Free Phantom Warriors: Saber-Tooth by Jordan Summers Page B

anything
    before she left.
    “Does anyone know where the cat went?” Katy searched the faces around her, but
    most refused to make eye contact.
    “You aren’t going to kill it, are you?” someone called out.
    The last thing Katy wanted to do was destroy the animal, but sometimes she didn’t
    have a choice. “Not if I can avoid it,” she said noncommittally.
    A little boy pushed his way through the small crowd, then signaled for her to crouch
    down so that he could whisper in her ear. “I know where it went.”
    “Petey, get back here this instant.” A frantic mother pushed through the crowd in
    search of her son.
    “Where is he, Petey?” Katy used the child’s name in hopes it would reassure him
    enough to answer.
    Petey looked back at his mom, then turned to face Katy. He reached out and
    grabbed her hand, tugging her away from the other people. “I don’t want anyone else to
    hear. The kitty told me to keep it a secret.”
    Katy frowned. “The kitty told you not to say anything?”
    The little mop-topped boy nodded his head, sending brown curls cascading into his
    face. “Mommy doesn’t believe me, but you do, don’t you?” he asked, his lower lip
    starting to tremble.
    Katy reached out, cupping his cheek and smiled. As a child, she’d been convinced
    she could talk to the animals. She still remembered the pain and humiliation the kids in
    school inflicted with their “crazy Katy” taunts. “Of course I believe you. Now show me
    where he is.” She waved to reassure the boy’s mother.
    Petey beamed, then tugged her down a path that wound around some of the
    outbuildings associated with the facility. “He’s over there under those bushes.” He
    pointed to an area off the path that dipped slightly into a small ditch.
    She couldn’t immediately see anything, but that didn’t mean the cat wasn’t there.
    “Thank you, Petey. You’ve been very helpful.” Katy glanced over her shoulder and saw
    the child’s mother waiting, a concerned expression on her face. She waved and motioned
    for her son, while her gaze scanned the bushes. Katy turned back to Petey. “You’d better
    get going. Your mom’s worried about you.”
    He smiled, showing a missing front tooth. “She worries about everything,” he said,
    rolling his eyes.
    “That’s her job. Now scoot.” Katy rumpled his hair and then sent him on his way.
    She needed Petey and everyone else to stay clear of the area. Predators were
    unpredictable, especially when cornered. She didn’t want to take the chance of an
    innocent bystander getting hurt, especially a child, and she damn well didn’t want to
    have to put the animal down in front of an audience.
    She inched closer, dart gun in hand, her eyes searching the shadows for movement.
    A warm breeze filtered through her hair, tearing a few strawberry blonde wisps out of
    her ponytail. She reached up, tucking the errant strands behind her ear. Traffic sounds
    faded, giving way to the rustling of leaves in the trees. Even the birds had suddenly
    gone quiet. Katy knew something hunted her. She crouched lower and blinked.
    Intelligent green eyes stared unflinchingly back at her.
    No way in hell , her mind said, refusing to acknowledge what she saw. Even as the
    thought fluttered through her head, Katy knew there was no mistake. It was a
    saber-toothed tiger, or cat, as the scientific community more accurately labeled them,
    since the animals were only distantly related to tigers and close cousins to the lion.
    Lying under a branch of the farthest bush, panting in the warm Southern California
    heat, the cat yawned, displaying his seven-inch serrated teeth. Despite the imminent
    danger, she took a step closer to get a better look. The cat didn’t move. It seemed to be
    studying her as closely as she studied it. Katy knew it was impossible, but she couldn’t
    shake the feeling of intelligent awareness that the animal conveyed.
    What was she thinking? The cat was smart, but it didn’t have