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“Hush!” barked Nix, and her tone was so commanding that it even silenced the watching lions for a moment; and the big female paused for half a heartbeat in her pacing. Eve lapsed into a sniffling, watching, quivering silence, her fists knotted in Chong’s shirt.
Nix’s lips barely moved as she asked, “What do I do now?”
“Shoot it!” urged Chong.
“I can’t. I only have three bullets left. The rest are in my backpack.”
Benny swallowed. The pistol was a six-shot revolver, but Tom had taught them to keep only five rounds in the cylinder, with the hammer resting on an empty chamber in case of unexpected jolts. The backpack was hanging on the tree.
“Did you hit it both times?” Benny demanded, squinting to study the animal’s fur.
The lion kept pacing, assessing them, eyes narrowed, teeth bared, tail switching with fury.
“No. I missed the first time because someone almost got in the way of my shot.”
“Oh,” said Benny.
“I got her the second time,” continued Nix, “but she doesn’t look hurt.”
“She’s bleeding,” Benny said hopefully.
The lion continued to pace.
“She’s not even limping. Can’t stop four lions with three bullets.”
The smaller ones continued to crouch and glare; and the big male was now on his feet. He might not have been part of the hunt, but he looked more than ready to use his mass and muscle to protect his mate.
“Nix,” said Chong as he shifted to put his body between Eve and the cats, “try and kill the big one. Use a couple of shots.”
“Why?” Benny and Nix both asked.
“It might scare the others off.”
Benny thought about the funeral for Morgie’s dad. Even though they had just buried a person, everyone hung around the Mitchell house for hours to eat and drink. He had an image of the other lions doing the same right now, and he did not particularly want to be grief snacks for hunting cats that shouldn’t even be on this continent in the first place.
“No,” he said. “Don’t.” He didn’t explain his reasoning.
“I have to do something,” said Nix, and now the tremble he had felt in her body was evident in her voice.
The hunting cat stopped pacing and stood directly in front of Nix. Amber eyes burned into Nix’s green ones. There was awful promise in those eyes. Revenge for pain, death to feed her family, satisfaction for frustration.
“Uh-oh,” murmured Nix, and she nervously adjusted her grip on the gun. Sweat ran along her arms.
The lioness lowered herself into a crouch, her muscles springing into sharp definition as she prepared for a charge that a popgun was not going to stop.
Benny suddenly stepped forward, putting himself between her and the lioness. “Listen to me,” he said between gritted teeth. “I’m going to charge them. Maybe I can get one or two of them. As soon as I go, you run. Go into the ravine if you have to. Zoms are easier than—”
“No!” snapped Nix. “Damn it, Benny, you’re not Tom and you can’t do this.”
“I didn’t say I was Tom,” he barked.
The lions growled.
Chong said, “Will you two shut up?”
The big cat screeched her hunting cry and attacked. Her massive body became a tan blur and ran directly at Chong and Eve.
“No!” Benny and Nix both screamed. Nix shoved Benny out of the way and snapped off a wild shot.
