“We need to get out of here. Amanda and Charlene are up there waiting for us. Philby is on VMK with Wayne—”
“But VMK is closed!”
“Wayne fixed that. The two of them are monitoring network traffic and also trying to see if they can control the hatches in the tiger yards.” Finn had nearly forgotten about the DS. He checked that it was turned on.
No signal. He tried the BlackBerry: no bars, no signal.
“To get down here,” Finn said, “I had to cross over to get through a maintenance gate. You can’t turn yourself into a DHI the way I can. You can’t cross over to get back out.” He paused, trying to think clearly. “We’re kind of stuck down here.”
“You can still get out.”
“That’s not going to happen. I’m not leaving without you.”
“You don’t happen to have a hamburger and fries in your back pocket, do you?”
“I’m going to try the DS again, closer to the hatches.”
“I’ll take that as a no.”
She disconnected the iPod and carried it in front of her as a very dim flashlight. Finn did the same with the BlackBerry. The tunnel’s floor was concrete, its walls, stone. The tunnel was longer than Finn expected. Nearing the far end—the end leading into the upper tiger yard—the tunnel floor began to rise, forming a ramp. The space became lower and tighter, ending in a box of concrete three feet square, a space Finn could just tuck himself into.
“It’s exactly the same on the other end,” Jez said.
Finn already knew their situation had improved: the static in his ear had lessened. “Have you tried opening it?”
“Yes. Of course. It doesn’t open.”
“What if two of us pushed?”
“It’s not that it’s heavy. It’s latched shut. Tigers are much stronger than either of us. I’m sure it’s constructed to stop a curious tiger from opening it.” She paused a moment. “Why do you keep checking your watch? It’s only a few minutes later than when you first looked.”
Finn said nothing. But he checked his watch again. She was right, it was 5:18. He’d last checked at 5:15.
“What is it?” she asked.
“The Park closes at six.”
“So Amanda and the others will have to leave. That’s not the most awful thing.”
“It isn’t just that,” he said. “They move the animals—all the animals—out of the Park at closing.”
“Including the tigers.” Jez made it a statement.
“I’m afraid so.”
“And if we’re down here when they move them Her voice trailed off.
Finn caught himself nodding.
The DS beeped, indicating a connection.
philitup: Finn? Finn?
Finn: i’ve got jez!!! she’s ok!
Messages started to compete, but Philby cut everyone off with an announcement.
philitup: found the virtual switch, i think i can open the hatches, want me 2 try?
Finn looked up at Jez. “What do you think?”
“Do we have a choice? I’d rather get eaten running for my life than trapped in a tunnel.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
angelface13: ten apes just entered the tiger yards, looks like someone knows what we know.
Finn explained to Jez, “A guy saw us take the satellite photo. It’s possible that the Overtakers heard about it and figured out you were down here the same way we did.”
“There are monkeys out there?” Jez asked, unable to keep the tension out of her voice.
“Mean monkeys,” Finn confirmed. “Though the orangutans are the worst.”
“Well, that’s certainly reassuring. And we’re going out there?”
“I’m not sure we have any choice.”
53
MAYBECK AND WILLA stood guard at the Dream Vacation kiosk in Camp Minnie-Mickey. With their backs to Philby, who occupied the computer terminal, they kept their eyes on the crowd as well as on the jungle, acutely aware that the last attack had come quickly and without warning.
Philby had his hands full. While he was negotiating an intricate set of networking cables, represented on-screen by a rainbow of wires that spidered out from various network hubs to the myriad attractions, security cameras, and cash registers throughout Animal Kingdom, Wayne had worked his way through the virtual schematics to find a switch he believed responsible for the tiger-yard hatches. Philby had double-checked Wayne’s work and, agreeing with him, had called Finn over the DS.
philitup: changed a timer, in 5 minutes the tunnel hatches will open.
“Five minutes,” Finn said, sounding anxious.
philitup: will try to knockout any dhis. not sure if possible.