Then, behind her, a door slammed. She turned her head slightly to listen more closely. She could hear a large dog bark and a man’s voice tell it to be quiet.
Ian’s voice. She’d noticed a dog lazing near the center when she’d walked down here and wondered if the animal belonged to him.
When she shifted her gaze back to the men, they were gone.
Immediately, cool air tickled her neck, and she fought the sudden urge to flee. The men may have noticed her and could be laying in ambush right now, waiting for her to move.
Slowly, she backed up around the bend, and when the trailhead came into view, she bolted.
Hearing a rustle, Ian looked up just as something entered his peripheral vision. Someone was coming toward him, fast, from the direction of the road and the adjacent trail.
Immediately, his hand reached for his gun, the movement sending his files and portfolio to the ground. After last night, he’d decided to carry his gun with him at all times. He’d also switched from his tucked-in button-up shirt, to a loose T-shirt that would cover the small holster attached to his strong side. It was important not to alarm the people he’d come to serve.
The figure stepped into the bright circle created by the center’s lights. Liz? It was her. Relief washed through him as he shoved his gun back into its holster.
But what on earth was she doing on the trail at this time of night? He waited for her to approach.
The light above them highlighted her delicate features favorably. Wide eyes and smooth, pale skin that drew him into her, despite himself. Despite the fact he knew he shouldn’t get involved with her. She wanted the exact opposite of what he wanted. Even if they’d shared a quiet moment in each other’s arms, they were still worlds apart on how to deal with Charlie.
“Where were you?” he asked as she reached him.
“I came to get my toiletries.”
He tightened his jaw. “They’re not on the trail.”
She looked distracted for a minute, then murmured, “I saw it and was curious as to where it went. Ian, there’s—”
“The trail splits in a dozen different directions—” he cut her off “—one to a swamp, one to the springs here, some just meandering around. You could have been wandering around all night if you’d taken the wrong one.”
Irritated, she shook her head. “This is an island, Ian. In theory, you can’t get lost on an island.”
“Even in the daytime, that forest looks the same in all directions. You can get lost and never leave a trail.” He could feel his mouth tighten. Standing below the entrance light, he folded his arms and hoped his skepticism showed clearly, because, quite frankly, she had no idea of the dangers around her. “If you’re thinking you may need to sneak away with Charlie, I would advise against it.”
“It was nothing of the kind,” she answered quickly.
Too quickly, he thought.
“Of course. Liz, if it was safe for you to take Charlie, I would insist you travel in the daylight, not by foot along some dark road that has no lighting whatsoever. In fact, there are no streetlights at all until you hit Northglade, and that’s miles inland.”
She bit her lip, and Ian knew the contrite look was genuine. Then, thoughtfully, she answered, “I’m sorry. And I had no idea about all those trails. I thought there’d be only one to the resort.”
“The island is riddled with trails.”
“You said springs? How many are there?”
“Two. The smaller one provides all the drinking water for the village via a pumping system. The larger one created a swamp and wasn’t usable until Nelson Vincenti, the man building the resort at the north end, was able to control it. Now each forms its own stream system that drains to the gulf.”
“I guess not too many islands around here have springs or else they’d be more populated.”
Ian rubbed his forehead tiredly. He didn’t feel like making small talk. “Most of the islands and keys around here are geographically unable to feature a spring, but Spring Island has a limestone base and the breaks in the aquifer have caused two small springs. It’s atypical of the area, but we’re glad for it, nonetheless.”
“And the water is safe to drink?”
“With a small amount of treatment, yes, it’s quite good.” He glanced at his watch, which said it was well after 11:00 p.m. It was too late in the evening to be answering these kinds of questions. “You should get your things and go back to the Wilsons’.”
Liz nodded. Her dark curls still bounced freshly about her face, despite the long, hot day they’d experienced. She said nothing. Scooping up his paperwork at the same time as pulling out his key, he bit back another comment on her nocturnal wanderings.
Had she really just come to get her things, seen the trail opening and then decided to follow it, he wondered as he held open the door. It was plausible, and yet, she’d looked suspiciously guilty when he’d mentioned the possibility of her sneaking Charlie away. And she was quick to change the subject, too, he noticed.
She didn’t trust him. A part of him could understand that, sure, but how was he supposed to do his job if she was sneaking around behind his back? He’d told her of the danger and yet, she seemed not to believe him. Frustration irked him as she brushed past him.
Even her mere presence affected him, despite the fact he’d told himself to forget her. She was nothing but a distraction, someone who wanted only to take Charlie away and forget about prosecuting his father’s killer.
God, how am I supposed to do my work here with Liz making things difficult?
The answer didn’t come, and he wondered if his distraction had more to do with her fresh beauty than her aim to keep her nephew safe at any cost.
He hated that he was either enamored by her looks or treating her as a fool. He wasn’t the kind to waffle like this. Because he simply didn’t know, he’d have to keep an even closer eye on her than he first realized.
On both Liz and Charlie. Great. Just when he didn’t need the extra workload, either.
