Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 392: The Fighter In The Desert

Nancy clung to Fighter as they tore across the dunes, the wind whipping so hard she could barely keep her eyes open.

Squinting through the dust, she saw a hollow up ahead. Three emaciated camels were huddled there, weakly licking at a muddy puddle on the ground. One was so exhausted it had collapsed, straining its neck just to touch its tongue to the water.

Her heart sank. She signaled Fighter to stop, slid off his back, and rushed toward the downed animal.

As she knelt to check its condition, a cold, raspy voice drifted from behind her.

"Who are you? How did you find this place?"

Standing right behind her was Rino, the man who had been missing for weeks. He was gripping a long knife that shimmered under the desert sun.

Nancy’s instincts kicked in. She spun around and bolted back toward Fighter. Her combat training was non-existent, but she was a world-class escape artist. As she ran, she shouted a warning. "Rino! I am a police consultant! Surrender now or I will have to be firm with you!"

"A consultant? You?" Rino let out a jagged laugh, closing the distance with his knife. "If you are going to be firm, why are you running?"

Simon arrived just then, leaning over his camel with his pistol raised. He was about to pull the trigger when a tan blur cut through the air.

It was Fighter.

The Bactrian camel lunged, his jaws clamping down hard on Rino’s knife arm. With a violent jerk of his head, he ripped backward.

Crack!

The sound of bone snapping echoed alongside a blood-curdling scream. The knife hit the sand. Rino was thrown off balance by the sheer force of the pull, stumbling several steps before curling into a ball of agony on the ground.

People often forget that behind those long lashes and innocent eyes, camels possess massive jaw strength and thick, grinding teeth. When they fight, they lock onto a limb and thrash their heads with enough power to tear flesh and shatter bone. Rino, barely a hundred and fifty pounds, stood no chance against a half-ton beast like Fighter.

The officers following behind skidded to a halt, their jaws dropping. "My god! I thought camels were just gentle giants. That was brutal!"

Nancy rewarded Fighter with a handful of specialized feed, patting his massive head. "I finally understand how you got your name."

Rino’s right arm was a bloody mess. He lay shriveled on the sand, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Simon moved in efficiently, clicking the handcuffs onto Rino’s good arm and pinning the other.

Another officer rushed over to apply an emergency tourniquet. Looking at the sobbing Rino, the officer shook his head. "Of all the people to take a swing at, you chose the animal kingdom’s favorite? She is literally shielded by a camel named Fighter. If you had surrendered, you wouldn't be in this much pain."

Fighter stood quietly to the side, blinking his big, watery eyes at Rino with an expression of pure innocence. He looked like he was wondering how the man had managed to fall down and break his arm so badly.

"Nancy," he murmured, nudging her hand with his nose, sounding a bit worried. "I only gave him a little nip and he fell over. You aren't going to put me in jail, are you?"

Nancy couldn't help but laugh. She rubbed his furry cheek to soothe him. "Of course not. You were a hero today. You caught a bad guy! When we get back, you are getting an extra helping of the freshest alfalfa I can find."

Just then, the theatrical sand fox poked his head out of Nancy’s bag. He hopped out, trotted over to Rino, and gave him a long sniff.

"Yes! It is him! The villain!" He stood up on his hind legs, paws waving. Then he hopped onto Rino’s chest and began slapping the man's face with his tiny paws. "This is for burying the bodies! This is for hurting people! This is for littering in the desert! Take my Fox Fist of Justice!"

After finishing his combo, the fox hopped back down and struck a pose. "Do not be alarmed, everyone. The criminal has been subdued by my hand and Fighter’s assistance!"

Nancy sighed, rubbing her temples. "Whatever. At least he identified the guy. That closes the loop on the evidence."

Nancy stepped past the suspect to check on the three rescued camels. They were skin and bones from the lack of food and overwork. Feeling her gentle touch and the warmth in her eyes, the three camels leaned into her. They lowered their heads like giant stuffed toys, nuzzling her palms and let out soft, whining sounds, finally letting out the misery of the past two weeks.