The guards stood at the ready with their weapons, exchanging uneasy glances. Some had tasers, some had cattle prods, and a few had sticky net guns. All watched nervously as the slotted metal crate descended closer to them, dangling from a cable attached to a crane. The sounds of incensed hissing erupted from inside. The grizzled veteran of many wildlife expeditions, in charge of all these guards and the animal transfer itself, held a double-barreled shotgun as he watched with steely eyes.

The crate finally touched down on the ground with a light jolt. As it did, the hissing became more intense, and a shadowy figure inside shot from one side of the crate to the other. The guards flinched as they pulled back, but the chief calmly walked up to the crate.

“I’m going to unhook the cable,” he called out. “Push team, get into position.”

“Yes, sir, Chief O’Maudlin,” one of them answered.

He approached the ladder. Claws ferociously flew out of the slots, slashing at empty air, as the guttural screaming peaked. O’Maudlin merely contemplated them stoically as he continued to climb. With a few deft moves, he detached the hook from the crate, and signaled to the operator; the cable pulled away lazily into the sky as he descended the ladder. A few more claws lashed out at him, missing by mere fractions of an inch.

“Right. Push team, step in. Only grip the handles; stay away from the sides.”

Four men reluctantly grabbed the metal handles, flinching as the screeching grew louder. They gently pushed the crate forward as the thrashing inside grew more intense, shaking the walls of the crate.

Finally they were near the door to the stout building. O’Maudlin waved his hand. “Right! Push team, step back!” The men recoiled slightly at the slamming sounds as they shied away.

All was quiet for a moment, the stillness broken only by a gentle wind. O’Maudlin’s eyes darted uncertainly. He raised his walkie-talkie to his mouth and pressed the button. “Rosaleen? You’re on.”

The door to the building opened slowly, and emerging from the darkness strode a sunny young lady with long, flowing locks of hair in an arresting deep-orange shade of strawberry blonde. Her neatly pressed khaki naturalist outfit flowed downward over her hourglass figure and ended in a pair of shorts, revealing her shapely, toned legs, which were spotted playfully with freckles and ended in a pair of ankle-high leather hiking boots. The elfin expression on her face complemented the whimsical look in her eyes as she kindly perused the crate.

“Thank you, gents,” she announced quietly.

“I wish you had let us lower the crate into the pen,” O’Maudlin fretted.

“Not necessary,” she assured. “I don’t want to further traumatize this poor creature. Now open the crate, and have your men step back.”

O’Maudlin hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t mean to question you, ma’am, but…”

Her eyes suddenly fixed on O’Maudlin, stopping him in mid-sentence. “You’re the hunter, and I respect your abilities, but this is my field. And I want your men to step back, quietly and peacefully, as you open the crate.”

O’Maudlin gaped wordlessly for a moment. “Yes, ma’am.” Turning to his men, he made a hand gesture. They all began backing off slowly. O’Maudlin swallowed hard as he approached the crate. Furtive, shadowy movements leaked through the crate’s slots. He calmly raised the handle of the locking pin and slid it outwards; the door rattled slightly as the tension released. A loud hiss suddenly burst forth from inside. O’Maudlin turned to look at Rosaleen; she simply nodded. O’Maudlin sighed quietly as he opened the door and placidly backed away.

The head of an enormous monitor lizard poked out the door. Immediately, his glare fixed onto Rosaleen. She stood there calmly, not moving, steadily beholding him. He returned her gaze, twitching slightly. The men raised their weapons, but Rosaleen gently waved her hand, and they withdrew again.

No one moved. The sound of the gentle breeze seemed almost deafening in its tranquility.

Rosaleen bent over slightly. “C’mere, baby,” she cooed as she made kissing noises.

Everyone remained still as the lizard perused her.

“Here, honey,” she called sweetly. “Come to mama.”

Abruptly, the lizard’s head shot upwards, and he waddled towards Rosaleen with a slightly open-mouthed gesture that almost looked like a smile. He sidled up to her and rubbed the side of his face against her leg.

“That’s a good boy,” she sung as she stroked the top of his head. He pushed his head into her hand as he flicked his tongue.

She turned to walk back to the enclosure’s door, glancing at the giant lizard as she patted her hip. “C’mon, sweetie,” she warbled. He followed her, pushing his head into her hand repeatedly as they walked inside. Finally, she closed the door behind her.

O’Maudlin retreated to where Richard stood; his mouth hung open as he remained still. Finally, he looked at O’Maudlin. “Did that really just happen?”

“It sure did,” O’Maudlin sighed.

Richard pointed towards the enclosure. “Is she always like this?”

“Always,” O’Maudlin assured.

◊ — ◊ — ◊

Rosaleen emerged from the animal pen and into the sparsely-furnished office, where Richard waited. “I’ve finally gotten him settled,” she explained. “Transport always gets them riled up.”

