Anni sulked in her cage as she was taken back to the same place it all began. She curled up in the corner, hugging her knees, tears streaming her face, and began to sniffle.
"I messed everything up...I'm gonna die and it's all my fault…" Anni mumbled to herself. She buried her face in her knees, silently crying. Nothing was heard but her cries. Then she suddenly heard a gasp. She quickly crawled out of her corner and looked around.
"Wha-what's happening…" Anni asked. She leaned around to try and listen for the gasp.
"It's the elder...Something's wrong with him…" a familiar voice rang. Anni knew it was the jaguar that was with the elder panther. The gasping was coming from below her, so Anni laid down and leaned her ear to listen to the gasping.
"Oh man now what is this crazy cat gasping about?" a gruff voice asked
"Listen to him Jaxton, something's wrong…." the panther told him.
"The man that kills the animals will be gone tonight…" the elder panther spoke broadly
"Gone…" Anni whispered.
"But he will pick out others that will be gone with him...But the price he will pay will be even bigger…" He continued. "Sadly the animals that he'll pick out, will perish no matter what…"
Anni's eyes widened. "I knew it...I'm gonna die…" the cub began to sob once more. "My circus is gonna forget me when they leave and I'll die…" Anni knew she had to assume the worst.
"Wait wait wait...Say that again kid…" the younger panther said.
"What?" Anni asked
"You said something about a circus...what was it…"
"I was saying my circus is going to leave me…"
"Yeah yeah yeah...I heard a circus was in Dubai and it was going to go to Asia for a tour…" She heard another voice. It sounded smoother and more feminine
"Oh come on Iris...Dubai's farther away from here...The kid is never going to make it…"
"He's right...What's the point...I messed up everything and I'm going to be a liguar skin….I'm gonna die…" then She felt something kick her cage from under her.
"Don't you give up now...Your family might still be looking for you…"
"What if they've given up by now...Skipper said it himself the show must go on...All I've done is make a mess out of things...and now I'm gonna pay the price…" Anni was about to give up until she heard the slow breathing of the elder jaguar once more
"My granddaughter Iris is right you know...the panther that is right beside me...You have a home to go to, ours was taken away...You still have that fire in you wanting to go home...After all, you've been through...you managed to evade him but you didn't do it alone…"
"No...My human friend Eva helped me...She has it out for him for killing her dog…" Anni moped.
"Ah yes...Lulu…" the elder said. "I saw a black-haired girl playing with the poor puppy… but she went to the wrong place at the wrong time and the poor pup became skin...I'm sure by now the girl was embittered by the incident…"
"Eva was right…" Anni whispered to herself.
"So I know you are part lion kid...is that lion in you willing to give up on your family...your friends and possibly a home…Are you going to go down without a fight," Iris asked her
Anni began to put some thought into it and began to realize that they were right. She had the bravery and the determination to get away from Bont and She began to shake her head
"No...I'm not willing to give up...my family didn't give up on me and I'm not going to give up on them…" Anni declared.
"That's the spirit" the elder cheered. Then the door suddenly opened and out stepped Bont with that large knife in his hands. He smiled evilly, which was something Anni didn't like. She immediately backed away as soon as the knife hit the bars. It was the clinking sound of unlocking deaths' door.
"Furs Furs Furs...how about a beautiful liguar's fur…" He unlocked Anni's cage and took the poor cub out. "You thought you could escape from me...you just thought wrong deary...Now you're going to be my finished collection of liguar fur."
Anni was terrified but then saw a tank of snakes looking at her and she glanced back at him.
"No I'm NOT…" then Anni slashed him on the cheek, making him release her and she ran. He groaned painfully. The small cub then leaped onto the table where the snakes were and she tossed them and found tranquilizers and some keys
"You little...brat...You little feline warthog…" then the snakes began to coil around his ankles, preventing him from moving. Then She took one of the tranquilizer darts and stuck one of them in his neck. He didn't give up his rampage and she frantically placed more tranquilizer darts on his body until he began to slowly faint and fall to the ground.
"That should do it...Can you please unlock the door for the others…" Anni asked. The snakes took the keys and unlocked the cages for the other animals.
