He wasnt budging. Although we could pretend we held the power here, he knew better because he knew we werent going to hurt him. Hed laughed at the thought of us interrogating him, and as much as that pissed me off, he had a point.
We were teenagers whod grown up in a tiny town where wed been treated like precious gems, which I guess, in a way, we were. Wed had an easy life. While we were tough enough to survive in the woods, we wouldnt hurt Moreno in order to make him talk. It went against every value that had been instilled in us. Daniels power of persuasion was apparently on the fritz, so we were stuck.
For a moment during our attempted interrogation, I considered getting Sam. I suspected she could have handled this. But I honestly didnt think it would do any good. Moreno wasnt telling us anything else.
We patted him down and confiscated his cell phone. It needed a code, and he wasnt giving it up.
Finally, we did the closest thing to torturing him we could come up with. We gagged him with the towel and tied him to a tree a couple hundred meters from the cabin.
Your friends arent going to find you, Daniel said. And the nights are getting cold. Itll be a race between hypothermia and dehydration, see which kills you first.
We paused a moment, letting that sink in, then I said, Are you sure you dont want to talk to us?
Moreno rolled his eyes, still looking amused.
Hell think its a lot less funny by morning, I said to Daniel. Well come back then, see if hes changed his mind.
Wed hoped that threat would be enough to get him talking. It wasnt. As we walked away, we looked back a couple of times to see if he was straining at his bonds, wildly trying to tell us hed talk. He just sat there. Which meant we were screwed. No way we were hanging around until morning and then coming back. I suppose he knew that. Maybe he also knew we wouldnt really walk away and leave him to diethat his bonds werent tight enough to bind him there forever. Just long enough to let us get far away as his friends searched for him.
THRTEEN
WE DIDNT GET MUCH out of him, Daniel said when we were away from Moreno.
It fit with what I read in the cabin, though. Its starting to come together but
Barking erupted in the forest. A very deep, very familiar, very loud bark.
Kenjii! Daniel said.
I broke into a run. Daniel kept pace behind me. As I ran, I mentally cursed the others for not quieting my dog. That bark would carry for miles.
When I was close enough for Kenjii to hear me, I gave a soft whistle. She came crashing through the bushes.
No! Hayley yelled. Kenjii!
Its okay, I said. Its me.
Kenjii barreled into me. I managed to avoid being bowled over, but when I tried to get past her, she bumped my legs, prodding me back the way Id come.
Maya? Hayley called, loud enough to make me wince. Daniel?
I pushed Kenjii aside. She growled and leaped into my path, then bumped me with her head. Telling me to stay back. Dont come this way. When Daniel tried to pass her, she blocked him, too.
I shoved her aside with a firm no. I saw Hayley and Sam, standing near the abandoned ATV and dead deer. I tried to brush past Daniel. His arm shot out to stop me. And then I saw why. Corey was crouched beside the ATV, as if hed been working on it. On the other side of the dead deer was a snarling, spitting cougar.
She came for the deer, I whispered. Seeing the cougar from another angle, I noticed her hanging teats. Shes lactating, which means she has cubs close by. The ATVs have probably been scaring away the game. Shes getting desperate.
I appreciate the Nature Channel commentary, Corey said. But its really not helping, Maya.
Sorry.
Think you could use some of that animal whisperer mojo? Tell her the deer looks tasty, but she can have it. In fact, I insist.
Youve forgotten everything my dad taught us all about dealing with big cats, havent you?
Oddly, its slipped my mind. Something to do with seeing six-inch fangs a foot from my throat.
Theyre two inches, tops, and shes a meter away.
Maya
Step one, maintain eye contact. Step two, stand up. Never crouch around a catit makes you look like prey.
He shot to his feet so fast the cougar started, then snarled.
Um, move slowly, I said.
Thanks.
Dont worry. She wants the deer, not you. Dead prey is easier to catch. Let her know youre surrendering it by backing away, slowly, while keeping eye contact.
He did that. The cat stood her ground, crouched, but her ears were forward, head raised, rear legs still. In other words, considering attack, but not yet sure it was necessary.
Once Corey had retreated a few meters, the cougar slunk forward, going for the deer. She grabbed it by the neck. Then, hauling it with her, she swung around, her back to the ATV as she looked over at us, checking out the remaining competition.
I tightened my grip on Kenjiis collar, but she was staying calm.
Dont move, I murmured to the others. Keep eye contact, but dont move.
