Leopard Adventure

  He was interrupted by Bluey, who burst in carrying bags and packs from the jeep. He glanced around the cabin.

  ‘It’s a bit rough and ready, guys,’ he said. ‘But I guess we’ll look on this as the lap of luxury when we’ve been out in the forest for a few days.’

  With the arrival of Bluey, Bob Doolins cleared his throat loudly and said, ‘Can I have your attention, please. We really don’t have any time to waste.’

  He was standing in front of a large map pinned to the wall of the cabin. Amazon, Frazer, Miranda, Bluey, Kirov and Boris all gathered round.

  ‘This is the situation,’ continued Doolins. ‘On the western side of the Sikhote-Alin mountain range most of the rivers either drain into the basin of Lake Khanka, down here, or they flow further north to meet the Amur River.’

  He used a wooden stick to point first to a big blue splodge that marked the enormous Lake Khanka, and then to a long blue line of the Amur, snaking over thousands of miles across Russia to the Sea of Japan.

  ‘One of the major tributaries of the Amur is the Ussuri, which rises here in the mountains. The Ussuri is itself a pretty serious waterway, and has its own tributaries. He pointed again at the map. ‘At this point, the Ussuri is joined by the River Khor. You can see how the two rivers gradually approach each other, forming this funnel-shaped area of land. It’s almost like a long, thin island …’

  ‘But not really an island,’ said Frazer. ‘There’s no water at the top end. So stuff – animals, I mean, can just walk out of there.’

  He got up and pointed to the open forest indicated on the map.

  ‘You got it, son,’ said Doolins. ‘Normally animals – and people – can get in and out through that gap. But the gap has been closed, trapping everything between the two rivers.’

  ‘The fire,’ said Amazon.

  ‘That’s right, young lady, the fire.’ Doolins looked to Kirov. ‘Viktor, perhaps you could explain this part.’

  The silent Kirov stood up and took the wooden pointer from Doolins. He spoke quietly, but in perfectly good English, which surprised Amazon and Frazer.

  ‘A forest fire has been started, and it now stretches from here to here, trapping everything between the rivers, like a cork in a bottle. The fire is moving down the mountain, pushing all animals in front of it. But soon it will reach the end where the rivers meet.’

  Suddenly Amazon saw the urgency of the situation. ‘The animals will be able to swim across the river, won’t they …?’

  Boris guffawed. ‘Ha, little English girl think of little English river, babbling brook, tinkling stream, ha ha. Ussuri and Khor is proper Russian rivers: it is torrent, it crash, it foam white. Swim in Ussuri and you end up dead as dormouse, as you English say, yes?’

  ‘Actually,’ said Doolins, taking over again, ‘some animals may be able to escape across the river. Tigers are good swimmers, some of the larger species of deer may be able to make it …’

  ‘And leopards?’ asked Frazer.

  ‘Leopards? No, not so good. And, as you may have heard, we have reason to believe that the leopard we are seeking has two small cubs, so the river is not an option. That’s why you’re here – to help us to track, tranq and save the leopards. As the leader of the TRACKS team, do you have anything to add, Ms Coverdale?’

  ‘Just a question. Kirov said that a fire had been started. Did he mean deliberately?’

  Doolins paused for a moment to consider before answering. ‘Fires are common further south, where the forest is drier in the summer. But not here. Which is why we think it was started deliberately.’

  ‘Who by?’ asked Miranda.

  Kirov answered. ‘Probably hunters. They use the fires to force the animals into a smaller and smaller area. They sell bones and skin to China and Korea for medicine. And they kill bears for their gall bladder, also used in medicine.’

  ‘And leopards?’

  ‘Yes, kill leopard for the bones, and for the skin. A man could earn from one leopard what he would earn in a year of working on a farm.’

  ‘And you know for certain that the hunters are in the pocket of land now?’ asked Miranda.

  Kirov shrugged. ‘Makha and his grandson are looking now. If they are there, Makha will find them.’

