fell to the ground, dead. Black ooze seeped from his cracked skull.

  Dalton screamed. Maylee whipped around to see him struggling

  with his rifle as a young woman, missing one eye and an ear, groped at

  him. She hissed through her bloody teeth. He couldn't get the rifle

  around in time and she grabbed him. He screamed.

  Maylee rushed over through the rain and slammed the woman

  in the back of the head. She fell forward, letting go of Dalton. He

  scrambled out of the way and the young woman stumbled in the rain.

  She turned, hissing at Maylee. Maylee brought her bat up over her head

  and slammed downward, screaming as she swung. The woman's head

  buckled inward and her remaining eye bulged. She slumped and fell to

  the ground. She was still.

  Maylee looked at Dalton, who was standing a few feet away.

  "You okay?"

  He nodded.

  A low, dry moan came from behind her. Maylee remembered

  there had been three corpses. Hands closed on her shoulders and

  pushed her forward. She fell to her stomach, her bat flying from her

  hand and clattering across the pavement. She felt the corpse crawling

  up her back, moaning in a dry rasp and preparing to bite. She screamed.

  "Maylee!" yelled Dalton.

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  Maylee heard a rifle fire. She felt the corpse on her back jerk

  and slump. Maylee squirmed free and scrambled to her feet. She

  quickly looked at the ground. The corpse, an old man with leathery

  skin, lay still. A dart was embedded in the back of his head. She turned

  to where her bat had flown. She ran to it, stooping to pick it up.

  "Thanks," she said.

  "It wasn't me," said Dalton.

  Maylee frowned and turned back.

  "Freeze!" said someone. Maylee squinted through the rain and

  saw five zookeepers, all holding rifles. The rifles were pointed at her

  and Dalton.

  "We got stragglers!" said one of the zookeepers.

  "They could be spies!" yelled another. "Take them out!"

  They cocked their rifles. Maylee tensed, preparing to grab

  Dalton and run.

  "Wait!" said one of them. The others kept their rifles trained

  but didn't fire. The one who'd spoken stepped forward. It was a young

  man with greasy black hair. Lee was written on his shirt.

  Lee stepped closer to them. He looked at Dalton and nodded.

  "I recognize this one," he said. "He was with the woman when

  she came to the Bites. She said he was her son. And she kept going on

  about her kids when she was on the intercom."

  He looked at Maylee and nodded. "I'm guessing youre the

  other one. You two are coming with me. Gregory's going to want to

  meet you."

  Maylee considered slamming him in the face and running. The

  rifles trained on her and Dalton said otherwise.

  "Yeah," he said, nodding again. "He's definitely going to want

  to meet you."

  Twenty-One

  Cat Country was the centerpiece of Ashton Memorial Zoo. It

  was built along the side of the largest hill in the zoo. The lion exhibit

  was at the bottom. To either side were exhibits for cheetahs and tigers.

  Moving up the hill were several exhibits, all separated with thick glass

  fences, for various breeds of pumas and leopards. All with layers of

  rocks and ledges for big cats to climb or rest on. Paved walkways ran

  along either side, giving visitors many angles to view the cats from. It

  was by far the most popular exhibit in the zoo.

  Angie and her group approached it from the bottom, plodding

  through the rain toward the lion exhibit. Angie was relieved to find it

  empty, but realized it only meant the lions could be anywhere. She held

  up her arms for everyone to stop. They did. Park stopped next to her

  and looked up. Angie followed his gaze.

  The top of the hill was lined with Keepers. They stood inside

  all the different exhibits, separated by the fences. They stood on the

  rocks and ledges, all with rifles. Rain pelted down, running into Angie's

  eyes as she scanned the hill. Her gaze reached the center and stopped.

  At the center of the Keepers, standing atop the highest point of

  the hill, was Gregory.

  * * *

  Maylee sat on a stone inside an exhibit meant for a puma. She

  was gagged and her hands were tied behind her back with a strip of

  cloth. She pulled and tugged, making little progress. Dalton was a few

  feet to her left. He was also gagged, tied and struggling. Maylee's bat

  was a few feet to her right. She desperately wanted to free her hands,

  grab it and smack the hell out of the Keepers lined up all around her.

  She knew she'd get shot full of darts within seconds of starting, but she

  didn't care.

  Gregory stood in front of her, his back to her. He looked down

  at something Maylee couldn't see. The one called Lee had been right.

  Gregory was very interested in meeting the daughter and son of the

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  woman causing him so much trouble. He ordered them tied and kept

  close to him. Maylee was certain he intended to use them as a

  bargaining tool. She was determined not to let him.

  Lori sat across the way from Maylee. She was also gagged and

  had her hands tied behind her back. Maylee stopped struggling, staring

  at her. She looked exactly like Ella. The hair was different, the clothes

  were different, but otherwise exactly the same. She felt like she knew

  her and didn't all at the same time. They hadnt had time to speak when

  Maylee and Dalton were brought to Gregory.