Poco, the dog who’d been barking a few moments ago, trotted up to the center. “Go home, Poco,” he told the Callahan mutt sternly. Ian had convinced the Callahans to bring their children to Vacation Bible School, but the father, Leo, who’d recently secured work at the resort helping with the manual labor, had yet to agree to bring them to next Sunday’s service. The small and wiry Leo was a quiet sort, though rarely home. He probably didn’t realize how much of a nuisance Poco had become.
The dog stopped and then sniffed the air before trotting over to the trail. Ian watched the tan and brown mutt melt into the darkness.
“Let’s get your stuff,” he told Liz sternly. “Do you need a hand with your things?”
“No, thank you. I’ll just shove them all into the bag. It should be dry, too.”
As they stepped inside, barking started in the distance. Looking at Ian, Liz asked, “Is that the dog we just saw?”
“Yeah. Poco. He’s the Callahans’ mutt. He’s never tied up. The only other dog here is an older couple’s blind poodle. And he never leaves the house.”
The barking increased, the animal reaching almost a frenzied state. The front door still ajar, Ian looked out into the dark evening. “He sounds upset,” Liz commented. “He wasn’t a moment ago.”
“Yeah, it is odd.” Ian frowned. The dog chased kids, rabbits and birds. He barked all the time but not like this.
The next yelp sounded like one of pain.
Liz grabbed him. “Something’s wrong. Dogs don’t go on like that without a reason. Maybe he’s been bit by a snake?”
Ian had to agree. “Stay here for a second.” He strode into his office and returned a moment later with a pair of night vision goggles. “Down the hall, last door on the right is a utility closet. The breakers are there. You’ll see one by itself to the left that’s marked Security Light. Shut it off, okay? It’ll interfere with these night vision goggles.”
Wetting her lips, Liz hurried down to the closet. Ia
n shut his eyes, giving them extra time to adjust to the dark.
A second later, the light above him winked out. The only light inside the center came from the exit lights, but they wouldn’t affect the goggles.
He could feel Liz return to his side as he lifted the goggles to his eyes. He searched the forest ahead, stepping out of the doorway and into the dark night to see better.
The brilliant green in his lenses told him where the heat was. He caught sight of Poco, loping back and forth, stopping occasionally to sniff the ground then bark and bay feverishly. Through the trees emanated a glow of something large, reflecting its heat downward. But it was too far to pinpoint accurately what it was. And without knowing how far it was, he couldn’t guess the size.
Poco reappeared in his line of vision, this time closer, stopping again to bark and dance about.
“How do you see with them?”
“I can see a gray scale of whatever is there. Take a look.”
She took the pair and peered in. “I see that dog and lots of trees. He keeps running back and forth and even deeper into the forest. Oh, he’s gone now.” She handed them back. “What do you think upset him?”
“I don’t know. But it’s too late to check it out now. We’ll have to do it in the morning. At least he doesn’t seem to be hurt. There’s also a big mass of something hot to the right, but I don’t know how deep in it is.”
“Has the dog come back into view? You may be able to use its size to give you an idea.”
“I can’t see him.” Ian lowered the binoculars. “Listen. He has quieted down. It must have been some wild animal getting him wound up.”
Liz looked deep in thought. “What about that other thing you saw?”
“We’ll check it out tomorrow morning. Whatever it was, it wasn’t moving, so I don’t think it was a threat.”
She didn’t answer. He looked at her concerned frown. “What is it?”
“I saw two men on that trail when I was on it. But they’re not there now.”
“Two men? Just now? Did they see you?”
“I don’t think so. I was curious about the trail and walked just a little bit into it when I saw them. They weren’t far ahead of me, but I don’t think they saw me.”
“It was dark. Are you sure of what you saw?”
“Absolutely. That light I just turned off went right through the trees to them.”
“You didn’t recognize them?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“What were they doing?”
“Arguing, I think. When you slammed the door, they looked toward the rec center. I kept still, and I don’t think they noticed me. Could they have been from the resort being built here?”
“Why would they be on the trail this late at night? Several of the men who live here work on the construction site right now. It could be that they were on their way home. They may have split shifts because of the heat.”
“Maybe.” She smacked an insect.
He waved away several bugs. “We should get your stuff and walk back to the Wilsons’.”
Ian led Liz into the dark rec center. He grimaced as he realized that he’d left the door wide open. Every type of insect on the island could have come in. Quickly, he shut the door and hurried to turn on the lights, including the security light above the front door. Still holding her flashlight, Liz watched him, and when he lifted his brows at her in question, she looked away.
No. He wouldn’t start wondering why she was looking at him. Not tonight, when he had other things to do.
“I’ll just get my things,” she said, hurrying into the ladies’ room.
He needed to call his supervisor. There must be answers for some of the questions he had. Like how someone could beat Liz down here, assuming she’d been the target to run off the road and not some guy mistaking her for Monica. His boss was going to send someone up to her house to check it out. Maybe someone had broken into her home and found her flight bookings on her computer.
Ian glanced over to the ladies’ room before he returned his night vision goggles to their case in his office. The set was expensive, and a recent update to the gear issued to the marshals. He was grateful for them.
