Panthera Spelaea Ch. 61-70

The superyacht Elements came to a stop off the southern coast of the Sardinian island of Isola di San Pietro. One of the ship's tenders, a small rigid-inflatable boat, was lifted out of the stern garage and into the water. The moon was an hour from setting, and it was just past three in the morning when I climbed on board. With me were Anna and Svetlana, all three of us dressed as tourists with backpacks and clothing. Our cover story was that we were avid birdwatchers on holiday for the fall migrations.

The bosun drove off as soon as we were ready, heading to the landing spot we had picked out. We'd pored over charts for hours, trying to decide the most likely place for the eagle to stop to rest. Although the island was small, it was well-developed, with farms and homes and roads all over. Expanses of open land didn't exist on an island whose high point was just over two hundred meters above sea level. The landing area we picked might have been the first land Todd's Eagle encountered. We were hoping it was a resting place for a tired bird after a long flight.

There weren't any boats anchored offshore. We were lucky it was the offseason for tourists, plus the southern coast's exposure to the big waves off the open Mediterranean. The populated area of the island was on the protected east coast, facing the big island, not here. I took over the driving as we approached the dangerous surf, with rocks breaking the surface or hidden just underneath everywhere. The small beach in Grotte della Mezzaluna was well-hidden along the sheer cliffs that rose thirty meters above the crashing surf. The bosun hopped out, and we helped the girls climb onshore before I followed them. "Can you find your way out?"

"I think so," he said. "Good luck. Call us when you need a pickup."

We waited until he was safely past the surf and heading back to the yacht. We could only risk my switching when in a place hidden from human view but exposed from the air, and the bottom of cliffs wasn't it. Besides, Todd would be sleeping now. I carried the heavier backpack up the trail to the top of the cliffs, and then we headed southeast to the rocky point.

"Do you think this will work," Anna asked?

"I have no idea," I replied honestly. "We're assuming the Eagle landed as soon as he reached land. If we're wrong, he could be on the main island by now. By tomorrow, he could be anywhere in Italy. Our best chance is at sunrise. That's IF he's here."

"And if not?"

"Then we rent a car and drive around the island all day looking for him," I answered honestly. "It's the same thing the other teams are doing, except Duncan and I are the only ones who will switch. I'm hoping if he sees our animals, he'll recognize them."

"Won't his eagle recognize us," Svetlana asked? "We all met her Eagle in Moscow."

"I have no idea. Once Todd's airborne, our only chance is if his eagle recognizes us and investigates. We DON'T know how fast Todd's experiences and memories will push over to the eagle and affect its decisions. It's just as likely that he sees us as threats and flies the other way."

On my first switch, I was only in Lion form for a short time. Still, it took over a week for me to regain consciousness. The other Switchers guessed it was because it was too weak after thirteen millennia. As I slept, the Lion was absorbing my thoughts and experiences. Ekatarina's first switch lasted three days and ended hundreds of kilometers from where she started.

We made it to the edge of the seaside cliff as the moon set, casting us into darkness. Anna got out her cellphone and checked in with Art, letting him know we were in place. My cat told me no one was around, but we spent some time looking for a place that would give me cover to the sides and back. The winds were a little chilly coming off the water, and Lana shivered a little. "I need my big, fuzzy hot water bottle," she begged sweetly.

"Fine," I replied. I stripped off my clothes, packing them into Anna's backpack. "You can nap while I keep watch, and I'll wake you at twilight. I want you above and behind me, watching for people and scanning the air for Todd. Keep the pistols and binoculars close at hand. We may only get one chance at this." I switched into my cat, stretching out before settling down on the gravel and rock where I could look out over the ocean. The girls sat down, leaning against me as I moved a foreleg to cover their thighs. I let out a low growl as Svetlana leaned her head onto my shoulder and started to scratch my shoulder and neck.

Sleep was a weapon, as the military said. We'd had little sleep since the second attack, and the girls dropped off quickly as they tucked into my warm fur. I stayed alert, as this was a vulnerable time for me. With the wind off the ocean, my sense of smell wouldn't identify anyone sneaking up. I had to depend on my eyes and ears to keep us safe.

