Читать книгу Mysteries in Our National Parks: Deadly Waters: A Mystery in Everglades National Park - Gloria Skurzynski - Страница 8

The snake’s five-foot body stretched across a thick tree limb overhanging the Everglades waters. Its unblinking black eyes watched the man. For a brief instant, the man’s gaze locked onto the snake’s before he returned his attention to the object in his hands. “Good thing a snake doesn’t talk,” he told himself. “I’d have to kill it.” Mosquitoes whined around him, landing on his arms, but he didn’t bother to swat them off.

“Whatever it takes,” he told himself. “Almost done.” There was no room for mistakes, not on something like this. He had to be careful, careful….

And then he saw them, three figures huddled on the wooden dock, two boys and a girl. They were far away, a couple hundred yards, maybe, but they were staring in his direction. And one of them was pointing something. A camera!

The snake flicked its tongue before it slowly wound its way down the tree to disappear into the dark tangle of mangrove roots. Coolly, the man started up the engine of his boat and headed it toward the dock, toward those kids.

“Whatever it takes,” he told himself again.