Zoo HQ

Housed in the San Diego Zoo, is the main headquarters of our story, otherwise known as Zoo HQ. Hidden among the habitats created for their exotic and classic zoo animals' needs is a secret society. They handle undercover operations to protect both animals and human lives from the clutches of evil that crawl in the shadows of our society, both animal and human. Their society reaches all corners of the globe, interconnected utilizing all the worlds zoos and their unique ways of operating. Different stories happen within the walls and boundaries that each of these zoos holds, and each one is a doozy.

Our first story begins on June 12, 2018, at the San Diego zoo at twenty-one hundred hours. After a scorching hot day with temperatures in the hundreds, everyone is in a hurry to cool themselves down for the evening. During the midst of all this, a call comes in through the Zoo HQ network inside the fake baobab tree in the Sifaka lemur habitat. Suzie, the Sifaka lemur currently on duty for the day answers the incoming call after secretly climbing inside her tree-office workstation.

Suzie: Zoo HQ, animal or human your emergency is our business, Suzie speaking.

Caller: Hello, sorry I have to cut this short. My name is Kira and I am currently in a very dangerous position in the lower neighborhoods of San Diego. I am a mountain lion and my son was just taken away from me by a bunch of strangers in black coats. After following their vehicle down the mountain, I tracked them to a very large building and would like to request a rescue mission.

Suzie: Alright, can you describe any landmarks so we can pinpoint your location?

Kira: Umm, there is what looks to be a large outdoor theater just across from the building and it has some funny bird eating something yellow from a red and white striped bucket.

Suzie: Alright, sounds like the Chomping Parrots Outdoor Drive-In Theater in Sector 18. We will have a rescue squad out to you in twenty minutes for more directions. Keep us posted ma'am if any new developments take place while we are en route.

Kira: I shall do my best, just hurry.

Suzie ends the call and starts relaying orders: Calling all rescue personnel for sector 18, calling all rescue personnel for sector 18. We currently have a kidnapped puma in the building across from the Chomping Parrots Outdoor Drive-In Theater on Blue Pine Street. Requesting emergency assistance to sector 18 immediately (repeated).

Soon the Zoo HQ is in a buzz with all animals getting to their stations for communication or heading out to their assigned areas for departure. The squad that comprises the rescue personnel for sector 18 involves four unique animals: Ghost the albino raccoon, Arrow the whooping crane, Onyx the chimpanzee, and Subs the jaguar. In the equipping room...

Ghost: So Onyx, got any plans on how we are going to pull this off? You are our team's resident genius so I figured you had something in mind.

Onyx: I can assure you Ghost, I have thought of a plan on how we are going to complete our mission though it will be a bit challenging with our new cadet on board.

Everyone looks over at Subs.

Subs: Ah, come on guys. I may have only just arrived a month ago but I still believe I can contribute something to the team.

Arrow: We shall see Subs. You are only on this team since you begged Bruiser, your roommate, and commander of sector seven aquatic suburbs rescue team, to join a squad since you didn't want to just sit looking pretty in your habitat all day as the decoy unit.

Subs: Oh, just you wait. I'll show you.

Onyx: Just make sure you follow the plan chap. We don't want to end up getting caught on our mission and even more so, fail our mission altogether because of someone going awol.

Subs: Understood

Once all have suited themselves up with the appropriate gadgets and gear, they begin loading up onto a specially designed stealth drone for departure.

(On the gangplank to the drones interior)

Subs: So Ghost, being as you have been on this team the longest, do you have any good tips for me?

Ghost: Yeah, out of sight, out of mind, and most importantly of all. If you ever feel like you are going to get caught, break the green vial on the left side of your suit, quickly put on your face mask and run like your tail is on fire because that stuff will knock you unconscious after three seconds.

Subs: Okay, duly noted. (gulps)

After everyone is aboard, the drone begins its launching sequence. Slowly the rotors begin to pick up speed as the hatch above begins to open within the elephant habitat that lies above. To ensure that no human see's the drone taking off, elephant squad members make a formation around the hatch to keep any watching eyes out. Soon the drone is up in the air and racing to its destination.

(Outside the Chomping Parrots Outdoor Drive-In Theater, twenty-one hundred hours and twenty-four minutes)

The drone soon lands in a clearing surrounded by trees just outside the drive-in theater. Quickly the crew members clamber out of their vehicle and look for their contact. Soon, Kira, the mountain lion rushes towards them from across the street, gasping for air.