“I watched the whole thing,” Richard revealed as he stood up. “And I still can’t believe it.”

“I have a way with large, ferocious animals,” she hinted. “I have years of experience and training on that subject.”

“I’d love to hear the story of how that came to be,” Richard intimated.

Rosaleen looked him up and down before smiling. “Maybe some other time.” She sighed brightly. “Until then, I need your help finding my lost pet. Let’s get going.”

Richard looked confused. “Really? Now? You can just leave work?”

“I’ve done my job,” Rosaleen asserted. “Without me, that would have been a lot more expensive and time-consuming.” She straightened out her clothes. “Besides, the ‘pet’ is really one of the lizards I’m rehabilitating. I’m just taking him home at night…giving him more of a personal touch. He’s not as big as our new arrival…but he’s still pretty large.” She headed for the door. “Let’s not waste time.”

As he watched her ample hips sashay away, Richard momentarily wished he could be a giant lizard.

◊ — ◊ — ◊

“I tracked him as far as here,” Rosaleen announced as they left the city park’s paved pathway and entered the mostly unmaintained forest. “I assume he’s up a tree now, but I haven’t been able to spot him.”

“How did you come to choose me for this job?” Richard asked as he gingerly stepped over some broken branches.

“The people down at animal control recommended you,” she revealed. “I explained the situation to them, and a few said if anyone could spot a giant lizard in a forest, it’d be you. They then had a lively debate about whether you just have apophenia, so ultimately it was my call.” She flashed a beaming smile. “I decided to give you a chance.”

“Well, I hope I don’t disappoint,” he offered.

“I’m sure you won’t,” she assured as she walked ahead of him slightly. “Besides, there are worse things you could be doing on a nice, sunny day like this, aren’t there?”

His attention once again riveted to her comely form. “I can’t deny that.”

She pointed along the ground. “His tracks seem to go this way.”

Richard squinted. “I see what you mean…small indents in the dirt, with a big indent running down the middle.”

She turned and looked at him with surprise. “That’s right! I didn’t know you could track animals so well!”

“Me either,” Richard admitted. “But once you pointed it out, it seems kind of obvious.”

Her eyes shone with approval as she clasped onto his arm. “Well, then…let’s go get him!” Richard swelled with satisfaction at her touch as he walked alongside her.

A minute or so later, Richard pointed into the distance. “Is that him?”

“Where?” Rosaleen pressed her head close to his as she tried to follow his finger. Richard swallowed the lump in his throat. “Right there. Do you see it?”

Rosaleen shook her head. “I don’t see anything.”

Richard led her closer and, less than a minute later, pointed again. “There. On top of that branch.”

Rosaleen frowned. “I still don’t see anything. Are you sure?”

Richard glowered slightly as he led Rosaleen forward again. Finally, he found an angle where the sun shone better on his target, and pointed again. “Right there. Do you see it now?”

Rosaleen squinted, and suddenly jumped. “Oh! You’re right!” She turned to Richard and looked at him in wonder. “How did you spot that? He blends right in!”

“Not really,” Richard offered. “The tree branch is a completely different shade of brown, and doesn’t have black speckles on it, like he does. Also, it’s branch-shaped, whereas he’s more lizard-shaped. That’d have to be a very lumpy branch!”

She smiled as she let go of his arm. “I definitely picked the right man for the job.” Richard’s eyes glowed with warmth as he watched her glide up to the tree.

“Hey, big guy,” she cooed. The lizard turned his head to look at her, but otherwise didn’t move.

“Oh, come on,” she soothed. “Don’t you miss your nice quiet home?” The lizard resumed staring straight ahead.

She called to him a few more times; he didn’t react. She frowned. “So, it’s going to be like that, is it?” She turned to Richard. “They can be so intelligent, yet sometimes…” She trailed off.

“He doesn’t seem very intelligent or aware right now,” he observed.

“Being headstrong is a completely different story!” she protested.

“He probably likes it here,” he suggested. “I’m sure he finds plenty to eat. Also, he must be enjoying the heat wave.”

She shot Richard a withering look. “Hey, whose side are you on, anyway?”

“Yours!” he clarified sheepishly. “I was just saying…I can see his point of view, you know?”

Rosaleen scoffed as she crouched down to remove her backpack. “I guess he’s having one of his attitudes.” From inside, she withdrew a folded-up staff with a looped rope attached to the end. “Here’s where it becomes a two-person job. You can choose either role.”

“What’s the plan?”

“One of us has to climb the tree and get this noose around his body,” she explained. “The other has to be ready to stop him if he runs away.”

Richard’s eyes became distant as he weighed his options. “I should probably stay on the ground,” Rosaleen offered. “Unless you’re a gifted lizard-wrestler.”

He hesitated, then took the roped catchpole and quietly walked towards the tree.