by Bill H Myers
Lori look surprised. “You're telling me that Kenny had one of the student volunteers in his trailer last night?”
“According to Denise, he did.”
Lori thought for a moment. “And now Kenny is missing? What about the girl? Is she missing too?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she's missing. She didn't show up for her shift this morning, and no one at Oasis has seen her since yesterday. She didn't leave a note and didn't tell anyone she was leaving.”
Lori processed what she had just heard. Then she asked, “Did they leave together?”
“No one seems to know. No one saw either of them leave. But they're both missing. And Kenny's truck is gone.”
Lori shook her head. “Let me guess. Kenny has a silver Ford F250 with a white camper on the back.”
I nodded. “That's what they're saying.”
She was silent for a moment then reached for her phone. “I'm calling Kenny. I'm going to find out what's going on.”
She put the phone on speaker. After four rings, the call forwarded to a recorded message. “Hi, this is Kenny. I'm unable to take your call right now. If you leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Lori shook her head in disgust then left a message. “Kenny, this is Lori. Call me as soon as you get this.”
After ending the call, she turned to me. “He's either turned off his phone or he's still near Oasis and can't get a signal.”
I nodded.
Up ahead, at the first stoplight we'd seen since getting on Alligator Alley, the light was turning red. I slowed the motorhome and waited for it to turn green.
Lori pointed to my left. “That's the Miccosukee Casino over there. The first sign that we're getting back into civilization.”
Seeing the huge hotel and the acres of parking, I only had one question.
“Do they have food in there?”
She laughed. “They sure do. You getting hungry?”
I nodded. “It's way past lunch time, and we really didn't have much for breakfast.”
Lori smiled. “Tell you what, after we stop at the pet store, we'll come back here and eat. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Four miles down the road, I pulled into the pet store parking lot. The parking spaces in front were too tight for the motorhome, but there were larger spaces in the lot behind the store. I headed in that direction.
The back lot was mostly empty and bordered a wooded area. There were no cars parked in the eight spaces, so I pulled the motorhome lengthwise across four of the spaces and parked.
I looked over at Lori. “You want me to go in, leave you out here with the kitten?”
She shook her head. “No, I need to go in. The kitten will be just fine without us.”
“If you're sure. I don't mind going in by myself.”
She shook her head again. “No, I need to go in. The kitten will be fine. Just lock the doors when we get out.”
Lori got up and took the kitten over to the couch where she made a small nest using one of the blankets from the overhead compartment. She placed the kitten in the nest and stroked its head gently. The kitten opened its eyes, blinked once and then closed them.
Lori whispered, “Don't worry, we'll be right back.”
After checking on Bob and finding him sleeping in the back bedroom, we left the motorhome. As always, I locked the doors behind me.
Parking in the back lot meant we were about a hundred feet from the front door of the pet store. Some people would complain about parking this far back but not me. I enjoyed stretching my legs as we walked to the store.
Inside, an elderly man arranging cans of cat food looked up at us and smiled. “Welcome to Pet Market. Anything I can help you with?”
Lori returned his greeting and asked, “You have Esbilac?”
“Sure do. Aisle four, about halfway down.”
Lori made her way over to aisle four and quickly found what she was looking for; a twelve ounce can of Esbilac powdered milk replacement.
She handed me the can and on the same shelf found a box labeled, “Nursing Kit for Kittens.” It included a small plastic bottle, three rubber nipples, and a bottle brush. She picked up the package and handed it to me. “You have plenty of bottled water in motorhome, don't you?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
She continued shopping, picking out a few other items. After she was satisfied she had everything she needed, she led me to the register. The man who had greeted us at the door came over to check us out.
Looking at the items we were buying, he said, “We've had a run on this today. A couple came in earlier and bought Esbilac and two of the kitten nursing kits. Must be a lot of new kittens this time of year.”
Lori nodded then said, “We have some friends who just got an orphan kitten. It could have been them. Did you see what they were driving?”
“Sure did. They were in a truck with a big camper on the back. They tried parking up front but couldn't get into the space. When they backed out, I figured they were leaving. But a few minutes later, they came in and bought the same things you have here.”
Lori nodded. “That sounds like our friends. Did they say where they were going next?”
“No, they didn't mention anything like that. But the woman did pull a phone number off our bulletin board over there.”
Lori let me pay while she went over to the bulletin board. After paying, I joined her.
She pointed to one of the notices. It read:
Exotic Animals Wanted
We pay top dollar. Call Bud.
Attached to the notice was a row of small tear away tabs with Bud's phone number. Lori pulled one off, and we headed outside.
In the parking lot, she asked, “You think they are trying to sell the kittens?”
I shrugged. “They could be.”
We headed to the back of the lot where we'd parked. As we got closer, I noticed two homeless guys standing in front of our motorhome. One was facing us, and the other was standing on his toes trying to look inside.
Lori asked, “Friends of yours?”
I shook my head. “No, not that I know of.”
