by Taylor Buck
The entire room surrounding the factions had forty-foot walls that reached high up to a transparent A-frame ceiling. The A-frame was a series of crisscrossed beams that suspended a long scaffold walkway. This was used as an access platform to the retractable ceiling panels above it. The room was impressively designed. The whole ceiling acted as a giant skylight. Even with the ominous towering walls all around, there was some comfort in the view from above. Large Koa trees swayed high above the building, stretching their limbs out and creating a protective canopy high above the facility. Their shadows danced across the floor of the den and over Dr. Perry and Rick Danner.
Massive cables ran down from the roof and led to the control room adjacent to the den. These cables piped in solar power from the exterior roof and delivered it to the control room. The entire CERTA complex was 87% powered by solar electricity alone—a fact Dr. Perry never ceased to mention whenever entertaining guests. He was determined from the start on utilizing the strong Hawaiian sun to fuel their efforts. Perry was a strong proponent of solar power technology, another reason why he chose to base CERTA in Hawaii.
Danner made his way to the middle of the den. His boots clicked against the concrete floor and the sound echoed through the big room as he walked. Dr. Perry followed close behind him, still agitated, wearing the signs all over his face.
“There,” Danner said pointing a finger up towards the right corner of the a-frame ceiling. “She got out through panel #18, used the scaffold as a jumping point, then out through the window.”
Perry squinted his eyes and stared up toward the corner of the ceiling where Danner was pointing. He noticed the pane missing from panel #18, a four-by-four-foot square of glass was completely gone. “You mean she got out—through that?” Perry asked.
“Wouldn’t believe it unless I saw it,” replied Danner.
“You watched her escape?”
“No. We captured it on the security camera.
“How on God’s earth did she get up there?” Perry asked, seemingly astounded.
“Come on, I’ll show you,” Danner said and directed Perry away.
Danner and Perry walked out of the den and entered the control room. They made their way to the back of the room where a wall of monitors displayed various scenes of activity going on all around the facility. One screen showed the front of the building, another showed the interior of the front lobby. A large monitor, placed directly in the middle, showed the scientists working in the lab. A few others showed an access door, kitchen and a training room. There were eight screens in all. Danner punched in a few commands and pulled up the footage on the big screen. The screen displayed a wide-angle view of the den at night. The footage was shot in hi-definition night vision, causing the picture to glow bright green and bathe the two men in fluorescence as they studied the screen intently.
The picture was still. There was no movement in the den. The time was displayed in the bottom right corner.
4:32AM
The footage rolled along.
The picture stayed the same—an empty room as seen from a camera placed high on the wall. It peered down into the den showing an elevated perspective of the large room and peeking down ever so slightly into each faction. Then suddenly a dark figure appeared in the right corner of the screen. It appeared quick, like film footage missing a frame—showing instantly. The figure was standing on top of faction #2. It was shaking slightly—appearing to be gathering it’s footing as it balanced on top of the wall.
“How did it ge…” Perry stopped.
What happened next prompted Perry’s eyes to open wide in astonishment. He reached out and grabbed onto the chair beside him, as if his legs were giving out.
He leaned in close and stared at the screen in front of him, fixed on the footage. Danner looked over at Dr. Perry, catching the expression on his face.
Perry cleared his throat. “They can…jump,” he said, barely getting the words out.
“They sure can,” agreed Danner. “I figure that’s about thirty feet from the top of the faction to the scaffold deck. She cleared that with ease.”
“Did you know this? That they were jumping, I mean?”
“Nobody did. They weren’t trained to jump like that, only run,” Danner replied.
Perry looked quite concerned. He had a fiercely tense expression on his face. “Has Braden seen this yet? Has he seen it jump?”
“I don’t know… I’ve been trying to get ahold of him all morning. No luck.”
“What about the, the unit…what’s her name?” Perry asked.
“Lorry.”
“Yes, Lorry. Has anyone seen any trace of her yet? Anything at all?”
“I’ve got four men looking since seven this morning. They haven’t seen a thing yet. There’s a lot of ground to cover out there. It may take some time,” Danner said—his eyes wincing.
“We don’t have time!” Perry yelled as he slammed his fist against the table beside him. The control board shook considerably from the impact. Dr. Perry, roused by the footage he had just seen, began to recognize the magnitude of the situation he was facing. He paced around the room, his face a deep shade of red.
“Do you realize what that thing is capable of out there? Do you have any idea what this could mean?”
“Perry, there’s a lot of jungle out there. She can’t go far…”
“It’s bloody made for the jungle!” Perry shouted.
Dr. Perry stopped pacing and locked his eyes on Danner. He began walking toward him. Even at his age, Perry’s size and piercing gaze were intimidating. Danner found him oddly threatening…although he would never admit it. It was the way Perry seemed to tower over everyone and somehow appear much bigger than he actually was.
