Chapter 23- change of plans
Meanwhile
Back at Tulio's Aviary, Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Milo and Rosa continued watching Ernesto and Tulio and his team as they carried out their usual tasks besides preparing for their trip into the Amazon scheduled tomorrow. However, the plans were about to face a change. The cockatoo family continued watching Ernesto as he continued (falsely) performing his tasks in an effort to remain camouflaged among the group of real ecologists. However, his guise did not fool the cockatoo family for they had seen him before back at Lysandre's base.
"I can't believe how convincing that guy looks among the crowd of real ecologists, Sunset," said Travis worriedly. His blue eyes then darted here and there for any signs of the pink and maroon frog that had smothered him with kisses a while ago. She was around somewhere but she was in a shadowy corner, teal eyes timidly gazing at the cockatoo and his pink mate. It was clear that Sunset's fierce reprimand had knocked some sense into this little amphibian's head like a bang against a wall and since that, she had been avoiding the cockatoo family. But it had left Travis quite shaken from the stun he had received from the surprise appearance of the frog. Sunset was bitterly intolerant of someone else kissing her mate, especially passionately, whether another bird or not, and always exploded into a fearsome but controlled rage, and Travis knew of this consequence and always avoided getting romantically involved with other birds. However, his mind was on a much more important subject.
"I'm surprised Tulio and his team aren't even aware that he's a fake yet, much less his working for a poaching group planning to sneak into the Sanctuary de Amazon set up by Tulio and Linda themselves," said Sunset in a low voice, "That's going to be a problem for this group if they aren't alerted sooner or later…"
"Looks like Fernando, Jack and Jill are already suspicious of that man, Mom and Dad," said Eustace. Travis and Sunset's gaze landed on the three said young man and the fraternal twin brother and sister. The looks on their faces clearly indicated suspicion.
"They are," said Sunset, "But why haven't they alerted Tulio of their suspicions yet?"
"They probably would have done," said Travis, "But because so many of their teammates don't believe them, Fernando, Jack and Jill are stuck."
"I think we need to lend them a wing," said Sunset, "After all, we have been to that spy's group's base and have seen him for who he really is…"
Just then one of the bird doctors appeared. She appeared to be wandering around looking for something, or a certain bird. Travis saw a flash of white bandage in her hands as she continued looking around and asking other bird doctors about something.
"She's the same doctor who bandaged Athos's foot some time ago," Travis said, "Looks like Athos might not be back to have his bandage replaced."
"He'll be busy with Catina and Porthos and the others trying to free the other captured birds," said Sunset unworried, "It isn't surprising really…"
Just then a familiar voice echoed through the medical room accompanied by three claps, "Okay, my team, could I have your attention please? I have something important to tell you about our trip to the Sanctuary de Amazon."
The five cockatoos turned and their eyes found Tulio as he shouted for the group's attention. The other employees who weren't going to go to the Amazon continued their work on treating the bird casualties or cleaning the floor or worktops while the people that were, including Jack, Jill, Fernando, Linda, Susan and Lucy turned to face Tulio. Ernesto, the spy did the same.
"I wonder what Tulio has to say about his group's departure to the Amazon sanctuary," said Travis. Then the five cockatoos moved to another hidden spot and looked out, their ears cocked to listen.
As soon as all eyes were on the group leader, Tulio began to give an important announcement.
"I've just had a report from Francisco about the weather forecast for tomorrow," said he. To his left, Francisco stood.
"They have predicted tomorrow's weather to be very high winds and heavy rains starting possibly just before sunrise," said he, "Which would mean unsafe conditions for flying to the Sanctuary de Amazon. I have discussed this with Tulio and we have come to a final decision regarding our departure to the sanctuary…"
All ears cocked to receive the important information. Ernesto, and Travis and his family's ears were also fully tuned.
"We're going to bring the departure time from tomorrow morning to later today," announced Francisco, "So that means you lot must get your things ready and meet us here as soon as possible."
"Yes," said Tulio, "I have contacted our pilots in Manaus to meet us here and collect us to take us to the Amazon. Do all of you get this message?"
All heads nodded in confirmation to this. Then as Tulio gave his team orders to disperse and get prepared for meeting the helicopters, Ernesto, the spy, immediately prepared to leave the building to alert Lysandre and the rest of his group.