Just as he closed the drawer of his filing cabinet, a scream tore through the center.
Followed by a loud thump.
Liz! Ian tore out of the office and spun left. He knew he shouldn’t have left the rec center door wide open. If she was hurt—
If someone had snuck in behind their backs—
Yanking out his pistol, he reached the restroom in a few steps. He pushed hard on the restroom door, driving it against the wall. He tore past it before it could fly back at him.
“Ian! Look out!”
He stopped dead in the center of the restroom, his pistol at the ready. Liz knelt on the counter, her feet splayed out behind her and her fingers gripping the rim of the sink where it met the edge of the counter. Scattered all around her were her toiletries. She pointed downward.
Ian glanced down and leaped back. Beside the bag she’d dropped to the floor lay a snake—not just an ordinary one but a thick-bodied one about three feet in length and dark in color.
It was a water moccasin, its mouth open wide and ready to strike.
TEN
Liz watched in horror. She worked at a wildlife refuge and had developed a healthy respect for animal predators. She knew this one was exercising its predatory skills very well.
“Stay still, Ian! It’s ready to strike.”
Ian stood stock-still. “I can see that.”
“And I’d say it’s probably poisonous, too.”
“Oh, yes. It’s a water moccasin, like the tow truck driver was talking about.”
Her stomach churned. “It must have come in with my stuff.” She felt herself go weak and pale and gripped the counter to keep from fainting and toppling over at the thought she’d toted it back from the car. She should have shaken out the bag even after digging out the things that needed to dry. “To think, I could have been bitten…”
Ian took a small step backward, one barely noticeable. “Has it moved any?”
She shook her head. “No. I picked the bag up, and I was ready to put my things in but gave it a shake to open it. That’s when the snake fell out.”
Ian backed up another small step. Liz watched the snake intently. It didn’t move. Apart from slithering a little bit when it fell to the floor, it hadn’t moved at all. But its mouth gaped open, revealing a white interior as it tipped its head back. She looked up at Ian, who had taken yet another step back. Still the snake did not move. “See? It hasn’t moved at all.”
Ian frowned. “Something’s wrong.”
She let out a derisive snort. “Apart from the fact I had a huge poisonous snake in my bag? Whatever could it be?”
He ignored her biting sarcasm. He looked up from the snake. “I mean, that thing should be acting a lot more aggressively than it is.”
“Really? All I noticed was a wide-open mouth and fangs. Then I jumped up here.”
He quirked up a smile. “In one leap?”
“Yeah, no rebound board needed.” She blew out a sigh. “But you’re right. Something’s wrong with it. It’s not moving.”
He reached behind him for the door and opened it gently. “I’ll be back. Don’t get down.”
“Wasn’t planning to.”
He eased out of the restroom and ran into his office. In the key press, he found the key he was looking for and quickly hurried back to the storage closet. There, he found the tent bag, dumped it and grabbed the longest pole. After grabbing the ax from the rest of the camping gear, he returned to the restroom.
“What took you so long?”
“I needed these. Did it move?”
“No, thankfully.”
He maneuvered the pole over the snake’s head and lowered it down. The snake moved its head with odd slowness, as if drugged. But still it did not strike. The tongue flicked only once.
H
e looked up at her, his gaze calm, reassuring with a gentle hint of a smile as he nodded. “Ready?”
“For what?”
“Watch.” As fast as he could, he slammed the pole down on the snake’s neck and stepped on the length of graphite to pin the snake. It thrashed its tail briefly, but still, it didn’t move.
Swinging the ax down, Ian cut off the snake’s head. The harsh ring of metal hitting ceramic tile bounced around the quiet room.
Liz pointed to the bag nearby. “Okay, now shake that bag to make sure he didn’t bring a friend.”
With the pole, Ian lifted the mouth of the bag. “There’s nothing in there.”
She blew out a heavy sigh. She shifted her feet over the edge of the counter, then gingerly jumped down, feeling the ache of staying in an awkward position, especially after the bit of whiplash she thought she might have received from the car accident. “That tow truck driver was right to be concerned about snakes. Imagine it swimming into my bag.” She shivered again.
Ian walked out and then returned with latex gloves and a large, clear plastic bag. He stooped to lift the snake’s body by the tail. He avoided the head for the moment, knowing that it could still bite, even after decapitation. The body didn’t readily lift up.
“It’s stuck to the floor,” he said.
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. It must have stuck to your bag, too.”
“I flapped the bag several times to open it. That must have loosened it. But why would it stick to things?”
Ian didn’t answer her but rather examined the underbelly of the snake, tapping the scales experimentally. “There’s glue on it.”
“Glue? Whatever for?”
“I’m not an expert, but I think this snake was half dead when it fell to the floor.”
“How is that possible? I mean, it would have had to swim into my bag.” She thought again of how Ian had saved her from drowning. The sloppy, soft bottom of the inlet took its time absorbing her car, but shock and hitting her head on the steering wheel had caused her to lose consciousness, however briefly. She could have easily stayed underwater without Ian’s help.
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