Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 74: The Serpent's Bargain

"That’s the one," Jimmy said, his voice tight with anxiety. "I checked the surveillance footage, and my colleagues have combed through the entire pavilion. There’s no sign of Mist anywhere."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, but it kept coming. "Visitor numbers have spiked lately, and Mist has a nasty temper. If she gets out and hurts someone, it’ll be a disaster."

Nancy nodded. "Let me take a look."

As a venomous pit viper, Mist lived in a high-end, individual climate-controlled enclosure. Theoretically, escaping should have been impossible.

Nancy carefully inspected the habitat. Perhaps due to the zoo’s tight budget, the setup was quite sparse—just a layer of small white pebbles and a simple artificial branch for her to coil around. A translucent layer of shed skin still hung from the branch.

Wearing heavy, bite-proof gloves, Nancy began sifting through the white pebbles. Suddenly, her fingers stopped. The drainpipe at the bottom of the enclosure was damaged.

This is bad, she thought, her heart sinking.

That broken pipe was the most likely escape route.

Nancy dashed to the control room and demanded the sewage blueprints for the Wetlands Pavilion. After a quick scan of the layout, she followed the path of the pipes and hurried out of the building.

She hadn't gone far when one of the five bats came fluttering toward her, its wings flapping frantically. Nancy was surprised; at this hour, bats should have been fast asleep.

"Help! A big white snake is about to eat Fatty!"

Nancy’s heart skipped a beat. She knew instantly that the "white snake" was Mist.

Bats were a natural food source for pit vipers. It was morning, and the "night shift" bats were supposed to be sound asleep, hanging from trees like a breakfast buffet. Poor, chubby Fatty was a slow flier and, frankly, had more than enough meat on his bones to make a tempting meal.

"Where is she?" Nancy asked urgently. "Where is that white snake right now!"

The bat chirped as it led the way. "At the dorms! He's fine now. Thank goodness that the Tabby came in time. He slapped the snake away with his paw!"

Nancy let out a massive sigh of relief. Thank goodness for the Tabby He truly was the ruler of this zoo.

When Nancy arrived, she saw the cat and the snake locked in a tense standoff beneath a tree. The Tabby’s back was arched, his fur standing on end like a hedgehog's, and his tail was held high. The white snake was coiled like a spring, her scarlet tongue flickering rapidly.

They stared each other down, the fallen leaves around them seemingly trembling from the sheer killing intent in the air.

Mist reared up in fury, her fangs glinting like shards of ice. "How dare you attack me, you furball!"

The Tabby lashed his tail with majestic indifference. "The bat is under my protection, so how dare you try to sink your fangs into him! I am the sole ruler of this zoo!"

He slammed a paw onto the ground. "Get lost if you can't live by my rules!"

Nancy felt a surge of pride. She almost wanted to appoint the Tabby as her "Imperial Bodyguard." Keeping her bite-proof gloves on, she began to creep up behind Mist.

Sensing Nancy’s movement, the Tabby played his part perfectly. He hissed loudly, baring his teeth to keep Mist’s focus entirely on him.

Mist bristled, focusing all her attention on the cat. That was when Nancy struck. With practiced precision, she lunged and pinned Mist firmly by the back of the neck. "Hiss! Let go of me!"

The snake thrashed violently, but Nancy was a veteran who had handled all sorts of animals. Mist was no match for her strength and experience, and since the snake hadn't eaten recently, she quickly ran out of energy to resist.

Nancy exhaled sharply. A venomous snake this smart was a ticking time bomb.

"I don't want to be locked up! Damned human!" Mist hissed, her tail lashing out in frustration.

Nancy knelt down to eye level with the leucistic pit viper and spoke patiently. "Mist, you're white palate isn't suitable to be exposed to the sun since you lack any melanin. The sun will scorch your scales. The zoo has to give you 3 UVB treatments, and make sure you have enough nutrients. You won't get that in the wild."

Mist fell silent, coiling herself into a tight circle, though she quietly retracted her fangs. She knew the human was right.

"It's boring being kept in the box all day!", Mist hissed dejectedly. "Why don't you free me and let me take a nice stroll. I promise it'll just take ten minutes."

Nancy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I can't exactly trust a venomous snake to go for a solo stroll."

Mist flicked her tongue pleadingly. "Then… You can come with me!"

She even leaned in to rub her head against Nancy’s glove in a fawning gesture. "Don't you need to check on everyone? I'll be your very own stethoscope."

Nancy recalled the note in Mist’s file: "Decreased appetite + struck glass three times." She knew the snake wasn't lying about being bored; long-term confinement in a barren environment often led to aggression and depression in reptiles.

"I suppose we could make a deal..." Nancy had a sudden flash of inspiration. She pulled out her phone. "If you stay with me and promise not to run away, I’ll upgrade your room. For example..."

Nancy pulled up a shopping page. "How about a heated rock massage mat? Or a climbing frame with an automatic mister?"

Mist’s golden slit pupils dilated instantly. "A tree that sprays water?"

She pressed her entire body against the phone screen. "Deal! But I want that fish mat.!"

"Fine, fine," Nancy laughed, poking the snake’s head. "But if you sneak out again..." She lowered her voice playfully. "I’m giving the mat to the lizard next door."

Mist immediately coiled herself around Nancy’s wrist like an elegant, living bracelet. "You dare! I'll show you what a doctor-snake can do!"

For the rest of the day, Nancy continued her rounds, checking on the zoo’s inhabitants. True to her word, Mist remained perfectly behaved on her wrist, even using her mouth to help hand Nancy small medical tools during the exams.