E4 | Gabe

Hey, fam, Before we get back to the show, I have some major news to tell you. For over a year, I've been building a brand new app called Button Plus spelled bttn. So if you love our shows like Miles the Brave, Pixel Quest or Critter Protectors Parents, you're gonna need to download our Button plus app to get unlimited access to all of our Story Button and Mister Jim shows completely add free. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. It's truly amazing to have you

Have you ever spent way too long searching for something right in front of you, or way too long trying to remember something you should have never forgotten. Well, that's what it was like recruiting one of the best animal experts around, Gabe Flores. To be honest, it's hard to remember our team without him. Maybe it's because he was like our patriarch. Or maybe it's because I was so nervous the day I went to talk to him. I guess we all start somewhere though.

Right, Okay, got it. I'll see what I can do, mister Luke.

Thanks Marcus, and keep your walkie talking close. I'll let you know if I figure anything else out.

There has to be someone I'm forgetting about. Think Marcus, think huh. Let's see volunteers at the animal hospital. I was the youngest one working there by ten years. The animal surplus store, school, no Way, the reptile show, The reptile show, that's it.

Months before even talking to mister Luke, I spent a week in at a huge reptile show near the city hit. Something I always looked forward to, and this one did not disappoint. One of my all time favorite displays was from a place near home, River rehab. Gabe, a boy just a little older than me, had a bunch of reptiles on display, along with loads of information about the rehabilitation center he and his family had built from the ground out.

Hey there, welcome to the booth. Let me know if you have any questions. My name's Gabe. Thanks, it's quat a display you have here.

Thanks. This is more of a side hobby, but here's my card. We were in a local rehab center about forty five minutes from here.

You should come check it out sometime. Thanks. Wow, this place is right down the road from me. Awesome.

We're always looking for volunteers in the summer, and there's camps too if you like that kind of thing.

Cool. Thanks Gabe, you're welcome.

Hope to see you there sometime then, Marcus, Marcus, nice to meet you you as well.

Thanks again.

I'm sure Gabe figured if I ever stopped by it would be the other way around, me seeing if he needed any help at the center taking him up on the volunteer hours. But desperation and a bit of hope led me and my bike down the road to River Rehab Animal Sanctuary, hoping he'd be up for becoming a credit protector. I turned into the parking lot near the entrance sign and headed up a small gravel path near a larger building that said visitor center.

Wow, this seems like a fun place, lots of space, a pavilion and a summer camp. Cool. I guess I'll just start by by reminding him who I am, Hey Gabe, remember me? No, okay, I'm just gonna wing it. Oh hi, there? Are you looking for your group? My group, your camp group, or you're a counselor. Oh no, no, no, I I just stopped by. I'm not a camper.

Oh I'm sorry.

Wait do I know you from somewhere? A Marcus? We met at the Reptile Show. That's it. How's it going, man?

I'm so glad you stopped by. Are you looking for something to keep you busy this summer?

I'm pretty good. Well, actually, I've been pretty busy and unfortunately don't have much time for classes or volunteering. Don't get me wrong, this place is awesome. It's just well, it's actually why I decided i'd better stop by today. You see, I recently started working with a group called Critter Protectors over at Biology Squad at HQ. You know the place. Oh, yes, definitely know the place.

Who doesn't know about Spilogy Squad around here?

Well, we've been struggling with more more animals getting injured, stuff, you name it, which is why a new team branched off called the Critic Protectors. Oh, the calls coming in around here seem to be endless and there seems to be someone behind it all, which makes things even worse. Anyways, sorry to go on and on. How if call has been over here?

Oh that's not good, No, that you mentioned it. We do seem to.

Have quite a few rehab calls coming in. I just thought it was a season though.

I never really imagined there could be someone behind it. That would be terrible, you're telling me. Anyways, we're trying to get more people on our team. I was just recruited last week.

Actually, I wonder, well if you might think about joining us. We could really use someone like you me during your team.

