by Bev Prescott
Like she’d done with Terry, she placed Dac into the canvas bag and lowered it down to Rob. When the line went slack, Rob’s voice came again from the radio. “I have the eaglet. Unfortunately, it looks like company is on the way. A boat with two people just left the camp and is headed to the island.”
Zoe removed the small pair of binoculars she carried in the deep cargo pocket of her pants. She flipped up the face shield and lifted the binoculars to her eyes. She recognized the man in the boat as James Bastone. He sat in the bow, and a tall, lean woman with long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail operated the boat. She wore an expression even grimmer than Bastone’s.
“Here we go. Let the people battles begin,” Zoe said under her breath.
Chapter 4
Alex motored the nineteen-and-a-half-foot Stingray powerboat across the lake’s smooth surface to the small, sandy beach on the back side of the island. Operating a boat was like riding a bike. She’d done it so often as a kid it seemed like second nature now. It even felt good to be on the lake again with the breeze generated by the boat’s movement brushing her skin. She gave the throttle some gas for momentum before turning off the engine. The boat glided up onto the shore and came to a gentle stop in the soft sand.
James stepped carefully over the front of the bow onto solid ground. Alex suspected he didn’t want to get his shiny loafers wet. He glanced back at her briefly. “Let me do all of the talking. If it’s who I think it is up in that tree, you’ll find out quickly that we’re dealing with a raging, radical environmentalist. I thought wildlife biologists were supposed to be meek and mild. Zoe Kimball is a damned pit bull.”
“Good, I’d love to see you bitten on the ass by a pit bull,” Alex muttered.
“Did you say something?”
“You shouldn’t be anywhere near my family’s camp, and you know it.” The words tumbled out of her mouth and her insides shook. “How could you after what happened to Jake?”
“We don’t have time to get into this now, but you know as well as I do that what happened wasn’t my fault. It was your brother’s—”
Alex cut him off. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Say the truth?”
“You have no right to even speak Jake’s name.”
“And you don’t get to judge me. When you ran off to the other side of the country to escape, I stayed. I was here for your parents. It’s because of me that your family still has this camp.”
Alex glanced around at the place she knew better than any other, yet it felt alien to her. Part of her wanted to fight to find her way back. The other part gave up because the idea was too daunting. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“That’s certainly my preference.” He turned and stomped off.
She followed him over the uneven land through wild blueberry bushes and sweet ferns, enjoying the fact that his shiny shoes and pressed trousers were scuffed with mud and dirt at each step.
When they reached a clearing, a man in a long-sleeved, dark-green work shirt with the Maine Department of Wildlife and Fisheries logo over the left breast pocket held his arms stretched over his head to take a bag lowered from above. The logo on his shirt was comprised of the letters “DWF” embroidered over a patch containing the images of a trout and white-tailed deer. It reminded Alex of how much she missed the wildness of Maine.
She gazed up into the tree and saw a large nest with two ropes hanging over the edge. There was no sign of a person other than the bottoms of a pair of boots facing out over the rim of the nest, suggesting that someone sat inside it.
“I thought we agreed you’d let me know when you were coming back to the island,” James said to the man, his tone more accusatory than questioning.
“You’ll have to take that up with Zoe when she comes down out of the tree.” The man unzipped the bag and placed his hands inside. “For now, this eaglet is going to be demanding my full attention once it realizes it’s out of the bag, so to speak.” He removed a foot long, docile gray bird from the bag.
Sure enough, the little bit of freedom and the sunlight shining down on it appeared to rejuvenate the eaglet. It wiggled and squawked. The man wrestled with it and asked, “While you’re here, can one of you give me a hand?”
James recoiled a couple of steps. “I don’t think so.”
“I’d love to.” Alex knelt in front of the man, who held the eaglet with its wings pressed to its sides. The eaglet wiggled and turned its head in her direction when her shadow settled over its body. It squawked at her.
The eaglet didn’t look anything like what she expected. Its awkward gray body had no resemblance to its stunning parents. Yet its eyes were an entirely different story. In them, she saw a brave wildness and sheer will to be free that left her envious. Its power tugged at the part of her that used to be fearless.
“I think this bird likes you,” the man said as he turned the eaglet onto its back, slid it under an arm, and held its feet together. “Thanks for the help. I’m Rob, by the way.” The eaglet stopped wiggling against him.
“Wow, that’s amazing how calm it is being held like that,” Alex said.
“Just a like a cat held by the scruff. Makes it feel secure under the circumstances.” The eaglet’s parents screeched and circled overhead. “Mom and Dad being so nervous certainly doesn’t help, though. If you want to see real calm, please hand me the piece of leather that looks like a little helmet. It’s lying on top of the open tool box there.” Rob jutted his chin in the direction of the box.
Alex got out the hood and handed it to him. “Looks like something from medieval times.”
“Yeah, it does.” Rob placed the leather hood over the bird’s head and eyes. Its body went limp. “We use these hoods to keep the birds calm when we’re examining them. Eagles aren’t afraid of what they can’t see. It’s only us humans who are afraid of the dark.” He pulled a pair of calipers from his pocket and held them to the eaglet’s beak to measure the length. “I often wonder why that is.”
