The Girl and the Lion (Sanctuary Book 1) Read online

  “Okay, that’s good. We’ll head north. Away from these assholes. Then we can loop around through the trees. Let’s move. Stay close to me.”

  Sadie grabbed her backpack from the office. She always wore it when she walked the Sanctuary. It was filled with supplies that came in handy when she was away from home base. She never expected she might need it for a day like this.

  Dimitri moved swiftly through the halls of the main building. Sadie struggled to keep up with him. Her heart was beating hard in her chest. She’d faced a lot of dangerous situations in her line of work, but she’d never been confronted by men with guns.

  She could barely believe how quickly her life had changed from the night before. Finding Dimitri had seemed like the answer to all her prayers. Now that discovery had her running for her life.

  ***

  Dimitri felt that old, cool calm slip over him as he led Sadie out the back door of the main building. Fighting was the only thing he’d ever known, and he was in his element now. Even though he was in no shape for battle, he could still think strategically. He could save them both.

  His eyes scanned their surroundings, finding cover spots and paths of movement. The bright morning sun lit the world in too bright light. They would be exposed once they left the cover of the building.

  But the light also provided stark shadows that would shield them from sight, at least at a distance. If they could get from this building to the house, they would be all right.

  There were a lot of men looking for them, but not enough to spread out and surround them. If they were quick, they would make it. If not, well, he didn’t even want to think about that.

  The woman panting softly next to him made things complicated. He could move more easily without her, but the thought of leaving her behind never crossed his mind. It was his fault she was in danger. If he’d never come here, she’d still be safe.

  She was his responsibility now. Oddly enough, she didn’t feel like a burden. If anything, she gave him purpose. A reason to live and a reason to fight. He refused to let her get hurt because of him. The weight of that responsibility laid heavy on his shoulders, but it allowed him to push through the weakness threatening to consume him.

  Whatever poison they’d injected him with made it hard to move as swiftly as he was used to. He briefly wondered if this was what normal humans felt like all the time. Weak and powerless. It was a wonder they managed to survive at all.

  He turned to Sadie. There was fear in her eyes, but something else too. A set determination. She was strong, not unlike her father. If anyone could get through this, it was her.

  He leaned in close to her ear, so close he could smell the clean scent of her. It was distracting. He reminded himself that now was not the time for these kind of thoughts.

  “We’re going to make a run to the right side of the house,” he whispered. Stray strands of her hair tickled his cheek, and he fought down the feelings of desire surging within him. So much for cool and calm. “Stay in front of me. If they see us, there might be gunfire.”

  He felt her trembling. The urge to take her in his arms was overwhelming. There was no time. Comfort was a luxury they couldn’t afford just then.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, still whispering. She nodded, her face set in hard lines of resolve. “Go.”

  She took off in the direction he’d indicated, moving like a rabbit across the open ground. Dimitri rushed to follow, stealing glances behind him. He couldn’t see any movement in the windows of the main building.

  So far so good.

  They were in the cool shadows of the house in seconds. Sadie seemed a little winded, but otherwise okay. Dimitri was feeling the effects of the sprint more than she was. His limbs were trembling with fatigue. Not a good sign.

  He hated feeling this way. Right when he needed his strength the most, he was failing. Quitting wasn’t an option. If not for himself, he had to keep it together for the girl.

  “Okay,” he said, quietly, breathing more heavily than he liked. “We’re going to head for the building with the cages. From there, we’ll move to the tree line, keeping that building between us and the main building. That should keep them from spotting us.”

  She nodded. “Aye aye, captain.”

  He glanced at her sideways, unsure if she was making fun of him. “I hope you’re taking this seriously. It’s a good distance to the other building. We’re going to be exposed for longer than I’d like.”

  “You don’t have to tell me it’s serious. It’s my place those assholes are ransacking.” She gestured back to the main building.

  Sadie was right. He could see them now, moving through the rooms. Searching for them.

  The shadow of the house provided them with some cover, but one look out the window and they would be toast. “Once we start running, you keep running. No matter what happens.”

  She nodded and then shot a wistful look back at the main building.

  “Okay, go.”

  They ran around the back of the house and then they were out in the open. Dimitri could just hear the shouts coming from the main building over the sound of his heart banging in his chest.

  But the sound of gunshots a moment later was unmistakable.

  ***

  Sadie moved as if in a dream. The coughing sound of gunfire in the distance didn’t seem real. There was no way people were actually shooting at her. This wasn’t her life. This had to be happening to someone else.

  The thought seemed to help her keep moving, even though every instinct told her to freeze and curl up into the fetal position.

