Tiger rested one hand on the knife strapped to his thigh. He practiced often and had become very accurate at throwing it. His other hand set the radio on the wall and grabbed for the spare gun strapped to the officer on his right, clearing it from the holster as the tarp rose higher. Whatever was under it was at least twenty-five feet tall. The tarp waved in the air and started to drop as it was fully erected.
A scream startled everyone and the sight of a female tied to a cross was revealed as the tarp dropped away. Tiger’s knees nearly collapsed under him as he stared at Zandy. The shock of seeing her suspended high in the air on top of the vehicle took seconds to register in his mind. Her hair was messy, a bruise darkened her cheek, and she looked very pale. Thick ropes wound around her arms and legs, securing her there. She screamed again, struggling with the restraints. Her terrified gaze focused on the gates.
“Shoot him,” she yelled. “He’s going to set me on fire!”
Tiger’s gaze jerked away from her to the human closest to Zandy. He was holding a red container and poured the contents out on a bunch of wood chaotically spread across the entire length of the roof of the motor home. Tiger’s heightened senses were fully engaged with his heart racing and the stench of gasoline filling his nose.
“Shoot him,” Tiger roared, instantly understanding what the human male planned to do to Zandy.
Screams from the humans on the ground filled the air as they realized what was about to take place. Zandy must have heard his voice. Her chin jerked up and her terrified gaze sought him out. Tears slid down her face as gunfire erupted. The human with the gas can jerked as Tiger darted his attention there, watched as three bullets tore through his chest and propelled his body backward to disappear out of sight where it hit the pavement.
“No!” The human at the front of the motor home screamed that one word before he did something with his hands, throwing an object upward. Flames ignited in a whoosh.
Horror jolted Tiger from his frozen stance as the fire spread across the top of the motor home and surrounded the bottom of the cross. Zandy let out another terrified scream that set him in motion before he gave it any thought. He shoved males out of his way, ran on his still-sore leg and grabbed the wall near the guard shack at the gates.
He vaulted over the wall, his body slammed painfully into the angled roof and he slid on his ass to the edge. He hit the grassy area next to the shack with a grunt, ignored the pain and dropped the gun still clutched in his fingers. He needed both hands to shove off, to regain his footing and rush at the burning vehicle.
More gunshots rang out and bullets slammed into the human who’d thrown the lighter that started the fire. Tiger had to dodge the falling body as the male sprawled on his back, dead. He shoved fleeing humans out of the way to reach the motor home where he leaped and gripped the metal edge of it. He hoisted himself up.
Scorching heat from the flames registered but he ignored them, too focused on Zandy to care if he burned. A large body suddenly landed next to him and he twisted his head to stare at Bestial. The male held a fire extinguisher, which he pointed in front of them. He tore out the pin and sprayed the flames. It doused them instantly.
“Get her,” his friend snarled, turning the spray to make a path to the wooden cross.
* * * * *
Zandy coughed, choking on smoke from the fire below her as it blinded her. She twisted her head but couldn’t find any breathable air until the wind shifted. Tiger had been on the wall above the gates of Reservation. She’d seen him there, heard him order the officers to shoot Brother Adam, but then she’d lost track of him.
“Zandy!” Tiger roared her name and the cross shook enough to make her entire body sway.
She looked down to see if the fire had eaten through the wood enough to make the thick beam collapse. She stared at Tiger below her as he climbed up the cross to reach her. It was his added weight that caused the rough motion. He inched closer until he reached her feet.
Pain lanced through her but she clenched her teeth when he fisted the ropes to pull his body higher. They bit into her skin from the pull of his weight but she refused to scream. He hugged her and the beam when they were face level.
Their gazes locked. His amazing eyes stared deeply into hers and he crushed against her chest. One of his hands released the rope and he suddenly held a knife. He looked away and sawed at the ropes that secured her arms.
“I’ve got you, little one,” he rasped.
“Tiger,” she whispered, stunned that he was really there.
“Hang on to me.”
One arm was cut free. It hurt to move it but she wrapped it around his neck. He twisted a little to transfer the blade to his other hand and gripped the beam to support their weight.
Sweat beaded his brow and his face was red from exhaustion or perhaps from inhaling too much smoke. She couldn’t look away from him. The tug of the ropes assured her that he was trying to free her other arm.
“Hurry,” a male snarled from below them. “The canister is near empty.”
The wind changed direction and smoke billowed up, making her eyes sting. She tore her gaze from Tiger’s face and buried it against the hot skin at his neck. The masculine scent of him and the smoke were strong. The rope gave way and she wrapped her other arm around him, hugging his neck tightly.
The beam swayed roughly again and she wondered if it would collapse with both of them. It didn’t. Instead a hand gripped her ankle and the ropes around her legs were pulled away.
