1 My childhood friend, Cody, dragged me into taking over a failing local zoo. Thanks to my ability to hear what animals were thinking, the zoo came back from the dead, pulling in a net profit of over a hundred thousand dollars in just one year. But when it came time for year-end profit sharing, Cody tossed a measly five thousand dollars onto the desk and tried to kick me out. "I hired a new keeper," he said, not even looking at me. "He is more professional than you, and he works for less." I stared at the stack of cash on the desk, my fists clenching tight. "We had an agreement, Cody. You put up the cash, I put in the labor, and we split the profits fifty-fifty." "Labor?" Before I could finish, Cody slammed his hand onto the desk. "Zane, you spend all day playing with mute beasts. What kind of labor is that? If you're so damn talented, why don't you see if they'll leave with you!" I swept up the cash and gave him a quiet nod. "Fine. You said it, not me." Cody’s face was flushed, probably from the alcohol he had been drinking earlier. He seemed to have completely forgotten how we got here. During our first week of opening, the Solstice Zoo went viral because of a video titled Magic Bird Finds Tourist's Lost Ring. In that video, a blackbird named Spike flew down on my command, carrying a diamond ring in his beak, and dropped it right into the tourist's hand. After that, the crowd grew day by day. By the end of the year, this tiny, forgotten zoo had become a trending hotspot, raking in millions. All of that happened because I could communicate with the animals. But in Cody’s eyes, my entire value was limited to throwing feed and shoveling manure. To him, my sweat and tears were worth exactly five thousand dollars. Cody leaned back in his leather chair, crossing his legs and blowing lazy smoke rings into the air. "Lance has already arrived. He’s a professional animal trainer, and his social media presence is massive." Lance? I almost laughed out loud. The guy was a fraud who failed half his classes in college and took six years to graduate. He had built a following on social media by crafting a witty, intellectual zoologist persona, but he knew absolutely nothing about actual animal welfare. The creatures in this zoo were going to suffer under his care. "I’ll leave," I told Cody, keeping my voice calm. "But Kahn, Luna, and the other old-timers I brought down from Blackwood Mountain are coming with me." Cody snapped, lunging over the desk. He blew a thick cloud of smoke directly into my face, making me cough. "Those are the stars of the show! You think you can just walk away with our cash cows? Don't even dream about it. Besides, how are you going to prove you brought them? If you've got the guts, get them to walk back up the mountain with you!" I picked up my envelope of cash and nodded. "You said it." As I walked out of the administration building, a furious scream erupted from Cody's office. "Where did all this bird shit come from? It's all over my windows!" I looked up. The culprit, Spike, was perched on a low branch, his dark tail feathers twitching proudly as if he were waiting for a reward. "The mountain can tolerate him, but this bird cannot," Spike chirped, his voice buzzing in my mind. "I've mobilized a dozen of my crew. The second that bastard steps outside, he’s going to learn what shit luck really means." To anyone else, the blackbird was just making random noises, but to me, his words were as clear as day. Blackbirds were notoriously vengeful creatures. Cody was in for a miserable few weeks, but he had brought it entirely on himself. "You heard him, Spike. We're kicked out," I said, gently stroking the bird's back. He closed his eyes in satisfaction. "Want to head back to Blackwood Mountain?" "Hell yeah!" Spike chirped. "I've been sick of looking at that loser anyway!" I smiled, giving his tiny chest a gentle nudge. "Go tell the others to pack up. We're going home." I walked over to the tiger enclosure first. Kahn, our majestic Siberian tiger, was already pacing near the gate, his amber eyes filled with anxiety. "Spike told us what happened," Kahn growled, his deep voice vibrating in my chest. "Is that little punk really throwing you out? He’s got some nerve!" To his left, Luna, our Asiatic black bear, slammed a heavy paw against the reinforced glass. "Boss, don't use those human idioms. You're insulting the punk! Besides, if we hadn't wanted to help young Zane get on his feet, none of us old-timers would have ever agreed to leave the quiet of the mountain!" I felt a sudden pang of sadness. When Cody first wanted to open the zoo, I had begged these older animals for weeks before they finally agreed to come down and help me out. The younger, wilder beasts