“Get off me, you little brat!” Randall reeled back his free arm and struck the boy across the head. The small body went limp and fell against him. “Damn it, wake up. We have to get moving.”
“You’re a monster,” Grace spat. “A pathetic monster. You think you’re a big man, but you’re the type of person that hits women and children. When it comes to taking on men, you hide behind Victor.”
“Shut up, shut up, you bitch!”
But she did not shut up. She laughed at him. The sound was cruel and mocking, and made him remember all the people he hated in life, from school all the way through to this god-forsaken zoo.
“I’ll kill you, whore.”
“What the hell is going on here?”
Randall looked up from his place on the floor to see Mason standing in the doorway. The man’s eye’s shone with suspicion behind the lenses of his spectacles. Randall took in a deep breath and tried to swallow, but found that his throat was dry. “Mason? W-what are you doing here?”
“I came to grab some more petrol to make bombs. Victor said there was still some left in the warehouse.”
“Yes,” said Randall. “Indeed there is. How goes the battle?”
Mason shook his head. “It wouldn’t be going so bad if everyone hadn’t deserted. Victor and I are the only ones left since Joe and the others disappeared.”
Randall raised an eyebrow. “Joe isn’t with Victor? Where did he go?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps he’s looking for his kidnapped son?”
“That’s right!” Grace cackled from the office. “He’s going to kick your ass soon as he finds you.”
Randall tried to pull himself free from under Danny’s limp body, with no success. “Kidnapped!” he said, laughing despite being short of breath. “Don’t be absurd. I caught these two trying to escape.”
Mason huffed. “Escape? What are you talking about? No one is a prisoner here. I think you all need to come back to the seminar room. In the slim chance that we survive the current situation, we can discuss later why you have abducted Joe’s son and tied up Miss Grace.”
Randall glared. Don’t you dictate to me, you pathetic excuse for a man.
“Have you forgotten what we agreed?” said Randall. “I’ll close this place down. I swear it, my friend. Forget about all the money I promised to invest. I’ll bulldoze this fucking place and turn it into flats. I’ll sell the animals for fur.”
Mason was solemn as he spoke. “I’m afraid this zoo is already closed for business. I’ve realised it’s never going to open its doors again, no matter what happens, with or without your money. Thus, our deal is off. I should never have helped put you in charge. You’re an evil little man.”
Randall felt dizzy. This was not part of his plans. “Look,” he said. The pleading in his own voice made him feel nauseous. “I went about this all wrong. Help get this lad off me and we’ll go back and join the others.”
Mason nodded. He stooped forward to lift Danny away, but stopped when he realised there was a cable tie connecting him to Randall. “I can’t get this off his wrist.”
“Don’t worry,” said Randall with a cat-like grin. “I have a knife.”
He shoved the blade into Mason’s ribs and twisted. It felt good going in between the bones. The warm blood of vindication flowed freely over his hand. Mason sucked in a deep mouthful of air that never came back out again. He flopped forward on top of Randall and Danny.
Randall grunted beneath the additional weight. “Will people please stop falling on me!”
It took several minutes for him to get out from under the pile of bodies and he had to use the gore-soaked knife on the cable tie to get himself loose from a still-unconscious Danny. Finally he got to his feet and stretched out his limbs, trying to regain some feeling.
Right, time to get back on task.
Just when Randall was beginning to feel back in control of the situation, a snarling voice from behind him said: “What the fuck have you done to my son?”
32
So much rage flowed through Joe’s veins that he almost took flight when he lunged for Randall. The sight of Danny, hurt and unconscious, pulled him apart at the seams.
And he knew exactly who was responsible.
“I’m gonna kill you,” he screamed, thrusting his arms forwards like pistons. One blow took Randall by surprise, knocking the man backwards. It was then that Joe saw the knife, and noticed Mason lying face down in a pool of spreading blood.
The bastard stabbed Mason. Did he stab Danny too?
