Chapter Twenty-Six

Savage Sanctuary Island, Simon

M isty’s plan was simple, but to catch Jerry and the hunter, they would need to prepare. Sarah said luck would help too. Simon wasn’t sure about the luck part, but he still thought it might work.

The panther cage was located about two hundred yards from the lion pens. Simon didn’t want the men held anywhere near the girls. If they managed to get Jerry and the hunter inside, they would be far enough away that he could breathe easier. The girls could choose where they wanted to stay for the remainder of the storm. They would probably choose the lighthouse for its warmth, and even then, Simon liked the idea the men being out of sight.

Each of the girls placed a dart in her pocket.

“Keep the plastic cap on, or you’ll poke yourself and fall down,” Simon told them.

“Fall down as in pass out and go night-night?” Sarah asked.

“Yes,” he answered with a smile.

Girls weren’t that bad once you got to know them. He wished he had known nice girls when he was younger. Even wet, they smelled good. He liked the smell of the cats, but girls had their own unique odor, and he would keep that to himself. They simply smelled clean.

She patted his hand. “I promise to be careful and leave the cap on unless I need it.”

Simon wondered what would happen to them when this was over. Misty had mentioned going back to a school. It sounded like they ran away. It must have been a bad place. Like him, were they given away by their parents? No matter what, he would do everything he could to help them.

“I need to check the panther cage,” he said. “I’ll be back soon.”

They would be okay locked inside the pen, especially if they stayed out of sight. Simon didn’t know how much time they had before Jerry and the hunter figured out they weren’t at the lighthouse, so he needed to hurry.

The cold settling deep into his knees worried him. This had happened before, and it made walking difficult. His trips up and down the stairs at the lighthouse and carrying Summa had taken a toll and he didn’t want to tell the girls. There was nothing they could do about it anyway.

When he lived on the streets, there was always pain. It could be hunger or being attacked for a scrap of food. He’d learned to pay attention to his surroundings and never trust anyone. And when he’d been in pain, he mentally wrapped it into a tight ball and refused to think about it. That’s what he did now.

The hurricane was in full swing, and the wind blew so hard it almost toppled him. Palm fronds rained down around him, and he ducked his head several times to avoid the danger. He could only see a foot in any direction, so he turned toward the lion cages, and they were no longer visible.

If he got caught, he had to remember to throw the key far away so Jerry and the hunter couldn’t find it. He must protect the girls.

The short walk seemed so far, but he eventually found the pen. It was one of the older ones, and the enclosed back area wasn’t as big as the lion’s den. Simon didn’t care. Jerry deserved worse. It would be perfect if Jerry had to live in one of the display pens for a week and receive the same abuse he gave the cats. The thought of paying customers gawking at his boss while he ate and went about his daily business of peeing in a corner and growling at the watchers made the sides of Simon’s lips curl upward.

When he opened the back door to the den, his gaze tracked a small puddle of water gathered in the corner where the cement was uneven. Simon looked upward and noticed the wet area where the water dripped to the floor. The leak would need to be fixed soon. Sadness washed over him. It wouldn’t be him helping Roberto. With a shake of his head, he stopped dwelling on the bad. He had things to do so the bad didn’t become worse.

There was straw in the smaller den, but it wasn’t spread around like it was in the pen where the girls waited. The straw was dry and away from the water. Jerry and the hunter could make do. They deserved worse.

He thought about the hunter he tossed down the rocks. Simon had never harmed anyone, and he should feel something. Did it make him bad because he didn’t? Indra helped, but the tiger did what came naturally. Simon had done it on purpose. Jerry was a horrible person. Could he kill him? He wasn’t sure, but if he could lock them into the panther cage until the storm was over, maybe an idea would come into his head. He’d had to figure out difficult things before, and sometimes it took a while. If the plan worked, he would have time to think everything through. If he couldn’t save himself, maybe there was something he could do to help the girls. He walked from the enclosed portion of the cage and froze.

“They’ll be in one of these,” Jerry yelled over the storm and rattled the door. “There’s no place else they could be.”

“We can’t see a damn thing in this downpour,” the hunter replied.

“Well, I don’t see them in the back, so we can move on. The tiger cages are next.”

Simon had to reach the girls. He waited until Jerry and the hunter were far enough away before he unlocked the gate and shuffled out as fast as his knees would allow. He had to take the long way, or he would run into Jerry. His heart felt like it would burst from his chest, and his knees ached, but he pushed himself faster.

As he hurried, his foot struck a branch that had fallen, sending him sprawling forward. He barely had time to gasp before the ground rushed up to meet him. The cold, clammy muck squelched around his face, filling his mouth and nostrils as he lay there, stunned. He took a moment to make sure his body parts worked before he tried to push himself up. The weight of the mud sucked him downward.

“Looks like we found the dumb giant and we weren’t even looking for him yet,” the hunter said.

Simon tried to stand again. A sharp pain shot through his left knee. It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck the joint, radiating agony up and down his leg. He couldn’t give up. Every attempt to shift or stand magnified the pain. He gritted his teeth, trying to breathe, but getting upright was useless.

How would he save Indra and the girls?

The key, he had to hide it.

Searing agony filled his skull, and the world went black.