“I wasn’t planning on it!”
“Its abdomen is covered with urticating hairs.”
“I’m more worried about those fangs.” He gulped. “What in the hell are urticating hairs?”
Zzzziiiippppp.
The spider shifted slightly, facing off with the intruder.
“What is going on in here?” Angélica asked, joining them inside the tent. She looked fresh as a daisy in her pale yellow cotton shirt and clean khaki pants that María had hand-washed for her yesterday. Not a spider in sight on her clothes, dammit.
“Quint has a new girlfriend,” Juan joked.
“Not funny, old man!”
“Hold still, Parker,” she said.
“Do I look like I’m itching to go anywhere?”
“You will be if it decides to rub those hairs into your chest,” Juan said. “Urticating hairs itch and sting like nettles. Even worse if you are allergic to them.”
“Dad, you’re not helping here.” Angélica eased closer. “Hand me that leather bag.”
“That’s my shaving kit,gatita.”
“Just empty it out and give me the dang thing before Parker gets bit.” She kneeled next to Quint. The spider turned even more in herdirection, its front legs wiggling at her. “I’m not going to hurt you, little buddy.” She slowly brought the leather bag around from behind it. “We just need to get you away from this big loud man.”
“I wasn’t that loud,” Quint whispered.
“You positively shrieked,” Juan said, chuckling.
“It’s called a shout of surprise.”
Angélica swooped in and scooped up the spider in Juan’s shaving bag, carefully zipping it mostly closed. “Got you.” She smiled down at Quint, her green eyes sparkling almost as much as her father’s. “You really riled it up.”
“It riled me up first.”
Juan laughed harder. “You should have seen Junior Mint spinning in his hammock. He looked like he was trying out for the circus.” He stood, offering Quint a hand up.
Quint took it, brushing off his chest where the tarantula had sat with a torn shirt he was using as a rag, just in case there were any of those prickly hairs left behind. “I’m glad you found my distress so amusing. I’ll be sure to return the favor if a scorpion wanders past.”
Angélica patted his bare chest, her hand lingering. “You’re safe now, Prince Charming. I’ve captured the big, burly spider, and I’ll give him a firm talking-to about staying away from your hammock.”
He scowled down at her. “This is going to be hard on my reputation, isn’t it?”
“Don’t worry, your big muscles still make my heart pitter-patter.” She held up the shaving kit. “I’m going to take this to Raul. He’ll know where to set it free so it can find a new home in a less hostile environment.”
After she left with the spider, Quint turned to Juan. “The joke is on her—there is no ‘less hostile’ place around for a hundred miles.”
“That there is a solid truth, Red Rumpy.”
Raul set the tarantula free somewhere outside of camp. Quint didn’t care where, so long as it was far from his boots. Unfortunately, the damage to his reputation had been done—at least when it came to Juan and his love of nicknames like “Red Rumpy.” Angélica promised to kiss his chest better the next time they were alone, so not all was lost.
Bronko told him later, while he was taking a break from clearingan area for the latrine, that it could have been worse. Quint had been hesitant to ask how, but his curiosity had won out.
“The spider could have been a baby snake, which is often more venomous than a big one,” the sicario had answered.
Christ, could this place grow any more hellish? Quint hated to even think about that question, let alone give voice to it.
