Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 261: Strategic Partnerships

Master Crow swooped in, looking smug. "Nancy! My friends are going to watch the seeds. We've got a heavy hitter on the first shift today!"

Nancy breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried they’d be insulted, being asked to act as security guards."

Master Crow cocked his head. "Those snacks you make have a real pull. My friends can’t even fly straight once they get a whiff of them."

He wasn't about to admit his own status in the bird gangs had hit an all-time high since he started handing out Nancy’s treats. But then his tone turned serious. "You still need a permanent crew, though. My friends like their freedom. They won't stay cooped up at some farm forever."

On the recovery bed, the kestrel’s head darted back and forth as he followed the conversation. His eyes went wide. "Human! You actually give orders to crows and eagles?"

He looked at Nancy with pure wonder. "You’re incredible!"

Master Crow took offense at that. He puffed out his chest. "Orders? This is a strategic partnership! I’m the primary stakeholder here!"

The kestrel blinked, looking lost. "What’s a stakeholder?"

Master Crow turned away. "I don't talk to idiots with no business sense."

Nancy laughed. "If every bird had a business degree, humans wouldn't be able to leave the house without being shook down for protection money." She gave the crow’s head a playful poke. "Be nice to the new guy."

Master Crow let out an annoyed huff but turned back. Nancy looked at the kestrel’s adoring gaze and a lightbulb went off. "Hey," she said softly, "how would you like to be the boss for once?"

The kestrel pulled his neck back. "Me? A screw-up like me... a boss?"

"Absolutely," Nancy said. "The agricultural base needs someone like you to run the show."

She explained it simply. "You don't even have to hunt. You just stand by the fields. Looking as fierce as you do is enough to scare off any small thieves. There will be endless fresh fruit and meat, and the humans will treat you like royalty. The whole field will be your territory. You can fly and patrol whenever you want."

The kestrel’s eyes lit up. "Is that really possible?"

But then he looked down, his voice trembling. "But... what if a bigger bird comes to bully me?"

Nancy pointed out the window and smiled. "If you run into trouble, you just scream. Every human at that base will come running to back you up."

The more she spoke, the more excited she got. She thought about the wildlife centers that struggled with raptors who couldn't return to the wild. If she moved them to the agricultural base, it solved their survival problem and gave them a purpose. It was the perfect second-chance scheme for the misfits of the bird world.

"And we’ll recruit more birds just like you," she said. "If you can’t win a fight one-on-one, we’ll just form a gang. Let’s see who dares to touch you then."

The kestrel’s feathers puffed up. The idea of being a boss after a lifetime of being the family failure was too much to resist. "I’ll do it! I want to go now!"

Nancy gently pressed down on his eager head. "Easy. Get healthy first. That job isn't going anywhere."

She turned and winked at Master Crow. "Alright, it’s time to use that network of yours. Find me the outcasts, the ones struggling in the wild. Tell them I’ve got room and board and a job waiting."

Master Crow tilted his head, his eyes darting around. "What’s the finder’s fee? I’m charging per bird."

Nancy laughed. "Deal. You get a fee for every one you bring in."

Before she could finish, Master Crow shot out the window like a bolt of black lightning. If he were human, he’d be the salesman of the year.

As dusk fell, Nancy finished her dinner just as Simon arrived at the medical center with a few officers. Neil was with them.

"Nancy, we’ve got good news," Simon said. "We found the choir from the park. They recognized the sketch."