As we got closer, the man facing us called to his companion, letting him know we were coming. The man turned and leaned back against the motorhome, facing us. Both men were smiling as we walked up.
“This here yours?” the taller of the men asked.
I nodded. “Yes it is. You interested in buying it?”
The two men looked at each other and chuckled. “No, we don't want to buy it. But you need to pay us fifty dollars for parking it here.”
I smiled. “Fellows, this is a parking lot for the pet store over there, and, as you can see, we were in there spending money. So we don't need to pay to park here.”
The shorter of the men took a step towards Lori and pointed at the bag she was holding. “What you'd buy?”
She answered, “Powdered milk. You want some?”
He shook his head. “Naw, all we want is our fifty dollar parking fee.”
Lori looked at me. “Walker, we're kind of in a hurry here. Can you take care of these guys?”
I nodded. “I can. You might want to call 9-1-1 before I do.”
She pulled out her phone.
The shorter man said, “Go ahead. Call 911. It'll take twenty minutes for them to get here. Do you want to wait that long? You can pay us our fifty dollars now and be free to go.”
I turned to the man and pulled out my wallet. “Tell you what. I'll give you twenty dollars if you'll just go away.”
He shook his head. “Naw, that won't do. But now that you've got it out, I think we'll just take your whole wallet. Then you can leave.”
I said, “Guys, you don't want to do this.”
The shorter man took a step in my direction and pulled out a short-bladed knife. He said, “Give up the wallet, and you won't get hurt.”
The second man moved to his right.
I could see what they were planning; the shorter man would rush me, the taller one would get me from behind.
I nodded and turned to the closest of the two men. “One last chance. I'll give you twenty dollars, and you can walk away. Or we can mix it up. If we do, you'll both be carried out of here on stretchers. Your choice.”
“You a tough guy?” the shorter man asked.
I smiled. “There's one way for you to find out. Might cost you a few broken bones though.”
The taller man mumbled something. Then he took a step back.
“Last chance,” I said.
The shorter man looked at his buddy then back at me. He said, “We'll take the twenty.”
I pulled a twenty from my wallet, and I handed it to him. Then I said, “You've got thirty seconds to disappear.”
The man stuffed the bill in his front pocket. Then he and his companion quickly walked away into the woods behind the motorhome.
Lori looked at me. “You paid them.”
I nodded. “Easier that way. Less mess. And we're in a hurry.”
The truth was I could have crippled them both without much trouble. But why would I want to do that? It was easier to pay them to go away and not have to deal with the guilty feelings I'd have after hurting two homeless guys.
After unlocking the motorhome, we went inside to check on the kitten. It was still on the couch, but as soon as it saw us, it starting crying.
Lori went over to it. “Poor little thing. I know you've got to be hungry.”
She turned to me. “I need to heat some water to mix the powdered milk. Show me how.”
I pointed to the gas cook top. “Use that. You'll find a pan under the sink.”
Lori found the pan, measured some water into it, and put it on the smallest burner. “How do I turn this on?”
“It works just like your stove at home. Push in the knob at the front, turn it to the right. It'll fire up. Then adjust the flame as needed.”
Lori lit the burner and watched as the water in the pan heated up. When it started to steam, she turned the burner off and moved the pan to the side to let it cool.
She touched the water with the tip of her finger. “Just right.”
She poured a small amount of the Esbilac powder into the warm water and stirred the mixture until it was the consistency of milk. Then, using the funnel she'd bought in the pet store, she filled one of the nursing bottles.
After putting a nipple on the bottle, she grabbed a paper towel and went to the couch. She picked up the kitten and put the bottle of formula close to its mouth.
The kitten opened its eyes and squeaked a pitiful cry. Lori waited until its mouth was closed and then squeezed out a drop of formula onto its chin. The kitten flicked its tongue at the drop and discovered it tasted like Mother's milk.
Using its front paws, it reached for Lori's hand, trying to pull the bottle closer to its mouth. It was hungry and wanted more. Lori moved the bottle closer and the kitten started feeding.
She looked up at me. “I hope you're watching because it'll be your turn next.”
I nodded. “I'm watching. But before I handle the kitten, I probably ought to change out of these clothes.”
I was still wearing the long pants and shirt I'd put on before we went in search of the panther's nest. I was covered with dust and briars, and it was time to get back into shorts and a T-shirt.
While Lori fed the kitten, I went to the back to change clothes. As usual, Bob was on the bed. He heard me come in and looked up at me. He said, “Murrph?”
It was like he was asking, “Why have you let that little kitten invade my space?”
Bob liked it when I talked to him, so I answered by saying, “Bob, it'll be all right. That kitten's not going to bother you. It won't be here for long, and you'll soon have all this to yourself again.”
I wasn't sure whether Bob understood me or not, but he responded. He blinked his eyes, rolled to one side and covered his head with a paw, and went off to sleep.
I quickly changed clothes and went back up front where Lori was still feeding the kitten. She had a smile on her face. She was happy the kitten was strong enough to nurse.
