Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 106: The Siege Of The Herons

Nancy reached into her backpack. "I'm sending in some underwater recruits. You're the boss of these waters—can you look out for them?"

The lead heron puffed out its chest instantly. "Consider it done!"

Nancy carefully pulled out the containers holding three non-venomous water snakes. When the night herons saw the thick, wriggling snakes, they let out squawks of pure terror.

"Easy, easy!" Nancy soothed them quickly. "These snakes are my employees. They won't hurt you. They aren't familiar with this stretch of the river, so I need you guys to be their guides."

The herons stared with bulging eyes. These thick water snakes were going to be their subordinates? The leader suddenly felt very important. "No problem at all!"

Nancy smiled and released the three snakes into the river. They vanished into the dark water in a flash, diving deep to wait for the suspects to "log on."

Simon didn't park the car by the riverbank. Instead, he drove it onto an overgrown, abandoned dirt track and covered it with a black tarp. It was a police vehicle, after all; it was too conspicuous, and he didn't want to alert the target.

The herons, knowing every inch of the shoreline, had already picked out a perfect hiding spot for the siblings near the flood embankment. Once they were concealed, Nancy contacted Captain Sam of the Criminal Investigation Team. She sent their coordinates and a brief summary of the situation, requesting immediate backup.

They definitely needed the Water Police for this. They could track the suspects on land, but they didn't have a boat to pursue them on the water—and as versatile as her brother was, he hadn't mastered the art of walking on water yet. Nancy, meanwhile, could only manage a basic doggy paddle; her physical stamina wouldn't last long in the cold river.

"The biggest issue is the lack of a boat," Nancy whispered, her face pinched with worry. "Those guys are likely going to stay out on the water."

The lead heron bobbed its tuft. "Don't sweat it. We’ve got plenty of friends in the neighborhood! One word from me, and my crew will surround that little fishing boat." It tilted its chin up haughtily. "There are only three or four humans on that boat. How could they possibly resist the Heron Army?"

Nancy suddenly remembered that night herons were highly social creatures, with colonies often numbering thirty or more. Furthermore, during the night, they often nested in mixed groups with other species like Great Egrets. At their peak, they could gather a "group chat" of over a hundred birds, creating a noisy, bustling ecological phenomenon known as a "Heron Island."

To Nancy, it felt like they were starting a massive, real-time WhatsApp group on the water. With a literal bird-army at her back, her anxiety vanished. She relayed the herons' plan to Simon.

Simon listened, his eyes downcast in thought. He leaned in and whispered to Nancy, "These people have made several trips to dive for artifacts. We don't know where the items they've already recovered have gone. Nancy, tell the birds that later, I will..."

After hearing his plan, Nancy gave him a big thumbs up. "I knew I could count on you!"

As they spoke, the lead heron's head began to twitch. "Ms. Nancy, quick! The boat is back!"

Night herons can hear the calls of their kin from over 300 meters away. The leader had clearly picked up a signal. Nancy and Simon tensed, going into full alert.

"How many people on board?" Nancy asked.

"Four," the leader reported. "One driving, and three others getting some gear ready. The crew counted them several times to be sure—no mistakes!"

The birds were being extra meticulous. They didn't want to be careless after being fed those delicious fish and shrimp biscuits!

Nancy checked the time. The Water Police sent by Sam were still about twenty minutes away. Usually, diving for artifacts took hours, so they planned to observe and wait for the authorities to arrive before making the arrest.

Nancy fed the leader a small biscuit. "Keep watching them. They'll probably be underwater for a long time. Notify us the moment they resurface and get back on the boat."

The leader signaled the scouts. However, less than ten minutes later, the bird's expression turned sharp and wary. "Ms. Nancy! They’ve suddenly resurfaced! They look panicked!"

Nancy’s expression changed instantly. She and Simon hurried from their cover to get a better look. In the distance, three figures in diving gear had popped up and were swimming frantically toward the boat.

They looked like they were fleeing.

How? Nancy wondered. Did they get a signal? Or did they run into something terrifying under the water?

Nancy waved her hand. "Stop them!"

"Roger that!" the lead heron cried. "Move out, everyone!"

With a loud screech from the leader, the sound of hundreds of wings beating filled the air from all directions. A deafening cacophony of bird cries erupted. The three tomb raiders in the water, who hadn't even reached the boat yet, froze and looked around in confusion at the strange, sudden swarm.