Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 116: The Avian Navigation System

Simon was visibly energized. "Great. I'll head over right now to pick you up. Let’s scout the area and get a handle on the situation first."

Once she hung up, Nancy began organizing her team of animal detectives for the mission.

The Tabby skillfully crawled into Nancy’s cat carrier, its claws already kneaded into the scratching board she had lined inside. "You finally remembered to give me attention, woman!"

Nancy looked up, scanning the area. She and Simon had built two small treehouses together, secured to the largest tree right outside the staff dorms. You could usually tell if the Squirrel Bros were home just by checking if a bushy tail was dangling out. At the moment, however, both treehouses were empty.

Nancy turned to the Tabby. "Where are the brothers?"

As the unofficial vice-director of the zoo, the Tabby kept a watchful eye on every movement within the gates. It stretched lazily. "In the office. Didn't you ask them to think of a name? They have spent days doing just that."

After that, Nancy made her way to the office. She was nearly shocked to death by the cuteness she witnessed. The older squirrel was sprawled out on the floor with a dictionary in hand. He lamented. "Human words are truly a mystery. I think Bold shows my personality!"

The younger squirrel was hugging a small snack pile. He said, "According to the snack wrappers. What do you think about crispy."

"Detectives!" Nancy called out, knocking on the tree trunk while stifling a laugh. "Stop studying the ancient scrolls. We have an urgent mission!"

The words had barely left her mouth before two streaks of brown lightning shot toward her. With practiced teamwork, the brothers bumped open their carrier door and began pulling the safety harnesses over themselves. "Let's go!"

Faint chattering echoed from inside the box. "Is Crispy really a bad name?"

"Can you spell Crispy?"

Nancy shook the snacks around and said, "Why don't you be Corry, and your little brother be Bobby instead." Apparently Corry was the older squirrel's favorite snack brand. Bobby, well, because he was chonky. The younger squirrel loved being full and chonky.

They remained silent for two seconds before erupting into balls of excitement.

The older squirrel flung its tail around in excitement before saying, "Corry! I know how to spell that! I can spell it out in the sand, and it sounds nice!"

The younger squirrel balanced a nut on his head as if making a wish. "Bobby! I hope I'd be as chonky as the name suggests!"

Finally, the two fluffballs pressed their faces against the mesh of the door. "Miss Nancy, could you sign us up for Twitter or something with our names? We want to be influencers too!"

Soon, Nancy and her team were tucked into Simon’s car. He was driving an unmarked department vehicle—plain, low-profile, and nondescript. Both siblings were in civilian clothes today.

Without his uniform, Simon wore a set of charcoal-gray performance gear under a tactical softshell jacket. Though dressed casually, the sharp edge of his features remained, giving him an air of rugged, effortless intensity.

Nancy looked much more spirited in a lime-green tee, her cargo pants pockets bulging with what looked like snacks. A baseball cap was perched crookedly over her bright, inquisitive eyes. Master Crow stood perched on the passenger-side phone mount, balanced perfectly on one leg.

"Turn left. Take the next left."

The crow acted as a living GPS, guiding them through the turns. Simon, hearing the "Crow Navigation" being translated, couldn't hide his amazement. "Whoa Nancy, the crow's able to remember such a complicated route?"

"Don't underestimate him. Crows are highly intelligent creatures with incredible memories—in some ways, they’re even sharper than humans." Nancy smiled, tapping Master Crow gently on the head. "A crow’s navigation system is top-tier."

She tapped her temple. "They don't just memorize a path; they build a 3D holographic map in here. They mark reliable food sources, predator territories, and their own hidden stashes. Out of thousands of points, they can calculate multiple routes to get exactly where they want to go. It’s more detailed and intuitive than any phone app."

Embarrassed by the praise, Master Crow hid his face behind a wing. "It's nothing, really... It's just a little better than the maps on your phone."

However, he raised his tail feathers proudly and his reflection on the window made him look very pleased. With Master Crow's help, they navigated through the sketchy roads before finally approaching the village. Master Crow pointed at a patch of grass and said, "We're almost there. Just park your car here. This is the special parking spot I marked for you. It's completely safe and hidden, and in fact, we're only able to return to our car after we climb a small mound of dirt and walk for a small distance."

Nancy gave him a thumbs-up. "You really are an awesome navigator. You're even thoughtful enough to find us a parking spot!"

Master Crow replied with a proud tone. "That's the end of your route. Please give me a five star rating, okay?"

Nancy shot Master Crow an okay and said, "No problem!"

She patted the carriers. "Alright, detectives, it's your turn. Follow Master Crow and bring our little water snake back home."

The Squirrel Bros shot out of their carrier like springs. The Tabby leaped down with feline elegance, its tail held high like a pampered aristocrat.

"Oh, and one more thing," Nancy added, crouching down to pet each of them. "See if any of the local animals in the village are willing to help us catch our guy!"

"Leave it to us!" the brothers squeaked in unison, puffing out their chests. They were naturally social butterflies; dealing with the village animals would be a breeze for them. As for the haughty Tabby, it merely gave a faint "meow." It clearly preferred "conquering" the locals into submission rather than befriending them.

Over an hour later, the squirrels bounced back first, followed by the little water snake wiggling behind them.

The snake glided into its water tank, splashing its tail excitedly. "Miss Nancy! We found that man! He was hiding in the red brick home East of this village. Oh and!"

It continued its report, eager to show off. "The garderner lady said she sees that man living near a cemetery. He was covering his tracks with some scrap bottles, and his hiding spot is extremely hidden!"

Nancy’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected the snake to uncover the actual stash. Hiding stolen artifacts in a grave—that was certainly a choice. She rewarded the little hero with a dried fish. "Amazing work! You’re a little superstar!"

The Squirrel Bros crowded around Nancy, their bushy tails brushing against her legs. "We have intel too!" Bobby stood on his hind legs. "The local hens said they’re willing to help cause a distraction, but they have one condition—you have to buy all of them and take them away! They heard the humans are planning a feast for the New Year, and they don't want to be the main course!"