What if an alligator knocked on your front door?

A preview from As Doves Fly in the Wind.

First, here's a quick background: Jessica's neighborhood is enduring a flood caused by a hurricane that hit south Louisiana. A tornado has ripped up the trees in her yard, and two misguided men had a drag race in the mud in her large yard. She goes outside the morning after to inspect the damage.

After donning her robe and slippers, she walked into her yard with the dog. There in a new ditch dug the night before by the wild drivers was a grayish brown alligator.

It was sloshing around in the fresh mud. Zsa Zsa hid like a coward behind Jessica. For once Jessica was glad her dog was not aggressive. In a wrestling match with the reptile, the dog would have lost to the bone-crushing bite of the beast. Zsa Zsa would have served as a delicious breakfast morsel for the gator. Jessica didn’t feel brave either. Through the big earthen wheels with tree trunk axles, she backed away as fast as she could. “Come on, Zsa Zsa. Leave me some room to step.” Everywhere she tried to go the dog was tripping her.

“Come on, Zsa Zsa. Let’s go.” The two of them broke into a dead run through the downed trees and muddy ruts. Jessica almost slipped down, but she recovered quickly and kept on trucking. They ran back to the house and up the steps.

As soon as she and the dog were inside, she locked the door and called 9-1-1. “There’s a twelve-foot alligator in my front yard.”

“What’s your name?”

“Jessica Hays.”

“Are you sure it’s an alligator?”

“Yes.”

“Not a log?”

“It’s an alligator.”

“You know there are a lot of emergencies around here right now.”

“Logs don’t move splashing their way along the ditch.” She walked to the window and saw the alligator approaching her house. It was sauntering down a muddy rut the squad car had left the night before.

“Where are you?”

She gave the dispatcher her address.

“Are you inside?”

“Yes, but the alligator is coming toward my house. There is a sick child in the apartment behind my house. Sometimes they have to go out for emergencies involving her. Get animal control over here now.”

“Chances are the gator won’t bother you if you leave him alone.”

Jessica blew her hair out of her face. “Did you not understand? The alligator is trying to come inside my house for a visit. Also I have a litigious tenant whose daughter is critically ill.”

“We’ll send help soon. Try to calm down.”

After the 9-1-1 dispatcher hung up, she stayed by the front window and watched the alligator. While she waited for Animal Control, she called the Lafacettes.

“Hello.” Mr. Lafacette was irritable.

“This is Jessica Hays. There is a large alligator on my porch. Don’t go outside until I tell you it’s been caught.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” He clicked the phone.

The alligator stationed himself near her front doorsteps, and she parked next to a front window. Sergeant Goodgoin drove up behind the animal control people.

A bang on her front door caused a barking conniption. The front door shook. Jessica trusted the door to hold against the reptile. Pulling back the lace curtain, she found herself eye-to-eye with the alligator as he tried to open the door.

One of the men lassoed the alligator’s head. Then he managed to lasso the tail. Five men pulled until the alligator was far enough from the side of her house for them to reach it easily. They duck taped his mouth and tied him with more ropes. Using a pulley, they curled and loaded him into the back of a pickup.

Sergeant Goodgoin knocked on her door. “Are you all right, Ms. Hays?”

“I’m fine, Officer. Thanks.”