Predator Code (Tales from Wildhearth #1)

Chapter 36 - Animals All Over Again

They passed the first checkpoint.

She assumed they must have hit the outskirts of Belforra when the tram carrier trundled to a halt, jolting them within the tight confines of the crate's secret compartment. The hydraulic hiss of opening doors echoed through the interior of the tram, and she heard heavy-clawed footsteps as guards boarded to make a security check.

Metallic clangs echoed through the train as they thumped containers experimentally, checking for any hollow cavities. It seemed random, but that didn't stop Jett from almost jumping out of her skin when one guard banged against the side of the crate they were concealed in. The reverberation rang briefly in the tiny compartment, stifled by the presence of their bodies in the narrow space. She heard a non-committal grunt, and the guard moved off.

"Fangs," Karno murmured. "Close one."

She nodded in the dark, not daring to breathe, her heart racing. Interminable seconds crawled by as the guards moved through the carriages with the ease of routine, slow and untroubled in their work.

Jett's muscles didn't uncoil until she heard the final series of thuds as doors closed up and down the length of the vehicle, and the plate beneath her spine began to vibrate again. The tram carrier's engine thundered back to life, and the machine heaved itself onward into the final stretch.

"Guess that's our cue," she whispered.

"Good, get us out of here."

Jett didn't need to be told twice. Contorting her body awkwardly, she twisted and reached out with one paw, groping for the notched screws in the corners of the fake plate. She found the first and, with a steady hand, eased the screwdriver head into the slot and started to turn. The metal rasped gently as she worked, moving as fast as she dared, eager to be free of this flat-pack nightmare.

It took a few minutes of wriggling, cursing, and turning as she moved from screw to screw, but eventually, the final bolt fell free with a clink of metal on metal. Bracing herself, Jett curled up and shoved her footpaws against the plate.

She winced as it came free with an echoing clang, then had to narrow her eyes as the light came spilling through the aperture.

"Fangs," she muttered, blinking against the glare as her eyes adjusted before she slid herself gratefully out of the crate.

Straightening up, she stretched her stiff limbs out before reaching down and helping Karno clamber free, his slightly larger frame providing him with a bit more difficulty than hers. Belatedly she wondered how Bronco was faring with his big body stuffed into the base of another crate. Their three comrades must've been in for a tight squeeze.

As he stretched himself out, Jett set to work replacing the plate, screwing it back into position as tightly as she could so that the guards at the main station would find nothing amiss with their cargo.

"We better find the others," Karno said as she tightened the final bolt in place, keeping his voice low as he rolled his neck from side to side. "Next time, we're travelling first class."

"I'll hold you to that." Jett smirked as she stood up, touching her muzzle to his for a moment before turning and scanning the compartment. The place was walled with crates, identical in size to the one they'd been inside, stacked in pairs up and down the carriage. Stepping out into the central walkway, she held up a paw for Karno to stay still, and she listened.

A few seconds later, she heard the tinkle of metal from further down the passage.

"This way."

The pair padded through the cold, metal-walled carriage, and she kept her eyes on the ground, scanning for the loose screws that would lead their way. Before long, she found the three screws scattered towards the forward end of the carriage. Stooping, Jett picked up one to double-check it matched the specially designed bolts. She looked back to Karno; flashed a smile.