Outside, as he came down the stairs, he was shocked to see that they had landed on a remote airstrip and not at a commercial airport.
“Where are we?” Meg asked, stepping onto the tarmac.
“I have no idea,” Nick said. He looked around and saw runway lights stretching into the darkness. A generator was running, supplying power to a few extremely bright portable spotlights that made it impossible to see the surrounding terrain, which might have given a hint where they were.
A Wilde Enterprises employee with a clipboard was assisting passengers and pointing them in the direction of two black charter buses parked nearby.
After being assigned their bus, Nick and his family went over and began to board.
Meg and Gabe got on first. Nick could hear the bus driver greet them. He grabbed the hand railing and stepped up into the bus. The bus driver sat sideways in his chair and gave Nick a friendly smile. “Welcome aboard.”
Nick responded with a grunt. He felt drained from the flight and was in dire need of some sleep.
“Rough flight?”
“You might say that,” Nick replied not wanting to appear rude. At least this guy was making an attempt to be decent, unlike those harpy flight attendants. He glanced at the nametag on the driver’s shirt: Sam Kerry.
“So Sam, how long till we’re there?”
“Time enough to squeeze in a power nap.”
“I could use one.”
“Go grab a seat. We’re about to pull out.” Sam grabbed a lever and the side door hissed closed.
Nick made his way down the aisle.
He counted maybe forty people on board, some of them already taking the opportunity to grab some much-needed sleep as the interior lights were dimmed.
He saw Bob and Rhonda already seated.
“Watch, after this, we’ll be on some damn camel ride across the desert,” Bob said.
“I wouldn’t joke,” Nick said. “Where’s Shane?”
“He went back with Gabe.”
“Might as well grab some shuteye.”
“Yeah, it’s been a long night,” Bob said, nodding his head at Rhonda who was already fast asleep.
“You mean morning.”
“Yeah. Sweet dreams, Nick,” Bob said and closed his eyes.
Nick continued to the back of the bus. Meg had moved over to the window seat and Nick sat down beside her. “How does your head feel now?”
“Like I have jet lag.”
“So much for a fun start to our impromptu vacation.” Nick glanced across the aisle. His son had bundled his jacket into a pillow and was sleeping with his head rested against the window.
Shane had raised the center armrest and was curled up on two seats in the row behind Gabe and was fast asleep.
“I hope he isn’t going to sulk the whole weekend,” Meg said.
“I’m sure there’ll be plenty to do to get Gabe’s mind off of his iPad. At least, there better be or he’s going to be unbearable to be around.” He turned to Meg. She had her hands cupped over the window and was trying to look out.
“What do you see?”
“Nothing.”
“Maybe when we get on the road—”
“No, Nick. I can’t see anything. This isn’t tinted glass, it’s a plastic panel.”
“Are you sure?” Nick leaned over and tried peering out. She was right. All he could see was their faces reflected off the dark surface.
The diesel engine started up with a rumble.
Nick looked up front. He was relieved to see the glow of the outside spotlights through the windshield. If anything, he could gaze out the windshield and see where they were going.
A motorized black screen began to drop down behind the bus driver’s seat. The divider was the width of the bus’s interior and reached down to the floor, blocking the passengers’ view of the windshield.
“What the hell?”
“What’s wrong?” Meg asked.
“A panel just came down behind the driver so we can’t see out.” Nick was tempted to run up the aisle and demand the screen be raised, but then the bus pulled out of the parking lot and was making a slow wide turn.
“Nick, this doesn’t feel right. First they take away our phones, now we’re being transported to who knows where.”
When Meg used the word transported he couldn’t help thinking of those big rigs he’d see on the freeway, the ones hauling livestock to the slaughterhouse.
And then another unsettling thought came to mind when he considered their current situation—prisoners in railcars being taken to the death camps.
6
FIRST IMPRESSION
Nick wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep when the bus came to a stop and he woke up. He looked over at Meg and gave her a nudge. “I think we’re here.”
“Huh?” Meg yawned and stretched her arms over her head.
The overhead lights brightened the cabin and the divider behind the bus driver rose.
Nick glanced over at Gabe. His son was awake. He’d unraveled his coat and was putting it on. Shane was sitting up, rubbing his eyes.
“This is it,” Nick said.
“When do we eat, I’m starving,” was Gabe’s reply.
“Yeah, they better have some decent food,” Shane whined.
“I’m sure they will,” Nick said. He heard a blast of air and knew the front door had opened, which was everyone’s cue to get up from their seats. “You boys go ahead, we’ll be right behind you,” he said to Gabe.
The teenagers stepped into the aisle and got in line behind the others.
When Nick stood, he caught a glimpse of the outdoors through the windshield. It was twilight and he could see ragged silhouettes.
Nick stepped back and let Meg go in front of him. They were the last ones in line so he put his arms around her waist and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Ready for our big adventure?”
She looked back at him. “What I really want is a shower.”
They shuffled forward to the front of the bus.
Sam Kerry was standing outside, assisting anyone that needed help coming down off the steps.
