On the Hunt

Harlan turned toward the destroyed bridge. “They used the drones to lure us. The charges went off only after we were all on the bridge.”

Belson nodded. “That’s the way I see it.”

Harlan pointed into the distance, where the night sky was lit with a vibrant orange glow. “It’s the housing section. They’ll be going after that now.” He grabbed a rifle from one of the team members. “I’ll get rid of a few of them to see if I can discourage their enthusiasm.” He pitched Mack’s leash to Belson. “Take Mack back to the tent area and turn him over to Kira. Make certain they stay safe. Then go and see what you can do about that housing section. Get going!” He was aiming at the nearest drone as he spoke. “And now let’s see what I can do about you dirty sons of bitches.”

Kira stood outside her tent with a pair of binoculars trained on the flashes of light coming from the other side of the island.

“Anything?” Sarah was suddenly standing beside her, holding her phone at her ear.

“Nothing since that series of explosions. Have you made contact with your security force?”

Sarah shook her head. “No. I think the cell service has been knocked out all over the island.” She was frowning, troubled. “But I need to take these two guards and go to the labs. If we don’t protect them from damage, we could lose years of research. Do you want to come with me?”

Kira looked back toward the orange sky. “You go ahead. I’ll go toward the boarding section and make sure the dogs there are okay.”

“Good idea. We have two staffers, Dane and Cathy, down there overnight, and I’m sure they can use any help you can give them. But take the ground path. It looks like the bridge may have taken a direct hit.”

“Right.” Kira sprinted toward the trees. “See you at the lab!” She followed the jungle path down to the riverbank and continued for a quarter mile. She rounded the bend and stopped short.

A direct hit indeed. There was little left of the once beautiful bridge, with the still-crumpling superstructure and pockets of flames marking the site.

She whispered a curse and moved through the wreckage. There were two corpses on the riverbank, still wearing their security uniforms and terrified facial expressions.

Keep moving. There was nothing she could do for them now.

She made her way down the riverbank until she reached a footbridge that would take her to the other side. She climbed the bank and moved through the trees until she finally spied the complex of buildings that made up the island’s animal boarding facilities.

One of the buildings was on fire!

She ran toward it, even though she knew that the island’s attackers could still be nearby.

“Dane! Cathy!” she shouted.

No answer.

Dogs barked inside the burning structure.

No!

She ran for the building’s main entrance and yelled for Dane and Cathy again. She pulled on the door. Locked. The dogs’ barking grew louder.

She had to get them out of there!

Kira ran around the building until she finally saw a large floor-to-ceiling picture window. She grabbed a beach chair and hurled it at the window.

It bounced away.

Shit.

She grabbed it and swung it at the window again. And again, over and over until a crack finally appeared.

Thank God.

The dogs were barking louder now.

She swung the chair again, and the window shattered. Over a dozen dogs leaped through the opening, still barking and circling her. Kira ducked low and moved inside, checking to make sure there were no dogs in the private rooms. There were none.

Kira ran back and jumped through the window, where the dogs were still barking and whining. She clapped her hands. “This way. Come on!”