The birds greeted the new day with song, and I nudged the girls awake when it was light enough to see. The girls found a spot to go to the bathroom, then washed up and ate a protein bar before heading up the rock formations on each side. My lion sprayed over their scent, kicking rocks and dirt around to spread his scent, behaving as if another cave lion might appear in the Italian islands.

The three of us stayed quiet after that as the reds and oranges of the sunrise filled the sky. It was beautiful, but I didn't have time to enjoy the view. The sun barely cleared the horizon when Anna cried out to us. "There! Nine o'clock high!"

I turned my head to the left, following her arm as she pointed. I could barely make out the shape of the eagle above us, maybe a half-mile to the southeast over the southern tip of the island. From what I remembered of the map, that was the Spiaggia La Bagga beach area. The eagle was flying our way, several thousand feet up.

Svetlana called the ship to report the sighting. I couldn't conclusively say the eagle saw us, but he did circle above us two times before heading inland. Once he was out of sight, I switched back and got dressed. "We need to follow him," I said.

"Art's looking into helicopter charters, and he'll bring his people in as soon as they can," Svetlana said after she scrambled down the rock and hugged me. "The resort to our north has a room in the Karpen Industries name reserved. They can supply a vehicle for our 'birdwatching' adventure."

"Let's go," I said before Anna jumped down into my arms. We headed inland until we reached the trail along the cliffs, then turned left. The Hotel Mezzaluna-Hotel Carloforte was less than a mile away, and we needed to hurry. We picked up the pace to a jog, watching our footing as the trail wound along the cliffs.

We'd made it halfway around the Gulf of Mezzaluna when I jumped to clear some rocks. Something hit me in the right shoulder, knocking me to the ground. Pain exploded in my mind as the sound of a rifle shot reached us. "GET DOWN," I told the girls as I rolled off the trail.

I ended up in a depression behind a small rock, unable to look at the threat without attracting more fire. Anna and Svetlana had broken to the other side of the trail and had their pistols out. Svetlana was closer to me, and she snuck a look. "One shooter, hunting rifle, tan pants and black shirt, two hundred meters away at eleven o'clock. White sedan, one driver."

"I'm calling it in," Anna said. "Are you hit?"

"Through and through on the back of my right shoulder," I said. "Too fucking close. The shooter has us pinned down."

"Art says twenty minutes for his men to arrive," Anna relayed. "How the fuck did they know we were here?"

Another fucking mole? Were his phones tapped? Was someone tracking the phone Anna got before we left the yacht? Art's foundations were crumbling. "Make sure they warn Duncan he might be in danger. Leave the phone there in case they are tapping the GPS."

Anna dropped it on the ground. "What's the plan?"

"I'm vulnerable here in the open. On the count of three, I want both of you to fire four shots at the car to give me cover. I'm going to switch and head for the cliffs. At least in the rocks, I can find cover. Once I'm out of sight, you two alternate between safe spots back down the trail. Find a place to hide and stay there until the cavalry arrives."

"I don't want to leave you," Svetlana said.

"I'm the target; you're the loose end. Those two won't come after you until I'm dead, so hide well! I don't want you hurt."

Anna nodded, but I could see in her eyes she wasn't going to go quietly. I didn't give them a chance to think about other plans. "Three, two, one." I switched into my lion as they opened fire.

I bounded away from my hiding place, attracting a shot that missed thanks to the girls shooting back. I ignored the pain in my shoulder as I ran hard for the cliff edge, turning just short to find a way down. I saw a ledge just ahead, a drop of at least six feet, and had an idea. Another shot rang out close enough to feel the breeze from it. I pretended it was a hit, dropping to my side and sliding along the rocks until I rolled over the cliff edge.

Anna screamed in horror, firing six shots in rapid succession before Svetlana got her to move again. I heard them running down the trail as I assessed my options.

All of them sucked.

Ch. 62

I could hear the car gunning its engine, likely moving to cut off the escape of my mates. There was a spot near where we were last night that the road came close to the trail. I had to hope they were smart enough to hide somewhere else.

I hurt from the slide and fall, and the bullet wound in my shoulder wasn't helping. The blood matted and dripped from my fur onto the rock ledge below me. I was out of sight, safe for now, but completely exposed to someone on the top of the cliffs. I had to get somewhere else, and quick.

The ledge ended about ten feet to my left; looking down, it was sheer walls down at least thirty feet. Even in cat form, that wasn't a jump I'd make. I twisted around on the narrow ledge and trotted to the other end.

