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“Oh . . . crap,” said Benny and Chong at the same time.
The lioness took a threatening step toward them. Both of the smaller lions lowered themselves into attacking crouches.
“The gun,” growled Nix.
Benny took a breath. All he had to do was pull the gun out of the holster, thumb off the safety, point it at the big female, and fire. It could all be done in one smooth move. They’d all practiced it, and even if he wasn’t as good a shot as Nix, the target was big.
“Nix—get ready to run,” he said. “Ready? Three, two, one!”
He whipped out his hand, gripped the pistol, and yanked as hard as he could.
He was lightning fast, his hand closed perfectly around the pistol butt; he had the strength and the timing exactly right.
But the safety strap was still snapped in place.
The sudden jerk nearly pulled Nix off her feet. She yelped as one hip was yanked upward, and she lost her grip on Eve. Chong dove to catch her, but the action jolted the little girl awake.
Eve saw the lions and screamed.
The lions roared.
The big female suddenly launched herself forward, tearing across the flat ground toward them.
“Nix!” yelled Benny. He let go of the pistol, brought his sword up, and jumped into the path of the charging animal. On either side the smaller lions roared and charged.
I’m going to die.
But then there was a huge crack! and Benny felt something burn past his cheek.
The charging lion shrieked and skidded to a stop, shocked by the sound. Benny couldn’t tell if she had actually been hit by Nix’s bullet. The other lions froze, looking from the prey to the lioness and back again.
Nix shouldered Benny out of the way as she pointed the smoking pistol at the leader of this pack of killers.
The big female roared in fury.
The smaller lions roared.
Even the male bellowed out a roar of bloodlust and anger.
Only Eve’s supersonic shrieks were louder.
The lions began moving forward again, but this time they crept along, angry but wary. Every muscle in their bodies was etched with tension.
In a moment of crystal clarity, Benny realized that even though they might smell like zoms, what they were doing was not zombie behavior. Skilled predators would know this. Would it deter the lions, or would it hasten their own deaths?
Nix wasn’t waiting to find out. She fired again, and this time the lioness jerked suddenly to the left, her hunting cry punched into a different shape—high and plaintive. And angry.
Very, very angry.
Once again the lions froze in place.
The two smaller cats were only twenty feet away. A few more leaps and they would have been among Benny and his friends with claws and fangs. However, their attack had been stalled by the sharp noises and the suddenness of their leader’s hesitation. They turned to look at her. Benny could see blood on the big cat’s shoulder, but if the animal was seriously injured, it didn’t show. Still, she did not immediately renew her attack; instead she began pacing in front of them. Her tail whipped back and forth in irritation, and with each turn she bared her fangs at them.
Nix trembled with mingled fear and effort as she tracked the lion with the gun.
“Benny . . . ,” she breathed.
Eve kept screaming.