Any fear Joe might have had of Randall’s knife was instantly forgotten and he rushed forward and kicked the man. The blow glanced awkwardly off Randall’s ribs, but was enough to send him reeling back farther along the catwalk. His wobbling frame came to a stop against the safety railing. The knife fell to the floor. He put his empty hands up in front of himself.
“Joe, please. Stop, I surrender.”
Joe snarled and stalked after him. “I’m going to kill you.”
Randall backed away, slid along the railing. “Let’s be grown up about this. Your son is fine. He just fainted.”
“What about Mason? Is he just unconscious?”
“Kill that motherfucker, Joe,” said Bill, entering the warehouse and seeing Mason’s body on the floor. “Gut him like he gutted Mason.”
“Yeah,” added Grace from the nearby office. “I watched him kill Mason without a second thought. He’s evil.”
Joe glared at Randall, who cowered like a child. “I think we’re all in agreement. Or would you prefer a vote?”
Randall reached the edge of the steel staircase leading down to the warehouse floor and realised there was nowhere else to go. He teetered on the edge of the top step and seemed to hold his breath as Joe approached. “I-I found Mason like that,” he said. “I don’t know what happened. I swear, Joe.”
“Really,” said Bill from behind them both. “Then why is Grace tied up in the office?”
Joe saw that Grace was bound to a chair by a series of cable ties and grew even angrier. She was in bad shape, wounded in several places. Joe didn’t know if the injuries had been inflicted by Randall or if she’d caused them herself.
Anger broke its bonds and Joe lashed out. He punched Randall as hard as he could, catching the man beneath his double chin and launching him backwards.
Randall’s ankle turned and he went tumbling down the stairs. He crumpled into a ball and hit every steel step on the way down, before coming to halt at the bottom, a broken, tangled mess.
Bill managed to snip Grace loose with some scissors and brought her alongside Joe. The three of them looked down at Randall’s unmoving body.
“He dead?” asked Bill.
Joe shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t care.” He turned around and knelt beside his son. “Danny, wake up.”
Danny opened his eyes and, after a few moments of heavy breathing, it seemed like he would be okay. “Dad, what happened?”
“You had a bump on the noggin. Do you feel okay?”
Danny nodded and got to his feet. “I feel like somebody done a DDT on me, but I think I’m okay.”
Joe hugged him and then looked up at his other companions. “You guys ready to get out of here?”
“God yes,” said Grace.
Bill seemed less enthusiastic, but nodded all the same.
“Okay then, let’s take things slow. Get armed and keep your eyes open at all times. Any sign of danger and we bolt back inside, or to whatever the nearest safe place is.”
“I don’t think there are any safe places anymore,” said Bill.
“You might be right, but things have gone too far now. We have to go and try to find help.”
With everyone in agreement, the group took the stairs to the warehouse floor, stepping over Randall’s sprawled body at the bottom. Danny whimpered at the sight, but didn’t ask any questions. Joe knew his son was smart enough to figure out what happened to the man.
Once on the warehouse
floor, they set about finding some weapons. It was a difficult task, seeing as Randall and Victor had hidden away anything useful in their own private stockpiles. The best they could scavenge was a couple of mop handles and a length of chain that had been wrapped around a recycling cart. Hopefully there would be no need to use the weapons, but if they did, they would not be much use.
Joe walked up to the far side of the warehouse floor, toward a large square shutter. It was electric, but at the side was a crank that could be used to wind it up manually. Bill stood ready with his chain while Grace and Danny wielded the mop handles behind him.
“So, we really gonna do this?” Bill asked.
Joe nodded. “Just as soon as you’re ready.”
Bill sighed. “Let’s just get this shit over with then.”
Joe grabbed the crank handle and began to turn. The shutter rose gradually, making a grating squeal as it ascended. Joe cringed at the sound and wished it would move faster. Each rotation of the crank led to the entrance opening by only a few centimetres.
Bill began sidestepping left to right. “Doesn’t that thing go any faster?”
