Even if you are rescued, the fear can follow you if you let it.
Cat attacks Al.
They wrestle along the ground. She snaps her teeth a few inches away his face. The shrieking sounds that come from her are primal and send chills scaling my spine.
She’s defending me.
My ears buzz and for a second the world flips on mute. I try to stand, but the blow has knocked my equilibrium off center. The ringing in my ears throws off my balance.
Suddenly, Mo is at my side. He pulls me to my feet but my legs won’t hold my weight. I stumble and fall to the ground.
He tries to lift me and lead me away from Cat, who’s clawing at Al’s back, snapping and snarling. Mo’s mouth moves, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. My ears are buzzing. Ringing.
I push his hand away and crawl to the mother monkey. She’s lying on her side, covered in blood and licking her foot.
At first, when she’s sees me, she cowers. Like an abused puppy.
“It’s okay.”
When she hears my voice, she slowly slinks toward me, dragging her foot behind her.
I hold out my hand and wait. She puts her tiny little fingers in my palm. I pick her up and hold her close to my body.
“Grace?” Mo’s voice sounds muffled, but at least I can hear him.
“Yeah?”
He touches my shoulder softly. “Are you okay?”
I try to keep the tears hidden and shake my head. “No.”
“Let me.” He holds out his shirt. When I place the wounded monkey in his hands, he swaddles her up in the cloth. “Let’s go.”
A yelp catches my attention. I wobble on my feet and look over my shoulder.
Al throws Cat off his back and kicks her in the side. She hisses and crouches on the ground, obviously hurt. Al grabs his gun. He raises the weapon again.
Cat paces back and forth, growling and snarling. She has no clue about the dangers of a gun.
I half run, half hop. At the last minute, I throw myself in front of Cat just as the weapon explodes.
The bullet rips through my thigh.
Al tries to fire again but his gun jams. “Damn!” He hits the gun against his side.
I crumple to the ground and writhe in pain. Blood pours from my leg.
Mo slides in next to me, still holding the monkey. “Jesus, Grace. What did you do that for?”
“I had to.”
Mo presses his free hand on my leg. Blood pumps through his fingers. He appears worried and checks the hole. “You’re okay.”
“Liar.”
Cat is back on her feet and stands in front of Mo and me.
Al points his gun at us. “Isn’t this sweet?”
Luckily, Sweeney fires first. A burst of blood comes out of Al’s side. He drops the gun and grabs his leaking stomach.
Sweeney jumps him and pins him to the ground. Another officer races over and holds down Al’s legs.
Al thrashes under two men. “Get off me!”
“You are under arrest, Al Smith.” Sweeney waits for the officer to cuff Al. “For everything.”
Al’s face is already pale as a ghost as the life slowly drains out of him. “Get me a lawyer.”
Sweeney drags him to his feet and arrests him. “You have the right to shut the hell up.”
The last words I hear out of Al’s mouth when they drag him past me are, “Bite me.”
The men fight him and drag him by both arms to a squad car. A blood trail marks his path. Before Sweeney forces him in the car, Al turns and stares. A smiles draws across his face as he puckers his lips in a kiss.
The look chills me to the bone.
Al might be leaving, but he’ll never be gone from my life. No matter how much I try to forget him. His actions and his face have scarred my heart.
I don’t move until the car drives away.
A long breath seeps out. I’m finally safe.
Mo yells over me. “Medic! We need some help here now.” He stays next to me and holds my hand. The monkey clings to his shirt, still wrapped in the cloth. “Hang in with me, Grace.”
The exhaustion and pain hit me. The dizziness makes me lay my head back on the ground.
Cat walks over and lies down next to me. She leans her head on my chest.
“Grace, how are you?” Sweeney asks.
“Couldn’t be better.”
He smiles and nods. “I need to take the panther. Have her checked out.”
I stroke Cat’s head as Sweeney circles a rope around her neck. He leads her away, followed by a USF officer who takes the monkey away from Mo.
