Heath held up three fingers and counted down to zero. In a practiced, lightning quick move, he grabbed for the snake as Spencer suddenly swooped the teacher high into his arms and turned, placing his body between her and the rattlesnake.
Heath nailed it perfectly, snatching the snake up as he stood and stepped back from everyone. The rattle beat furiously against his jeans-covered calf, giving him the willies. The snake fought, trying to coil around his arm, its cold, dry scales raking over his skin as he looked at it. This part was just damned creepy, looking at the lethal thing in such close proximity, its jaw gaping and fangs exposed.
“Do it, Heath. I’ve got her,” Spencer growled, clearly anxious to have the snake dealt with and no longer a threat.
The rattling increased as he reached around the back of the skull with his other hand, tightened his grip, and broke its spine with a loud crack.
A high-pitched scream rent the air and the teacher went limp in Spencer’s arms, her head lolling off to the side. Footsteps thundered in the hallway and the receptionist ran into the room. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”
Heath turned with the writhing snake in his grasp. It was dead but its nervous system could continue to work for hours yet. She clapped her hands to her face, screamed, and collapsed in the doorway in a dead faint, striking her head against the floor tile.
“Well, hell,” Heath muttered. His exit to the back door and hopefully a convenient Dumpster was now blocked.
Teachers crowded the doorway, gasping when they saw the snake. Cody had his phone out and was dialing 911 as he went to Spencer and checked the woman’s pulse and then the receptionist’s. He gave a succinct description of the incident to the dispatcher and asked for assistance for both unconscious women.
Heath could hear Maizy out in the crowded hallway. “What happened?”
Overlapping voices explained in a rush and people scrambled to get out of his way as he approached the door, ready to release the snake into a safe receptacle of some kind. Maizy gasped and her face turned white as he came into view.
“Oh, dear God,” Mr. Ambrose said as he skidded to a halt outside the classroom next to her and then hurried on down the hall. Seconds later, Heath heard the sound of the back door slamming closed.
Chaos reigned as the custodian finally entered the room with a black trash bag opened, to receive the snake. Heath released the head and lowered it into the bag by the tail, after cutting off the rattle with his pocketknife.
Cody took it and counted rattles while Heath tied the bag in a knot. The snake was still moving inside it. Cody whistled softly. “Thirteen. That’s an old snake.”
Maizy and one of the other teachers worked to clear off the teacher’s desk and bundled up the sweater on her chair to rest her head on. Spencer laid her across her desk and said, “The bulldozers next door must’ve riled them up.”
Mr. Clark, the custodian, nodded and said, “I’ve already killed one and seen a couple of others around the school since this morning. It must’ve come in through the back door when I had it propped open while I took all the floor mats out back to shake the dirt from them.”
Mr. Ambrose said, “I noticed the door propped open some time ago.”
“Yeah,” Mr. Clark said, a little embarrassed. “I got that call about the broken waterline. Forgot about the mats…and the door. I’m sorry, Mr. Ambrose.”
The principal gave him an understanding look and said, “It could’ve been much worse. Let’s just make sure that the rest of the buildings are secure, and that the teachers know to be vigilant both inside and outside. All outdoor recesses are cancelled for now.” He carefully stepped over the still-unconscious receptionist and went to the three of them. Heath noticed he cast a glance at Maizy and then introduced himself to the three of them. He shuddered when he saw the rattle in Heath’s hand.
“Gentlemen, please accept my thanks for acting so quickly. Mrs. Dumphrey could’ve been seriously injured if you hadn’t acted so quickly.”
“Dumphrey?” Cody said, in a flat voice tinged with coldness that mirrored what Heath felt at that news. He cast a quick glance at Spencer and Spencer nodded at him. This was the woman who’d been giving Maizy hell.
Mr. Ambrose had a pained look in his eyes as he nodded. “Yes.”
Maizy slid her hand around Heath’s waist and pointed at the rattle. “May I have that?”
“Sure, baby,” Heath whispered as he laid it in her hand. She shuddered against him but closed it in her grasp.
“The kids all okay?”
Maizy nodded. “The volunteers stayed with them and are keeping them in the cafeteria until they hear otherwise from Mr. Ambrose. The screaming terrified some of the little girls,” Maizy added as she turned to the classroom door when the EMTs arrived.