We walked through the front gates of the zoo around three in the afternoon. As we were entering, a woman and her two sobbing children were exiting.
"Hello," I smiled nicely at her.
"This is the worst zoo I have ever been to!" the woman shouted at me, clutching the hands of the crying tykes. "My children are so disappointed! I've never seen such lethargic animals in all my life! You should be ashamed!"
"I don't work here," I told her as she walked away, pulling her two bawling children with her.
"You see the problem?" Anna asked me.
"We definitely need to get to the bottom of this!" I agreed.
Anna led us straight to the lemur exhibit. There were seven lemurs in the large circular cage, all laying on and around a huge tree. They seemed to be mostly asleep as we approached.
"You see, this isn't like them," Anna said. "Lemurs are diurnal. They're usually active during the day and sleep at night."
"Let me try to talk to them," Doomsday suggested, and he opened the English / Malagasy dictionary and stood in front of the enclosure. He carefully tried to pronounce the words, "Mbola tsara. Manahoana."
The lemurs didn't pay Doomsday any attention at all.
"Maybe I don't have the accent quite right," Doomsday sighed. We sat down on a nearby bench as he tried again. "Mbola tsara . . . "
Two hours later:
"Tsy mahay miteny gasy aho," Doomsday recited.
"That's obvious," Doc sighed sleepily. "We've been here so long even I know Malagasy now! And it's clear you don't know how to speak it."
We were all leaning against one another on the bench, looking as sleepy as the lemurs at this point.
"This is getting us nowhere," Bugs moaned.
Suddenly one of the lemurs swung over to Doomsday and started chattering loudly. Doomsday was taken aback and sighed, "Oh! Sorry."
"What was that?" I asked.
"She asked if I could please go away. They're trying to sleep," Doomsday explained.
We sat up with surprise. "You understood her then?" I asked.
Doomsday thought for a moment, then realized. "Oh yeah." He turned to the cage and started talking to the lemur, who replied in anxious chatters. Once finished, Doomsday thanked the lemur and walked over to us.
"What did you find out?" Doc asked.
"They understand me just fine," Doomsday said. "But it's strange . . . I know she's the lemur I saw last night but she doesn't remember meeting me at all. And we certainly didn't understand each other then."
"Does she remember anything from last night?" I asked.
"No," Doomsday answered. "They just know they're very tired today."
"So the lemurs are claiming amnesia!" Bugs stated sarcastically. "A likely story!"
A man approached us, wearing an all-white safari suit and matching hat with leopard print trim. He was around forty years old and smiled when he saw Anna. Walking beside him, being led on a chain, was a beautiful Bengal tiger. "Here you are, my dear. I was wondering where you'd gone." He eyed me and added, "I don't remember seeing you before. A new employee?"
"Oh, no," Anna said, "These are the Kids from C.A.P.E.R. They're here to help us find out why the animals have all been so tired lately. This is Dr. Tari, the zoo's director."
"How do you do, boys?" Dr. Tari greeted us. "Just call me Doc Tari."
"Always pleased to meet another Doc," Doc assured him.
"We certainly appreciate all the help we can get," Doc Tari said sincerely. "Business has definitely been slow lately."
"What a beautiful tiger!" Doomsday said as he knelt down to pet the animal.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Sonny," Doc Tari warned nervously.
"Oh, it's okay," Doomsday assured him as he spoke to the tiger. A moment later he added, "Sasha said it's okay. She likes being scratched behind the ears."
"How did you know her name is Sasha?" Doc Tari asked.
"She told me," Doomsday answered.
"He can talk to animals," Anna explained.
"Oh really?" Doc Tari asked with interest. "Fascinating! Well, I was just taking Sasha over to the holding pens at the veterinary center. It's time for her shots, Anna."
"You took her off exhibit this early?" Anna asked with surprise.
"My dear, I've already closed the zoo for the day," he explained sadly. "All the visitors have left . . . the few we've had."
"It's just as well," I said. "Now we can do a full-scale investigation."
"That's a good idea," Doc Tari said.
"If we split up we can cover the zoo more quickly," I suggested. "Anna and I can check the back parameter. Doc, Bugs and Doomsday, you can check the front half of the zoo."
