“Next stop,” Del said, breaking the silence, “Jurassic Park.”
Carter cut him a glance, but Del didn’t look like he’d actually figured anything out. How could he? He was just making a joke. But if only he knew how close to the truth he’d come.
Lee turned and held up his palm as the truck approached the gate; of course he wouldn’t recognize the vehicle. When Del stopped and rolled down his window, Carter leaned toward the driver’s side and said, “Hey, Lee.”
“Oh, Dr. Cox,” Lee said. “Was Mr. al-Kalli expecting you?”
“No, I’m just here to catch up on some work.” Carter knew that even the security staff was told nothing about the bestiary. It was strictly on a “need-to-know” basis, and as far as Carter could tell, that “need to know” didn’t extend very far: it took in Rashid and Bashir, who tended to the animals, Jakob the bodyguard, and that new guy, Derek Greer, the ex-army captain with the bad attitude. Carter wasn’t sure if al-Kalli’s son, Mehdi, even knew, though it would have been one hell of a secret to keep from an inquisitive teenage boy.
“You can smell the smoke, even up here,” Lee said, pressing the lever to open the gates. “The peacocks, they’re going crazy.”
Del gave him a look, as if to say, Peacocks? and Carter just gestured for him to move on.
“Make damn sure you don’t drive over any,” Carter said. “Al-Kalli is very attached to his birds.”
“Curiouser and curiouser” was all Del said as he maneuvered up the long, winding drive, past the splashing fountain and into the forecourt of the great gray house. Two cars were there already: al-Kalli’s long black Mercedes, and a cobalt blue Scion, with a surfboard lashed to its top. The huge oaken door swung open, and although Carter might have expected to see al-Kalli, it was instead Mehdi, with a couple of his young friends. They were carrying towels and coolers and wearing flip-flops, and as they piled into the Scion, Carter asked, “Where’s your father, Mehdi?”
While loading his gear and without turning around, Mehdi said, “Somewhere over there,” lifting his chin toward the western portion of the estate. Mehdi had a way of making you feel like a servant.
The bestiary was in that direction, and Carter didn’t doubt that was where he was. Even with all the air-conditioning equipment and temperature controls working fine, the animals would be sensitive enough to register that something was going on, and al-Kalli would be worried. Rashid, if Carter’s guess was correct, was probably in a panic.
And now, here was Carter accompanied by an unofficial interloper.
“Just come with me,” Carter said to Del, getting out of the truck. “And promise me you won’t do or say anything until I tell you to.”
“You know, Bones, it’s a lucky thing I’m not the type that gets easily offended.”
“I was counting on that.”
With Carter leading the way, they trotted around the garage wing of the courtyard and then across the sweeping green lawn.
“Doesn’t look like this guy has been observing the drought restrictions,” Del said.
“Al-Kalli lives by his own rules,” Carter said.
“Looks like he can afford to.”
As their footsteps clattered across the wooden footbridge, they heard a loud, strangled cry from a grove of trees. Glancing over, Carter could just make out one of the peacocks, its purple and blue tail fanned out in all its glory.
“There’s more of those?” Del said from close behind.
“Maybe a dozen,” Carter said. “I’ve never counted.”
They passed the stables, which looked as if they were almost empty. The stall doors were open, and a sleek white horse was being led out by Bashir, the stable boy. He raised a hand in greeting as Carter and Del jogged past, then went back to leading the visibly skittish horse.
“Where’d this guy get all his money?” Del said, barely huffing or puffing.
“It’s very old money.” The top of the bestiary building was just coming into view past a scrim of trees. “From Iraq.”
Del whistled. “Friend of Saddam’s?”
“Nope,” Carter replied. “His sworn enemy.”
As Carter slowed down, Del did, too. “Someday,” Del said, “when we’re not on the run, you can explain it all to me. Sounds like a hell of a story.”
“It is.” But Carter was already on the alert, approaching the white walls of the bestiary; the golf cart was parked just outside.
“What’s this?” Del said. “A high-tech barn?”
“Kind of.” Carter turned to Del. “Now, you’re just going to have to trust me. I want you to stay out of sight. Get behind those trees,” he said, indicating a pair of ancient eucalyptus trees with thick, gnarled trunks, “and don’t come out until I signal you to.”
Del chuckled, like what kind of a game was this. “Okay. But what do you want me to call you from now on — Bond, James Bond?” He thought Carter must be joking.
Carter stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye. “I mean this, Del. I shouldn’t have brought you even this far. These can be dangerous people. You’ve got to do what I’m telling you.”
Del got it; the look on Carter’s face was unmistakable. “Okay, Bones. I hear ya.” And he moved off behind the trees.
As Carter approached the bestiary doors, he could smell smoke, but this was just the cigarette kind. He even knew who was probably smoking.
“Captain Greer?” he called out, and Greer stepped out from the other side of the building, cupping his cigarette in his hand.
“What are you doing here, Cox?” Greer asked. “It’s a holiday. Take a break.”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“And I wouldn’t answer.”
Carter never knew what footing he was on with Greer; they usually engaged in this same sort of macho banter, but with Greer there was always an edge of danger to it. Carter couldn’t tell if Greer regarded him as a threat of some kind, or just another one of al-Kalli’s lackeys.
“Is he inside?” Carter asked, and Greer nodded.
“But you don’t want to cross him right now,” Greer added, stubbing out his cigarette on the gravel path. “He’s tearing Rashid a new asshole.”
Carter wasn’t surprised. Ever since Carter had begun working with the animals, he had seen, many times firsthand, the contempt, and even physical abuse, with which al-Kalli treated Rashid. And it never failed to occur to Carter that, unless he was somehow able to restore the animals to perfect health, it was just a matter of time before that same fury was directed at him. He did not doubt that al-Kalli had it in him to take any measure he chose, however dire, against those he considered his enemies, or his incompetent subordinates.
“I expected the animals to be restive,” Carter said. “Maybe I can do something.” And he went to the doors and pressed the release button; Greer limped along close beside him, and it occurred to Carter that Greer was trying to make it look to al-Kalli as though Greer was escorting him in, doing his job as security chief and monitoring everyone’s comings and goings. Around al-Kalli, no one was ever off duty, or on a sure footing.
Certainly not Rashid. Just as Carter entered the bestiary, he saw al-Kalli lift his open hand and deliver a stunning slap to Rashid’s cheek, a slap that sent him down to his knees.
“Why don’t you know?” al-Kalli was shouting, as Jakob stood by, arms folded across his chest. “This is your job! This has been your family’s job for centuries! I paid for the best training in the world!” He put his foot on the man’s chest and shoved him backward onto the dirt floor. “I should have fed you to them years ago!”