“You can hear again?” I asked him.
“Aye. They only planted the devices by the camp. Guess their plan backfired.”
My stomach turned. “I don’t know. They thought this through. Maybe this was part of the plan.”
“Then why did they not attack us all at once?”
Shepherd wiped his nose. “Because the first rule of battle is to disorient your enemy and force them to a second location. Lions also like to separate the herd. It increases their odds of success. When you keep someone moving on the defense, they panic and make mistakes. They’ve already managed to separate us, and they’re cutting into our sleep time. These guys are playing chess, not checkers. One calculated move at a time.”
“It’s gonna be a long night,” I muttered, ducking beneath a low branch.
After several minutes hiking, we spotted a bright glow up ahead. The smell of charred wood wafted toward us as a huge fire burned at the mouth of a cave. Most wild animals instinctually avoided smoke and fire as a source of danger, so if the lions didn’t shift back, it might keep them at bay.
“Don’t shoot. It’s Shepherd,” he called out.
Viktor emerged from the entrance and lowered his gun as he met up with Shepherd. “You’re not supposed to be here. Where is the boy?”
Shepherd sighed. “We stayed parked right where we were, just like you instructed. You’re right. That kid would have bolted from the door and jumped onto the road if I’d driven back. I drugged his tea to knock him out, but I guess he was onto me. After he nodded off on the couch, I went to take a piss. He must have dumped it when I wasn’t looking. Swear I was in there for only one minute with the door open, and when I came out, poof… he was gone. Searched the whole damn area, but I knew which way he was headed.”
Christian dropped my bag and raked his fingers through his disheveled hair.
“How did you find us?” I asked, baffled by Shepherd’s tracking skills.
“Viktor and I mapped out the path on the way here after talking to Wyatt on the satellite phone. I knew the general area and distance, but the lions and screams led me to the right spot.”
I blinked and looked between them. “Where’s the phone? Can we call for backup or cancel the mission?”
“Nyet.” Viktor led us into the cave. “We have no choice but to follow this through. No outside parties were approved for this mission. I have explicit orders to keep everyone out, and we have already broken that rule with your new acquaintance.”
“Speak of the devil,” Christian murmured.
Matteo appeared from the woods with an armload of sticks and branches. “We need more wood, but I don’t have my axe.”
Christian walked assertively up to him, and the two men stared at each other. While Matteo was a good five or six inches taller, Christian had the advantage in looking him in the eye. Matteo didn’t chance it and kept his gaze at mouth level.
Christian folded his arms. “And who might you be?”
“Matteo Leone, at your service.” He bowed, his long hair falling forward.
“Is that so?” Christian’s fangs punched out. “If you do one thing to put these children in harm’s way, I’ll cast your head to the lions.” He snapped his gaze toward Viktor. “Why do we still need him?”
Viktor zipped his coat all the way up. “Because we are lost and lions are hunting us.”
I searched the chamber. “Where are the kids?”
“Up here,” Carol said.
I swung my gaze up to a narrow crevice and saw her head poking out. They must have used the pile of large rocks below to climb up.
“It’s roomy in here, but I’m scared of spiders.” Her eyes flicked over to the group and noticed Shepherd. “Where’s Joshua? You didn’t hurt him, did you?”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Shepherd said, easing her fears. “He ran off.”
Carol’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and she ducked out of sight.
We all knew what she was thinking. But if Joshua was out there with those savage lions, Carol might never see him again, and that scenario was more likely than him whisking her away into the proverbial sunset.
Claude crawled out from a passageway on the right, a flashlight in his hand. “There’s a stream in there. We can fill up the canteens and bathe. Without moving large rocks, I can’t tell if the water channel is wide enough to create a breach.”
