Everglades Escape

by Kathleen Tailer

  Theo pulled up next to the kayak and stopped the motor, then threw the rope up to Whitney, who tied the boat off on one of the hut’s support beams.

  “Are you sure there isn’t a ranger station anywhere nearby?” she asked. “I hate to bother these folks and draw them into this mess.”

  “Not that I remember,” Theo confirmed. “These huts can be rented at the Flamingo ranger station, but that’s still pretty far away. I think there was a marina near the ranger station where a person could rent a canoe or kayak, but I’m not positive. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, and I’m not too sure anymore. I think there is also a pavilion of some sort on land, back on the beach behind those trees.” He pointed toward the land. “These mangrove waterways seem to stretch on forever and are like a maze back here, and lots of times, people get lost in the backcountry and the rangers have to come find them. Hopefully, whoever’s camping here can help us out when they return and point us in the right direction.”

  Whitney pulled on the ladder to draw the boat closer, then suddenly let out a shriek and yanked her hand back.

  Theo responded instantly and moved to her side, then took her hand. “I don’t see any marks. What happened?”

  “I touched something slimy. It could have been a frog. Whatever it was moved and surprised me.”

  Theo laughed. “The Everglades are filled with wildlife, and there are all kinds of birds and bugs back here, not to mention the lizards, snails and frogs you’ll find.”

  Whitney pulled her hand away and gave him a look. “Not to mention the alligators with mouthfuls of teeth and the venomous snakes. Let’s not forget them.”

  Theo immediately replaced his laugh with a contrite expression, but he couldn’t keep the smile from his lips. After everything that had happened in the last day or so, it was nice to find something to laugh about. It was also interesting to see a crack in Whitney’s armor. She was one tough cookie, but she was finally starting to let down her guard around him—even if just for a moment. He was intrigued, and couldn’t keep the question in. “You mean, you’ll take down a vicious drug dealer that is twice your size without a second thought, but you can’t touch a frog without screaming?”

  “Something like that,” Whitney conceded as she wiped her hand on her shorts. Apparently she noticed his raised eyebrow and incredulous look, and decided to give him an explanation. “Look, I don’t do outdoors, okay? I was born and raised in Atlanta. You know, home of the Olympics and the fourteen-lane highway? I stayed away from bugs and frogs and anything else that was slimy to the best of my ability my entire life.”

  “But you were on a wildlife tour boat when you started this journey, weren’t you?”

  “Yes. The kind where the guide points to the wildlife and I say, ‘Wow, that’s pretty,’ take a picture with my phone, and then we move on to the next. Then, after a few hours of sunbathing, I return to my hotel and eat a nice meal. That’s what I signed up for. I didn’t plan on interacting with or touching anything creepy along the way.” As if to accent her point, a dragonfly buzzed near her head and she swatted it away. “This trip is getting worse by the moment.”

  “We’ll be fine if we can find the owner of this tent. Hopefully, they’ll be back soon and we can borrow this kayak. It looks like it will fit two people and even has a storage bin where we can put the backpack.”

  “Why don’t we take it now?” Whitney asked as she studied the kayak. “The water looks too shallow to take the boat any further, but with this kayak, we might be able to make it to the trailhead and a ranger station. We can leave a note, and I’ll be sure to pay them back for the loan of the kayak once we find the owners.”

  “Two reasons,” Theo answered. “First, I don’t know this area that well and we need a map to help us navigate through the mangroves. And second, there’s no paddle in the kayak, and I don’t see an extra one anywhere in the chickee. Looks like there are two people staying here, and they must be out and about in another boat or canoe, with the paddles. We won’t get far without at least one paddle to help us steer.”

  There was a small splash near the beach and both Whitney and Theo turned to see a six-foot alligator swimming toward them.

  “Good grief!” Whitney said frantically as she grabbed the ladder once again and pulled herself up onto the platform. “Can it get up here?”

  “I doubt it. I think it was probably sunning itself on that log over there. Our talking probably scared it.”

  “Then why is it coming straight at us?”

  They watched for a moment, and even though the alligator had started in their direction, it suddenly ducked below the surface and disappeared.

  “I imagine it was curious, but then got distracted. It probably just found dinner. There are a lot of fish around here. It likely just grabbed a meal and is heading back home to enjoy it. You don’t need to worry. Like I said before, they’re more scared of us than we are of them.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that,” Whitney responded.

  Theo smiled and followed her up the ladder. They looked through the windows of the tent. There were two sleeping bags inside, a couple of pillows and two large backpacks. A box of supplies sat near the zippered entrance, along with a small cooler, but that was about it. Outside the tent, two towels had been slung over a rafter to dry, and there was a collection of small aquariums protected by a fabric sun shield that let air through but kept the aquariums in shadow, presumably to keep them cool in the August heat. Each one had a wire-mesh lid and grasses on the bottom. A second and larger cooler was under the towels, as well as a couple of plastic containers filled with papers and small notebooks. Theo opened the largest of the containers and found a laptop and a fancy camera.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” The male voice was angry, and came at them from a shout across the bay.

  “Get out of our chickee!” a second voice yelled. This angry male voice was much less forceful than the first.

