Leopard 03 - Burning Wild

supposed to happen. I’m sorry, Kyle. I should have . . .” He shook his head and pulled the boy tight to his chest, holding him against his heart. “You’re safe now, son.” He kissed the top of Kyle’s head and nuzzled the thick hair with his chin, murmuring soothing nonsense, almost unbelieving that he had his son safe in his arms.
    Kyle flung his arms around his father’s neck and buried his face against his throat. Jake reached out and swept Emma beneath his arm as well, and they all knelt in the grass and clung to one another, weeping. It was Emma who finally lifted her head and tried to be practical.
    “We have to get Kyle out of the storm, Jake. How are we getting home?”
    Jake rubbed his face over Kyle’s hair one more time, inhaling him, just thankful he was alive. He sighed and made his mind focus on the plan already in place. “We stash clothes in various places.
    Conner is gathering some for us while Joshua runs back to the ranch to get a truck. He’ll be here as soon as he can to take us home.”
    “The ranch hands will be edgy,” Emma said, anxious for Joshua’s safety. “If they spot a leopard, they’ll shoot him.”
    “No one will spot Joshua,” Jake assured her. “Not until he wants to be seen.”
    “What are we going to tell the police?” Emma didn’t have to ask what had happened to the enemies or Trent. “They’re powerful people. They can’t just disappear.”
    “Leopards attacked the horses. They must have come from a private collector or a ranch illegally raising wild animals for hunters and somehow they escaped. The storm must have made them a little crazy.”
    “I read that things like that can happen—that wild animals are very affected by storms,” Emma agreed.
    “And certainly everyone knows of those awful breeding programs.”
    Jake nodded. “We do get edgy.” He managed a small grin. “And moody. You and Drake rushed to save the horses, along with the grandparents and our good friend Trent who was visiting at the time along with their bodyguard. The leopards attacked you and Drake. Drake’s injuries were so severe we called in our pilot in the midst of a terrible storm.”
    “Which we did have to do,” Emma said. “That can be proved and our wounds are consistent with a leopard attack. Do you think Drake will be all right?”
    “I had an orthopedic surgeon in place already to check out his leg. I found one who has a history with the leopard species. He thinks he can fix Drake’s leg so he can shift again. The wound forced the surgery forward, and maybe complicated it, but at least we already had the right doctor. Winston was meeting him at the hospital. I paid him enough money to continue his research for some time in order to make certain he takes very good care of Drake. The amount of money a success with Drake generates will be more than enough incentive to ensure that Drake not only lives, but that his leg will be one hundred percent.”
    Emma closed her eyes briefly in relief. “I’ve been so worried for him I was afraid to even think about him.”
    “The rest of the story will be that Kyle was attacked in our absence and the grandparents, along with Trent and the bodyguard, hunted the leopards. Kyle has bruises and puncture wounds, as well as skinned heels from being dragged.” Jake rocked Kyle gently, soothing himself more than the boy, wanting to hold his son forever, never to let him out of his sight. The boy’s soft weeping had stopped and he appeared to have gone to sleep, exhausted by his ordeal. “By the time we arrived, the leopards had mauled and killed them and we shot the leopards. We did burn the leopard carcasses, of course. All wounds will be consistent with leopard attacks.”
    “Do you honestly think they’ll buy it?”
    “What else could have happened? We have wounded and dead horses. We have Drake in surgery and you and Kyle alive with very evident wounds, and four dead human bodies, three killed together and one off by itself, dragged from a tree by a leopard from behind, all with wounds consistent with a leopard attack. They’ll believe it. They won’t be so happy we burned the leopard carcasses, but they’ll be very understanding with a man who just lost his parents. Every hand on the ranch will back up the story because they already believe it.”
    “I just want to go home, Jake,” Emma said. “I’m exhausted and still upset and I want to see Andraya.
    Susan’s father should be called and she’ll need