The jungle erupted into an explosion of sound as the two cats came together. Birds screamed and took to the air, high in the canopy above. Monkeys shrieked warnings and threw twigs and leaves down on the two jaguars as they rolled in the vegetation. Boughs broke beneath the heavy bodies, scattering debris into a thick cloud around them.
Olivera pushed past the red rage in the cat's mind and tried to find the spirit of the animal as she kept its lethal fangs from sinking into her.
Jaguars possessed extremely flexible spines that allowed them to turn and twist, move their legs in lateral sideswipes, even change direction in midair. And the ropes of muscles all over their bodies gave them tremendous strength.
She took another vicious rake on her side as she tried to focus on calming the cat. She pushed harder, breaking through the wall of rage and found-man. This was no jaguar.
