Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden Read Free Book Online Page A

above his eyebrow, Brad replied with a wink, “Not much. You can handle it.”
    A smile played on her lips, and he knew he’d get his way.
    A low rumbling struck his chest, and Brad jerked his head up to look out the window. He expected a low-rider to come by on the street with its bass turned up to the max. The table started to shake and the glass wall quivered.
    Brad frowned and pushed back his chair. The rumbling became nearly all he could hear. Clarissa stood next to him and put her hand in his. He took it without a thought. Behind them, the barista squealed, and something made of glass shattered. The manager came out of his office and yelled a curse.
    “Is it an earthquake?” Clarissa leaned hard against Brad’s shoulder.
    “Earthquakes don’t make noise like this.”
    A man in a suit ran past the glass doors, swinging a briefcase behind him. A lion-like creature dodged the briefcase and gained on the man. Clarissa’s vise-like grip became painful, but Brad didn’t move. He clenched his fists and watched the dog-sized lion grab the man by the back of the thigh and pull him down. When the man hit the ground, the creature jumped on his back and bit his shoulder.  The lion twisted its head and considered Brad and Clarissa. Blood dripped from its jaw. It studied them for a moment before it turned and ran away.
    “What was that?” The Starbucks manager came up to the window and threw his hands on his hips. His nametag said his name was Steve.
    Speechless, Brad shook his head and tried to make sense of what had just happened. Nausea welled up in his chest, burning his esophagus. Motion sickness. Had to be the constant vibration. The monotonous rumble had a deafening effect. He stepped forward, trying unsuccessfully to extract himself from Clarissa’s claws.
    The manager reached the glass doors and peered out onto the street. He eyed the man who’d been injured by the alien lion and yelled back to the barista, “Hey, Susie! You better call 911!”
    Brad glanced back. The barista sat, balled on the floor in front of the counter, crying and hugging her knees. She didn’t even respond to the manager’s command. Brad reached into his back pocket, pulling away from Clarissa. Even though her face showed no expression, she loosened her grip.
    Pulling out his Blackberry, he dialed. After one ring, an operator picked up. “911 emergency. This is Lisa, how can I help you?”
    “Hi Lisa, I don’t know how to explain this, but we just witnessed an attack on man by a…I don’t know a lion or something.”
    “What is your name, sir?”
    “Brad Harris.”
    “And your location?”
    “We are at the Starbucks on Massachusetts Avenue, near the Capitol in D.C.”
    “Do you have an exact address?”
    Brad called over to the manager whose hands never left his hips as he stared into the street, obviously too scared to open the door. “Hey, what’s the street address?”
    “5142,” the manager answered, placing a hand on the handle and inching the door open.
    Brad repeated the number.
    Another, slightly bigger lion-dog rounded the corner and came for the glass doors.
    Clarissa screamed.
    The manager pulled the door closed and flicked the deadbolt. He backed up so fast that he tripped over a chair and tumbled to the floor.
    Clarissa grabbed him, screaming in his ear and digging her nails into his arm. Brad’s heart raced. His breath quickened. He gritted his teeth.
    They all needed to stay calm.
    The lion creature regarded them all through the glass and then turned its head and rushed down the street.
    “Sir? Sir?”
    Brad remembered Lisa on the phone just as Clarissa receded into whimpering.
    “Yes, I’m still here,” he said.
    “What just happened, sir?”
    “Another of those lion things just passed in front of the window.”
    “Okay, sir. I’ve got medical personnel en route. Please stay on the line. I’m going to ask you to remain inside at this time until things get under control.”
    “Okay.”
    “Can you