Kira (panting): I am so glad you could get here so quickly. No one has left the building since they took my son.

Onyx: Can you show us which building the young lad is currently being housed in?

Kira (panting): Sure, right this way.

They follow Kira across the street and into the bushes just outside a large building partly covered by glass going up in an arch towards the top.

Kira: When I arrived at this building after catching up to their vehicle, I witnessed two men carrying a crate with my little boy through that door over there (pointing her paw at a blue heavy steel door).

Onyx: Alright, we shall take it from here lass. You should wait over around where our drone is in hiding so no one sees you. We will be back soon with your son.

Subs: By the way ma'am, what is your son's name?

Arrow: Hold your tongue Subs, we have work to do so stop dilly-dallying and come on.

Kira: His name is Patch, please bring him back safely.

Subs: We will.

Soon the group of animals starts making their way towards the door where the young mountain lion passed through.

Onyx: Ghost, see if you can pick the lock so we can get in.

Ghost: On it. (starts picking the lock)

Onyx: Arrow, I need you in the sky to make sure no humans come upon what we are doing.

Arrow: Affirmative (starts flying around the perimeter above the facility).

Onyx: And you Subs.

Subs: Yes?

Onyx: I want you to give me a boost once Ghost has picked the lock so I can open the door.

Subs: Alright.

Ghost: (Clack) I just finished with the lock.

Onyx: Alright Subs, give me a boost.

Subs: (grunting as Onyx climbs on top of him)

The door squeaks open.

Onyx: Alright, we're in. Let's go you two.

Ghost and Subs: (both at the same time) Right.

Onyx: Arrow, give me a report every five minutes if you don't see anything but report back immediately if anyone approaches.

Arrow: You got it.

Upon entering this building, all of the animals stare in amazement at the sheer size of the facility. Soon, Subs gets an idea.

Subs: Hey, let me see if I can track the young cub. It might make this go faster.

Onyx looks at him warily.

Onyx: Alright, but don't stray from my sights.

Subs soon begins sniffing around the corridor for any animal smells and soon gets a very puzzled look on his face. Ghost soon takes notice of this.

Ghost: What's the matter Subs?

Subs: I could be wrong, but I think up picking up smells from several different cubs, not just one.

Ghost: Well that's not good.

Onyx: Hmm, it's possible that more than one cub was kidnapped from several mother mountain lions and they were all brought here for some odd reason.

Subs: What do you think it could be for Onyx?

Onyx: I don't know, but we will know the answer to that soon enough.

Following Subs nose, the scents take them to a dark corner of the facility without any lights. They soon all turn on the lights attached to their vests and keep moving forward. At the end of the trail where the scents lead, there is a single door with the words "Holding Room" printed on it. Onyx soon gestures to Subs to raise Ghost so he can pick the lock.

Ghost: (Clack) Got it. It's open.

Pushing the door open, the sight that the sector 18 rescue squad saw baffled them. Several cages lined up five high and three across, some of which were filled with wild cats of different kinds. The first stack held two bobcat kittens and a lynx. The second held a lone tiger on the bottom that was extremely old and malnourished with an ocelot on the top. In the last stack of cages, there were four mountain lion cubs. Subs soon walks up to the mountain lions and begins to ask them a question.

Subs: Which one of you is Patch?

The cub in the third cage to the right on the top: That would be me. Who are you?

Subs: Your mom got in touch with us. We're from Zoo HQ and we are here to get you out of this place.

Onyx: (radioing arrow) We have found our target Arrow, but we have a small predicament.

Arrow: What's that?

Onyx: There are three more mountain lion cubs that we thought there were, plus a tiger, an ocelot, two bobcat kittens, and an adult lynx. We don't have enough room to be able to carry them all back with us in the drone and some of them aren't native to the USA, so they would stand out too much if they were on the streets here.

Arrow: I'll message back to HQ for reinforcements and a larger drone. Just find a way to be able to get them all out of there and keep them from running off.

Onyx: We will try to do what we can, Onyx out.

Subs: So, how are we going to get them to stay with us so we can get them back to HQ before sending them all back home?

Onyx: One thing about humans Subs, is that when they capture anything, they usually document where they got it from. We need to find those documents if we want to have any chance of getting these captured animals back to their homes. So start searching.

Subs: Okay.

Onyx: That goes for you too Ghost.

Ghost: Okay okay, you don't have to be so pushy.

