The afternoon exploded with the sounds of animals on the attack. The panthers went after T.C. on the car, causing the man to scream and jump to the hard-shell top of the Lincoln, while the wolf and bear charged Chris, who stumbled backwards, falling to his ass on the hard ground. Rance watched as the kid crab-walked backwards until he hit the trunk of an oak. The tigers prowled the perimeter, just in case the men slipped past the others, which Lainie highly doubted. T.C. jumped into the air, trying to reach a branch to climb up on, forgetting, she supposed, that panthers could climb trees. Chris had tears streaking down his face and a giant wet spot on the front of his pants. If he could shove himself through the tree he had backed against, he would, to avoid the bear that roared at him. B
