Chapter 60- a very wrong move

Back at Rio

Back in Susan and Lucy's cottage, Zephyr, Sapphire, Ruby, Porthos and Orquidea, Esmeralda, Cobalto, Lapis Lazuli and the others including Broccoli, Daisy, Collette, Dash, Ginger, James, Ebony, Avellana and Rusty were getting restless in the attic. Since a lot has happened over the past few days, stress had begun to build above the group. The thought of Sandalwood and the others being whisked away by poachers working for a conservation group as collectors' items was making some of them feel sick. Zephyr, along with Roberto, Brisa, Melissa, Anabelle and Sebastian, especially felt this for the incident had reminded them of Roberto's own capture by poachers and Melissa's late cousin Lily almost facing the same fate. It was like a living nightmare that they could not find a way out of, and they were especially concerned for the rare-species members of Blu and company who had gone to Peru to rescue Sandalwood and the others.

Blu, Jewel, Aurora, Carla, Bia, Tiago and Kira were Spix macaws, and Zephyr, Justin, Virgil, Matilda, Finnick, Roberto and Brisa were utterly worried for these individuals' safety, especially while they were in a highly dangerous area riddled with rare animal collectors disguised as conservationists, and if they ever get caught, the chances of them escaping might be slim. All of them were the mates of these macaws except Roberto and Brisa, while two were Roberto's closest friends besides Brisa along with three of them who were like his nieces and nephew; one was Roberto and Brisa's daughter-in-law, the mate of Finnick and the mother of Diego. Sonia, Melody, Einstein, Miles and Byron were also especially worried for their missing Spix relatives and the others, and various awful thoughts and worst-case scenarios about them kept churning in their mind, especially the thought of those relatives getting captured by the collectors and made part of their collection of rare animals.

The same worry was replicated in the minds of Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli and Andromeda for D'Artagnan, Jasmine and Finn; Levi, Trixie and Aiden; and Frodo and Spyro for these individuals were also part of rare species that collectors and smugglers would not hesitate to go after. Almost the entire family of Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli and Andromeda was absent and these three, especially Andromeda could not stand the thought of their family members and friends getting trapped by poachers to be sold as mere items, and it was one of the things Andromeda especially despised the most. The rest of the group was also worried for their missing friends and family members for the same reasons as were Broccoli, Dash and the other cats and greyhounds, and Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Milo, Rosa, Clemont Serena, Vincent, Yolanda and Peach the cockatoos.

Nico, Pedro, Rafael, Eva, Rose and Sparkle had left to find Sheldon and explain to him regarding Zebedee's innocence and framing while Cometa, Lightning, Velocity, Spike, Orion, Hermione, Zelda and Vulcan had left to re-join the Control de Plagas Squad to help Tulio's team in the continual catching and caging of the numerous toucans still scattered throughout the Blu Bird Sanctuary. It was clear that this job was harder than it seemed for there were countless of these menacing toucans scattered like locusts throughout the nature reserve, causing the other animals a variety of troubles and competition for food and living spaces, not to mention trouble for the human visitors and tourists on the sanctuary such as theft of valuables or actually attacking the humans themselves, especially by the toucan chicks for they were like magpies and were likely far more mischievous than many of the common marmosets that lived on the site. A lot certainly was happening in Rio and with Blu's group, and the repeated calls from the mobile phone from relatives back in the Blu Bird Sanctuary weren't helping either, and the phone had been ringing the U2 song ringtone and shuddering time and time again for hours now.

As the group continued to lounge around, with Mumble, Balthazar and Ginny sitting in a box, looking on confused and also admiring the construction and items of the 'aliens' (humans), the mobile phone went off again, its ringtone of 'Pride (In the Name of Love)' by U2 making the air dance, along with the phone itself shuddering. Zephyr groaned.

"Oh, no," muttered he, his wing on his forehead. Travis breathed a sigh.

