The Mysterious Abductions (6 page)

Chapter Fourteen

THE ALLIANCE

“O
h
mon dieu
!” wailed the sugar glider. “It's the end of the road. The final act. Showdown at high moon!”

“There is nothing to be afraid of,” said Dawn. “When we meet the coyotes, that will be clear.”

“Clear that I'm cooked!” moaned the sugar glider. He threw his paws up in defeat.

“Bismark—” said Dawn.

But he would not let her speak. “I'll be minced
meat! Glider goulash! Marsupial mash!” Bismark placed a flap on his forehead, as though he were about to pass out. “I must keep watch. Sleep no more!” he continued, climbing to the top of a tree. “I shall be the eyes and ears for us all!”

The bats rolled their eyes. “He's on the edge, that chap.”

“Completely
meshuggina
.”

“The egg has cracked.”

“Totally scrambled.”

The others stayed quiet, but they were equally scared. The coyotes were not known for their kindness. In fact, they had a reputation for being scoundrels of the night.

Tobin surveyed the land, taking in the dim light as best as he could with his tiny eyes. Then he saw Dawn, who had wandered away, sitting alone on a grassy knoll. Slowly, the pangolin crawled toward his friend and sat down beside her.

Dawn let out a breath. She knew Tobin wanted an explanation.

“I have history with the coyotes,” she started, her voice soft and low. “I met Ciro when I was young. We became good friends.” She paused. “But we were born in remote northern brambles, away from other pups of
our kind. We did not know the ways of the plains. And once we ventured out…well….” Dawn's words trailed off, and she lowered her gaze to the ground. “Ciro is a coyote. He belongs in a pack.” Her voice hardened. “A pack of which I'm not a part.”

Tobin waited, but the fox said no more. “Are you glad to see him?” he asked.

Dawn met Tobin's gaze. “We cannot deny our past,” she explained. “Our memories define who we are.”

Tobin did not know what exactly she meant, but he knew not to ask more. “I suppose this alliance is a good thing,” he offered, hoping to show his support.

Dawn nodded. “It is certainly our best hope,” she replied.

“Ayyyeeeeee!”

At the sound of the sugar glider's sharp wail, the fox's ears stood erect.

“Holy mother of madness!
El padre
of pain! It's the carnivores!” From his perch in the tree, Bismark jumped and pointed feverishly.

The animals turned in time to see three coyotes trotting toward them from the brush.

“
Au revoir, mis amigos
! I shall see you all in another life!” As Bismark lamented his fate, he lost his
footing on a patch of slippery bark and tumbled out of the tree. With a grunt and a thump, the sugar glider landed on the moss beds below.

“Oh dear,” said Tobin, stepping toward his fallen friend.

“He will be fine,” said Dawn. She turned toward the coyotes. “Welcome, Ciro.”

Ciro furrowed his brow, baffled by the odd assortment of creatures. Then he nodded to his companions.

“This is Ajax and Julian,” he said. The giant creatures bowed in greeting. “Have the members of your group been caught up?”

“They have not,” Dawn replied.

“Then that is where we'll begin.” Ciro eyed Bismark, still lying in a heap. “Shall we wait for the flying squirrel?”

“Squirrel!” The bats howled with laughter.

“He's a marsupial, sir!”

“He'll tell you himself!”

“Soon as he wakes up from his fall!”

“Let's focus,” said Dawn, shooting a stern look at the bats. The fox turned to Ciro. “Why don't you share what you know,” she suggested. “We can fill Bismark in later.”

“Very well,” replied the coyote. He motioned for the group to draw closer. “We must stop these nocturnal nappings.”

“We've been aware of them for some time,” added Julian.

“Since one of our own was snatched!” Ajax barked. The vein in his neck pulsed with rage.

“Yes,” Ciro said, “when our Audrey went missing.” He took a deep breath. “Since then, we have confirmed the disappearance of many others. A raccoon, a possum, a wombat—”

Cora let out a small yelp.

Ciro paused for a moment then went on. “A honey badger, a mink, a tarantula…and twelve kiwis.”

Julian bowed his head. Ajax clawed at the earth.

“We have been studying these animals,” Ciro continued. “Their patterns, behaviors, and qualities. We need to know why they were taken.”

The animals listened carefully. Even the bats were silent.

“But nothing adds up,” finished Ciro. “There is no common thread among those who are missing.” The coyote glanced over at Dawn. “We do, however, have one meaningful lead.”

The others leaned in.

“There is one animal who's been spotted at every known napping.” Ciro paused. “The jerboa.”

Cora gasped. The bats flapped. But Tobin did not flinch.

“Yes,” confirmed Dawn. She stepped beside the coyote. “Jerry's involvement is certain. He may be too small to overpower larger creatures, but he definitely played a role in their disappearance.”

“Well, let's go find him then!” Ajax barked. The hot-tempered coyote scratched at the earth.

Ciro raised his front paw, signaling for his friend to calm down.

Ajax took a deep breath, but his eyes still gleamed with rage. “That rotten rodent is out there,” he grunted, “just waiting to nap his next victim.”

Tobin lowered his gaze toward the earth. “I never trusted him,” he said softly.

“But Bismark did,” said Dawn, “and Jerry trusted Bismark as well.” Her lips curled up slightly.

“Is…is that a good thing?” asked Cora.

The fox nodded. “Jerry might have confided in him,” she explained. “Let's go wake Bismark.”

Ciro surveyed the nervous group. His face flashed with mischief. “Yes,” he said. The coyote shot a sly wink at the bats “Let's go rouse the squirrel.”

