Animal Kingdom Read Online Free PDF Page A

survivors. “Okay everyone, can I have your attention.”
    Silence from everyone. Glazed expressions and teary cheeks. From the other side of the exit door, the wet smacking sounds of lions feeding on corpses could be heard in vivid detail. Mason continued, despite the lack of audience response. “We are going to follow this corridor down to its end and enter a staffroom beyond. It is comfortable there, warm and safe. We should gather whilst we wait to learn more about this…situation.”
    “ And what is the situation?” asked the Black man with the grey sideburns. He was still carrying his dented fire extinguisher.
    “ We don’t know,” Mason answered. “Obviously there has been a breach in the lion exhibit’s enclosure, but as to how that happened, I do not know. I will try to contact the administration building shortly – and the emergency services of course – but first we need to get ourselves situated.”
    “ Who are you to give orders?” It was the investor, Randall, again. The man’s mood had obviously not improved.
    “ I am no one to give orders,” Mason calmly told him, “but as the only one offering practical advice, I see no harm in having people do as I say for the time being.”
    “ If you hadn’t allowed this to happen in the first place then I would have a little more trust to afford to you, my friend.”
    “ Mr Randall, if you feel better blaming me personally I am happy for you to do so, but my advice is that we group together somewhere more comfortable. If you or anybody else does not wish to follow that advice then you are free to do as you like. Those that do wish to follow my suggestion may come with myself and Joe, who may I remind you was the one that helped a majority of you in the first place.”
    “ If that’s your advice,” said the Black man. “Then that’s what I’ll do. I don’t see the point in all this negativity and arguing.” The last comment was directed at Randall who seemed less than impressed at being called out.
    “ Let’s go then,” said Joe. “I’ll get Grace and my son and we’ll be off in five.”
    A heavy thud rattled the thick red door behind them on its hinges. The lions were trying to break through into the corridor.
    Joe’s eyes widened. “Or maybe we should get going right now.”
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Randall could not believe he was running down a corridor to get away from lions. It was the biggest screw-up he had ever known, and when it was all over this dump of a zoo would pay for it. To think he had actually provided obscene amounts of cash to improve the facilities here. Positive publicity , his marketers had claimed. What a load of rubbish. He’d be claiming back every penny now and more. The place could rot for all he cared.
    “ This is ridiculous,” said Randall – wheezing heavily – to a bald, tattooed man running alongside him. “Don’t they have…guns here…or…something in place to control animals when they…get loose?”
    “ Tell me about it!” The man replied in a thick Scottish accent. The word about sounded like a-boot from the man’s uncouth mouth. “They must be running the place with a bunch of wee ten-year-olds. Someone is gonna be knee-deep in bother when this is over, mark me words.”
    Randall sniggered. “You can say that again, my friend.”
    The shambling group of survivors slowed down at the end of the corridor and the idiot-curator turned to face them all. “Okay everyone, once we get inside we should barricade the doors right away. I don’t think I need to tell you why.” The man paused so that they could all listen to the banging coming from the door down the corridor behind them. Randall didn’t appreciate the dramatics, but kept his silence as the man continued. “Once that is done, we can all do our best to relax while I try to contact the authorities.”
    No one spoke and Randall didn’t blame them. What was there to say in a ridiculous situation like this? And to take orders