"I'll get that," he said and went to the phone, leaving Sunset to tend to Eustace and company including Vincent. All her offspring and grandkids excluding Vincent were still shaken from the fiery incident the other night at the talons of those toucans even now, and the chicks hadn't been able to sleep for the past few nights since that time, and Sunset still had pure rage against the toucans boiling within her, along with the urge to hunt down those would-be murderers and throttling them, though it was something she would never do. As Travis left, Sapphire gazed at the aging sulfur-crested cockatoo.

"It'll be my other two daughters Miranda and Annette or the other family members that had opted to stay behind in the Amazon," she said. Zephyr just shrugged while Finnick continued tending to the snoozing Diego. Travis approached the phone and picked it up before finally pressing the 'Answer' button. The moment he did, the screen flashed to an image of a few familiar faces, two Lear's macaws, a blue-throated macaw, a blue-headed macaw and a golden conure, from the Sanctuary de Amazon. However, the faces of all five birds were not at all pleased.

"Ah, finally," growled the Lear's macaw at the front, which was Miranda, "We've established contact."

Behind her, Annette, Ariel, and also the conure which was Caspian and the blue-headed macaw which was Kiawe, glared at Travis. Kiawe and Caspian were the mates of Mariposa and Citrine respectively.

"Where have you been?" asked Annette as she stood beside her sister, a displeased look on her face, "The number of our attempts to get through to you must have reached a hundred now."

"But you weren't at all answering," put in Ariel, her annoyance threatening to explode into a temper.

"We've been very worried about you," put in Kiawe with concern despite the displeasure on his face. As Travis gazed at the five on the phone screen, some of the others gathered round.

"How are things over there in Rio," asked Caspian, a concerned look also on his face, "And where are Blu and Jewel?"

At this question, Travis exchanged worried glances with Sapphire, Zephyr, Roberto, Brisa and some of the others before resuming his gaze to Miranda and the other five on the screen. They did not want to tell the five callers about Blu and company's departure to Peru to rescue some kidnapped kids. Then Miranda's face creased into a suspicious frown but it was not aimed at Blu's absence much to the relief of Travis's group but what she said next would send astonishment tearing through Travis's group.

"Let me guess," she said, "You also have a bit of a poacher problem over there?"

Sapphire, Travis and some others shook their heads in shock.

"How did you know of the Blu Bird Sanctuary's poacher problem, daughter!?" blurted out Sapphire, the others looking on speechless. Broccoli, Daisy and Collette just exchanged glances and shrugged. At Sapphire's response, Annette came forward.

"We've been having a few intruding poachers here in the Sanctuary de Amazon as well," she said, "But they've been apprehended by the sanctuary's human patrollers and questioned."

"Several patrol groups from our tribes, clans and groups sent by our leaders to monitor those poacher groups have been examining the entire process as well as listening in on the conversations between the poachers and their captors," put in Ariel, "And have brought back reports that those poachers have been sent here, to the Sanctuary de Amazon and also to the Blu Bird Sanctuary in Rio by some collector group in Peru…"

Broccoli's mouth twisted to form the word silently as his ears picked up the country name.

"Presumably to capture some Spix, glaucous and Lear's macaws and some other of the rare animals for them, like the archaeobirds, or something like that," added Annette, a scowl of disgust on her face. Andromeda came forward and took the mobile phone from Travis, immense worry welling within her.

"Is my clan and the bat-bird population alright?" the archaeobird clan matriarch asked, "As are Augustus' mixed clan?"

"Yes, Andromeda," said Miranda, but her face changed to one of dread; "However, a patrol group of archaeobirds and bat-birds led by your brother Ophiuchus had had a narrow escape from a group of three of those poachers…"

Andromeda felt dread tear through her but before she could ask, Miranda continued. "Those humans shot some of the archaeobirds and bat-birds out of the air with nets including Ophiuchus and his bat-bird, but thankfully, the archaeobirds that managed to escape sought help. Among them were Ophiuchus's mate Honeydew…"

"We managed to rescue that archaeobird patrol group just in time," added Caspian, "but Ophiuchus was almost taken by one of the poachers who attempted to escape with him in his cage…"

"But thankfully, we managed to chase down that man, attack him and drive him away and free Ophiuchus from his cage," said Annette.