“Maybe it’s because being in the dark forces us to look inside ourselves,” Alex said. “For most of us, there aren’t many things scarier than that.”
“I never thought of it that way. Makes sense. Animals have pure hearts. They have nothing to be afraid of in that regard. Humans, on the other hand, not so much. We’re a messy bunch, every last one of us.” Rob gave her a kind smile. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve introduced myself. I’m Alex Marcotte.”
“Mr. Marcotte’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet such an observant and lovely woman.” Rob cocked his head in the direction of the bird pinned under his left arm while he held its feet together with his right hand. “I’d shake hands, but as you can see, my hands are kind of full right now.”
James cleared his throat. “Can we keep whatever it is you have to do moving along here? I have an appointment in an hour, and I’d really like to speak with Ms. Kimball.”
Rob raised an eyebrow at Alex. “You bet, Mr. Bastone. Alex, can you hand me those pliers and the red metal band next to them?”
Alex did as requested. As much as she disliked the sound of James’s voice, she was glad for his interruption. She’d detected a bit of flirting on Rob’s part. He seemed sweet, but she definitely wasn’t interested. But for her fascination with the eaglet, she would’ve found a way to stay hidden in the background of the confrontation between James and these wildlife people. Not to mention that as much as she appreciated the company of some men, there was never a time in her life when she had been attracted to one romantically.
After examining the eaglet, Rob secured the red band to its right leg.
“Is there significance to the color of the band and which leg you put it on?” Alex asked.
“Yes, red indicates that it’s a bird banded by the State of Maine. For males, we put the band on the right leg and females, vice versa. That way when we see them in the distance sometime in the f
uture, I hope, we’ll know the sex of the bird and where it’s from. There’s a very good chance that unless this bird dies and we find the body, this is as close as we’ll ever get to him again.”
“It’s a male, then.”
“Yes, a healthy boy.”
“I really appreciate that you let me help. It’s amazing to be so close to something that’s otherwise untouchable. I hope you see him for many years to come.”
“Me too. As long as we can make sure he gets through the first couple of years of his life, there’s a good chance he’ll be around a while. Since your family owns this island, you’ll be a key part in its survival. I hope we can work together.”
“Excuse me,” James said. “How much longer is this going to take?”
“Just about done, Mr. Bastone,” Rob answered.
So many times in Alex’s life, she had struggled to see past her anger at her parents to glimpse the things she still loved about them. “My father has always cared about protecting wildlife. I have no doubt he’ll want to do what’s right.”
“That’s really good news. These eaglets are going to need all the help they can get.”
Alex tried to sear the image of the eaglet into her mind. There was a good chance she’d never be this close to something so wild again. It was a privilege she’d always be grateful for. “Would it be all right if I touch him before he goes back to the nest?” she asked.
“Sure. You’ll find that his downy feathers are much softer than they look.”
Alex placed the palm of her hand on the eaglet’s feather-covered chest and pressed her fingers into the silky down. The eaglet breathed slowly in and out. Its life force vibrated through her hand, up her arm, and into her body. For a fleeting moment, she felt its wildness inside her. “Good luck, little one.” She pulled her hand away and turned from Rob so he wouldn’t see her emotion. “Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome. Let’s get this little guy back up into the tree with his parents.” Rob placed the eaglet into the bag, swiftly removed the leather hood, and zipped the bag before the eaglet had a chance to protest. He placed the bag on a portable scale set up next to the toolbox, made some notes in a notebook, and clipped the bag containing the eaglet to a carabiner at the end of one of the hanging ropes. Removing a handheld radio from its holster on his belt, he said, “All set, Zoe. You can pull him up.”
The radio crackled. “Will do. Is our company still down there?”
“Roger that. Mr. Bastone and Mr. Marcotte’s daughter, Alex, are eager to talk with you.”
“Tell Bastone not to get his knickers in a twist.”
A laugh escaped Alex before she could contain it. No wonder James didn’t like the woman in the tree. She obviously didn’t buy into his phony charm.
“Is she always this disrespectful to tax-paying land owners?” James asked.
Alex gave him a look of disbelief. “I’ve never paid a penny in taxes on the camp, and I’m pretty sure you haven’t either. The camp still belongs to my father.”
Rob folded his arms across his chest. His gentle expression turned hard, and his posture suggested defensiveness. “I’ll admit that Zoe doesn’t always communicate with the softest touch, but she means well. She’s also the best at what she does.”
“What exactly does she do, anyway?” James asked. “Make certain that people can’t use their land? By the way, Alex, I’m speaking as the camp manager. I get paid to speak for and protect your father’s interests.”
“I’ll bet you do,” Alex said.
Rob gave Alex an apologetic look. “I assure you that the department’s motivation is to protect wildlife by working with land owners, not against them. You both have my word on that.”
The remaining hanging rope started to sway. Alex looked up in time to see a fit, compact woman lowering herself down the rope from the top of the tree. Zoe Kimball, no doubt.