Oh wow, that's an honor. I mean, if there was ever another organization, I do want to be a part of.

This sounds like a perfect fit. I guess yes.

If I could get the coverage here, it might just work for me. I could probably stop by there tomorrow though, Tuesdays or my day off.

That would be great. With all the work you've already done around this place, we would be the ones honor to have you an even working with animals are my kind of people. Marcus, I'll see you tomorrow. Great, I'll see you then.

With Gabe on board, the team was well on its way to becoming strong enough to combat the challenges ahead. The only problem was the challenges themselves were only getting worse. It's like each step in the right direction caused another thing to happen. And while I took one step in the right direction of growing the team, mister Luke was facing a big step back. He called me before I even made it out of the River Rehab parking lot.

Hey, Marcus, yep, what's going on? Well, I'm still over here on Route twelve and will not h There's too much to explain right now, but I really could use your help down here at fast.

Say no more, I'll be over there in five just leaving River Rehab.

Now River Rehab.

I'll fill you in later.

Roger, see you soon.

If I'm being truthful, it felt great going from one thing to the next. I was needed, happy and excited to be working alongside others like me, even if our problems were never ending. But when I got to mister Luke, I won't lie. I was a little bit shocked at what I saw. It turns out mister Luke was stopped near a place I knew quite well, my lucky wood Duck spot, or at least, that's what I like to call it. Every year, the wood ducks from all around would come to this place to nest, and I loved

What's going on, mister.

Luke, I'm not too sure, but what I could tell you is that those birds up there are after those guys down there. This predator prey situation is unlike anything I've seen around here.

Whoa, and look right up there by those trees. There's like four, maybe five flying in.

This isn't good. Falcons are known to feast on all kinds of birds, and wood ducks are one of.

Them, and we're sure those are falcons.

I'm pretty sure. But I have a pair of binoculars in the back seat of my jeep. If you want to make sure, I'll grab them.

After rustling through the backseat of mister Luke's jeep, I finally found the binoculars. His jeep definitely appeared to be in need of a deep cleaning, but then again, if it was cleaned out, he just might not have had those binoculars in there. One good thing about a messy car, I guess you're prepared for all kinds of things. When I got to look at the birds circling the wetlands, there was no denying they were falcons, circled like they

Well, mister Luke, now what I'm just not sure, Marcus. I just know we need to somehow get them out of here before they go in for the prey.

Maybe we need to somehow deter them. Do we have anything to draw them away? Hmmm?

Maybe falcons are usually scared off by shining lights. And if only we had some food. That's it.

That's it, what, Marcus.

We need two CDs for my car and that old bag of beef jerky on my passenger seat. If these birds are truly someone's pets, they'll totally go for the beef jerky and those CDs they're the perfect reflectors.

Within minutes, mister Luke had me set up near the wood duck nests with my arms stretched out holding a CD in each hand. They reflected the sun better than the magnifying glass and I had to close my eyes they were so bright. Mister Luke set up across the street near an old bare field and laid out the beef jerky. Just like that, the birds started to circle him, and to his surprise, they went straight in for the food.

Marcus, come over here, hurry, this is something else coming. It isn't every day you get to watch something like this.

I can't believe it's so close to us. But wait, why are they staring like that? It's like they're looking straight through us.

I'm not sure, Marcus, but it reminds me of that bobcat I told you about, and that doesn't give me a good feeling.

Hey, look at their blinders and their tags both have an O and D label on them.

Marcus, You're right, man, I knew I could count on you. That's a genius find.

It has to mean something. But now, what do we do with these these birds?

The falcons took off faster than I could even count to three. They stopped midfeast, turned their heads, and began flying in a straight line out of sight. I'd never seen anything like it. It's like they were robots or answering a call. I had goosebumps all the way back to the critter Q, and actually I still get them every time I think about those birds. The only thing keeping me from running home and locking the door behind me at that point was those three letters O, N D.