting fire to the building.”

  Bill nodded and understood his error.

  Joe had an idea. He went and grabbed a flask of acid from the weapons table.

  I hope this works.

  He headed back to the window and moved the others out of the way. “Everyone, stand back.”

  The elephant was still rushing the building, stepping back and then lunging at the brickwork again and again. Joe leant out of the window and held out the flask of acid. The liquid fell out as he tipped the beaker sideways. The acid doused the elephant’s thick, round ears and bulbous head, but seemed to have no effect. Joe watched in anticipation as time stretched on. Just when he was certain his plan had failed, a wisp of smoke began to form. The elephant flinched, rearing up on its hind legs and thrashing its head about. It let out an agonised screech and then turned tail and fled the battlefield, trampling several smaller animals in the process.

  Victor patted Joe on the back. “Good work.”

  Joe didn’t have time to accept the compliment, the animal army outside was riled and starting to attack in force. The silverback came to the fore and beat at his chest. The ape’s snarling cries sounded almost human in their fury. Joe was sure that the beast was staring him directly in the eye.

  “The silverback,” Victor said. “Just the bugger we want. Get yourself armed, Joe.”

  Joe grabbed another firebomb. Victor already had one. Together they lit the makeshift fuses and prepared to throw them.

  Victor held his firebomb over his shoulder. “After three. One…two…three!”

  The two men threw their firebombs in unison. They sailed through the air, both aimed at the silverback gorilla. The towering ape stared back at them, smouldering malice dripping from his eyeballs like molten hatred.

  Victor’s firebomb went wide and hit the ground in front of a pack of Llamas. Joe’s was closer to the mark and arced right towards the silverback’s face.

  The gorilla swatted the projectile out of the sky.

  A fireball exploded.

  The silverback turned away, covering its giant head with an arm. The liquid fire crackled in the air for a few moments, releasing thick plumes of black smoke.

  The silverback turned back around. One side of his face was a glistening mess of pink flesh.

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

  “Barely,” said Joe. “But I think he’s pulling back.”

  Sure enough, the silverback grunted at the other animals and the whole army started turning away.

  They’re retreating.

  Bill ran up to the window and hopped up and down. “We did it. They’re going away.”

  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.”

  “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 an army of animals.”

  “It certainly is an unusual turn of events. Not exactly 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?”

  “The company I work for did, Black Remedy. You’ve heard of them, of course. It’s good business practise to spend a certain amount of profit on community projects or charities. My company seems to have a current focus on investing in zoos, both at home and abroad. Everybody loves animals, I suppose.”

  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 thing out. We can settle here, dig in for as long as we need to.”

  Joe frowned. “You think so? 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. Our only chance is to dig in here.”

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

  “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, Joe. I will get us 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, 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. 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.”

  “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 him in the 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?”

  More tears filled 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 compulsions, 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.

  “It’ll get worse and worse. It’ll drive me insane until I start slicing myself to stop the urges.”

  “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 salty liquid ran tracks down her cheeks. “I found some scissors. I was cutting myself when the scorpions appeared.”

  “What if we get rid of all 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 of her eating her own flesh. He didn’t know such conditions existed. Grace seemed so normal.

  “I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” he said earnestly. “Even if I have to watch you twenty-four-seven. You’re my friend. 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 terrified.

  Joe stood up, but not before leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. “I’m just going to check on Danny,” he said. “I’ll be right back. If you need me I’m just a few feet away.”

  Once he was happy that Grace would be okay for the time being, Joe left her to rest. By the room’s window, Danny was on his tiptoes and hanging over the ledge. Joe shouted at him to get down.

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

  Joe slid up beside his son and looked out. There was no sign of the animals, other than a few burnt llama husks and some unidentified stains on the pavement. Mostly all that 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, then. Just one last thing?”

  “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 it will give me time to go downstairs.”

  21

  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. Grace needs my 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, he wouldn’t be able to do what was needed. “I don’t intend to die down there. I’m not insane. The animals have retreated for now. It will be safe. This might be my only chance.”

  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.”

  “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. “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 left with Mason, but Joe didn’t think the man was particularly experienced in minding children. It would be unfair to leave them together for 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 frightening. Before he even thought about getting downstairs, though, he would have to get through Victor’s barricade.

  Victor was unwilling to let anyone tamper with the entryway. Earlier, when Joe had first voiced his intentions, the Scotsman had made it clear that keeping the upper floor safe was his only priority. If the animals were still downstairs then Joe wasn’t getting back inside the barricade until it was completely safe. If things were very bad then this could be a one-way journey.

  “You ready there, pal?”

  “Yeah, I’m ready. Bill is comi
ng 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 as he often did. Like Joe, he was probably just thinking it wasn’t worth the aggravation. “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 once 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 for 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 followed closely behind. The staff room was a mess. Chairs and tables were upturned, the television had been pulled down off the wall 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, but nothing else.

  Bill opened the door and waited for Joe. They crept through into the corridor and Joe suddenly thought about the lions that had started this whole thing.