As Andromeda's ears picked up this info, her blood began to turn into boiling water and she began to tremble dangerously, her metallic blue feathers bristling and her blue eyes igniting into burning sulfur-like flames. Broccoli turned to Zephyr and the others, a lour on his face.

"This is honestly reminiscent of the mighty poacher incident where that bunch of poachers posed as nature studiers to sneak in to the Amazon Sanctuary to nab birds," he hissed.

"Not to mention that incident outside the fence of the Blu Bird Sanctuary when Sandalwood and the others were successfully caught," put in Porthos, before his gaze turned to the seething Andromeda, "And she was caught in one of those traps those pesky intruders had set up."

Travis did not reply to either of Porthos or Broccoli's comments and gently took back the phone from Andromeda to allow the archaeobird to leave somewhere and blow off some steam quietly. Then Melissa came in.

"Is Andromeda alright?" asked Caspian concerned as Melissa sat down beside Travis.

"She looked like she was going to lose her temper," added Wilbur.

"She's fine, just outraged at those poachers targeting her clan," said Melissa, a flash at the furious archaeobird as she went to a corner, before turning her gaze to the phone screen, "But at least you've managed to rescue Ophiuchus and the other archaeobirds and bat-birds from those pesky intruders."

"Those humans didn't half put up a fight, I can tell you," said Annette fiercely, "Especially that man who attempted to make his getaway with Ophiuchus in his clutches. We really had to apply our beaks, talons and, in the case of the flying fox helpers, teeth and foot claws full force to get that poacher to drop Ophiuchus's cage. I was among them who had managed to claw that poacher across the forehead and that, I believe, made him drop that archaeobird."

"Oh, you should have stayed hidden, Annette," said Travis with a bit of annoyance. Sapphire also flashed an annoyed glare at Annette.

"You could have been caught," she put in, "Those poachers are after rare animals such as Lear's macaws for their collector clients…"

"But at least you've helped in Ophiuchus's rescue," said Zephyr gently. Annette's group just exchanged glances and sighed.

"Another patrol group has managed to lead another group of poachers, about four of them, to a group of human patrollers where they have been caught," said Ariel, "And I believe they are being held and questioned still but…"

Dash and Ginger shot Zephyr, Sapphire, Brisa, Roberto and Travis a look.

"I think that's how some of those poachers have been apprehended in the Sanctuary de Amazon, folks," said Dash. None of the birds answered except Zephyr who flashed Dash a nod, before turning back to Annette and company.

"Listen, I'd like to thank you for calling us," he said, "Make sure you keep all the vulnerable members of the tribes, clans and groups, especially those of the rare and critically endangered species, safe and all chicks and pups WELL AWAY from any visiting human until the poacher thing has been sorted."

"Yes, especially our clan and that of Andromeda and Eragon," put in Melissa firmly, "We do NOT want any member, particularly any rare macaw or archaeobird or other rare animal, certainly not those from my and Augustus' clan, getting caught by any of those poachers again."

Annette, Miranda, Caspian, Kiawe and Ariel all nodded in understanding.

"Yes, we'll pass on that info to your inner-circle bats and the other group and flock leaders," said Kiawe.

"In fact, that task has already been done," said Caspian.

"Good," said Melissa with a firm look.

"Now if you don't mind, we'd better go," said Zephyr who was eager to end the call, "We've still got problems here in the Blu Bird Sanctuary to sort out; Blu might need our help," his facial skin flashed red as he said this, "and we'll speak to you another time."

Miranda and Annette flashed confused looks but Ariel, with an agreeing look on her face, nodded to them that it was Zephyr's order. Then she spoke to the phone.

"Okay, we'll see you soon, and I'd better be off as Eric will need my help in dealing with some chicks, among them our daughter Elsa," said the blue-throated macaw and close friend of Carla and company, before a frown came upon her face, "But next time, can you not delay your response to our attempts to call you?"

"Okay then," said Sapphire, "We'll try but don't expect us to abide to that promise for we might be busy."

Miranda, Annette, Ariel, Caspian and Kiawe, smiles on their faces, nodded and said goodbye to Zephyr's group and within moments, both ends ended their call.

