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A tiger roared in the distance, and Paradise turned her attention that direction. She couldn’t see the big cats from the porch,

and that was a good thing. The sun touched the landscape with a warm glow of orange and gold. Her headache was mostly gone,

but she still felt a little dizzy and disoriented. The doctor had said that sensation would pass.

“That was Hez on the phone,” Blake said.

She listened to him recount the news about finder’s fees and questionable practices. “So it could be anyone in the area doing

this.”

“Maybe. Hez is concerned about the attacks being so clearly targeted at me. He wanted me to think about any enemies from my

past.”

“Your mom and I were talking about that too.”

He sent a crooked grin her way. “Uh-oh. It’s always dangerous when the women in a guy’s life gang up on him.”

Warmth spread up her chest. He considered her a woman in his life. “She said there was an incident in Afghanistan that still bothered you. Could you have an enemy from there? I don’t know details, and maybe you don’t want to talk about it, but I thought you should at least consider it.”

He rubbed a crease between those clear blue eyes. “She knows I don’t like to talk about it. I lost my best friend that day.”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

He turned a vulnerable gaze her way and said nothing for a long moment. Then he sighed, hunching his shoulders. “Maybe it

would help to talk about it. Kent was a fellow medic. He was on his way to attend to injuries in a car crash. He was tending

to a woman and a bomb went off in a vest she wore under her clothes.”

Paradise winced. How could a suicide bomber look someone in the eye and detonate a bomb?

Blake’s eyes were haunted and in a faraway place. “He wasn’t killed but extremely critical. He was going to lose at least

one leg, but he required plasma as soon as I got the bleeding stopped. He was blood type O positive and I gave him AB negative.

He had a major hemolytic transfusion reaction. His kidneys failed, and he died.” Blake released a pained sigh.

Tears filled her eyes, and she reached over to hold his hand. “You were trying to save his life. It could have happened to

anyone in the frantic push to save him.”

“Another medic had brought the bags of blood to me, but I should have double-checked labels. It wasn’t until I was removing

the bag to give him another unit that I realized the error. I did everything I could to save him but failed.”

“It sounds like he might have died no matter what you did.” She wished she could offer more comfort than holding his hand.

“There’s no way of knowing for sure, but he was my friend and I failed him.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose.

She clung to his hand more tightly. “I’m sorry, Blake. I can tell you loved him. It doesn’t sound like you made any enemies from that.”

He lowered his head and shook it. “His twin brother would fit that bill. He was there and saw what happened. I receive angry

letters from him about every three months. He’s still in a lot of pain.”

“Have you ever talked to the medic who brought you the wrong bags in the first place? Does he get letters too?”

“I’ve never asked. Ultimately, it was my fault. I don’t blame him for making a mistake in the heat of the battle.”

“And you shouldn’t blame yourself either. The same circumstances apply to you too. I wish you could forgive yourself as easily

as your God forgives you.”

He lifted his head. “The unbeliever is advising me on God’s nature?”

She freed his hand. “I know there’s a God. I’m just reluctant to trust him after the things he let me go through.”

“I wish you could see yourself the way I do. Those struggles you’ve endured have made you strong. A warrior really. You’ve

been able to stand on your own and forge your course. That’s remarkable when you think about the challenges you’ve overcome

to do it. I believe God was loving you, steering you, even when you didn’t sense him there.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because I prayed for him to be with you all these years.”

Her eyes filled with tears again. She’d blamed him, raged inside at his betrayal. Yet he’d kept her in his heart and had prayed

for her. Was he right? Had God been there waiting for her to hear his voice, sense his love for her? She wanted to believe

that, but something in her warred with lowering her guard enough to accept it.

“Thank you for praying.” She rose. “I’m going to grab my computer and try to find Kent’s brother. Do you know where he lives?” Ignoring the disappointment in his face, she rushed inside and grabbed her laptop from the bedroom before rejoining him.

She plopped beside him again and opened her laptop. “What’s his name? I’ll check socials first.”

“Clark Reynolds.”