  Lori caught Maylee's eyes and gave her a questioning look.

  Maylee knew what she was asking. Lori wondered if she was the one

  who had texted days ago. The one who had found Ella's phone. The one

  who had later found Ella.

  Maylee nodded.

  Lori nodded back and looked to Maylee's bat. Specifically, she

  looked at the word Ella written across it. She looked back at Maylee,

  with a questioning look so desperate it made Maylee want to cry.

  Maylee paused, not wanting to do it, then shook her head.

  Lori's eyes went wet and bloodshot. She blinked and looked

  down. Rain fell all around them but Maylee could see tears.

  She heard footsteps coming and looked their way. Gregory was

  walking toward them. He smiled down at the three of them. Maylee

  saw the murderous look Lori gave him and concurred.

  "Well, well," said Gregory, smiling through the rain. Maylee

  pulled at the strip of cloth holding her wrists so hard she felt her

  circulation being cut off.

  Then she felt the cloth tear. A tiny bit, but it sent a thrill of hope

  through her.

  "It looks like your mother has arrived," said Gregory to

  Maylee. She pulled at the cloth furiously, again feeling it tear a tiny bit.

  "Let's all go say hello," said Gregory.

  * * *

  The crowd behind Angie muttered and looked around. Angie

  and Park kept their focus on the top of the hill. Where Gregory had

  been. A few moments ago, he had stepped out of view. The crowd

  behind Angie grew louder when he returned, looking down at them.

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  Angie held up her hand for the group to be quiet. They were. Rain

  pounded down around them.

  "Ms. Land," shouted Gregory, loud enough to be heard over the

  rain. "So nice to finally meet you."

  "Give us the girl," yelled Angie, spitting out rain as she tilted

  her head back to aim her voice at Gregory. "Then feed these people and

  let them go!"

  The crowd behind her murmured their assent.

  "They were being fed!" yelled Gregory. "At designated times

  and in designated amounts!"

  "You can't treat these people like animals! You can't keep them

  locked in here against their will!" yelled Angie.

  "I can if I know what's best for them!" yelled Gregory. "You

  think you would be a better leader than I am?"

  "I am not their leader!" yelled Angie. "We are just scared

  hungry people who want food and freedom!"

  Gregory laughed. "You organize a mob against me, bring them

  to this place and say you are not their leader? Have you seen what's

  going on outside? People need to be kept in line! They need control!

  Otherwise you have chaos! Those people behind you would storm this

  hill like animals and kill me if you weren't holding them back! Now

  explain to me again how you are not their leader!"

  Angie stared at him through the rain. The people behind her

  muttered, sounding very angry. "He's just trying to confuse the issue,"

  she said to them. Then she raised her voice and yelled back at Gregory.

  "Just give us the girl and some food!"

  "Step down and I will feed you!"

  "Step down? What the hell are you talking about?"

  "Step down and accept my rule!" yelled Gregory.

  "Your rule? This is a fucking zoo! You have lost your mind!"

  Park, who was silent and glaring this whole time, finally spoke

  up. He yelled up the hill at Gregory. "Give me my fucking daughter!"

  "Your daughter?" yelled Gregory. "You mean the one I've been

  raising all these years? The one I've been providing for? Just like I've

  provided for all my citizens here? You think you can just show up now

  and act like you have any say in what I do with my child? With my

  people?"

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  "They are not your people!" yelled Angie.

  * * *

  Maylee stood a few feet behind Gregory, struggling with her

  bonds. Two Keepers stood to either side of her, hands on her shoulders

  and gripping tight. Dalton stood just in front of her, also struggling with

  his bonds. Two Keepers held him in place. She heard Mom's voice

  coming from the bottom of the hill. She heard Gregory shouting down

  at her. She desperately wanted to break free and run to Mom. She felt

  the cloth binding her wrists ripping, but not enough. She bit into her

  gag and pulled.

  Next to her, Lori struggled with her bonds as well. She looked

  so much like Ella, Maylee couldn't look at her very long. It was

  disorienting. Maylee thought she heard groans somewhere behind her

  but there was too much other noise to be sure.

  Gregory turned back to the Keepers holding her and Dalton and

  nodded. The Keepers walked them forward, toward Gregory and the

  edge of the hill. As she passed close to Lori, Maylee heard Lori's bonds

  rip.

  * * *

  The crowd behind Angie was angry. Park was angry. Angie

  didn't know how much longer she could control them. She hated

  thinking about it in those terms.

  Gregory had his back to the crowd, motioning to the Keepers

  behind him. He turned back.

  "Listen!" yelled Angie up at him.

  "No, you listen!" said Gregory, and pulled a bound and gagged

  Maylee into view.

  "Maylee!" yelled Angie, shock jolting through her. Gregory

  reached back and pulled Dalton, also bound and gagged, into view.

