Chapter Twenty-Four

Savage Sanctuary Island, Misty

E xhaustion ate at Misty’s heels. The cold seeped into her bones, robbing her of breath. The chattering teeth of the three girls almost held a rhythm, though it was hard to hear over the hurricane. Staying in the pens didn’t sound good to Misty, but her body temperature made thinking hard. Simon had Summa draped over his shoulder and still managed to carry the tarp.

What would they have done if he hadn’t helped them?

Misty was rehashing her decision to leave the girls' home. It had been crazy, and they were paying for it now. She didn’t see how it could possibly go in their favor, even with Simon’s help. He had taken a life. It was self-defense and he would need to answer for his actions. Would the police believe them? Misty was unsure. She knew when they were caught, she, along with Paige and Sarah, would be returned to the school. She had trouble imagining the repercussions.

“We’re never going to be warm again,” Sarah complained.

Simon led the way and kept some of the wind off Sarah and Paige. Misty trailed behind Paige, which placed her at a disadvantage. The icy wind bit deeply into her flesh, burning hot in its fury. They had to find someplace safe where they could stay warm and hidden from the hunter. The thought of him sent additional shivers up Misty’s spine.

She heard a growl. Before she could blink, Indra was at her side. Several lions stepped onto the trail behind them. Misty knew little about the giant cats, but she knew these were females. Simon stepped between her and danger.

“Stay on the trail,” he said loudly so his voice could be heard over the wind. “I think they’ll follow us, but I’ll stay at the back to make sure they don’t cause trouble.”

Simon had told them not to run from the cats, but it was hard. Her heart thumped in her chest, threatening to break out. She’d seen three lions, but there were more out there. Simon treated them almost like pets, but then she remembered his severed fingers. He knew what the beasts were capable of, and even so, it was impossible not to feel his love and worry for each of them.

“A little further,” he said sometime later.

Misty’s brain had stopped functioning, and she barely made out the words. Paige and Sarah stayed in front of her, battling the elements without Simon blocking them. Thunder and lightning lit up the sky. Paige held a shaking flashlight, though seeing anything in the downpour was nearly impossible.

At home, beneath her parents' tutelage in the world of proper Christian women, Misty was taught to never complain. Through small surgical procedures performed by her mother, such as pulling an infected wisdom tooth once, she kept her tears to herself and didn’t shed them until she was alone in her room. Women were always to maintain decorum, speak softly, and never show anger towards men. Right now, she wanted to scream at the storm and use words she’d never spoken.

She tripped and slid several feet before mud filled her mouth and covered her face. She couldn’t see, and her fingers were so frozen she couldn’t feel them, so getting herself out of the mud might not happen. She tried by pushing up with her hands and legs, but it didn’t work and the mud sucked her back down.

Suddenly, a tug on the back of her clothes brought her upright, and Simon steadied her on her feet.

“It’s just ahead,” he yelled over the storm. “We had to come this way so we weren’t seen. Do you want me to carry you?”

Misty looked ahead and straightened her back. She placed one foot in front of the other and moved forward on the trail, unable to speak because she was still spitting out mud.

“Stop,” Simon called.

Sarah stumbled back against Paige, and they went down. Indra was suddenly there, and Sarah pulled herself up using his back.

“We’re going to die,” said Paige, turning her head away from the onslaught of rain pouring down on them.

Metal clanked on metal, and through the nightmare storm, Misty saw a cage door open.

“In here,” said Simon.

Misty and Sarah helped Paige up, and the three of them stumbled through the gate. Indra came in, and then the door slammed shut behind them.

“Walk to your right,” he said. “There’s a small door. Stay low, or you’ll hit your head.”

The door lifted inward, and Misty pushed on it. The hinges slid open effortlessly, and she held it back and allowed Sarah and Paige through. She looked at the main door of the cage and saw three lions. They had followed Simon. He still carried the injured one.

“Can you get inside?” Misty asked.

“I’ll put Summa down at the entrance, and he’ll need to be pulled through, then I can get in by going around to the other door.”

Misty ducked low and waited for Simon to place Summa on the ground.

“Help me,” she said when she tried to tug and his body didn’t budge.

Paige helped without uttering a single complaint, and they managed to get him inside. Another metal door located across the eight-by-ten room swung open, and Simon entered. Straw covered the floor, and out of the elements, it was tolerable. Once they changed out of their wet clothing, they might be able to warm up again.

“We need to stitch his wound,” said Simon, looking worriedly at the cat.

“Can we ch-change fir-first?” Sarah said, her lips trembling so hard it was difficult to understand her.

“Hurry,” Simon told them and stepped out of the pen. “I’m going to put the lions in another cage and lock them in the back section like this one.” He placed his hand toward Misty. “This is the key that locks all the cages. It’s the only one. No one can get past the outside door without it.”

“Will you need it to lock the lions in their cage?” Misty asked.

