Chapter Seventeen

Savage Sanctuary Island, Misty

M isty knew this wasn’t one of the two men they had run into earlier. He was short, about her height, and he was also thinner. Honestly, he looked like a drowned rat with beady eyes, and she didn’t like him or his tone. Then she saw the man standing behind him. He was one of the hunters, and they were in trouble.

“I told you there were girls on the island,” the man who’d been called Dale earlier said snidely. His eyes narrowed, giving them a dark, predatory glint. He fixated on the three girls with an unsettling level of interest almost like they were the perfect bowl of ice cream. He even licked his lips .

Misty rubbed her arms, a slimy feeling running up her back.

Jerry turned to Simon. “Who are they, and why are they here?” he barked.

Simon’s entire demeanor changed. His shoulders slumped, he looked down, shuffled his feet, and stumbled over his words. “It’s, it’s too cold to stay outside during the storm,” he said softly.

“They can’t be here, period,” Jerry yelled harshly. “What are you, stupid? Don’t bother answering that, you moron. Have you rounded up the cats?”

“Who are you?” Paige demanded, her hands going to her hips.

Jerry took a menacing step toward her, and Simon’s demeanor changed again. He moved into Jerry’s path and straightened his back which left him looking down on Jerry.

“What are you doing?” Jerry demanded as he stared upward.

“Leave them alone.” Simon’s voice was low and deep, the words a command. Indra, who Misty hadn’t noticed, gave a low growl and moved toward Simon.

Jerry took a slow step back, his eyes now glued to the tiger. “I’m going to kill that animal, and it’s your fault. He should be in a cage.”

“You aren’t killing Indra,” Simon said. His jaw set in a hard line and it seemed like he grew even larger .

Jerry stared at Simon, his eyes nervously twitching toward Indra every few seconds. Misty would swear he was planning something and it wasn’t good.

“What’s come over you?” Jerry finally asked, almost whining. "Dale and his brother paid big money to come to the island.” He cast his eyes to the girls and then back to Simon. “Dale says you’re interfering with the hunt. Do you want your precious animals to starve?"

Dale cut in, “I want the girls too, I’ll pay extra.” His hungry eyes made Misty nauseous.

Jerry turned his attention to the girls, his teeth displaying a predatory smile.

Paige took a step forward, leaving the other two in the doorway to the bedroom. “The girls,” she waved her hand to encompass Misty and Sarah, “don’t want you,” she practically spat. Indra moved closer to her, and Paige’s fingers sank into his fur. He growled again, his sharp teeth flashing in the light while his eyes remained on Jerry.

“Why don’t you girls come over here so we can talk?” Jerry asked with the same whine, his eyes staying on Indra again. “This gentleman,” he gave a chin nod to Dale, “would like to spend time with you. I will make it worth your while if you’re nice to him. You’re in trouble or you wouldn’t be here.” He gave them a few seconds but the girls remained silent. “Come on, make this easier on yourselves.” He took another step in their direction .

“No,” Simon roared, his voice vibrating inside the hut. “Leave.” He blocked Jerry’s path, and his hand slapped against his leg, calling to the tiger. Indra's muscles rippled under his orange striped coat as he slowly advanced. His ears were back and his eyes held predatory glints of rage. When Indra reached Simon’s side, he bared his teeth as his tale twitched in irritation.

Jerry and Dale backed slowly toward the door.

“Get that animal in a cage,” Jerry yelled at Simon at the same time his shaking hand found the doorknob. “We’ll talk about this later.”

“Baxter has a handgun,” they heard Dale whisper. “We’ll find him and then take care of business.”

The men hurried outside.

The silence of their sudden departure lasted a few seconds.

“We need to get out of here,” Paige finally said.

“And go where?” Sarah asked.

Simon shuffled closer. “I can lock you in the lighthouse while I round up the cats.”

“Why are they loose?” Paige asked.

Simon’s massive shoulders shrugged. “The cats need time to be free. During large storms no one but me and the cats are here so I let them run.”

“You stay here all alone during a hurricane?” Sarah asked, her head cocked to the side as she studied Simon closely.

“Yes.”

“Do you get scared?”

He nodded. “After I’m smart, I won’t be scared of the loud boom,” he said. “The thunder doesn’t bother Indra and he likes to keep me company.”

Misty couldn’t believe this conversation was taking place. Simon was so big she hadn’t expected him to be afraid of anything. His reaction to the men surprised her. At first, he was fearful and then protective. Misty doubted she would have given him a chance if they hadn’t been desperate but thankfully, Sarah had him figured out. His mind was that of a child, and he was afraid of thunder.

“If we go to the lighthouse, we won’t be warm,” Sarah told him. “Is there someplace we can hide that will keep us from freezing?”

Simon’s gaze traveled over the girls, but it was the exact opposite of how Dale and Jerry looked at them. Simon seemed unsure and maybe a little afraid. Sarah took his hand and his eyes softened.

“Do you have blankets or maybe raincoats we could use to stay warm?” she asked. “If we have something that will keep us dry, the lighthouse might work.”

“I have a tarp and blankets,” he told her proudly. “The door at the top of the lighthouse is warm if you sit with your back against it. You’ll need to climb the stairs to reach it though. ”

Sarah gave him a huge smile. “What about a dryer so we can dry our clothes before we go?”

He shook his head.

“That’s okay, we’ll make do.” She turned to the other girls. “We can put on our wet clothes and bring the T-shirts so they’re dry. If we have blankets and dry clothes, we can stay warm.”

“Who made you boss?” Paige demanded, her demeanor distrustful again.

Sarah took a step toward Paige. “I don’t want to run into those men. Do you have a better idea?”

Misty wanted to applaud Sarah. She was a firecracker. “I’m with Sarah,” Misty said. “I don’t want to be cold, but the men scare me more than wet clothes. You’re outvoted again, Paige.”

“I didn’t say I was in charge,” Paige grumbled before she placed her hands on her hips and addressed Simon. “How many lions are out there?” she asked him.

“Eleven.”

Her eyes looked like they would bug from her head and she gulped. “Eleven isn’t so bad.”

Misty gave her a look that said eleven was ten too many.

“Four tigers, two panthers, and one mountain lion,” Simon added.

“Tigers like Indra?” Sarah asked, her eyes larger than Misty had ever seen them.

“No. Indra was raised by people since he was a cub. The other four tigers are mostly wild and come from zoos that went out of business. They don’t like people.”

“You let them run around the island?” Paige asked.

“They are my friends and they need to be free,” he insisted with mounting frustration.

Sarah touched his arm again. “It’s okay, Simon, we’re just curious.”

His expression softened when he looked down at her.

“I will put them in their cages so they don’t hurt you.”

“Will the bad men hurt them in their cages?” she asked.

Simon’s expression suggested they might. His eyes jumped around the room, not looking at the girls. This time it was Paige who moved closer.

“How can we help you?”