“No,” Joe finally admitted. He glanced at Hannah, who had her eyes plastered on the ground. “The animals escaped from the zoo.”
“You’re kidding us,” Frank said.
“I’m not.”
“This is awesome!” Kenny couldn’t contain his excitement. “Dad, let’s have a safari hunt right here. I’ve got dibs on a lion. What about you, Owen? What are you gonna shoot?”
“If what he says is right,” Frank cut in, “it’s not only the humans we need to watch out for. It’s the animals too. Am I right, Joe?”
“You’re exactly right. All the bayous around here are like highways for animals. I’d be extra careful because those animals are going to be hungry.”
“Well, you folks be careful and get on back to the stadium. It’s too dark to be outside with a bunch of wild animals roaming around near dinnertime. If you know what I mean.”
Goodbyes were said, handshakes offered, and when Joe, Ethan, and Hannah were out of earshot distance, Hannah said, “Don’t say a word.”
“I don’t have to,” Joe replied. “What’s done is done, and the only thing on my mind is getting back to Lexi.”
“I’m sure she’s okay.”
“Let’s hope so, because if she isn’t, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Chapter 24
The sun had set, and long shadows formed on the interior of NRG Stadium. Each day brought a new set of problems, mainly from the corpses. Hordes of flies swarmed over the bodies, and rats brazenly chewed on exposed flesh during daylight. Lexi had to restrain Oscar from chasing the rats and burning up his precious fat reserves. She was also concerned about diseases rats carried.
She worried about Joe returning. Before he left, he told her he’d be back long before sundown, and for her not to worry.
Easier said than done.
All sorts of thoughts crossed her mind regarding Joe, anywhere from him tripping and breaking a leg to someone hurting him or worse. She had not seen any sign of her mother, nor any of her team. The realization they were all dead was a thought too much to bear.
Lexi kept quiet during the day, knowing bringing unwanted attention to herself was a bad idea. She had only moved from her space behind the counter to use the restroom. She took the opportunity to wash her undergarments and shirt in the sink, using the pink pumper soap in the restroom. She squeezed out as much water as she could then used paper towels to wick away more moisture. They were damp when she put them on. After an hour or so, her body heat had dried them.
Oscar had kept her company during the long day, and she fed him whatever she could find. The hotdogs weren’t refrigerated, and considering the amount of chemicals used for preserving, she figured they were okay for Oscar to eat. He gobbled three of them down before she could take her hand away.
Lexi had no appetite, and even if she did, her mouth hurt too much to eat. She sipped water and a canned coffee drink throughout the day.
Oscar napped a few minutes at a time, and when he wasn’t napping, he was on the alert. Lexi discouraged him from barking by stroking him between his eyes. She discovered he enjoyed being scratched on the flat part of his head, so if he displayed any inclination of barking, she’d calm him by petting him.
Night had fallen, and without any type of light, Lexi closed her eyes and stretched out on the rubber mat. Oscar curled into a ball next to her, tucking his head between his paws.
Lexi rested the best she could, keeping her thoughts positive and off the pain in her jaw. Finding it difficult to sleep, she petted Oscar as she listened to the magnified sounds of muffled talking and clanking somewhere deep in the stadium.
Oscar suddenly raised his head and growled low in his throat. He bared his teeth.
Lexi’s eyes popped open; her ears attuned to the quiet night.
Someone nearby screamed.
A sound like a metal pole bashing concrete resonated along the curved concourse.
Lexi’s heart thumped against her chest.
Oscar stood on all fours, growling.
“Shhh,” Lexi whispered. “Shhh.” She kept stroking Oscar to calm him.
The ruff on his back prickled and an intense shiver captured Lexi.
Call it a sixth sense, intuition, or whatever early humans attained for survival, Lexi was frightened like she had never been before.
From what Joe told her, Oscar was a working dog, trained to sniff out explosives. He was a big, confident dog in the prime of his life, so for him to be on high alert worried Lexi.
The growling intensified.
Suddenly two gray wolves appeared, one larger than the other, and while Lexi had never seen a wolf up close, these were much bigger and more fearsome than any dog. These were hunters, intelligent, and could easily kill a full-grown unarmed man.
Oscar was a protector, not a hunter, and his instincts indicated these wolves were hungry and ready to kill.
Adrenaline raced through Lexi’s body, her heart pounding, her focus heightened. She slowly reached for the metal bar Joe left her, holding it in a white-knuckled grip.
The wolves circled the bar, each one flanking the escape route on the two ends of the wooden bar.
Oscar faced one wolf, Lexi the other. She had no concept of time, of the ache in her jaw, of her career, of the ones she loved, only the ingrained sense of self-preservation.
The wolf facing Oscar stepped closer. Oscar held his ground. He growled and showed a set of impressive canines. The wolf showed no sign of intimidation, only the steely gaze of an animal preying on one of lesser stature.
Lexi held the metal bar in front of her, jabbing it towards the wolf. “Get out of here!” she yelled in her