  ‘Thank you, Viktor,’ said Doolins. ‘And there is another factor. All of this land is protected because of the leopard reintroduction programme. If we lose the leopards, then the local government may well sell off the land to other interests. Is that correct, Boris?’

  Boris did one of his shrugs – like everything else about him, Boris’s shrugs were huge. ‘Of course. Government is corrupt. It sell anything it can to make the men at the top rich. It is the way out here.’

  ‘So, as you see,’ Doolins continued, ‘there is no time to lose. We start in the morning. I’ll be coordinating the fire-fighting effort. The fire-fighters on the site aren’t professionals – they’re just Russian troops the Interior Ministry has allocated to us, and they’re a pretty undisciplined lot. The rest of you will split into three teams to go after the leopards. It’s your call, Miranda, but I suggest that the two youngsters go with the Udege – they know these forests better than anyone, and they will keep them safe. I take it you have tranquillizer guns?’

  ‘Sure do!’ said Frazer, tapping the aluminium case. ‘I’ve got my X-Ark right here.’

  Bluey chuckled. ‘If I was Amazon’s rear end, I’d be afraid, very afraid.’

  ‘Ha ha,’ said Frazer. ‘I’ve already explained that it was all part of my brilliant plan. And the chance of me needing to shoot Amazon in the butt again is pretty slim.’

  Doolins ignored the jokes. ‘The mother,’ he said, ‘has a radio collar, so you may be able to track her using radio receivers. You’ve brought extra sets, right?’

  ‘Sure have,’ said Bluey. ‘Three.’

  ‘Right, then,’ said Doolins, ‘if there are no more questions, let’s turn in.’

  ‘Turn in where?’ asked Frazer, looking around the hut for a place to sleep.

  ‘Up on the platform,’ said Doolins. ‘I’m afraid there’s not much privacy.’

  ‘Erm … that reminds me,’ said Amazon, a little sheepishly. ‘Where’s the loo?’

  ‘What is “loo”?’ said Boris, butting in where he really wasn’t wanted.

  ‘The … the, ah, little girls’ room …’

  Boris shrugged, mystified.

  ‘She means the, ah …’ Bluey tried, but got stuck.

  Kirov said something in Russian, and Boris burst into his titanic laughter.

  ‘Ah, Boris understand.’

  He disappeared outside for a moment, and came back carrying something.

  ‘Here is spade, out there is woods.’

  ‘You are kidding!’ Amazon gasped.

  ‘What, Russian woods not good enough for English girl?’

  ‘What about the bears and the tigers …’

  ‘English girl safe – they not look. Russian animals very polite, ha ha. No, only joke. If bear come, girl shout for help. If tiger come, don’t bother shout, already too late.’

  ‘Do you want me to come and, erm … keep guard?’ said Frazer.

  ‘No way!’ snapped Amazon. ‘I’ll take my chances with the tigers.’

  ‘OK, Lunakarski, enough of that,’ said Doolins, although the corners of even his mouth were twitching. ‘Amazon, there’s a small shed with a chemical toilet out in the yard. I’ll show you the way.’

  Amazon blushed. She hated being tricked.

  ‘No thanks, I’ll find it myself. Can’t be that hard.’

  ‘OK, but take this,’ said Doolins, and threw her a torch.

  ‘And watch out for tiger, ha ha,’ boomed Boris.

  Amazon stepped out into what was now full night. It was good to escape the smoke and noise of the cabin. It was pitch black. If there was a moon, it was well hidden behind a thick layer of cloud. The stars were nowhere to be seen. Amazon had never known such darkness. Once the door to the cabin had sw
ung shut behind her, she literally couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.

  She flicked on the torch and shone it on the solid wall of trees that circled the little collection of huts and shacks. The strong beam lit up the tree trunks surrounding the clearing, but could not penetrate into the impossible blackness beyond. She shivered, and hurried to the nearest of the huts, hoping that it would be the one with the loo. She scraped open the door, and something ran squeaking over her foot. Amazon had never been the sort of girl who was scared of mice and rats, but in her surprise she let out a scream.

