PREDATOR ISLAND (Sea Lab Book 2)

CHAPTER 40

In the eerie dimness of twilight, from the edge of a pool—much like the one from yesterday—Jake watched as Dr. Graham climbed up a steeply sloped bluff. The doctor talked as he scaled the cliff face, seemingly always with an eye on them, glancing down to make sure no one ran. A few times, he stopped and drew his little gun. Jake doubted he'd fire at them because doing so would likely invoke a reaction opposite of what the doctor desired. Shooting at them would make them panic and send them running in all directions. But even with that knowledge, everyone was leery about chancing a break for it in the dying light because of Graham's proven accuracy. Finally, the doc found an outcropping near where the waterfall originated and nestled himself on the high rock...and waited with the muzzle aimed at Dylan, Savannah, Tony and Rachel, Sarah and Jake...the bait in a carefully laid trap.

"Get ready," Graham called down to them. "It might take a while, but I'll keep you in my sights with help from the waning crescent moon." He brandished Dylan's gun in his left hand while keeping aim with his small pistol in his right.

Jake turned to Sarah. "Do we dare run?"

"Not yet. Most of us might escape but one or two of us might get killed. We need to wait for the right moment."

"I say one of us distracts him, while everyone else scatters," Tony said. "It wouldn't be the first time I've been shot at."

"Your time as an Army Paratrooper was years ago," Jake replied.

"I was thinking about that night at Ocean Blue headquarters, with Zanderthal's guards. It wasn't that long ago."

"Yeah...I guess all of us know what it's like to stare down the barrel of a gun. I still don't like it."

Rachel stood nearby, crossing her arms, rubbing her biceps. "Oddly, I'm more afraid of that cat than I am a bullet."

A few feet away, Jake heard Savannah and Dylan talking. The photographer hung his head low while the journalist/writer bent her neck to look him in the eyes.

"Is it true?" she said. "Do you...you know...love me?"

Dylan rolled his head on his neck, his eyes dancing and dodging Savannah's stare. "I...aww...," he said in a Texas drawl, "what do you want me to say?"

"I've had a crush on you my whole life, and now I find out you have a thing for me? After I gave up and moved on?"

"I wasn't gonna say anything, but it sort of happened...after college when we started working together."

Jake wagged his head. "Maybe they'll kiss and provide the distraction we need."

Sarah smiled at the comment. Tony laughed and Rachel chuckled, shaking her head. But all of them had a nervous undertone to the comedic relief.

"Don't get any ideas down there," Graham called down again. "You know how good a shot I am. Collecting guns has always been a hobby of mine, seeing I don't live in the U.K. anymore. They don't allow them. But I've always enjoyed target practice. Gotten quite good at it, if I do say so myself."

"We wouldn't dare get any ideas," Sarah hollered back.

Jake gazed up at the cliff face, judging the distance between them and the doctor's gun. They had to figure something out, some way to turn things back to their advantage. "With the pool and Graham's elevation, he has to be thirty to forty yards away."

"He has the higher ground," Tony replied. "That gives him the upper hand."

"But it's almost night. It's getting darker by the second." Sarah tipped her head toward Graham's perch. "With the distance, the angle, and the fact it's getting dark outside, that increases the difficulty of his shot. He may be good, but he can't be perfect."

"Maybe not," Rachel replied. "But he nailed that pirate between the eyes."

"In broad daylight, on level ground."

Still separated from them, Dylan and Savannah lowered their voices to whispers. Jake thought they still might kiss in the next few minutes. Or maybe not.

As they stood there, night finally fell, revealing an abundance of twinkling stars.

Jake started to say something else about the writer and photographer from Texas—but a thunderous roar bellowed from on top of the mountain, rocking him to attention and sending chills over his body.

The cat didn't wait till dawn to attack this time. They must have been close to its secret lair.

Everyone jerked their heads toward Dr. Graham's perch high up on the cliff face next to the spot where the waterfall poured over a ridge and splashed into the large pool. Graham whipped his head up and twisted his body as the feline's yellow eyes glinted under the moonlight. Tiny rocks broke free and tumbled down the side of the cliff.

Graham tried to right himself, but lost his footing and yelped. Then he fell, yelling while he plunged, toppling end over end and smacking the flat surface of the pool with a loud pop.

With their boots cemented to the ground, eyes staring up in fright, the meld of a feral black tiger and a ferocious lion picked its way along the crest of the mountain and began working its way down to the valley below.

Everyone ran, seemingly in different directions. It was pandemonium.

Jake slowed to see if the cat would go after Dr. Graham. After a long moment, he realized it had failed to find a way to lower ground. He wondered if it might give up. It's only recourse seemed to be the pool, but he doubted it would jump in the water. But it did. It launched its massive body, soared through the air with its paws stretched out, and hit with an enormous splash.

Dr. Graham saw the cat paddling toward him, so he started swimming relentlessly toward the bank.

Maybe Jake was right in calling it a tiger of some kind. He recalled reading a nonfiction book that said tigers liked the water and were capable swimmers.

Too bad for the doctor.

Jake snapped out of his trance and raced across the clearing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Sarah as she angled toward him. As he sprinted, he turned in her direction and met her near the final stretch of open terrain. Before they reached the dark folds of the jungle, he snatched her by the wrist and tried to guide her through the thickness of green leaves and wild growth of underbrush. But in the crowd of weeds and branches, and unyielding darkness, he lost hold of her, and they got separated.

As Jake ducked and weaved though the jungle, searching for Sarah in every direction, all he could think about was finding her...before the big cat did.