There was a spot to jump to, about twenty feet out and four feet down. The target area was only three feet wide and continued around a rock outcropping, with no room for error. If I screwed up the jump, it was a fifty-foot drop to the broken rocks and water below.

I didn't have a choice in this.

I backed up a few feet, bounding forward before jumping towards the ledge. I realized about halfway over that I'd used a little too much power. I landed on the far part of the ledge, skidding furiously to try and stop. Nine hundred pounds didn't stop on a dime, and I made a quick decision as my front legs reached the edge. I switched back to my human form, scraping up my chest and stomach, but able to stop myself by grabbing a rock. My head and shoulders went past the edge until I was looking down at the surf below. "Fuck, that was too damn close," I said out loud. I pushed myself back onto my knees and stood up.

I looked around for my next move. There was a crack in the rock face, enough to hide maybe half my body. The good news was the slight overhang; it would hide me from anyone directly above. The cliff had partially collapsed further on. The landslide left huge boulders and wall sections piled haphazardly down to the waters. It was a mess; nothing flat to land on, and ankle-breakers everywhere.

I heard the car slide to a halt on the gravel road. The car door slammed, and I heard pistol shots further ahead of me, shots trading back and forth with the girls. I prayed for their protection as I considered how I could get down to the water, or at least to the shelter of the rocks.

"FREEZE," a male voice shouted from behind me. "You're cut off. Surrender yourself, and we will let your women live."

I turned around, hugging the wall. I was screwed; there wasn't enough rock to shield my body from his rifle, and the only other option was to take a header onto the rocks below. "Why? You're going to kill me anyway."

"DON'T DO IT," Anna yelled, which provoked more gunfire.

"Surrender now, or they are dead, John. Save me the trouble of fishing your body out of the surf, and I will let them walk away." He had a rifle on me, and he was right. I was confident the next Cave Lion would want two pregnant mates, so at least my girls could live. They'd get over me eventually.

"I surrender," I told him. "What do you want me to do?"

"Climb up to the top," he told me.

"Fine. Tell your man to stand down. ANNA, SVETLANA, IT'S OVER."

I looked at the rocks above me, finding a crack and some handholds I could use for the ascent. "This might take a while," I said. "This isn't the climbing wall at the gym."

I wedged a foot in and reached for a handhold, pulling myself off the narrow ledge. I was startled by a loud screech and looked to my left.

In an explosion of feathers, a diving Golden Eagle crashed into his target. The rifleman had been standing at the edge of the cliff with his attention on me. A forty-pound raptor missile was more than enough to push him past his point of balance. He dropped the rifle, his arms waving, but it was too late to save him. He tumbled over the edge, bounced off the ledge below, and cartwheeled through the air. I heard the clatter of the rifle, then a wet splat as he hit the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs. I looked over to see the broken body of the Golden Eagle on the ledge near where I'd gone over.

"YOU BASTARD," Anna yelled as she started firing. I heard Svetlana join in, and soon the return fire stopped. Anna was screaming for me as she ran to the edge of the cliff. "JOHN!"

"I'm here," I told her. "Stay back. I'll be up in a minute."

Cliff climbing naked isn't my thing, especially against an overhang. I made it here, and making it back would be a little more of a jump. I switched back to my Lion, taking as much of a running start as possible before launching myself for the first ledge. My front legs cleared, but my rear legs had to scratch and scramble their way up to get me over.

The girls ran towards me as I switched back to human form. "Anna, do you have the backpack?"

"Just a minute," she said. She was back shortly. "What do you need?"

"Take out everything but my clothes and shoes, then lower it to me." I took the bag and dressed quickly, including the surgical gloves we'd brought along just in case. I didn't think I could get another Switcher beast after getting my Cave Lion, but why risk it? I unzipped the backpack and carefully stuffed the broken bird inside before zipping it up. "Take this," I said as I held it above my head. Anna pulled it up before the girls helped me climb back to the top. I plopped down on my back, the girls piling onto my chest and hugging me. "Are you all right?"

Anna nodded, but Svetlana didn't respond. "Lana?" I rolled her off me, seeing the dark stain on her black jeans. "LANA!"

