Chapter 2: The Trap Within a Trap
Marcus, the ruthless leader of the poaching ring, steered the truck through the high grass, a twisted grin on his face. He had a video camera mounted to the dashboard. He wanted proof of Emily's demise to send as a warning to the other rangers.
"Look at that," his henchman laughed, pointing a finger. "The birds aren't even circling. The lions must have cleaned up every last bit of her."
The truck rolled into the clearing and slammed to a halt. The smile instantly vanished from Marcus’s face.
Emily was still tied to the tree, alive and breathing. And standing directly in front of her, like an army of vengeful gods, was the entire pride.
"What the hell..." Marcus muttered, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. "Get the rifles! Kill the lions, kill the girl, get us out of here!"
The five poachers scrambled out of the truck, raising their high-caliber weapons. But Emily didn't flinch. She looked Marcus dead in the eye and whispered, "Take them."
As if understanding her command, Ashe charged. The savannah exploded into chaos. The sheer speed of the pride caught the men off guard. Before Marcus's men could even aim, two of the poachers were tackled to the ground, their weapons sent flying. The remaining men panicked, firing wildly into the air before fleeing back toward the truck.
Marcus, desperate and enraged, raised his rifle directly at Emily. "If I go down, you're coming with me!" he screamed.
He squeezed the trigger. Click.
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The gun jammed. In that split second of hesitation, Ashe lunged, knocking Marcus to the dirt. The terrifying predator pinned the leader down, his massive jaws inches from the man's throat. Marcus whimpered, crying for mercy, completely paralyzed by fear.
But the true twist of the night was yet to come.