"Nice going Kid…" the white tiger Jaxton nodded at her.
"Now all we have to do is get a set of wheels…" Iris said.
"Ooh ooh...Wheels Wheels…" the deranged lion pointed outside where he saw a parked tour bus.
"That's perfect Leo…" Iris patted Leo's back. Then the animals raced toward the bus scaring everyone nearby, making them retreat.
"Wait...what are we going to do with him…" the female white tiger pointed. Then Anni looked around and spotted some rope and she tied him to his chair and she ran off to the bus with the others.
"Okay...Where is that circus performing kid…" Jaxton asked
"I don't know...All I know is that they are performing in Dubai…" Anni told him
"There's gotta be a stadium somewhere...there...the Dubai stadium…" The white tigress looked up
"Nice working Lisa…" then Jaxton got the keys and started to drive the bus.
"I'm on my way guys...just please don't leave without me…" Anni whispered to herself as they continued along the road. Little did they know Dr. Bont got out of his restraints and quietly pursued them by motorcycle
Meanwhile back at the circus, everyone was getting prepared for the show in Dubai. AJ, Gio, and Maddy gathered around in a huddle.
"I say we look for Anni ourselves…" Maddy proposed.
"I don't know about this…" AJ was nervous.
"Are you seriously giving up on your own sister…"
"No, we didn't say that at all...It's just that out there is the easiest place for animals like us to get lost…" Gio defended
"Fine then, I'll go myself...If you both lack courage…" then Gio turned sharply to her.
"Courage…"
"Gio...I'm not giving up on Anni….I'm going with you…" AJ told Maddy. Gio grimaced and stepped forward.
"Alright...We should take a compass with us...The stadium here would be north and Anni would be heading at least south from her, heading this way." Maddy analyzed.
"Nice thinking…" AJ said, taking the compass.
The trio of kids looked both ways and began to run out of the tent in search of the missing liguar
Meanwhile, Eva drove nonstop trying to get to Anni, and then saw the bus drive by with a bunch of animals with it.
"A bus with animals...Anni…" then Eva began to drive after her and then saw Bont riding beside her, but luckily he didn't see her.
"Oh no...I gotta warn those guys…." Eva said out loud. Before she could honk her horn at the bus, Bont rammed her from behind and then the girl honked the horn at him.
Anni heard the commotion and ran to the back of the bus and saw the two cars fighting.
"Isn't that….Eva…" She whispered to herself. "Guys...Bont is after us…"
"How did he get out…" Jaxton perked up along with his mate. Then Anni turned back to see Bont popping his face at her, making her scream.
"Iris...Get the child and keep her safe…" the elder panther instructed. Iris took Anni in her arms and held her. Then they heard a crash as they felt something go flat on the bus and the vehicle began to slow down.
"Flat flat...huh flat tire…" Leo pointed down.
"Brace yourselves guys…" Jaxton yelled as the speeding vehicle came to a complete stop.
"Oh man oh man oh man...what are we going to do?" A beaver panicked
Jaxton went over to the panicking beaver
"Lucky, do you think we can still drive it?" Jaxton asked
"On what the rims?" Lucky replied
"Can we drive this bus or what?"
"We can't make it at least two feet, what do you want me to do about it…" then the animals slowly looked at the back of the bus and saw Dr. Bont looking at them. All of the animals ran to the front of the bus.
"What does he want…" then they saw Bont staring at them evilly
"Is the doctor looking at me?" Leo questioned. Then the doctor pulled out his knife and looked at the deranged lion and he ducked out of the way.
Then Bont looked at Lucky who pointed at himself. Then the mad doctor smiled and Lucky fainted.
Then Lisa took a flashlight and the light showed in the man's pale face as he stared at her mate Jaxton with a knife in his hand
"Get that light off of him honey…" Jaxton slapped her hand and then he finally stared at Anni with a death stare. The young cub gulped in Iris' arms and then placed his knife on the window and slowly slid it on the glass, making out a horrible noise, making the small cub cover her ears, and when she saw that Bont was getting knocked out. She looked and saw Eva climb up
"EVA…." She squirmed out of Iris's hands and ran toward the window.