"Oh, why don't you come with me?" Doc Tari asked Doomsday. "I have to make my evening rounds and we could question the animals on the way."
"That's a good idea," Doc agreed. "Maybe some of the other animals can recall what happened last night."
"If anyone needs anyone for anything, use the C.A.P.E.R. band," I said. "Let's go!"
********************************
"They don't remember anything about last night, either," Doomsday informed Doc Tari outside the elephant's enclosure. "Which is strange, because elephants usually don't forget."
"It's all very puzzling," Doc Tari agreed. "I can't imagine why all of the animals are so exhausted."
"And sore," Doomsday reminded him. "All the animals I've spoken to so far have aches and pains they can't explain. Even Sasha."
"It is very troubling," Doc Tari agreed. "I'm so glad you boys are here to help us get to the bottom of this. If someone is abusing or mistreating our animals, I want them stopped!"
"Oh absolutely!" Doomsday agreed emphatically.
"Well, it wasn't very considerate of us to make Sasha walk around to all these exhibits when she's so tired," Doc Tari sighed. "Let's get her to the veterinary center and we can decide what to do from there."
"Okay," Doomsday agreed, and he took Sasha's chain and walked ahead with her. If only Doomsday had noticed Doc Tari lagging behind for a moment then walking away from the gate of the elephant's enclosure, purposefully leaving it unlatched.
********************************
Anna and I were making our way down the paved roadways in a jeep which Anna was driving. We had already checked on numerous exhibits, even passing Doomsday and Doc Tari as they stood outside the gorillas' enclosure at one point, and were now making our way past the zebras exhibit which was located at the far end of the property.
"Hold it!" I said, and Anna stopped the jeep.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Look ahead, on the road," I pointed.
We climbed out of the jeep and approached a section of the wide paved path. The concrete there was torn up in a long, scored groove for some distance.
"What on earth would have caused this?" Anna wondered.
"It looks like something heavy was dragged through here," I deduced.
"But what would be heavy enough to score concrete like this?" Anna asked.
"I have my suspicions," I said. "Look, it continues off the pavement and down that hill."
We followed the marks down the hill and through a series of bushes, the branches of which were broken and torn apart. "If my hunch is correct, we should find . . . " I almost walked right into a large metal beam as I spoke.
"Is this?" Anna asked, staring at the huge steel structure which was laying on its side in front of us.
"The transmission tower," I confirmed.
"Someone dragged the transmission tower here?" Anna asked in disbelief.
"Or something," I corrected.
Anna gave me a frustrated look. "Oh come on, not this again," she sighed. "Lemurs can't move transmission towers!"
"No, but elephants could," I pointed out.
Anna's mouth dropped open. "Someone used the elephants to steal the transmission tower?"
"Elephants, rhinos, hippos . . . any of the larger animals could have been used," I noted. I reached down to pick up a length of rope attached to a harness of canvas material. "The lemurs and other primates could have fastened these harnesses."
"But that doesn't make any sense," Anna argued. "How could someone get all of those animals to work together to move something that size? You'd have to train them for years!"
"I know it sounds strange," I agreed. "But right now it's the only thing that makes sense. The elephants were probably getting tired by the time they reached here, so they accidentally dragged the lower half of the tower on the road, making those marks." I could see Anna still wasn't convinced. "Just look at the prints on the ground," I suggested.
Anna studied the numerous paw prints in the surrounding dirt and sighed. "This is horrible," she said sadly. "Why would anyone want to use our animals like this?"
"A better question would be how they are using the animals," I suggested. "They must have some way of controlling them."
"We have to call Doc Tari," Anna said, and we hurried back to the jeep.
********************************
Doomsday looked around the huge veterinary center in awe. It was a very large building with one large, open area that stretched up to a high ceiling. Various cages were located on one side of the room with sliding doors in the wall that led to adjoining outdoor enclosures. They had already placed Sasha in one of these outdoor enclosures. "She might as well enjoy some fresh air before we bring her in for her shots," Doc Tari had explained.
"This is really a neat place!" Doomsday said as he walked to the smaller cages that lined another wall. These contained a variety of animals which were being cared for in the clinic, including smaller primates and reptiles.
