Page 26 of Sanctuary

“Who the hell are you?” a strange man asked.

Chapter Seventeen

Savage Sanctuary Island, Misty

Misty knew this wasn’t one of the two men they had run into earlier. He was short, about her height, and he was also thinner. Honestly, he looked like a drowned rat with beady eyes, and she didn’t like him or his tone. Then she saw the man standing behind him. He was one of the hunters, and they were in trouble.

“I told you there were girls on the island,” the man who’d been called Dale earlier said snidely. His eyes narrowed, giving them a dark, predatory glint. He fixated on the three girls with an unsettling level of interest almost like they were the perfect bowl of ice cream. He even licked his lips.

Misty rubbed her arms, a slimy feeling running up her back.

Jerry turned to Simon. “Who are they, and why are they here?” he barked.

Simon’s entire demeanor changed. His shoulders slumped, he looked down, shuffled his feet, and stumbled over his words. “It’s, it’s too cold to stay outside during the storm,” he said softly.

“They can’t be here, period,” Jerry yelled harshly. “What are you, stupid? Don’t bother answering that, you moron. Have you rounded up the cats?”

“Who are you?” Paige demanded, her hands going to her hips.

Jerry took a menacing step toward her, and Simon’s demeanor changed again. He moved into Jerry’s path and straightened his back which left him looking down on Jerry.

“What are you doing?” Jerry demanded as he stared upward.

“Leave them alone.” Simon’s voice was low and deep, the words a command. Indra, who Misty hadn’t noticed, gave a low growl and moved toward Simon.

Jerry took a slow step back, his eyes now glued to the tiger. “I’m going to kill that animal, and it’s your fault. He should be in a cage.”

“You aren’t killing Indra,” Simon said. His jaw set in a hard line and it seemed like he grew even larger.

Jerry stared at Simon, his eyes nervously twitching toward Indra every few seconds. Misty would swear he was planning something and it wasn’t good.

“What’s come over you?” Jerry finally asked, almost whining. "Dale and his brother paid big money to come to the island.” He cast his eyes to the girls and then back to Simon. “Dale says you’re interfering with the hunt. Do you want your precious animals to starve?"

Dale cut in, “I want the girls too, I’ll pay extra.” His hungry eyes made Misty nauseous.

Jerry turned his attention to the girls, his teeth displaying a predatory smile.

Paige took a step forward, leaving the other two in the doorway to the bedroom. “The girls,” she waved her hand to encompass Misty and Sarah, “don’t want you,” she practically spat. Indra moved closer to her, and Paige’s fingers sank into his fur. He growled again, his sharp teeth flashing in the light while his eyes remained on Jerry.

“Why don’t you girls come over here so we can talk?” Jerry asked with the same whine, his eyes staying on Indra again. “This gentleman,” he gave a chin nod to Dale, “would like to spend time with you. I will make it worth your while if you’re nice to him. You’re in trouble or you wouldn’t be here.” He gave them a few seconds but the girls remained silent. “Come on, make this easier on yourselves.” He took another step in their direction.

“No,” Simon roared, his voice vibrating inside the hut. “Leave.” He blocked Jerry’s path, and his hand slapped against his leg, calling to the tiger. Indra's muscles rippled under his orange striped coat as he slowly advanced. His ears were back and his eyes held predatory glints of rage. When Indra reached Simon’s side, he bared his teeth as his tale twitched in irritation.

Jerry and Dale backed slowly toward the door.

“Get that animal in a cage,” Jerry yelled at Simon at the same time his shaking hand found the doorknob. “We’ll talk about this later.”

“Baxter has a handgun,” they heard Dale whisper. “We’ll find him and then take care of business.”

The men hurried outside.

The silence of their sudden departure lasted a few seconds.

“We need to get out of here,” Paige finally said.

“And go where?” Sarah asked.

Simon shuffled closer. “I can lock you in the lighthouse while I round up the cats.”

---