"You know this girl…" Jaxton pointed at the human girl.
"She's going to help us…" Anni said.
"Yeah...I have a cable in the trunk and I'm going to try and pull you guys…" Eva told them
"That's impossible, there's at least 15 of us…" Jaxton spoke.
"Anything's possible...I think she can do it…Just trust her…"
Then Soon enough, Eva was hooking up the cable between her new car and the bus holding all of the animals and she began to drive off slowly but surely.
All of the animals cheered.
"Yeah it's happening we're being rescued…" Lucky cheered and jumped to the windows where he was unexpectedly grabbed by a familiar hand, making everyone scream. Dr. Bont had his knife ready to slash him but Lisa swiped her paw at the man, making him fall off the bus.
Eva looked behind her and then saw the city in front of her and decided to speed up, hoping that the speed would make him lose his grip on the bus. Then she felt herself driving away and she looked back and saw that the cable was cut off and then she heard a shotgun and she ran off the road.
"EVA…" Anni screamed.
"Where's your help now kid…" Jaxton said. Then they all ducked down when they heard a loud thump on top of the bus. They all stayed quiet as the thump began to slowly die down. Then Leo began to look around
"Leo what are you doing, get down…" Jaxton warned. Leo ignored his warning and opened the window
"The meanie is gone-" this was interrupted by hands pulling the squealing and laughing lion up out of the window. Everyone was scared when the noises died down and a HEAD was being thrown at them...Leo's head, making everyone scream. Blood leaked on the ground and everyone backed away and shut the windows of the bus. Everyone began to panic and talking amongst themselves about what to do.
"What are we going to do…" "He's gonna kill us all" rang in the air until a whistle
"Listen up...It's time to go." Then Anni turned to Jaxton.
"But wait...Eva can-"
"EVA IS NOT GOING TO HELP US KID…" Jaxton shouted at the cub's face, making her bounce back. "No one is going to help us...All we have is ourselves...The rest of us are going to be sitting ducks…."
"What do you mean the rest of us?" A tiger cub asked.
"I mean...it's time to stop being polite. There are two classes of animals on this bus now...It had its pick of fifteen of us back there...Leo was one…" Jaxton said, staring at the deceased lion's head. "Another one was you, Iris.
"Oh you little-" Iris was about to blow her top
"And we all saw him go for you Lucky…"
"What does that supposed to mean huh...Two classes of animals...What the dead or alive...Screw you Jaxton…" Jaxton turned to the elder panther.
"Old panther said that Bont's gotta kill anyone he picked out no matter what…"
"Don't you drag me into this conversation…" the elder panther growled
"He also said that after tonight...Bont will be gone and for a long time Jaxton" Iris yelled at him. Jaxton turned back to the elderly panther.
"You tell us old man...Are we safe if we can hide out till morning...or is this man gonna come after these guys...with everything he's got 'cause he only has till morning"
The panther didn't give him an answer "HUH?! We're dead, aren't we…"
With all hope lost The panther just said yes. Then Anni ran up to Jaxton
"No...We have to try something...You can't kick these animals off the bus…" Anni pleaded
"It's funny you should say that kid...'cause the only other one we know he picked out for sure was you." Jaxton crouched to Anni's level
"Now now wait a second…" the elder panther interrupted
"We all saw the way he looked at you back there...You were the only one he had his knife out for and we all saw it…" then Lisa began to step in
"Jaxton...I don't understand what you're doing…"
"I'm trying to stay alive…" Jaxton mumbled, still staring at Anni
"You're trying to split us up…" then Jaxton sharply turned to his mate
"We have just dropped a notch on the food chain, Lisa...This is about living or dying now, OK? And if this bus is the only thing keeping that monster away for us...how safe are we, you guys...with everybody He's out to kill for sittin' inside it?" then Jaxton turned to the rest of the animals on the bus "I wanna see a vote...As sad as it is...I'd like that kid, Iris, and Lucky...Off of this bus…" Iris then had enough and shoved Jaxton to the wall of the bus.