“You folks have a wonderful day,” Sam said as Nick stepped out of the bus. Nick saw men wearing matching polo shirts and trousers, offloading bags from both the storage compartments on the buses and taking them over to flatbed trailers hooked to the back of two separate golf carts.
“What happens now?” Nick asked.
“Now you walk. Don’t worry, it’s not far.”
Nick stepped out from between the two buses, surprised to see they were smack dab in the middle of nowhere in a giant forest of 100-foot pines and red firs.
Meg stared at the trees. “Nick, please don’t tell me this is going to be one of those survivalist weekends?”
“No one mentioned peer bonding to me.” Nick turned to Bob who was standing next to him.
“At this point,” Bob said, “nothing would surprise me.”
A round helicopter-landing pad with the Wilde Enterprises logo was not too far from where the buses were parked.
Once the baggage was loaded, the workers jumped on the back of the golf carts and the drivers headed up a paved road into the trees.
A carved wooden sign with the words ENTRANCE was at the trailhead of a groomed pathway bordered with split-rail fencing. The walkway ran parallel with the road and was separated by a thin stand of trees.
Everyone assumed that was the way and started up the path.
Nick and Bob’s families were at the end of the procession.
“I hear something coming.” Rhonda stopped to listen.
“Sounds like a truck,” Nick said.
“Better be a taco truck,” Shane said. He jabbed Gabe and they both started laughing.
Nick caught a glimpse of the big rig between the trees as the vehicle drove by.
“Anyone get a good look?” Meg asked.
“I did,” Bob replied. “Looked like a cattle truck. That road must lead to a main highway
.”
Nick noticed that everyone in front of them had come to a stop and were staring up. He couldn’t tell exactly at what, as the treetops were blocking his view.
As he approached, he could hear people murmuring, some even gasping.
A woman hysterically blurted out, “Oh my God, it’s an alien spaceship!”
“It’s a giant beetle,” a little boy shouted.
Nick gazed up and couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Jesus, they built a football stadium in the middle of the forest?” Bob said.
“This is amazing,” Nick said. He had to agree with the boy’s first reaction, the structure did look like a turquoise beetle. The sloping roof had to be a least 250 feet tall at its highest point, which was near the center, and had to encompass an area close to 100 acres. It appeared to be made up of flat solar panels, which made perfect sense, as there was no telling how far away the nearest power station was located.
Nick heard a woman call out, “Over here, folks!”
Four employees wearing similar polo shirts and pants were standing just outside the main entrance of the dome stadium. Two more men in black shirts were posted as sentries. When one of them turned, Nick saw SECURITY stenciled on the back of his shirt.
Everyone mustered in a half circle.
“Good morning. My name is Christine Olson and we will be your tour guides throughout your stay with us. We will be breaking up into four groups. When one of us calls your name, please assemble in front of your designated tour guide. This should only take a few minutes.”
Nick watched as families peeled off and congregated in small groups when their names were called. When Christine called out Nick’s name she waved for him and his family to join her group. He was glad to see that Bob, Rhonda, and Shane were also included along with fourteen other people.
Once everyone had been assigned a group, Christine led the way through the front entrance.
It was like entering a gargantuan cavern, but instead of a rock floor and stalagmites, the grounds were teeming with trees and meticulous landscaping.
The steel girded ceiling loomed 250 feet above their heads like the underside of a giant umbrella.
Nick looked up at the mammoth wrought iron archway:
WELCOME TO CRYPTID ZOO
Meg scowled at Nick and whispered, “Really, Nick? They put us through all this for a stupid zoo?”
Nick shrugged as they walked under the span and continued down the wide flagstone path bordered on each side by what appeared to be columns of statues that stood twenty feet tall and were covered with large tarps. He saw a bare pedestal the size of an above ground hot tub, with the word MNGWA on a bronze plaque, which made no sense.
They came to a junction with signs where the walkway forked. To the left was a two-story round building designated for the ZOOKEEPERS & PARK STAFF. An identical looking building was to the right and was SECURITY.
Nick expected their tour guide to make mention of the two buildings, but she didn’t, and they kept walking straight toward the circular five-story glass-front hotel.
When they reached the front steps, Christine stopped and turned around. “When we go inside, would the employees in our group please follow me to the registration desk and we will get your key cards. You should be glad to know that your bags have already been brought up to your rooms. I imagine many of you are exhausted and would like some time to rest and freshen up so we have scheduled a late lunch and our first two tours for this afternoon. Please, follow me.”
Nick and Meg had been to Las Vegas a few times and had stayed on the strip where the hotels had outlandish themes like the castle at Excalibur and the pirate ship show at Treasure Island.
Being that this was a zoo, he was expecting an animal theme of some sort when he stepped into the lobby. He was pleasantly surprised to find the large antechamber tastefully decorated. The marble flooring gleamed under the spiral design of recessed lights. Black leather chairs and couches were positioned about the reception area offering an intimate setting for a rendezvous and a place for guests to gather. The vestibule was adorned with magnificent twelve-foot tall palm trees in giant pots.
