Feral Cats

The sun burst into the room as the shades flew open. I placed a palm over my eyes for protection and peered outside. Since I had the best vantage point from my three story home I had been voted official "Lookout".

I squinted as the overgrown bushes across the street wiggled. It had been a long time since any of the foliage around the neighborhood had been trimmed. Each yard sported knee-high grass that was worthy of a scene in a B horror movie. It was hard to get out and take care of your property these days without risking life and limb.

The bushes jiggled again and I pressed my face against the cool glass, waiting. Sure enough, King pushed through the leaves and strutted onto the sidewalk. His muscles rippled with each step and his thick mane shook as he paused to roar. I was pretty certain he knew we were watching and was trying to show off.

Behind him trailed his brothers, not-so-affectionately named Killer and Bruiser. I frowned as Bruiser cuffed his littermate. He'd been the one that had tackled Eugene the week before. Marcus and Danny had gotten off a shot and the wild cat had bounced away in fear, but not before Eugene was thoroughly mauled. Sylvia and her kids were still in mourning over their loss.

I lifted a walkie-talkie to my mouth, "Base to Marcus."

"Go ahead," a voice hissed back over the static.

"They're out," I whispered. King took that moment to glance up at me, giving me the creepy feeling that he knew I was talking about him.

"Let us know if they come back our way," Marcus said.

"Will do. Clear."

"Clear."

Killer and Bruiser had started a tussle in the middle of the street. They rolled head-over-paws on the broken asphalt and crushed the weeds that had sprouted in the middle of the road. A self-satisfied grin spread across my face.

"Go on, boys. Enjoy your playtime," I smirked, "Live it up now while you can!"

King snarled at his brothers and the two stood and shook their manes before hanging their heads with a sheepish expression on their broad faces. When they started down the street I jerked the walkie to my mouth again, nearly punching my bottom lip in my haste.

"Base to Tiff!"

"Go 'head," Tiff mumbled. I rolled my eyes as I imagined her speaking around her second breakfast. That girl was always eating. If we didn't have a grocery store stocked with an unlimited supply of food, she would have eaten us out of house and home by now.

"They're heading your way."

"Who?"

I groaned before pushing the call button. "The lions, Tiff! They're heading your direction!"

"Oh, right. So I'm supposed'ta..." She cut herself off before I could catch the rest of her sentence but I had a good idea of what she was going to say.

"Yes, Tiff. Tell Beth to let the bait loose!"

"M'k."

"Clear!" I snapped, ending the transmission.

From the corner of my eye I saw movement. I watched as the gate from the backyard three houses down opened and a goat bounced forward. Three shaggy heads jerked to attention as the goat pranced across the road.

It was the strangest thing, the way the three male lions hunted together. I had snagged all the books on the great cats from the library before it became unsafe to travel far and had learned the females were supposed to be the hunters. The male lion's abnormal behavior had been a source of great debate in our little group. We eventually came to the conclusion that when a species is genetically tweaked, they become unpredictable.

King's muscles bunched as he launched himself after the goat. His brothers followed close behind. I breathed a sigh of relief. The distraction would give the guys a chance to hunt down the rest of the pride.

"Marcus to Base," Marcus' voice crackled over the walkie-talkie.

"Go ahead," I said, watching as Killer and Bruiser flicked their tales and disappeared into the Johnson's old yard.

"We have a little problem here," Marcus' voice warbled. My heart lurched in my chest at the sound of fear in his voice.

"What...what is it?"

"The pride is bigger than we estimated..."

I swallowed down my own fear and glanced at the shotgun leaning against the corner of the room, "Do you need backup?"

"Affirmative. And, uh, make sure you come in the jeep."

My finger hovered over the call button, ready to confirm when he buzzed in again.

"We're up a tree in Central Park. Make sure you bring some bait or we'll never get down. They, uh, have us surrounded."

"I'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail," I grinned.

"Very funny," Marcus' voice sounded strained, "Just...hurry up, will ya? King could return at any moment and you know how he likes to climb..."

"I'm on my way," I assured him, "Clear."

"Clear."

I stuffed the walkie in my vest pocket and grabbed the gun. Snagging the keys from the bowl on the kitchen counter and a package of steaks from the fridge, I let myself into the garage and crawled into the jeep. The engine roared to life, the automatic garage door opened, and I backed out...right into the path of King and his brothers.

King roared back at the jeep and jumped on the hood. I slowly shifted into drive, my eyes fixed on his, and stomped on the accelerator. His claws scrabbled on the hood before he fell off with a thud.

The lions snarled as they chased me down the street like a cat after a mouse. I grumbled from behind clenched teeth, "This is why you don't feed the ferals!"


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