Surviving the Refuge (Survivalist Reality Show Book 2)

by Grace Hamilton

  Regan took a seat on the loveseat across from him and leaned toward him, lowering her voice in case Lily was lurking around.

  “I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about the animals and bugs that are native to this area. I want to know what to expect, so I don’t freak out. Florida is like a completely different country when it comes to habitat.”

  He was already nodding his head. “Is this because of the shark incident?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “I don’t want to create a panic because I see a snake and think it’s deadly. I want to know which ones are okay, and which ones are cause for alarm. Same with some of the plants and stuff that grow around here. I mean, I know never to eat berries if I don’t know for sure what they are, but other stuff? Like, is there stinging nettle or poison oak around here? Those things… I mean, I know what most of that looks like, but does it grow wild here?”

  Regan could see Fred’s eyes lighting up and knew she had hit a hot button. The man wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to spread his wealth of knowledge.

  “There’s poison ivy, for sure, and plenty of other bushes and trees,” he answered. “We all need to know what to look for.”

  “Good to know it’s there, at least,” she muttered.

  “Regan, you bring up a good point. I wasn’t aware of the plant and animal life here until I read Wolf’s books. I bet Geno and Tabitha don’t know, either. It’s a good idea for us all to get familiar with our environment.”

  Regan grimaced at the idea of sitting around and reading as much as Fred had been doing over the past few weeks. That was not her idea of fun, and hadn’t been why she’d sought him out. She was more of a doer, learning by touch and doing, and less about sitting around and reading.

  “I don’t really want to read every book,” Regan pointed out, “so I guess I was hoping you could give me an overview? If I just sit down with one of Wolf’s books, I won’t remember half of what I read and I’m sure I’ll mix up details. Maybe you could give me a condensed version? A basic list of good and bad?”

  Fred met her eyes, smiling with that gleam in his eye that said he was excited. “I must say, when I first began studying the flora and fauna in the area, I was very surprised. It is amazing to witness the balance between the plants and animals, and even those obnoxious bugs we all hate. Removing even one species would disrupt the entire ecosystem.”

  Regan raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Mosquitoes are a necessary part of the ecosystem? I don’t believe that.”

  Fred stood up, his excitement about sharing his knowledge making him jittery. “Yes! Mosquitoes are a vital part of the ecosystem! Their larvae feed fish and other insects. Birds feed on those insects and we feed on the fish. It’s superb.”

  Regan didn’t share his enthusiasm, but nodded her head. “Okay, so, I’ll check back with you tonight?”

  He nodded his head as he walked into the house. She knew him well enough to know that when he got into one of his research projects, he heard nothing else. He became completely focused on that one task.

  “Tonight!” Fred announced, stopping her as she made her way through the living room to head outside. “Tonight, after dinner, I will have a presentation about the local ecosystem and the dangers for everyone.”

  “Sounds great, Fred,” Regan answered, stumped that he’d turned a simple request into a full-blown presentation. “Thank you?” she offered.

  Walking away, she realized that she should have known this would be the outcome. The man was big on presentations. She figured it was his way of keeping up his version of normal. She didn’t know a lot about Fred other than the fact that he was smart and had made going to college a career in itself. He had often talked about the many degrees he had. She couldn’t imagine how anyone could actually enjoy school that much, but Fred obviously had. It was plain to see how much he loved to learn, just from the way he devoured books.

  “Where are you headed?” Wolf asked, catching her outside.

  “To do a little gardening. You?”

  He shrugged. “Filling the desalination unit with seawater.”

  “Oh, exciting stuff,” she teased.

  Wolf grinned before leaning in to kiss her. “Do you need any help?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m looking forward to a little alone time in the greenhouse.”

  “Where’s Tabitha?”

  “Her and Geno are supposed to be scouting the island for any plants she thinks could be medicinal. She took that book with her to help identify them. It’ll be good for them to spend the day together,” she added, not getting into the reasons why they needed some time away from everyone else.