"I'm glad you like it," Doc Tari smiled. "You have a real way with animals. You could be very useful to me in my work."
"Really?" Doomsday asked hopefully.
"Oh absolutely!" Doc Tari smiled a bit too eagerly.
The radio set on the table started to crackle and then they heard Anna's voice. "Doc Tari, this is Anna. Are you there? Over."
Doc Tari walked over to the set and switched on the microphone, answering, "Yes, Anna, we're here. Over."
"Doc, there's a stolen transmission tower on the grounds of the zoo," Anna explained into her walkie talkie. "We . . . we think someone is abusing the animals, making them steal things and bring them here. Over."
"Anna, that's absurd!" Doc Tari countered. "How could anyone have access to our animals? They're locked safely in their pens at all times! Over."
"Doc Tari, this is P.T.," I came on. "We need to contact Sgt. Vinton of the 927th precinct to report our findings. Over."
"Yes, of course," Doc Tari assured us. "I can call from here. Where are you right now? Over."
"We're by the zebra enclosure," I explained. "The tower is hidden behind a hill on the far end of the zoo. Over."
"Okay, stay there," Doc Tari ordered. "I will contact the police by phone and bring them to you when they arrive. Over."
Doc Tari switched off the microphone and stood, leaning against the table. "Your friends work fast," he sighed.
"So it wasn't aliens after all?" Doomsday realized. "Doc Tari, we have to call the police!"
"Yes . . . yes, of course," Doc Tari said. "Let me do that right now." But instead of reaching for the phone, he reached over to the radio set and turned it to a range of high frequency marked in red. Once set, he pressed a button and waited, watching Doomsday carefully.
"How are you feeling, my boy?" Doc Tari asked.
"Oh, I'm feeling . . . feeling . . . " Doomsday's eyes started to glaze over and a moment later he was standing perfectly still, staring straight ahead.
"Fascinating," Doc Tari commented. "The tone I send out over this frequency which entrances the animals works on this boy as well." He flipped off the switch, cutting off the sound. "And once they're entranced I can issue any instructions I want over the same ultra-high frequency and they'll obey my every command!"
Doc Tari picked up the microphone and switched it on. "Attention, all animals. Attention, all animals. Destroy the Kids from C.A.P.E.R.! Repeat . . . destroy the Kids from C.A.P.E.R.!"
Doc Tari laughed with glee, then started hearing a strange bumping sound. Turning around, he could see that Doomsday was repeatedly banging his head against the wall.
"Not you!" he said, then realizing he had to speak on the frequency he lifted the microphone. "Not you, Doomsday!"
Doomsday stopped banging his head against the wall.
"I have something else for you to do," Doc Tari smiled.
********************************
Doc and Bugs had finished patrolling all the paths at the front end of the zoo and were standing in front of the gift shop.
"They're right, you know," Bugs said. "With all the animals so exhausted this zoo is really boring."
"I wonder how the others are doing," Doc sighed.
"P.T. calling Doc, come in Doc," my voice came over Doc's C.A.P.E.R. band radio.
Doc picked up the radio and lifted the antenna. "Doc here, P.T."
"We've located the transmission tower," I reported. "Doc Tari is going to contact the police for us. Where are you?" Unfortunately Doc and Bugs only heard "We've located . . . Tari is going . . . where are you?" because they were getting a huge amount of interference.
"Sorry, P.T., we couldn't copy," Doc replied. "We're getting interference from something."
I tried to hear Doc's reply, but was having the same problem with interference. "Doc? What was that? I can't read you," I said.
"You're breaking up badly," Doc reported. "We're near the zoo entrance."
The interference seemed to have stopped for a moment. "Stay there and wait for the police," I said. "Doc Tari is calling Sgt. Vinton now."
"Copy that," Doc said.
Bugs was looking around with an anxious expression. "You hear that?" he asked.
Doc listened for a moment. "I don't hear anything."
"That's exactly it," Bugs said. "It's quiet. Too quiet."
"Oh, you're just imagining things," Doc scoffed. "This isn't the jungle, you know."
In the meantime, I was standing with Anna beside the jeep. She was looking around anxiously as well.
"Something's wrong," she said.
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"It's quiet," she noted.