"Well that certainly came out of the blue," said Sunset, commenting on the unexpected change of plan.
"They're leaving now?" asked Eustace.
"But I thought they were gonna leave tomorrow," said Milo. Rosa nodded in agreement. Travis creased his face into a serious look.
"Well, if Tulio and his team are leaving for the Amazon shortly," he said, "Then that means Lysandre's group will be doing the same and so will we," his eyes caught Ernesto as he left the building, "There goes that spy. Let's follow him!"
And with that, the cockatoos immediately took flight and exited the open window, the same one they had entered when Porthos brought Orquidea in for treatment last night.
As soon as the five cockatoos were outside, they began to search for Ernesto until Rosa's eyes found a white form topped with dark brown hair as he headed for the vegetation.
"There he is," she squeaked. The other four followed her gaze and also saw Ernesto. Immediately, they flew off after him. While Travis and his family followed Ernesto, some of the team members had left for home to gather their things ready for the early departure to the Amazon, among them Susan and Lucy.
Meanwhile
Levi, Aurora, Phoebe, D'Artagnan and their families and Blu and Jewel continued sitting in their cages. They were eating more fruit brought in to them by Cometa while her groupmates' backs were turned. As they ate, some of the cats and crows had been stationed around the group to make sure that none of them got up to suspicious behaviour such as planning to escape for the group had noticed that more macaws, this time Aramis and his family and Ruby and her three chicks, had mysteriously disappeared. As the macaws continued eating their fruit under the watchful hawk-like eyes of the cats and crows, among them Otis and Tom, in the shadows, Catina, together with Athos, Aramis and Porthos, watched the group closely. Orquidea, Esmeralda, Ruby and the chicks were waiting outside for it was too dangerous for the chicks to participate. Azul, Wilbur, Ariel, Carla, Bia and Tiago were under Orquidea's care while Alexandre, Spinel, Poinsettia, Chlorophyll and Petunia stood by Ruby and Esmeralda. However, the three adult female macaws were to participate in the plan as well, and Orquidea had her eyes set on the caged birds. As the three male macaws and female calico stood in the shadows behind one of the beds, Porthos with the screwdriver found by Bia on talon ready to pick the padlocks the moment Catina had set her rescue plan C into motion, Catina examined the cats and crows as they stood around the macaws like jail guards.
"This is going to be difficult, Catina," said Athos in a low, worried voice as he also examined the scene, his bandaged foot held closely to his stomach feathers, "If any of us are ever spotted, it'll be all over, especially for you."
"Especially since Otis and Tom are present," said Porthos, his eyes on two said cats, particularly the former, the black and white cat.
"What do you have in mind?" asked Aramis.
"Well, we're going to create a diversion first," said Catina in a low voice, "And then I want two of you to dive in and snag two of the cages. I would prefer it if one of your targets of choice was the cage containing Blu and Jewel since theirs is padlocked the most…"
Porthos gazed at the still-caged birds and chose his target: Catina's suggested one. The muscular blue-and-gold macaw eyed the number of padlocks on Blu and Jewel's cage while Aramis chose Zephyr and his family. Apart from Phoebe and Cobalto, Porthos was very strong and could carry quite some weight while in flight. However, he would not be able to carry Phoebe and her family for they were very heavy birds. Phoebe and Cobalto together were heavier than Athos, Porthos and Aramis combined and it would be too difficult even for Porthos and Aramis to carry together. And Athos wouldn't be able to help because he only had one good foot, the other bandaged and healing, so him helping to transport Phoebe and her family was out of the question too. The hyacinth macaws may have to be sadly left until last for the female macaws' talons leant will be required for the smaller blue macaws and there were serious limitations on the number of talons and time. Further, Athos had already volunteered to be the diverter.
The three male macaws kept their gazes fixed on their chosen targets to nab, as well as the cat and crow guards, Athos ready to create a diversion. Outside the window, Orquidea was poised to fly in at Catina's signal and her eyes were laid on D'Artagnan and his family. Catina had decided that rescuing and freeing the rarer blue macaws would be the first priority, before Phoebe and her family who would be last. Then as soon as the macaws had made their choices, with Orquidea nodding to Catina carefully at the window to make sure that suspicion did not spark in any of the watchful crows and cats guarding the caged birds, Catina prepared to give the signal.
