He watched as Vixen looked at the bottom of the cue and read the laser engraving out loud. “My Dearest Vixen, You will own my heart and my soul always. In this life, or the next. Love, Shark.”
Her eyes began to tear.
“Don’t cry,” Shark said.
“It will be in this life, Shark.” She rested her head on his chest. “I’ll be waiting for you in the Keys, ready to give things that real chance we discussed. You are the only guy for me.”
The goodbye was long and emotional. The knowledge that it might be the last time he ever held her was painful and weighed heavily on his mind.
The announcement came over the loudspeaker. “Last call for Miami flight nineteen.”
Shark gave Vixen one last hug and watched as she went through security. He and Wolf grabbed a spot by a large window with a tarmac view and waited until the wheels of flight 19 left the ground, and the plane headed into the sky toward Miami.
CHAPTER 25
Preparing for the Show
Shaw sat in the Serengeti amphitheater’s control room and watched as his team of expert producers double-checked the arena’s sophisticated operating controls.
The control room hung from the ceiling and hovered some two hundred feet above the floor. From this vantage point, his producers had a 360-degree view of the action taking place below and could instantly control the flow of animals on and off the main show floor.
Shaw looked down through the clear Plexiglas floor of the control room and reveled at the mile and a half of open savanna his designers had recreated in such accurate detail. Rolling hills, roaring rivers, groves of trees, and high grass made the entire space a realistic portrayal of the African plains. He smiled as he thought about the massive undertaking and the fulfillment of a dream.
And tonight, he thought, just eight hours away, the entire structure will be filled with over five hundred thousand spectators, all witnessing and partaking in my grand vision. The thought made a warm feeling surge through his body.
Shaw left the control room and headed down below to inspect the labyrinth of tunnels that spread out like a web underneath the massive complex. The dark chambers were filled with immense cages, all holding the animals, the performers, that would make his show, Predators and Prey, the greatest show ever created.
As he walked past the prey enclosures he could see the coldness in their distant eyes, as if they knew the fate they were about to endure. If not for the bars, he thought, they would eagerly pounce and trample him to death.
He passed the pen holding the lions and the cheetahs; he noticed the bones showing through their rib cages, and felt proud at the look of pure hunger in their eyes. Perfect—his plan not to feed them for the last week was a success. Surely, when set free to hunt on the artificial plains above, these deadly carnivores would kill with abandon.
As he continued his tour, Shaw came upon the elephant paddock. In the back, standing in the darkness, was one of his favorite trophies, the large bull he had personally captured on the plains of the Serengeti months earlier. Shaw’s eyes closed slightly as he looked deep into the cage and into the beast’s massive black eyes. He watched as the bull focused on him, squinting with a look of pure hatred. He remembers, Shaw thought, remembers that I left his son to die. Simply amazing.
Shaw locked eyes with the elephant, sensing its anger. “Not today, big guy,” he whispered to himself. “Not today.”
Shaw continued his walk and soon found himself at his primary destination; he was standing outside the unguarded room that housed the great white shark.
His assistant Jones approached. “Good to see you, sir. Our attorneys have drafted the documents.”
“Very good, Jones,” Shaw responded. “Now, let’s have our friend sign them to make sure all is good and legal.”
Shaw entered the room.
Shark was facing the far wall in the dark corner of the barren, concrete vault. He turned slowly and looked at Shaw. “I must say, Shaw, I see you have wasted little money on decorations.”
“After you sign these papers I will have a sofa brought in for your comfort,” Shaw remarked.
“You can keep your furniture, Shaw. The last thing I want is any comfort from you.”
“Very well, then,” Shaw replied. “We have the contracts we discussed. I know you spoke to your friends, and they are indeed safe in Florida, are they not?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Then it’s time you lived up to your end of the bargain.”
“Bring them here,” Shark said.
Shaw hesitated for a moment, then handed the package to Jones, pushing him on the back toward Shark.