Her fingers paused. “You’re kidding. Clark and Kent for twins?”

He grinned. “Kent said his dad was a huge Superman fan. The twins always liked it.”

She resumed her search. “This has to be him. Superman Clark Reynolds.” She turned the laptop around for Blake to see the guy’s

picture.

His gaze clung hungrily to the photo. “That’s him. He and Kent were identical.”

She went back to the profile. “He lives in Mobile.”

“They were originally from Indiana. The last I heard Clark was in Atlanta.”

“Well, he’s right down the road now. He could be behind all this. I think we need to talk to him. You game?”

Blake’s nod was slow in coming. “I should do it alone in case he pulls a gun. I don’t want you in harm’s way.”

“You’re not going alone, and that’s final. Tomorrow is Sunday. Let’s go after church.”

“You going with us tomorrow?”

She hesitated before giving her own slow nod. “If you prayed for me all this time, I think I’d better say thank you.”

What had she just gotten herself into?

***

The aroma of fried chicken made Paradise’s mouth water. “I’ll go help your mom with dinner. I’m a little sore but I’m feeling

much better.” She stopped and tipped her head to one side. “Have you seen the boys? They sure are quiet.”

Blake frowned and leaped up. “That’s never a good sign.”

She followed him inside where they found Jenna, face red and perspiring, standing at the stove flipping chicken in the skillet.

“Dinner will be done in a few. You might get the boys to wash their hands.”

“Where are they? I haven’t heard a peep,” Blake said.

“Still in their room.”

Paradise went to the wall of cabinets while Blake left the room. “I’ll set the table while Blake grabs the boys.”

Jenna shook her head. “You just got clocked by an iron, Paradise. You’re supposed to be resting.”

“The lavender made me good as new.” She touched the lump on her face. “Well, except for my face.”

“You’re beautiful. No bruise can change that.”

Paradise shook her head at Jenna’s comment and focused on her task. The chicken would go nicely with the blue plates, so she

took down the plates and put them in their places around the table.

Blake reappeared. “Levi is reading, but Isaac isn’t there. I checked all the bedrooms and the bathroom.”

“Check the back. Maybe he went out to play in the new sand I had delivered for their sandbox. They’re supposed to tell me

if they’re going outside, but sometimes they forget, especially Isaac.” Jenna turned off the burner.

Paradise went to the back door and out onto the deck. Jenna and Blake followed. The green space was empty of a towheaded little boy, and her gut clenched. She and Blake had been on the front porch for an hour, and Isaac had been on the bed coloring. He hadn’t gone out past them.

She spied an upside-down pail by the fence and went to check it out. A child-sized bare footprint marred the top with traces

of red mud. “Blake, I think he climbed the fence.”

The boys were never allowed out of the yard alone. While the protocols for the enclosures were tight, Jenna rightly didn’t

allow them too close to any of the animals without adult supervision. Paradise tried to assure herself the little guy couldn’t

wander into danger, but her heart didn’t believe it. The sabotage Blake had discovered was probably targeted at him, but it

left everyone vulnerable—especially the children.

“Let’s split up and find him,” Blake said. “He loves the otters. I’ll check there first.”

“And the beavers,” Jenna said. “Paradise, would you stay here with Levi in case Isaac comes back on his own?”

Paradise wanted to be out searching too, but she nodded. “I’ll take care of him.”

The darkness swallowed up their figures as they raced off calling Isaac’s name. Paradise jogged back inside and peered in

on Levi, who closed his book. “Want to help find Isaac? Does he hide in here anywhere?”

Levi scrambled off the bed. “Sometimes he likes to play in Blake’s apartment. He likes to watch out the window. I’ll show

you.”

They hadn’t checked the apartment, so she followed the little boy out the front to the garage and climbed the stairs to the

apartment. The door was closed but not locked. A thorough search didn’t turn up Isaac.

She took Levi’s hand and went back down to the porch. “Any other ideas where he might hide? Did he say anything before he

left you?”

Levi thought for a moment, then frowned. “He said he was working on a present for Tigey.”