"Okay, here we go…" she whispered but before she could give the go ahead, the sounds of talking reached the group's ears, blocking the plan from going ahead much to Catina's impatient frustration. Athos, Porthos and Aramis froze while Orquidea ducked back behind the window.
"Now what!?" Athos heard Jewel growl. The scarlet macaw's his brown eyes travelled to the doorway just as a group of figures accompanied by some bipedal feathered and quadrupedal furred ones walked into the room. One of the humans wore a surprised look on his face.
"We're going to the Amazon now?" he asked.
"Apparently so," said another figure, a woman, "But there's no time to discuss it entirely. Come on, let's get these birds to our helicopters and packed in their cargo bay."
And with that, she nodded to some of the feathered forms, which were the six falcons and Nigel, who set to work with helping to shift the cages. Nigel wore a disgusting grin on his face as he took hold of D'Artagnan and his family's cage while the falcons helped the owners to move the others. The cat and crow guards also set to helping. From their hiding place, Catina hissed in frustration and slapped a paw against the wall.
"Fish sticks!" she spat, "Just as we were about to initiate another rescue as well."
Then the four heard Nigel speak.
"Looks like we're off to the Amazon early and without your useless friends, pretty birds," he crooned, especially to the Lear's macaws who wore bitter and frightened looks on their faces as he and Otis carried them away.
"Did you hear what two of those humans said?" asked Aramis. He then opened his wings to leap out toward the window to alert the female macaws and the chicks when a cat paw immediately latched onto his tail.
"Stay down until those creeps clear the room," hissed Catina as she pulled Aramis back by Athos's side, "And then you can go and alert Orquidea and the others!"
"That would have given our position away," put in Porthos.
"Sorry," said Aramis in a low voice when suddenly, Catina's paw flew to his beak.
"Shh!" hushed Catina. Then Athos and Porthos looked and saw that one of the falcons, Bryony had paused to examine the room. As her piercing eyes with brilliant telescopic vision scanned every square inch of the room like a surveillance camera, Catina, Aramis, Athos and Porthos ducked behind the bed to prevent being spotted while Orquidea hid behind the window.
"Have the cages been taken?" asked Esmeralda in a low voice but Orquidea raised a wing feather to her beak and gestured 'Shh'. Bryony continued examining the room some more, a suspicious frown on her face when suddenly, "Bryony?"
Bryony's head snapped in the direction of the speaker, a look of annoyance creeping onto her face.
"What is it, Cometa?" she growled.
"Don't you think you're wasting time just staying behind here?" asked Cometa, "Lysandre will need every paw, hand and talon to help him prepare the equipment and load it onto the helicopters as Tulio and his team could be taking off for the Sanctuary de Amazon any moment."
Bryony paused for a minute until she finally admitted defeat.
"Okay, thanks for letting me know," she said slightly bitterly, "But I want you to know something, Cometa, you need to control that cheeky tongue of yours. If I were Cazador, I would have lambasted you and probably even slapped you across the face. Now come on."
And with that, Bryony left for downstairs after the group that had taken the remaining caged macaws.
Before following Bryony, Cometa shot Catina, Athos, Aramis and Porthos a quick glance as they peered from behind the bed and mouthed, "You'd better be quick. You don't have much time."
And with that, she opened her wings and took off for downstairs. Catina and the three male macaws emerged from their hiding place. At the same time, Orquidea, Esmeralda and Ruby appeared with the chicks. Carla, Bia and Tiago gazed after Cometa as she left.
"I think that falcon meant it, Catina," said Aramis. Catina, though her eyes were still brimming with distrust at Cometa, had to agree.
"Well, the third rescue attempt has failed folks," she said, "But we don't have time just standing here lamenting on our quashed efforts. We need to start following those poachers and their pets to the helicopters."
The chicks were struck with surprise.
"Does that mean…" began Spinel.
"We're going to the Amazon?" asked Alexandre, finishing her sister's sentence and question.
"I'm afraid so," said Porthos. As he said this, a thought hit him.
"Oh, my," he said, "Some of us will need to fly out and warn the tribes and clans once we get there."
"We'll discuss that later," said Catina, "Come on, let's follow those poachers and sneak aboard their helicopters."
