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“Dunno,” Davey shrugged, knocking back his drink.

“He could smell him,” Steph said.

The others all turned to look at her. She didn’t look up. She just stared into the bottom of her glass.

“When we first arrived, it must have picked up our scent. Probably changed its plan right there and then.”

Martina laughed. Even Michael frowned.

“I’m sorry, what exactly do you think you were dealing with?” Martina said. “It is an oversized cat – a primitive cat at that – and not some neurologically superior super killer!”

Steph still did not look up.

“I am not saying that. I am saying that it knew enough. There was enough in the memory to trigger a change in choice. It can make choices. Even the more simple-minded of creatures can make choices. It scented a target it recognised, calculated based on previous experience that it was an easier meal, and went for it.”

“But then how did you miss it?” Kelvin asked, turning to look at her. “How is it that you didn’t see it first?”

It was Michael who answered.

“We went one way around the bison to try and change the fact we were upwind of it, and it must have gone the other way because it was already downwind.”

Steph raised her eyebrows and nodded. It was that moment she chose to take a sip of the whisky. She shuddered. It was quite revolting. She took another sip before continuing.

“What is less clear is why Daniel was outside of the buggy. Had he stayed inside, he might have survived due to the protective bars. It doesn’t make sense that he stepped out.”

Martina shifted in her seat slightly. Kelvin flicked his eyes to her briefly. It was enough. Steph might have missed it with her eyes down, but she suddenly heard Davey pipe up.

“What? What do you know?”

Steph looked up. Davey was staring at Martina.

Matina looked at Kelvin. Kelvin looked back out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. She sighed, almost growled.

“I asked Daniel what was going on. You guys were not picking up.”

“Right. We were using common sense there; it’s hard to sneak up on a creature when you’re shooting the breeze with someone over the radio!” Davey replied.

Martina ignored his tone. “We were worried as it had been a while and had heard nothing.”

Kelvin shifted slightly but did not look around.

“It started to feel as if it wasn’t going to plan.”

“You can say that again!” Michael whispered, getting up to pour himself another drink before topping up Steph’s and Davey’s.

“Daniel said he would go and find you.”

“What?” Steph spat.

“You should have told him not to!” Davey snapped.

“I did… at first.”

“What do you mean ‘at first’?” Davey asked, his voice lowering to a dangerous level.

“He insisted,” Martina said. “How was I meant to stop him? Besides, both he and I had concerns over the lion.”

“What do you mean by that?”