“What are you guys afraid of?” Shark said with a smirk. “You don’t think I would actually bite you, do you?”
Shaw watched as Jones approached Shark slowly. Not really caring if the man lived or died, Shaw found the suspense enthralling. As Jones came within two feet of the dangerous predator, Shark opened his mouth wide and lunged at the man. Jones froze, closed his eyes, and trembled. A surge of adrenaline shot through Shaw’s body. He held his breath as he thought Shark might really attack. But Shark stopped short and did not bite.
Shaw let out a breath. If my spectators feel one-tenth of the excitement I just felt, he thought, my riches will grow beyond belief.
Shark grabbed the papers and pen out of Jones’s hands and quickly signed them.
Jones walked back to Shaw and handed him the contracts. Shaw reviewed them and nodded at Shark as they left the room.
Shaw thought about Shark as he and Jones walked the dark corridors. He actually liked the creature, admired his bravery, and thought he was truly unique. It was a shame that he would have to die.
CHAPTER 26
The Blood-Red Carpet
From his office, Shaw viewed the wall of video monitors behind his desk. With the click of his remote, he could change the screens into one large picture or break it up to display over one hundred live feeds from the more than ten thousand security cameras placed both inside and outside the Serengeti Casino. He switched to a large view of the inside of the theater, focusing on the VIP section halfway up the half-mile-tall structure.
He felt proud of the design of the VIP section, a series of over five hundred Sky Suites that comprised the entire fortieth row, a full 480 feet above the show floor. Shaw watched the screen and admired the suites which stretched the entire six-mile circumference of the theater. He had built the luxury boxes to give his elite guests a premier view of the action on the arena floor below. He had the glass in front of each suite covered in a dark film to offer the famous the privacy they demanded. The section was the place his special guests would dine on gourmet food and sip chilled champagne as they cheered for slaughter.
Shaw clicked the remote, and the view changed to the outside western side of the theater. He looked at the line of limos backed up for two miles down Serengeti Boulevard. They are all coming to witness the greatest show ever created, he thought. His list of VIPs included some the most famous people in the world. There were movie stars, rock stars, sport stars, the wealthy, the beautiful, and of course, politicians.
Shaw knew the show and the controversy it stirred was a hot topic and figured political types from around the world would waste no time using the issue to play toward the cameras. The debate was powerful, and politicians took both sides, pro-slaughter and anti-slaughter, most not caring either way, just using the event as a platform to increase their own visibility.
He noticed the television cameras and paparazzi were all out in force, all trying to capture sound bites and pictures of the famous as they entered through the special VIP entrance on the south end of the massive complex. Shaw looked at the red carpet he had laid down just for the event. It stretched for a half-mile next to the arena wall. Velvet ropes, draped next to the carpet and the street, created a barrier, stopping the curious from getting too close to his special guests.
Shaw watched the sea of VIPs as they walked the carp
et. He could see the protesters on the opposite side of the street. They waved flags that showed the bones of animals and from time to time drenched themselves with blood.
Shaw caught a glimpse of a beautiful Swedish model as she walked arm in arm with her handsome, movie-star boyfriend. She was stunning, her long legs showing beneath a short, red cocktail dress that clung to her sexy frame like a glove.
The beautiful couple smiled wide and waved at the paparazzi as they slowly followed the crowd.
Shaw noticed a man with a long beard pushing his way through the crowd of fans, the same man who had been expelled from the press conference a few days earlier. He had approached the velvet ropes and was yelling something at the movie star and model. Shaw clicked on the audio as he continued to watch.
“Hey, Stillwell? Really liked your last movie. Did you write it yourself or just find it in the trash and decide to make it?”
The movie star and his girlfriend both gave the crazed man a strange look and turned to face forward, ignoring him.
“Come on!” the crazed man yelled. “Even movie stars have to pick sides. What’s your side, Stillwell? Are you for the slaughter of innocent, defenseless animals?”
