Page 43 of August

Ginny and August were halfway to the employee cafeteria when Justus raced behind them.

“Go! Fucking go!” Justus yelled.

August gripped Ginny’s hand tighter and ran. He unlocked the door and pushed her inside, following closely as Justus joined them and pulled the door shut.

“What’s going on?” August demanded.

“All of a sudden a whole bunch of shit went wrong. The norms’ paddock gate was tampered with and a few escaped and are running around. Then some of the wolves noticed the tires on all the safari tour Jeeps are flat.” He leaned against the door with a sigh and scrubbed his hand through his hair. “I knew you were out in the open, so I wanted to hurry you up.”

“You did, thanks,” August said.

Ginny rubbed her arms as a creepy chill stole over her. “Jackals are in the park, but how did that happen with all the security?”

“I don’t know, it doesn’t seem possible,” Justus said. His walkie squawked and he picked it up as Jupiter’s voice came over the speaker.

“There’s a fire near the aviary. All security personnel fan out, we have intruders in the park. Repeat: all security report topside immediately.”

“I gotta jam,” Justus said. “You two get down to safety.” He ducked out of the cafeteria and raced toward the security office.

Ginny wanted to crumple into a ball.

Jackals were in the park.

“These are distractions,” August said. “They’re messing with the security force.”

They saw others from the park run to the security office.

Her mind spun as she stared out the one-way glass. “That female from the pack…”

“What about her?”

“She was watching the security office.”

“Right.”

Ginny glanced at him. “She saw us run into this building.”

August’s brow furrowed.

She wasn’t even sure what she was trying to say, but something seemed really off about the whole thing.

She felt like the air went cold, like something evil had entered the area, sending out creepy vibes.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked over her shoulder and saw a door along the back wall ajar.

“August,” she whispered, grasping his shirtsleeve.

“Yeah?”

August turned to look at her; she could see him in her peripheral, but she couldn’t move or turn away. Someone was in the room with them.

Someone bad.

August felt something before Ginny grabbed his shirt and whispered his name in stark terror.

He turned from the window and looked at her, but she was frozen in place, her hand tight on his sleeve.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement and he snapped into action.