  The door to the cabin opened.

  ‘Zonnie? Are you all right?’ cried Frazer, silhouetted in the doorway.

  He must have been right there, Amazon realized, waiting and listening to make sure she was safe.

  ‘Of course I am,’ she snapped.

  ‘OK. Well, just shout if you want, er, company.’

  Amazon pulled herself together. ‘Yes, of course. I just love company in the bathroom.’

  And then she felt that she’d been a bit mean. Frazer was only trying to help, after all. So she added: ‘I’m fine. Just had a little rodent issue.’

  ‘That’s the woods for you,’ said Frazer with a shrug. He turned to go back inside. ‘Just yell if you, y’know, need anything.’

  It turned out that Amazon wasn’t even in the right shack. It was just a woodshed, piled with logs. She shone the torch around the yard and headed for another of the outbuildings. She opened the door warily, and felt around for the light switch, and then instantly felt stupid. There was, of course, no electric light.

  The torch showed that it was a truly horrid place, thick with cobwebs, with a dankness in the air and a smell that Amazon hoped she’d never have to encounter again. But at least this time it was the right horrid place: there was the disgusting chemical toilet – just a plastic bucket with a flimsy seat.

  And there, also, on the floor, was a huge shape, bristling and fierce.

  This time Amazon swallowed her scream.

  ‘I’m not afraid of you, Boris dog, dog of Boris,’ she said. ‘You’re a big stupid coward.’

  Boris the Dog looked at Amazon. She was right. He wasn’t a very bright dog. Or a very brave one. He rather liked the look on the faces of humans when he ran up barking at them. Should he bark at this small one? It might be fun. But he also quite liked it when they scratched him behind the ear. He didn’t get that often from his master, the giant hairy human. So up he got and pushed his face into Amazon’s hand.

  The thing is that Amazon loved all animals, even the big, stupid, smelly ones (Boris the Dog was responsible for at least part of the loo’s nasty aroma). So she said: ‘OK, softy,’ and gave him the scratch he was after.

  Boris the Dog made a wet sound and Amazon felt warm drool on her hand. ‘Yuk,’ she said. ‘Thanks very much. Now get out and give a girl some privacy.’

  She opened the loo door, shunted the dog outside, then shone the torch around again. She shuddered as beetles scurried away from the beam, and moths fluttered to it. Cobwebs as big as bed sheets draped themselves between the low roof and the flimsy walls. There was no window, but the loose planks that made up the walls had wide gaps. She peered through, and then sent a narrow finger of torchlight into the dark.

  Nothing out there.

  Then, as she turned away she thought that she caught some movement, just where the trees met the clearing. She spun back again, and forced herself to look.

  Was it that idiotic dog? No, because Boris the Dog suddenly appeared, standing in the yard a metre in front of her. He was staring in the same direction as Amazon. Whatever it was that she had seen, the dog had seen it too. And now the big dog was whining and backing away.

  That was not good.

  Amazon peered into the darkness, concentrating so hard that her eyes ached. But no matter how hard she stared she could not make anything out. Then she saw that the dog’s head was turning.

  His finer senses detected what she could not see.

  Whatever it was that lurked in the treeline was circling slowly. The dog was clearly terrified.

  Amazon opened the door a sliver. ‘Boris, get in here,’ she hissed, ‘and the dog leapt at the chance to squeeze in. It pressed itself up against her, shivering with terror.

  ‘Oh, now I remember,’ said Amazon to herself. ‘Tigers and leopards both love to eat dogs.’

  And then she dismissed the idea. A tiger or leopard wouldn’t come so close to the house, would it? It was more likely to be a deer, or some other forest creature that had spooked the dog. She already knew what a coward he was. Perhaps it was even her own beautiful sables, come to say hello.

  Except that the forest again had that silent watchfulness that she’d noticed before. And now there was an extra layer. Something thick and tangible and frightening.

  Luckily, help was close at hand. She hated to come across as too girlie, but she wasn’t a fool.