“She’s free,” someone shouted. “I got her legs clear, Tiger. Hurry. The interior is burning now and we are losing the battle with the fire.”
A scream startled everyone and the sight of a female tied to a cross was revealed as the tarp dropped away. Tiger’s knees nearly collapsed under him as he stared at Zandy. The shock of seeing her suspended high in the air on top of the vehicle took seconds to register in his mind. Her hair was messy, a bruise darkened her cheek, and she looked very pale. Thick ropes wound around her arms and legs, securing her there. She screamed again, struggling with the restraints. Her terrified gaze focused on the gates.
“Shoot him,” she yelled. “He’s going to set me on fire!”
Tiger’s gaze jerked away from her to the human closest to Zandy. He was holding a red container and poured the contents out on a bunch of wood chaotically spread across the entire length of the roof of the motor home. Tiger’s heightened senses were fully engaged with his heart racing and the stench of gasoline filling his nose.
“Shoot him,” Tiger roared, instantly understanding what the human male planned to do to Zandy.
Screams from the humans on the ground filled the air as they realized what was about to take place. Zandy must have heard his voice. Her chin jerked up and her terrified gaze sought him out. Tears slid down her face as gunfire erupted. The human with the gas can jerked as Tiger darted his attention there, watched as three bullets tore through his chest and propelled his body backward to disappear out of sight where it hit the pavement.
“No!” The human at the front of the motor home screamed that one word before he did something with his hands, throwing an object upward. Flames ignited in a whoosh.
Horror jolted Tiger from his frozen stance as the fire spread across the top of the motor home and surrounded the bottom of the cross. Zandy let out another terrified scream that set him in motion before he gave it any thought. He shoved males out of his way, ran on his still-sore leg and grabbed the wall near the guard shack at the gates.
He vaulted over the wall, his body slammed painfully into the angled roof and he slid on his ass to the edge. He hit the grassy area next to the shack with a grunt, ignored the pain and dropped the gun still clutched in his fingers. He needed both hands to shove off, to regain his footing and rush at the burning vehicle.
More gunshots rang out and bullets slammed into the human who’d thrown the lighter that started the fire. Tiger had to dodge the falling body as the male sprawled on his back, dead. He shoved fleeing humans out of the way to reach the motor home where he leaped and gripped the metal edge of it. He hoisted himself up.
Scorching heat from the flames registered but he ignored them, too focused on Zandy to care if he burned. A large body suddenly landed next to him and he twisted his head to stare at Bestial. The male held a fire extinguisher, which he pointed in front of them. He tore out the pin and sprayed the flames. It doused them instantly.
“Get her,” his friend snarled, turning the spray to make a path to the wooden cross.
* * * * *
Zandy coughed, choking on smoke from the fire below her as it blinded her. She twisted her head but couldn’t find any breathable air until the wind shifted. Tiger had been on the wall above the gates of Reservation. She’d seen him there, heard him order the officers to shoot Brother Adam, but then she’d lost track of him.
“Zandy!” Tiger roared her name and the cross shook enough to make her entire body sway.
She looked down to see if the fire had eaten through the wood enough to make the thick beam collapse. She stared at Tiger below her as he climbed up the cross to reach her. It was his added weight that caused the rough motion. He inched closer until he reached her feet.
Pain lanced through her but she clenched her teeth when he fisted the ropes to pull his body higher. They bit into her skin from the pull of his weight but she refused to scream. He hugged her and the beam when they were face level.
Their gazes locked. His amazing eyes stared deeply into hers and he crushed against her chest. One of his hands released the rope and he suddenly held a knife. He looked away and sawed at the ropes that secured her arms.
“I’ve got you, little one,” he rasped.
“Tiger,” she whispered, stunned that he was really there.
“Hang on to me.”
One arm was cut free. It hurt to move it but she wrapped it around his neck. He twisted a little to transfer the blade to his other hand and gripped the beam to support their weight.
Sweat beaded his brow and his face was red from exhaustion or perhaps from inhaling too much smoke. She couldn’t look away from him. The tug of the ropes assured her that he was trying to free her other arm.
“Hurry,” a male snarled from below them. “The canister is near empty.”
The wind changed direction and smoke billowed up, making her eyes sting. She tore her gaze from Tiger’s face and buried it against the hot skin at his neck. The masculine scent of him and the smoke were strong. The rope gave way and she wrapped her other arm around him, hugging his neck tightly.
The beam swayed roughly again and she wondered if it would collapse with both of them. It didn’t. Instead a hand gripped her ankle and the ropes around her legs were pulled away.
“She’s free,” someone shouted. “I got her legs clear, Tiger. Hurry. The interior is burning now and we are losing the battle with the fire.”