As Zephyr placed the phone back in its spot, Broccoli breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you didn't explain to them about Blu and Jewel's absence to Peru," said the tabby cat, "The last thing we want is those guys, especially Jewel's father, getting especially worried when they've already got enough problems in their hollows already."

"I can't believe I had to tell that little lie about Blu and company," said Zephyr as hotness coursed through him, "This is not something I would ever do…"

He then left for a corner to settle down. Roberto and Brisa looked on.

"Things seem to be getting more and more chaotic, I can tell you," said Roberto worriedly.

"The toucan infestation, then the poachers," said Porthos as he hopped by, his talon still in a cast, "and now a bunch of animal collectors posing as conservationists hiring these poachers to catch rare animals for them… it's a maelstrom, honestly."

And with that, he hopped off, Orquidea and Wilbur following without saying anything. Brisa and Roberto just gazed at each other before turning those gazes at the younger Spix macaws while everyone else diverged to return to their spots in the attic, Travis and Sunset walking over to Mumble, Balthazar and Ginny, who had been listening to the conversation in the background the whole time with barely any understanding due to their lack of familiarity of the Amazon Rainforest and this group of unusual birds (which they still thought were types of land skuas) and the problems whirling around them, though their own problem, finding Atreyu, was still on this trio of emperor penguins' minds. Sadly, Zephyr's group settled back down in their usual spots.

The Paradise Sanctuary

Blu hastily and desperately unlocked the locks on the second door of the compartmentalised section entrance to the artificial jungle and yanked open the door. He had already unlocked the first door and had been working on the second. As soon as the door was pulled open, the brown-eyed Spix macaw, his blood freezing into ice from panic and dread and his heart dropping like a lump of lead, darted out of the entrance and shot over to the few feathers that lay on the floor in front of the half-wall and barrier. Jewel, Aurora, Kira, Soren, D'Artagnan, Levi and Athos hastily followed while the other animals remained in the artificial jungle. Sandalwood went to follow but Augustus stopped him.

"Stay here, grandson," said the older flying fox and Soren's father-in-law firmly. Sandalwood reluctantly backed away and stood with Sirius, Bellatrix, Spica and Acerola, Athos and some of the jungle's animals occupying them. As the eight animals outside the jungle touched down and began to examine the discarded feathers, Dundee entered the small compartment entrance and snaked his head outside the door at Blu and the others as they began to examine the feathers.

"Don't spend too long out there, you lot," said the emu, "You know the human workers around here will not tolerate us outside the jungle."

Blu and the other seven ignored Dundee and continued examining the feathers, Blu examining one of the cerulean ones.

"This is from Bia," he said, the skin under his blue facial feathers a deathly pale colour.

"Tiago, Carla," said Jewel as she examined one or two more blue feathers, one of which was dark blue like Blu and Tiago but smaller, indicating from it was from a younger male bird. D'Artagnan and Soren then examined a few more feathers but these feathers were somewhat different. Several were dark navy blue and a couple more were azure coloured. Trixie and Tristan, their talons hooked onto the mesh on the jungle side of the barrier, gazed down at Blu's group.

"Has someone else gone missing besides Carla, Bia and Tiago?" asked Tristan.

"These feathers are from a glaucous and a Lear's macaw," said Levi. Then it struck him like a stone. There was a glaucous macaw and two Lear's macaws missing.

"Aiden... Jasmine... Finn," said Tristan and Trixie's father in a dread-saturated voice.

"And Spyro and I believe Stella as well," put in Soren as he examined another feather and a few hairs nearby. The feather he had found was purple with a splash of green and had a metallic sheen to it, like the surface of an iridescent butterfly's wing, while the hairs were pure white. There was only one individual in Blu's group that had metallic purple feathers and another with white fur, and that had dawned within the minds of Blu and the others as well. As the realisation hit them, Soren began to tremble as did Bambi who stood at the entrance to the jungle by Dundee's feet. Then a scowl came upon Dundee's face for this seemed familiar.

"Dalek," hissed the emu, his fur-like feathers bristling. Bambi gazed upward at the tall flightless bird.