  Tabitha’s concerns about a baby had been weighing heavily on Regan’s mind, as well. Tabitha had brought up some valid points, and while Regan wasn’t entirely sure where her relationship with Wolf was going, it would be an issue they’d face, as well—if they stuck together. She figured they’d cross that bridge when they got there, but knew it was coming. There was no need to get into a heavy discussion over something that would never happen…but she couldn’t help thinking about it lately.

  Looking off into the trees, Wolf nodded his head. “Good. He needs a break from that boat. It will do him good to clear his head.”

  “Is there anything you want me to help you with?” she asked.

  “Nope. I’m good. I’ll check on you later,” he said, picking back up the bucket he’d been carrying and heading toward the tree line and down to the beach.

  Regan watched him walk away, letting her imagination run wild as she thought about what it would be like to live here with just him and Lily and RC—as a real family. It was a nice house, and she knew she could get used to island living. But, that was a true fantasy. She shook her head. It wasn’t going to happen. The island wasn’t her home.

  It was a refuge.

  She headed for the greenhouse, eager to see what was going on with the creatures that she had lately dubbed her fish. She knew it was a little weird to talk to her dinner, but didn’t actually care. She enjoyed having a purpose, something to do. She couldn’t imagine what life would be like in this dark world with nothing to take care of or no place to go every day. Sitting around and thinking about everything that had changed and how bad things were would drive anyone crazy. Staying busy was the best medicine for dealing with an apocalyptic world, in her opinion.

  “Hey, fishies!” she greeted them, inhaling the first blast of moist air in the greenhouse and leaving the door open to get some fresh air in the place. The smell of tomatoes was especially strong today, and it was a smell she enjoyed. It reminded her of an Italian restaurant, something she wondered if she would ever see again.

  She quickly checked each tank, happy to see everything looked to be in good shape. No clogged filters or busted airlines. More bush beans were ready to be harvested, so she grabbed her basket and began to pluck them from the plants.

  “Oh, you guys look like you’re ready to harvest, too,” she said excitedly, running her hands over the cucumbers growing in another tank.

  It was the first harvest of cucumbers since she’d been on the island. RC had planted them while Wolf had been away. It was something they hadn’t attempted before, and both men had been thrilled to discover it was possible to grow vine plants in the aquaponics system.

  The cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers were a little trickier to grow because of their large roots and their need for support and space. On the other hand, the leafy veggies, like the kale, thrived, and there was a constant supply of them ready to harvest. The other vegetables required more time to grow until they were ready for harvesting. The larger plants were also a bit more finicky when it came to keeping the fruits growing, and the plants staked and healthy.

  Regan’s eyes moved up the leafy tomato plants that were carefully tied to the ceiling with twine. She felt almost giddy as she plucked juicy ripe tomatoes from the bush hoping to have enough to make a fresh spaghetti sauce in the next day or two. She’d been
combing through old cookbooks and found a recipe she’d become anxious to try. With the herbs they had growing in the garden beds, she was convinced she could make the sauce perfectly and impress her group.

  As she moved to the next bed, she saw that a cucumber vine had fallen and was hanging down the outside of the tank. She dropped to her knees to carefully get it back in place, not wanting to knock off the unripe cucumbers that were still growing off the vine.

  “Oh!” she squealed, startling at the sight of a rather menacing looking spider clinging to a cement brick, down along the lower wall of the greenhouse, directly behind the tank and near where the foundation met glass.

  Her initial reaction was to smash it. Then, she remembered what Fred had told her about every critter serving a purpose. Spiders were gross, but not as bad as snakes, she reasoned. Live and let live.

  “What’s your purpose, mister? Do you eat the rotten bugs that keep trying to eat my cucumber and tomato plants?” she asked the spider.