Simon looked down at her, an angry expression appearing on his face. His hand came up and he hit his palm against the side of his head.

“Stupid, Simon, stupid.”

Misty jumped up and grabbed his large hand. “No, Simon. You are not stupid. You’re the smartest man I’ve ever met.” And he was. Simon was definitely smarter than her father.

“I do stupid things,” he said, his head hanging low.

“We all do stupid things,” she told him.

“Can you read?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m a good reader and I still do stupid things.”

Slowly, a smile grew on Simon’s face. “I won’t hit myself again.”

“Good, because you’re my friend and I don’t want you hurt.”

His expression changed once more and Misty thought he might cry. Instead, he dipped his chin at her before he walked out to care for his cat friends. He took the key.

Summa hadn’t moved, and Misty wondered if he were still alive.

“Here,” said Sarah and began handing out the items.

Misty, who had once been shy about shedding her clothes in front of anyone, tore off the wet material and gratefully pulled a dry T- shirt over her head. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to get warm.

“We have the thermos with some hot chocolate left,” Paige said as she went through the items in the tarp. She found the thermos and began sorting what they had. She handed out blankets before she lifted the heavy canvas material.

“Move close together. It will help us stay warm.” She patted her hand against her side like Simon had done. “Come on, Indra, you’ll help us stay warm too.”

The tiger didn’t seem to have a problem with the lion on the other side of the cage, and he walked toward Paige like he understood what she was saying. The four of them huddled beneath the tarp with Indra in front of their knees. Paige took a drink of hot chocolate and passed the plastic lid to Sarah, who swallowed some before she passed it to Misty.

“There’s a little left,” Misty said after she took her sip.

“See if Indra wants some,” said Paige.

Misty placed the cup in front of the large cat’s face, and his tongue came out and he tasted it. After two loud slurps, it was gone.

They heard the back metal door open, and the three of them poked their heads up from the tarp.

“I need to take care of Summa,” said Simon, looking worriedly at the lion .

“How can I help?” asked Misty, regretfully pulling the tarp away so she could stand. “Stay in here and keep warm,” she told Paige and Sarah.

“Holler if you need us,” Paige said and pulled the tarp back over them.

Simon laid out the items he brought. Misty hated to ask, but the cat still hadn’t moved.

“Is he alive?” she whispered.

“His chest is still moving,” Simon told her. He pulled a tranquilizer dart from his pocket, though he struggled to get it out, and it took a moment before Misty knew what it was. He removed the cap and stabbed the dart into the cat’s front shoulder. Summa lifted his head, slightly and bared his teeth before he sank back and stared at the wall. He was going down fast from his wound, and they had to hurry. “You need to stitch him up,” said Simon. “I can’t get low enough. Can you?”

“Of course,” she said, though it scared her. Simon’s worry gave her courage. She really wanted his friend to be okay.

“Shave a small area here first.” He pointed at the large cat’s leg. “He needs to be on an IV before you start.” Simon handed her a razor. Misty would have never thought of it.

“Have you treated a knife wound before?” she asked.

“No, but the cats fight with sharp claws, and I’ve sewn them up plenty of times. At the hut, I can use a table to work on them.” He nodded at Summa. “If you hold the leg up, I think I can get the IV needle in. My knees are old, and they hurt me,” he explained as he hooked up a bag of fluids and looked for something to hold it. There was a hook to the right of the door about five feet off the ground. Simon placed the bag on the hook and checked the line. It would reach.

“I can do this,” Misty promised.

While biting her lip, she carefully shaved the area on Summa’s leg, checking to see the cat didn’t object. The rise and fall of his chest was minimal and she didn’t know if the lion would make it. She finished and moved to the area around the knife wound. There was a three-inch-long deep slice and what looked like a fairly deep puncture.

“Let me get the IV in,” said Simon when she removed the last of the fur in the way. “When I’m done, you can stitch.”

He effortlessly inserted the IV and once again Misty was amazed at what he knew. When the needle was in the cat’s leg, Simon placed tape around it to hold everything in place. It was time for Misty. Her nerves were on edge, but she knew she could do it.

Simon handed her a large, rounded needle and the thread, though it was more like dental floss.

“I use this to stitch them because it dissolves and they don’t need to be removed. Jerry wouldn’t pay the cost for it, so I saved my money and Mrs. Miller from the library ordered it for me. ”

“Mrs. Miller sounds like a wonderful person,” Misty said.

“She is, and you would like Yolanda too. She’s married to Roberto and he does work on the island. They are my friends.”

“I’m glad you have them.”

He smiled and looked down at the cat. “Thread the needle and you’ll need to tie off each stitch so they hold. Be sure to grab enough skin so it doesn’t tear and cause the stitches to come out.”

“I can do it,” she assured him. “I’ve watched my mother do it before.”

Suddenly the cat’s entire body shuddered. He went still, his eyes open and staring into nothingness.

“Move!” yelled Simon.