Chapter 7 Tuesday, 0700 hours (7:AM)

Jack awoke in the private room he had appropriated for himself and found that his right arm did not hurt anymore. He was in an isolated room on the top floor, far away from any other human being, and the walls were thick. He had forgotten his lighter, and he did not have any oil. But he had a thick belt.

An hour later, with the stripes on his arm concealed by his sweatshirt, Jack, self chastised in the name of God, came down stairs. He wished he could tell someone of his belief in the deity, but he knew he'd be laughed at.

He found Brian in the ground floor reception area. Brian was troubled by the children among the hostages. While he was expressing his misgivings, Joshua came down and joined them. They had time. There was about a quarter hour before they had to be in the improvised communications room for their first broadcast on the low power TV station the techies had set up.

"They’re kids," said Brian, "and we’ve made them captives. That’s not right."

"What do you want to do, release them?" asked Jack.

"Sure. Why not. Let the police handle them," said Brian. "Besides," he went on, "I’d hate to think of one of them being eaten by a tiger or something. Their Cubmaster is probably out there waiting for them anyway."

Immediately after the take-over, Joshua had forced the Cubmaster to leave the zoo with a list of CALF demands.

Jack thought the disposition of the kids a small matter and didn’t really care much one way or the other. He had more important things to be concerned about.

"Fine. It’s OK with me," said Jack. Joshua shrugged noncommittally.

"Good. Let’s send them out after lunch, when the snipers change shifts," said Brian.

It was agreed.