Chapter 24: Search & Raccoon

While Jake tries to organize a search & rescue mission for two lost kits in the Green Mountains, all Marie hears is criticism from the press and her fellow accountants. Does a city-born coon really have any idea about what needs to be done in the mountainous woods north of the city?

Marie worried about Jake all night and early the next morning while she sought out another cup of coffee in the dining room where most of the participants were eating their breakfast before the conference started, she couldn't help but overhear some comments being made about someone on the news. "Who's the idiot who sent him to represent the city," a woodchuck in a white polo shirt and khaki slacks laughed as he watched the television. She couldn't make out his name badge, but she remembered he was one of the jerks who was eyeing her when she first arrived.

"I'm mister coon in charge around here!" A goofy-looking beaver with dorky black-framed glasses sarcastically snickered through his buckteeth. "He didn't even show up for the press conference he scheduled!"

"What a loser!" another accountant chimed in.

Marie came to a complete stop when she realized that it was Jake that they were talking about. She walked over to the television and saw her raccoon was being shown on camera in a field just sitting on a log surrounded by coyotes.

"Lack of cooperation…poor coordination of resources…time is running out, the reporter droned on as they filmed the milling chaos on the field. The camera zoomed in on Judy in her police winter coat talking to what appeared to be a rather young scared white-tailed deer buck in a sheriff's jacket.

She watched the news, ignoring Elouise when her friend called her to go into their conference. To her, it looked like Jake was completely out of his league and the talking heads were having a field day. Her heart sank for him and she felt sick with worry. Suddenly the camera followed a group of the coyotes as they broke from the larger pack and ran towards a couple of wolves wearing police K-9 Unit jackets. There was a short discussion before the teams finally began to efficiently deploy up the mountainsides.

The camera zoomed toward the raccoon again, he was dressed in his usual black wool peacoat and had his black and white checkered scarf pulled around his neck. Jake did look rather handsome in that outfit, but he definitely looked like he should be on the city streets and not conducting a search in the wooded mountains. He was now under a makeshift tarp command center with the rabbit and deer, a studious-looking coyote in a winter coat came up to him and they were talking.

Marie sighed as she poured herself another cup of coffee and sat back down to watch.

"That poor coon looks like he doesn't know what he's doing does he?" an elderly armadillo said as he sat down at the table next to her. "But looks can be deceiving can't they, dear?"

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

The armadillo smiled and pulled on his sweater sleeves. "You see he went down there to get those coyotes to help out. Those wolves had a plan, but they needed some hunters with good noses that can follow scents and not more prey mammals. I watched yesterday when all those reporters showed up like vultures, sticking their microphones in anyone's face that would yap or whine. All the locals would do was walk around complaining and talking trash about that poor lost tod and his friend, the woodchuck. Some of those yokels even went as far as to say that the coyotes ate them. Then they fumbled around, stomping here and there without any direction, the two K-9 cops who had shown up tried their best to organize them, but they were just ignored. "

"So what did Jake do this morning that was different?"

"Your Jake figured out what anyone who knows woodland mammals should already understand," the armadillo chuckled. "You don't need more paws roaming around, you need more trackers and those coyotes are some of the best in the world. So he went and talked them into joining the search, even though it was quite clear that the locals were against them doing so. Then he went over to the lost woodchuck kit's father, the richest mammal in the county, and won him over to his idea. Once that was done, no one was going to get in the way."

The reporter continued to drone on about something and then the camera suddenly zoomed on the rabbit in the control center, who was shouting for the medical teams. Cheers could be heard from the field and the reporter excitedly exclaimed, "They found them! They found them! Sheriff Boltswell and his team are now on their way back down with both kits!"

She sat up on the edge of the chair while the camera team rushed onto the field and filmed the buck coming down the mountain trail with the young fox pup riding on his shoulders and behind them the studious-looking coyote was tenderly cradling the woodchuck kit. Both of the children had traditional coyote wool ponchos pulled over them and were beaming.

"See, I told you that raccoon was smart," the armadillo sighed before he stood up and hobbled toward the front door.