And with that the calico and the colourful group of macaws scurried off out of the room.
Later
Lysandre and company were at the old airport. They had all boarded some stolen cars to drive here. As soon as they had arrived at the airport, the pilots of the helicopters, all illegal poachers hired by Lysandre to work for him too, immediately got out of the cars and hurried off to bring out their flying vehicles while the rest unloaded the car boots (also called trunks) of the net guns, cages and other equipment they will use in catching the macaws and other animals on the Sanctuary de Amazon. Along with the net guns and other equipment, the crows, falcons, cats and Nigel also unloaded the cages containing the remaining caged macaws and carried them toward the helicopters. As they were being carried along, Levi and Aurora felt a wave of panic sweep over them. This process was obviously reminding them of how they were loaded onto a plane when they were chicks. Aurora winced at the flashbacks of being loaded onto a plane, herself and Levi as chicks locked in a cage, and Nigel standing over them, laughing at their anguish over the loss of their family. Next to them, Lapis Lazuli, Tristan, Quincy, Trixie and Larimar, and Zephyr, Justin, Charlotte, Matilda and Virgil flickered their eyes all over the place at this strange place. They remembered Blu and Jewel telling them that this was where they were almost smuggled out of Rio several years ago, and they clearly did not like it one bit. Zephyr and Lapis Lazuli continued trying to calm Levi and Aurora down while Blu and Jewel looked around bitterly. Phoebe, D'Artagnan and their families also looked around, hoping that the escaped birds and Catina were planning a rescue plan soon.
"I hope you know what you're doing Catina," whispered D'Artagnan as he hugged his frightened daughters Miranda, Jasmine and Annette close to himself and Sapphire. Phoebe, Cobalto, Zebedee and Indigo, also huddled together, looked around timidly but disgustedly at Nigel who continued piercing them with mockery and bitter filled eyes as he did his tasks given to him by Cazador.
While Lysandre and his group carried the equipment from their cars to the helicopters, which were three large Boeing-Chinook-like vehicles with two separate propellers, like the ones used in the army but with a cargo bay built into them, Catina and the escaped macaws, who had hitched a ride on one of the cars (in Catina's case) or had simply flown after the cars (Porthos, Aramis and Athos and the others with them), peered out from behind one of the cars.
"What are those things?" asked Ariel who had never seen one of these vehicles.
"They're called helicopters," replied Azul, "They're a type of human's flying machine."
"Look at the size of those helicopters," said Wilbur in amazement, "They're bigger than those chinook types used in the army."
Alexandre, Spinel, Poinsettia, Chlorophyll, Petunia, Carla, Bia and Tiago nodded in agreement. Catina, however, glared at the birds.
"Let's just sneak aboard the cargo bay," whispered the calico and with that, the group began to make their move the moment Catina saw that all the poachers and pets' eyes were focussed entirely on the helicopters and loading their cargo bays with the equipment. Quickly, the group made a mad beeline dash towards the copters, not wasting a second on the way for Catina's bright white pelt with black and ginger blotches and the macaws' brightly coloured plumages stuck out against the very dark grey tarmac like brightly coloured flowers against a green background of vegetation.
As the group finally made it all the way to one of the helicopters and hid behind it, the group looked out. Catina's eyes focussed first on some of Lysandre's underlings as they loaded the net guns and cages into the copter's cargo bay, before moving to the open bay itself. At another helicopter, the cats, crows and Nigel were preparing to board that helicopter's cargo bay to keep watch over the remaining caged birds as well as get smuggled into the Sanctuary de Amazon. This was what Catina and her group was aiming to do.
"Okay, here's what we're gonna do," whispered Catina to the macaws, "We're going to hop aboard this helicopter which will take us to the Sanctuary de Amazon. Once there, we're going to have to split up."
She turned to Porthos and said, "You said something about warning the macaw flocks."
"Yes," said Porthos, "Orquidea and I will do that while the rest of us try and free our remaining friends, and any bird that has been caught."
"Right, you do that," said Catina. Turning to Aramis, she asked him the obvious question. Aramis replied by holding up the screwdriver, much to Catina's gladness. Then suddenly, the group heard a shout.
"Come on, you lot," said Lysandre's voice, "Speed up the process. We don't have time to be loitering around. The sooner we get everything loaded, the better, now get moving."
