Chapter Twelve

Savage Sanctuary Island, Simon

S imon slapped his palm against the side of his head. What had he done? His life with the cats was over. He owed them so much and now he wouldn’t be able to help them. Simon paced the hut, up one side, down the other. How could he take this back?

Looking around, he decided he would need to leave the island as soon as the storm passed. If the police didn’t get him first. Where would he go? He didn’t want to get Roberto and Yolanda in trouble too, so he couldn’t go to them.

The cats might eat Jerry and the hunters. That part didn’t make him feel bad. Those men deserved it. The cats did not. They would be put down.

Smack.

His palm hit his head again. It didn’t help, but he’d done it since he was a child whenever he felt stupid. Think!

Indra, sensing something was up, walked over and rubbed his body alongside Simon’s thigh.

“We need to collect the cats,” he told Indra. “Well, I do. You’ll only make it harder.”

Simon now had a plan, and it was something he could do. His temper got the best of him, and that hadn’t happened in years. He could fix this. He went to the cabinet that held the tranquilizer rifle and turned the lock, saying the numbers aloud while he entered the combination. After loading the rifle, he placed several extra darts in his pocket.

Lightning exploded, and the power went out. He would need to activate the smaller generator to keep the lighthouse going and the main generator for everything else. He placed the strap of the rifle over his shoulder and swung it around to his back.

“You can go with me to start the generators,” he told Indra. “Afterward, I’ll bring you here to stay until I have the cats back in their cages. I have a good treat that you’ll enjoy if you behave.”

Simon talked to Indra like this all the time. He swore the tiger understood at least half of what he said. Simon had no doubt his owner had loved and taken good care of him, even though he understood that was rarely the case. He had seen too many injured and emaciated cats brought in from private owners. Indra had gotten lucky, or had until they sent him here. Jerry used his love for Indra against him, and it would only get worse.

He opened the front door to a blast of wind that almost took it off its hinges. Indra had no problem going out into the light rain. Simon lifted his head and looked at the sky. It was growing darker, and soon there would be little visibility. He decided on the generator at the lighthouse first. Dried palm fronds dropped from trees and swirled around in the wind until they crashed to the ground. Simon put his head down, pulled the hood of his jacket higher, and headed toward the lighthouse. Indra scampered after several fronds and made a game of it.

Usually, Simon would smile at his antics, but right now, he was more worried about what would happen after the storm. He tromped forward against the wind, muttering to himself about his stupidity. The path became more treacherous the farther they traveled into the inner island. This area was untamed, and the likelihood of stumbling on one of the loose cats was fairly high. Indra wouldn’t attack the other cats on his own, but he might to defend Simon. Indra was big enough to take care of himself, so Simon decided not to worry about it.

They hit a rocky area with a small trail that led around to the door. Simon took out his keys and fiddled with the lock until it opened. He had always liked the lighthouse. He occasionally came here when he needed peace. He’d brought Indra with him several times.

A small closet beside the door held the generator. Simon wheeled it out, lifted a rolling partial door, and slipped it outside so the fumes wouldn’t fill the interior of the lighthouse when he started it. There was a shelter above the area to protect the generator too. Now he had to go outside and pull the starter cord. Indra simply sat watching and licking his paws.

A heavier rain hit Simon’s head when he went out. The motor balked on the first two attempts but started on the third. He situated the generator so it was firmly on the cement slab before he walked back into the lighthouse. He locked the small generator door from the inside.

“Come on, boy, are you going to climb the stairs with me?”

Indra made a noise and jumped ahead, clearing the steps faster than Simon could run them. He followed the cat upward until they came to the lighthouse door. Simon opened the fuse box beside it and turned off the main breaker before he flipped the one to the generator that ran the high-powered light. The sudden strobe flash coming from beneath the door told Simon everything was working .

He sat with his back to the quickly warming door and pulled a baggie of chips from his pocket. They were crushed slightly. He took the largest he could find and passed it to Indra. The tiger delicately licked it from his palm with his rough tongue.

“I made a mistake, boy, and I’m sorry for it,” he said as he ran his hand over Indra’s head.

The tiger made a huffing sound when his body settled beside Simon, and he looked at the bag waiting for more.

“I wasn’t sure you would like them. Here’s another.” Simon plopped one in his mouth after Indra ate his. “I may need to leave you when the storm is over. It’s my fault, and I don’t know what will happen to you.” Simon lowered his face into Indra’s fur and inhaled. He had to do something to save his friend. He knew Indra would suffer and it was all his fault.

They finished the bag of chips, but Simon wasn’t ready to go. He and Indra cuddled together and shared their warmth. Thunder followed by lightning made a racket outside, and Simon knew he couldn’t delay any longer. It was raining in sheets now, and rounding up the cats wouldn’t be easy. He had to get the main generator turned on first.

“Come on, boy, I have work to do, and I promised you a treat for good behavior.”

The storm was almost as loud as the generator when they went outside. Indra stayed close to Simon’s side. He knew Jerry wouldn’t go out with the cats loose and start the generator, so he made his way to the normal's area.

He struggled to get the large generator out of its shed because the bottom lip to the door was three inches tall. He made a grunt when he pushed it over the lip. There was also an outdoor shelter, and he moved the generator under it. This one started on the first crank.

He turned, and a flashlight blinded him.

“Did you get those animals back into the pens?” Jerry demanded. Indra gave a low growl, and the flashlight jerked until it landed on him. Jerry backed up slowly, the light trembling now.

“Where are the hunters?” Simon asked, ignoring Jerry’s question. In all the years he’d worked at the sanctuary, he had never treated Jerry this way but Simon knew he deserved it.

“Those crazy idiots decided to take on the wildlife with their knives. They’re out in the storm.”

Ice-water traveled through Simon’s veins.

“Did you get the animals put up?” Jerry repeated.

“No.”

The flashlight went to Simon and then to Indra. “If you get them penned, I won’t fire you, but there will be consequences for what you’ve done. The hunters will most likely want their money back. Maybe they’ll get lucky and kill one of the smaller cats. If they’re happy with that, we may get to keep half the money. The cats need to eat.”

Simon glared, which did absolutely nothing. Jerry cared about Jerry. He turned and left Jerry standing there. Indra gave another low growl and followed him.

They were about two hundred yards away when Simon stopped.

“Did you hear that?” He could barely see Indra right beside him, the rain was falling so hard. The sound came again.

A scream.

A girl’s scream.