Page 31 of Sanctuary

“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.

Chapter Twenty

Savage Sanctuary Island, Misty

“Simon?” Misty tapped his shoulder. He opened his eyes, his expression confused.

“My arm hurts,” he said and sat up with a grimace.

“We need to get you upstairs where it’s warmer. Can you help us move you?”

He tried to rise but sank down, unable to stand. “Go up there and get warm. I’ll be okay here,” he said before slumping to the side.

Indra sniffed his bleeding arm. Misty held her breath until Simon lifted his good arm and encircled the cat, drawing him down next to him.

“No,” Misty answered after she was sure the cat wouldn’t attack the blood. She liked Indra but his teeth were enormous. “The door is locked and we’re safe. It’s too cold for you to stay down here, and we need to treat your wound. We can’t move you unless you help.”

Paige and Sarah stepped off the stairs and walked toward Simon. They had taken the supplies to the top floor.

“It’s warmer up there, and we can come back down here to change into our T-shirts once we get him upstairs,” Paige said.

“He’s not cooperating,” Misty replied. “We need his help or we’ll never make it.”

Sarah sat down by Simon’s head and smoothed the hair off his forehead. “Does it hurt really bad?” she asked him.

“It burns,” he complained.

“We can help you get up the stairs and Indra can help too. Let me take the dart gun and it will be easier for you.” She helped get the strap over his bad shoulder and handed it to Paige. Simon didn’t make a sound. “Are you ready?” she asked.

Watching Simon go from the floor to a standing position was like seeing a building demolition in reverse mode. He had looked smaller lying on the floor, but his mountain size seemed to fill the entry once he was upright. She saw the grimace on his face and thought it was the bullet wound. She slipped under his good arm and he placed his injured arm on Sarah’s shoulder.

“What if Indra goes up behind us? If you fall, he will be a softer landing,” Sarah said.

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