"Do you think that chameleon might have caught Dad and the other seven, Dundee?" he asked. Blu, Jewel, Aurora, Kira, Soren, D'Artagnan and Levi returned to near the entrance and glared at Dundee with the same demanding facial expressions. In the jungle near the entrance, Sandalwood, Sirius, Spica, Bellatrix and some of the others were becoming more and more agitated. Then Kiara the echidna stepped forward from behind Dundee's legs, a dark look on her face.

"We have only just found out from some brave kids," said she, a nod to Sandalwood and some of the others including Steven as he stood with Greg, Sardonyx and his last remaining brother, Kevin, "that Dalek is friends with a certain pack of wildcats in the next door's Compartment of the Carnivores, a pack of caracals and servals lead by Carnassial…"

"How does this chameleon's friendship pertain to the endangerment of Carla and the others?" asked Blu. Betelgeuse struggled out of Athos's grasp and fluttered over to Blu and company at the entrance.

"Dalek was once a beloved pet of a wealthy human boy until he was replaced by three parrots," she said, "And that was led to his rancour of all parrotkind…" as she said this, Blu, Jewel and the others exchanged glances. Then Sandalwood came forward.

"And since he was brought here, Dalek has put his hatred of all parrots to use by capturing them and feeding them to Carnassial and his gang," he said, "A number of unfortunate victims have landed in the claws and teeth of those caracals and servals and have never been seen again…"

"The best known cases are a lesser sulfur-crested cockatoo," said Dundee, "And two adolescent kakapos which are flightless birds from New Zealand."

"Betelgeuse and Sylvester were almost the next victims with another scarlet macaw substituting the former," put in Gladion as he stood with Lillie near Dundee's feet, having come to the entrance to add to the explanation as well, at which Blu, Jewel, Aurora, D'Artagnan, Levi, Kira, Soren, and also Spinel and Frodo in the animal crowd behind Dundee, and some of the others, shook their heads in utter disbelief. Sylvester then gazed at Frodo.

"It's true," he said, to which Frodo looked on speechless with dread and horror.

"But the latest victim had been a scarlet macaw chick," continued Lillie, before her gaze turned to Sandalwood and then to Sirius in the crowd of animals behind Dundee, "who had sacrificed himself to save Sandalwood and Sirius."

"And it seems that that chameleon has somehow spotted you while you were trying to find your way here," said Sandalwood. Horrified and disbelieving glances were exchanged between Blu and the others with him.

"Are you meaning to say that we have been followed!?" blurted out Aurora.

"But we've managed to remain hidden throughout our search for you guys in this place," protested Benjamin.

"How could we have had a stalker behind us?" asked Kira. Adenine began to advance forward.

"Surely there was no-one watching us," put in Phoebe in disbelief, "None of us hadn't spotted anything or anyone suspicious following us or spying on us."

Soren and Levi just exchanged glances and shrugged as Adenine walked past Dundee's feet and stood before Blu and the others with him. Then Dundee's face creased into a dark frown.

"Well if that chameleon had managed to evade your range of sight, macaws," he said, "Then you should have a very good reason to be utterly shocked."

"Yes, that chameleon Dalek is a very sly one," put in Kiara sternly. Astonishment tore through Blu and the others with him and Blu's travelling companions also flinched harshly. Only Poinsettia remained calm.

"I actually sensed that someone was following us the whole time," she said, "I had been on edge until we got here."

"But why didn't you tell us?" asked Jewel angrily.

"You wouldn't have believed me if I explained that we had a stalker behind us," snapped Poinsettia. Then Jewel turned her disgusted glare at Dundee.

"Well, however that chameleon creature had kept out of our sight," she growled, her cerulean feathers bristling, "It sure is as bad and as sly as that vile SLIME-BALL NIGEL, I can tell you," she uttered the name of her most detested cockatoo in the entire world with pure malice.

"That Nigel may have been sly," said Aurora, "But this chameleon seems to be slier even than that cockatoo or the late Brutus the cat," the pigtailed Spix macaw then turned to Dundee, "So if this chameleon has captured some of the macaws from us, do you know where he could be headed with them?"

