Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 465: The Dead End

Nancy looked at the shivering little fox in her arms. Though her heart ached for the creature, her mind remained pulled tight like a bowstring.

Was Langstrom’s mention of that location a deliberate move, anticipating this very outcome to mislead them? Or had the fox truly overheard a critical secret?

Nancy beckoned Master Crow and whispered a few instructions. "Find some fast birds. Go to Murky Bay and verify if Langstrom has been spotted there."

The Oroqen hunters, hearing Nancy’s translation of the animal intel, looked up in shock. "Murky Bay! That is a death zone in the legends of our hunters. It is a swamp hidden deep in the old forest, covered in strange mist year round. Even the most experienced Oroqen elders steer clear of it."

Nancy’s heart sank as she waited for Master Crow’s report.

A while later, Master Crow returned. "The intel is real! We have to get to Murky Bay now to intercept him! The fox says Antonio’s team will run into a brown horse. That is another decoy."

Nancy turned to the map immediately, her finger landing on the marker representing Antonio’s detachment. She then pressed firmly on the dark green area labeled Murky Bay.

"Langstrom’s real target is here. He wants to use the swamp terrain to shake us off, or... he has reinforcements waiting there."

"The wind is from the southwest at thirty five miles per hour. All communication signals are down," a technician reported urgently. "We cannot reach Antonio by radio!"

Every heart in the room dropped. No communication meant Antonio would continue chasing the decoy horse in the wrong direction while Langstrom disappeared into the mists of Murky Bay.

"Use Lucky." Nancy turned without hesitation to the Gyrfalcon. "Lucky, you recognize Antonio, do you not?"

Lucky tossed his head proudly and let out a short cry.

"Right now, you are the only one who can find them in this storm."

Nancy quickly tore off a small piece of a waterproof map. Using a specialized fluorescent pen, she marked the location of Murky Bay with a massive arrow and wrote a short, direct command: "Decoy. Divert to Murky Bay for encirclement immediately."

She rolled the note into a tight cylinder and used a light elastic band to carefully secure it to the base of Lucky’s powerful leg.

"Get this to Antonio. Fly at maximum speed along the leeward side of the mountains. Stay low to avoid the strongest currents." She stroked Lucky’s cold feathers. "I know you can do it."

Lucky gave a firm nod.

A second later, he spread his six foot wingspan and shot toward Antonio’s last known position.

Simon focused on the map. "We will head to Murky Bay to block Langstrom from the front. Once Antonio gets the message, he will move in from the flank. Oroqen brothers," he looked at the leader, "please take us on the fastest, most concealed route to the edge of the swamp."

The Oroqen leader nodded gravely and leaped onto his horse. With a sharp whistle, several hunters fanned out with perfect coordination, their horses kicking up waves of snow.

"Keep up with us!" he shouted. "There is an old beast trail used by hunters that will cut the travel time in half!"

Engines roared and hooves shook the ground.

Nancy’s snowmobile took the lead, following the narrow path carved by the Oroqen hunters through dense woods and snowy slopes. Simon followed closely on horseback, the Gyrfalcon Harmony perched on his arm with eyes like lightning, scanning the path ahead. They were racing against time, the storm, and a cunning enemy.

When Antonio’s team received the secret message from Lucky, they did not hesitate for a second. They pivoted immediately.

The Oroqen hunters led the way, their knowledge of every fold in these mountains unmatched. They steered Antonio’s squad away from the wide, indirect snowfields and plunged into a hidden ravine half buried in snow, a path used only by wild animals.

The horses and snowmobiles sped through the narrow pass. Their speed actually increased as they moved like a sharp dagger, stabbing toward the side of Murky Bay.

Meanwhile, the main force led by Nancy pierced into the heart of the bay like a spear.

When Nancy’s team broke through the final cluster of withered reeds, the view suddenly opened up. On the dark, murky waters of the swamp, a crude bamboo raft was frantically paddling toward the far shore.

On the raft, besides Langstrom, were three unidentified men dressed in identical dark tactical jackets.

However, just as the raft was about to reach the shore, figures moved within the dense forest on the other side. Antonio’s team appeared exactly as planned, arriving like soldiers from heaven to block the escape!

Langstrom was trapped on the raft in the middle of the swamp. His face was a mask of mud, sweat, and the madness of a man driven to the brink.

As the police completed the encirclement, with muzzles and high powered flashlights trained on him, he looked up and let out a hoarse, defiant roar. "Impossible! How... how could you find this place so fast!"