Chapter Fifteen

Savage Sanctuary Island, Simon

T error ran through Simon’s veins as he moved through the forest. Indra ran ahead and disappeared. The scream had come from the direction of the lighthouse. Simon took the small road they used for transport. It divided into a rarely used path which was the quickest way. He hadn’t heard the hunters speak. Maybe one of them had a high-pitched voice.

The rain wasn’t at full hurricane force, but it came down in sheets and obscured the dense forest. Simon stumbled on a branch and tried to use his large hand to stop the fall. He failed and slipped a few feet in the mud before he was able to sit upright. Now was the hard part where he had to stand. His right knee hurt the worst, but they were both bad. After a deep inhale, he pushed up and groaned as his knees took his weight. He began moving again.

He stopped a few minutes later to listen. A man’s voice came from a short distance away and Simon relaxed slightly, thinking the strange scream was one of the hunters.

“That damn cat almost got me. I sliced him though. We’ll hunt the sucker down.”

Simon would hurt them. He would find the cat and stitch him up. He saw red as his anger built. The other man’s words stopped Simon in his tracks.

“I need to get out of this rain. Let’s go after the girls first. The cat will die and we can find his carcass later. We’ll have a trophy with only a little work.”

The girls . Simon had heard a girl scream, and these men were the cause. He stayed where he was and continued listening as the first man spoke again.

“I want to watch that cat bleed out. Better yet, I want its blood running down my hands when it dies. I’ve needed this for a long time. Man against nature and all that. This is what I’ve lived for and no girls, hurricane, or pack of cats will stop me. You go after the girls. Save one for me.”

Where the heck had the girls come from? The cats were loose on the island and girls were not allowed. Indra came out of the foliage and Simon ran his hand across the tiger’s back, keeping him close. Soft snarls came from the cat’s throat.

The hunters split up. Simon, sick with worry over the cat who was injured, made the decision to follow the man going after the girls. He couldn’t see him but could hear the noise he made on the trail, and that was over the sounds of the storm. How this man qualified as a hunter was beyond Simon’s comprehension. Had he ever watched big cats hunt? They were silent and stealthy. This was why these men paid so much money to go after the lions on the island. They had no idea what they were doing.

The man continued moving in the direction of the lighthouse. If there were girls looking for safety, the lighthouse door would be locked, and they wouldn’t be able to get inside. The hunter would catch them, and Simon knew his intentions were bad.

Girls were Simon’s worst nightmare and he wasn’t happy that he had to deal with the hunters, Jerry, and them, whoever they were. He had never been good around women. His large size scared them. The younger they were, the worse it was because they cried. Simon did everything he could to stay away from all females. Well, except Yolanda. She’d always treated Simon nicely.

The hunter veered off the path and Simon followed a short distance. The man’s movements became louder before he started cursing.

“Where the hell is the damn trail?”

He was lost, but Simon knew exactly where they were. If the girls went to the lighthouse, he could find them and help. Or should he? They wouldn’t trust him and they would be scared. He changed course toward the actual trail. Trust or not, they were in the beginnings of a hurricane, and if he didn’t help, they could die. It would be worse if they were attacked and eaten by one of the cats. The hunter could fend for himself.

When they moved far enough away from the man, Indra stopped growling. As they drew closer to the lighthouse, he growled again.

“Stay back, go,” one of the girls shrieked.

Simon moved faster. He came out of the tree line to the rocks that surrounded the lighthouse. Three girls stood, their backs against the door, staring down one of the lions who snarled at them, showing fangs. It was Gangus, a larger male who could be ornery.

Simon knew from studying lions for years that the cat was ready to attack. Its powerful hind legs sprung, and the girls screamed. The lion went airborne, and Indra came out of nowhere and rammed the dangerous male’s side. They both rolled.

“Move out of the way,” Simon yelled. He shouldered past the girls, pulled out his keys, and unlocked the door. He pushed it open, grabbed one of the girls' arms, and shoved her inside. She held the hand of the other girl who, in turn, held the hand of the third. Simon heard another loud growl and turned slightly. Indra came towards him, and he shoved the girls harder so they were inside and could make room for him and Indra.

The girls screamed. Simon grabbed the scruff of the cat's neck and stopped him from moving closer to them. He slammed the door, and the noise of the storm was cut off.

“He’s safe,” Simon said. “He won’t hurt you if you quiet down and don’t make sudden moves.”

Their eyes, filled with terror, didn’t leave Indra.

“It’s okay,” he told the tiger. “They won’t hurt you. They’re nice.”

“He’s a tiger,” one of the girls said.

“His name is Indra. He saved you. The lion outside would have killed you. They’re afraid of people and they don’t understand that you won’t hurt them.”

“He would have eaten us,” another of the girls accused.

Simon shrugged. “That’s natural. It’s not his fault.”

The third girl, younger and smaller than the other two, moved closer to Simon. Her wet hair trailed across her face, making her eyes look larger. Those eyes scanned him from head to foot and back up again. The two other girls did the same and Simon knew there would be tears and screaming within seconds.

“You’re bigger than the tiger,” the smaller one said with a touch of awe in her voice and a large grin.

It startled Simon. She sounded, well, almost nice.

“Indra is a Siberian Tiger, but he’s not as long as I am tall,” he said proudly.

“That’s cool. Can I pet him?” Her eyes left Simon and went back to the tiger.

“Sarah,” one of the girls said sternly.

Sarah turned her head. “He saved us from the mean lion. We can at least be nice.”

“What about the other two men?” the girl asked sharply.

Sarah glanced up at Simon. “Are you bad like those other men?”

“No. One is lost and the other went after one of my cats. I need to stop him.”

She stretched her hand out tentatively toward the tiger, and it surprised Simon when Indra moved closer to her and sniffed her fingers. She giggled.

“His whiskers are scratchy, but his nose is so soft.”

Indra obviously liked her. He moved even closer and almost knocked her over when he rubbed against her side.

Simon looked at all three of them. Their bedraggled appearance enhanced the fact they were freezing. Simon wore a black rain slicker that protected his upper extremities, but his pants were wet and covered in mud from his fall. He too was feeling the lowering temperature.

“You need to be warm,” he told the girls.

“Why should we trust you?” the angriest of the three asked.

He looked down at his feet and his voice lowered. “My name is Simon. I’m learning to read so I can be smart,” he raised his head and met each girl’s eyes. “I take care of the cats at the sanctuary. They’re my friends.”

For a moment, the girls stood frozen, but then one stepped forward and placed her hand out.

“Hi, Simon, I’m Misty. This is Paige,” she pointed to the angry girl. “And this is Sarah, your tiger’s new friend. We’re in trouble. Will you help us?”