Page 15 of Sanctuary

He opened their door wide and stayed behind it while the cats figured out that they could leave. It took about ten minutes. He expected Jerry to charge over, yelling, but it didn’t happen. Carla came out first. She sniffed around, growled at him, and walked away. Tibby ran after her, and Simon watched as they disappeared into the jungle. He would give them extra help too. He opened the other lion cages before he went to the four tigers and then the panthers to free them. He also let out the mountain lion. It had also been raised as a pet, but it turned on its owner and killed him. Jerry paid very little for him.

The cats didn’t harm each other when they were loose on the island but they didn’t like normals which Simon counted on. The other plus was Simon had no fear of his family and he could move freely around the island without being in danger.

He walked back toward the hut and ran into a frantic Jerry and the two men.

“My boat. It’s out there,” Jerry said pointing. “Move your dumb ass and swim for it,” he yelled.

“I can’t swim,” Simon said honestly. He’d always been afraid of the water.

“You stupid fool, you get that boat back for me, or you’ll be looking for a new job.”

Simon turned his back and walked away.

“Where do you think you’re going?,” Jerry yelled frantically. “We can’t stay here. Their weapons are on that boat.”

Simon turned and studied the two men for a moment before he spoke to Jerry. “The cats are out. I always let them out during storms.”

“What?” Jerry shrieked, his voice high enough to almost burst an eardrum. “All of them?”

Simon kept walking but turned after a few feet. “They’re hungry. I wouldn’t stay out here in the open if I were you.”

“You’re fired,” Jerry yelled. “I’ll see you go to prison for this.” He took his phone from his pocket and hit the numbers frantically. A few seconds later, he cursed again and threw it into the sand.

“If one of those cats comes near me, I’ll kill it,” he yelled at Simon’s retreating back.

Jerry shouldn’t have returned to the island. He shouldn’t take money from hunters who kill the cats to put their heads on a wall, and he shouldn’t have lied about being poor for all these years.

Simon whistled a happy tune.

Chapter Eleven

Bridge Home School for Girls, Misty

“You will return to your rooms and await dinner,” Mrs. Sanders said. “Gale is comfortable, and a doctor will examine her as soon as the storm passes.”

“What do we do?” Sarah whispered to Paige.

“Go to your room and wait. After dinner, I’ll come get you when it’s time.”

“How?” Sarah’s voice was a low hiss now.

“If you want to come with us, you need to trust me. I have everything planned.”

Mrs. Sanders clapped her hands, and there was no more time to talk. Misty hadn’t known that Paige had collected food for their escape. Misty had never thought about it. She would need to trust Paige’s plan because she herself didn’t have one of her own.

Waiting in her room was nerve-wracking. The storm built outside, and Misty didn’t see how they could escape with the weather getting worse. The thought of never seeing her brother again scared her senseless. She wasn’t sure if she should go.

It wasn’t until she was washing her hands and saw the bruises on them that her mind changed. She could feel every ache in her body from the endless beatings and work. Somehow she would find a way to see her brother again. Maybe he would join her on the grand adventure she planned to have after they escaped. She did everything she could to turn her foreboding into excitement.

Dinner was their normal bland food. She would have time to speak with Paige and find out what was happening when they did the cleanup. Misty heard a gagging noise and turned to Paige, who was in the seat beside her. Paige’s head thankfully swung away from Misty because she vomited on the floor. Several girls quickly scooted their chairs away from the mess. Misty’s gut went queasy at the sight and smell of the contents of Paige’s stomach.

“Why didn’t you say you were ill?” Mrs. Turney demanded.

“Don’t feel good,” Paige moaned while grasping her stomach and weaving back and forth in her chair.

“Sarah, your mouth has been running nonstop. Get over here and clean this mess up. Misty, help Paige to her room and then come back to eat your dinner.”

Misty’s heart sank at the thought of Paige being sick. They wouldn’t be running during the storm. She couldn’t believe how discouraged she felt after trying to talk herself out of leaving.

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