Chapter 7: I Just Can't Wait...

It was a reunion.

But it wasn't the kind of reunion they were hoping for.

Taku and the herbivores imagined themselves marching up the hills, hearing the whole countryside roaring with cheers and shouts. They played the scene over and over in their minds, and every version was sweeter than the one before—the march more triumphant, the cheers more deafening, the smiles and laughs bigger and brighter and louder.

But it wasn't to be.

The men trotted into the valley, and there was no cheering or shouting. There were just wounds. Everywhere they turned, the sight was more disturbing than the one before. A zebra with a set of bloody stripes on her shoulder. A gorilla looking like she'd lost a fight with an alligator. A gazelle missing a horn. A giraffe missing a leg. A chimp missing an arm. An elephant missing her left eye. And all were gasping in awe and relief, then crying and shedding their long-held tears. Tears for everything they saw. Tears for everyone they lost. Tears for those who died before deliverance could come. Tears for the long and miserable parade of funerals and memorials. Tears that were shed over the single question everyone was too afraid to ask:

What took you so long?

Taku would answer them in time. Now, he had to be sure his wife and son were safe. He had to be sure Swalehe and Kwame were still alive, that he still had a family to come back to.

He did.

Kwame galloped with teary eyes and leaned against his father's leg. Taku laid his trunk on his boy's back, assuring him that he was safe. Swalehe trundled up to her husband, step for reluctant step, then gave up trying to hold it in and broke down sobbing. Her sides were the most marred—Bara had taken particular delight in torturing her—and she had seen so many friends and neighbors lose so much, it was as if the sorrows of the Pridelander nation had fallen on her.

Hours of tears pained laughs and weary smiles came and went, and the herds started asking questions. Soon, the eyes of the Pridelander nation were all on him, and when he had their unbroken attention and silence, he began to tell the story.

The first part was easy (it had to be, as it was the truth). Bara and his insane asylum of a pride chased them across the savannah for six months. Every time Special Ops tried to launch a rescue, they were driven off, and the losses were so heavy that if they fought Bara and won, it would be as good as a defeat.

The second part? He had to bend the truth a little. Rather, a lot. Actually, it wasn't going to look like truth in any sense of the word. He couldn't tell them Simba was alive. He couldn't tell them Sarabi was dead. He couldn't even tell them about his plan to cleanse the land of the carnivores. If he did that, the carnivore women and children would have lost their minds and killed him (and some of the herbivores who believed in the Circle of Life would have, too). He had to leave out the details and stick with the simpler narrative he and his men rehearsed.

Two weeks ago, Taku passed a grove a trees and overheard some lionesses talking and crying. Bara had tortured them for not doing their job; he punished them so brutally, they wanted to get out of his kingdom even if it killed them. That's when he knew he had an opportunity. He teamed up with Bara's pride and made them a deal: All they had to do was help him kill Bara and swear that they would never come within a mile of the Pridelanders again. No one put up a fight.

As Taku got further into the story, he looked more intently at the herds, to gauge their reaction. They were hanging on every word. They smiled with every smile, sobbed with every tear, went wide-eyed and open-mouthed with every terrifying detail. And when Taku glanced at the blood on his tusk and said, "We took Bara down"—they cheered like they had never cheered before, and the first moment of real happiness since their capture and enslavement had come.

An elderly rhino lumbered up to him and smiled. "Young man, we ought to make you our king."

A cocky smile went up Taku's face, but he pushed it back with a frown. "No, Tama, I don't want a crown or a throne. I just want to take care of the people I love."

The rhino's huge belly shook with a guffaw. "What a guy, huh? What a guy. Powerful and humble."

"We should make him our king, anyway," an old elephant said. "He took down Bara."

"I say we put it to a vote," a she-hippo said. "Just to be sure we all agree."

"And I say we wait," a she-zebra said. "After everything we've been through, we're not ready to make a decision like that. We need to find a place to live; if we don't have those, nothing else matters."

