| Chapter Twenty-six |
At long last, Shakaza shook off the effects of the super dose of knockout toxin that had been literally pumped into her.
She had been out for hours. A normal cub would’ve been in a coma for days. But now it was time to size up her
surroundings and fight to the last until she was free again. No other option was acceptable or even worth a passing
consideration.
Tezaka? Where the devil are you?
Shakaza, welcome back. I’m inside the crate you’re chained to.
So we’re captive?
I’m afraid so.
Well, quit blabbing and help me get free of this chain!
Sis, that’s the kind of chain they haul vehicles with. No way.
What? You’re just giving up? Maybe we can just rip the whole chain off of the crate. That’ll make a hole in the box for
you to get out, and we can worry about the collar later!
But what about the others?
Others?
Yes, we are two of eight captives caught by these poachers.
Are they Charlie-type soldier cubs as well?
No…
Then they are of no consequence! Zak, I gotta get out of this! I’ll burn this box to ashes if I have to…
Brilliant, Kaza. But that still puts you at 21,644 feet and 209 miles an hour.
We’re in an aircraft?
A circa 1986 four prop engine cargo plane lovingly referred to as the Marahuté.
Shakaza went silent for a moment. She and her brother’s mental communication turned from words to images and raw
information as Tezaka brought his sister up to date on their predicament. In mere seconds it was as if Kaza hadn’t
missed anything at all. Their calculations were now giving them troubling information.
Zak, we’ve been in the air for two hours and forty-two minutes.
I realize that.
And the fact that we’re 416 miles from where we started…?
..has not eluded me. It also doesn’t trouble me. All terrain is equally foreign to us, so what is the difference?
Oh, I don’t know, Zak, perhaps the proximity to humans could make a difference?
Well you see Kaza, we are in very close proximity to humans right now.
Exactly! What are they planning on doing with us? And why am I chained to the box when you and the rest are inside it?
Well I, Hope, Zipper, Shadow, Sapphire and Babylon are in this cage to be somehow delivered to our next destination.
You are outside because they didn’t want you to wake up fighting and hurt us.
I thought you said there were eight.
I will chalk up the fact that you haven’t noticed Jozay over by the wall to the drugs.
Once she located the bagged up cub in his restraints it was hard to look away from him. His gaze was just that alive.
Despite most of him being hidden in that bag , he had a very aggressive look to him.
Why is he staring at me?
He’s probably just casually glancing at you. He has quite a striking look doesn’t he? His pink iris indicates that his white
fur is an albino trait, but he also has grey fur and a blue iris as well, and albino genes do not hybridize with non-albino
genes.
No, seriously. He’s staring at me. At worst like I’m his next meal. At best… it’s just rude.
Well, rudeness begets rudeness. I think we should stop talking to each other telepathically.
What? Tezaka, don’t be ridiculous.
“Shakaza? Are you awake?”
You’ve got to be kidding.
“Is my precious widdle baby sissy still sweepy?”
Zak. I’m gonna kill you.
She had been out for hours. A normal cub would’ve been in a coma for days. But now it was time to size up her
surroundings and fight to the last until she was free again. No other option was acceptable or even worth a passing
consideration.
Tezaka? Where the devil are you?
Shakaza, welcome back. I’m inside the crate you’re chained to.
So we’re captive?
I’m afraid so.
Well, quit blabbing and help me get free of this chain!
Sis, that’s the kind of chain they haul vehicles with. No way.
What? You’re just giving up? Maybe we can just rip the whole chain off of the crate. That’ll make a hole in the box for
you to get out, and we can worry about the collar later!
But what about the others?
Others?
Yes, we are two of eight captives caught by these poachers.
Are they Charlie-type soldier cubs as well?
No…
Then they are of no consequence! Zak, I gotta get out of this! I’ll burn this box to ashes if I have to…
Brilliant, Kaza. But that still puts you at 21,644 feet and 209 miles an hour.
We’re in an aircraft?
A circa 1986 four prop engine cargo plane lovingly referred to as the Marahuté.
Shakaza went silent for a moment. She and her brother’s mental communication turned from words to images and raw
information as Tezaka brought his sister up to date on their predicament. In mere seconds it was as if Kaza hadn’t
missed anything at all. Their calculations were now giving them troubling information.
Zak, we’ve been in the air for two hours and forty-two minutes.
I realize that.
And the fact that we’re 416 miles from where we started…?
..has not eluded me. It also doesn’t trouble me. All terrain is equally foreign to us, so what is the difference?
Oh, I don’t know, Zak, perhaps the proximity to humans could make a difference?
Well you see Kaza, we are in very close proximity to humans right now.
Exactly! What are they planning on doing with us? And why am I chained to the box when you and the rest are inside it?
Well I, Hope, Zipper, Shadow, Sapphire and Babylon are in this cage to be somehow delivered to our next destination.
You are outside because they didn’t want you to wake up fighting and hurt us.
I thought you said there were eight.
I will chalk up the fact that you haven’t noticed Jozay over by the wall to the drugs.
Once she located the bagged up cub in his restraints it was hard to look away from him. His gaze was just that alive.
Despite most of him being hidden in that bag , he had a very aggressive look to him.
Why is he staring at me?
He’s probably just casually glancing at you. He has quite a striking look doesn’t he? His pink iris indicates that his white
fur is an albino trait, but he also has grey fur and a blue iris as well, and albino genes do not hybridize with non-albino
genes.
No, seriously. He’s staring at me. At worst like I’m his next meal. At best… it’s just rude.
Well, rudeness begets rudeness. I think we should stop talking to each other telepathically.
What? Tezaka, don’t be ridiculous.
“Shakaza? Are you awake?”
You’ve got to be kidding.
“Is my precious widdle baby sissy still sweepy?”
Zak. I’m gonna kill you.
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