by Mel Todd
~Yes~
Perc's simple answer reassured her and she took two steps, looking at the water, and trying to remember what she knew about South American animals. The answer kept coming back with nothing.
The wetness on her paws felt like heaven, though the muddy water didn't look appetizing, her thirst didn't care. The first lap of liquid coursed into her body and she went for a second.
[Hold.] She froze at Wefor's voice. [The water should be analyzed before you continue.]
McKenna crouched there frozen, waiting, the need to drink clawing at her but she waited trying to distract herself. A flicker of motion caught her eye and she focused on the water.
~Fish!~
She sent it to Perc who moved over and looked at the water too.
~Think we can catch them?~
~The only animal I've ever seen catching fish is a bear, and that was on nature specials. I have no idea. But the idea of sushi is sounding very good.~
His voice had amusement and interest and she flicked an ear at him.
[You are safe to drink. The microbes in the water will be easily handled.]
~And the others?~
[Information is being transmitted now to provide instructions.]
McKenna didn't even bother she just drank. The chilly water tasted faintly of fish and dirt but mostly sweet water.
~Thirsty?~
Amusement filtered down the link.
~Yes, but full now. Your turn.~
She stepped back, looking around and called back to the others.
~We found water. Head our direction.~
She and JD had learned to follow their links to each other a while ago, so she knew he'd lead them here. Right now she wanted fish.
~About a hundred yards downstream there is a narrower section. ~
Perc pointed it out and she moved downstream to look at it. Noises had her looking up and she saw JD lumber through the trees the other two following them.
~Stop.~
Cass's voice had an imperative quality to it that brought them to a halt. She moved over to JD, pulled off the net and the drive, carrying it carefully in long claws and setting it down on the bank, well away from the water.
~Now you can get wet.~
JD huffed and just walked into the water and sank into it, drinking and letting his body rest.
~You okay?~
Her link private and only for him, even as her eyes didn't move from the net.
~Yes.~
Nothing else as he lay in the water. She let it go. This time she opened up all the channels.
~Perc, you think we could use the net bag in that narrow section there, and catch some fish?~
The prehistoric cat jerked his head to look at the net and then at the section. The tight weave, small enough to prevent the hard drive from slipping out, would catch fish too, and dry off quickly.
~Let's try. ~
Cass had followed their conversation. The wolverine moved over and extracted the hard drive from the net and with fingers, or claws, that were surprisingly flexible. She altered the configuration slightly so they could stretch it across the mouth of the creek.
McKenna glanced down at her paws. Cats did not have opposable thumbs and right now she missed that; moving into warrior form would burn calories she didn’t have.
~JD, get your lazy ass over her. We need your paws; they are a lot more flexible than mine.~
Amusement washed through their links but JD heaved himself up and headed over towards where they stood. Cass had already brought the net over. She held one end and watched JD walk through the river to the other side. His thick coat and muscles ignored the chilly water and McKenna thought she might dive in before they left but right now food occupied her. JD reached across and linked his hand through the net pulling on it as Perc and Cass held it. Perc standing on it as Cass wrapped her claws through it. They dropped it in the water, the net covering most of the relatively narrow gap. The net sagged, then tugged sharply again and again.
McKenna held her breath, letting them work it out. If she stuck her nose in, it would just cause stress. She backed up and padded over to where Toni lay. The link between them bright.
~Hey. You holding up?~
~This doesn’t bug me. Stress about my kids is killing me but this isn’t a big deal. Water helped and I’m really hoping they get fish.~
~Heads Up!~
JD’s words rang in her head and she jerked her head to see a wiggling slimy thing flying towards them. She jumped back, then pounced in the same move as it hit the ground, her claws sinking into it. It had to weigh about twenty-five pounds and hit the ground with a solid thunk. It still wriggled even with her claws in it.
She felt the saliva pooling in her mouth but she pushed it back.
~You first, Toni.~
The mental snort tickled her mind.
~You are literally drooling. Eat. They’ve got a few more they are about to toss our way.~
McKenna looked up to see JD reaching back into the net and grabbing another fish, this one bigger than the first and lobbing it their way. She didn’t need to be told twice. Her teeth sank in and McKenna stepped back letting the cat drive. Normally she kept her human needs and drives first and foremost but this time she didn’t. The cold blood gushed into her mouth rich with iron and fat. Part of her mind noted a slightly muddy taste but the calories that came with every swallow pushed everything away. She stripped it down to bones, gnawing around them and letting the cat deal with eating the eye balls while McKenna focused on anything else.
She raised her head to see Toni chowing down on another one and two more laying on the bank in front of her. Looking further she saw JD inhaling one even as he held the net with another claw. Perc licked his chops, pulled the bag out of the water a bit, sharp five-inch claws extending, he grabbed one pulling it to his feet, then let the bag slide back into the water, his hind paws making sure to anchor it.
Cass had neatly dissected the fish, eating it with a weird neat precision.
[You need to eat more. Animals can gorge, you should all gorge yourselves, to give yourself the energy you will need for your mission.]
