Apocalypse Drift (41 page)

Wyatt thought Morgan was being a little too paranoid, but wasn’t going quibble about it. He decided to keep Sage with him. Sage flashed annoyance when told of the change, her expression making it clear
that she wasn’t happy about working with her father. Off into the unknown the two-man teams went, scattering their separate ways to explore their new domain.

Wyatt and Sage hiked together, their objective being the ranger station in the middle of the island. The maps indicated a miniature, house-like structure, as well as a few outbuildings apparently constructed by the Parks & Wildlife Department many years ago. The primitive complex was at the end of a lane leading from Army Hole, a little less than a mile away.

“Dad, you and I need to talk. I’m 18 now, and you need to stop treating me like a little kid,” began Sage.

Wyatt kept his expression neutral, already mentally plotting the course of this conversation. “Baby, I’m your father, and I’ll always have a protective instinct when it comes to both David
and
you. But you’re reading this one wrong. I put you on my team because I enjoy spending time with you – not to keep an eye on a little kid.”

“I
don’t buy that excuse, Dad. Really, why did you switch teams? It sure looked like you wanted to keep me under your wing.”

Wyatt smiled, knowing Sage wasn’t going to like the answer. “It wasn’t my idea to separate David and you. Your mother wanted her two children divided in case this venture turns out to be dangerous, Sage. That’s why I made the change.”

The response wasn’t what his daughter anticipated. She stopped in her tracks, her hands firmly planted on her hips, jutting out a defiant chin. “I’ll have a talk with mom about this when we get back, but you’re not off the hook yet,” she snarled. “Every time I’m around you, I feel like you’re smothering me. It’s like you think I’m still 12 or something. The way I see it, our lives are going to suck bad enough as it is. If you keep treating me like a little girl, it’ll be worse.”

Wyatt felt a mixture of feelings welling up inside. The first was anger at her attitude, the words coming into his throat to verbally smack her down. He choked back the urge, excusing the uppity speech to having the world collapse around her. He was sure Sage was as frightened as everyone else. His next inclination was to hug her, but he skipped that impulse as well. Her body language spoke clearly – she
wanted
a confrontation. Wyatt was no newcomer to the parenting game and would not be drawn in to a fight. “Sage, I’m not perfect – far from it,” his voice calm and reassuring. “You’ve always been in such a hurry to grow up. Sometimes that makes my chest stick out with pride, other times it scares me to death. It seems like the last few years we’re on a different wavelength or something. When I pull, you need a push. When I push, you’re craving a tug. If we’re going to fix this, then you have to acknowledge one simple thing – it’s not all about you.”

Sage’s cheeks got hot, and her throat tightened. She wanted to lambast her father for those words, beat him
over the head with them. “Self-centered? Is that what you’re saying – I’m selfish?”

When her father didn’t take the bait, she decided to use his words against him. “I thought you wanted me to be independent…to take care of myself. You’ve always said you can’t trust anyone but yourself
, haven’t you? You’re being hypocritical. I’m doing what you wanted, and now it makes you mad.”

Wyatt again fought the compulsion of an angry retort. His voice sounded far calmer than his emotions. “It’s not binary, Sage. It’s not on or off. It’s a give and take that comes with maturity...plain and simple growing up. You’ll eventually find the balance, and it’s my job to help you get there.”

The girl rolled her eyes at the word maturity. She hated the word. She was also a little taken aback that her father would not be baited by her emotional tirade and had answered her with calm and logic instead. He hadn’t bothered with that tactic for a long time, and she needed to think about this new change of events. Sage spread her arms in frustration, “This conversation is going nowhere. I’m not going to stand out here in the hot sun and argue the same old crap over and over again.” After the pronouncement, she marched off toward the ranger’s station, not even looking back to see if her father were coming along.

Wyatt was following, a smug
, little smile on his lips.
Spunky little thing.
She’ll digest all that, and I need to give her some space while she does. She’ll roll it over a thousand times in that super-smart brain of hers. I can’t wait to see what pops out,
he thought
.

The duo continued without speaking for the next 15 minutes. Their path wound its way through open areas of sea oats and occasional strands of small ferns. Sage observed the roo
fline of a building before Wyatt, and pointed it out. “Finally,” was Wyatt’s only remark.

The ranger station was really a small ranch-style home. The structure wouldn’t have been out of place in most suburban neighborhoods. It was also clearly abandoned. Clumps of waist high weeds and grass dotted the foundation, creating an appearance of neglect. The few landscaping bushes were overgrown and showed uneven growth. A pea gravel path that served as a walkway was littered with fallen twigs and small branches from the large pecan tree that had somehow survived years of storms to remain standing in the yard.

The front door and two front-facing windows were boarded over with plywood. After Sage had taken it all in, she abandoned the silent treatment and sassily observed, “For sale, two bedroom fixer-upper. Available for immediate occupancy.”

Wyatt laughed at the clever remark. “Let’s see what’s around back. I think there’s a shed around here somewhere.”

Sage pointed to the far side of the home. “I’ll go around that way. Meet ya in back.”

Wyatt hesitated, “Sage? I’m not so sure we should separate…”

His daughter’s stern look stopped him. “Dad! I am not going to trip over a root. I don’t think the ticks are out yet. And I promise to keep an eye out for zombies! Cross my heart,” her words trailed off as she mockingly crossed her chest.

