Chapter 88

It must have been the other feline that Mirko detected, and it was immediately evident that it was not Álvaro. The being fell on the lion a thousandth of a second before it closed the distance that separated me from it with a powerful jump. The being that intercepted him was somewhat smaller, but visibly more agile than a lion, and the roar in its throat sounded very similar to Álvaro’s hisses. That sound sent a shiver down my spine, and I think that for half a second I feared that the panther had escaped from the cage instead of dying.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I ran at full speed toward the hallway again, taking Mirko with me even though the boy was yelling at me that I should go back for his father.

***

We almost crashed into the emergency exit door when two gunshots rang out.

My heart stopped. It couldn’t be.

Mirko began to whimper again, and he let go of my hand but did not retrace his steps; instead, he stayed there, whimpering and trembling,