Poachers—the word sent a pang of anger through Marla. While she knew most hunters were driven to smuggling out of the desire to provide for themselves and their families, empathy never worked as well as facts to convince her, and the facts of the situation left no room for argument: Overhunt and overharvest created imbalances in the local ecosystem that could easily cripple the delicate balance of an environment like the Amazon Rainforest, which supported upwards of ten million species. 

However, though she felt a moral pull to stand up for the natural provider of her research, Marla also knew that trying to face down poachers was impossible. Hugo had packed a gun, as all guides did, but whether it was on him or back on the boat was unclear, as was the usefulness of one or two firearms against a whole group. In addition, many poaching groups tended to take liberty with their methods, even resorting to killing witnesses to keep the cash flowing. Not even quietly leaving, then, could be guaranteed, so naturally the hike back to the boat was done in silence, the trio crouched over and nervous as they headed back. With their way back already carved earlier through leaves and branches, following the trail was a simple matter, and soon enough Marla heard the river's sloshing through the leaves, the forest opening to reveal Marco beside the boat, looking warily around him.

"Marco! Untie it," Hugo hissed as he moved beyond the leaves of the forest edge.