Holding onto the rope below and behind her with her right hand, Zoe used her left hand to grasp a large knot that allowed her to slide down the rope at a controlled rate. When she pulled down on the knot, she slid down the rope. She stopped by letting go of the knot, which appeared to be what held her in place along the rope’s length. Her movements were quick and efficient.
When she reached the ground, she unclipped the harness from the rope and took off her helmet, revealing a mop of short, wavy, light-brown hair and piercing green eyes. Alex smiled at the sight. Zoe walked toward them with the same quick grace she’d used to come down out of the tree.
Alex decided that if a bolt of lightning came packaged in human form, this woman fit the bill. It was going to be interesting to watch James try to tangle with her.
Smart like a fox, he turned on the charm. “That was an incredible opportunity for us to see one of the town’s newest additions. It’s truly amazing to have these eagles here. I just wish we had known about it sooner, though, like I asked. If we hadn’t been in the right place at the right time, we would’ve missed it.”
“I’m glad it was your lucky day, then.” Zoe stepped out of the climbing harness and undid the knots tied into the end of the rope. “Given your excitement, you’ll be happy to know that Mr. Marcotte’s island is host to two very healthy eaglets for the first time in our lifetimes that we know of.” Her expression reminded Alex of the impenetrable hardness of the granite that held up the island. “I intend to keep it that way.”
Alex saw James flinch.
Rob intervened. “Zoe, this is Mr. Marcotte’s daughter, Alex. She was kind enough to give me a hand with the examination and banding of the eaglet.”
Alex took Zoe’s outstretched hand. At five feet ten inches, Alex stood almost a foot taller, but Zoe gave the impression of being someone larger than life. For such a small woman, her grip left no doubt as to her strength. Alex had to admit she’d pictured someone much more imposing based on James’s description. Nevertheless, Zoe’s presence was a force to be reckoned with. She had to admit, the woman was pretty adorable too. “It was a once in a lifetime experience. You’re right, it was our lucky day. It’s very nice to meet you.”
James butted in. “Rob said that now you’ve banded the eaglets, you won’t need to get close to them again. As the manager of the camp, I can assure you that you can count on us to keep an eye on things from here on out. We’ll be your eyes and ears and the first to let you know if we see any problems. We have a large telescope set up in our main building, and I’m sure the kids would love to be able to watch the eagles from there.”
Zoe let go of Alex’s hand. “That’s very benevolent of you, Mr. Bastone. It won’t be necessary, though. While it’s true that we won’t likely need to access the nest again, I’ve been assigned to do a close study of this breeding pair. I’ll be around all summer to monitor the eaglets through fledging. This is a bigger deal than you recognize, having these eagles here.” She tipped her head in the direction of the opposite shore. “I’ll be camping the next three months or so at the state park. My boss wants me close enough to study everything from what foods the eaglets are being fed to where their parents are hunting, and what, if anything, causes them disturbance. The study and findings will be published by the department later this year. So I’ll be the eyes and ears of the eagles. You and me, we’ll be neighbors.”
James didn’t respond immediately. “Then I insist that you stay with us at the camp,” he said after a few moments. “You’ll be far more comfortable. I could arrange for you to have a private room and shower in the staff quarters.”
“Trying to keep your enemies close, Mr. Bastone?” Zoe asked.
Alex had to give Zoe credit. Not only could she see right through James—just like her—she didn’t hesitate to say so. She enjoyed watching James being pushed off his game by this small, scrappy woman. Zoe seemed to be one step ahead of him.
“That hurts, Ms. Kimball. We’re as concerned as you for the welfare of our resident eagles. Isn’t that true, Alex?” James asked.
Ah, trying to pull me
into the game. I don’t think so. However, watching James be tortured daily by Zoe was worth putting her two cents in. “I’m sure my father will insist,” Alex said. “It would be a great learning experience for all of us if you stayed. We’d love to know more about the eagles.”
“Do you have a place where I could leave my kayak and gear?” Zoe asked. “I’ll need it for my work.”
“That should be easy enough to arrange,” James said.
“All right. I’ll take you up on the offer. I’m sure we can make it benefit both of us.”
“Hmm.” James grunted. “Very well. When should we expect you to arrive?”
“A little more than a week from now. How about Monday morning on June first, provided that’s not too early?”
“That’ll be fine. We’ll have your room ready by then. Unfortunately, my schedule is quite busy for Monday. We’re getting ready for our first influx of campers. Perhaps Alex could help get you settled?”
“I’d be happy to,” Alex said.
“You sure?” Zoe asked. She glanced at James and back to Alex. “As much as I’m looking forward to being best friends with Mr. Bastone here, I don’t want to impose on you if you have other things to do.”
Alex got a kick out of Zoe’s uncensored directness. She had a way of slicing James down to size piece by piece, leaving him speechless in the process. “It would be my pleasure and no imposition at all. Monday morning it is.”
“Good, I’ll see you then,” Zoe said.
Alex noted that her difficult morning had just ended on a high note, thanks to Zoe and the eaglet. “I look forward to it.”
Chapter 5
In the staff room where Zoe would be staying, Alex pulled a cotton blanket from the chest at the foot of the bed. She laid it on top of the sheet and unfolded it.