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Will grins. Damone looks at us like we’re both crazy, which makes me laugh harder. I can’t help it. I’m happy to be alive.
Still laughing, I take the flashlight from Will, sling the bags onto my shoulder, and say, “How about we find the exit out of here?”
The hallway is long, with a high ceiling, and is wide enough for the three of us to walk side by side. The walls are lined with faded photographs of animals. Chimpanzees. Orangutans. Monkeys. Gorillas. I’m pleased to know I was right about the former inhabitants of this structure, but I can’t help wondering what happened to the animals when the world collapsed.
“Wait. Do you hear that?” I cock my head to the side. There. The sound is louder this time. Someone is yelling my name, and relief streaks through me as I recognize the voice.
“Enzo,” Will says, shooting a grin at Damone. “I guess not everyone at the University believes getting ahead is more important than real leadership.”
Using Enzo’s voice as a guide, we creep down the long hallway. As much as we want to hurry, we force ourselves to go slow. To watch for things that might be lurking in the shadows. We don’t want to face another situation like the one we just escaped. We go through a door on the left. Another large hall. More faded placards and photos of animals. Signs about eating habits. Behavior. Anatomy. Signs of a past society that caged animals for amusement and education.
Enzo’s voice gets louder. Closer. I smell fresh air. The idea of freedom propels us faster. We take another left turn and see an open doorway. Sunlight. And Enzo standing near the threshold, looking relieved to see us. No more cages or synthetic trees. Freedom.
I want to sit on the ground and appreciate the moment, but we’ve already lost a great deal of time. Other teams have probably found the “nest.” We have to get moving if we’re to have a chance at winning. While the others might believe this is only a game created by the final-year students, I know better.
The good news is that our most recent adventure has given me an idea of where we need to go to find the first task. Handing the flashlight back to a curious Enzo, I say, “We’ll fill you in on what happened while we walk. We can’t fall too far behind if we want to come in first.”
As we head down the path, Will gives Enzo a rundown on the events that occurred inside the former monkey house. I let Will tell the story as I walk in front of the group, looking for anything that will give me a clue which direction we should go in. Enzo asks dozens of questions. Especially about the snake. Enzo thinks Will is exaggerating the reptile’s size, which isn’t surprising since Will tends to overdramatize.
I’m about to say that when Damone speaks for the first time since we saw the animal. “Will’s telling the truth. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Damone stops walking. “How could the final years drop us in a place with a thing like that? How could the professors let them? They said this was supposed to be fun, but they could have killed us.”
“I don’t think the final years knew the snake was in that building,” I say. “The snake probably got in through the roof after they set up their trap in the cage.”
Will nods. “We have a lot of snakes in Madison Colony. They’re always sliding into places without anyone seeing them. My mom found a six-foot snake in her closet, curled around a pair of her shoes. No one knows how it got in. Dad used my brother’s crossbow to get it out.”
The mention of the crossbow makes me flinch. Suddenly, I’m somewhere else. A bridge with a crossbow quarrel soaring through the air toward me. Then the image is gone.
Damone folds his arms across his chest. Though his stance is belligerent, I can see the fear lurking in his eyes. Rubbing my temples, I say, “This area hasn’t been revitalized yet, which means we should keep our eyes open for tracks or droppings and steer clear if we can. If we’re lucky, the next location will be somewhere snakes aren’t interested in calling home. Of course, to figure that out, we have to find the location. And I think I might have an idea where we need to go.”
“Where?” Enzo asks as I turn and walk down the path.
I step over a large broken branch. “My father has a lot of books on animal biology. His team uses them when they’re working on genetic modifications in some of our farm stock, but the books include information on all kinds of animals, including their behaviors. Behaviors like nesting.” Even though I never wanted to go into biological engineering, I flipped through each book, devouring the pictures and the words, fascinated with the idea that, somewhere, some of these creatures might still walk the earth.
“We already decided we’re looking for a bird’s nest,” Damone says.
“Birds aren’t the only animals that build nests,” I say. “I don’t think the final years would make the answer to this puzzle so easy. Do you?”
Will smiles. “Not for a minute. Which means the silver treasure is something we normally wouldn’t think of. Something like a lion or a tiger.”
“Or a gorilla.” Enzo looks at me, and I nod.
“Silverback gorillas. I thought of them when I saw the writing on the walls of the building we were in. I don’t know if this place used to house gorillas, but if it did, I’m pretty sure we’ll find whatever it is we’re supposed to be looking for there.”
The path curves to t
he left. We pass more trees, a couple of rotting benches, and areas that must have once been used to display animals. I spot a faded sign lying in front of one of the areas; it pictures an animal with a long neck. This must have been the section where they kept giraffes. The next pen doesn’t have a sign, but farther down, we find another placard covered in dirt. When Will scrapes away the grime, there’s a picture of an elephant.
We walk by the broken fences and walls, looking at signs. Lions. Baboons. Zebras. Animals we have heard of but never seen. There are also pictures of animals we can’t put names to. The path circles to the right. More animal pens. More less than healthy trees. Decayed buildings that none of us wish to venture near in case more traps are set. Somewhere in the distance, we hear a shout. Of dismay? Triumph? The only thing we can be sure of is that at least one other team is nearby.
We’re about to follow the path to the right when Enzo spots a large sign on a collapsed fence to our left. The picture and words are faded, but despite time and dirt, we can see the letters: D NI GOR LA FOR ST. No one has a clue what the first word could be, but we all think it’s a good bet the final two are gorilla forest.
The path to the left curves in between the broken walls of two buildings. The single-story stone structure on the right still stands, although the way the walls are slanted makes me think it won’t be upright for long. To our left is a cone-shaped roof sitting atop a pile of splintered wood and broken rock. We pass between them, scramble over a fallen tree that is blocking the path, and come to a long suspension bridge that stretches over a river. On the other side is a mostly intact structure surrounded by a tall stone fence. Unlike the rest of the zoo, the bridge is in good repair. Strong metal cables. Thick wooden planks. Rope railings on either side.
Will looks at the bridge and back at me. “What do you think?”
I put my hand on the rope railing and push down to test its strength. “Someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure we could get to the other side.”
“Probably the same people who set the trap in the monkey cage.” Will cautiously places a foot onto the bridge. “Let’s hope I don’t end up dangling from my ankles this time.”