"You listen to me...He looked at you too...SIR...I saw him and you did too...He looked straight into your eyes and grinned...and when you made Lisa take the lights off of him...He could've looked at you twice and poke his knife on the glass but we don't know that...So you keep your list..cause when Bont takes you out...and I hope his does…" Jaxton gulped looking into Iris's angry eyes. "We're going to be the one getting as far away from you as We can…" then She fiercely let go of the white tiger and stood up
"Time to go is right...We're getting this kid home and we're gonna find that circus…"
"We're all behind you…" Lucky stood by her. Then Jaxton stood up, seeing that the animals are turning against him.
"You wanna keep this bus...then stay in it...and see how long you last…"
"No…" everyone turned to Anni.
"What do you mean no…"
"We already lost a few animals...We need to stay together because he'll kill us one by one...that's what he wants...Please don't split us apart...before we lose anyone else…" Anni pleaded. Iris put in some thought.
"She's right…We should go…"
Everyone stepped out of the bus with Lisa yelling at Jaxton. Anni then heard a swift movement and she quickly looked around for Eva. The car was still there and she saw a figure coming out and running towards her. Anni sighed heavily in relief when She saw Eva coming
"You okay…" Eva whispered.
"Yeah…" Anni nodded
"What are we going to do about the rest of these guys…" Eva glanced at the other animals.
"Maybe we can take them to the circus…" then they heard a large rev. All the animals turned their heads and saw a motorcycle with Dr. Bont on it.
"RUN…" Lucky screamed. And all of the animals made a break for it with Eva and Anni running in tow. Then Dr. Bont saw one of his targets trying to go to a nearby restaurant trying to cause attention and threw a knife at the small zebra's head, sticking him on the window, making the people in the restaurant scream.
Then Dr. Bont was in close pursuit of Anni.
"Run...He's right behind you kid…" Anni held an animal yell. She ran as fast as she could but then stumbled and fell into a pothole, nearly missing Dr. Bont's reach. The mad man growled, missing his main target. He looked on at the rest of the animals and sets his sights on Jaxton
"Break off...Separate…" Jaxton screamed. Everyone else broke off into a farm nearby and Jaxton tried to catch his breath on a tree but a large knife made him stay on the tree. Lisa, Iris, and a male young Tiger cub heard him yell and they rushed in to help him. Anni saw this too and despite Eva's reluctance, she rushed in and helped.
"It's stuck it's stuck…" Iris yelled. They tried to pull the knife out of the tree and out of Jaxton's arm but it was stuck tight.
"Maybe we can all pull together…" Anni suggested. Then they heard the motorcycle coming towards them. Jaxton yelled and sputtered "Help Me"
"Please don't move…" Anni screamed.
"Oh my god...I'm so sorry guys I'm so sorry kid…" Jaxton rapidly apologized.
Then they finally got the knife off of Jaxton who screamed, but as soon as he was free, Dr. Bont snatched him, knocking everyone else off their feet, and dragged the screaming Jaxton off into the dark.
"Jaxton...Jaxton...Jaxton...JAXTON…" Lisa screamed trying to go after the insane man but Iris held her back.
"We should hide in that farm with the others, it'll be a matter of time before he comes back…" Iris proposed. Then the rest of the animals ran to the farm to hide while Eva and Anni hide in the bush.
"I'm so sorry about Jaxton Anni…" Eva wrapped her arms around the terrified cub.
"It's my fault...He blamed me.."
"No...It isn't your-" then they heard a rustle in the bushes. "Someone's coming…" then the rustle came closer. Anni went close to Eva and then
"ANNI…" Maddy, AJ, and Gio went out of the bushes.
"You guys…" the four kids embraced each other.
"We missed you, Anni…" Gio whispered.
"I missed you guys too…" Anni responded. "Wait what are you doing here...Mom and Dad are going to kill you guys…"
"We went out here to look for you…"
"Anni...Are these your…" Eva started.