Kevin joined her as they watched the celebrations. "So Jake found them?" he asked.

"Well, he helped," Marie replied with a happy smile on her face.

A few of the accountants slipped into the room and watched the television while Kevin changed the channel to ZNN.

"Well I'll be damned," the woodchuck proclaimed. "I guess he knew what he was doing after all?"

"Just luck," the beaver added. "That moron didn't know what he was doing, what a loser!"

"That loser is my boyfriend!" Marie snapped before she stood up and faced the larger pudgy mammal. "He runs a multi-million dollar company and was instrumental in stopping the feline distemper outbreak! He also saved a sick toddler locked in a bank vault…do I need to go on! Just what the hell have you done with your life besides going to work and crunching numbers all day, then going home to play your childish video games?"

"Whoa, girl!" Kevin put a large paw between her and the beaver. She realized that she was on the verge of snarling at him. "Look, Jake's on the television again."

Her ears drooped and she looked back over at the screen where the reporter, a rabbit named Jack Zipper, was interviewing the father of the woodchuck. It was obvious that successful businessmammal had high regard for Jake.

"That's Willie Press, the cider millionaire," someone stated from behind her. "He's one tough bastard when it comes to getting his way, that coon must be really good to earn his respect."

The news switched over to the weather again and about the impending snowstorm that was due to hit the mountains any minute.

About an hour later they broadcasted the news conference where a makeshift podium was set up in front of a ZPD patrol cruiser that had been parked facing the Sheriff Department's SUV in order to create a background. Finally, the sheriff showed up along with the county commissioner and a spokesmammal for the coyote pack. Also present was a ZPD wolf and finally Jake showed up. After the sheriff read a prepared statement about the rescue and thanked the ZPD, all the citizen searchers, and the coyotes. He gave an update on the children's medical condition and that both were fine except the woodchuck had a broken arm.

Finally, the raccoon stepped up to the microphones and Jake spoke briefly, praising the sheriff for his leadership. But then he continued. "When I got here I heard some folks saying some rather rude things about the little tod and the coyotes," he said as he looked stone-faced towards the cameras. "Mammals are quick to judge others based on their looks and their species. I grew up in a rough part of the city, where I was told because I was a raccoon I could never be trusted, that I was a natural thief. I tried to show the world that they were wrong and went to the university to earn an engineering degree. When my father unexpectedly died and I could not find a job to support myself, I became a thief because that was what society expected of me. I've paid for that life and moved on, thanks to a lot of friends.

The raccoon cleared his throat and added, "Some comments were made and accusations were leveled that because one of the boys was a so-called pred and the other was a prey. There were comments made that the fox had killed his friend and ran away because that was the natural way of the predator. However, I know a thing or two about foxes, because my best friend is a fox. I know that it takes time for foxes to make friends, but when they do they are very loyal and willing to stand by you to the end. I knew that Billy would never leave his friend, Reggie, no matter what, and when I entered the cavern my belief was confirmed. Go to my company's furbook page and you'll see why.

A photo appeared on the screen and it showed the tod curled around his smaller friend, who was snugged under the fox's russet and black-tipped tail trying to stay warm. It spoke volumes about loyalty and friendship.

Jake continued, "Over two hundred years ago a battle took place on this mountain, a war against a group of mammals only because some felt that they were a lesser species and that they were in the way of progress. Today, many still look down upon the coyotes because they seem different. What I learned here was that they aren't different from everyone else, they have their hopes and dreams and they love their family and neighbors. When we called for their help, they stepped forward without hesitation. If it hadn't been for their help, today would have ended in tragedy. So, I guess what I'm saying is that we all need to stop judging others because of the way they look but by their actions. Thank you."

As Jake turned away, the reporters started yelling questions. But the sheriff cut the rest of the news conference short because the snow had started falling more heavily and he wanted to make sure everyone got out before the blizzard closed the roads. The news returned back to ZNN's main studio where Peter Moosebridge began the financial reports.

"Well that was a bit preachy," the obnoxious beaver grumbled.