Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 50: The Bat Army

The little bat instantly bristled, its tiny ears swiveling. "It's coming from our back. Is it your friend?"

"I didn't bring any friends," Nancy whispered, her heart skipping a beat. Was it the killer?

She gripped a thick, sturdy branch she had found on the ground. "How tall are they?"

Bats have extraordinary hearing, using echolocation to determine an object's position, size, and even material with pinpoint accuracy. The little bat’s pointed ears twitched rhythmically. "It's slightly taller than you, but he's really buff! He's smoking and he's searching. He seemed excited?"

It wasn't the killer. Could it be an accomplice? Nancy’s breath hitched, but it was too late—the sound of footsteps crunching on needles was right behind her.

A stocky man emerged from the shadows, rubbing his hands together as he eyed Nancy. "Well, well. What’s a little beauty like you doing wandering around the woods all by yourself in the middle of the night?"

He began fumbling with his belt, his voice thick with a repulsive, lecherous leer. "Looking for a secret rendezvous with your lover, are we?"

Nancy tightened her grip on the branch, preparing to summon her hidden army of squirrels. But the chubby little bat stayed put, drew in a deep breath, and let out a piercing, high-pitched screech. "Help! Anyone help! There's a bad guy bullying me!"

The silent pine forest erupted into a frantic rustling sound, as if a massive cloud was sweeping through the trees. The little bat turned to Nancy and squeaked urgently, "Duck, lady! Get down!"

Nancy threw herself to the ground, shielding her head with her arms.

The next second, a literal cloud of bats swarmed the area. A large bat led the charge, its wings flapping furiously as the dark mass dived toward the stocky man. "Who dares bully my dear grandson!"

The chubby bat pointed a tiny claw at the intruder and shrieked its grievance. "That’s him! He’s the one!"

Before the words even faded, the black swarm descended on the man. His predatory grin vanished instantly. "Holy—!"

He turned to run, but no human could outpace a diving bat. The man was tackled to the ground, covered from head to toe in writhing, leathery wings. A large bat landed squarely on the man’s head. "So you're the one who's been bullying my dear grandson?"

She waved a commanding claw. "Slap him! Give it to him good!"

The entire bat colony extended their wings, delivering a rapid-fire succession of slaps across the man’s face. The rhythmic thwack-thwack-thwack of wings against skin filled the air until the man simply fainted from sheer terror.

Nancy let out a long, shaky breath. It turned out this chubby little bat was the pampered favorite of the entire colony.

Once the "lesson" was over, the bats crowded around the little one. "Are you okay, sweetie? Are you hurt?"

"Are you hungry? I'll catch you a nice little mouse."

Nancy finally understood why the little bat was so round. With a whole clan of relatives hand-feeding it, how could it not be?

"I'm fine, guys."

The bat pointed at Nancy and said, "I fell from the tree, and she saved me! She can understand us!" the little bat chirped proudly.

The older bats instantly became wary. The matriarch narrowed her eyes. "A human who understands us? Why are you here! Are you here to experiment on my sweet little boy?"

"Don't be alarmed," Nancy said. "My main job is as a vet and a zoo director. On the side, I’m a special consultant for the police. I’m here tracking a dangerous man who killed someone and kidnapped a child."

She gestured to indicate the boy's height and described the killer’s features. "Have any of you seen him in these woods?"

"I've seen him!"

"Me too!"

Several bats from the swarm immediately chimed in. "I saw a man matching that description! He’s hiding in the old abandoned tool shed near the perimeter wall!"

Another added, "I ran into them and they're hiding in my aunt's nest! He even kicked my aunt's family out with fire!"

Nancy’s eyes lit up. She had found him! "Where is this shed exactly?"

"In the cave down the main road." , one bat answered excitedly. "It would be great if you could get that mean human out of there. My aunt's family is probably soaked in the rain!"

Nancy nodded, giving the unconscious creep on the ground a sharp kick for good measure. "I’ll handle him first, then I’m on my way."

"I'll scout the cave then."

The bats spread their wings. "She knows the way, she'll take you there."

Nancy pulled a pair of handcuffs and a mini-taser from her pocket—tools Simon had given her for self-defense. To ensure the lecherous man wasn't faking his faint, she gave him a quick jolt before cuffing his hands behind his back.

He clearly wasn't with the killer; he was just a predator who had seen an opportunity. But with a murder investigation active and everyone ordered to stay inside, his presence out here was suspicious. Was someone pulling his strings?

Nancy checked her phone to call it in, but there was no signal in this part of the woods. "I'll deal with him properly when the police get here."

The chubby bat hopped onto her shoulder. "I fly way too slow, miss. I'll stay here to keep an eye on him, go on ahead."

"Thanks. If anything happens, let me know immediately."

Following the bat, Nancy reached the perimeter wall of Critters Villa. She stared up at the two-meter-high stone structure, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

The bat urged. "Hurry, my husband said he's in there, and he might leave anytime!"

Nancy gritted her teeth and began to scramble up the wall. Getting up was hard enough, but looking down at the two-meter drop on the other side made her head swim. The effort had drained her, and she suddenly remembered she hadn't eaten dinner.

"Who’s there!"

A deep, commanding voice cut through the drizzle.

Nancy’s head snapped up. Under a large black umbrella, Barry’s tall silhouette emerged through the curtain of rain. He was walking toward her with purpose, followed by a dozen bodyguards whose polished shoes splashed through the puddles.