"I've already got our housing in order," Taku said. "It's a jungle on the other side of the desert. It has everything we want and more—food, water, peace and quiet, the best views around. I call it Hakuna Matata—'no worries.'"

Smiles and bright eyes rippled across the herds, and gasps and cries of delight filled the air as the herbivores bucked and bayed in glee.

But the carnivores kept staring at Taku in worry. They'd been staring at him like that all afternoon, when the Pridelander men came home without a single carnivore among their ranks. It was all Taku could do to keep from glaring at them. And when the herbivores started to ask about the carnivores, Taku aimed a glare at them. You're worried about those monsters? You'd better change your mind about them, or you won't deserve freedom.

"Where are the Alpha and Charlie teams?" an elderly male buffalo said. "Why haven't they come back?"

"They're all right, Atifu," Taku droned. "They're just doing a sweep of the area to make sure it's clear."

"But why aren't you with them?"

"Because it's standard procedure for Alpha and Charlie teams to scope out an area once it's secure. As soon as we've got confirmation, I'll tell their families where to find them."

"Why can't you tell us now?" a leopardess said. "I haven't seen Juma in six months. My cubs don't even remember what he looks like!"

Weep all you want, lady. I know what kind of monster you are. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait until you have the all-clear."

The carnivores bayed in protest.

"Taku, please," a leopardess said. "Just tell us where they are!"

The elephant glowered down at them, relishing in their cries. "All right," he said with feigned impatience. "I'll tell you. But if anything happens to you, I am not responsible for your safety. You understand me?" When they nodded, Taku stifled a smile. "Go down the eastern hills, then walk two miles to the—"

The bugle of a bird cut him off.

A martial eagle swooped down out of the southern sky. The bird spread its wings and thrust them for a landing, lighting on the limb of a tree. His cold and stony face was wide-eyed and disturbed, and his bill was hanging open, but not for breath. "Sir, I need to speak with you a moment."

"I'm in the middle of something, Ngozi."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but this is a high priority."

Taku stared flatly at him, then forced a worried sigh and turned to the herds. "Gentlemen, ladies, would you excuse me." They nodded and murmured in agreement, and he trundled away as Ngozi perched on his tusk.

"Well?" Taku said with a note of impatience.

"I just had a disturbing conversation with someone in Site Zeta."

"Who, Ngozi?"

"That's the disturbing part, Sir. I tried to get a visual, but I couldn't."

"You were in contact with this guy, and you didn't even see him?"

"No, Sir. He made it clear it was going to be verbal contact only."

A bad feeling went through Taku, but he kept his voice calm. "Did you get a name?"

With a troubled look on his face, the eagle shrugged his wings and said—"'Dark Horizon'?"

The flat look on Taku's face was gone. He felt his eyes going narrow and a sharp breath welling up in his chest. "It's my contact," he said. "He's the guy who was working with me and Bara."

The bird bobbed his head. "I take it the rest of the herds don't know about this guy."

"No, and they'd better never find out."

The bird nodded and gave him a snicker, nothing more.

Taku walked on in silence and lumbered over the top of a shallow hill, and he stared out at the golden flatlands below. "Where is he?"

The eagle pointed a wing straight ahead. "He said he'll meet you in the big acacia tree, down there in Site Omega."

"He's not there yet?"

"He said he would be by the time you get there."

Another wave of apprehension went through Taku. This morning, he was halfway to the Pride Lands. How did he get out there so fast?

"What do you want me to do with the carnivores, Sir?" Ngozi said.

Taku swiveled his head over his shoulder, catching a glance at the leopards and cheetahs. They were mingling and waiting for Taku to return. "Send them to Site Epsilon. Once they get there, the leopard tribes will take them out."

"Yes, Sir."

The eagle flared his wings and soared away, and the elephant began the long descent down the hills.