Shaw could sense that the movie star was beginning to feel uneasy. He watched as Stillwell gripped his girlfriend’s hand a little tighter.
“I sent you a letter,” the crazed man continued. “I called your office numerous times. Your assistant always told me that you were out.” The crazed man quickly moved under the velvet ropes and put a gun to the movie star’s head. “Are you in now?”
The VIP crowd scattered, screaming and yelling in sheer panic.
The crazed man lowered the gun from the star’s head. “Someone like you isn’t even worth it.” He grabbed the Swedish model and pulled her toward the wall, forcing her to stand in front of him, using her body as a shield. He raised the gun to her temple. “But now, this beauty is something different. If the world can stand by as innocent animals are slaughtered, then it can also stand by and watch a beautiful woman die.”
The movie star’s hands were trembling as he reached out toward the man. “We can talk, we can set a date, you can come to my office, you can come to my home, we can talk—just let her go.”
The crazed man addressed the horrified crowd. “The murder of innocent animals for entertainment is a horrible act and is inhumane. Who are we to think that the life value of animals is that far below the life of man? The madness must be stopped.”
Shaw ran his fingers over his desk, taking a moment to decide what to do.
A call came over his intercom. It was his assistant, Jones. “Mr. Shaw, we have a security issue on the west side of the theater.”
“I’m aware,” he replied calmly.
“We have police snipers on the roof, sir. They said they can take him out with one shot.”
“Negative.” Shaw stood and moved closer to the monitor, admiring the outline of the model’s beautiful body, tracing it with his finger on the screen. “A gunshot would be far too good for a fool like this. Let’s bring in a Masai warrior and give this loser a proper sendoff to the heavens.”
There was a short pause. “The Masai is on his way, sir.”
Shaw leaned back on his desk and continued watching the screen, waiting for the action he had ordered to unfold.
A few moments later, a Masai warrior appeared. He stood one hundred feet from the target. Shaw watched as the Masai licked his finger and held it up to the wind, checking its direction. The Masai then took three long, quick steps forward and released the long spear into the air. Shaw watched it sail past the shocked crowd. He could hear the low whistle of the long cylindrical object as it moved swiftly through the desert air. Some of the crowd might have been able to glimpse it for a split second before it crossed over the velvet ropes, over the red carpet, past the model’s horrified face, and sunk into the crazy man’s head. The impact was right between the eyes and caused bits of scalp, blood, and brain to splatter as it impaled the man’s head to the amphitheater’s wall.
“Nice shot,” Shaw said to himself. “Those Masai are worth every dime I’m paying them.” Shaw hit a button on the intercom. “Let’s get that mess cleaned up.”
Shark watched as herds of animals made their way past the open door of the concrete vault. They were on the move, on the way to the open grazing fields of the artificial savanna on the main floor above. As they walked, slow and methodical, Shark sensed that each one knew the danger the night would bring.
Shark found it hard to view the animals being marched to their deaths. He turned and faced the back wall, his thoughts going from Vixen, to Dog Z Boy, to Old Jack. Tonight was the night he would seek justice for the death of his friend. Tonight, Old Jack would pay.
As Shark rested his head on the cold, concrete wall he heard a familiar, annoying voice.
“Hey, Shark, what’s up? It’s me, Stripes.”
Shark turned and looked at the small animal standing in the doorway; herds of zebra were walking through the hallway behind him. Shark could not help himself from smiling. “Little Stripes,” he said. “How have you been?”
“I’m fine, thanks to you,” Stripes said. “I never did get the chance to thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Shark said with a smile.
Shark could see that Stripes was fidgeting and seemed a little nervous. He also knew it was not because of him. Shark felt sorry that the small zebra was being forced to perform in the show.
“Are you in the show?” Stripes asked.
Shark looked down at him. “Yeah, I guess I’m kind of the main attraction.”
Stripes tried to hide his nervousness. “Well, if things get rough and you need my help, you just let me know.”