“You’re watching me turn it. You think there’s a better way?”
“Yeah,” said Bill, stepping forward. He draped the chain around his neck and kneeled at the shutter. He placed the palms of both hands underneath its edge and gripped tightly. Then he straightened out his legs, deadlifting the shutter like a barbell. It began to rise faster, open now to waist-height.
Bill motioned with his head to the opening. “Who’s first?”
Joe swallowed. Time to jump into the fire. He ducked beneath the shutter and re-emerged on the other side. The cold bite of the autumn-air nipped at his cheeks, but was also exhilarating. It felt like he could breathe properly for the first time in ages. Bill, Grace, and Danny crawled out behind him and each of them looked around nervously.
“What’s the plan?” Bill asked, scanning left and right. “I don’t wanna just stand around. We’re too exposed.”
“I’ve got the answer,” said Joe, dangling a set of keys from his finger. “No reason my car won’t still be waiting in the car park.”
“Great,” said Bill. “How far?”
“Back of the zoo. Quarter mile, maybe?”
Grace put a hand on Joe’s shoulder. “Easy…peasy.”
Joe grabbed her just in time to stop her falling. He propped her up by her armpit. “You okay? You don’t look so good.”
Grace shook her head and heaved in a series of shallow breathes. “I…I’m fine. I just feel a little faint.”
“Blood loss,” said Bill, pointing to the many wounds that adorned her body; some of them were still leaking.
Grace was a mess, caked in blood. Most of the cuts didn’t seem fresh, though, and he was confident that any severe bleeding had stopped. “I think you’ll be okay,” he said. “Are you going to be able to carry on?”
Grace laughed, but her voice was weak and hollow. “What choice do I have?”
“Here, I’ll take Danny,” Joe said, picking up his son. “You just hold onto this mop handle nice and tight and if you feel like you’re gonna pass out, let us know.”
“Can we please get going now?” Bill’s anxiety buttons were being prodded. Joe could tell by the way he was shifting his weight from side to side and swallowing constantly.
“Okay,” said Joe. “Let’s get going.”
The group of them set off. They were in a paved delivery area around the back of the Visitor’s Centre. There were no vehicles around and nothing else of note either, besides a large industrial wheelie bin. There were no animals in the area and Joe didn’t hesitate in leading everyone forward. They stuck close to the wall, crouching to keep their profiles low. Up ahead, the building ended and the pavement snaked around to the left.
Joe put a hand up to halt everyone, whilst struggling to keep a hold of Danny in his arms. “Everyone wait here. I’ll go check and see if the coast is clear.”
Joe put down Danny and crept along the last few feet of wall. He peered carefully around to the left, poking his head out gradually. Joe couldn’t see his own face, but if he could, he was sure he would have lost all colour at what he was seeing.
“What is it?” said Grace. “What can you see?”
Joe bit at his bottom lip and looked back at her. “The animals,” he said. “They’re everywhere.”
33
Bill resumed his anxious stepping from side to side. “What the hell do we do?”
“I think we can sneak past,” said Joe. The army of animals was engaged in the assault against the building. Joe was even sure he could hear Victor’s wild battle cries as debris fell from the windows upstairs. Amongst the rampaging animals was a collection of bloody and burned husks of various shapes and species.
Looks like Victor’s still got plenty of fight left in him.
“We can’t just sneak past,” Bill said. “Animals have like super hearing, don’t they?”
Joe shrugged. “Some do, I guess. What choice do we have, though?”
No one said anything. They could go backwards and re-enter the building, but would have to face Victor and the assault that was going on, or they could go forwards and face an army of vicious, snarling creatures. They were screwed either way.
Danny pulled on Joe’s arm. The boy looked like he had something to say so Joe asked him, “What is it, Danny?”
“We can start a fire.”
Joe smiled encouragingly. “What do you mean?”
“We could start a fire between them and us. They don’t like fire.”