After clambering around the Holding Room for a while, Ghost finds the papers with the dates of capture, their location of capture, and their departure dates. Soon Onyx realizes something strange.

Onyx: Hmm, that's odd.

Ghost: What is it Onyx?

Onyx: These papers don't only show their date of capture, but also where and who they are being shipped off to.

Subs: What does that mean?

Onyx: It means that all these animals are being sold off illegally as pets all over the world, from Texas to Brazil, and even up to Sweden.

Subs: So, what do we do? We can't just let these people get away with what they have been doing or else they will just continue to capture and sell off wild animals as pets for who knows how long.

Onyx: Hmm, we have to find some way to be able to tip off the police and animal safety divisions without being caught in the act.

Ghost: Couldn't we just have HQ send an anonymous message with these dates and animals on it to them so they can arrest these guys?

Onyx: It's possible, but there needs to be a way to make things seem direr.

Subs: I have an idea.

Onyx: What's your idea Subs?

Subs: We could give them another reason to check into this place, such as something that could potentially be dangerous to the community.

Ghost: And just how are you going to pull off something like that Subs?

Subs: Remember the vial you told me about?

Ghost: Yeah.

Subs: Well, we could cause a small explosion at the edge of the facilities. Using the chemical in the vial, we could make it seem as if whatever is in the facility is a danger to the town. They would have to use the police to investigate thoroughly to find out whatever caused the explosion and we could even lead evidence back to where the animals are being held so their schemes are discovered and the charges would be even more severe.

Ghost: That has got to be the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard. I mean, I get what you were saying but the chemical in the vial is made to go off after three seconds but it doesn't last long enough to leave behind a traceable residue. So how would we leave behind something that could lead back to these poor animals if it doesn't leave any residue?

Subs: (frowns)

Onyx: There may be a way.

Ghost and Subs: What?

Onyx: If we can't use what we have, we just need to make something to fit the bill.

Ghost: Like what?!

Onyx: In one of the rooms we passed, I saw a container that has something we could use as a substitute.

Following Onyx down the hall to the room, he shows his companions what he saw.

Onyx: These canisters are filled with crude oil. This would normally be shipped off and refined, but I guess these guys also deal with illegal oil smuggling and we can use that to our advantage.

Ghost: How?

Onyx: We will take one of these barrels outside the door we came in through and leave a trail of oil behind that leads to the opening of the barrel. Once the barrel is in place, we will light the trail of oil on fire using sparks from one of these outlets on the wall. This in turn will eventually cause the barrel outside to explode and get the police's attention once we alert them with the fax you suggested Ghost.

Ghost: Okay, but how are we going to get outside once that barrel explodes? It's right in the way of where we need to leave.

Onyx: Simple, we unlock another door to escape through before we light the oil trail on fire.

Ghost: Alright, we had better get this underway quick. My fur is starting to tingle and you know that usually means something bad will happen within the next thirty minutes, so we better hop to it.

After dragging the oil barrel in place and leaving a trail of oil to the outlet, Onyx quickly straps Patch onto Subs back and tells the other animals to follow them. That is, except for the old tiger since he isn't capable of moving due to his malnourished state and will be playing a key role in getting these animal trafficking goons brought to justice. Soon Onyx breaks the electric outlet and sparks fly. The oil is lit and all the animals start rushing to the other door they unlocked to escape through.

Once they get through the doors, the animals quickly rush over to where their drone is stationed just as a second, even larger drone descends. Quickly everyone files into the drones and soon they are in the air. A few seconds later the fire catches up to the oil barrel and explodes, sending a large panic throughout the neighborhood and alerting the police. After the fire had been snuffed out and a search party was initiated, the police discovered the underground oil and animal smuggling ring and arrest the perpetrators on the scene. Hopefully, those crooks will never see the light of day ever again.

After getting Patch reunited with his mom and leaving them at their den sight, the drones head off on their next task of getting these kidnapped animals back home. Very soon after, the sector 18 rescue crew is back at Zoo HQ and is filing reports on what happened during their operation. Everyone was excited that their mission was a success, and each got to enjoy a nice long rest after a long night's work. The next day, the sun is blazing again and everyone is trying to beat the heat with whatever shade is available. Sector 18's crew are all out and about trying to keep their human visitors happy, all while their spectators are oblivious as to what transpired the night before. They continue to live their lives in full until Zoo HQ gets the call to rescue some poor soul...(Ring, Ring, Ring).