Free The Flock by James Robert Smith

he did well, on occasion), Dodd’s mind danced. “First of all, I got lost. I thought I was following a trail that led around the north side of Salutation. But after a while, I knew that wasn’t right, because I wasn’t coming back to any of the neighborhoods and the roads. I was just getting deeper and deeper into the woods.
    â€œAnd then, when I came out into that big field-looking place…”
    â€œA savanna, son. They call that type of habitat a savanna. Got lots of it in Africa, not much of it here.” Grisham was rapt, examining his charge.
    â€œOkay. A savanna. Yes. Anyway, I really got lost when I was out there. I couldn’t tell which way I had come in. I couldn’t figure out which way to go to get back to that trail, which I had lost track of before I got out there in the first place.” He picked at a thorn mired in the tender flesh in the pad of his thumb. A bright dot of blood welled up where the thorn had been.
    â€œYou’ve got no sense of direction, do you boy?”
    â€œEh. No. I guess not.” He cleared his throat again, afraid to look the retired colonel in the eye. A man like that might be able to spot a lie in a man’s eyes. “And so I stopped by this big tree that had fallen over. And while I was standing there, this big blackbird, sounded like a damned foghorn…well, it came out of the bushes and scared hell out of me.”
    Grisham was chuckling, now. That was good, so Dodd continued. He wasn’t really lying, yet. “And right after that, I put my foot down and this big brownish and orange snake crawled over my foot and almost scared me to death. I thought I was going to have a heart attack, for sure.”
    â€œCorn snake. Just a harmless old corn snake,” Grisham told him.
    â€œWell, I didn’t know that. I do now, thanks. After that, I walked off from the tree, and then I heard something moving in the bushes. I thought it might be a bear or one of those Florida panthers I’ve read about. So I started running. And that’s when you happened along.” He smiled sheepishly and looked away, hoping that Grisham wouldn’t mention his camera and ask him if he’d taken any photos.
    â€œAnd that’s when you trespassed, Mr. Dodd. You came across a posted boundary. That’s private property.”
    â€œI’m sorry. Really, I am. I respect private property. I just didn’t see the signs.”
    â€œYou know, boy. I’m from South Georgia, and where I come from you do not dick around with a man’s private property. It’s sacred ground, another man’s land. You don’t go where you ain’t supposed to be.”
    â€œI understand. I truly didn’t mean to offend you or violate your rights.” Dodd swallowed, was aware of his thirst, which he’d forgotten in all of the excitement. He was really parched.
    â€œApology accepted. Now, what the heck were you doing out here, anyway? I mean, other than trying to see where that trail went? I’ve been reading your stuff. Hearing some things. What’s this about a giant snake? You guys on the level?”
    Dodd looked around, trying to see if there was anything to see other than trees and brush, anything that might look like comfort. Why, this man could kill him out there and no one would ever know. Grisham was certainly no stranger to death. His reputation as a warrior was quite formidable. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what’s going on in Salutations. They’re stonewalling me. I do know that pets are missing. Cats. Some dogs. We think there might be an escaped python or something like that around the town.”
    Grisham laughed, a big, braying cackle, and slapped his thigh. “You guys . You guys are something. You know that? Hell. It’s probably just a gator or bobcat killing some pets. Giant snake . You’re a real joker, Dodd. You know that?”
    â€œYes sir. I