Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 376: The Fluffy Command

The scene looked exactly like a community outreach event where neighbors line up for free handouts, except this was the animal kingdom version.

With the aerial surveillance network established at lightning speed, the military pinpointed the exact coordinates of the spy ring. Graham stared at the moving red dots on the screen and gave the order. "We move as soon as it gets dark. We wait for them to stop and settle in, then we hit them while they are vulnerable."

Nancy watched the pulsing lights on the map, her palms beginning to sweat. This was her first time participating in an operation of this magnitude.

Just then, a rustling sound came from outside the cave, mixed with faint squeaks. Snowball burst back into the shelter, leading a literal parade of white fluff behind him. He had actually done it; he had built his Tundra Squad. As the little creatures swarmed into the cave, a chorus of chirps and squeaks erupted.

"That meat patty you made smells incredible!"

"My fur is even softer than Snowball's. Do you want to feel?"

"Can we just hang out with you from now on?"

Snowball already had the personality of a clingy puppy, and now the entire cave was filled with carbon copies of him. There were at least a dozen ermines, and every single one was over the top with affection. Nancy was instantly buried under a mountain of soft white bodies as they scrambled into her lap and onto her shoulders. They felt like a warm, breathing blanket, and the heat was enough to make beads of sweat pop out on her forehead.

It was a hell of a happy problem to have.

As the light faded, the window for the strike drew closer. Military technicians brought Nancy a tactical knife and other self defense gear. She looked at the cold, hard lines of the sniper case next to Simon, her eyes full of envy. Nancy was not a professional; she had only received a crash course in firearms before the mission. Her aim was shaky at best, and carrying a sidearm would probably be more of a risk than a benefit.

She made a silent vow to herself. Once this mission was over, she would train until her marksmanship matched Simon's.

But for now, she checked the gear on her tactical vest. The military had given her and the animals plenty of equipment; it was time for her to give the military an edge of their own.

Nancy had already worked out the details with the clingy ermines and the birds in the cave. They would serve as sentries for each squad, with ermines on ground watch and birds providing eyes in the sky. She called the squad leaders over. Under their confused stares, Nancy began her unique pre battle distribution.

"Squad One, take one ermine and a snow pigeon. Squad Two, one ermine and a long tailed tit."

Nancy handed out the animal sentries like she was passing out plush toys. As the warm, fuzzy ermines were tucked into the soldiers' arms, the heavy atmosphere of the mission shattered instantly.

One ermine expertly climbed onto a scout's shoulder and wrapped its bushy tail around his neck, turning itself into a living scarf. Another poked its nose into a sniper's gear bag, sniffing around as if checking the flavor of the ammunition. One particularly bold snow pigeon landed directly on a squad leader's helmet and let out a relaxed coo, acting for all the world like the commanding officer.

"Re-reporting, Ms. Nancy... it is licking my ear!" a young soldier stammered, freezing in place while an ermine tried to give him a thorough grooming.

The squad leaders held the soft little creatures with looks of pure disbelief.

"I have been in the service for over a decade," one veteran said, staring at the bird huddled in his palm. "I have checked out rifles, I have checked out grenades... but this is the first time I have been issued a sentry that breathes."

"Is this even allowed?" another soldier asked, cradling his ermine so carefully he was afraid to move. "Does this mean we have full spectrum aerial and ground recon now?"

The contrast was striking, with stiff, imposing soldiers covered in tiny, adorable puffballs. Though they were awkward at first, the warmth and cuteness of their new tactical gear quickly won them over.

Graham watched the fully loaded units, and even as a man who had seen it all, he was speechless. With one move, this young animal communicator had provided them with the recon equivalent of an entire reinforced company.

His gaze toward Nancy grew even more intense. This was no mere consultant; this was a Commander in Chief of the Animal Kingdom, and she had brought her own army.

Night fell completely, and the mountain chill rolled in like a silent tide.