Matthew Reilly - The Great Zoo of China

‘Yeah,’ CJ said.

She kept watching Bao, Hu Tang and Patrick as she said, ‘I’m also wondering about you, Mr Johnson. You’re a cool customer under pressure and a pretty awesome shot for an “embassy aide”. Tell me who you really are.’

Johnson cracked a wry half-smile. ‘You’re not bad under pressure yourself, Dr Cameron.’

‘I’ve had practice with crocodiles that wanted to bite my head off. What about you?’

‘I might also have had some practice,’ Johnson said. ‘Although my threats were more… human… in nature.’

CJ turned to face him to find him staring evenly back at her, the half-smile still there, his eyes inscrutable.

Then abruptly Hu was marching toward them.

‘Mr Ambassador! Mr Johnson, Dr Cameron and Mr Cameron,’ he said formally. ‘You are all okay, I hope. You are not hurt?’

‘We’re okay,’ CJ said.

‘Honestly, words escape me,’ Hu said. ‘This is just terrible. I am both embarrassed and distressed at this awful loss of life. I am so sorry you had to witness it. I do hope you will forgive us. As you will no doubt understand, I have much to do, especially over at the administration building where many lives have been lost. If you will accompany Captain Wong here, he will reunite you with Mr Wolfe and Mr Perry and take you all back to Hong Kong. Once again, I am terribly sorry. Our tour, sadly, is over.’

It was getting dark as CJ’s group was led to a white Great Dragon Zoo of China guest van to be taken home.

As the others got in the van, CJ went over to Ben Patrick.

‘Ben, before I go, I just want to know: what is this little valley for?’

Patrick snuffed a laugh. ‘It’s for VIPs only, and by that I mean very high net worth and very high-powered Chinese.’

‘So what is it?’

‘It’s a hunting area,’ Patrick said. ‘For a small fortune, the lucky customer can hunt dragons. It’s targeted at the high-roller set from Macau and wealthy hunters from America. When the weekend warriors are done, they get to sip Hennessy cognac in the lodge and swap stories.’

‘Oh,’ CJ said, and suddenly she understood the Party men in their new hiking gear.

It hadn’t been hiking gear at all.

It had been hunting gear.

She also now understood the black room she had come through earlier, the one that had made her feel like being backstage at a theatre—precisely because it was like being backstage at a theatre. That must have been where the dragons were released into the hunting area. They would be led to the black room from the Birthing Centre and released through the camouflaged door or, she guessed, through other doors that branched off the side-tunnels.

Unbelievable .

‘See you, Ben,’ CJ said.

‘Goodbye to you, too, CJ,’ Patrick replied.

CJ joined the others at the van. It was a brand-new Volkswagen model, nicely appointed, with leather seats and air-conditioning.

She climbed inside and, exhausted and sweaty, sank back into a cool leather seat.

The van pulled out and drove down the winding road that led out of the little valley.

The van emerged from the hunting area and turned left onto the ring road.

It was almost completely dark now and the ring road was lit by amber streetlights. Storm clouds flitted across the face of the full moon, blotting it out.

CJ saw the tail-lights of the silver VIP Range Rover up ahead, heading along the northern border of the megavalley and about to enter a tunnel.

She wondered why the dragons had chosen today to stage their attack. What made this day special?

The visitors , she thought. The two groups of VIP visitors . The dragons could detect the elevated heartbeat of an anxious animal and today the staff at the zoo would most certainly have been extra anxious. Sensing the heightened levels of nervousness and anxiety in their jailers, the dragons must have seen their opportunity and taken it.

CJ let it go. What did it matter now anyway?

She closed her eyes. She was completely drained and now, safe at last, she allowed herself to relax and rock with the gentle motion of the van.

Then the van swayed unexpectedly and CJ felt herself lean left.

She opened her eyes.

They had taken a right turn, off the ring road. The tail-lights of the Range Rover disappeared into the tunnel, continuing on down the ring road.

That’s odd , CJ thought.

She knew they couldn’t go back to the main entrance building via the western side of the valley—the tower of the admin building was blocking the ring road there. Which was why, she figured, they were going around the long way, across the northern side of the valley and then down the eastern flank.

The van began to bounce. Its headlights showed the way ahead: the unlit gravel road that led to the casino hotel.

‘I saw a helipad on the casino earlier,’ Ambassador Syme said. ‘Must be taking us there.’

The van followed the bends of the uneven gravel road before it abruptly turned off it onto an even rougher dirt track and suddenly CJ found herself moving in amongst eight-foot-high reeds and mangroves.

A distinct feeling of unease shot through her.

‘We’re in trouble,’ she whispered to Hamish.

‘What do you mean?’

‘This isn’t the way back.’

She called to the Chinese captain, Wong, sitting up front with the driver. ‘Excuse me, Captain? Where are we going?’

‘Short cut,’ was the curt reply.

CJ exchanged a meaningful look with Hamish.

‘Stay sharp,’ she said.

‘Understood,’ Hamish said.

It was now totally dark outside, the only light the bouncing beams of the van’s headlights.

The van came to a sharp halt and everyone was thrown slightly forward.

Then the side door was flung open from the outside and CJ found herself staring down the barrel of an assault rifle held by a blank-eyed Chinese Army soldier. A second soldier, similarly armed, covered the others.

‘Get out of the vehicle with your hands up,’ Captain Wong spat. ‘Your tour is officially at an end.’

Naturally, the US Ambassador to China wasn’t impressed to find a gun pointed at his face.

‘What in God’s name do you people think you’re doing!’ Ambassador Syme snapped.

‘Just get out of the van,’ the captain said.

Syme and Johnson stepped out of the van with their hands raised. CJ and Hamish followed, also with their hands held high. One of the soldiers snatched Hamish’s camera from him.

CJ took in her surroundings.

A high wall of reeds surrounded the group. The foul stench of the swamp pervaded the air. The gentle lapping of water could be heard in the darkness, as well as grunting sounds that CJ knew: the vocalisations of saltwater crocodiles.

They were in the swamp to the west of the casino hotel, the saltwater swamp that adjoined the freshwater lake.

A wooden walkway disappeared into the wall of reeds ahead of her. It was elevated about two feet above the waterline. It was a tourist boardwalk, designed to allow visitors to have a pleasant stroll above the swamp.

The only light came from the van’s headlights. Above the wall of reeds, CJ could see the top of Dragon Mountain. Floodlights illuminated it and the revolving restaurant at its peak glowed softly.