Huntsman - Morgan Brice Page 0,59

small to allow him to shift, even without the witch marks that kept him from trying. Now that he had his wits about him, Liam could see that the same was true for the ocelot and lynx, who were also trapped in their cat forms.

Liam didn’t have military or law enforcement training, but he had read a lot of books about characters who did, written by writers with personal experience. All that, plus his cozy mystery obsession, gave him a number of alternatives to consider.

On the plus side, he wasn’t injured, and the tranquilizer seemed to be wearing off quickly. He was more valuable alive than dead, and his captor was currently gone. Liam thanked his stars that he had sent that message to Jeffries, although as time wore on, he wondered what was taking so long. He had the tracking Tile in his mouth, assuming it still functioned.

Now for the bad news. Being trapped in fox form meant less manual dexterity and put him at an even greater disadvantage for height and weight against his captor than he’d have had as his human self. He had no weapons. Worst of all, the Huntsman intended to make as quick a getaway as possible and had already gone to get his truck. Time was running out.

Liam heard a ping of metal against metal. He looked down into the tray beneath the wire bottom of the cage to see the spent dart that had brought him down. He stared at it for a moment, and an idea formed.

Using one claw, Liam carefully fished the dart up to where he could reach the butt end of it with his teeth and shifted the small square tracker in his mouth to ride between his cheek and molars. He had been examining the inside of the latch while he lay unable to move and figured out how the locking mechanism worked. His claws were too short to maneuver the latch into position, where it would release the back of the live trap cage. Someone looking to relocate a problem animal without hurting it could throw the latch, roll the cage, and the bottom would open, allowing the animal to escape without close contact with its captor.

The steel dart combined with the strength of Liam’s jaws just might be enough to make it work. He maneuvered himself into position and began scraping at the latch, moving it little by little, when his human finger could have pushed it clear in one go.

The process took far too long, considering that their captor could come back at any moment. But Liam feared that if he rushed, he might break the dart or drop it and lose his only chance. He kept at it, although it made his teeth hurt and his jaw ache. His neck spasmed from the odd angle, and one of his whiskers caught in the wire and pulled out, making his muzzle throb.

He had no idea how long he had been working at the lock, although every minute that passed was one closer to when the Huntsman would return. Finally, he felt the latch shift completely and heard the click of the release.

Now to put his victory to the test.

Liam hurled himself as hard as he could against the side of the cage, rocking it on the table. He threw his weight against the wires again and again, until he succeeded in rolling the cage over.

The metal panel sprung open on the bottom, and Liam bolted through, dropping the dart and shaking out his fur in triumph. The tracker remained safe in the pouch of his cheek.

There was no time for a victory dance. Liam needed to shift and open the cages of the other captives so they could run for their lives. He concentrated, picturing his human form, gathering the intention to change as he had always done.

Nothing happened.

He tried again and failed.

Liam’s heart pounded, and he felt a flash of panic. Had the Huntsman put him under a spell? Perhaps he had used magic to keep them from shifting inside the cabin? Was the tranquilizer still not completely out of his system? Would whatever locked him in this form be permanent?

With a muted growl, Liam pushed his fear aside and trotted up to the lynx’s cage. The large cat lifted its head, watching him closely, then let out a pitiful mew.

Liam studied the lock, but even with his dart, he knew he wouldn’t be able to move the bigger, heavier latch. In human