"Okay, let's go," said Catina and with that, the group prepared to hop aboard the helicopter's cargo bay, being careful not to get spotted by any of the poachers or their pets. Athos's family went first.
"That Lysandre person certainly is bossy" said Spinel as she crept alongside her sister and brother toward the cargo bay. Catina ushered her on.
"Keep going or you'd get spotted," she said firmly. Spinel obeyed and followed Alexandre, Poinsettia, Ruby and Athos as they sneaked past the group underlings and entered the cargo bay. Then Porthos, Orquidea, Azul, Wilbur and Ariel (who had worry for the blue-throated macaw clan including her mother Carolina, sister Fernanda and father Eriko, and the Bluewing hyacinth macaws bubbling within her) went next and sneaked aboard the cargo bay and then finally, Aramis, Esmeralda, Petunia and Chlorophyll, along with Catina. The great green macaw family and calico quickly but carefully crept towards the cargo bay when suddenly, one of the women expectantly turned in their direction while she was loading a few cages onto the cargo bay. When her gaze picked out a cluster of green, red, aqua blue, yellow-green and white for a split-second before turning away, she shook her head and looked in the direction again to properly examine it, suspicion bubbling within her. However, there was nothing there. Thinking it was just a figment of her imagination, the woman resumed her task.
Aramis and his family and Catina peered out from behind the landing skids of the helicopter. They had dived behind here as the woman had looked their way. Seeing that the woman was once again absorbed in her task, together with the other poachers and their pets on their various jobs, the four great green macaws and calico quickly abandoned the landing skids and entered the cargo bay where the other macaws were waiting.
As soon as the whole group was aboard, a sigh of relief could be breathed.
"That was close," breathed Aramis as he relished this relief, "I thought it was the end of this plan for sure."
"Tell me about it," said Esmeralda as Chlorophyll and Petunia rested against her.
"Well, the next stage is sneaking off the helicopter once we're in the Amazon," said Catina. Athos, Porthos and their families and Ariel, Carla, Bia and Tiago nodded in agreement. Then as soon as the poaching group had finished loading their equipment onto the helicopters and had closed the cargo bay (unaware that Catina and her group had sneaked aboard one of them), Lysandre called the group together and the humans boarded the copters as well. As soon as they had done that, the pilots turned on the propellers and prepared for take-off.
Meanwhile
Back at Susan and Lucy's house, Dash, Veggie, Ginger, Collette, Daisy, Danny, James, Esperanza and Avellana were prepared to make their own way to the meeting spot of Tulio and his team as well. As Susan and Lucy were gathering the things they needed for the journey to the Sanctuary de Amazon, the cats and dogs apart from Broccoli who was at the vet's watched.
"Are they going to the Amazon already?" asked Collette in surprise.
"It would seem so," said Avellana.
"Well, based on what Susan and Lucy had said," said Dash, "Tomorrow's weather is forecasted high winds and rain which would mean unsuitable flying conditions."
"Then that means that Tulio and his team are heading off for the Sanctuary de Amazon right now," said Veggie. He then paused, "With those poachers right behind them."
"Those poachers will have heard the news through that spy by now," said Ginger. Then suddenly, Susan and Lucy came up to the dogs and cats and checked their food and water bowls, toilet trays and beds for the usual tasks. Satisfied that none of the bowls or the beds required refilling or changing and with a neighbour who would check on the pets while they were out, Susan and Lucy said goodbye to the cats and dogs and told them to be good. They then grabbed their coats and left through the front door. As the lock of the front door clicked into place as Susan turned the key in its hole, Dash prepared to make the move.
"Right, let's go, but be careful not to alert Susan and Lucy of our presence," he said firmly, "The last thing we want is ending up in their bad books again."
James sighed after remembering the failed attempt of trying to alert Susan and Lucy to the intruder problem with Dash and Avellana with no success. Pushing this thought aside, he prepared to leave through the makeshift cat/dog flap consisting of a sheet of simple plastic attached via simple screws. Susan and Lucy will properly replace the flap after they return from the Amazon trip. Dash then led the group out of the house through the cat/dog flap and the six greyhounds and three cats then proceeded to follow Susan and Lucy at a safe distance toward Tulio's Aviary, and the helicopter site.