"Approaching island, sir," said Bagheera.

"Good," Khan replied. His tone and expression were the usual blank slate, but he had not taken his off the window once.

"I see a boat tied to the docks."

"As do I." Khan tapped his fingers on the windowsill in a dreary rhythm. "What are the chances of anyone coming here?"

"Slim, sir. People say it's haunted."

The young co-pilot in the next chair stifled a laugh. Bagheera shot him a warning look. Jim had only a month's experience without entering any real danger. Few recruits knew what came of working for Mr. Khan.

"Then we must be at the right one," said Khan.

"I hope so, sir," said Bagheera, thinking of the girl's sweet smile. "I do hope so."

When the thieves started downhill, Covington bowed with his signature smile. "After you, young lady."

I don't think so. Pawns were the first to move, and the first to lose. It was time to play the queen. Eliza smiled. "Thank you for your kind offer. But," she lightly tapped the tip of her claw on the doll's forehead, matching the sound and rhythm of a dripping faucet. "My friend and I need our bonding."

Covington still smiled, but it was obvious he was grinding his teeth. "Very well then."

The badgers clenched their fists, but they followed him down the hill, Eliza at the tail. From a standpoint, they made an odd caravan. Sometimes the men glanced back, and she would show the doll and her claws. From the way they stiffened, one would think she was holding a gun at their backs. Her stomach turned, but not from the hunger. She was committing the sort of action that had appalled her. She could see the perspiration on their foreheads and wondered if she looked like that when…

The guilt evaporated. She had looked like that when they were the ones in power. This time she had the high ground. Maybe this time they would know what it's like. As her uncle would say, the jungle was never fair.

They were halfway down the hill when a plane's humming drew their attention. They expected it to pass over, but it was clearly coming in to land. "Now who would be flying to this island?" asked Covington.

"Hey," said Wallace. "Isn't that one of Khan's planes?"

Eliza froze and followed their gaze, mouth gaping like a fish. She had to squint through the noonday sun, but she could just make out the red and gold scheme coloring the plane. Can it really be-?

"Ah!" In that moment, Eliza felt herself hoisted off the ground and thrown over a shoulder, dropping the doll. While the plane kept her attention, Covington seized the opportunity to snatch her up. Eliza hammered her fists on his back, but she really wanted to hammer them on her own face. Never lose focus in the jungle, you idiot! "Put me down!"

Meanwhile, Wallace picked up the wooden doll as he watched the departing tumult. "Where are you going?"

"To dispose of a pest," Covington grunted, unfazed by the girl's weak defense.

As Eliza fought she felt something poke the palms of her hands. When she opened them, the claws still glimmered. A wicked grin that would have made Shere Khan proud crossed her face. "You really didn't think this through, did you?"

"What's that? Yeow!" His arms flailed, sending his burden tumbling off his shoulder, and onto her wrist. Eliza heard a crack. For a moment, they both stopped dazed. Him rubbing his back, her cradling her wrist. They moaned a synchronized "Ow," and looked at each other. Covington's face hardened. "I've had just about enough of you!" He made to grab her, but Eliza scrambled to her feet, leaving him with an armful of air. With the badgers blocking her way downhill, Eliza circled back, Covington at her heels.

"Hey, Covington!" yelled Arnold. "Forget it, she won't last."

"Neither will he," sneered Wallace, picking up the fallen doll. Other than the hairline crack, it was undamaged. "You know what this means for us?"

Arnold mirrored his partner's sneer and nodded. "We get his share."

The moment Khan's foot touched the sand, he knew he had stepped into his element. Years of studying business had also been spent studying the jungle. There were certain rules and angles few entrepreneurs knew that only the strongest understood.

"Uh, M-M-Mr. K-Khan, sir," John stammered.

"What is it?"

"There's a-a-a," wide-eyed, he pointed a shaking finger at his boss' shoulder.

Khan glanced to find a saucer-sized black spider crawling on his shoulder. He flicked it off as if it were nothing more than a common housefly.

"Oh," said John, checking himself for anything crawling on his own body.

"Pull yourself together," said Khan.

"Yes, sir."

Honestly, Khan never understood the fuss people made over spiders. Still, it reminded him of his niece from few days ago. He had finally had a chance to relax with a cup of tea after a long day's work. Until a shriek came from Eliza's room. He was rarely ever startled, but that time he choked on his tea and ran toward the noise. The door was open, so he could see that it was empty. The sound of running water drew his attention to the bathroom across the hallway, showing Eliza at the sink, scrubbing her arm like Lady Macbeth at an imaginary spot.

"What the heck was that all about?" said Khan.

"There was a spider on me!" Eliza ran her arm under the faucet, oblivious to Khan's foreboding presence.

"You caused a ruckus over that?" If it were anyone else, he'd be ready to strangle them.

"It was huge! Its legs were so long and crawling on me, and…ew!" she shuddered, picked up the soap and resumed scrubbing. It then occurred to how quiet it was. She looked at her uncle. Seeing now reaction, she could only assume he was either unfazed or annoyed. "Hey, it could've been venomous."

"I doubt that." As he returned to his room, he massaged his temples, reminiscing when his life was quieter.

Too quiet, now that he thought about it.

Although he still thought it a silly phobia, there was no certainty that these spiders weren't venomous. Should Eliza encounter one at this size…he almost pitied her. Then again, maybe that shrill scream of hers would alert them to her location.

He turned to his pilot squad. "I want a thorough search of this island. Leave no leaf unturned and alert me on the radio the moment you find her."

"Yes, sir!" they chorused.

Running uphill was tiring. Fortunately, it was even more tiring for someone Covington's size, putting Eliza ahead. The sight before her made her temporarily forget about the threat behind her. The jungle thickened, and lining from branch to branch were white, transparent curtains dotted with little black bodies.

"Spiders," she whimpered. "Why'd it have to be spiders?"

The sound of running behind her reminded her that every hesitation was fatal. Probably even more fatal than a spider bite. Eliza took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and plunged through the sticky silk. She would rather be plunging back into the icy ocean.