Zookeeper's Claim

Seven

    I did my best to stay in the shadows as I found my way to get a better view of the commotion. I ended up next to one of the buildings which was more like a small cabin than a building. It reminded me of the camp cabins from my summers with the youth group.

    I watched as Niaz walked into the caged area and carried what looked to be a bloodied peacock out in his arms. Another slightly larger peacock strutted out behind him. I noticed that one of its wings appeared to drag on the ground. Both animals were clearly injured. The one in his arms was still. I couldn’t be sure if it was dead or alive.

    I shook my head. If this was what it looked like, I didn’t even know what I’d do.

    Niaz disappeared into one of the smaller buildings. Once he was out of sight, the crowd milled around. Everyone looked to be wearing formal evening wear. The men dressed in tuxedos and the women wore glitzy gowns.

    After a time, someone walked into the center of the ring with a book. The man also was dressed formally. It was so odd to see such formality in the middle of a parking lot in the middle of the night.

    “Alright, winners, please bring your stubs here to collect your winnings.” People lined up and gave slips of paper to the man in the center who appeared to confirm the information in his book. A young woman, dressed in a sleek champagne colored dress with feather trim doled out cash tot he winners.

    Someone bellowed from the back of the lot, out of my sight. “Last bids on the ostrich match, over here! Check your odds! Five minutes remaining! It’s the last match of exotic bird night!” A few of the patrons moved that way. The rest gathered around the outside of the fence.

    This time I had a clear view of the gate to what had to be the fighting pen.

    This was overwhelming and a million thoughts rushed through my mind all at once. What was I going to do? Who would even believe me about this? Nick certainly thought this place was safe for the animals.

    I’d need to bring proof back to the office. Or, should I call the police? I leaned my forehead against the wooden exterior of the building and tried to think.

    Of all the things I’d thought Niaz could be hiding, I never once thought that it could be an animal fighting ring. When the caller said that there had been fighting, I assumed that he meant that The Menagerie hadn’t been providing the proper safeguards to keep the animals from doing what comes natural to them—fighting for territory.

    Calling the police would probably be best. But, what if they didn’t believe me either?

    No, I needed proof.

    No matter who I went to with this information, they would need solid proof of this cruelty.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, for the final fight of the evening, we have two lovely ostriches. Who will it be?”

    Niaz had stepped back into the spotlight leading two ostriches on leashes into the ring. One kicked and squawked. The other shifted from one foot to the other.

    The poor creatures seemed to know what they were going to have to do. I wondered how many times they’d been forced to fight. My stomach knotted with fury and frustration.

    I considered running out there to stop the fight. Would that work?

    I resisted that urge, deciding that it was likely that someone who ran an exotic animal fight club might be dangerous to someone who tried to stop him. Instead, I fished my cell phone out of my pocket and I started recording a video.

    I watched through the small digital screen as Niaz took the leashes off the ostriches’ necks and left the ring, closing the gate behind him.

    I stopped the video to take some pictures. I switched my phone’s camera mode from video to photo and hit the capture button.

    Several flashes went off in quick succession.

    Oh s**t.

    Several people turned toward the light. I tried to shrink back into the shadow of the building and creep backward out of sight.

    “Hey!” shouted Niaz, his voice booming through the area.

    “Absolutely no pictures. Who took it? Own up and I’ll consider not banning you for life.”

    The crown murmured.

    “It came from back there,” someone offered.

    I was definitely found out. I stumbled backward and lost the grip on my phone. It clattered to the pavement.

    My breaths grew quick and my heart felt as though it would burst from my chest. I had to get away.

    I managed to scramble to my feet and jumped behind the building. I couldn’t see the ring any more. Hopefully nobody caught sight of me.

    “I’ve got to get out of here,” I whispered to myself. I took a step back toward the way I came in and stopped short.

    My phone.

    I couldn’t leave that here. Not only would I lose the evidence I needed to stop this but they’d be able to identify me.

    What kind of people came to events like these?

    Not good people, I was sure of that.

    I scanned the parking lot where I dropped my phone, struggling to see anything other than gray shapes in the darkness.

    An air horn went off and I head a scuffle from the direction of the crowd. The ostriches honked and hissed, the crowd egged them on with jeers.

    I let out a breath. I thought that, maybe I’d been lucky enough to not be found out. I’d just need my phone and I could leave.

    I thought I saw it laying in the pavement about a hundred feet from where I stood. It wasn’t near any sort of cover and the edges of the bright spotlight gave that area enough light that I couldn’t hide.

    I looked at the crowd. It looked like the fight had their full attention. If I was quick, I could grab it.

    I’d made two steps forward when Niaz stepped into my view. He rested a polished shoe on my phone.

    “Hello, Beth. What a pleasant surprise,” he purred.