Chapter 9 - SHADOWS OF THE PAST
Three years of peace in the Serengeti was a dream I thought would last forever. But dreams in our world are fragile things.
The sun was dipping below the golden horizon of the sanctuary, casting long, crimson shadows across the savannah. Leo and I were finalizing the evening security reports when a harsh, metallic static shattered the silence of the radio comms.
"Station One, this is Patrol Four. We have an unflagged convoy entering Sector 7. Repeat, three black armored SUVs crossing the boundary..."
I froze, setting down my mug. Sector 7 was a restricted zone—and directly where the pride, including our rescued lion, was currently resting.
"Patrol Four, identify the vehicles," Leo commanded into the receiver, his voice tight with sudden tension.
"They're not responding to radio calls, Leo. They're... wait. They're armed! They just breached the main fence!"
A loud gunshot echoed through the radio, followed by static.
My heart dropped into my stomach. "Leo, that wasn't a poacher's rifle. That was high-caliber suppressed gunfire."
Leo looked at me, his face pale under the amber light of the monitor. "The corporation... They didn't die with Dr. Vance."
Without wasting a second, we grabbed our gear, jumped into the open-top safari jeep, and tore through the dirt roads toward Sector 7. The engine roared as I slammed my foot on the accelerator, driving through the thick dust.
When we arrived at the rocky ridge, the scene made my blood run cold.
The heavy iron perimeter fence had been blasted open with thermal explosives. Heavy tire tracks cut deep into the earth. Standing near the edge of the clearing was a tall man dressed in a sharp gray suit, completely out of place in the dusty African wilderness. He was calmly wiping blood off his leather shoes with a silk handkerchief.
Around him stood six mercenaries clad in modern combat gear, holding assault rifles aimed at the brush.
"Who are you?!" I shouted, jumping out of the jeep with a flare gun in my hand. "This is a protected international sanctuary! Get off this land immediately!"
The man in the suit turned slowly. He had cold, silvery eyes and a jagged scar trailing down his neck into his collar. He smiled—a cold, emotionless expression that sent a shiver through my spine.
"Miss Maya. And little Leo," he said, his voice silky and dripping with venom. "It took us three years to track down the digital signature of the files you leaked. Three long years."
"You..." Leo whispered, stepping in front of me defensively. "Director Kincaid. The head of the military defense division."
"The very same," Kincaid replied softly. "You destroyed a five-billion-dollar project, ruined my company, and forced me into hiding. Did you really think you could play heroes in Africa and hide from us forever?"
Suddenly, a massive roar echoed from the high rocks above us.
Our lion—the cub I had saved off the cliff, now a full-grown, magnificent male—stepped into view on the cliff edge. His dark mane blew in the wind, his golden eyes locked onto Kincaid's men.
"Ah," Kincaid chuckled, looking up at the lion. "Subject Alpha. The offspring of our primary test subject. The bloodline carrying the stabilized genetic strain."
Kincaid raised his hand, signaling his head mercenary. "We aren't here to kill you two yet. We are here to reclaim our property."
The mercenary pulled out a heavy launcher and aimed it directly at the cliff.
May you like
"NO!" I screamed, lunging forward.
🔥 FACEBOOK HOOK: Three years later, the shadow of the lab returns! The evil director wants his "property" back... Will the lion survive the high-tech attack?