in the deep forest would never have agreed to live in cages. "It's fine," I whispered, patting the glass. "I got five grand from him. Once we're back, I'm buying everyone premium steaks." After comforting Kahn, I took my envelope of money and went to prepare the paperwork. The old Blackwood Mountain Zoo still existed, though it was remote and had been closed to the public for years. When I brought Kahn and the others down, we had registered them under a temporary loan agreement. Cody had probably forgotten that detail. What is borrowed must eventually be returned. And now, the lease was up. As I walked toward the exit, I ran straight into Lance, the "professional" keeper Cody had bragged about. He intentionally rammed his shoulder into mine as we crossed paths, sending my canvas bag tumbling to the concrete. The envelope of cash slid out, scattering a few bills. Lance looked down, a smug grin plastered across his face. "Well, look who it is. Zane, the college genius, kicked out like a stray dog." He walked over and casually kicked the stack of bills, scattering the hundred-dollar notes across the dirt. "Oops, my bad. Pick it up. If you're short a few dollars, let me know. Cody paid me thirty thousand just to sign on. I can easily buy you dinner." I didn't want to waste my breath on him. I knelt down to gather the cash, but Lance placed his expensive leather boot directly over the last hundred-dollar bill. He leaned down, tapping my cheek with two fingers. "Do you know why Cody was willing to pay me so much? Because I have followers. I know how to market. In this day and age, Zane, talent is cheap. What people pay for is a good story. Those animals of yours will be doubling our revenue within six months under my management." He finally lifted his boot. I picked up the dirty bill, brushing off the dust. Money doesn't lose its value just because someone steps on it. "Six months?" I murmured, looking at him. By tomorrow morning, there wouldn't be a single animal left in this zoo. I booked a cheap motel room for two nights. If Pete hadn't called me, I would have completely forgotten about our high school reunion dinner tonight. When I arrived at the restaurant, the voices from inside the private room were already loud and boisterous. "Zane is a total loser," Cody's voice boomed, thick with alcohol. "If I hadn't thrown him a bone at my zoo, he'd be starving in the mountains. And the bastard actually had the nerve to ask me for a cut of the profits!" The other classmates laughed, chiming in with sycophantic praise. Only Pete tried to defend me. "Come on, Cody. Zane is just quiet. He worked his butt off for you, and didn't he bring those animals from his family's old place?" Cody scoffed loudly. "Please! He brought a bunch of half-dead, ancient trash. Nobody wants to see that! If it weren't for my brilliant marketing, those animals would be completely useless. He’s been riding my coattails for years." I couldn't listen to another second of his lies. I pushed the door open. Pete immediately tried to smooth things over, but the atmosphere remained tense. Throughout the dinner, people made snide remarks about my sudden unemployment. "If you don't have a place to stay, Zane, Cody's garage is pretty spacious. Maybe he'll let you bunk there." I shook my head. "No need. Cody gave me five thousand dollars in severance. I can afford a motel." They laughed, praising Cody's generosity. No one mentioned the fifty-thousand-dollar bonus I was actually owed. I stood up, pouring myself a full glass of Baijiu. "I want to raise a glass to everyone. Tomorrow, I'm heading back to the mountains. You don't need to invite me to these dinners anymore." I downed the glass in one go and walked out without looking back, ignoring Cody's drunken shouts and Pete’s calls to wait. The next morning, I spent a few hours finalizing the transit permits. I wanted to check on the animals one last time before the transfer, so I headed back to Solstice Zoo. I tried to walk through the employee gate out of habit, but the security guard stopped me. He pointed toward a sheet of paper taped to the glass. Written in bold, black letters was: No entry for Zane or dogs. "Sorry, Zane," the guard said, looking slightly embarrassed. "Cody's orders." The tourists behind me were beginning to complain about the delay, so I stepped out of line. "Zaney! Over here! I have a way in!" Spike's voice chirped from a nearby oak tree. He flapped his left wing, pointing toward the western wall. I followed him to a small, overgrown gap at the base of the concrete fence. It was barely big enough for a medium-sized dog to squeeze through. I stared at the hole, then at the blackbird. "This is your brilliant plan?" Spike hopped on my