Shark smiled again at the small zebra. “Thanks, Stripes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Stripes stared at Shark, then took a deep breath. “Well, I guess I have to go. I’m in the show, too. Not sure what they want me to do. I guess I’ll just go topside and see how things work out. I’ll see you, Shark.” Stripes turned to walk out of the room.
“Stripes!” Shark yelled.
Stripes turned and looked at him.
“Just run,” Shark said. “Just run and keep running. Don’t let them catch you.”
A sad look formed on the zebra’s face, followed by an uneasy, brave smile. He gave Shark a quick nod of understanding, turned, and rejoined the herd walking through the hall.
The taxi pulled up outside the north side of the massive complex. Vixen opened the door and stepped out onto Las Vegas Boulevard. She reached back inside the limo to give Gill a hand.
She noticed the awestruck expression on her dad’s face as he looked up at the massive building in front of them. He seemed amazed by its size.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.” Gill said. “I can’t believe they could actually build something this big.”
“This is only part of it, Dad. The casino is on the other side and is almost as big as this theater.”
Vixen looked across the street at the mob of spectators lined up to enter the Serengeti’s show. She could hear the protesters yelling at the crowd as they entered the arena. She could also hear a second group of protesters yelling at the first group. The entire scene seemed like controlled chaos.
Vixen, anxious to get inside, was growing impatient. “Where is he?” she asked. “The show is about to start.”
“He told me to meet him right here,” Gill said. “Don’t forget, honey, he’s a busy man.”
She watched as a limo with a multicolored tropical paint-job turned the corner from Serengeti Drive. It stopped right in front of them, and the back window slid down.
Gill walked up to the car. “Hello, Jimmy. How have you been?”
“I’ve been great, Gill,” Jimmy said from the darkness inside the car. “Great to see you two again.”
“Hi, Jimmy,” Vixen said. She looked in the car but was not able to see him.
“How
you doing, baby? You grew up too darn fast. I can remember playing guitar at your dad’s bar when you were only about three feet high, one of the cutest little girls in the Florida Keys, and looking at you now, I have to say, you have turned into a beautiful woman indeed.”
Vixen blushed. “Thank you, Jimmy. You do have a way with words.”
“It’s how I make my living there, darling.” Jimmy’s hand appeared from the window with a package. “I guess you two are looking for these. Two all-access passes to Predators and Prey, marketed as the greatest show in the universe. I’m not sure why you two would want to waste your time watching trash like this. Me, I have no interest.”
Gill took the passes. “I can assure you, Jimmy, it’s not for entertainment. We’re here to help a friend.”
“Got you, Gill. Hope it all works out.”
“Good to see you, Jimmy,” Gill said.
“Thanks, Jimmy.” Vixen gave a little wave.
The window started rolling up. “Catch you two back on the easy side of life. Catch you back in the Keys. Party hard and party often.”
As the limo pulled away, Vixen took Gill by the arm. “Come on, Dad, we’ve got to get inside before the show starts. Whatever we do, we can’t let Shark know that we’re here.”
Vixen walked her dad across the street and went through a door marked: All- Access Passes Only.
Shaw raised himself from his desk and entered his private vault, his sanctuary, the place where he kept the stuffed heads of various animals that he had killed. Just one missing, he thought, as he admired his trophies. Just one more kill, and my collection will be complete.
Shaw thought about his money and his power. He was rich and could buy almost anything he wanted. But his trophy collection was missing one thing, the rare specimen known to the world as a great white shark, and since he considered himself to be the great white hunter, it would only be befitting that he make the kill. Ah, yes, Shaw thought, tonight I will become known as not only the world’s greatest showman, but also as the greatest and most famous hunter the world has ever known. The rare specimen known as Carcharodon carcharias would be his kill, and it would be stuffed and put on display at the Serengeti Casino for all to see.
Shark & The Wolf: Predators and Prey Page 19
