The Chimera Sequence Read Online Free Page B

that, Innocence and Bonny were familiar enough with the gorillas’ stealthy movements that they would have already identified the presence of a family group foraging in the area.
    The ranger let loose some low grunting sounds, gorilla-speak meaning something like, Just so you know, there are some friendly humans approaching. No reason to surprise the animal in case it was really only sleeping. The three families of mountain gorillas in the Mikeno sector of Virunga National Park had all been habituated to human observation over almost ten years, and the relational understanding that the Kambales had with them was uncanny to an outside observer. It was as if the gorillas knew they had to subject themselves to the oohs and awws of the camera-toting tourists in order to secure their continued existence as a species.
    Cole and the other veterinarians, on the other hand, were always a bit jealous of this unspoken camaraderie. The gorillas were smart enough to recognize every well-meaning vet who had ever been involved in an unwanted medical procedure, and they were especially wary when they spotted the dart gun. Smart as they were, these still very non -human primates could not seem to understand that the veterinary interventions were only being done to save their lives.
    The lack of any response to Innocence’s grunts confirmed Cole’s fears. Not only confirmed them, but widened them into something he hadn’t even considered. One dead mountain gorilla could not be responsible for the stench of death permeating this whole section of forest. He had thought for sure it must be an elephant, or maybe a couple of them, slaughtered and half-butchered by rebels a few days ago for the tusks and whatever meat they could carry back to camp. But a gorilla, one of their gorillas—that idea had not even crossed his mind. What if there are more?
    “Adult female,” Dr. Musamba said. His voice had a matter-of-fact tone that could only come from someone who had seen more than his fair share of tragedy. “Can’t tell which one yet.”
    “Poor girl.” Cole crouched down with the other two men. “What the hell happened?”
    The body was already covered with flies and beetles, nature’s scavengers quickly finishing off the nutritional recycling job of an efficient jungle ecosystem. What was left of the gorilla was curled up on its stomach in the leafy depression on the soft ground—her final resting spot. One arm was wrapped over the closer side of her head, as if to block out the filtered morning light she would never see again. The female must have made the nest before she died, maybe hoping that a good long sleep would do the trick of letting her live another day.
    “Only one way to find out.” Musamba tightened his lips and looked across at Innocence, eyebrows raised. You know what to do , the expression clearly said. The Virunga ranger stood up and used the butt of his AK-47 to flip the stiffened corpse over.
    An angry mass of flies lifted off and immediately began settling on the three men’s glistening faces and exposed forearms. It wasn’t even worth trying to swat them away. The abdominal cavity had been opened up and most of its contents already eaten by another scavenger, probably some type of forest rat based on the lack of any more obvious trauma. The eyeballs were also gone, and the exposed black skin of her face and chest was chewed up and beginning to rot.
    Not a pretty sight.
    “So where’s the entrance wound?” he asked, wondering aloud what he knew the others were also thinking. There was no doubt in his mind she’d been wounded and left to die by a gun-toting rebel out for live-action target practice.
    “It can be hard to find under the thick coat,” Musamba said. “When Senkwekwe and the others were killed, we had to comb through carefully in order to find each one.”
    “The kill shots were obvious enough, though, right?” Cole said. “I mean, weren’t they all hit at pretty close range—almost