Page 42 of Sanctuary

“I’m helping too, and you can’t stop me,” said Sarah.

Paige rolled her eyes, and Misty knew she would slam the idea. She waited.

“If I don’t go, the two of you will do something stupid, and I’ll need to rescue you, so I’m going.” Paige’s stubbornness showed in her eyes.

Misty hid a smile. She was scared half out of her mind, but if they didn’t help Simon, the men would find them, and very bad things would happen. And what if that horrible man did hunt Simon? She couldn’t get the image of the terrifying outcome out of her head.

She glanced at Simon and asked again, “What’s your plan?”

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” he said.

“You’re hurt, and so is Summa. They will do worse, and if that man caught you, what would happen to us? We need a plan.” She was taking this lesson from Paige, who had meticulously planned their escape until they stepped on the boat.

“They think you’re at the lighthouse. Maybe we could trap them inside?” Simon asked doubtfully.

He didn’t want to hurt the hunter or Jerry but he would do it for them. Misty’s thinking had changed after hearing that Simon would be hunted. They were on their own, and if they wanted to survive, it would be because they fought. Misty was tired of being abused. Her parents had done it, the school had done it, and now there were two bad men who wanted to do it again. She wasn’t running this time, and she could see the same surety in Paige and Sarah’s eyes.

“What about weapons?” asked Sarah.

“We have knives,” Paige said, “and there’s also the tranquilizer gun.”

“There’s only one gun,” Sarah reminded her.

Misty turned to Simon. “You put Summa under using one of the darts. What if we each carried one in a pocket? Are there enough?”

“I brought extras,” he answered, looking unsure.

“If we can get back to the lighthouse,” Misty said, refusing to think of the cold, “we could get to the bad guys, and you wouldn’t need to collect the lions and tigers right away.”

Simon didn’t answer, but Misty could tell he was thinking about it. Something changed in his expression. Very slowly, his lips curved into a smile. “If we got Jerry and the hunter to come here, we could lock them in one of the pens, and they couldn’t get out.”

Misty looked at the other two girls. Sarah shrugged, and Paige smiled after taking time to think about Simon’s plan.

“I like it,” she said. “We just need to figure out how to get them here.”

It was Misty’s turn to grin. “I have an idea.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Savage Sanctuary Island, Simon

Misty’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.

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