As I spoke, the cat met my gaze. Her eyes widened and her rounded pupils dilated. She lifted her head and sampled the air. Then she growled.
We were teenagers whod grown up in a tiny town where wed been treated like precious gems, which I guess, in a way, we were. Wed had an easy life. While we were tough enough to survive in the woods, we wouldnt hurt Moreno in order to make him talk. It went against every value that had been instilled in us. Daniels power of persuasion was apparently on the fritz, so we were stuck.
For a moment during our attempted interrogation, I considered getting Sam. I suspected she could have handled this. But I honestly didnt think it would do any good. Moreno wasnt telling us anything else.
We patted him down and confiscated his cell phone. It needed a code, and he wasnt giving it up.
Finally, we did the closest thing to torturing him we could come up with. We gagged him with the towel and tied him to a tree a couple hundred meters from the cabin.
Your friends arent going to find you, Daniel said. And the nights are getting cold. Itll be a race between hypothermia and dehydration, see which kills you first.
We paused a moment, letting that sink in, then I said, Are you sure you dont want to talk to us?
Moreno rolled his eyes, still looking amused.
Hell think its a lot less funny by morning, I said to Daniel. Well come back then, see if hes changed his mind.
Wed hoped that threat would be enough to get him talking. It wasnt. As we walked away, we looked back a couple of times to see if he was straining at his bonds, wildly trying to tell us hed talk. He just sat there. Which meant we were screwed. No way we were hanging around until morning and then coming back. I suppose he knew that. Maybe he also knew we wouldnt really walk away and leave him to diethat his bonds werent tight enough to bind him there forever. Just long enough to let us get far away as his friends searched for him.
THRTEEN
WE DIDNT GET MUCH out of him, Daniel said when we were away from Moreno.
It fit with what I read in the cabin, though. Its starting to come together but
Barking erupted in the forest. A very deep, very familiar, very loud bark.
Kenjii! Daniel said.
I broke into a run. Daniel kept pace behind me. As I ran, I mentally cursed the others for not quieting my dog. That bark would carry for miles.
When I was close enough for Kenjii to hear me, I gave a soft whistle. She came crashing through the bushes.
No! Hayley yelled. Kenjii!
Its okay, I said. Its me.
Kenjii barreled into me. I managed to avoid being bowled over, but when I tried to get past her, she bumped my legs, prodding me back the way Id come.
Maya? Hayley called, loud enough to make me wince. Daniel?
I pushed Kenjii aside. She growled and leaped into my path, then bumped me with her head. Telling me to stay back. Dont come this way. When Daniel tried to pass her, she blocked him, too.
I shoved her aside with a firm no. I saw Hayley and Sam, standing near the abandoned ATV and dead deer. I tried to brush past Daniel. His arm shot out to stop me. And then I saw why. Corey was crouched beside the ATV, as if hed been working on it. On the other side of the dead deer was a snarling, spitting cougar.
She came for the deer, I whispered. Seeing the cougar from another angle, I noticed her hanging teats. Shes lactating, which means she has cubs close by. The ATVs have probably been scaring away the game. Shes getting desperate.
I appreciate the Nature Channel commentary, Corey said. But its really not helping, Maya.
Sorry.
Think you could use some of that animal whisperer mojo? Tell her the deer looks tasty, but she can have it. In fact, I insist.
Youve forgotten everything my dad taught us all about dealing with big cats, havent you?
Oddly, its slipped my mind. Something to do with seeing six-inch fangs a foot from my throat.
Theyre two inches, tops, and shes a meter away.
Maya
Step one, maintain eye contact. Step two, stand up. Never crouch around a catit makes you look like prey.
He shot to his feet so fast the cougar started, then snarled.
Um, move slowly, I said.
Thanks.
Dont worry. She wants the deer, not you. Dead prey is easier to catch. Let her know youre surrendering it by backing away, slowly, while keeping eye contact.
He did that. The cat stood her ground, crouched, but her ears were forward, head raised, rear legs still. In other words, considering attack, but not yet sure it was necessary.
Once Corey had retreated a few meters, the cougar slunk forward, going for the deer. She grabbed it by the neck. Then, hauling it with her, she swung around, her back to the ATV as she looked over at us, checking out the remaining competition.
I tightened my grip on Kenjiis collar, but she was staying calm.
Dont move, I murmured to the others. Keep eye contact, but dont move.
As I spoke, the cat met my gaze. Her eyes widened and her rounded pupils dilated. She lifted her head and sampled the air. Then she growled.
