Tom broke through the barricade, shoving past officers. His voice cracked as he screamed, “Don’t shoot!” He waved his arms wildly, drawing every gaze. “Please, she’s not attacking—she’s searching!” The crowd roared in protest, police lunged to restrain him, but Tom stood firm, planting himself between rifles and the lion.
The chief snarled into his radio, “Get him out of there!” But Tom’s eyes never left Sahara. He saw her trembling legs, the wound on her shoulder, the desperation in her stare. “She wants her sister,” he shouted. “If you kill her now, you’re killing the bond that brought her back.”