Steve Berry - The Romanov Prophecy

One of the cats across the viewing chamber suddenly roared.

"Think they approve?" he said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Do you?" she asked.

"Very much. But we need to get out of here. I used one of their cars to get across town. Probably not a good idea to use it again. They might report it stolen and involve the local police. We'll get a cab. I noticed a few parked out front when I came in. We'll go back to the hotel you found and in the morning find a rental car. I don't think we need to be using the local airport or bus stations."

He slipped the bag off her shoulder and draped it onto his, feeling the weight of the two gold bars. He took her by the arm and they headed out of the Lion House, past a group of teenagers ambling in for a last look.

A hundred yards away, under one of the lights illuminating the walkways, he caught a glimpse of Orleg and Droopy racing his way.

Mother of God. How had they found him?

He grabbed Akilina and they bolted in the opposite direction, past the Lion House, toward a lit building labeled PRIMATE DISCOVERY CENTER. Monkeys screeched from their outdoor habitats. They followed the paved path deeper into the complex, then made a sharp left. Before them was a lighted naturalistic setting of trees and rocks, a deep moat separating a concrete retaining wall from an open enclosure beyond. Gorillas lumbered about in a forestlike setting, a couple of adults and three babies.

Still running, it took Lord only an instant to register the fork in the path ahead and the fact that the concrete walk apparently encircled the exhibit, making a teardrop-shaped loop that both began and ended before him. A high fence ran the length of the property to his left, and beyond to the right was an open area designated MUSK OXEN EXHIBIT. About ten people were intently watching the gorillas feeding on a huge pile of fruit in the middle of the habitat.

"There's nowhere to go," he said, desperation in his voice.

He needed to do something.

Then, in the far rock wall of the gorilla exhibit he spotted an open iron gate. He studied the animals and the portal. Perhaps it was where the beasts ventured at night. Maybe they could get there and close the gate before the gorillas became interested.

Anything was preferable to the alternative. Orleg and Droopy were racing toward them. He knew what that sadistic pair were capable of and decided to take his chances with the apes. Through the open portal in the rock wall he spied a door with lights. There was movement inside. Perhaps an attendant.

And maybe a way out.

He hurled the travel bag through the air into the ape exhibit. The bundle landed hard near a pile of fruit. The gorillas reacted to the intruder with a vocal start, then moved forward to investigate.

"Come on."

He hopped onto the retaining wall. The other visitors gave him a strange look. Akilina followed. The distance across the moat was about ten feet. The wall itself was about a foot wide. With a running start he leaped forward, propelling his stocky frame through the air and praying he hit solid earth on the other side.

He did, pounding the ground, pain searing up through his sore legs and thighs. He rolled once and looked back just as Akilina landed on her feet.

Droopy and Orleg appeared at the retaining wall.

He was counting on the fact they wouldn't follow or use weapons with people around. Several of the spectators cried out and he heard one of them scream for the police.

Droopy leaped onto the wall. He was about to jump when one of the adult gorillas raced forward to the edge of the moat. The animal raised up on its hind legs and bellowed. Droopy retreated.

Lord scrambled to his feet and motioned for Akilina to head for the gate. The other adult gorilla lumbered his way. The massive animal waddled on all fours, soles and knuckles skipping off the hard ground. From the size and manner, Lord reasoned this was a male. The fur was a satiny brown-gray highlighted by jet-black skin on the chest, palms, and face, a silver saddle decorating his back. The animal stood upright, his nostrils flaring, broad chest extended, bulky arms waving. The ape let out a roar and Lord stood perfectly still.

The smaller gorilla, more reddish brown, apparently a female, moved toward Akilina and was now challenging her. Lord wanted to help but had problems of his own. He hoped everything he'd ever seen on the Discovery Channel about gorillas was true. They were supposedly more bark than bite, the physical display an attempt to generate some reaction in their opponent, perhaps enough to scare him away, or at least to distract.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Orleg and Droopy watching, then saw as they headed back from where they came. Perhaps the attention was becoming a bit much.

Not only did Lord not want another meeting with his Russian pursuers, but he didn't want to have to explain any of this to the local police-at least not yet-and surely they'd been called.

He needed to get to the portal. But the big male standing before him started pounding his chest.

The female concerned with Akilina started to back away, and Akilina used the moment to inch toward him. Suddenly the female surged forward and Akilina reacted, vaulting toward the outstretched limb of one of the poplars that dotted the habitat. She quickly rolled up onto the limb, her acrobatic grace obvious as she leaped to a higher branch. The female ape seemed almost astonished by the move and started her own climb. Lord noticed that the female's face had softened. It was almost as if the ape thought the whole thing play. The trees dotting the enclosure were heavily intertwined, surely an effort to provide the animals with a more natural habitat, but what it did now was provide Akilina a way to avoid her pursuer.

The male before him stopped pounding his chest and hinged down on all fours.

From behind, a female voice whispered, "Whoever you are, I'm the tender of this exhibit. I would strongly suggest you stand perfectly still."

"I can assure you, I'm not moving," he said in his own low voice.

The ape's gaze stayed tight, the head cocked at a curious angle.

"I'm inside the rock wall. Beyond the open gate," the disembodied voice said. "They come in here for the night. But they won't bother until all the food's gone. You've got King Arthur there. He's not overly friendly. I'll try to distract him while you make your way inside."

"My friend out here has her own problems," he said.

"I see that. But we'll take it one at a time."

King Arthur slowly backed away, toward the travel bag. Lord could not leave without the bag. He eased toward it. The ape rushed forward and screeched, as if commanding him to stay still.

He obeyed.

"Don't challenge him," the voice said.

The gorilla bared his canines. Lord harbored no desire to feel their effects. He watched as Akilina and the female ape vied with each other through the branches. Akilina did not appear to be in any danger, staying outside the reach of the animal, winding herself up, then down over a thick branch, landing square on the ground. The female tried to mimic the action, but her great bulk drew her downward in a swinging arc and she slammed to the earth. Akilina used the moment to rush into the portal.

Now it was his turn.

King Arthur jerked up the travel bag and fumbled with it in an attempt to see what was inside. Lord moved to grab it, hoping he might be quick enough to snatch the satchel and make it into the opening. But King Arthur was quick, too. The ape's arm swept up and a hand grabbed a bundle of his sweater. The gorilla now had him in his grasp and he tried to fall back. The ape, though, did not relinquish his grip and the sweater slowly tore from his chest. King Arthur stood with the travel bag in one hand, sweater in the other.