Rangers pried open steel jaws and cages, extricating the terrified moose. The white calf lay limp but alive, lifted gently by gloved hands. The adult moose, pained and bleeding, hobbled forward. Its eyes landed on Wade for a long, haunting moment. Gratitude, raw and unspoken, passed between them.
In minutes, the hunters were disarmed, cuffed, and cursing bitterly at their ruined plan. Their equipment—nets, sedatives, snares—was seized. A furious officer flipped through the incriminating journal, condemnation bright in her gaze. Meanwhile, Wade cradled Milo, feeling only relief that their frantic alarm had brought rescue.