"Isn't that a good thing?" I asked.
"No . . . no, it's too quiet. It's not natural," Anna insisted. "The zoo is never this quiet. Something's not right."
Normally I would have tried to convince her she was just imagining things, but I have to admit with the sky now growing darker and the eerie silence which seemed to come over our surroundings I was feeling a bit unnerved as well.
"Maybe we should go over to the veterinary center," Anna suggested, climbing into the jeep.
I wasn't about to argue with her. I climbed into the passenger seat and she backed up the vehicle to turn around.
We hadn't gone fifty feet down the road when Anna suddenly slammed on the brakes. Ahead of us, blocking our way, were numerous zebras.
"How did they get out of their enclosure?" Anna asked in a startled voice.
"And why are they looking at us like that?" I asked, noting the strange, blank look in their eyes as they started moving toward us.
"Something's really wrong," Anna noted. "They aren't acting normal at all!"
The zebras starting moving more quickly toward us, huffing angrily.
"We'd better get out of here," I suggested. "They don't look particularly friendly!"
"Hang on," Anna said, and she threw the jeep into reverse and began backing up. We knew that the road would eventually loop around in the other direction and lead to the veterinary center as well. The zebras began running after us but Anna amazingly steered us quickly in reverse down the path.
"What's happened to them?" Anna asked.
"Someone has them in some kind of trance," I said.
"But why are they coming after us?" she cried, then suddenly she screamed, "Oh!"
Anna slammed on the brakes, causing us to spin out so that we ended up sideways across the path. I could see a herd of antelope comprised of pronghorns, impalas and springboks blocking our way while the zebra were coming up fast from the other direction.
"We're surrounded!" Anna cried as the animals started gathering around us.
Anna clung to me and I held on to her, although I had no idea how I could possibly protect her from all of these animals. Suddenly we heard a noise, like that of one lone animal calling out to the others. We watched as the herd of zebra parted in one place and Doomsday stepped from their midst, walking toward us.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Anna sighed with relief.
I jumped from the jeep and stepped forward. "Doomsday, what's . . . ?" I froze when I saw the blank look in Doomsday's eyes. It was the same as the expression I'd seen in the zebra's eyes. He walked passed me without giving me a second glance.
"P.T., what is it?" Anna asked nervously.
"Doomsday couldn't talk to the animals when they were being controlled before, now he can," I noted. "He's being controlled, too!"
Anna was startled when Doomsday walked around to the driver's side of the jeep and opened the door, pushing her over to the passenger side as he forced his way in. "No, wait!" she cried, hitting his arms in defense.
"No! Don't hurt him!" I said. "He doesn't know what he's doing any more than the animals do!"
"I don't want to go with you!" Anna cried as Doomsday started the jeep and straightened it out, then began driving away, the animals parting to allow them to pass. "P.T.! P.T.!"
"Anna!" I cried, chasing after them. That is until the antelope closed their ranks. I backed away, then turned, only to find the zebra closing in on the other side. I was trapped!
********************************
Bugs and Doc were still waiting by the gift shop.
"Why are all the ducks coming up out of the pond?" Bugs asked.
"They probably think you have food," Doc noted.
"I don't have any food!" Bugs yelled at the ducks. "Go away!"
"Bugs, stop harassing the ducks," Doc sighed.
"Look at them, they have a cold, vacant look in their eyes," Bugs commented as they waddled closer. "Maybe Doomsday's right! Maybe they really are aliens!"
"P.T. calling Doc! Come in, Doc!" I called frantically over the C.A.P.E.R. band.
Doc picked up his radio and replied, "Doc here, P.T. What's up?"
"I am!" I cried, clinging desperately to the tree I had managed to climb into. "I'm trapped!"
Bugs had run forward to try to scare the ducks away but was startled when they started attacking him en masse, snapping at his legs and flapping all around him.
"You're trapped?" Doc asked, noting the fear in my voice. "How? What's going on?" He lowered the radio for a moment and yelled, "Bugs, would you stop playing with those ducks? I can't hear P.T.!"
"Listen!" I cried. "The animals are being controlled and I think Doc Tari's behind it! Doomsday was with him and now Doomsday is in a trance as well! He's taken Anna!"