  Theo let the container lid shut by itself and slowly turned, keeping his hands spread and up in a motion of surrender. He didn’t want the newcomers to feel threatened in any way. For all he knew, they had a gun and would take a shot at him if he moved.

  “We didn’t mean to intrude,” Whitney said, her voice small. “We were just looking for a phone.”

  Theo was so surprised by her tone that he swung his head in her direction, his eyebrows raised. Who was that meek, mousy girl that had just spoken? Gone was the impressive, tough, law-enforcement agent. Even her posture had changed. What was her game? He barely recognized her.

  The two men continued their approach, the man in the stern of the canoe paddling furiously until they pulled up beside the kayak. A few minutes later, the first man was on the platform, standing only inches away from Theo, his posture threatening.

  “You want to explain to me what you’re doing rooting through our supplies?”

  Theo didn’t back down and stood his ground, despite the man’s irate tone. In fact, he found it interesting that the man was totally ignoring Whitney, which was probably what she had hoped for with her submissive demeanor. Pretending to be a helpless female was an effective tool in her toolbox. He wondered how many people she had fooled with the act. Probably several.

  The newcomer was a large man with tanned, leathery skin and a head of curly dark hair. He also had a scruffy beard beginning on his cheeks and chin. He probably hadn’t shaved for a week or more, which gave him an even more roguish appearance. If Theo had to guess, he imagined the man was in his late twenties or early thirties. It was more than the man’s disheveled appearance that worried Theo, however. The large man’s hands were fisted as if he was about to take a swing at him.

  Theo did his best to stay calm, modulating his voice and making sure his stance was not threatening in any way. They’d already survived their encounter with drug dealers and flying bullets on the island, and being cha
sed by the Coast Guard cruiser. If they were thoughtful and deliberate with their actions, they could survive this confrontation with the campers, as well. “Like the lady said, we were just looking for a phone. We had some problems out on the water, and were looking to contact a ranger and get some help.”

  Theo glanced over at Whitney. The newcomer still hadn’t paid her much attention, but Theo saw the light in her eyes and the way she held herself. He could tell she was like a firecracker, just waiting to explode into motion if necessary. It was interesting that he was already learning subtle things about her and could read her expression so easily.

  He returned his focus to the angry man in front of him, then took a step back, his hands still up. “We didn’t mean any harm, sir.” He looked over the man’s shoulder to the other guy, who was still in the canoe. The man’s face was rather pale, despite the tanned skin, and he was holding himself as if he were in pain. “Is your friend okay?”

  “He’s fine,” the man replied. “Take your girlfriend and get out of here. We’ve got a permit and have this whole area reserved for the next three days.”

  Theo looked around the aggressive dude’s shoulder, trying to get a better look at the man in the canoe. It was hard to get a good look from this angle and with the man before him trying to block his view. Still, he could see the pain etched on the second fellow’s face. “He doesn’t look fine. He looks hurt. I’m a doctor. Can I help?”

  “Yeah, sure you are.” The man’s voice held a mixture of derision and hopefulness at the same time as he looked him over from head to toe.

  “He is a doctor.” Whitney spoke up, her act of appearing helpless suddenly forgotten. Theo was amazed that she could change her stance so quickly. Perhaps she sensed, as he did, that the threat had dissipated. Now a tough US Marshal stood on the platform, and when she spoke, her voice held a tone of authority. “You should let him take a look at your friend. He might be able to help.”

  The curly haired man fisted and unfisted his hands, apparently considering their words. A moment passed. Then another. Finally, he made a decision and took a step back, motioning to the man in the boat as he did so. “You’d better not be lying.”

  “Good grief,” Whitney said roughly as she pushed by him, giving him a look as she did so. “You’re over here posturing while your friend is hurt? What kind of friend are you?” The man’s eyes widened as she shoved him aside.

  Theo shrugged and followed her to the edge of the platform, trying his best to keep his mirth from showing. He’d already decided never to cross Whitney when she was in law-enforcement mode. Apparently this stranger had just learned the same lesson.

  Theo descended the ladder and pulled the canoe closer, then got in the boat. The man had a towel wrapped around his upper arm, and it was stained with fresh blood. Theo gingerly removed the towel and saw several gashes in his arm, accented by three or four puncture marks. All were bleeding rather badly. “My name is Theo Roberts, and I really am a doctor despite the fact that I look like I’m on vacation,” he said as he examined the wounds. “What’s your name?”

  “John Pierce. That’s my brother, Mark.” He nodding at the curly haired man. “We’re out here studying the pythons in the Glades.”

  “No python made these wounds,” Theo observed as he conducted a thorough examination.

  John shook his head. “You’re right. This is an alligator bite. Unfortunately, I put my arm where it didn’t belong.”

  Whitney raised an eyebrow. “Did I just hear you say you got bitten by an alligator?”

  “It wasn’t the alligator’s fault,” John quickly supplied. “She was defending her nest. I just didn’t realize her nest was there until the last moment. Then it was too late.”

  “Alligators usually aren’t aggressive unless they feel threatened,” Mark stated tightly, as if he were in a classroom. “They are naturally afraid of people. This was John’s mistake, not hers.”

