No one moved, spoke, and they tried to breath as little as possible. They kept looking around, doing so without turning their heads, and listening for anything that sounded out of place. At first there was nothing, not even the usual night sounds – even the wind had stopped as if too fearful to blow any longer. Time slowly passed, then Jafaru moved, taking half a step before stopping and looking around – this time moving his head. As if it had been waiting for him to move, there came the noise of something walking toward them off to their left. Nate, able to see the man in the star light, watched as Jafaru clenched his rifle in a death grip and turned his head toward the movement – the moment he did they heard something moving to their right. The grass stirred gently as the blades were pushed aside and against each other. “They come,” Jafaru said in a voice so low it was hard to hear him – though at the same time it sounded unnaturally loud. Nate placed his finger on the trigger of his pistol and felt his whole body stiffen. He knew the 357 was not very powerful and doubted it would do no more then anger the beasts even more. He held his breath and listened while his heart raced faster with each passing second. Time seemed to stand still for awhile, then suddenly it picked up with Jafaru swung his rifle into the air, yelled like a mad man, and fired it off. Once he had shot off the two bullets he grabbed his pistol and began to shoot, yelling for Nate and Jeremy to do likewise. Nate was not sure he could fire – Jafaru's sudden yelling had nearly stopped his heart. However, he pointed the 357 into the air and began to shoot while Jeremy did the same with his gun. Not sure what to expect, Nate turned his head and looked into the grass at his left. He felt his heart drop into his boots when he caught sight of a pair of eyes, reflecting an odd yellow in the star light. At his side, Red Baron suddenly lay down and Nate swung his pistol down and aimed for those terrible eyes but was too slow. Before he had a chance to fire they vanished into the darkness around them, fading as if they had never been there at all. Yet, there could be no denying it and Nate knew he would never forget the color – nor the unnatural largeness of them. He was certain that had been no lion. (Predator on the Plains, Book Seven in the Misadventures with the Marshalls Series)