guy was trying to kill the cat.
“Hey, guys, what do we do with evidence?” I asked. “I’ve never done this before but I know we ought to collect it in case this turns out to be a shady operation gone bad.”
Victor produced a plastic bag from a pocket and picked up the casing with a stick. It was a big casing. He then deposited the casing in the bag and we were on our way again. The passenger started into a kind of stealth mode. He wasn’t hiding his tracks but he was hiding from the cat. He would crouch behind brush and then inch forward. He was in a kind of defensive pursuit.
It’s just what you do if you are hunting something dangerous. Been there, done that, too. Sheesh! I was too young for all this.
I continued tracking and reading sign until I felt Thez stiffen and draw back to my left and slightly behind me. I sensed the tenseness from several yards away and I wondered how it was that silence shouted so loudly.
“What is it?” I asked quietly.
He crouched down and pointed. Movement. White movement. What would be white and be out here? Then it disappeared.
“Thez, is that dart gun loaded?” I said quietly.
Another motion and suddenly a shot went over our heads. I slipped into stalking mode heading for the shooter.
“Take it easy,” I called out. “We’re just search and rescue.” Another shot, this time lower. “If you’re within shooting range you’re within hearing range. Are you hurt? We’ve got medics. Just come out and we’ll get you patched up.”
I was staying on the guy’s trail, staying low so he wouldn’t shoot me. I was trying to close in on the situation when I saw the cat’s tracks cross the man’s tracks. Maybe he wasn’t trying to shoot us. Maybe the cat was close. The hair rose up on the back of my neck knowing how quiet a cat could be, how close it could come without being heard. It could also be stalking our rescue party. Now I was trying to keep track of four things. Where was the shooter? Where was the cat? Where was Thez? Where was the track leading? I looked back for Thez but couldn’t see him.
“Thez? You still there?”
No answer.
“Victor, where’s Thez?”
I backtracked to where Thez’s trail had departed from mine and followed until I found him sitting at the base of a large boulder.
“What are you doing here? We have work to do!”
“Did you see it?” he gasped nervously.
“No, but it doesn’t matter, we still have work to do. You’ve got the rifle but any of us might need it too. So we have to stick together here. You’re not going to leave me without the rifle are you?” He gave me a scared look.
“How long does it take a dart to work?” he asked.
“I don’t know, a few minutes, maybe?”
“We could be dead in a few minutes. That cat is huge!”
“We’ve got to find the passenger from the plane. He’s got a rifle. If we find him we’ll have more of a defense. We better our odds by finding him, so follow me. Let’s go get him.”
Thez stood and followed me reluctantly. I found the man’s trail again and followed in a crouch. I knew he couldn’t be far away. If his shots were reaching us he had to be close. I noticed the cat’s tracks following the man’s footprints. I really needed a rifle. I’d feel so much better with a real rifle. I had Thez with a dart gun and Victor with a pistol, yet I didn’t even know if he could shoot. I hurried forward. It looked like this situation could become intense real fast.
Quick and quiet, Cass, I told myself. You don’t want to startle the cat or the shooter, better to see them before they see you. I read the tracks and came to an open area. Finally there was the passenger standing with his back to the bluff, rifle aimed at a large white tiger. He was shaking. I turned and stopped the search party from advancing. I held a finger to my lips in the universal hush sign, and signaled for everyone to stay low. I took the tranquilizer gun from Thez. Victor appeared as if he wanted to take it from me but he didn’t know the situation yet. I looked at him seriously.
“EMT or sharpshooter?”
“I passed the test.”
“Thez?”
Nope, I thought, not Thez.
“I’ve got a plan,” I said, “wait here.”
“Cassidy…” Victor said trying to stop me.
“I’m no EMT. We need you after I take out the tiger. I can shoot it if I can just get the rifle.”
I looked again into the clearing. The passenger was shaking so bad there was no way he could possibly hit the tiger. He stood there in big game hunter clothes but it appeared to be more of a costume than a uniform. He was scared spitless. I stalked around to the side of the clearing getting closer to the man. He might not be able to hit the tiger, but I could. I didn’t want either of them to see me until just the right moment. This had to happen quickly and the less distance the more chance of success. I came as close as I dared, raised the tranquilizer gun and fired into the tiger’s shoulder.
“Toss me the rifle!” I yelled. The man looked at me, stunned. “Throw it!” The tiger took a step closer and the man shot at the tiger missing again. “Throw me the damn rifle!” I yelled again. “I can kill it!” He didn’t trust me.
I raised the tranquilizer gun and fired again. “Look,” I said. “I hit it twice. All I need is a real bullet!”
He heaved the gun unsteadily. I snatched it from the air but catching it brought me several steps closer to the tiger. The tiger swung in my direction. It stared me in the eye and let out a low, rumble of a growl. It took a step closer. The passenger took off running. The tiger’s muscles rippled as he prepared to leap. I squared off, raised the rifle, found the tiger’s heart in my site and squeezed off a shot.
The tiger dropped with a soft whuff. How could such a large animal fall so softly?
I looked at the man before me. He had been bitten by the tiger but not mauled. I suspected he’d tried to prevent the tiger’s escape. His left arm just hung there, the muscles torn. He had a gash on his head and cuts and bruises all over his body. All in all I thought he came through his ordeal pretty well.
“Thez, Victor, get in here,” I called.
Victor moved in, assessing the man’s condition. Thez joined him after walking a wide circle around the huge cat. The man was still shaking from his standoff with the tiger.
“Hey,” Thez said, “relax, it’s over. Don’t you know the old line? Cats in planes fall mainly on the plains? Too bad it’s not raining. Cats in planes fall mainly in the rain sounds better. Relax. You’ll be back in town before you know it.”
Thez continued reassuring the passenger while Victor patched him up. We then helped him back towards the other group with his left arm in a sling bound tight to his body. He refused the stretcher so Thez and Victor carried it back empty. I watched the man’s footprints and despite being off balance from