  “Well, we need to get this wound cleaned up.” Theo wrapped the towel back around the man’s arm to help stanch the bleeding. “Alligators have bacteria in their mouths, just like most creatures. You also are going to need a few stitches.” He looked over at Whitney, who’s face had an expression that said I told you so quite clearly. He shook his head and gave her a good-natured wink.

  “I don’t think I can get out of this canoe by myself,” John said tightly. “This arm really hurts.”

  “We’ll help you,” Whitney told him. “Let’s get you up here on the chickee.”

  Between the three of them, they were able to help John get up on the platform. Thankfully, Mark was also able to produce a first-aid kit and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

  Theo immediately went to work cleaning the injured man’s wounds.

  * * *

  Whitney was fascinated as she watched Theo work. It was so evident that he had a gift with helping people. Why had he given up practicing medicine to study coral reefs on an isolated island in the Florida Keys? It was still a mystery, but one she hoped she would be able to solve before they parted ways. It just didn’t make sense for a man who was so clearly talented to turn away from his chosen profession.

  Theo was gentle, like always, yet each motion was exact and practiced, and his tone was calm as he distracted his patient with questions while he worked.

  “So you are a biologist?”

  “Yes, we both are,” John replied. “We’re doing a study for the University of Florida on the pythons that are taking over the Glades.”

  “Over the past ten years, all sorts of exotic snakes have been showing up in the Everglades,” Mark interjected. “People buy them as pets and they become either too big or too expensive to care for. Then they bring them out here and release them. The Burmese python is the most problematic, so we’re trying to get a handle on the best way to find and humanely remove them. The alternative is the python hunts they have each year all over South Florida. The Feds have been trying to find ways to increase access to remote areas in the Everglades. Then they hire python hunters to go in and remove the snakes.”

  “Pythons eat all sorts of other animals,” his brother added. “They aren’t choosy at all, which is probably why there has been such a sharp decline in the number of mammals here. Those snakes are devastating the entire ecosystem.” He shrugged. “The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has an Exotic Pet Amnesty Program that allows people to surrender the snakes without penalty. I wish more people would take advantage of it.”

  Whitney shivered involuntarily and motioned toward the aquariums that were stacked under the sun shade. “Are you telling me those containers are filled with snakes?”

  “Pretty much,” Mark added with a smile, clearly enjoying making the tough lady squirm with his words. “They’re little snakes, though, not the huge ones you see in the jungle documentaries. A few crates have lizards in them. Don’t worry, we have collection permits. I promise.”

  John grimaced as Theo began stitching his arm with a small kit he’d found in the first-aid box. “We were mapping a particularly large python when my foot got tangled in some underwater brush. I reached down to free my foot, and the next thing I know, the alligator bit my arm.”

  Whitney’s eyes rounded. “You were walking in this water? Are you nuts?”

  “We were wearing boots and waterproof pants to keep the bugs out. Even the boots couldn’t have stood up to the alligator’s teeth, though, if she’d wanted to take a bite. I’m lucky it was just my arm that she bit.”

  “I’d say,” Mark agreed.

  “I’m also lucky that she wasn’t hungry. If she had been, she would have held on longer and tried to pull me down into the water and take me for a roll. This was just a warning bite to stay away from her nest.”

  Theo finished stitching and started to wrap the wounds with gauze. “Well, that should do it. Don’t get this arm wet for a week or so. Do you have a way t
o keep it protected?”

  “I’ll figure something out,” John replied. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

  Theo nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  Whitney glanced at the sky. “I don’t relish spending the night out here, but it’s already late afternoon and it looks like a storm might be rolling in. Those clouds to the east have been looking rather ominous all day. Do you think we can make it to the nearest ranger station before dark?”

  John shook his head. “We’re a good three hours away from the closest station. Your best bet is to wait until morning. You’ll get lost in the mangroves if you start back now.” He glanced at the sky. “I heard the weather report yesterday about a tropical storm in the Atlantic, but most of the models have it going up the east coast without giving us much besides a little rain. They don’t think it’s going to turn into a hurricane, but you never know. We’ll probably go back early if the weather doesn’t improve.”

  He stretched out his injured arm and wiggled his fingers, then winced but smiled through the pain. “I can’t tell you how thankful we are that you came along when you did. I sure am glad you were able to patch me up. Can we do anything to pay you back?”

  “We’d love to borrow your phone, if you have one,” Whitney said.

  “No phone,” John told her regretfully. “There’s no internet out here, of course, but we were using the phone as a hotspot so we could share our notes with our colleagues back at the university. Mark didn’t even bring his phone. He’s antitechnology.”

  Mark scowled. “I’m a Luddite. That’s not the same.”

  John laughed but continued. “Well, this morning, I accidently crushed my phone as we were heading out. It fell out of my pocket and I stepped on it as I was carrying a heavy box. Stupid mistake on my part, but the thing is well and truly ruined.” He pulled it out of his pocket and showed them the damaged screen that was covered with cracks. “The thing won’t even turn on anymore. We have solar chargers for it, but it won’t hold a charge. Looks like I’ll be forced to buy a new one once we get back to town.”