  "How in the hell," said Park.

  Angie pushed down her shock and rage, nearly shaking in the

  pounding rain. "If you hurt them when you were kidnapping them, I

  swear to god I'll..."

  "Kidnapping?" said Gregory, laughing. "They came to me! Lee

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  found them not a hundred feet from where I'm standing! Do you see,

  everyone down there? Do you see what a good job Ms. Land does of

  controlling her own?"

  "You son of a whore-sucking bitch!" screamed Angie. "Let

  them go!" Through her rage, Angie thought she heard moans coming

  from somewhere. She couldn't be sure, and she was too angry to focus.

  "Oh I will," said Gregory. "Just as soon as..."

  He fell silent as another young girl ran out onto the ledge. She

  looked just like Ella. Angie knew immediately who it was. The girl was

  pulling torn cloth from her wrists. She wrenched a gag free from her

  mouth.

  "Lori!" yelled Park.

  "Dad!" yelled Lori, screaming down through the rain. "Gregory

  shot Mom! He killed her!"

  "I had to!" yelled Gregory, looking furious that Lori had gotten

  free. "She was bitten! She was sick!"

  "She wasn't! She was fine!" yelled Lori.

  * * *

  Mom looks like something is wrong. She stares blankly at the

  road as she steers the car.

  "Are you okay, Mom?" says Lori.

  "No," says Mom.

  She is silent for a moment, driving. "It's your stepfather, Lori.

  He scares me."

  Lori says nothing. She just watches Mom drive and listens.

  "He's getting paranoid. Paranoid and jealous. He thinks I'm

  having affairs on him. He threatens to stop letting me leave the house.

  He's threatened to hurt me, Lori. To hurt you and your sister."

  * * *

  "She told me he was scaring her!" Lori yelled down the hill.

  "She said he would hurt her and then he did! He killed her!"

  The crowd was silent. Gregory was silent. Rain pounded down.

  Angie was sure she heard groans, coming from all sides.

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  Gregory spoke at a normal level, but his voice carried down the

  hill. "You ungrateful little bitch."

  Then he pulled a revolver from his coat pocket and shot her.

  Lori jerked as the bullet rammed into her back and burst out her chest,

  just below her collar bone. She coughed, blood spraying out into the

  rain, and crumpled to the rocks.

  "No!" yelled Park.

  The crowd around Angie erupted and stormed the hill.

  * * *

  The gunshot startled Maylee so much she jerked her hands free

  of the cloth without noticing it rip. It took her several seconds to realize

  she was free. She saw Lori jerk and crumple. She heard Park yell and

  the crowd roar. All around her the Keepers snapped into position,

  kneeling with rifles aimed at the crowd below.

  She shook herself from her stupor and ran to Dalton. She

  wrenched the cloth from his wrists and pulled the gag from his mouth.

  "Hurry!" she yelled, pulling Dalton with her as she ran back to

  where her bat was propped against a rock. Her plan was to get the bat,

  then run along one of the two walkways that led down the hill. To get

  to Mom. Her brain screamed at her to save Lori, but a sick heaviness in

  her heart told her Lori was gone. Both sisters were lost.

  She ran to her bat, bent down to grab it, and stood, ready to run.

  She stopped, staring.

  A massive group of corpses stumbled toward them. Too many

  to get past. They groaned and jerked through the rain. Keepers, their

  backs to Maylee and Dalton, were firing frantically. The corpses closed

  on them, biting and tearing. Keepers screamed. An old man with long

  gouges down his face bit into a young female Keeper's face. She

  screamed and bucked as bright red blood shot out into the rain. Another

  Keeper was down on his knees, fighting weakly as two fat men bit into

  the top of his head.

  Maylee turned back the way they had come. The Keepers on

  the hill, still oblivious to the corpses coming up behind, were firing

  down the hill. Maylee knew she and Dalton would be pelted with darts

  almost instantly.

  She turned back, gripping her bat and staring grimly through

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  the rain. "Get behind me, Dalton," she said.

  * * *

  Angie climbed over one of the glass fences and dropped into an

  exhibit. Darts flew all around her, thudding into people as they raced

  past her. She looked around for Park. He was off to her right, climbing

  over a different fence, heading in the best straight line he could manage

  to where Lori had fallen. Angie looked up to the top of the hill. She saw

  Maylee and Dalton were free. She saw Maylee backing up, brandishing

  her bat at an approaching mob of corpses.

  "Maylee! Dalton!" she yelled, barely noticing as a dart whipped

  past her cheek and thudded into the torso of a man climbing over the

  fence behind her. The man slumped forward onto the glass. Angie

  turned to help but Maylee was screaming above. She turned back and

  raced across the exhibit, dodging darts as best she could.

  She was heading for the far fence when a shape leapt into view,

  landing in front of her. She stopped, staring. A snow leopard crouched