Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 381: The Mole In The Sky

They still had one last card to play. The wolves had been howling loud enough to wake the dead. If the captain heard them, he might still have a chance to disappear.

Back at the command post, the radio was alive with successful reports.

"Report! Squad Two captured a target in the eastern glacial valley following the snow finches! Squad Three found and arrested another suspect in a cave on the western slope with help from the ermines!"

Graham tallied the data. "That makes four. All the couriers responsible for moving the hardware are in custody."

Simon watched the tactical display, his voice cool and analytical. "According to the intel Snowball picked up earlier, there are three more people retreating from the desert mission toward these mountains."

Nancy caught the problem immediately. "We only have two of them. Where is the last one? We have a full surveillance network covering these peaks, and not a single animal has reported a sighting."

Nancy wondered if the man never actually made it into the mountain.

As the group considered the possibility, Master Crow came barreling in, his wings flapping frantically.

"Nancy, we have a massive problem! There is a traitor in the team! One of the birds is covering for the enemy!"

"What!" Nancy nearly dropped her rations into the snow. A mole in the animal ranks? "Talk to me. What happened?"

Master Crow puffed out his chest, looking personally insulted. "We have a spy falcon in the mix! He has been intentionally leading the patrols the wrong way all night. He plays it off like he is just confused, but I know a rat when I see one!"

The crow leaned in, proud of his detective work. "I looked closer. That falcon has a strange indentation around his leg!"

Nancy understood instantly. It sounded exactly like the photos she had seen back at the rescue center. Captive raptors always had those specific marks from wearing leg jussies or bands.

"And his talons have been trimmed," Master Crow added. "Wild birds do not get manicures. But the biggest red flag? When everyone was complaining about not finding the target, he blurted out, Maybe the signal is being jammed. A mountain bird does not even know what a signal is!"

Nancy was stunned. Master Crow really was a strategic genius. A wild bird in these mountains would have no concept of human technology or terminology. If the falcon was using words like signal, he had spent a lot of time around people who used technical jargon.

The last man was likely a master falconer. It explained why he had stayed invisible; his bird was scouting the path and leading him around Nancy’s sentries.

Nancy reached out and gave Master Crow a pat on the head. "Your observation skills are incredible! You really are a world class agent!"

Master Crow ducked his head, feigning annoyance while leaning into her hand. "I am going to be the richest bird on earth. Of course I have the best brain!" He turned serious again. "What is the move? Do we take the falcon down now?"

Nancy thought fast. The master falconer was clearly skilled, but he could not communicate with birds the way she did. He was probably just reading the falcon’s distress signals to know when to hide, but he did not know exactly what he was hiding from.

"Master Crow, here is what we are going to do..."

She lowered her voice and whispered the plan to her strategist. Master Crow’s small eyes lit up. He covered his beak with a wing and let out a raspy, wicked laugh. "Kid, that is brilliant! Devious. I love it!"

To keep the surveillance network running, Nancy had set up several feeding stations at key points across the mountain. Right now, one of these canteens was packed with local birds, and it was the perfect stage for a sting operation.

A group of long tailed tits, looking like round, fluffy rice balls, were huddled around a feeder. They pecked at the seeds while engaging in some very loud gossip.

"I almost got lost today! I nearly went into that abandoned fox den near our nest!"

"The one with the red berries hanging over the entrance? The one half buried in snow? My grandmother said that cave is massive. She says it goes all the way down to the base of the mountain!"