After R.J. was finished explaining the plan, Dottie gave him a skeptical look, "What if it doesn't work?"
R.J. stared up at her with determination in his clear blue eyes, "It has to. And if it doesn't…" He stared off into the woods briefly and recovered, "If it doesn't, at least we tried."
Dottie sighed, "For the record, I really don't like this situation. This really screws up my…I mean…you could get hurt!"
"Come on, we need to move now before he gets impatient!" R.J. took off through the forest.
The bear glared at his striped tail disappearing through the underbrush, but she followed him.
Back at the log, Vincent had set his trap.
"R.J.?" Vincent called. He glared at the bushes, "R.J., I've got your friends. Come on out and they won't get hurt."
"Dottie! There you are! Just in time." Vincent looked up from the log he was sitting on.
R.J., hiding in some shrubs, winced when he realized that the open end of the log had been blocked with a small boulder. He could almost feel the fear of his friends trapped inside.
Dottie sidled up to Vincent, "Vinnie, I've actually come to apologize. You were right about R.J."
Vincent's eyes opened wider, "I…was?"
The female bear nodded, her own eyes round and placid, "I'm sorry I doubted you." She nuzzled him; "I want to take my rightful place by your side. Together we will stop the little menace!"
R.J. watched with admiration. She's good. Very convincing! he thought.
The two bears gazed at each other. Suddenly, Vincent stood up.
"Why should I believe you?" he demanded, "For all I know, you're in league with him!"
Dottie got a treacherous gleam in her eye as she responded, "Because, my sweet, I have a little gift for you, and he's hiding right over there!" She pointed right at R.J.
Vincent slowly walked to the raccoon's hiding place, sniffing cautiously. Catching the scent, he bounded toward it, eyes blazing now.
R.J. gasped and took off running, not pausing to look back. He could hear the heavy breathing of the bear, feel the breath warming his tail every few seconds. He didn't even know where he was running, just that he had to get away. He had to lead Vincent away from the log and Dottie, who would be setting his friends free right about now.
Thinking of them gave R.J. a fresh burst of energy. This had to work. It had to.
Huff huff huff. Vincent was right behind him. The bear snapped and caught the tip of R.J.'s tail in his sharp teeth, yanking out hair. "An eye for an eye and fur for fur!" Vincent howled.
R.J. winced at the pain but kept running. He couldn't slow down or there'd be more than fur in Vincent's mouth. The world was bear breath and bushes whacking him in the face.
BANG!
Vincent and R.J. stopped in their tracks. In front of them stood a grungy man with a rifle. Behind him stood a dozen more grungy men with rifles.
"Cliff…" R.J. breathed, his eyes full of terror.
They'd run directly into the human camp.
Vincent recovered from the shock quicker than R.J. He'd already worked up a rage and did not appreciate being shot at. He leapt over R.J. and tackled Cliff to the ground.
"Vincent no!" R.J. yelled.
The other men pointed their guns at the bear.
Cliff was whacking Vincent with his own gun.
R.J. saw only one thing to do to keep any of them from getting killed. He dashed forward, climbing up Vincent's back. He straddled the bear's neck, narrowly avoiding getting beaten by the gun, himself.
R.J. pulled on Vincent's ears as hard as he could, "Vincent, this is not the way!"
Vincent shook his head, but R.J. clung tightly. The bear reared up on his hind legs, trying to shake off the raccoon. The air around them suddenly exploded with gunshots.
As if in slow motion, Vincent fell backwards, landing hard. He groaned in pain, but stood back up. Then he realized that R.J. was no longer on his head. He turned around to see the raccoon lying unconscious on the ground where he'd been landed on by a bear.
Vincent felt a sore area on his side with a paw. He glared at the men, who were reloading. They looked up. Vincent advanced. And fell again as a helicopter suddenly appeared over the trees. It landed in the clearing, several men with tranquilizer guns getting out and heading toward Vincent. The bear tried to move, but found himself being loaded into a large cage.
Dottie arrived just in time to see Vincent being carted off to a truck waiting on the street. She waved solemnly from the safety of the woods. Vincent saw her and growled.
Cliff and his workers looked on smugly as the bear was taken away. That is, until a bunch of police officers burst out of the woods with their guns drawn.
"Drop your weapons! Cliff Garley you are under arrest! You are surrounded!"
Reluctantly, the men dropped their rifles and put their hands in the air.
Dottie smiled, and then looked around. Where was R.J.? As soon as the humans had vacated the area, she walked out of the woods, sniffing around. She caught sight of the crumpled furry form and rushed to him.
"Oh R.J., poor brave dear little R.J.!" she wailed, "Why did it have to be you? Why? Oh if only I'd gotten here sooner…"
"So you could be captured and taken away by the humans?"
Dottie blinked and looked down.
R.J. looked back at her.
"YOU"RE ALIVE!!!" Dottie yelled with joy, leaning down, intending to scoop him up into a bear hug.
"Ack! Nonono!" R.J. held out his paws in protest, "Not this time, Dottie!" He sat up stiffly and rubbed his head, " 'poor brave dear little R.J.' has a headache." He looked around, "Where's everyone else?"
Dottie sniffed and wiped tears of happiness, "They're all back at the log. I let them out, but I heard the gunshots and…I had to come. I was worried about you and Vincent, heaven help him."
R.J. placed a comforting paw on hers, "He'll be okay."
"Do you really think so?" Dottie blinked, "I mean, he's rough around the edges…but I do…well…you know…miss him."
R.J. smiled at her, "Don't worry, Dottie. He has a way of surviving."
Dottie nodded, looking far away for a moment, then back at R.J., "Come on, let's get you home."
"I'll bet the others are anxious to see me!" R.J. grinned.
"Actually…" Dottie gave him an embarrassed smile, "I didn't get the chance to tell them you were here."
"Well let's get moving then," R.J. stood up, wincing at his bruises, and absently rubbed his tail. He started walking back to the log, ironically with a bear right behind him.
Life is a funny thing. R.J. smiled, Just when you think it's the end of the world, you get an opportunity to make a difference, and things just seem to work out.
He glanced back at his bear friend and shook his head in amazement.
Who would have ever thought they'd work out like this?
Dottie glanced at him curiously, but he just smiled and winked at her and quickened his stride. It was time to go home, once again.