Chapter 13: The Break
Catherine’s pulse thudded in her ears as she held the cub tightly against her chest. She couldn’t afford to look back, couldn’t afford to think about the chaos unfolding behind her. The second poacher was closing in, his footsteps too loud now, his presence undeniable. Every instinct told her to run, to get as far away from the danger as possible. But she couldn’t leave the mother leopard to fight alone. She couldn’t leave the cub to be taken.
The mother’s growls echoed through the trees, a sound full of fury and desperation. Catherine’s heart twisted with the realization that the leopard was protecting her—and the cub. But how much longer could she hold her ground against two poachers?
As Catherine made her way toward the tree line, her thoughts scrambled. The rangers were still on their way, but she had no idea how much time they had left. Could they make it in time? Could the mother leopard hold off the poachers long enough for them to arrive?
The cub whimpered in her arms, its small body stiff with fear. Catherine gently whispered to it, trying to calm it, but the sound of the struggle behind her made her breath catch. She couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when the threat was so close.
She glanced over her shoulder for just a moment. The mother leopard was still battling the first poacher, her claws flashing in the fading light. The poacher was backed against a tree, desperately trying to push her away, but the leopard was too fast. The poacher’s face was contorted with fear, his gun abandoned on the ground. But the second poacher had not yet entered the fray. He was still hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Catherine’s legs were burning, but she pushed forward, her breath ragged, her chest tightening with each step. She had to make it to the road. She had to get to safety before the poachers realized what she was doing.
But then, just as she neared the edge of the trees, the sound of a twig snapping behind her made her freeze.
The second poacher had moved closer.
Without warning, Catherine heard a harsh voice from behind, “Stop right there.”
She whipped around to face him, her body tense, ready to run. The second poacher stood just a few yards away, his rifle aimed at her.
The world seemed to stop.
Catherine’s hand tightened around the cub, and she knew she had only seconds to make a decision.
Would she risk it all for one final escape? Or would the poachers make their move first?