Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Ninetee n

Savage Sanctuary Island, Simon

S omething punched Simon's upper arm, and he went to one knee with the impact. For a moment, he didn't understand what had happened. Paige yelled out, and he realized he'd been shot. He ducked his head lower, pulling Indra down beside him on the rocky path. The shot came from above them.

Simon couldn’t see the girls and he hoped they were hiding. Anything was better than running with the cats loose. He should have warned them about sudden movements. Their run-in with the panther didn’t worry him. The panther would need to be very hungry to hurt one of them. Both panthers were circus animals and had human interaction before they came to the sanctuary. That wasn’t always good and unfortunately, they hadn’t bonded with Simon. Overall, they were lazy cats who enjoyed their prechopped food.

“You need to stay low, boy,” he told Indra. Simon had clamped his hand over his wound and he now released the pressure. The dull ache intensified. He was too wet and cold to tell how bad it bled.

A bullet struck the rocks below him, making a sharp and distinct noise, almost a high-pitched "ping" that could be heard over the storm. The metallic echo resonated for a second after impact. Simon didn’t think whoever was shooting could see where he’d hidden. The burning pain in his arm spiked for a moment, and he bit back a groan. Using the rocks for cover and leverage to help with his injured knee, he moved a few feet forward, staying as low to the ground as possible.

“Simon.” One of the girls called out in concern.

He wasn’t sure which one it was, but he couldn’t answer. Simon moved again, and another shot rang out. “Stay,” he told Indra and hoped he would listen. There were three huge boulders at the top that he headed for. After moving a few more yards, he slipped around the rocks and sank to the ground.

“You’re going to hit one of those girls,” a hunter said angrily.

“I’m trying to get that dumb giant or the tiger.”

“You can’t see out there. Stop shooting.”

Simon peered around the boulder at the two men. They were about twenty-five feet from the lighthouse door. To keep the girls safe, he had to get around them.

“I think I hit the giant and he’s down there dead.”

“Go look. We need to know he’s out of the hunt. The girls can’t hurt us, but his furry friend can, so keep your eyes open.”

Simon thought it was the hunter named Dale speaking, which meant it was Baxter coming after him. The man moved closer, peering over the ridge at the area below.

“I see the girls,” he said. “They’re going back down.”

Simon moved quickly, barreling into the hunter, pushing him into a tree. He had a knife in his hand, and Simon grabbed his wrist, twisting until the man grunted and released it. Baxter scrambled to get away. Simon caught his jacket and jerked him back.

Slowly, Simon lifted him over his head and tossed him down the rocks. Baxter continued screaming, so Simon knew the fall hadn’t killed him. A sudden, deep growl followed by a roar filled the night. Indra gave a series of guttural snarls .

“No,” Baxter screamed again. The sound cut off, and with a last snarl from Indra, the fight was over. Simon turned toward where he’d last seen the other hunter, but he was gone. He looked around for the gun but couldn’t find it. He hoped it was with Baxter below.

Simon carefully made his way down the rocks, staying off the path. “Sarah?” he called softly when he reached the dead hunter. He checked around the area but couldn’t locate the gun.

“We’re over here,” Sarah called.

Simon looked in her direction but couldn’t see any of the girls. He moved toward her voice and found them hunkered down behind a group of rocks that weren’t as big as the boulders. Indra was with them.

“Are you okay?” Simon asked.

“Yes. I think Indra hurt one of the men.”

“He’s dead,” Simon told them.

“Good boy,” Paige told the tiger, then bent down and kissed the top of his head.

“We need to hurry,” Simon said urgently. “The other hunter is still out here and I can’t find the gun. He may have it.”

Thankfully, Indra had never hunted for his meals, and he hadn’t dragged the dead man off to eat him. Simon wouldn’t have been surprised if he had, but this was better and the girls wouldn’t need to witness such a grisly sight. The tiger moved to Simon and rubbed against his side .

“I’m so cold,” Sarah said, her teeth chattering.

“The clothes and blankets are in the tarp. If we hurry, you’ll be warm soon.”

Simon took the lead and they began climbing again. The burn in his arm increased, but he wasn’t sure what could be done about it. The wind howled around them, whipping against their bodies with a relentless force. Each step on the path was a battle for balance, as the rain poured down in sheets, making the climb slippery and unstable.

Simon’s senses remained on high alert. Lightning illuminated the path ahead, but also blinded him momentarily.

One of the girls cried out. Simon turned and caught her before she fell. His fingers were numb from the cold. He pushed forward so he could get the girls to safety. The climb felt endless, his energy sapped by the cold and the bullet.

Finally, they saw the door to the lighthouse. With a final push, Simon scrambled to the level area, putting the girls in front of him so he could keep them safe if the hunter was still near. One of them stumbled, but she righted herself and they reached the door. Like the first time, Simon reached over and tried to unlock it, but his left hand wasn’t working and he dropped the key.

“I’ve got it,” Paige said.

She tried to hand it to him, but he shook his head. A few seconds later, Simon heard the key going in the lock. The door swung open, and they practically fell through the doorway. The contrast between the raging storm outside and the calm inside was stark. Simon took a moment to catch his breath and slowly sank down the wall.

“There’s blood,” Misty said.

“Simon?” he heard Sarah whisper above him. “You’re hurt,” she said next.

“I’m hurt. The hunter shot me.”

“What are we going to do?” Sarah asked, but it sounded far away.

“Get him upstairs where it’s warmer and we can stop the bleeding,” Paige said.

“How do we get him up there?”

Simon didn’t know who asked because his vision went black.