Ravage: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel(66)

Shawcross growled, an audible noise in his throat. Annaliese noticed then that the man’s slick, ginger hair was now back in place, re-styled and orderly.

Back in control.

One of the strangers in the group spoke up. “I’m not going anywhere unless I know it’s safe.”

“Me either,” said another.

“I want to go home,” someone else disagreed.

“It seems we are not agreed,” said Annaliese, realising how smug she sounded but not caring anyway.

Shawcross huffed. “Fine!”

“We should try and get some news,” said Mike. “Does anywhere in the zoo have a television, or a computer with Internet access?”

Annaliese nodded. “There’s a small office block and a warehouse at the rear of the zoo. There are computers there and a staffroom with a television. We may be able to get something to eat as well.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Mike. I’m dead on my feet. I doubt I’ll be getting any sleep, so a bit of grub sounds like a good compromise.

There were murmurings of agreement amongst the others in the group at the sound of food being mentioned, and their anxious looks softened slightly. The thought of fulfilling a basic need was enough to re-motivate most people.

“Well, if we’re all decided, then I will lead the way,” said Shawcross. He brandished a thick branch that he had probably taken out of one of the reptile exhibits. The way he was holding it made him look like a scout master.

“It’s your rodeo,” said Annaliese. “Just try not to leave anybody to die.”

Shawcross shot her a scathing look, but quickly readjusted it to a smile. “Of course not, Anna. It’s important that we all stick together.”

Yeah, right! Wish you’d felt that way earlier when you were closing the door on me.

Shawcross headed up to the exit door and stood beneath the fire exit sign. He looked at the assembled group to make sure they were all ready and then gave them a quick nod.

He opened the door.

The day had become bright and clear. The air was crisp and invigorating. Annaliese stepped out behind Shawcross and looked around at the landscape. Visibility was now much increased with the sun higher in the sky. The zoo’s many exhibits were all easy to spot and the theme park’s rollercoaster, The Hood, towered into the sky at the far end.

Shawcross pointed. “The offices are over there.”

Everyone kept in a tight formation and glanced nervously left and right, ready to run at the first sign of danger, but as they headed past a cage full of lemurs, all seemed to be clear.

Annaliese craned her neck to look over at the eastern side of the zoo as she followed on after everybody else. She tried to make out what was happening inside the orang-utan’s exhibit, but it was too far away. Her heart still ached for Lily.

The group passed by the various animal enclosures, peering into each one as if they were on a tour. Many of the more intelligent animals, the pigs, cows, and birds, were rattled by the recent commotion, but the smaller, less aware animals all seemed oblivious.

“Okay,” said Shawcross, slowing the group down. “These are the offices, just here.”

Annaliese had been inside the boxy, cement office block a few times in the past. She had, on occasion, needed to fill out paperwork for the zoo and had often done so inside the admin office. She had also spent time inside the staffroom once or twice. Bradley would often buy her a coffee.

Poor Bradley.

Shawcross headed up to the front doors and pulled on the handles. They were locked. He tutted and sighed. “We’re going to have to break in. I suspected as much.”

Annaliese raised an eyebrow. “Break in? And how do you propose we do that?”

Shawcross scoffed at her. “I’m sure we can manage to break a window without too much trouble.”

She looked around. The windows of the rectangular building were all thick, double-glazed. She knew breaking a window looked easy in the movies, but she suspected it would be quite the task in real life.

“What you reckon?” Mike asked her.

She shrugged and folded her arms around herself. It was a little chilly. “Don’t know. It would be nice to get inside, so it’s worth a try. I just worry about making too much noise.”

“As long as we put the window out in with a single blow, it should be okay,” Shawcross assuaged her. “We just need to find something that will work well enough.”

“How about that?” said Clark, pointing to a nearby vehicle.

Annaliese recognised the large flatbed truck as being Bradley’s. He had used the sturdy vehicle to ferry animal feed and other materials between the exhibits. It was parked next to a small warehouse that sat beside the office block. But the truck wasn’t what Clark was pointing at. It was what was in the flatbed that was important.

Shawcross clicked his fingers. “Perfect. Just what we need. It’s going to be heavy, though, so could I have a volunteer to help me, please?”

Mike volunteered and he and Shawcross headed over to the truck. The stack of breeze blocks on the flatbed offered the perfect solution for putting through a window and Annaliese let out an exhausted sigh at the thought of getting inside the offices and finally getting to sit still.

Shawcross dragged one of the blocks to the edge of the truck and Mike put his hands under it. Together they managed to shuffle with it over to the front of the building.