Chapter 40
Chapter 40
We stop at the first pile up we pass. It's ten vehicles, if you count the two in the ditch, and a lot of dried brown blood. There are a few dead but we take them down quickly. Merle and Daryl each grab a red can and a hose. Then it's a lot of back and forth to fill all of the containers we have as well as our tank. I pick through the cars for any supplies worth taking but besides a random blanket and an open bottle of water that we ignore, there isn't much.
The drive to the little zoo is a long one. There are more dead as well as damage from the storm. It makes it a little difficult to navigate. The first few times we stop and I get out to move the larger items, down trees mostly, but a better idea comes to mind. I climb into the back of the truck so I can cast spells while Merle drives otherwise this trip would take all day. Trees knocked over into the road get pushed off the side. We mostly ignore the smaller leaves and branches. Downed power lines and their poles are pushed out of the way. I'm just thankful they don't still have power running through them. We pass other damage that we simply don't have time for such as signs knocked down and trees fallen into homes or buildings.
Reaching the zoo is both a relief and concern. The container wall is mostly intact. A few were pushed back and a couple were toppled over but most seem unharmed. Several dead have gathered to try to squeeze through the narrow spaces made by the ones pushed back. A few spells and arrows gets the dead down and the wall set to rights. The gate is still intact and opens easily to a quick, "Alohamora."
Merle drives us up to the front and we pile out. Daryl leads the way through the zoo's gate only to stop, curse, and fire his bow. Then he jumps back, pulling the gate closed with a loud smack.
Merle rushes forward but before he reaches Daryl, a heavy form slams against the gate.
White underbelly and long clawed paws bigger than Daryl's head.
Tawny fur, black stripes, and long canines bared angrily.
"A Fuckin Tiger!" Merle exclaims.
I flick my wand, "Stupify!"
It works. The animal, taller than the brothers when standing on its hind legs, falls limply to the ground. It lands on its side, head turned away with its mouth still open.
"A Fuckin Tiger!" Merle exclaims again.
I push past the brothers to grip the gate bars and peek through. I don't see any other movement this close. With my wand up and ready, I open the gate and slowly step inside. If the Tiger is loose then other animals probably are too. I just hope the zookeepers are alright.
"Eyes open in case there's more o em," Daryl comments, hovering close to my back with his bow raised and ready.
Merle steps through last, closing the gate quietly and raising his gun while putting his back to us. His hands and voice are steady and calm, "Easy movements an shoot anything that comes at us."
We move slowly, spotting the damage from the storm as well as evidence that other animals have been through the area. The awning over the picnic tables is torn and knocked over. Some blood and long grey peacock feathers are scattered under a few tables. One of the tables is halfway down the trail and broken into pieces. We move carefully around it.
The first fence we come to that housed the deer is broken down with blood and clawmarks visible on the broken beams. There are large animal droppings along the trail and a camel is stomping slowly down the far left lane. A peacock ruffles it's feathered tail towards us from within the turtle exhibit and a few small black and white monkeys dart along the top of the bird house.
The barn, where we found the zookeepers at last time, is still standing but the wooden fence around it is down in a few places. Two wolves, one black and one grey, lay lazily in the grass while a large vulture picks at the carcass of a cow. I don't bother stunning them but I do keep watch as we slip in through the barn door. It's dark and quiet and smells awful. Cows, horses, and goats are crowded in the room and stalls. Chickens cluck within one of the stalls while large furred hogs are nestled within another.
We find the zookeepers, or three of them, huddled in the last stall. They're all dirty and bloodstained and they startle when they notice us. The woman, Kimberly, collects herself first, jumping up to invite us in and motion to the straw strewn floor as a place to sit. Her blonde hair is pulled into a messy ponytail with dried blood sticking it in places.
"Tha Hell happened?" Merle asks, shutting the stall door before a goat could follow us inside. It beats loudly in offense.
"Storm set some of the animals free," Shane answers as if the answer is obvious, pushing his glasses back up his nose.
"No shit, sherlock," Merle lashes back.
"We got the animals in the barn," Kimberly says, "Well, most of them. We tried to ride out the storm but I thought it was going to bring the whole barn down."
Shane adds, "We were gonna check the damage when it passed, except..."
Shane stops, frowning down at his lap. Kimberly sniffs, straightening her shoulders and tells us, "Max went first but the Tiger is loose and it..."
"It ate him," Josh says softly, his voice slurred as if drunken.
He lays still, curled in the corner under a pink and brown blanket. His face is pale and he slowly lifts his head only to flop down weakly. His curly hair is greasy and stiff. His cheeks are red and his eyes are dark and sunken, leaving dark shadows to swallow them.
Merle steps over to him, reaching out and slowly peeling away the blanket. It sticks and Josh hisses weakly. Merle stills, looking solemnly down at him, "How bad?"