“You had better hope that you’re right, Rick. This entire mishap is your fault. This should have never bloody happened.”
Danner backed up as Perry moved closer, his finger out, pointed at Danner.
“I do not tolerate incapable people.” Perry continued moving toward him. “Now, Rick. Show me that you’re capable of fixing the mess you created by going out there and bringing me back my robot!”
CHAPTER 6
HAKALAU FOREST NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
14 OCTOBER, 4:30 P.M.
The waterfall was a spectacular site. Torrents of water thundered down over a high rock face and plunged down into a pristine pool of fresh water. It was picture perfect, and entirely worthy of a cinematic opening sequence.
Tom Bennett was already ascending the side of the falls. It made for a quick, thirty-foot free climb that he handled with ease. He wanted to get a look from the top, seeing as it looked to be a promising spot for an aerial photograph of the jungle. He stretched out his body and grabbed the final foothold, pushing himself up and over the side of the falls. He wiped the moisture from his face that had accumulated as the mist rained down during his ascent.
Bennett stood up and looked out over the land.
The view from on top of the falls was surreal. He could barely take it all in. The tree canopy was open all around him. The pool below where the water entered was aqua blue and extremely inviting. His first instinct was to jump off the cliff and plunge down into the freshwater. He was in full field gear, though, and the very expensive camera strapped to his back wouldn’t take kindly to the water. Bennett resisted the urge and instead took the camera from his back and began taking a few photos.
Another amazing location to add to the list, he thought. This one might take the cake.
Bennett peered out over the lush land through his viewfinder. He panned slowly to the right, imagining the path the camera would follow during actual filming. As he did so, something grabbed his attention. He noticed an animal walking slowly behind the large ferns about a hundred yards out. It was partially hidden. He couldn’t make out wha
t it was. It piqued his interest enough to reach into his bag and grab his telephoto lens out of his pack.
Bennett pulled out his 70-200 lens, certainly capable of getting in close enough to provide definition. He twisted the glass until it clicked in place. Then he held up the camera to his eye and focused the lens with his left hand.
There—behind a few palms.
Click.
The animal disappeared behind a tree an instant later. Bennett scanned the area around the palms.
Nothing.
It was gone.
Bennett pulled up the photo on the four-inch LCD camera screen. He zoomed in closer by using the on-camera enhance options. His eyes grew wide. He realized he was looking at a large cat of some kind.
A panther?
“What in the world?” Bennett said aloud. What was a panther doing on the island?
Bennett knew there were no species of wildcats in Hawaii. There wasn’t an animal even close to that. The only cats present here were the strays dwelling behind the strip malls on the island—and they were certainly nowhere close in size to what he was looking at. He studied the picture. Sure enough. It was definitely some sort of dark panther-looking creature. It was slightly difficult to make out due to the distance the photo was taken. The photo resolution was less than perfect. Furthermore, a large ‘ōhi‘a tree obstructed the back end of the animal including its torso and hind legs. The head and front legs were clearly visible, though, and Bennett could identify the catlike ears, eyes and head shape of the animal.
But a panther? It didn’t make sense.
It certainly piqued his curiosity. Whatever was out there, he wanted to check it out.
He looked up at the sun laying low in the sky about an inch away from dipping behind Mauna Kea, the large volcano in the center of the island. He didn’t have enough daylight to go after it today. It would be dark soon, and it probably wasn’t a good idea to go tracking a wildcat at night. As curious as Bennett was to find out what kind of creature was lurking in the Forest Reserve, he made the decision to head out. He could investigate tomorrow.
He made his way down the waterfall and trekked the last few miles out of the reserve. He ducked through a bamboo forest and cut through the dense jungle to the parking lot. Bennett ducked into the ranger’s office located at the trailhead to see if he could find any info on the cat.
The ranger station was a quaint little cottage with a small front reception. Walking up to the desk Bennett was greeted by a dark haired, middle-aged Hawaiian woman with kind eyes. She spoke up before he could even ask his question. “You’re Mr. Bennett, right?”
“Uh, yeah.” Bennett was surprised the woman knew who he was. He probably shouldn’t have been. He knew Michelle, his agent, had called ahead.
“I take it you know who I am,” he asked with a smile.
“You’re taking pictures for that movie, right? The big movie about Hawaii?” She responded accurately, affirming she was clearly aware of Tom’s business in the reserve.
“Yes, we’re documenting the plants, wildlife and overall nature on the island. We’ll be covering the other islands as well,” Bennett replied.
“Well, the Big Island is the best,” she said with a smile. “I’m sure you will find that out during your time with them all.”
Bennett smiled back kindly, in response. “This certainly is a beautiful island. You are very lucky to live in such an amazing place.”
The woman nodded in agreement. “You realize you have custom access to the reserve too? Not even the tourists get to see the northern sector. It’s restricted.”
