Night fell over Maplewood, silent but tense. The floodlights buzzed faintly, washing the empty paths in pale white. Inside the viewing corridor, Ethan stood with two keepers and the vet.
The vet steadied a tranquilizer rifle. “Low dose first,” she murmured. Lily and Caleb watched from behind the glass, the girl’s small hands trembling.
“Easy shot,” Ethan whispered. The dart fired clean—but the moment it hit the dirt, Shira erupted. Her roar cracked through the night like thunder. “Back!” Ethan shouted.
Dust filled the air, the light flickering wildly. Then, as suddenly as it began, Shira stopped—her gaze fixed on something deep in the shadows, unseen by anyone else.