  The holding area building seemed so far away. How could it be this far away? There was no way she’d ever make it. Not with bullets raining around her, sending up geysers of dirt around her feet.

  A shadow fell over her. Dimitri ran beside her, putting his body between the hail of lead and her. He placed his hand on her back, comforting her and guiding her onward to safety.

  His presence gave her strength. She could do this. She could make it.

  Energy filled her legs, lengthening her stride. She pushed past the fear threatening to overwhelm her and before she knew it, she was behind cover and safe.

  Dimitri skidded to a stop beside her, gulping in huge gasps of air. His skin looked pale. Almost gray. Except for the bright streak of red trailing down his arm.

  “You’ve been shot,” she cried out.

  He shook his head. “No,” he said, barely able to speak between panting breaths. “I’m fine.”

  “No, look,” she said, pointing at his wounded arm.

  He chuckled at the sight of it. “I’ll be damned. I guess I have. Just a scratch. Nothing to worry about.” Sadie opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off. “We need to keep moving.”

  “You can barely breathe.”

  He nodded. “Barely breathing is better than not breathing at all. Which is what will happen if they catch us. Come on.”

  He loped away from her, toward the tree line. She followed. The gunshots had silenced once they’d ducked around the building, but she could hear men shouting and the pounding of boots on the hard earth.

  They were coming.

  Her limbs burned with exertion, but she kept going. If Dimitri could keep going, so could she. He’d been poisoned, shot, and he was clearly running on empty. Still, he soldiered on. Powered by sheer strength of will alone.

  She could see why men followed him into battle. His determination was inspiring. Motivating. Even in his weakened state, she felt better knowing he was at her side.

  The tree line was close now. Almost within reach. So close she could smell the clean scent of pines and the lush, earthy richness of the soil.

  That’s when she heard the gunfire start again. She risked a glance back. The men were following in a spread out line. But they were far away. Too far away to get a clean shot, it seemed.

  Then Sadie and Dimitri were through the trees, swallowed in cool shadows. The dark woods sheltered them for the time b
eing. But for how long, she had no idea.

  Chapter 5

  The woods were winding, dark, and deep. Sadie was in the lead now. Dimitri was still powering along, but his eyes looked vacant. Almost like a zombie.

  Sweat poured down his skin, which had taken on a gray pallor that Sadie found troubling. He would need to stop soon. But not yet.

  It has been a while since Sadie had heard or seen the men who were chasing them. But she couldn’t assume they’d given up the chase. They had come after them for a reason. She didn’t imagine they would just walk away.

  Her only hope was that her knowledge of the surrounding forest would give her the edge. She’d explored these woods for years as a child. She knew every nook and cranny, and every hiding spot. There were trails in these woods, but Sadie had avoided them, hoping the men would be unable to follow their tracks through the heavy undergrowth.

  So far it had seemed to work, but the movement was hard going. The exertion had taken its toll on both her and Dimitri. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Sadie was feeling the effects of their wild escape from the Sanctuary.

  Her hangover had returned with a vengeance. Her head felt tender, like it was about to crack open. And she was thirsty. So thirsty. But it was that thirst that gave her direction.

  She knew of a small, clean stream that trickled down from the mountains. There was a small cave nearby that would serve as the perfect shelter from the night’s cold embrace, if they had to be out here that long.

  It was deep enough in the woods and far enough away from the Sanctuary that they would probably be safe there. There were no guarantees. But it would have to do. If the men chasing them were able to find them at that distance, there was no hiding place in the forest that would keep them safe.

  Dimitri stumbled beside her. Panic flared in her chest. If he didn’t have the strength to keep going, there was no way she could carry him.

  She kneeled down in front of him and put her hand on his cheek. His skin was clammy and feverish.

  “Come on, Dimitri,” she said. “Just a little farther.”

  He closed his eyes but nodded. “I can make it. I just need to rest a second.”

  “I know,” she said. “But we need to keep moving. We’re almost there. I just need you to be strong for a little longer.”

  With a tired groan, Dimitri got painfully to his feet. He even managed a smile. “Lead the way.”

  Sadie slung his arm over her shoulder, bearing some of his weight. She wasn’t sure if it helped him at all, but it definitely made her feel better. Having him so physically close was reassuring. Even in the state he was in, it was good to know she wasn’t in this situation alone.

  Things had spiraled out of control so quickly her head was spinning. Her life had been plenty complicated before, with bills and debts and her responsibilities with the animals. Now, that old life seemed simple compared to things now.

  It was too big to think about. A hidden world of shifters. Dangerous men with guns storming her home. A nightmare run through the forest that had once felt like home to her. The weight of it pressed down on her, heavier than Dimitri’s body.