  Then, without disturbing the spider, she carefully hung the cucumber vine back over one of the wooden dowels propped up on either side of the tank. The trellis system was a genius idea Wolf had created. The cucumber vines draped over the trellis, allowing the cucumbers to grow wild while keeping them out of the water. Wolf had explained that this allowed their group to grow more cucumbers in a smaller space. The trellis was supported with a frame on the tank and, to reinforce it, there was twine holding the dowel from above for when the cucumbers began to flourish and became heavy.

  As she worked, checking the leaves for signs of bugs and disease, she plucked off leaves that were yellowed and kept her eye on the brown spider. She knew he had his place in the world, but would have preferred their paths not cross if at all possible. The critter wasn’t overly big, maybe the size of a penny, but it was ugly—and a spider was still a spider.

  Regan was wrapping up her chores for the day when she got an idea.

  “You sit right there, mister,” she ordered the spider before running into the house, grabbing an old jelly jar, and returning to the greenhouse.

  “Please don’t bite me,” she whispered while carefully using a stick to knock the spider into the jar. Once it had dropped inside, she quickly screwed the lid on, carrying her treasure inside and stashing it in the screened-in patio.

  She couldn’t wait to show Fred. He could use it as part of his presentation. For her part, since this was obviously a creature she’d be coming across while gardening, she was interested in knowing what kind of a spider it was and how it was helpful. Maybe it dined on mosquitoes. She certainly hoped so.

  Through the rest of her chores and the afternoon, she couldn’t help being excited to show her find to Fred—if nothing else, perhaps he’d be pleased that the spider hadn’t scared her off and had garnered her interest.

  After dinner, just as planned, Fred asked everyone to go into the living room for his presentation. There were some grumbles from Geno and Lily, but they sat down and prepared to be educated. The gentle hum of the fans was the only sound to be heard as Fred carried in a stack of books, setting them on an end table as if for formal display.

  “I have a little surprise,” Regan said, feeling proud to be able to contribute a helpful aid.

  “Oh?” Fred asked, looking around the room.

  “Sit tight.”

  She hurried off to grab her prize and returned with the jar, handing it to Fred. “This little guy was hanging out in the greenhouse. I was going to smash him until I remembered what you said about everything having an important role in the ecosystem.”

  Fred stared at the spider in the jar, a look of horror on his face. As she watched, he tightened the lid before looking at Regan, his eyes roaming over her bare arms.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Huh?” she asked. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? What’s wrong?” Regan asked, suddenly worried she had done something wrong. Her eyes went to the spider sitting on the bottom of the jar, looking completely harmless.

  Fred had just opened his mouth to say something when Wolf suddenly jumped up from the couch, staring inside the jar. “You picked that up? Regan!”

  Regan shrugged. “I used a stick to knock him into the jar. I didn’t actually touch the thing.”

  RC had begun shaking his head from his seat on a dining chair that had been pulled into the room. As usual, he had that all-knowing look on his face. He folded his arms over his chest without saying a word.

  “Now, what’d she do?” Geno snarled.

  Regan turned around to glare at him, tired of his constant attacks on her.

  “She didn’t know,” Wolf said in her defense, which she appreciated, even if she had no idea why she needed defending.

  “What’s wrong?” Regan asked, knowing the exasperation she felt was showing.

  Fred and Wolf exchanged looks as Lily stood from her own chair, walked over to examine the spider more carefully, and then burst into laughter. “Is that a brown recluse?”

  “It isn’t funny!” Wolf snapped, shooting a glare at his daughter.

  “A brown recluse?” Regan asked, searching her memory banks. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite remember why.

  Fred nodded his head, carefully walking to the small end table where his books were and setting the jar down. “It is a brown recluse. Where did you find it?”

  “It was in the greenhouse,” Regan repeated. “What is a brown recluse? You guys are acting like I brought a pit viper in here,” she said, growing frustrated with the dramatics.