shoulder, looking extremely pleased with himself. "Spike always has a way!" To avoid his wrath and get inside, I sucked in my breath and crawled through the dirt, squeezing through the gap. As I walked through the service paths, I could hear the animals complaining. Lance had cut their fresh meat rations, replacing them with a cheap, processed slop to save on costs. I rushed toward the tiger enclosure. Kahn was the king of the mountain, and he had the shortest temper. When I reached the exhibit, I saw Lance standing inside the enclosure, kicking Kahn's flank. Lance had removed the safety barrier, believing the animals were naturally docile. He didn't realize that their gentle behavior was entirely due to my communication with them. "You lazy, ancient sack of bones!" Lance barked, kicking the tiger again. "You think you're too good for this feed? If you don't eat this, you're going to starve!" He snatched the bowl of slop away, delivering one final kick to Kahn's ribs. "Stop that!" I yelled from the spectator fence, my heart hammering against my ribs. But the crowd was too loud, and Lance didn't hear me. He also didn't notice that Kahn had lowered his massive chest to the ground, his ears flattened against his skull, his eyes locked onto Lance's back. It was a classic hunting posture. Kahn was preparing to kill. "Wait, something's wrong," a tourist whispered, pointing at the tiger. "Usually, the tiger is so sweet. Why does he look so angry today?" "Yeah, and where is the young keeper, Zane? This new guy just kicked the tiger!" "Oh my god! He’s jumping!" With a deafening roar, Kahn lunged forward, slamming his massive paws into Lance's chest and throwing him to the ground. Lance screamed in terror, his face turning pale as he scrambled backward in the dirt. I quickly pulled out the old wooden whistle hanging around my neck. I blew a sharp, piercing note that echoed across the enclosure. It was a whistle passed down through my family, a sound Kahn knew well. Kahn’s massive paw stopped just inches from Lance's throat. The tiger looked over at me, blinking his golden eyes, and slowly relaxed his posture, looking as innocent as a house cat. "Look how worried you get," Kahn’s voice rumbled in my head. "I was just checking if my teeth were as blunt as he claimed." Luna, who had been watching the drama from her own enclosure, let out a low rumble of laughter. "I wanted to take a bite out of his shoulder, too. That cheap slop gave me terrible diarrhea." To the tourists, the tiger and bear were just making terrifying wild noises. Lance was shaking, his shirt torn and covered in dirt. I jumped over the low barrier and dragged him back into the safety vestibule. Kahn hopped back onto his platform, completely unbothered. The tourists cheered from the viewing platform. "Zane is back! He’s the real deal!" Once Lance caught his breath, his fear turned into pure embarrassment and rage. "Who let you in here?" he snarled, immediately calling security. A few minutes later, Cody arrived, looking furious. "Cody, this tiger is wild!" Lance yelled, trying to cover up his own incompetence. "We need to use stronger measures to break his spirit." "Don't you dare touch them!" I snapped, pulling out the official transport permits. "The loan agreement is over, Cody. I'm taking them back to Blackwood Mountain today." Cody snatched the papers from my hand. Without a word, he tore them in half and tossed them into the nearby duck pond. He leaned in close, whispering in my ear. "I have a massive anniversary event tomorrow. If anything ruins it, I will make your life a living hell. Do you understand?" I stared at the floating pieces of paper, my teeth grinding together. "What are you waiting for? Throw him out!" Lance shouted to the security guards. Before the guards could grab me, a flock of blackbirds descended from the trees, unleashing a targeted barrage of bird droppings directly onto Cody and Lance. The chaos allowed me to slip away. Before I left, I looked back at Kahn and whispered, "One AM. Beacon Street." By midnight, Spike had located the keys to the enclosures, and our clever raccoons had managed to slide them out of the guard's desk. The security guards were fast asleep, completely drunk on the leftover beer from the anniversary prep party. At one in the morning, the heavy iron gates of the enclosures slid open. Dozens of animals quietly walked out into the cool night air, following Kahn’s silent lead. I stood waiting at the end of Beacon Street, where the road met the forest trail. When they emerged from the shadows, every animal let out a soft, joyous sound of greeting. "Let's go," I smiled, looking up at the mountain. "Let's go home!"
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