"Where are you?" Doc asked.
"I'm up a tree somewhere between the antelope and the zebra exhibits," I said, almost losing my grip as tree shook violently, butted repeatedly on all sides. "The animals are loose and they've apparently been ordered to attack! I don't know how much longer I can hold on!"
Doc eyed the ducks surrounding Bugs and nodded. "Hang on, P.T.! We'll be there as soon as we can!" By this time some of the ducks had started going after Doc, and a pair of geese and a swan had joined the assault on Bugs.
"The animals are under Doc Tari's control!" Doc said. "And we're the targets!"
"No kidding!" Bugs cried, shielding his head from the flapping birds. "What are we going to do?"
"If only we knew how he was controlling them," Doc sighed, tapping the radio against his chin as he thought, ignoring the ducks jumping at his legs. Suddenly it came to him . . . the stolen radio parts, the missing transmission tower, the interference on the C.A.P.E.R. band . . . "That's it!"
Doc grabbed Bugs and pulled him away from the birds, which immediately began to regroup. "Bugs, you go help P.T. He's in a tree at the far end of the zoo between the antelope and zebra exhibits."
"What about you?" Bugs asked, shaking his leg to try to fend off the persistent swan.
"I'm going to the Big Bologna," Doc explained. "I think I know a way to counter Doc Tari's control over these animals."
"Okay," Bugs said.
They turned in the direction of the zoo entrance, only to see a cheetah step into the path in front of them. The big cat eyed them with a blank stare, then growled, the fur on its back standing up.
"I'll handle this," Bugs said, kicking away the geese as he stepped between Doc and the cheetah.
Doc watched anxiously as Bugs approached the growling cat then stopped. "Here kitty, kitty," Bugs said tauntingly. "Wanna race?"
Suddenly Bugs took off running and the cheetah sped after him. In an instant they were both gone. Doc began running to the entrance of the zoo, hoping his theory was correct.
********************************
Doc Tari turned when he heard Anna's voice shouting in protest. After a moment she entered the veterinary clinic with Doomsday holding her tightly by the arm.
"Let go of me!" Anna cried.
"Ah, very good!" Doc Tari smiled. "You did an excellent job, Doomsday."
"What have you done to him?" Anna cried, still trying to pull free of Doomsday's grip.
"All in good time," Doc Tari said. "We have much to talk about." He raised the radio microphone and instructed, "Doomsday, please put Anna in the cage over there."
Anna dragged her feet and struggled until Doomsday finally picked her up and carried her over to one of the large cages, throwing her inside and closing the door behind her. Doc Tari then locked the cage door, placing the key on a peg by the radio.
"I can't believe it!" Anna cried, grabbing onto the bars of the cage. "I thought you loved animals! I thought you cared about them!"
"Oh, I do love animals, my dear!" Doc Tari assured her. "Especially when they're under my control and will do my bidding!"
"If you control the animals, then order them not to hurt the others!" Anna cried.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Doc Tari sighed. "No, you see, they were getting too close to discovering my plan. I couldn't have that."
"What plan?" Anna asked.
"I'm glad you asked!" Doc Tari said, "Because, I'm going to need your help. You see, once I've upgraded all of my equipment to a more powerful system and set up the transmission tower I will be able to control not just the animals within the zoo, but all of the animals in Northeast Southweston! Then the entire city will be under my control and everyone will have to do as I say or else I'll sic the entire animal population on them!"
"That's horrible!" Anna cried. "But why do you need me?"
"I can't possibly handle the veterinary needs of my entire animal army by myself," Doc Tari explained. "I need skilled and willing accomplices to help me achieve my goals. And you, my dear, are more than qualified."
"No!" Anna shouted. "I won't do it!"
"Oh, I think you will," Doc Tari sighed, motioning to Doomsday. "Because if you don't agree . . . "
Doc Tari picked up the microphone and said, "Doomsday, pull the lever." Doomsday pulled a lever on the wall which raised the door between the cage and the outer enclosure about six inches. Sasha's face and paws appeared at the opening, scratching and pushing as the tiger roared, trying to get inside the cage where Anna stood.
" . . . Sasha will have fresh meat for dinner tonight," Doc Tari laughed.