  She forced it away to the edges of her mind, not letting it in all the way. Otherwise, it would crush her. She kept her focus on the task at hand. One step and then another. She could do that much.

  After what felt like forever, she heard the musical trill of a flowing stream. It was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard.

  ***

  She got Dimitri settled in the small cave. It wasn’t much, just a ten-foot tunnel of rock barely tall enough to stand in. But it was shelter. A different kind of sanctuary.

  The bag she’d grabbed before leaving had some survival gear. A pot to boil water. A firestarter. Some beef jerky. Out here, these simple items meant the difference between life and death.

  The stream might be clean enough to drink from, but there was no guarantee it was free from parasites or bacteria. Sadie might be able to handle it, but in his weakened state, the last thing Dimitri needed was to get any sicker. The water had to be boiled before they could drink it.

  She set about making a fire. It would have to be small. The cave would keep the fire from being visible, but too much smoke might as well be a big red flag saying “Here we are. Come get us.”

  “How are you holding up?” she asked as she got the kindling together.

  “I’ll live,” he said, pausing. “Probably.”

  She wasn’t sure about that from the look of him, but she didn’t voice her concern. “Hang in there. We’re safe for now, I think.”

  He nodded. His eyelids drifting closed. “You did good out there. Your father would be proud.”

  A warm feeling rippled through her at the comment. She hoped she was making her old man proud. Carrying on his secret legacy as a caregiver for shifters. “He’d be prouder if I could figure out how to make you better.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he said sleepily. “Just need to rest.”

  She didn’t doubt that, but she needed to get some water in him before he went to sleep. And maybe some food. She wanted to keep him talking. “So who were those guys?”

  “Lowlife criminals. Although they were packing some serious firepower.”

  “How’d you get mixed up with them?” she asked, still trying to get the fire going.

  “I told you. I was looking for a friend from my military days.”

  “Right. Garrett.”

  “Yeah. We both got out of the service a few years ago. We kept tabs on each other. He told me he found some work out here. But that it might be dangerous. When I didn’t hear from him again, I came out here to make sure he was okay.”

  “So those guys. Was Garrett working for them?”

  Dimitri nodded. “Not much work for old soldiers. Our skill sets don’t translate to civilian life too well. A lot of us end up like Garrett. Doing bad shit for bad people.”

  “That’s terrible. Seems like the government should do something to help you all.”

  He shrugged. “Once we’re out, we’ve served our purpose. We’re not their problem anymore.”

  “Well, someone should help them.”

  “On that we agree. That’s what I’m trying to do for Garrett. Find him. Help him get out of whatever mess he’s gotten himself into. He’d mentioned a bar where he met his new associates. I went looking there, but it was like they knew I was coming. They got the drop on me. And the rest you know.”

  The spark from the firestarter finally caught on the kindling. Sadie cried out triumphantly. “We’re in business.”

  She blew on the smoldering embers, watching with satisfaction as the flames grew. Soon the fire was as big as it was going to get. Sadie sat back for a moment, drinking in the reassuring warmth.

  “You’re something else,” Dimitri said, watching her from the other side of the flames.

  “Oh, please. It’s no big deal.” The comment secretly pleased her. She was glad he couldn’t see the flush creeping up her cheeks in the dim light.

  “I wish we could have met under different circumstances.”

  “You mean instead of caged up and naked? I kind of liked it to be honest.”

  That raised a smile on his lips. “No, I mean, this isn’t me. I’m not normally so helpless. So powerless. I don’t want you to see me like this.”

  “It’s not your fault. We’ll get you back on your feet in no time.”

  “We both know I’m dying,” he said softly.

  “Don’t say that.”

  “Just my luck. I meet a beautiful woman on the day I die.”

  “Beautiful? Now, I know you’re delirious.”

  He smiled and shook his head, but it was weaker now. His light was fading. “You are beautiful. Strong. Brave. It’s too bad.” His words trailed off and his eyes closed.

  Sadie rushed over to him. “Dimitri, stay with me.”

  But he was out. The slow rise and fall of his chest meant he was still alive. But the poison was taking its t
oll. He was unconscious.

  Sadie fought back her tears. There had to be something she could do. She just had to think. Dimitri couldn’t die. She needed him. Needed him to help her out of the mess he’d gotten her into.

  Besides, she felt the same way as he did. She’d finally met an amazing man. There was no way she was going to let him die in front of her.

  ***

  The laptop held the key. Whatever medical secrets her father had were inside. Dimitri had been confident the answers were there. Sadie hoped he was right.