Direct Confrontation (Animal Mutant 3)

Author: K.A. Applegate [USA]
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Chapter 10: My Four Friends Stood Still, Their Eyes Glued to the Five Wolves Before Them. The Two Packs of Wolves Had Encountered Each Other. Between Them Lied a Dead Rabbit, the Prey of the Other Pack. My Friends Had Accidentally Run Into Them. At This Moment, the Two Head Wolves Were Doomed to Fight to the Death. One of Them Was Jack. The Other Was a True Wolf. Jack Had the Wisdom of Humans, But If They Fought, the Other Wolf Had More Experience. He Had Become the Head Wolf After Winning Countless Battles. If Possible, I Would Have Laughed. It Was Simply Hilarious! But This at Least Distracted Me from Thinking About That She-Wolf, Far from the Urge That Pulled Me Toward Her, Though the Ship Was Still Sweeping Through the Air. Suddenly, I Jolted: Time! The Time Left for Them to Return to the Shore Was Already Running Out. How Much Longer Had Passed? I Dropped Abruptly. "What Are You Two Doing?" I Asked. "Shut Up, Tobias." Jack Said Briefly and Abruptly. "We’ve Got a Problem." "Yes, I Can See That. Leave Them." "I Can’t. If I Retreat, I’ll Lose." "Lose What?" I Shouted. "You’re Not a Wolf, It’s the Wolf. Let It Be the Head Wolf. You’ve Got Little Time Left!" "It’s Not That Simple," Cassie Said. "If Jack Seems Cowardly, the Other Wolf Will Attack. We’ve Got to Stay Strong. We’re on Their Turf, and They Think We’re Trying to Steal Their Prey. The Big Wolf Suddenly Roared and Took a Step Forward. Jack Showed His Teeth Immediately, Unafraid. The Dead Rabbit Lied Between Them, Just a Few Feet from the Fierce Teeth on Either Side. "Is This Fight Over the Rabbit?" I Said. No One Answered Me. They Were All Tense and Trembling. In Any Second, the Whole Wolf Pack Could Have Been in a Riot. I Knew What I Should Do. But It Had Nothing to Do with Any Instinct in the Eagle’s Brain. And As Tobias, a Human, I Was Not Overcome with Fear. I Flapped My Wings, Striving to Fly Higher. I Needed Speed. Then, I Fixed My Eyes on the Rabbit and Prayed I Could Move as Fast as I Imagined. "Oh My God!" I Dived Down, My Eagle Talons Extended. "Rrip!" I Screamed. Whizzing Past! One Wolf on One Side, One on the Other, and a Dead Rabbit in the Middle. Snap! My Eagle Talons Touched the Dead Rabbit, Struggling to Grasp Its Fur. I Flapped My Wings, Once, Twice, and the Rabbit Left the Ground. The Big Wolf Suddenly lunged Forward, and I Felt Its Teeth graze My Tail. I Flapped My Wings Frantically, Running Quickly Along the Ground, Half-Carrying, Half-Dragging the Rabbit. The Wolf Was Only a Few Inches Behind, Pursuing Me. "Tobias!" Rachel Shouted. "Get Out of Here!" I Shouted Back. "I’ve Got to Drop This Rabbit, It’s Too Heavy!" Fortunately, When Jack Wasn’t a Foolish Wolf, He Reacted Quickly and Decisively. "Let’s Go While We Can!" Just as the Wolf Was About to Grab Me, I Threw Down the Rabbit. Thump! The Talons That Could Kill a Caribou Were Only 0.1 Inches Away. Believe Me, I Was So Close That I Could Count the Teeth. I Felt a Gentle Breeze, But It Was Enough. I Spread My Wings, Letting the Breeze Lift Me, and I Flew Away. "Oh, This Isn’t Fun." I Said. "Are You Okay?" "I Think I Lost a Few Feathers on My Tail." I Said. The Feathers on My Tail Would Grow Back Soon. I Caught Up with Them. The Wolves Could Run Fast, and That’s How Fast They Were Running Now. Time Was Passing. I Couldn’t Be Sure How Much Time Was Left. This Was Always a Problem with Shapeshifters. Even If You Could Wear a Watch, You Wouldn’t Want To. Wolves or Eagles Wearing Watches Seemed a Bit Suspicious. "Let Me See If I Can Check the Time." I Said. I Was Tired. I’d Flown for So Long, and Been Chased Twice Instead of Once. I Was Really Exhausted. The Eagle Part of Me Craved Finding a Branch Overlooking an Open Space to Rest, But I Knew I Couldn’t. I Flew a Little Higher, Not Too High, Just Enough to See a Park Patrol Truck. The Controllers Were Somewhere Else, But the Dashboard of the Car Had a Clock. I Stared Doubtfully at the Numbers on the Dashboard. Wrong. It Must Be Wrong. P91-95