Gia's POV
I laid on a log in the woods. The smoke from the fire began to get in my face, so I moved away. "You ok, G?" Alex asked. I nodded. "The smoke was in my face." I said. Alex chuckled. "Well, smoke does go towards beauty." I cocked an eyebrow. "Who told you that?" I asked. He shrugged. When Alex left, he came back with some more firewood. I gave him a look. "Why'd you get more firewood? The fires fine." Alex looked at the fire, then the wood. He set the wood down. "Y'know, just in case, I guess?" Alex tried to think of an excuse. I giggled and he sat beside me. "I gotta give you some credit, you picked a nice spot. You can really get a good view of the stars." I said as I looked up. When I looked back down, Alex was looking at me lovingly. He shot he head away from eye contact, thinking I didn't notice. I rolled my eyes and looked back at the stars. Alex stood up. "Please don't tell me you're getting more firewood." I said. Alex laughed. "Hehe, no. I'm just getting something. Be right back." And he walked off.
I never realized how beautiful the sky was until that night. I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned around. "Alex? Is that you?" I wasn't scared, just nervous. Suddenly, someone grabbed me and pulled me. A hand was covering my mouth. I looked up at my attacker. Humans! I pulled and struggled. Alex came back. "So it turns out that- GIA!" He shouted and tried to knock the poachers off of me. The poachers shoved a needle into my shoulder. "Ow!" I yanked out the needle and pushed off the humans. Alex and I ran. The poachers didn't bother using tranquilizer darts for Alex. They shot him in the leg, and he fell to the ground. "Alex!" I screamed. The poachers grabbed me, but I couldn't escape. The world faded around me, and I blacked out.
Alex's POV
I woke up and my leg was bleeding. I groaned at the pain. "Gia...Gia!" I shouted. She was gone. I tried to get up but I couldn't move my leg. "Gia!" I yelled again. It was no use. She was gone. Those humans! I tried to at least crawl towards the train. No, I have or find her. I will! I thought. I grabbed a stick and used it as a walking stick. I slowly made my search for Gia.
Gia's POV
I woke up in a crate. I looked out the little hole of the crate. It was dark. There were more boxes and a little shine of light was showing. The area was shaking. I was in a truck. The poachers stuffed me in a crate and shoved me in a truck. Why didn't they kill me? I thought. The truck stopped moving, and the large door opened. Two men came in and lifted my crate up. I did my best to be still. "I think he's still asleep." One man said. "It's a girl." Said the other man. They carried me into a building and let me out of the crate.
"Hey? What's this?" One of the men took my necklace. "We could make a fortune with this." That was too far. I lunged for the man and took back my necklace. Then I ran on all fours as fast as I could, but the men grabbed me. "Hold her down!" "She's strong!" The men knocked me out with a rock.
When I woke up again, I was on a table. Bars kept me from escaping. My necklace was gone, and tears went down my face. That necklace meant so much to me. When I was a cub, my parents made and gave me that necklace before I left with the circus. They were killed by hunters shortly after. I cried softly. One name went through my head. Alex...
Alex's POV
I was found by Gloria. "Oh my gosh! Alex! Are you ok?! What happened to your leg?!" She shouted. "I'm fine. I was just shot." I said, and continued to limp. "Ok sweetie, we're going to see Melman right now!" She grabbed my arm. "No! She's in danger! I have to help her! Lemme go!" I shouted, trying to pull away. "Alex! Stop! I want to help! Who's in danger?" She asked. "Gia! She was taken by these hunters!" I shouted. A sharp pain surged through my leg. "Ah!" I gritted me teeth in pain. "C'mon, sweetie. Let's get you to Melman." I looked back in front of me. "But..." I nodded my head at Gloria, and we headed back to the train.
Gia's POV
I wasn't fed. I wasn't given water. I was just stuck in a room with a light in my face. The light was blinding, and I couldn't turn away. This was torture. I didn't struggle, I didn't roar. Both would be purposeless. I just cried. I wanted to go home. I listened to the men outside, hoping they'd find in use for me and let me go. "So, what did the boss say?" "We kidnap the jaguar and kill her. Then, we wait for our real prey to come." "Real prey?" "The lion!" "Oh! Why didn't we just kidnap him instead of this lame jaguar?" "Don't question the boss! She gave us directions, and it's our job to follow them! Now, let's torture a jaguar."
The two men entered the room. I got a good look at them now. One was big and hairy, with long hair. The other was short and bald, but he sure was strong. "Hand me a knife." Baldy ordered. Hairy gave him a sharp kitchen knife. Then, Baldy shoved the knife into my arm, and I roared. "How do you like that? Hehe, you'll feel worse when I'm through with you." Baldy cackled. Fear surged through me. I was so scared. But I was more scared of who this "Boss" was, and what he or she wanted with Alex. Then I realized something about these men. They were speaking in French accents. French... Oh no! Dubois!