CHAPTER 8
ZOOLOGICAL
Location: Abandoned Warehouse
Date: 5JUL20
Time: 2000 hours
We used the last several hours to rest up before the mission. I gather everyone around in a huddle just like we used to do in the Army. I was beginning to feel a new sense of purpose. A rush of adrenaline ran through me just like it used to before I would jump out of a plane.
“First, we need to get into Mr. Mocoso’s mansion,” I begin.
“Who is Mr. Mocoso?” Franny asks.
“He’s the jerk who wants to close down the Sanctuary,” Penny says.
“And what’sss that?” asks Smithers.
“It’s our home and it means the world to Penny,” I say.
“And we’re to sssave it how?” asks Smithers.
“By telling the truth,” Penny says.
I look around the room and can see everyone is confused.
Penny continues: “Mr. Mocoso is lying. He doesn’t actually own the shelter.”
This catches their attention, and Franny perks up. “Who is the rightful owner?”
“Ms. Becca is,” Penny says. “Well . . . technically it’s this guy named Will. But it sounds like he’s best friends with Becca and he practically gave her the Sanctuary. And Mr. Mocoso was clearly upset with this arrangement so that’s why he is claiming he’s the rightful heir. I think he’s sending all of us to the pound so he can close it and sell it for money.”
I watch as Chaps leans back. I can tell he is skeptical of all this.
“Where is all this intel coming from?”
“Intel?” Penny asks.
“It’s Army-talk. In other words, ‘how do you know all of this’?” Chaps says.
“A few weeks back, this guy I had never seen before came in to the Sanctuary. He was wearing a really nice suit. It was right after Mr. Mocoso’s mother died. The guy in the suit kept talking about ‘Will’ and how he holds the details about who owns the Sanctuary,” Penny tells Chaps.
“Let me get this straight,” Chaps says. I can tell he doesn’t like the sound of all this. “So some guy came in, who you don’t know, but he was wearing a suit and said that Will knows who is in charge.”
“That’s correct,” Penny says.
“This doesn’t sound like solid intel. What do you think, Rico?”
“I trust Penny,” I say.
“That’s good enough for me,” Chaps says. “So where is this Will guy?”
“Well, I’m not sure, exactly, but I know who might know his whereabouts. Does anyone know how to get to the zoo?” Penny asks.
“I do,” I say. “I used to get medicine from there all the time. We can take a shortcut through the sewers.”
“Negative,” says Chaps.
“What’s wrong with the sewers?” I say.
“Besides sludge and garbage, rats, bats . . . ,” says Penny.
“Can we please take the long way?” Brick asks.
“I’m not afraid of rats or bats. It’s the Beast I’m afraid of,” says Chaps.
“That’s a fairy tale,” Franny says.
“Sure isn’t. I’ve seen the Beast with my own two eyes and even had a few close calls with him. And there’s no way we are going through the sewers,” Chaps says. “No way, no how. We’d never make it out alive.”
Location: The Zoo
Date: 5JUL20
Time: 2045 hours
I can smell the zoo from here. We’re less than a klick away. Our objective is simple: locate Mr. Mocoso’s exiled pet Simon and pump him for intel on Will’s location. Penny says he’ll help because he doesn’t like Mr. Mocoso. She reminds me that he’s the monkey who took a bite out of Mr. Mocoso’s neck.
I motion to the group to signal “follow me” and lead them to my secret entrance to the zoo.
We huddle up against the fence using the trees and bushes for cover.
“I’m taking Penny with me. Chaps, you hold down the rear here,” I tell them.
Chaps gives me a north south. That’s Army-talk for “nodding your head when you understand something.”
“I could use the rest,” he says.
“The primates are close. We’ll be back in five mikes,” I say. Mikes is Army-talk for “minutes.”
Penny helps me wriggle through a hole in the fence and we move as fast as we can to the monkey and marmoset enclosure.
It’s dark, but the moon casts a nice glow, and I can see the marmosets sleeping. Marmosets are funny-looking monkeys. They have silky hair with manes on either side of their faces. They aren’t much bigger than Franny.
Penny starts quietly calling out “Simon?” but no one responds.
I watch as she trips over one, waking him up. “You’re not Simon. Go back to bed. This is just a dream,” whispers Penny.
All of a sudden, I hear rustling coming from the canopy of trees and see a monkey moving.
He climbs down the tree, effortlessly swinging from limb to limb.
In a flash, the little fella is on the ground and face to face with Penny.
“Simon! Oh, it is so good to see you,” says Penny.
Simon quickly brings Penny in for a hug.
“I’ve missed you so much. How have you been, Simon?” asks Penny.
But Simon doesn’t respond. He opens his mouth and speaks but in silence. Simon points to his throat and shrugs his shoulders.
“Your voice is gone?” asks Penny.
Simon nods “yes” and then points to me and tilts his head.
“This is Rico. He’s helping us save the Sanctuary. Mr. Mocoso shut it down,” Penny says, and I watch as Simon’s eyes fill with fear.
“That’s why we’re here,” I tell him. “We’re on a mission and we need intel on a guy named Will. Do you know his location?”
Simon’s eyes relax and then he just laughs. He starts to use hand and arm signals to try and communicate with us.
“I don’t know what you’re saying,” says Penny.
“I do,” I tell Penny. I learned these hand and arm signals in the Army. Simon and I continue to communicate in silence and I start to get the answers we need.
I give Simon a thumbs-up to thank him for all the intel. Penny gives him a big hug and says goodbye.
But as we’re leaving, I realize Simon could be a tactical asset on this mission.
“Come with us,” I say.
Simon shakes his head “no.”
“But you know the layout. You’ve done the recon,” I say.
Simon points to some baby monkeys sleeping up in the canopy. “I can’t leave my babies,” he signals to me.
“Understood. If you change your mind, you know where to find us,” I say as we leave the zoo and make our way to the National Mall to link up with the rest of the group.