Clutching the wire cutters, Samantha emerged from the tent, her gaze scanning the dimming surroundings for any sign of the cub. The forest seemed to mock her efforts, shadows morphing and moving in the corner of her eye, until a pair of reflective eyes caught her attention from the edge of the clearing.
The realization that she was being observed was a jolt to Samantha’s system. The presence of someone else, hidden within the dense foliage, watching her every move, made clear that her quest was not as solitary as she had believed. This mission, it seemed, had eyes and ears beyond just hers and the bear’s.