Page 28 of Sheltering Instinct

“Okay, then you might not buy this either,” Craig turned forward as they jostled down the main drive. “The Tidal Force men leaped out to save her. Since a weaponless human can’t win a fight with a lion, I’m not sure what the heck they were thinking. But the others in their safari group told the journalist that the lioness took a swipe at the woman. She fell from the vehicle. The men sitting around her were out like a flash in the mix.”

“Oh, my!” Iris gasped. “They jumped alion? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Perhaps the group's sudden movement startled the lion,” Enrico said as he waited at the top of the drive for a truck to rumble past. “It wasn’t a smackdown. She’d have mauled the lot.”

“Sounds about right. And then those guys got that girl some lifesaving first aid.” Craig gestured toward his collar. “The lioness got her in the neck.”

Iris pressed a hand to her cheek. “Did that poor girl survive?”

“That’s what the paper said.” Craig reached up to grab his seat belt and pull it on as Enrico turned from the unpaved vineyard road out onto the highway. “She was hospitalized to get some blood, but she made it through.”

“Are there lions that roam Namibia? Or have they moved them all to the park?” Goose asked.

“There’ve been lion sightings by our rangers,” Enrico called over his shoulder. “They’re trying to put a number on the population, but, like I said, lions don’t really want humans to see them. They definitely aren’t lying in the roadways. You won’t run into one on your day hikes, even with a dog that might look like a nice snack. Mostly, the rangers are finding them up in the hills.”

“Good to know,” Levi said with a grin.

“Levi, you were working with Tidal Force in Kenya? Were you there when that happened to that woman?” Iris asked.

“No, ma’am, the team went a few days earlier than I did to do some sightseeing in the area. They wanted to meet with the members of the Maasai, which they did. Their warriors weren’t on that safari. I didn’t join the team until several days after that. I missed my opportunity to rope a lioness. It’s been a while since I did any rodeo sports, so maybe it’s for the best.” He sent Iris a wink.

Iris tapped Craig’s shoulder. “Levi’s from Oklahoma.”

“Everyone ready?” Enrico asked. “Here’s the plan. We’re driving over to the field where we set out bite suit equipment. Today, we’re practicing chasing down a poacher by low-flying a helicopter in to release Mojo for a takedown. Then Mojo will hold the poacher—that would be you, Levi—until we can get boots on the ground to take over the arrest.”

“I see,” Levi said. “And how long would you anticipate it taking for those boots to get over and stop me from getting mauled?”

“All depends on you, brother. This is Mojo, not Cujo. You fight, you get the bite. I suggest you lay still.”

***

Levi stood in the powdery earth, watching that he didn’t put his foot on the rocks that spotted the area and risk rolling his ankle.

Any grass around him had dried to straw, and Levi wasn’t sure how the grazing animals were getting any nutrients from that at all.

“This normal?” he asked, lifting his chin to indicate the tufts of dead vegetation.”

“It’s dry season. We expect dry,” Enrico said. “But this is something you might see on Mars. It’s not good, man.”

“Lot of rocks out here for a dog take down,” Levi observed, “Even with a bite suit on.”

“We cleared an area.” Enrico pointed. “That tree out there—”

“By tree,” Levi asked, “You mean that spot on the horizon?”

“That’s the one. You beeline in that direction, and by the time Mojo is on the ground, you’ll be in the cleared field. When you hear the helicopter, I’d get to running hard. The wash can throw rocks.”

“Good to know.” Levi tugged the suit over his arms and pulled up the zipper. He pulled the collar around and attached it in place to protect his carotid. As Levi suited up, he shifted his shoulders around. He was a bit sore still since the last time he’d played this role two days ago in Texas when Casper didn’t want to let go.

After pulling up the hood, Levi cinched it down tight and tied the cords. As uncomfortable as it was, Levi had seen a buddy have his ear bitten clean off. That was an experience Levi wanted to avoid.

Off to the side, Levi overheard Enrico talking to Reaper and Goose. “I thought we’d start with a show-stopper. Mostly because it happens to fit in with the equipment we have available to us today, and it was already on our training schedule. But also because I want to impress the heck out of you.” Enrico grinned. “Truth is, Mojo is going to be hard for me to part with. I’d feel better about the situation if Mojo was with a brother.” He hitched his thumb toward Levi. “One good thing Levi taught me when we were on deployment was his dog policy. When he was going down range with a tactical K9, he always jumped into a bite suit so he’d know how the dog would act in a takedown.” Enrico rocked back on his heels. “It’s a good policy. It’s important to understand the dog’s temperament and howbest to control the situation. Nothing like being on the receiving end to give you a clear idea.”

They could hear the helicopter rotors coming in from the east. “That’s for you, Tumbleweed.” Enrico chuckled. “Might as well start running now to get your muscles warm and loose so you don’t hurt yourself.”

Levi took off at a jog. Well, the best he could with the heavy padded suit on. This was an important test to see how Mojo would perform in the field.

His choices here could have life-or-death consequences in the future. As much as Levi loved Enrico and as much as Levi wanted this to work, he had to lead with his head and then check his heart.

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