All four flying creatures tittered at Ciro's joke. Cora chuckled under her breath. Even Dawn flashed a grin. Despite the dangers that lurked, Tobin felt a wave of relief. The coyotes were friends, not foes. And together, they would restore safety and peace to the night.

Chapter Fifteen

THE ABDUCTION

“S
tand back!” screeched Bismark, recoiling from Ciro in fear. “I can see the hunger in your eyes! There is very little meat on these bones, I'll have you know.” Bismark awoke from his terrible fall to an actual nightmare—a coyote hovering inches above him.

“Bismark, stop.” Dawn shook her head. “Ciro is not thinking about food right now. He just wants to know what Jerry told you.”

“That's what he wants you to think, my sweet,
gullible fox. First he gets information, and then he begins preparation. What will it be this time, coyote? Sugar glider stew?” Bismark shuddered. “This is not how I want to go!” he exclaimed, flailing a fist through the air. “I intend to live forever, you know. Or at least I'll die trying!” Bismark raced up the tree trunk and hid in its limbs.

“Huh?” Ciro shook his head in confusion.

“He often makes little sense,” whispered Cora.

The fox tilted her head toward the treetop. “Bismark, enough. Now tell us: what did the jerboa say?”

Bismark popped his head out from a tangle of leaves. “Nothing,
nada
,
rien
! He did not tell me anything.” The sugar glider crawled to a far-reaching limb, where he plopped down on his behind.

The animals standing below slumped with discouragement. There was a moment of uneasy silence as they realized they had no more leads.

The sugar glider sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “Perhaps he went to find the last teammate,” he said.

One by one, the other animals lifted their heads.

“What was that?” Dawn stood at the base of the tree, her eyes wide and alert.

“His
amigos
,” Bismark continued. “They're almost together now. All but the final one.” The sugar glider gazed into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

The fox raised a paw to the bark, intrigued. “What ‘
amigos
'?” she asked.

“The group, the team,
la squadra
,” he said, shifting his weight on the branch. “When he gathers them all, he can return to his family.”

Ciro crept beside Dawn. “Bismark,” he pressed, “what is this team?”

“Oh, you know.” The sugar glider sighed. “The raccoon, the possum, the honey badger….”

“Is there a mink in this group?” Ciro asked.

“What about a coyote?” Ajax demanded.

“Ahhh…yes, I believe so.” The sugar glider moved down a few branches.

Ciro and Dawn's eyes locked in a meaningful gaze. No one spoke.

“Now, Bismark,” said Dawn. The fox spoke evenly, so as to not fluster her friend. “Did Jerry ever mention the purpose of this team?”

“Yes,” chimed in Tobin. “What's it for?”

“No, no, no,” said the sugar glider. “No mention of any of that. Though I did tell him that all teams need a great leader. A master of ceremonies. A
maestro
, like
moi
!” Bismark jumped to his feet and then bowed. “Yes,
maestro
. I rather like the ring of that.”

Dawn and the others gasped. Had Bismark unknowingly volunteered to be napped?

The sugar glider stared at his friends. Then, suddenly, his eyes blazed with comprehension.

“
Mon dieu
!” he yelped. He cradled himself in his flaps and rocked back and forth. “What have I done?”

“Bismark, think,” Dawn commanded. “What else did Jerry say?”

“Did he mention my brother?” cried Cora.

“Or Audrey?” boomed Ajax. “Did he ever mention the name Audrey?”

“Um…um….” Bismark wiped beads of sweat from his forehead.

“What's the nature of this team?” questioned Julian.

“Was he the leader?” asked Ciro.

“Oh
mon dieu
!
Mon dieu
!” Bismark paced on the branch, running his paws through his fur. “I…I….” He could no longer speak. The questions were coming too fast, and the little sugar glider could not handle the pressure. He was wheezing, his breath growing shallow. His eyes danced in their sockets. His body swayed. And then, with a crashing thud, he plummeted down from
the tree. For the second time that night, the sugar glider lay on the ground, unconscious.

“
Klutz
!”

“Featherweight!”

“Squirrel!”

The bats giggled and snickered, but a shrill scream in the distance drowned out their jeers.

The coyotes bared their sharp fangs. Dawn arched her spine. Tobin and Cora huddled together.

“Another napping!” whispered the wombat.

“But where?” wondered Tobin.

The group turned their heads left and right, but they could not locate the source of the sound.

“Let's check the den!” Ajax roared. With an angry grunt, the coyote raced into the woods.

The rest of the animals followed, sprinting into the dark. But when they arrived at the den, it was empty. Panting and wheezing, the group scanned the land. There was no trace of the napper.

Dawn tilted her head toward the plains. “Maybe the sound came from that way,” she said.

“Or that way,” said Julian. The coyote pointed in the opposite direction.

The group stood in stupefied silence, unsure of what to do next.

Suddenly, the wombat let out a gasp. “Where's Tobin?”

Dawn's eyes darted left, then right. “No one panic,” she said, though her own heart was racing. “Maybe he's with Bismark.” The fox ran toward the tree where they'd left the unconscious glider. Sure enough, there stood Tobin.

“Your scales!” Cora cried.

Tobin's coat, normally smooth, was now scratched and scuffed all along his left side. The wombat lowered her gaze, pained at the sight of her injured friend.

But Tobin seemed unconcerned with his wounds. He was panting and flustered. “Oh goodness,” he gasped, struggling to regain his breath. “They, they….”

Dawn met the pangolin's terrified gaze. “What is it?” she asked.

“They got him!” he sputtered. “They took Bismark!”