I watch them place the animals in a truck and drive away. I scan the yard.
The dead bodies of zoo animals scatter the ground. The lion and a few I didn’t expect: two wolves, a Grizzly bear, and a few hyenas.
I couldn’t protect them all, but at least I saved a couple. Cat and the monkey survive.
Birdee’s voice floats down the hill. “Grace!” When she spots me, she shoves her way past an officer who tries to block her.
Seconds later, she hobbles down the hill with her hands on her hips. She stops when she reaches me and frowns. “Grace Wells, you’re killing me. My heart can’t take another heart attack. I’m an old woman, you know. Not as young as I look.”
“Sorry, Birdee.”
“Sorry, my butt. Jesus child, you’re as white as an albino.” Worry crosses her face and then she notices my thigh. She places one hand on the ground and kneels, landing gently on her bad knee. Her frown drops and her lips quivers. “Dear God. I’m sorry…”
“She’s okay, Miss Birdee.” Mo tries to reassure her. “I promise. An ambulance is on its way.”
“Ambulance? My dead mother drives faster than them. Better off driving her yourself.” She stares at Mo until he gets the hint.
“Oh, right!” Mo smiles and stands. “Let me see what I can do. Watch her.”
She pulls me into her. “Thank God, you’re okay, Chicken. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Ditto.” I squeeze her hand and search the line of people gathering on the road, “Where’s Mom?”
She pats my head and pulls back, still assessing my condition. “When Sweeney told me you were shot, I came.”
“Really?” Can’t imagine why Mom wouldn’t come down to see me—after all this. She’d never stay away unless.... unless something happened. Something’s off.
I search Birdee’s eyes for a reason. “What happened?”
She drops her façade, letting her shoulders sag forward. “Rex found Sadie.”
“Thank God.” A weight rolls off my shoulders as she explains.
She holds up her hand to stop me from saying more. “She’s alive but she needs serious medical attention. May lose part of her leg.”
“Oh.” Though it doesn’t surprise me. The bite was bad, and I’m sure it got worse out there.
“Rex drove her straight to the hospital. Sadie’s mom was a complete and total wreck—as you can imagine— and she needed a ride to the hospital. Sweeney convinced your mom you were okay and headed to the same hospital. Your mom offered to drive Cammie and is waiting for you there.”
It was especially hard on Mom the last time I was hurt. I’ll never forget the expression on her face when she showed up at the camp and saw me alive. A look of anger mixed with relief mixed with sadness. She knows exactly how Sadie’s mom feels, and that is why she went there with her. For support.
I’m almost afraid to ask my next question. “And Dylan? Did they find him?” His name hangs in the air. I linger in the space between hope and reality. I convince myself of the best outcome. Her answer could fall either way—found or lost; here or gone; alive or dead.
I hang my head, avoiding Birdee’s eyes.
Though, something inside me knows Birdee’s omission of Dylan’s status isn’t a good sign. I wait for the answer but no words tumble from Birdee’s mouth.
When I glance up, she slowly shakes her head.
“Oh no.” I hold my head in my hands and think of Dylan. How he charged off deeper into the swamp water to distract those men. To save Sadie. To protect me. I knew when we found his necklace he was probably gone, but I guess I hoped he’d somehow pull through. Beat the odds. Never expected someone as strong or as tough as Dylan to die.
Goes to show, you just never know.
“Poor Dylan.” The words feel brittle on my tongue. “Rex okay?”
Birdee lets out a long sigh and adjusts her hat. Her eyes water and glisten a bright blue. “I hope so. He’s the one who found Dylan’s body.”
To think of Rex, out searching in the Everglades for his nephew, breaks my heart. I know what it’s like to think someone is alive, only to lose them in the end.
We both hug for a few seconds until Birdee whispers in my ear, “Grace.”
“Yeah?” I whisper back.
“Don’t move.” She hisses.
“Why?”
Her warm breath heats my ear. “There’s a huge animal staring right at me.”
I slowly turn my head. And come face to face with Hercules.