"NO!" Anna saw what I did, and Lana was limp. I unzipped her jeans and moved them aside, finding an entry wound about four inches right of her belly button. "Get me a t-shirt, anything," I told her as I pressed on the bleeding wound. I had her fold it into a square and hand it to me, removing my fingers only long enough to move the material into place. "Help me check for an exit wound," I said. I rolled her onto her left side and found nothing, so I put Svetlana on her back again, keeping pressure on the entry wound. "Get the cellphone and call for help." I thought for a moment. "Art's help, not the authorities." I didn't want to explain a gun battle, a dead raptor, or Svetlana's healing rate to the police and hospital personnel.

Anna was barely keeping it together, but she got up and ran for the spot they'd first taken cover. She had the Element on the line; they were getting underway from their anchorage off Portorvesme, where they had been waiting for a berth to open up. Art had dispatched a helicopter to us as soon as we reported the eagle sighting, and they would be here in ten minutes.

It was the longest ten minutes of my life. Svetlana didn't awaken; her body looked pale, and the pool of blood kept growing. The shirt soaked through, and I had Anna tear my shirt off and fold it. I put it on top of the t-shirt, knowing from my first aid classes not to pull the original bandage away. That could rip out any forming clots.

I heard the helicopter approaching finally, and Anna waved it down. I asked her to put on the backpack with the eagle, not wanting it left behind. I had Anna keep pressure on the wound while I picked my mate up, and we walked together to the helicopter. I kicked off the ship's personnel, leaving only the pilots as we laid her on the bench seat for passengers. "GO," I said as soon as Anna had the door closed again.

Flight time was less than five minutes. Svetlana's pulse was weak, and we were losing her. Medical teams were waiting on the bow of the Elements when we landed and carried her down to the ship's hospital.

I got Anna to Art's office, and we collapsed crying together on the floor. Art had stewards bring wet towels to clean the blood off our hands, and that was when he saw my shoulder wound. "Take him to Medical," he ordered his people.

"They need to help Svetlana," I argued.

"I can't have you bleeding all over my office, John. We'll get Anna cleaned up, and you can wait your turn in Medical."

"Anna, tell him what happened." I let his crew members lead me away.

Ch. 63

"No," Anna said. I turned back to look at her from the doorway. "You got shot, and their medical team is busy with Svetlana. I'll get you cleaned up. Art, put this in the freezer for now." She handed over her backpack. "Make sure no one touches it. It's Ekatarina's eagle."

"Todd is dead?" Art looked shocked.

"His eagle rejected him and died saving John. If you want to hear the rest of the story, you can walk with me as I prep. I'm going to take a quick shower and change. John, I'll meet you in Medical."

"I'll get him cleaned and prepped," the young steward at my side said. I knew better than to argue with a woman while injured, so I left with her.

We went down the stairs to the medical bay. Art didn't skimp on this, knowing that he needed to be able to handle anything. One of his granddaughters was the Ship's Doctor, another the nurse. Both were busy in the compact operating theater next to the exam room. "My name is Tessa, and I need to prep you for the procedure. Take those clothes off, and I'll clean you up," she said.

I didn't have a shirt on as I'd used it as a bandage, but I kicked off my shoes, cargo shorts, and underwear. The steward used a small wet towel to wipe down my chest and back, avoiding the bullet wound as best she could before putting a dry towel on the exam table. "Lie down on your stomach," she told me. It stung doing this with all the cuts and scrapes, but those weren't serious. The hole through my shoulder could be. She held out a folded washcloth to my face. "This is going to hurt, so bite down on this if you have to."

I put it in my mouth as she opened some 4x4" gauze pads and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. She poured some over the back of my shoulder, and I nearly levitated off the table. I spit the cloth out. "Damn, you've got some bedside manner! Where are my painkillers?"

"I'm not qualified to administer them, and the Doctor is busy right now. This is what happens when you fall to the 'B' team," she said. "I'm in the second year towards my nursing degree, working on it online while I'm here. Now, you lie still. If you'd avoid getting shot, you wouldn't need patching up."

I thought about arguing, but that's when she started wiping up the dirt from the shoulder. When satisfied, she switched to using Betadine around the whole shoulder, finally covering the unaffected area with surgical cloths. I was thanking God when Anna came in, looking hot in scrubs and a mask. "How's the patient?"