The white tiger was named Tigris but called Tigey by the staff. She was a sanctuary favorite, but the little guy wouldn’t

go to the tiger enclosure by himself, would he? And even if he did, there was no danger. The security around the big cats

was extensive, and he’d never get past the gate.

“He said Tigey had babies, but I told him that was silly and not true. You don’t think he went to see for himself, do you?”

Her heart sank. “I sure hope not.” She pulled out her phone and tried to call Blake, but his phone went off on the porch.

He must have laid it down without thinking. When she tried Jenna, it went to voice mail. She sometimes had her phone switched

off and she might not have realized it.

She took Levi by the hand. “Let’s just walk that way. Maybe we’ll find him along the route.”

But hopefully, Jenna had found him gawking at the beavers and just hadn’t been able to call. Levi held her hand as they walked

through the landscape lights along the path. As they neared the tiger enclosure, she heard a tiger chuff, a typical welcoming

sound they used in various ways. Sometimes it was a welcome to a trainer, sometimes it was a noise asserting their right of

territory when they were swapped out of enclosures.

She hoped the tiger was reacting to their approach, but a fist formed in her gut at the soft sound. “Isaac!” she called.

“I’m here, Paradise.” His small voice came from ahead. “Levi was right—Tigey doesn’t really have any babies.”

The bottom dropped out of her stomach. He’s in the tiger enclosure.

She gripped Levi’s shoulder. Blake was likely the closest. “Levi, go to the otter enclosure and get Blake. Don’t stop along the way anywhere and don’t try to go in any gates. Get Blake and bring him back.”

“Is the tiger going to eat Isaac?” His voice trembled.

“No, I’m going to go get him, but I need Blake.” She gave Levi a quick push. “Run as fast as you can.”

He sprinted away from the big cat enclosures toward the river enclosures. The white tiger tensed and watched him go as if

she would like to leap. Paradise couldn’t breathe, could barely think as she approached the enclosure and studied Isaac sitting

in the dirt near the big white tiger.

The tigers here had been raised from kittens and socialized with the trainers who went in with them every day, but Isaac was

small. He was prey size and a succulent morsel for the tiger, whose tail was lashing back and forth.

Not a good sign.

And she had to go into the inner enclosure and save him. “Isaac, I want you to get up. Don’t run and don’t try to play with

Tigey. Keep your face turned toward her and back away toward the gate. I’m coming inside the perimeter gate. I’ll open it

and grab you, okay?”

“Okay. She won’t hurt me though. She likes me.”

A desperate prayer surged into her heart. God, if you’re there, we need you big-time here. I need you. Please, please help.

***

When Blake hadn’t found Isaac at the otter enclosure or heard that his mother had located him, the first niggle of concern

shivered up his spine. Where could he be?

He thought to call his mom, then realized he hadn’t brought his phone. Maybe she’d found him but couldn’t call. They should have coordinated. He cupped his hands around his mouth when he reached the bird aviary. “Isaac!”

A startled flutter of wings from the aviary was the only answer. He’d circle back to the house in case his mother hadn’t taken

her phone with her either. Maybe they were all safe and sound waiting on him.

He stopped and shook his head. No, she would have rushed home to call him if she’d found Isaac and didn’t have her phone.

If she tried his number, it would have rung on the front porch, and she would be out searching for him now so that he knew.

He turned back to the otter enclosure. Could his little brother have gotten inside the otter building? It was all locked up,

but Isaac was resourceful. Blake patted his pocket for his key and approached the low-slung concrete building. He inserted

the key but stopped and turned at the sound of a small voice calling his name. “Isaac?”

The figure came into view under a wash of lights. “It’s me.” Levi’s eyes were wide with horror. “You have to come now! Isaac

is in with Tigey, and Paradise is going inside after him.” His brother threw himself against Blake’s legs and sobs erupted

from him. “The tiger will eat them both!”

A shot of pure terror shot down Blake’s spine. He scooped up Levi and raced toward the tiger enclosure.