Josh attempts a smile but it's half hearted at best. With a weary sigh, he answers, "Tiger got me good when I tried to hit it away from Max."
"We can take him back to Mrs. Debra," I offer, looking to Merle for advice since he would know better than me if it could work.
He frowns down thoughtfully, throws a look at Daryl that I can't quite catch, and gives a decisive nod. "We got a nurse back at base," he tells them. "Maybe she can patch ya up."
Kimberly shifts nervously, wiping her hands over her legs as she shuffles closer, "Could we come too? Only, we don't have anything to take down the Tiger if it comes back."
"Ozzy was just following his nature," Shane grumbles quietly but not quiet enough because Kimberly throws him an unimpressed glare.
"What about the animals?"
Kimberly frowns down at Josh who gives her a shaky smile. Shane scoffs out, "It's Josh she's worried about, not the animals."
"I do too worry about the animals!" She snaps back.
Shane looks past her to give Merle and Daryl a deadpan look with a calm, "They're dating."
She sniffs indignantly, "As if you wouldn't want to go if it was Amanda."
Almost immediately, both flinch. She mumbles a soft, "I'm sorry, Shane."
His lips press into a thin line but he nods. I consider asking but I probably already know the answer. No doubt, she is gone, either dead or lost to distance. There's an awkward air to the room that sits heavy.
Merle claps his hands loudly, "Well, folks, not that it ain't been fun but let's get out of here."
"What about the Tiger?" Kimberly asks, looking worriedly down at Josh.
"We saw him back at the gate," Daryl answers, pointing a thumb at me, "He took care of it."
"You killed Ozzy?" Shane snaps indignantly.
I shake my head, "Only stunned him. He'll be asleep for a while."
Merle vaguely pats at my arm, "Wanna hoodoo him a wheelchair or something?"
A wave of my wand has the straw beneath him transform into a solid sturdy plank. Another gets it to rise up on long legs like a wheeled table. Josh startles but Merle clasps a calm hand on his shoulder to steady him as he is lifted. Another spell has the plank soften into a cushioned form. The end result is similar to the beds ambulance have except the legs are thin and it's all made of wood. So long as it functions, it should be fine.
Shane stands, brishing off his pants and moving to the stall door while calling over his shoulder, "If Ozzy will be asleep for a while, we can lock him up."
"There's a couple wolves outside," Daryl points out.
Shane hesitates, then looks over to me, "Can you knock them out too?"
"Yeah, do you need me to?"
He nods back seriously, "Most of the animals are herbivores so Ozzy, Aurora, and Beo are the only ones that might give us trouble."
"Do you have a place to keep them or do you need me to fix their fences?"
"Can you fix their fences?" He asks, gaze flicking to Merle who is pointing at the transfigured rolling bed and back to me, "Yeah, if you can fix their enclosures we can put them back inside."
"We're wasting daylight," Merle mutters, pushing past Shane to take the lead out of the door. "If yer gonna do this best get it done quick."
"Dude here ain't lookin so hot," Daryl comments, shuffling close enough to speak quietly without being overheard. "Do ya need to worry on the animals cause he needs a doc quick."
One of the goats rushes in, bleating happily and bounding around the stall. I don't feel right leaving the animals like this. I haven't even resized their food or the sheds we brought.
"Why don't you two take them back to base and I'll stay here to sort out things?"
Daryl frowns but agrees, moving out of the stall to where Merle is grumbling at a cow that refuses to move. A light push of magic gets it to moo in irritation and saunter a few steps away. I slip through and update Merle on the plan. He frowns back worriedly but accepts my decision.
It's a bit of a process to get them back to the truck. The minute the barn door opens even a little, the animals push their way out. The wheels of the bed get stuck in the droppings from the barn. A few flicks of the wand has the barn floor cleared and the bed levitated out. The wolves are still resting but I get them with a stupify spell anyways. We make it to the truck and a few transfigurations later it has a hard solid back over the truckbed. That way, Josh and Kimberly can ride in the back without the wind being a bother.
Merle climbs into the drivers seat and turns the engine but hesitates, throwing a concerned look my way. I step up to the window, just incase he needs to say anything. He seems to chew it over a while, struggling with something before finally asking, "Whatcha want us to tell the others?"
"The truth," I answer simply. "Tell them I'll be back in a day or so."
"An what about that meeting you was wanting?"
"I mostly wanted to find volunteers to take over duties around base, create a council of sorts," I answer. "They don't need me there for that."
He leans back with an annoyed huff, "Fine, but ya keep watch for that Max fella. Tiger may've got em but the body's gone an I figure he's done turned like the ol' woman did."
"I'll be careful," I promise him, patting the truck and stepping back so they can go. I hope Mrs Debra can help Josh. If not, I know the brothers can take care of things while I'm gone.