Wild by Jill Sorenson

Author:Jill Sorenson [Sorenson, Jill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Suspense
Goodreads: 23270458
Published: 2014-11-03T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THEY FOUND THE washed-out section of fence at the edge of Copper Canyon.

As soon as Josh slowed to a stop, Helena jumped out of the truck and approached the fence line. Her stomach sank as she saw the extent of the damage. Copper River had rerouted during the initial quake, pouring thousands of gallons of water across the dry earth. Now the ground was damp, riveted with huge cracks. About ten feet of chain link lay flat, half-buried in debris that the rushing river left behind.

She curled her hands into fists, wanting to cry. Hyenas traveled in packs, so it was likely that more than one animal had escaped. The others could follow.

This was too big a problem for her to handle. Dealing with a single code one inside zoo boundaries was a group effort. A wildlife situation of this magnitude was unprecedented. The lack of officials and authority figures didn’t help. There was no communication, no law enforcement assistance. No guidance.

Helena didn’t even know the procedure for a perimeter breach. It was a city-wide emergency. She needed dozens, if not hundreds, of helpers. Teams of keepers combing the park. More on the streets, with police backup. Maintenance crews for fence repair. Skilled construction workers to fix the compromised enclosures.

Instead, she had…Josh Garrison. Whose experience in hunting was limited to the human female variety.

She smothered a groan at the thought, still mortified by her behavior at the loading dock. The sequence of events was too overwhelming to contemplate. Bambang, the aerial tram, her runaway lust, Greg’s dead face.

It was all too much. Too disturbing. She couldn’t breathe under the weight of her stress and sorrow. Pressure coiled inside her, constricting her chest. When Josh put his hand on her elbow, she sprung away from him. He lifted his palm up in a peace gesture, his brows raised. She wasn’t usually so agitated.

“What are we going to do?” she exploded.

“Repair it,” he said simply.

“They’re already out!”

“One is.”

“More than one, I’ll wager. That’s why we haven’t seen them around the park.”

“We saw Bambang.”

She rubbed her aching temple. “Don’t remind me.”

“We’ve already got Tau, and he’s the biggest threat.”

“You’re wrong about that. Zuma might be smaller, but she’s ten times as aggressive. And a pack of hyenas will feast on corpses. They might even attack the living. Hyenas target any kind of easy prey.”

He stared into the distance, absorbing her words. “Do you want to track them?”

“I don’t know how to track them. In an urban area, over concrete and asphalt, it’s probably not even possible.”

“Then we have to let it go.”

“Let it go?”

“Yes,” he said, decisive. “We’ve got more than enough to take care of inside the park. What happens out there can’t be our top priority.”

“Public safety is always the top priority.”

“And the best way to protect people is with containment. Not by wandering around a deserted city and accomplishing nothing.”

She swallowed hard. “What if Zuma got out?”

“Is she more inclined to explore the unknown, or stay and defend her territory?”

“The second.

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