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The women followed after the dogs, and Annie kept a sharp eye out for any movement in the gray mist hovering around the forest. This could be it. Even if Sarah continued to hate her, Annie would know she’d done everything she could to save her this time, unlike the last time.
The thick forest pressed back against them as if resisting their search. Annie squeezed between two intertwined spruce trees and listened for the sound of a human voice. “Sarah!”
She’d lose her voice again after another long search, but it would be worth it if she found her sister.
Samson shook his wet fur, and his ears canted forward. A growl rumbled from his throat, and his dark eyes looked fierce. Annie had never seen him like that.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Bree paused and looked around the wet and dreary forest. “Maybe a wolf or another predator. Any other animals should be hunkered down in this weather, though.”
They followed the dogs deeper into the thick trees for a while. Annie began to hear a deep rumble. A man’s voice? “Bree, do you hear something?” she whispered.
Naomi was on the other side of Bree, and she nodded. “Sounds like a guy,” she whispered back. “Let’s be careful.”
Annie pulled her gun from its holster and took the lead. Kylie had said Lissa had a gun, and if Hussert was here, too, he might be armed as well. They might be nearly to the property.
Squinting through the drizzle, she advanced until she could clearly hear the guy.
“You’ve given me a lot of trouble,” the man said.
Annie peered through the screen of wet foliage and spotted a man in a ski mask waving a gun toward two cowering women. A movement above the guy caught her attention. She nearly gasped when she saw the puma creeping toward him on a large branch just above his head.
There was no time to shout a warning at him because the big cat’s muscles flexed, and it launched itself onto the unsuspecting man below.
***
The big cat’s snarl made Sarah scramble back as it leaped from the branch onto the man. He screamed and flailed his arms as the puma’s mighty jaws clamped on to the back of his neck. The scream became choked as the animal tightened its grip and hunkered down on his back.
Sarah’s first inclination was to grab a stick and rush to poke at it, but Michelle grabbed her. “Let it alone or it might go for you. The cougar has a death grip on him already.”
Before Sarah could protest at the thought of leaving the guy to the cougar, two dogs and several figures burst through the vegetation toward them. Samson and Charley. Both dogs rushed at the cougar, and Samson sank his teeth into the animal’s hindquarters.
The big cat let go of its prey and screamed its anger as it crouched on the man’s back and defended itself. Its claws lashed out at the dog, but Samson danced back and missed the deadly swipe. Charley dove in for an attack on the other side, and the cat snarled and angled a paw that direction.
That attack made Charley yelp, and Annie rushed forward with her gun ready. “Call back the dogs!”
Bree and Naomi gave orders to their dogs, and both Samson and Charley backed away with obvious reluctance. Their volleys of barks continued as Annie planted her feet to take aim.
Michelle staggered forward with her crutch. “Don’t shoot! Don’t hurt the cat.”
The distraction was enough to allow the big cat to leap into the canopy of leaves overhead. The vegetation shook, and the puma vanished before Annie could fire a shot.
Unslinging her backpack from her shoulders, Bree rushed forward to check on the man while Naomi tended to her injured dog.
Michelle collapsed to the ground and sat rocking back and forth with pain. Sarah’s knees were weak, and she wanted to join her on the ground, but the puma might be back any second. Eyes wide, she checked the branches to make sure the cat wasn’t about to pounce again before she made a move toward Annie.
Annie turned toward her, and her eyes went soft when she locked gazes with Sarah. “Are you all right?”
Her sister shouldn’t look at her so kindly. Sarah wasn’t fit forher to even speak to, not after what she’d done. Tears welled in her eyes. “Annie, you’ve got to search for Kylie! She ran off into the woods, and I couldn’t find her. I’m so sorry.”
Annie approached and squatted by her sister. “I’ve got her, Sarah. She’s fine. Are you injured?”
“No, no, I’m not hurt. But Michelle has a badly broken leg. Can you help her?”
“Bree has a first aid kit with ibuprofen. We’ll call for help and get you both to the hospital.” Annie went to where Bree knelt by the man.
Sarah followed close behind. She wanted to see who had terrorized them, but she didn’t recognize the man even without the ski mask on. He lay in the wet leaves with his eyes closed. She didn’t think he was breathing.
