BEGINNINGS
5 - A Trip to Mombasa
Muldoon looked down at eleven-year-old Pet. Tied in a side ponytail was a purple bow that matched her festive multicolored shirt and purple jeans. "Can I trust you to behave yourself?" The hybrid nodded obediently. "What are you not going to do?"
"Make a scene."
"What classifies as making a scene?"
The girl scowled at the man. "I'm not going to do anything bad or stupid, okay? Sheesh...I just want to get out of this stupid place and see more of what's out there, for once!" She waved a clawed hand to the expanses known as Kenya and frowned. "I'm not some animal to be kept caged in this zoo!"
Muldoon nodded and walked to the zoo's olive-green game warden Jeep. "Which is why I'm letting you come with me to Mombasa." He got into the driver's side and waited to start the engine until Pet was in the passenger seat. "If Hammond or any of the big wigs at InGen knew I was taking you to the city they'd have us both strung up."
The hybrid frowned. "Then... then why do it?"
Gray eyes smiled down at curious golden yellow ones. "As you said, you're not some animal to be caged up. You're a little girl who needs to see what all is out there in the world." Muldoon started up the Jeep and left the trailer.
"But what if someone sees I'm different? Aren't you scared of what they might do?"
"Just do as I say and stay quiet otherwise."
Pet could tell something was amiss. "What's the real reason for letting me go to the city? Every other time I've asked you would tell me no chance in hell."
"Watch your mouth, little miss," Muldoon chided. Pet rolled her eyes. The Jeep passed through the zoo's exit gate and onto the access road that linked the zoo to the highway. "I thought you might like to meet your godfather."
Pet perked up and cocked her head to the side. "I have a godfather?" Muldoon gave a sideways grin. "Since when?"
"Since two months ago when I spoke to a very good friend of mine."
"What?" The hybrid felt her stomach knot up. "You told someone outside the zoo about me?"
The man didn't immediately answer the little girl and turned onto the highway. Once he was merged in with the traffic, he lounged back in the seat and turned on the radio. "I trust this man implicitly."
"How? Why?"
Muldoon proceeded to tell the story of their meeting. "He saved my life, once. I was out trying to capture a warthog for Hammond one day. I'd had a bit too much to drink the night before and was still hung over the next day. My judgment and awareness were obscured because of. As such, I wasn't aware of the lioness some yards away behind me." Muldoon passed an old beater of a truck moving slower than him and resumed driving. "She was getting ready to attack when he shot her. Had he not been there that day, I probably wouldn't be here today."
Muldoon smiled at the hybrid and patted her on the shoulder, continuing. "Good thing, too. The next day, here you came. We encountered each other, again, during a hunting trip on a private reserve. We were both after the same water buffalo, but we didn't know that. He was on one side of the pond, hidden quite well in camouflage and me behind a tree. I was laying down so it would've been difficult to see me from where he was. How the bloody dazes it happened, but we fired at the same time and hit the same animal." Muldoon chuckled to himself. "Crazy bastard still swears to this day his bullet was the kill shot."
"Was it?"
"Of course not," the man laughed out. "We both accepted the kill equally and since then, have been friends since."
Pet smiled and watched the Kenyan terrain pass by.
Within the hour, the two drew closer to the city of Mombasa. The highway was more populated with traffic and Pet all the more excited. Her head never stopped swiveling on her shoulders to take in all the sights around her, whether it be a street sign or a building. Though Muldoon was skeptical of allowing the hybrid to venture from the safety of the zoo, he couldn't help but smile at her reaction. She would point to colorful buildings and giggle with delight when passing souvenir shops and kiosks lining the city streets.
The aromas of coffee and freshly cooked foods flooded her senses, and she breathed in deep to savor each unique smell. The food here smelled a lot better than the zoo's concession stand and hoped to come back one day to try a few places. They turned down a narrow dirt road located on the outskirts of the city and pulled up to an open-air restaurant. There were already several patrons scattered about the reed-covered patio and happily chatting with friends and travel companions.
Muldoon opened the Jeep's center console for a pair of child's sunglasses and handed them to Pet. "Put these on and leave them on." The little girl nodded and did as told.
Seated off to the side of the patio and by himself was a man around Muldoon's age. A beige hat sat on a seemingly bald head with a pair of sunglasses hiding his eyes. The off-white button-down shirt he wore stood out in contrast to his tanned skin. Sitting on the table in front of him was a bottle of scotch, and two drink glasses; one empty and the other half full. Muldoon led his counterpart through the tables and over to where the man sat. The lone man looked up from his glass and to the two people sitting down across the table from him.
He gave a laugh and joined Muldoon in a hearty handshake. "Robert! There you are!"
Pet noticed her guardian all smiles and knew this was a frequent thing. Muldoon cheered back, "Roland, you bald headed bastard!"
The man, Roland, slid off his shades and studied the strange girl. Even though she was still wearing her own shades, he could tell she was slightly nervous. Regardless of how she was feeling at the moment, he knew she was studying him while keeping her senses keen to her surroundings. Her head would slightly perk up, and her nostrils flare in sniffing the various scents. Sounds of city life had her turning an ear to its source, and any movement in her immediate view range had her full attention, if only briefly.
Watching her was like watching an alert antelope in an open field, knowing it was in dangerous territory.
Roland looked away from the girl and over to his good friend. "Is this her?" He motioned to Pet with his fingers curled around his drink glass. "Is this my supposed goddaughter?"
Muldoon gave the girl a stern stare down to remain quiet and nodded. "This is her."
"She's not completely yours, though, correct?"
"That's correct. I'm taking care of her on behalf of Hammond's allowance." Muldoon poured him a drink in the second glass and took a sip. "Regardless, I still consider her a daughter." His gray eyes darted between the two silent figures obviously sizing the other up. "Roland meet Pet. Pet, this is who I was telling you about on the way here."
Pet shifted nervously in her seat. "Hello."
Roland gave the girl an ear to ear grin. "Robert, here, has told me a lot about you."
Pet snorted angrily and growled, "What, exactly, did he tell you about me?" She didn't have to look over to see her guardian was irked at her questioning. Muldoon mildly kicked the girl's leg beneath the table to remind her what he told her before. "Owe." She winced and massaged the now sore area of her leg. "I have every right to know, given the situation."
Roland rolled his gaze off the girl and to his good friend. "It's true then? She really is...?" He wore an oddly intrigued grin across his face.
"Damn it Roland..." Muldoon sighed and took a heavy drink of his scotch.
Roland leaned in closer to the girl and narrowed his mesmerized gaze down on her. Pet didn't like how the man stared at her as though some freak show attraction and hissed a defensive bark. Muldoon went to kick her beneath the table again, but she was quick in anticipation and moved her legs out of the way without looking away from the questionable man.
Roland chuckled and finished off the rest of what remained of his shot. "Fascinating creature, she is."
Pet growled out and mildly bared her carnivorous teeth. "I'm not just some damned thing shat out of a test tube. I live and breathe just like any other person on this God forsaken planet so please, don't call me a creature."
Roland let out a rich laugh. "Oh, I like her already!" He said in a cheery, upbeat voice. "Does she hunt, too?"
Muldoon buried his face in his hand. This was precisely why he was hesitant to invite the hybrid along. He knew she'd open her mouth and say or do something stupid. "Why did I say yes," he groaned and slammed another drink down.