Taku was the biggest elephant in the Pridelander army, but the acacia made him feel like a grub. Its canopy was dense enough to cast a shadow that rivaled a cloudy sundown, and its branches were big enough to hide a lion of Mufasa's size.

The place had never given him the willies before, but the fact that his contact was hiding in the tree made him uneasy. When they first met, Dark Horizon made it clear that he was going to be heard and not seen, a fact which he made abundantly clear by hiding in a cave in the side of a cliff.

It's Sakora or one of his psycho sons, Taku thought. I'm sure of it.

"Wow, you're right on time," said the voice from on high. The voice was cold and thick, like a block of stone. "After your goof-ups this morning, I thought you'd be taking it slow."

Taku scoffed at the branches. "Come down from there, punk. I don't like talking to a tree."

The creature let out a snicker. "Yeah, like I'm gonna blow my cover..."

"Then at least tell me why you wanted Simba to live."

"Hey, I didn't want him to live," said the voice. "I just didn't want you to be the one to kill him."

Taku glared harder at the branch. "It's Sakora, isn't it? You made a deal with that monster."

"C'mon, what do you expect? You knew he was gonna want revenge. And he was gonna give me a nice bit of compensation. Real estate of the female kind, if you know what I'm sayin'..."

"What about our deal? You were going to give me Simba's old home—"

"No. I was gonna give ya his old home if you gave me his head on a plate. No head on a plate; ergo, no swanky jungle."

"And whose fault is that? You told me Simba was going to be an easy kill."

"Yeah, for you," said the voice in an irritated tone. "I guess I overestimated you."

"Look, I had some bad luck—"

"No, it's not bad luck. It's incompetence. You sent Bara's pride to kill him, and he got away. Then you sent Bara to kill him, and he kills Bara instead. I can't keep you on the job, not with the track record you've had."

Taku kept burning a hole in the branch with his glare. "So what's the bottom line? You're giving Simba's home to another one of your clients?"

"No, it's still up for grabs. And I'll give it to you...if you do something for me."

More business, Taku thought.

"The hyenas overheard something that could blow this operation. I need you to take them out."

"You want me to do this?"

"Hey, isn't this what you wanted? A chance to kill all the carnivores? The hyenas killed your families and friends. They worked for Scar. They need to be put to justice—and who better to do that than you? If you can get rid of those mouth-breathers, everyone's gonna make you their king. You're gonna be the biggest hero in the history of the Pride Lands."

"No, they won't, because they won't be alive to do it. There were hundreds of hyenas working for Scar, and now there's a rumor they've got cobras in their ranks. If you want us to take them out, we're going to need backup."

"I can't give it to you."

"Why not?"

"Because no one out here wants to do it. They're either too weak to put up a fight or too snooty to get their paws dirty."

"That's your problem. I'm General of the Pride Lands and Commander of Special Ops; I don't send my people on suicide missions."

A pause settled over the tree. "So that's it? You're just gonna let me give away Simba's home? What about Sakora? You want him living in it?"

"If that's what you want, fine. I'll give my people another place to live." With a cold glare, he muttered, "At least they'll be alive." And he turned around and walked away from the tree.

"I wouldn't count on that if I were you."

Taku stopped mid-stride and glared over his shoulder. "What does that mean?"

"You don't just back out of a deal. Not with me. Not with the guy who has the power to wipe out everything you've worked for."

The elephant swung around and glared into the tree again. "You're bluffing."

"Oh, I don't bluff, you big load. I tell it like it is. And let me tell you how it is: For the last six months, I've been in contact with the leopard tribes. I know for a fact they've been waiting to take out your families. Now that Bara's dead, I think they're gonna get an opportunity."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I wouldn't?" Dark Horizon let out a snicker. "Six months ago, Bara had a meeting with me. He said he was about to lose the war with the leopard tribes. I told him about your families; I mentioned they'd make good leopard bait."

Tears sprang up in Taku's eyes. "You what?!"

"Hey...it's business. Bara made me a good offer, and I took it."