"Eva...These are my brothers AJ and Gio and my cousin/ best friend Maddy...Guys this is Eva...She helped me try to get home…"
"It's true…" the three kids gasped. "Yeah, I can understand you guys…"
"Maybe we can hurry back...the show hasn't probably started yet…" Maddy tried to drag Anni with them but she pulled away
"No...I can't go back yet…"
"Why not?" Maddy's question was interrupted by Bont revving the motorcycle near the bushes.
"HERE'S BONTY…" The man insanely announced with a large hacksaw in his hand. He had a rifle gun on his right shoulder and his clothes were dirty and ripped.
Maddy screamed at the sight and the quartet and Eva took off into the fields where the farm was. Iris saw them running and opened the door to let them all in before Bont could grab them
"Oh my gosh, that was close…" AJ breathed. Then Gio perked up seeing all of the other animals at the barn
"Anni who are these guys…" he asked
"And who was that mad man chasing us like crazy…" Maddy yelled
"Okay, These guys are all animals that escaped him and that guy outside is Dr. Bont...He's scary…"
"What…" AJ was bewildered.
"He tried to kill us kids...come on catch up…" Iris told them
"But he only wanted me as a part of his liguar collection for who knows what reason and if we don't get you guys out of here you are his next targets…" Anni quickly explained.
"What…"
"It's just tough to explain it but the point is...He's after me and these guys…"
"If we go out now it's suicide…." the elder panther panicked
"He'll kill us all…" Lisa added
As the rest of the animals talked over each other, Anni slowly began to think and suddenly it hit her.
"Guys wait a minute...Maybe we can buy some time to distract him and then the rest of us can run to the circus…" Anni thought
"Oh sure...Who will be the one to distract him." Lucky threw his hands up
"I'll do it…" Anni said.
"What No...Do you realize what you're saying right now…" Iris went up to the cub and clutched her arms
"Yeah, Anni He'll kill you…" AJ added.
"Even if it means for you guys to be safe...I should distract him…"
"I'll go with you…" Eva told her
"No Eva...You can't come with me…" Anni tried to push the human girl away
"Anni...We started this fight together and we're gonna finish it together…"
"Eva...HE's after me...He's not after you…"
"He's after both of us...I'll go with you...there's a nearby abandoned zoo we can both hide in and the rest of the animals can take off to the circus…" Eva told her.
"Okay...Can you guys stick with my brothers and cousin…" Anni asked the other animals, who nodded their heads in response. Then Anni glanced at the door.
"I guess my parents will have to wait...Can you guys tell them I'm okay and Don't leave the circus until morning…" Anni instructed her friends
"You got it…" then the plan was set in motion. The two girls looked out of the door and saw that the coast was clear and raced out into the street and got a car. They honk it 3 times. It was a signal for the rest of the animals to run in the opposite direction. Then they heard Bont's motorcycle
"Hey, Bont...You want me, come and get me…" Anni yelled, poking out of the window, getting the man's attention. Then the insane doctor made his way towards them.
"That's it...over here…" Eva yelled and sped off with Dr. Bont in tow. Eva looked at the rearview mirror and saw he was getting closer and then she saw a gun in the back seat. She grabbed it and began to shoot at the motorcycle. But then a massive POP gave them a flat tire and caused the car to flip over and land upside down. It knocked Eva out and Anni luckily unbuckled them both and tried to shake Eva awake.
"Eva...Eva…" Anni called. Then She heard something behind them and then glanced at the abandoned zoo and began to race there on foot with Bont behind them
"Don't be scared now…" Anni whispered to herself. Then She looked at the front gate and saw a sign and quickly read it. Then she heard the footsteps coming towards her and she took off.
Meanwhile back at the circus, Alex and Gia were pacing around in their stage makeup
"Come on...We can't have the audience wait forever you know…" Skipper said impatiently
"I get that but our sons are missing…" Alex yelled at him
"And my daughter-" Marty added
"Wait…" AJ, Maddy, and Gio ran in with the rest of the animals
"Where have you three been...and who are these guys…"
"We were with your daughter...She's fine...She was the one that saved us all...from that mad man...Lisa explained to Anni's father
"Where is she now…"
"She distracted him to help us escape...She's at the abandoned zoo that's nearby…" Iris told them
"She also said not to leave until morning…" Gio told them
Then Eva woke up and saw Anni was missing and then grabbed the gun, crawled out of the damaged car and ran off after the two.
