Kinsmen 01 - Silver Shark

thrust from the water between them and the other cliff. A little to the left of their hiding place, a wide stone bridge led to the spire. On the other side of the spire, a thick rope woven of lianas, sturdy, woody vines, stretched to the other cliff. Thick enough for her to cross, if she used her claws and paid attention.
    Kosta-Ape climbed the tree to her left and leaned to her ear. "There are mutants on the small mountain," he said.
    She saw them too: lean, muscled beasts with the body of a fast hound and the jaws of a crocodile. One, two, three... seven. On Uley, the warning call to a psycher would occur if three or more were killed. Sometimes it only took two.
    They could've used Nonna.
    Well, no use regretting what she couldn't fix. She would have to take the chance.
    "We should go now," Charles-Bull said. "Remember, we're here to save the children. We do this so they can have a life."
    The beasts murmured.
    "Thank you," she told them. "Stay safe. Don't fall into the water."
    Charles bowed his head to her.
    Claire bowed back.
    One by one they disappeared into the jungle. She lay by the roots of the tree and waited.
    A shrill screech announced Mittali. The bird ran onto the bridge, feathers fluffed out, and shook her butt at the dog beasts. The hounds snarled, showing sharp fangs. Yellow frothy spit bubbled up on their lips. They looked rabid.
    The bird shook her feathers. "Come on! Come on!"
    A single dog peeled off from the pack and charged after her. Mittali lingered on the bridge for a long moment and dashed away. The creature gave chase.
    She watched the three others grab their AI beasts one by one. Kosta was last. He scooted midway up the bridge and bounced up and down, hooting. The three remaining creatures snarled in unison.
    Kosta jumped, flipping in mid-air.
    Showoff.
    A dog padded forward.
    Kosta jumped again, oblivious.
    The AI hound stalked closer. Closer.
    The wicked jaws opened.
    Kosta jerked back and the dog's teeth snapped together. Kosta's hand snaked out, quick, and slapped the furry muzzle. He hooted and took off, the enraged AI dog at his heels.
    Young fool. Claire smiled into her whiskers and slunk into the jungle.
    A narrow path led to the bridge. Claire stepped onto it and padded forward on silent paws. A moment and she emerged onto the bridge. The grey stone seemed ancient, cracked and weathered. It was only a mind trick, indicating old frayed code. She pictured the stone fracturing under her weight and wished she hadn't.
    The twin dogs raised their ears.
    Falling into the water wasn't an option. She would survive the fall, but it would take her a while to climb back up. Every moment she delayed her team ran the risk of being bitten. Time was short.
    Two hounds. The question was, could they swim?
    The AI creatures charged together, furry bodies flexing with coiled muscle.
    She waited.
    The dogs leaped together, ruby eyes burning with bloodlust.
    Claire jumped. She sailed above them, landed, and whipped her tail. It slammed into the hound on the right like a battering ram. The furry body flew into the air with a startled yelp and plummeted down into the water of the ocean below. If she was lucky, it wouldn't die.
    The last dog attacked. She sent it over the side with a swipe of her paw and sprinted across the rocky spire. The liana bridge waited. Claire put one foot on it, sinking the claws into the woody vine.
    So narrow.
    Phantom wind pressed at her, pushing at her, trying to knock her off into the water below. Claire crouched, digging her claws into the knotted lianas. She needed to redistribute her mass to reduce angular acceleration. Her body flowed, obeying her mental command. Two sets of whiskers, wide like four stiff ribbons sprouted from her shoulders, stabilizing her the way a pole stabilized the tightrope walker. She could've sprouted wings, but they would do her no good. Bionet didn't support flying. Even the birds did little more than leap and glide.
    Claire ran along the liana bridge, one paw after another, claws over claws. The vines trembled under her weight. The other end of the bridge was affixed to a point slightly higher than the spire. She was crawling across and up. Coming back would be hell.
    Just keep moving.
    Keep moving.
    The cliff was almost there. She stretched her left front paw and touched it. Solid ground. One leap... and she'd plummet down into the ocean.
    Claire forced herself to slow down, carefully sliding her weight onto the damp soil of the cliff. One