Then I saw an arm.
I hit the brakes hard. My truck stopped at an angle, hazard lights flashing against the fading daylight. I jumped down from the cab, grabbing the tire iron I kept nearby, not knowing what I was about to find.
Then I saw her.
A young woman was lying in the dirt, barely awake. Dust covered her white blouse, her backpack rested beside her, and something much more dangerous was stretched across her chest.
A massive snake was wrapped around her, its body heavy and motionless, its head close enough to her face that one wrong movement could change everything.
For a moment, I froze.
Every instinct told me to wait. Call emergency services. Keep my distance. Let someone trained handle a situation this dangerous.
Continue on the next page:
