Page 51 of Sanctuary of Secrets

Someone used a cutting torch to put holes in the sanctuary fencing again. We’re holding some stuff against the hole to keep the cheetah contained. Sheriff is on the way.

The last sentence sent Jax running.

Seyla went into the woods after them.

Why would she do that?

If it was Travis or Ethan, it was likely a trap. A ploy to isolate her. The thought of her alone in the woods with a man known for running illegal hunts was a punch to his gut. What if one or bothof them were luring her in, only to make her their next hunting target?

An ugly thought popped into Jax’s head while he ran. Had she gone after the person because of the people they’d endangered? Or because of the cat? Had she called the sheriff? Or had someone else? Memories interlaced with past hurts bubbled to the surface at the thought. He blew out a breath, driving them from his head with the expelled air. Right now it didn’t matter. What did matter was finding Seyla. Keeping her safe.

Jax raced to their location. “Why did you guys let her go in after him?” The words came out harsher than they should have. Matt’s crutches held the steps against the hole and his broken leg made it impossible to run. Uncle Sam had a heart condition. He couldn’t take off running into the woods like that. Jessa had propped herself against the steps to help hold them in place. That left no options besides him. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. You did the right thing. I’m just worried.” He dropped his head into his palm to rub his eyes.

His uncle patted Jax’s shoe. “I know. It’s okay. We tried to convince her not to go, but she wouldn’t listen. I texted you as soon as she left. She can’t be more than five minutes ahead of you.”

“Where’d she go in?”

“The break in the fence line. I assume the perp broke the wooden divider skirting the reserve perimeter to make it easier for them to get in and out of there on the quad, which means they planned this. Seyla entered at the same place they did.”

His uncle sighed, a sure sign of a complication.

Dread clogged Jax’s throat. “What? Tell me.”

In a lowered voice the rest of the group wouldn’t hear, his uncle warned, “Hurry, Jax. If it’s Travis Yoder, she’s in trouble. The perp had a pair of night vision goggles…”

Uncle Sam paused. The change in the older man’s expression dropped a lead weight into the pit of Jax’s stomach. He knew that look. Things were about to get even worse. “What else?”

“A gun. With a suppressor.”

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Seyla crashed through the woods, struggling to keep pace with the quad driver in the semi-darkness.

If she went much farther, she’d lose cell reception. Then what? The thought lingered in the background of her mind, flashing its neon warning signal like a lighthouse in the fog. Danger ahead.

The wind gusted with more force now, knocking down some of the thinner branches from the trees above her. One sideswiped her face. Seyla stumbled to a halt with a stabbing sensation in her left eye. A bit of wood must have fallen into it. She blinked several times. A scraping pain accompanied the action. Distracted, she tripped and fell to her knees. After a few minutes, she succeeded in dislodging whatever it was. Scrambling to her feet, she brushed at the dirt and debris on her knees and listened for the sound of the engine to determine which way to run. Silence filled the forest, its weight heavier than a wet woolen blanket.

Where did he go?

Why didn’t she hear the quad’s engine?

Had she lost him?

Despair washed over her.

When would this end?

She’d come no closer to stopping them than she had prior to following them into the woods. It was all for nothing.

She checked her cell phone. No reception.

Seyla stared at the trees ahead of her.

Should she keep going? Would she be able to get back?

Her compass app!

She opened the app on her phone and surveyed her surroundings to get her bearings. The bark on the tree to the right exploded, a piece blown off to reveal the soft, creamy wood underneath. She stared at it for a second, unsure what to think. She hadn’t heard any noise like a gunshot.

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