Jaguar Hunt by Terry Spear Page A

after they were at the zip line today.
    Jumping onto a branch, she looked up, knowing she’d have to go a lot higher in the tree to reach the branch where the teen had been. She didn’t mind going up as a cat, though about twenty feet high was usually the limit for her. She normally didn’t need to go much higher than that.
    Coming down, she was all right as long as she concentrated on the next branch she’d jump to and not the ground. Her cat’s balance lessened her fear of heights.
    So when David jumped onto the branch next to her, grunted, and looked up, indicating—she thought—that he would go instead of her, she shook her head. She could do this. She wanted to do this. She needed to.
    She leaped onto another branch, and another, then one more until she was where the male had been resting while David waited below for her. He’d jumped down and was searching the forest floor for where the teen had raced off to. A few orange jaguar hairs clung to the branch, but what really caught her attention were a pineapple and a bunch of bananas set up in the crook of the tree, almost like a peace offering. She didn’t remember seeing them there when she was hanging from the cable.
    She couldn’t figure the two boys out. As jaguars, she and David had no way to carry the fruit back to their rental unit except with their teeth, just like the boys must have done to bring it up here. But why?
    She could envision one of the kids taking pictures of an Enforcer and a JAG agent in jaguar form hauling a pineapple and a bunch of bananas back to their clothes, then posting the images on Facebook or something. She could imagine that cocky Quinn Singleterry snickering about what they were doing down here in Belize.
    She jumped down from the tree and joined David. Hearing men off in the distance talking about the cable, she knew they’d have to wait until later to inspect the break. They followed the trail the boy had left when he climbed down the tree. They explored for some time, but when they lost the teen’s tracks at a river, Tammy stared across the dark water. They’d never found the other boy’s trail, if he’d even been there. The teens were bright. If the JAG branch could train them, she thought they’d make good Golden Claw agents.
    After exchanging glances of agreement with David, they headed back. Tammy prayed her clothes and David’s were still where they had left them. When they arrived at the spot and saw their jeans, boots, and shirts still piled where they had shucked them, she let out her breath with relief.
    After scanning the vegetation and observing no sign of any jaguars, she turned to see what David was doing. He’d already shifted, dressed, and was patiently waiting for her. Her brothers would have chided her for being so slow and pushed at her to hurry it up.
    â€œIf you want, I can carry your clothes and you can shift back at the cabana,” he offered, as if understanding her hesitation.
    She hated to be this indecisive. She shook her head, and gentleman he was—except for this morning when he’d watched her shower in her bikini—he turned away. She shifted and threw on her clothes as quickly as she could.
    â€œWhat’s up with these kids?” she asked as they headed back to their cabana.
    â€œThey’re looking for attention.”
    â€œThey’ve certainly got ours. Did you see the fruit?” She glanced at David.
    â€œNo, where?”
    â€œA pineapple and a bunch of green bananas were arranged in the crook of the tree branch. Do you figure the fruit was a peace offering of sorts?”
    â€œTo appease the jaguar god and goddess,” he joked. “Were they there when you first saw the jaguar?”
    â€œI don’t know. When I first saw him, I was concentrating on him, trying to smell his scent, but the breeze was blowing the wrong way. I…I just can’t remember.” She shook her head.