When the bottle was empty, she pulled it away. The kitten squeaked, wanting more. But Lori shook her head. “He's had enough for now. Any more and he might get sick. We don't want that.”
She handed me the bottle and took the paper towel she had in her lap and put it over her shoulder. Then she lifted the kitten, laid it on the paper towel and started stroking its back.
After several strokes, the kitten burped.
Lori smiled. “I was hoping he'd do that. It helps clear his throat. Now let's see if I can get him to poop.”
She continued to stroke its back. A few moments later, the kitten pooped out a small wet stream onto the paper towel.
Again, Lori smiled. “Another good sign. Everything seems to be working. All we need to do now is find a box we can put him in.”
I didn't have any empty boxes inside the motorhome but remembered there had been a stack of them behind the pet store.
While Lori stayed inside with the kitten, I went out to get a suitable box. Before going too far, I checked to make sure the two guys we'd encountered earlier were gone. They were nowhere to be seen. They'd probably taken the twenty to the nearest liquor store and were now back in the woods sharing their prize.
I walked over to the stack of empty boxes behind the store and sorted through them until I found a clean one about the right size to hold Lori's kitten.
Back in the motorhome, I showed it to her.
“That'll be perfect,” she said. “The sides are high enough to keep the kitten from wandering.”
We lined the box with paper towels and put it up front just behind the passenger seat. Lori put the kitten inside, gave it a few pets, and with its belly full, it soon went off to sleep.
“Now what?” she asked.
Chapter Thirty-Five
We were still in the motorhome, parked in the lot behind the pet store. I was hungry but wanted to take care of something before we ate. “Lori, let's call the phone number you found in the store, the one for the guy who buys exotic pets. I think his name was Bud. Call and see if anyone is trying to sell him panther kittens.”
She frowned. “You sure you want me to call? Why not you?”
“Because the clerk said it was the woman who had pulled the guy's phone number. If a woman called him, you could call and pretend to be her. Find out if they arranged a meeting.”
Lori nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”
She found the slip of paper with Bud's number on it, put her phone in speaker mode, and called. After four rings, a woman answered.
“Bud's Place.”
“Is Bud there?”
“No, he's out. Can I help you?”
“Maybe. I called earlier about some special kittens I might be interested in selling. Did Bud mention that to you?”
“He did. You had the wild kind of kittens, right?”
“Yeah.”
“He mentioned something about that. Said you had two of them and he was going to meet up with you this evening.”
Lori smiled at me then continued the conversation. “Yes, that's what we agreed. I'm calling to make sure I had the right time and place for the meeting.”
The woman hesitated. “You sure you're the one who called earlier?”
“Yes ma'am, I'm the one. I've got two kittens from the Everglades and—”
The woman interrupted her. “Don't say no more about the kittens. We don't want to talk about them on the phone.
“Bud said he was going to meet you in the RV lot of the casino around seven this evening. You still in the Ford with the camper on the back?”
Lori nodded. “Yes, we'll be there around seven. Just wanted to make sure I got the right place and time.”
“Well, honey, Bud is interested in those kittens. He'll look for you at Miccosukee. He'll be in his white van. Anyt
hing else you need to know?”
“No, that's it. Thanks.”
Lori ended the call and looked at me. “So, now we know. They are trying to sell the kittens.”
I nodded. “Looks that way. What do you want to do about it?”
She shook her head. “Normally, we'd call the police and get them involved. But the Miccosukee Casino is on tribal land. State and local police have no authority there.
“The tribal police could help, but they won't get involved unless we can show them criminal action has taken place on tribal grounds. That hasn't happened yet, and they won't want to upset casino patrons with a show of force.
“This Bud guy picked about the only place in the state where he could get away with this. He can't be touched until he buys the kittens, and as soon as he drives off the casino grounds, he's pretty much home free.
“We need to figure out a way to stop him.”
I thought for a moment. “How about this; we go over to the casino and park in the RV area? We look for the truck with the camper on the back. When we find it, we try to convince whoever's in it to give us the kittens.”
Lori nodded. “I guess that's better than doing nothing.”
I started the motorhome, and we made our way back out onto Alligator Alley and headed back toward the Miccosukee Casino. It took us less than ten minutes to get there.
When we reached the light at Krome Avenue, the casino grounds were on our right. Instead of turning into the casino lot, I decided to turn left, into the Pilot Travel Center. Their fueling lanes were plenty wide enough for the motorhome, and it looked like a good place to gas up.
After topping off the tank, we drove across the highway into the casino parking lot. It was well marked and had a sign directing RVs to an area behind the main building.
Following the signs, I reached the RV parking area. It was a blacktop lot with large parking spaces marked off for RVs and trailers. Only a few of the spaces were occupied.
The sites were for dry camping only. They didn't have water or electric hookups. This was understandable since casino management probably didn't want people making the parking lot their permanent home. Those who camped in the lot would have to rely on their on-board battery banks and water tanks. That wouldn't be a problem for us. We could camp on battery power for days.