“Is that right?” Bennett replied. “Well, speaking of the northern sector, I was wondering if you could answer something for me.” Bennett pulled out his camera and loaded up the photo on the viewing screen. “I came across this animal while I was out there today. I wasn’t aware that there were any wildcats here in the reserve.”
The woman leaned forward and took a look at the picture. As she studied it, her expression changed. Her cheerful smile left. “That’s not from the reserve,” she said. “No, no.” Her previous smiling disposition had quickly left. She was now giving Bennett a cold, blank stare.
“Ma’am, I understand what you’re saying, but I’ve got a picture here. I’m showing you evidence of what I saw out there—just an hour or so ago.”
The woman looked at the camera in Bennett’s hands and then directed her eyes back to him. “There are no cats in the reserve. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” she said plainly.
Bennett was uneasy about the woman’s response. In fact, the way that she completely switched character after he had shown her the picture came off quite eerie. “Ok. Thank you for your time, Ma’am,” he said politely.
Bennett wasn’t getting anywhere. The woman clearly wasn’t grasping reality and didn’t come across as one who would be easily swayed—even if there were proof right in front of her eyes. He tucked away his camera and stepped out of the ranger station. Bennett could feel the woman still watching him as he stepped out through the doorway. Well, that was awkward, he thought to himself.
He walked through the parking lot to his truck. The situation that had just gone down at the station only fueled his curiosity. The woman had almost acted as if she were hiding something. Either that, or she absolutely couldn’t fathom the fact that somehow a wildcat had made its way into her protected reserve.
Something didn’t feel right.
He took out his phone and dialed the only person he knew who could possibly offer up some answers.
He called Kelly Adler.
CHAPTER 7
RANGER STATION
14 OCTOBER, 5:45 P.M.
The phone rang twice. It was answered by a friendly female voice on the other end of the line. “Tom?”
“Kelly. How are you?” Bennett asked.
“I’m good!” Kelly responded in a pleasantly surprised tone. Tom could almost hear her smiling through the phone.
“What are you up to? How’s the photography going?”
“Good…good. I’m actually in Hawaii on location now,” Bennett said.
“You’re here? In Oahu?” she asked, surprised.
“Actually, I’m over on the Big Island. Sorry Kell, I should’ve called earlier, but I wanted to make sure I had time to cover everything I need for this job. I landed a big gig. Some big-budget movie stuff.”
“Of course,” Kelly replied. “Hey, you would’ve called sooner or later. That’s all that matters. Anyway, It’s great to hear from you. It’s been since, what…Colin’s funeral last year?”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Bennett replied.
Kelly Adler was the younger sister of Bennett’s best friend, Colin. Bennett and Colin had served together in the Marines and had developed a close friendship formed on the lines in battle. Bennett didn’t have a brother of his own, but he considered Colin the closest thing to it. Unfortunately, Colin had died in a horrible car crash a year earlier. It was extremely hard on Bennett. He left his work and escaped for six months to the island of Vanuatu, trying to put it behind him. Up until his death, Bennett had been close with Colin’s family who had recently moved to Hawaii. His father, Donald Adler, was Chief Physician at the University of Hawaii Medical School on Oahu. Colin’s sister, Kelly, was a passionate wildlife biologist working at the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources in Oahu. Bennett had come to know Kelly as a kind of younger sister. He knew she would jump at the chance to help out. She was extremely smart and would know everything there is to know about wildlife on the Hawaiian Islands. Bennett was happy to give her a call.
“Tom, how are you doing? I mean…with everything. I heard you were living in, Vanuatu?” She spoke Vanuatu as if it were a distant planet a million miles away.
“Yeah,” Bennett chuckled.
“It was good to get away for a time. I think I just needed to unplug for a bit—recalibrate, ‘ya know?”
“Yeah. I know what you mean. It was a tough time for all of us…but it’s great to hear your voice, Tom. Really. I’m glad you called.”
“Thanks Kelly,” Bennett said appreciatively. “Listen, Kelly. I’ve got something I’d like you to take a look at.”
“Sure, what’s up?” she said.
“I’ve been scouting the past four days for a documentary film that is taking place here on the island. Today, I came across this animal…it looks like a wildcat or something.”
“Wild cat? Kelly answered back loudly, as if taken off guard. “Here in Hawaii? That’s not likely Tom. Are you sure it wasn’t a Feral Pig…I mean…a wild boar?”
“Yes, I’m pretty sure. This thing has the head of a panther—and certainly moves like one. I snapped a picture of it. It’s not great, but you can make out a lot of the details. Do you mind if I send it over to you?”
“Sure. Of course I’ll take a look at it. Certainly sounds interesting.” Kelly chuckled.
“Thanks Kell, I’ll send it over tonight. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course! I’ll call you later, ‘K?
“Sounds great. Thanks again.”
Tom hung up the phone.