Joe thought about it but Bill liked the idea straight away. “We could grab some more petrol from the warehouse and pour it on the floor as we make a run for it. Then when the animals chase we could light it and…whoosh!”
Joe shrugged. “Good as anything else.”
Bill smiled, seeming the most confident he had been since they had decided to make a run for it. “I’ll go get the petrol,” he said. “I think some of it got left with the backup supplies.”
Joe nodded and Bill limped off. He took another peek around the wall and tried to make some mental notes of which areas were best to get across the zoo. The zoo animals roamed everywhere, flanked on all sides by dogs, cats, and other domestic animals. Their main force consisted of tigers, wolves, monkeys, and of course, the leader of them all, the silverback. The giant ape stood almost exactly at the army’s centre and was beating his chest in defiance as Victor continued to fight back. Every time the silverback let out a feral roar, another group of animals would surge forward and attack the building. The earlier attempts, involving giraffes, had obviously failed as a pair of the long-necked animals now lay dead on the ground. Their current tactic was to send small groups of monkeys against the walls, standing atop each other in an attempt to create a ladder from their bodies. Joe didn’t want to stick around long enough to see if it worked.
Another five minutes passed by without Bill returning. Joe began to worry. It shouldn’t be taking this long.
“You think we should go check on Bill?” he asked Grace.
She shrugged. “I guess we could. Perhaps we should have gone with him in the first place.”
Joe and Grace, along with Danny, headed back along the wall towards the loading bay. Joe wanted to call out to Bill but didn’t want to risk being heard by the animals. When they reached the entrance, Joe called out at a hushed level. “Bill, you okay?”
No answer. Joe’s worry intensified. He stepped through the entrance, Grace and Danny following.
“Where is he?” asked Grace.
“He’s here,” said a voice.
Joe looked up to see Bill standing anxiously before him. At his throat was a knife. Behind him stood Randall. The man wasn’t alone. Shirley stood next to him.
Joe shook his head and laughed. “Guess everyone gave up on Victor’s war, then?”
“Only a fool would have stayed and fought,” said Shirley. “The battle is alre
ady lost. Victor is just too stupid to realise it.”
“That’s right,” said Randall. “Shirley and I are leaving.”
“Good,” said Joe. “Let go of Bill and we can go our separate ways.”
Randall cackled, shook his head forcefully. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, I was brutally attacked, and until the person responsible is held accountable, I simply cannot depart. Unfinished business, you might say.”
Joe’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill you after what you did to my son. If I were you I’d cut my losses while I still had the chance.”
“Perhaps you’re right. Or perhaps not.”
Randall slit Bill’s throat so casually that he could have been acting it out in a play. Bill’s eyes went wide as dinner plates as he fell forward onto his knees, clutching the bleeding gash that lined his neck like an ever-widening scarf. He tried to speak, but all that came out was the sound of gurgling and a weak hissing sound.
There was a high-pitched keening that Joe realised was himself screaming. He shot forward and grabbed Bill. The man collapsed into his arms.
“Bill, it’s going to be okay.”
But Bill was already dead.
Joe stared at his fallen friend and was filled with equal doses of an intoxicating need for vengeance and simple regret – regret that he hadn’t killed Randall when he’d had the chance. He would rectify that mistake right now.
Joe looked up just as Randall lunged at him with the knife. He managed to make a last second dive to his right and missed being stabbed by a hair’s breadth. The hard floor knocked the wind from his lungs.
Randall looked down at him on the floor, knife still in hand. “Time for your sentencing, my friend.”
“He’s not your friend.” Danny ran forward and swung his leg like it was a golf club. His little foot hit square between Randall’s legs. “How about a low blow, you jabroni!”
Randall collapsed backwards, shrinking into the foetal position and clutching at his groin in agony. Like a shot, Shirley ran forward and seized the boy, slapping him hard across the face. “You brat! You’ll burn in hell.”
The World's Last Breaths: Final Winter, Animal Kingdom, and The Peeling Page 17