From the ear twitches and jerks in bodies McKenna figured Wefor had sent that to everyone. She shrugged mentally and set about doing just that.
~Anyone have any more room to eat anything?~
JD’s voice rang in their heads and his only answer was a chorus of groans mental and physical.
McKenna looked at her at her paw, glad the GPS tracker had water proof stamped on it.
~We should get going. If I’m reading this right we still have twenty miles to go and as we’ve seen, the jungle doesn’t make for fast travel.~
Everyone rose, their mental links happier and food giving them what they needed. With a sigh, she led them out, following the river. Making sure they got the net and the hard drive.
I’m coming for you Charley. I don’t care about killing these people but I am coming back for you. I told you I’d never leave.
The thoughts gave her strength as they moved close to their goal and she ignored the odd cramps and twinges inside her body. Dying would have to wait until they could secure safety for their families.
Chapter 35 - Tooth and Claw
With the establishment of the four extinct animals that people can change into, zoo’s around the country are offering part time positions to people that can shift into any of these animals. There will be no benefits, and the position is only guaranteed for a few months, but the work is easy. All you have to do is be an animal for a few hours a day and let them examine how you move, track how food is processed, and see what you can do in that form. If you’re an extinct animal, it might be an awesome job. ~TNN Entertainment News
Exhaustion pulled at her. Per the GPS they had been moving for five hours but only covered about five miles. The terrain didn't allow swiftness and more than once they had to double back to find a place to cross when the water got too deep. Taking chances with their ability to swim or
cross didn't seem wise and any serious injury out here might be fatal.
~We should stop and rest.~
She sent the words even as she turned and looked at them. The cats were doing well, but the bear and wolverine not so much. Neither of them were built for long treks like this in this heat. The two animals looked exhausted, though neither of them allowed so much as a whisper through the link to whine or ask for anything.
They'd tried to stay near the water but had to leave the river after a few hours. But there were lots of little creeks and they'd been able to keep their thirst at bay. After the gorging, they still weren't hungry, but she still kept an eye out for any food.
~Where?~
Toni's voice, clear to all but lackluster, emotionless and it worried her. McKenna had rage bubbling through her, driving her, she would not rest but this made the second time Toni had her kids taken from her. She'd have to try and fix it. Or at least focus her on their mission.
~Anyone see a good place to rest? I'm not an expert at all. ~
~Dry, under trees, and away from any active insects. I can dig a space for us, to clear away detritus. ~
Cass waved her claws as she talked and McKenna flashed to a documentary of a wolverine digging a burrow.
~That sounds great. Give me a minute.~
Up ahead in an area that looked like a fire had scorched it from the amount of new undergrowth around broken jagged blackened trees. Lightning strike, with that sort of damage, and the fact they hadn't even smelled a human out here. She still didn't know if that was a good or a bad sign but it made her job a bit easier. Having to hide from humans would have just made all of this that much worse.
Two leaps sent her over the area. It hadn't rained recently, and the sky remained clear, even as the sun sank behind the mountains casting colors pretty enough to be in a love story, instead of the horror movie they were in.
The tree had a few branches on one side still alive, and the plants looked still young. She sniffed around scanning the ground but didn't see any swarms of insects or paths they were traveling.
~Think this will work?~
The others moved over to her and she cringed at how tired they looked. She thought back to their blackmailer's time line. Maybe they were going too fast? No. They needed to do this, to give them the time to defeat the poison if they could. Or maybe just try to get home but walking wouldn't do it.
~Yeah. Move back and let me show you what a wolverine can do.~
Her voice had a bit of humor to it, and more life than she'd heard in since she met the woman.
Which still doesn't mean she isn't on their side, but at this point I'd be surprised.
That thought she kept completely to herself. They moved back and gave her room to work. McKenna let herself slump to the ground. Her paws hurt, her legs hurt, everything hurt. She'd never been in animal form this long before. The kids hadn't whined, so she thought it more linked back to the hours of walking, scrambling over rocks and trees, and trying to be hyper alert the entire time.
She'd zoned out while Cass snuffled around the tree but the clod of dirt that hit her, yanked her attention back to the wolverine's actions.
~Sorry!~
The mental shout had glee even as the woman dug with enthusiasm clearing the area with a speed that McKenna never suspected possible. Dirt flew, the plant life didn't even slow her down, and in minutes a space had been cleared down to the rich dark ground.
~There, a nice cool bed for us.~
Cass had pride in her voice, then the mental words stuttered to a halt.
~How are we going to sleep?~
McKenna could taste the level of stress and worry in her question and she couldn't help it, she laughed. The mental laughter and the chuffs from her cat body had most of the group looking at her.
~On this part I speak from experience. We cuddle up, enjoy the warmth and comfort. Your animal body isn't interested in sex. Check. This body is more driven by hormones and cycles and none of them are there right now. And we are safer together and you'll find a level of comfort to have the other creature next to you. It was the only thing I missed from that entire situation, the kids piled around me like a living blanket.~
She saw the change in their bodies, whiskers drooped, shoulders slouched, and ears stood up, where before they'd been tilted back, all without them consciously being aware of it. Two people she barely knew, two who were family, and her. How in the hells could she lead them back to safety? The temptation to see if anyone else wanted to tell them what to do bubbled to the surface of her thoughts. It sounded so tempting but she couldn't. Wefor still acted as their ace in the hole and for now she'd lead and do everything she could to do it right.