He sucked in a gasp and gnashed his teeth in fury. "You made a deal with that monster. Forty of my people are dead because of you!"

"Yeah. So you'd better pull yourself together and do what you're told; otherwise, that number's gonna be the low end of the casualty scale. If the hyenas aren't dead by the end of the weekend, your families die. If you get Simba involved, your families die. If I see anything I don't like, or you do anything to mess up the operation, your families die."

There was a pause, and a smug vibe came down from the branches.

"C'mon, Taku, when are you gonna learn? You may be General of the Pride Lands and Commander of Special Ops, but you're not in charge...and you're not in control."

The elephant stood there, glaring furiously at the tree. He felt a sob coming up, but he turned it into a huff and let out a bitter chuckle.

"We'll see about that."

Without warning, he burst into a run and bolted at the tree.

He went up on his hind legs and pushed against the trunk. Roots snapped and cracked against his weight, and the tree began to tilt. He backed away, then charged and rammed the trunk; the roots gave a mighty CRACK as the tree toppled over, slamming into the grass. He charged into the bough, stomping on the branches, feeling twigs snap beneath his feet. He plowed his tusks into the limb of a tree, shoving it away, and he scattered the leaves of the canopy with a savage yell.

No one was there.

Taku stared in open-mouthed bewilderment, then jerked his head to the sky, looking for a bird.

No one was there.

His heart sank into his chest as he stared blankly at the horizon, his tears coming back to his eyes and a sob threatening to burst forth. Then his eyes turned to the fallen tree, and his open-mouth face went shut and twisted in rage.

We'll see who's in charge of whom, you little punk. We'll see.

And he swung around and charged for the hills.

Ngozi's eyes went wide. "Are you sure?"

"I know what I heard," Taku said. "He was against us from the start. He told Bara to kidnap our families, and now he's sending us into a no-win war."

"But why would he do that?" the eagle said. "He helped us get them back."

"Only because he needs someone to kill the hyenas, because he can't get anyone else to. If we don't, he's going to send the leopard tribes after our families."

"Sir, going up against the hyenas is insane. Forty-two of our people are dead, and half the women and children look like they've been through a chainsaw. If we go in now, both sides are going to kill each other."

"That's what he wants, you idiot! He doesn't want us or the hyenas around. He's getting rid of us by making us go to war!"

The eagle shook his head in bewilderment. "Sir, what are you going to do?"

"What else? I have to get the carnivores back."

"Are you insane? After what you did to them, they're never going to work with you. And their families are on their way to Site Epsilon—"

"I don't care. Get the women and children back; then go to Site Delta, get Simba and the carnivore men. Tell him this is for the Pride Lands—no more herbivores versus carnivores. When it's over, I'll do anything he wants. He can torture me, he can kill me—whatever. After that, you need to blow this thing open. Tell everyone about Dark Horizon. Tell Zira, Sakora, the leopard tribes, the hyenas—everyone. Tell them if they meet with a contact who won't show his face, they need to get out of the deal. This is priority one, Ngozi: We've got to put an end to this now."

There was a pause, and the eagle's face settled into a smile. "I can't do that."

"Why not?!"

"I have my orders."

Taku's eyes narrowed in anger. "You take your orders from me."

The eagle gave a smug chuckle. "Why would I do that? You're not in charge. And you're definitely not in control."

A pause, and the elephant went still with shock. "You're working for him..."

"I'm not the only one," the bird said. "You're going to let this thing play out. You're going to kill the hyenas and hope you get out alive. If you tell anyone you've been infiltrated, or you bring the carnivores into this, we're going to tell the leopard tribes. They're going to have a feast, starting with your son."

Taku turned away and looked into the distance, staring at the Pridelanders and wondering who else was watching him.

"You'd better get to work," Ngozi said. "You've got some hyenas to kill."

A wave of nausea crashed over Taku as he gathered a shaky breath. He kept staring at the Pridelanders, his face wide with horror.

What have I done?