Anni ran towards a cave-like area and she heard a gunshot behind her, knocking her down.
"ENOUGH TRICKS...the game is over…" Dr. Bont held out his rifle and Anni began to slowly get up and face him. The two of them were at least 20 ft apart from each other and Dr. Bont looked around at the place they were in
"How amazing that we ended up in the lion's den…" Dr. Bont smiled evilly
"This is no longer a lion's den...It's a grave for the both of us...You and I will die here together…" Anni proclaimed, making Dr. Bont even angrier. "Look around you...Now I understand why the animals and people here vanished...there was a sign in the front gate that explained everything…It said People and Animals used to live in harmony but thanks to our greed and our lust the animal kingdom will soon turn into dust...You have to be insane chasing me all this way just for my fur...No matter what you do...Even if you have my fur...It's just another life wasted and you'll never be happy…" then Anni heard Eva come in
"She's right you know...No matter what you kill...You're not going to be happy with what you'll have until there's nothing left...no matter if it's my dog or Anni's fur…"
Refusing the arguments he heard, Dr. Bont pulled the trigger on Anni, knocking her backward, making her yell, and cover her left ear
"I will be the richest man in the world...EVERYONE will collect my furs and my collection will grow bigger and bigger…" then he proceeded to shoot Eva in the right leg, knocked her down. Anni began to slowly stand up with a huge notch on her left ear, mirroring her grandfather Zuba. Eva stood up on her other leg and began to limp.
"Your head is next unless you get over here…" Anni stood and began to slowly make her way over to Dr. Bont who pointed his gun at Eva. "It's a shame you have to die, Eva...At least you'll be reunited with what's her name again...Lulu…"
Eva then glanced up at some rocks above the doctor and Anni and looked at Anni and mouthed out RUN and then shot at the rocked making them fall on him
"Run Anni run…" then the cub took off and carried Eva with her. Then Dr. emerged from the rubble and began to hunt for them.
Anni tried her best to hold onto Eva while they both ran but her weight held them down
"Anni you go I'll stay here…"
"No, I'm not leaving you…"
"I can't walk Anni…" Eva pointed at her leg.
"We have to try something…" then they heard gunshots and Anni ran off, inadvertently leaving Eva.
Anni looked at the clock and then towards the approaching Dr. Bont and then she began to climb it, with Bont attempting to climb after her.
"You can run but you can't hide…" Dr. Bont said.
Anni raced on the rooftops with Dr. Bont in pursuit. She saw a jungle exhibit up ahead and decided to go there. She climbed inside the ventilation duct that led her there. She saw a bunch of vines and trees covered with dust and she tried to navigate her way around it.
"It's just like off the reserve like Grandpa said…" Anni said to herself. Then she heard Dr. Bont coming.
"Ready or not kid, Here I COME…" then he popped out of the vent with a scalpel in his hand and chased her. Anni luckily used her trapeze skills to swing on the vines, and Bont barely caught up with her. Then She was about to reach another vine, Dr. Bont grabbed her tail.
"Finally caught you…" then Anni looked up at the hanging vines and yanked them onto Bont and huddled herself in the corner.
Already driven past his sanity point, Bont began to carelessly cut through the vines, not knowing there was one wrapped around his neck.
"Wait Stop…" Anni yelled seeing the vine wrapped around his neck. Then Bont finally cut the vine he was holding onto and began to fall with Anni falling with him, She luckily got out of his grasp while he screamed and he stopped midway while Anni fell safely. She slowly turned and saw Dr. Bont's dead body hanging on the vine and gasped, seeing that the jungle claimed him.
"Anni…" Eva limped towards her in crutches and Anni rushed in to hug her. Eva too saw his body and softly gasped.
"What did you do to him…" Eva turned to her furry companion. Anni smiled and pointed at the vines and Eva looked around. "Alright Anni…" then they heard police sirens from afar
"Let's go…" Anni and Eva limped out of the zoo together. The nightmare for them was now over.