Wrenching herself out of her musing she padded over to the cleaned area and sighed in relief as the cool dirt lowered the temp a bit. Even with the sun gone, the jungle trapped heat, and neither she nor her cat were acclimated.
~Come on, curl up, sleep. We're all exhausted.~
~Do we need to set a guard?~
Perc asked, his tone flavored with concern and exhaustion.
~I don't think so but willing to be convinced otherwise. I haven't smelled or heard humans since we got here, it seems to be pretty remote. And no animal is going to bug five predators. I would think any of us would wake up well before a human got close enough to find us.~
The bond hummed with a buzz, as everyone pondered that.
[Waking you should not be a problem if you do not notice an approaching person. Animals will not garner the same amount of reaction, however.]
Wefor’s voice caused flinches but they were less - not as pronounced.
~Works for me because right now, I'm exhausted. Wake me when we need to move; otherwise, I'm going to pretend to hibernate like the bear I am. ~
JD tromped over to her, flopped down, curled up and closed his eyes. His mental connection went dark. They had learned by playing with it, she could override his do not disturb sign—basically, poke him hard mentally—but for now silent sounded excellent. From the soft snuffling coming from him, he might already be asleep.
Toni didn't say a word just curled up next to JD, but not touching, disappearing into the shadows as she closed green eyes. Her black coat with dark gray spots made her all but invisible in the jungle night.
Deciding to give the others time to adjust, McKenna wrapped herself in such a way she could touch both of them but left room for the others too. Her insides hurt like the worst cramps she’d ever had but with no drugs, not like she could do anything about the pain. She closed her eyes and listened, using their links as much as anything else. Cass curled up in between her and JD not quite touching either of them but so close she could hear the rumble of her breathing. Perc looked at them all for a minute and she could feel the weight of his thoughts.
~There's nothing sexual, not here, not like this. Curl up, get close and sleep. We still have a long way to go.~
The thought was private between the two of them and he jerked his huge head down, then came over and flopped, more like a dog than a cat, laying his head on the cool dirt.
Pushing everything to the side, she gave a grateful thought that dreams were harder in this form and let sleep claim her.
A mental scream of outrage slammed through her head as McKenna registered the angry shriek of an animal. Before she had time to process anything she moved, leaping to her feet in a move that had her levitating over Toni, who still struggled to wake up. Braced, she turned to deal with the problem and froze.
Snarling, slashing with long claws that seemed suddenly much more impressive than when they tore up dirt and plants, Cass attacked with deadly intensity the snake that had coiled around her.
McKenna just blinked, unable to comprehend what she saw.
~Is that snake attacking her?~
Toni's voice held the same level of 'what the hell?' as her own thoughts did.
~Oh fuck, that snake’s attacking her!~
Jolted out of her shock, McKenna leapt forw
ard and saw Perc attacking with her. In the darkness she tried to figure out where JD lay, and realized the snake had looped around him too, its body choking him as it twisted tighter and tighter around his throat.
~It's killing JD.~
The broadcast had undertones of panic in it as she tried to get a hold of the snake, but its girth rivaled anything she'd even seen in a zoo.
~Let me.~
Perc shouldered her aside and his huge mouth opened and those scary fangs sunk into the snake's body, all but severing it.
A cry of pain deep in her mind from JD as the snake continued to thrash in its death throes, tightening on JD.
~Grab it and pull, you severed it from the brain, it shouldn't be able to actively resist.~
~Got it.~
Perc wrapped his huge maw around the body of the snake, blood spurting from where he'd severed the body and pulled back, unwinding from JD as he so.
McKenna moved in to see if she could do anything to get the snake off faster as JD struggled, his movements slow and awkward.
~JD, don't you dare. I need you.~
~Please, JD, please don't die.~
Cass’s voice trailed after hers and the wolverine pushed in between them, her claws slicing deep where JD had clawed at the snake. Her long strong claws sank into the already damaged flesh, and in three swipes it fell apart and the bear took in a deep ragged breath, gasping for air.
~Slow, easy, breathe in. ~
Perc pulled the snake fully off of JD, dropping it, then trotted back, ears high and head rotating around, checking on them.
McKenna licked JD's cheek. She couldn't help it. She couldn't hug him in his form and that seemed the only way to express how she felt.
~You okay?~
~I think so. Still panicky a bit. But I can breathe and I don’t think anything is crushed.~
~What the hell happened?~
The question had echoes of agreement from all of them and she noticed Cass curled up next to JD, huddling into the side of his bulk.
~I guess it slid up. I had weird dreams of being hugged but it moved so slow I never rose all the way to awake. Then I couldn’t breathe and started trying to get at what was around my throat and I started thrashing. Then Cass was there.~