Wyatt shook his head, “Okay baby, I’ll see
ya around back.”

The two split up with the father managing to look over his shoulder to check on the daughter once. Sage rounded the corner of the station, her attention divided between curiosity over the interior of the home and looking for any recent sign of people being in the area. She saw the outline of what looked like a small shack or barn a short distance away. Deciding to begin her investigation there, she began picking her way through the brush.

Keeping an eye on the building, Sage reached to push aside a limb when a noise she had never heard before arrested her very soul. She instinctively knew what it was, but her brain was so terrified she couldn’t force her eyes to look. A constant, vibrating sound like a baby’s rattle was coming from the grass at her feet. It was close, and it was louder than she had ever imagined.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she moved her eyes downward toward the source of the warning. The rattlesnake was so well camouflaged she almost didn’t see it. Only a step away, the animal was coiled in a tight circle with only its head and tail sticking into the air. It was the head that drew her attention. Broad and flat with unblinking eyes, it appeared to be both evil and massive at the same time. While the multi-hued scales blended almost
perfectly with the arid background, the eyes did not. Vertical black slits surrounded by reptilian-gold irises tried to hypnotize the frightened girl. The spell was broken only by the revulsive, flickering tongue. Sage wanted to recoil…to turn and flee, but her legs wouldn’t move. She thought to call out for her father, but her voice wouldn’t work. It was a standoff, and neither side wanted to make the first move.

Most humans eventually adjust to fear, and Sage’s mind managed to clear the fog. In a few seconds, the orders being screamed by her brain finally translated into commands to her body. Her leg jerked - the initial movement of an effort to pivot and run. 

The snake didn’t want to eat Sage. The animal only wanted to protect itself. The blurred image of her leg moving combined with the fear it sensed on its tongue unleashed the strike.

The reptile’s six-
foot long muscle structure began to uncoil with tremendous speed and force.

Sage and the snake were both stunned when the sound of Wyatt’s pistol split the air. The round struck the striking reptile three inches behind the head, practically severing the body into pieces. Momentum carried the wide mouth and angled fangs forward, but the interrupted strike fell just short of Sage’s calf. The girl had almost completed her turn, but the shock of pistol noise combined with the image of the flying reptile caused her to stumble.

Without warning, Sage suddenly felt weightless, and then she was flying. The ground rushed upwards, a jolting impact, and then the scraping sensation of the sandy soil on her skin. Sage rose up on one elbow, surprised to find she was several feet from where she had been standing. She looked behind her just in time to see her father steady the pistol, sending three more bullets at the vicious monster. 

Wyatt stirred the reptile’s remains with his shoe, verifying the snake was dead, and then turned to his daughter.

Sage’s gaze bounded back and forth between her father and the beast that had almost consumed her. Her emotions spun out of control, jockeying from fear to anger and settling somewhere close to confusion. 

Wyatt hurried to his daughter’s side, bending slightly and offering his hand. “You okay, Sage?”

Sage didn’t answer at first, concentrating on trying to replay the scene in her mind. “Where did you come from…how did you…you threw me down…is it dead?”

Wyatt waved his extended hand, an offer to help her up. After Sage was standing, she began dusting herself off while glancing at the dead snake as if to verify it was truly no longer a threat.

“Where did you come from, Dad?”

“When you didn’t meet me behind the ranger station, I scanned the backyard and noticed you heading this way. I decided to follow. When you froze mid-step, your body language said it all. It kind of reminded me of a cat surprised by a big dog - arched back and everything. I knew something was wrong. I actually thought it might be an alligator.”

Sage gazed at her father with a pained look on her face. “You didn’t want to separate. You tried to tell me. If that thing had bitten me…I might have…I might be…”

Wyatt took his daughter in his arms and held her tightly. He could feel her shudder and then begin to weep. The two of them held each other for a long time. Wyatt could feel Sage’s hot tears soaking through his shirt.
Let it all go baby, just let it go
, he thought.

Wyatt was still hugging Sage when he remembered the radio on his belt. Patting her on the shoulder, he ended the embrace and reached for the handheld VHF. He figured some of the other boaters had heard the gunshots and might be concerned. He was adjusting the volume when David came crashing through the bushes at a full run. The expression on his face showed anxiety, his body motion indicating he was expecting to fight.

“Dad! Dad! Are you okay?” 

Wyatt held up his hands to slow down the charging bull. “It’s okay David…everything’s cool. It was a snake, and I got it before it ate your sister.”

David was somewhat relieved, but immediately inspected Sage for evidence of injury. “You’re bleeding?”

Sage examined the scrape on her leg and responded with a faked hurt tone, “Yeah, dad threw me down.
The brute.”

David thought about her remark for a moment, figuring it out quickly. Winking at his father while putting his arm around his sister, David displayed sarcastic pity. “Poor sis, it’s hard to tell what’s more dangerous around here – dad with a pistol or the rattlesnakes.”

Before Wyatt could respond, Morgan’s voice sounded over the radio. “This is Morgan – someone better tell me who is shooting and why…and they better do it quick.”

Wyatt keyed his radio and said
, “Morgan, this is Wyatt. Everything’s okay, Mother. Sage wanted to bring home a pet snake, and I wouldn’t let her. Everyone’s fine.”

“A pet snake?”

“We’ll explain later. We’re on our way in.”