Nick and Bob, along with a man and woman that Nick had never met, followed Christine up to the front desk. She told the hotel clerk their names and was handed the key cards.
Once she had given everyone their magnetic room keys, Christine said, “You will find packets in your rooms that will outline Mr. Wilde’s expectations and the guidelines you will be following evaluating the theme park. But we’ll talk more about that later. Now I suggest everyone get some proper sleep. Oh, and for those of you that are hungry, you’ll find baskets of assorted fruit and pastries as well as tea, coffee, and juice waiting for you in your rooms.”
She glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s a little before seven right now. Let’s all meet here in the lobby at one o’clock sharp. Any questions?”
“Ah, yeah,” Nick said, but then he looked around and saw the tired faces. “It can wait.”
“Great,” Christine said. “See you all then.”
7
SECOND THOUGHTS
Jack drove the cargo van down the service road and stopped at the dropdown barrier bar blocking the side entrance to the massive dome. He rolled his window down when the security guard stepped out of the booth and approached the vehicle.
“Morning, Ralph,” Jack said, raising his ID badge on the end of the lanyard hanging around his neck for the man to inspect.
“Mr. Tremens, nice to see you,” the guard said. He glanced inside the cab at Miguel sitting in the passenger seat. Miguel displayed his badge.
“Mr. Walla.”
Something shrieked and banged around in the back of the van.
The guard tried to see into the cargo hold, but a curtain blocked his view. He looked at Jack. “Live one, eh?”
“Yeah, and it’s not too happy,” Jack said.
“You’re clear to go.”
“Thanks.” Jack waited for the bar to rise then drove through and down a ramp into a large tunnel. He followed the brightly lit underground passage for a short distance to an intersection and turned left to where it opened up to a small parking area.
He made a U-turn and backed the van into a stall a few feet short of a wall with a door.
Jack turned off the engine and jumped out. He walked around to the rear of the van. Miguel was already opening the rear doors.
As soon as the chupacabra saw the two men, it reached out through the bars of its cage and hissed at them, jerking its head side to side like a twitchy drug addict. The creature screeched, pulled its arm back in between the bars, and rattled its cage.
“Calm down, no one is going to hurt you,” Jack said.
Miguel grabbed the stun gun pole and showed it to the chupacabra. Its eyes widened with fear and it slunk back in its cage. Miguel stared at the creature. “You remembered.”
“So it has long term memory,” Jack said. “We’ll have to pass that along.” He went over and retrieved a flatbed pushcart that had been left parked beside the wall. He shoved the edge of the cart just under the rear bumper.
“Better be careful. It loves to bite,” Miguel said.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Jack took a moment to put on a thick pair of gloves. He waited until Miguel had his on before they pulled the cage out of the van and loaded it onto the cart.
Miguel kept the stun gun pole and closed the rear doors of the van. He hurried over and opened the door for Jack so he could push the cart inside. They followed the dimly lit corridor until they reached an elevator.
They took the elevator from the sub-basement up to the first floor.
The elevator doors parted and Jack pushed the cart out into a hallway with bright overhead fluorescent bulbs. The chupacabra being a nocturnal creature immediately reacted to the blinding light. It cowered in a corner of the cage and let out an ear-piercing squeal.
Jack took his coat off and draped the garment over the cag
e to block the glare. He stood behind the pushcart, but didn’t move.
He listened to the creature whimpering, huddled under the protective shade.
“What is it, Jack?” Miguel asked.
“I don’t know. I’m kind of feeling sorry for it.”
“That ugly thing? Don’t tell me you’re turning into a softie?”
“I’m starting to have reservations if what we’re doing is really right.”
“It’s no different than any other job we’ve taken on.”
“Yeah, well, capturing endangered animals so they can be protected is one thing. This feels more like we’re creating a freak show.”
“Maybe we are,” Miguel said. “But that’s what people want to see.”
“And that makes it right?”
“I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe you should talk it over with Professor Howard and explain how you feel.”
“I doubt she’ll understand. Not with all the breakthroughs she’s been having.”
“You have to admit, they are astonishing,” Miguel said.
“We better get to the lab,” Jack said and began pushing the cart down the hall.
They came to a bank of windows and could see inside a large laboratory.
A woman with frizzy blonde hair was sitting at a table, peering into the eyepiece of a high-powered microscope. When she looked up, she saw Jack through the glass and gave him a friendly wave. She got up and crossed the room. She was wearing a white lab coat, skirt, and flat shoes.
Jack thought Nora looked anemic and knew she’d been running herself ragged working long hours, forsaking her health for her research. He heard a buzz and the door to the lab opened.
“Hello, Jack,” Nora said.
“We brought you a surprise.” Jack pushed the cart through the doorway.
Miguel followed and the door swished closed behind him. “Morning, Professor Howard.”
“Morning, Miguel. So what is it?”
Jack went down on one knee and beckoned for Nora to join him. “Take a peek, but don’t get too close.”
Nora crouched and looked inside the cage. “Oh my God, Jack. You were able to capture one alive?”
Cryptid Zoo Page 3