Before Dundee could answer, Sandalwood rushed in and said, "Possibly to the Compartment of the Carnivores, Mrs Aurora."

"And to Carnassial and his gang," put in Betelgeuse, "like how he did with me."

Blu and Jewel and the others shot the young flying fox pup and Spinel and Sheldon's eldest chick and daughter a dreaded look.

"We'd better go after that reptile, NOW," said Kiara to Dundee, "Before we have another set of parrots-turned-dinner added to the cases we know."

"Got that, Kiara, call in the patrolling animals and establish a rescue group," said Dundee, "and also command the animals in charge of looking after the parrots to keep those birds in my tent until we have captured the chameleon."

Kiara nodded and darted off into the jungle. Dundee then turned to Blu and said, "You lot return in here and join the other parrots in my tent…"

"No, we're gonna come with your rescue group to save Carla and the other six as well, emu," said Blu, much to Dundee's surprise. But then the emu frowned.

"I'm afraid not," he said, "The Compartment of the Carnivores is an incredibly dangerous place, especially to birds."

"But three of those kidnapped macaws are our two daughters and son," snapped Jewel fiercely, "We wanna participate in the rescue as well."

"Also, the bat that had been kidnapped is my mate and Sandalwood's mother," put in Soren.

"And the two Lear's macaws and glaucous macaw are my daughter and son-in-law, and the son-in-law of Levi," added D'Artagnan, "And that archaeobird is the father of Bambi, and Eragon's son."

"We don't want to lose them," added Athos. Dundee stared at Blu and the others with Sandalwood, Gladion, Lillie and Bambi directing their gazes back and forth at the emu and the group. Dundee continued to think until finally, he reached a decision but he was reluctant to announce it for he feared the safety of Blu and company.

"Okay, but you MUST stay with the other animals," he said firmly to Blu and Jewel, "until we are out of the Compartment of the Carnivores with the kidnapped victims safe and sound. Got it?"

Blu and Jewel, smiles on their beaks nodded but that flash of joy was vaporised in an incident as Kira's voice rang out.

"Look OUUUUT!" screamed the cousin of Carla, Bia and Tiago. Then a few blurs, some cerulean and blue, one an orange and black, and two red with streaks of green, yellow and blue or turquoise, shot past Blu and Jewel and into the jungle through the compartment entrance, some of them seizing Sandalwood, Gladion, Lillie and Bambi in the process. Dundee, his face suddenly turning into horror, backed away through the compartment entrance and returned to the jungle grounds, leaving Blu and Jewel to stand there, surprise swamping them as a shadow suddenly swelled over them and cloaked them. Then Blu and Jewel turned but before their eyes could land on the shadow's owner, a 'plop' was heard and the pair of Spix macaws found themselves cloaked in darkness speckled with spots of light. Alarmed, Blu and Jewel shot glances this way and that and gazed through the holes of the thing, which appeared to be a basket, at a triumphant and jubilant face of a human as he gazed through the holes and at the Spix macaws.

"Well, what do we have here?" cried the human in a very ecstatic voice, "A pair of Spix macaws, eh?"

Blu and Jewel gazed at the man in utter astonishment through the basket's holes as the man then turned his head and called to some of the humans in Spanish. As he did so, Jewel began to burn with wrath.

"Well that is JUST GREAT!" she bellowed. Blu, however, shuddered. He and Jewel had just been spotted and subsequently caught by one of the human collectors disguised as conservationists. From the mesh and the compartment door entrance, Aurora and the others looked on in horror.

"BLU, JEWEL!" cried Aurora. D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis, Phoebe, Levi and Augustus, together with Kira, Athos, Aramis, Soren and the others, and also Neytiri, Trixie, Eragon, Luna and Tristan who had been standing in the crowd of animals the entire time, shuddered violently as they watched some more humans excitedly rush in and gather around the man that had Blu and Jewel trapped in an inverted basket, excited shouts of Spanish and Portuguese exploding from their mouths.

Could things possibly get any worse!?