Chapter 15 Wednesday, 0500 hours (5 AM)

Joshua didn't get much sleep that night. He had issued a standing order that any unusual activities outside the zoo perimeter fence be reported to him immediately, at any hour, day or night. Around 3AM he was awakened with a report that some neighborhood toughs were trying to break in from the Southern Boulevard perimeter fence. Apparently, they were drunk and just wanted to party. Joshua told the Calfers to handle it themselves, and he turned over and went back to sleep.

About an hour later, he was awakened again. The spotter in the SkySafari reported that a military group was collecting at the Bronx River Parkway side. They were clothed all in black, and they looked serious. It seemed they were going to try to breach the the fence. Joshua jumped up and got dressed. "This was more like it."

Joshua ran out, collared some nearby Calfers and they ran to the weapons room. Finally Joshua's weapon collection would actually be used. The heavy artillery was ferried to a zoo cart, and driven to the Bronx Parkway fence.

At the moment when the invading squad were about to go over the fence, they were met with a barrage of automatic weapon fire, tracer bullets, flares, and even a grenade. None of this was meant to injure, intentionally misdirected as the fire was, but only to be a lesson that CALF was not to be treated lightly.

"This'll give them something to think about," said Joshua, as he patted the grenade launcher.

Only seconds after CALF opened fire, the invaders withdrew.

Back in the weapons room, Joshua lovingly repacked his art collection. Now the individual pieces didn't seem weak and sterile. They had been used. They had a story and their bite was real. Joshua regretted that they'd not tried to hit the invaders - to wipe them out. But his Calfers weren't ready for that - not yet. There'd be ample opportunity later, and his collection would taste real blood.