  She opened the door a crack and yelled out.

  ‘Guys, help! Frazer, Mr Doolins … There’s something out here!’

  But it was no use. From the cabin there came the raucous sound of Boris singing at the top of his voice.

  She estimated the distance to the cabin. It was probably no more than fifteen metres. She peered again through the crack in the shed, and shone the light into the darkness.

  And there, reflected back at her, were two unmistakable points of light.

  Eyes.

  Back home in England, Amazon had often seen the eerie light reflected in the eyes of a fox or a cat at night, and even then, when she knew that there was no danger, it had always given her a tiny shiver of fear.

  But this was different. This was no fox. And the danger was real.

  The eyes were wide set and, even though the wall of the shed came between them, Amazon knew that they were fixed on her. She felt the power and intelligence behind them. For the first time in her life she had come up against a creature that saw her as dinner.

  And then the eyes blinked out.

  Boris the Dog crushed even closer to Amazon, hiding his muzzle in the folds of her jumper.

  ‘Stupid yellow-bellied dog,’ she said, but how she also longed for someone bigger and braver than her, in whose jumper she could hide her own face.

  She heard – or thought she heard – a twig snap. The tiger – if that’s what it was – was now directly behind the toilet shed. The trees were perhaps three metres away – an easy leap for the greatest of the big cats. Was the flimsy hut strong enough to keep out a killer?

  But Amazon was not the kind of girl to stand cowering and awaiting her fate.

  ‘I don’t know about you, Boris the Dog, but I have no intention of dying in a smelly outdoor lavatory. We’re going to run for it. Understand?’

  Just talking to the dog calmed Amazon a little.

  Boris the Dog looked at her with his big foolish eyes.

  ‘You wouldn’t understand which end of a bone to chew, would you?’ she said with a sigh. ‘Well, never mind, just follow me.’

  Amazon tensed herself, kicked open the door and sprinted. She was fast. She had easily won the hundred metres for her year at her school sports day. In a couple of seconds she was halfway to safety. Boris the Dog was slower from the starting blocks, but eventually the message got through to his small brain, and he galloped after her.

  And, having got halfway, Amazon suddenly felt a little foolish. After all, it is so easy to imagine shapes in the dark. To imagine, even, the silver light of two feline eyes.

  And then she felt it.

  She couldn’t even have said if by ‘felt’ she meant saw it, or heard it or even smelled it. But she knew it was there, and she knew that it was coming.

  She lengthened her stride, willing her legs to go faster. And then a stray root caught her foot, and she fell sprawling on her face.

  Frazer had watched Amazon leave the cabin with a vague feeling of unease. He didn’t think that Bob and Miranda should have let her jus
t go off on her own like that, even with a torch. Doolins had already gone on about the number of deadly animal species in the forest – how many was it? Six? Ten? No, not ten. But enough.

  It added to his general feeling that something about this mission wasn’t right. He was used to having more of the Trackers around. Bluey was great, of course, but he wasn’t that experienced. Miranda Coverdale was incredibly efficient, even if she did have a look on her face like she’d just smelled something nasty – something nasty that she blamed on him.

  But this was her first time as team leader.

  And Bob Doolins looked like he was at the end of his tether – Frazer had never seen anyone look so tired.

  The three of them were studying the map on the wall now.

  And then there were the Russians. Boris was sort of amusing in his idiotic way, but Frazer knew that sometimes clever people could pretend to be idiots, if it suited their purpose.

  Was Boris one of those fake idiots?

  Or was he the real thing?

  Either way, it was a touch worrying.

  And, if Boris was a puzzle, the other Russian, Kirov, was even more mysterious. He was perfectly polite, but Frazer thought there was something he was keeping back. And Frazer had also noticed that he moved with a certain grace. The kind of grace you get with trained athletes.

  Or soldiers.

  The old witch he really didn’t want to think about. He tried smiling at her. She smiled back. At least it might have been a smile, but it was hard to tell as she had not a tooth in her head, so it was like being smiled at by a frog.