  “It is a potentially deadly spider,” Wolf said in a low voice, frowning. “It isn’t going to kill you with one bite, but the bite can lead to necrosis.”

  “What the hell is that?” Regan asked, cringing as she stared at the spider she had been hanging out with all morning.

  “The venom released into the skin causes the cells to die. In some situations, that can lead to a lesion that grows and spreads, and is at risk of a bacterial infection,” Fred explained gently. “In most situations, a bite from a brown recluse isn’t a serious problem. Some people only get a fever with some redness and swelling in the area. However, without access to antibiotics and professional medical care…it could be very dangerous if you had a bad reaction to the venom or the bite went unchecked. A bacterial infection is extremely difficult to combat without strong antibiotics. It can lead to septicemia, which even with medical care can be life-threatening.”

  The room had gone completely quiet, and Regan knew her own face had gone white. No one moved or said a word; all eyes were on the venomous spider chilling in a jar at the end of the couch. Geno slowly moved to put his arm around Tabitha, squeezing her close against his side as if to protect her.

  “So, you’re saying a bite from that spider,” Regan said, pointing to the jar, “could have killed me?”

  Fred shrugged. “Possible—I mean, it’s not all that likely,” he hurried to add when he saw the look Wolf gave him. “But, the risk is there, and we can’t afford to take those kinds of risks with the current state of our world.”

  Regan shook her head in disbelief. “You told me that most of the spiders around here weren’t dangerous!”

  Fred looked embarrassed. “They aren’t. Brown recluses tend to prefer dry, dark areas. I didn’t expect we would see one here on the island.”

  Wolf nodded, “If I’d thought we might see them here, I would have warned you and Tabitha because of your gardening, but this is unexpected.”

  “It could have been transported in a box or crate we brought to the island sometime over the past year or two,” RC guessed. “It found the greenhouse and set up a home. We need to know if there are more of them out there, though.”

  Regan’s mouth went dry. “Like, little babies running around?”

  “We’ll do a thorough inspection tomorrow,” RC promised.

  Regan moved away from the front of the room, hating the way everyone was looking at her. Instead of meeting anyone
’s eyes, she took her usual seat on the floor in front of the couch with her mind still reeling from the close encounter she’d experienced—and without even realizing the danger she had been in.

  Tabitha leaned over and patted her shoulder. “It’s okay. I didn’t know what it was, either.”

  Regan nodded her head. Tabitha’s words did little to comfort her, though. She had thought she was doing the right thing by not killing the spider. She shuddered at the thought of the long hours she had spent hanging out and talking to the nasty thing.

  “Well, that’s why we’re here,” Fred announced as Wolf took his seat once again. With that, he cleared his throat and launched into his speech about good and bad insects and plants that were likely to be found on the island. He passed around several books with pages marked for everyone to see what he was talking about. Slowly but surely, the presentation took Regan’s mind off of the dangerous spider she’d caught, and by the time Fred had moved on to talking about the fruits and plants they could harvest from local trees, she’d really begun to relax and focus on taking in the information.

  “We all had the luxury of eating some of the sea grapes Regan harvested,” Fred continued. “Those will be in abundance here soon. The bayberries growing wild in the same area will be ready in a couple months and will be a nice treat. However, I would also like to make some candles with those bayberries if anyone is up for helping me with that,” Fred added, looking around the room.

  “I’d like to. My grandmother always had bayberry candles. I love the smell!” Tabitha volunteered.

  “How are you going to make a candle from a berry?” Lily asked.

  Grinning silently, Regan couldn’t help but take a great deal of satisfaction in the fact that the newcomers knew something she didn’t.

  Fred smiled. “It’s actually very easy. We’ll collect the berries, as many as we can. Boil them to release the wax and then scoop the wax into small containers.”

  “What about wicks?” Tabitha asked.

  “I’m sure Wolf has some twine around here, right?” he suggested, looking at Wolf.

  Wolf nodded his head. “I do.”