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AN ODD GLOW OF LIGHT illuminating his body, Carter stepped into the bunker.
“Thank God,” I blew out a long breath of relief. “We thought you might be that horrible Bull.”
Something in the way Carter stood with his arms out to his sides and his palms facing up was my first clue that all wasn’t well. The stumbling steps he took toward us, as if being pushed forward, was my second clue.
“Stop there, LeBlanc,” Bull snapped. “Anyone else moves and I put a bullet between the good deputy’s ears. Got it?”
In one swift move, Kase swept me behind him. I stumbled against young Michael. In what little light there was, I could see his anguish. The poor child. I was frightened, yet I knew all the people in the room and understood every word being spoken. How must he feel? I took his hand in mine.
“Listen, Dozer, you don’t want to do this,” Kase’s voice punctured the silence. “You’re in deep enough trouble without adding murder to the list.”
“Shut up.” Bull’s shaky voice was in sharp contrast to Kase’s soothing tone. “You’re all screwing things up for me.”
I shot a quick look at Gertie. Fortune had her arm around Gertie’s shoulders. Whether to comfort her or to keep her from going for Bull’s jugular, I wasn’t sure. But, knowing Gertie’s penchant for rebel rousing, I’m glad Fortune was at the ready.
“We’re the ones who can help make things better,” Kase countered. “The first thing you need to do is take your gun off LeBlanc. Then we can negotiate.”
“Like hell I will.” Bull snorted. “You fooled me once with Miss Fancy Nancy—”
I peeked out from around Kase’s side. “Prim and Proper,” I corrected him. “Not Fancy Nancy.”
My correction was the straw that broke Bull’s back. “Shut up. Who friggin’ cares who you are?” He lowered his gun. “You’re a lying, scheming bitch and I should just shoot you now—”
In a move that would put a gold medal winning synchronized swimming team to shame, Fortune, Carter, and Kase lunged at Bull. In the short tussle that ensued, they got him to the floor, wrested his weapon from him without a single shot being fired, and had him tied up like a rodeo calf in seconds flat.
“Let me at him,” Gertie shouted. “I’ll make him pay.”
Thankfully Jean-Claude grabbed ahold of her before she could pounce. Michael and Catheline threw their arms around each, celebratory tears streaming down their faces. I wanted to join in, but a nagging feeling that all wasn’t well yet pulled at me.
“What about the door? I asked. “Did it lock behind him?”
Carter was the first one to reach it. He pushed at it but it didn’t budge. Kase stepped over Bull, but even adding his bulky might didn’t help.
It was as if an explosion of curse words, in two languages mind you, detonated. I refrained from joining in, but I shared their dismay. I was going to need to powder my nose sooner rather than later, not to mention that a breath of fresh air would be most welcome. I glanced around at the dour expressions my companions wore. “Fear not,” I said. “We’ve got sheriff’s deputy here, an FBI agent, and a—” I noticed Fortune cringe, “—a librarian. Someone will come looking for us.”
Someone didn’t. Not for hours. I wiped the beads of perspiration (I don’t sweat, not under the direst circumstances) from my forehead. I’d long ago given up listening to Fortune, Kase, and Carter postulate as to where back-up was. I didn’t understand a single word that our Haitian friends were speaking. As for Gertie, she was seemingly finding some relief in ripping into Bull with all of her might. Heaven knew she had the right, and now was the time, before he went up the river. Or down the river, I’m never sure which way the water flows to a penitentiary.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take another second of waiting, we heard several thumps from the other side of the door. Everyone, except Bull, jumped to their feet. Kase pounded on our side in return until the door opened just a crack.
“Anyone order a pizza?”
Aunt Ida Belle! The door swung open and we all rushed toward the fresh air.
“Watch the arm, watch the arm,” Aunt Ida Belle warned as Gertie threw herself at my great-aunt. She looked us all over, from head to toe and back again. “Geesh, how many law enforcement agents does it take...” but her voice petered out as we took turns hugging her.
“Why aren’t you at Bayou Gardens?” I demanded.
Her eyebrows rose. “I’d have expected a prettier thank you from you of all people.”
I grinned.
“What the heck took so long?” Gertie asked, as several FBI agents swept past us with a defeated looking Bull.
My great-aunt swept her good arm out. “We’re standing in the middle of a God-forsaken swamp. Both cell and radio reception dropped off a couple of miles from here. It was like looking for a toad in the bayou, I tell you.”
“But you found us, thank heavens,” I said. “Can we go home now?”
It was Gertie who answered. “I’ve had all the fun tonight that I can handle.”
It didn’t escape my notice that she was carefully avoiding looking at Bull. But, however brave she was acting, I knew she was going to hit an emotional wall soon.
Kase detached himself from a group of agents and came to join us. “I’m going to head back to New Orleans tonight with Jean-Claude, his wife, and son. We’re meeting a translator there and need to get them debriefed and looked at by a doctor.” His gaze swept our small circle. “Why don’t y’all head home?” His pointed look at me let me know that we had a long talk ahead of us when he was off duty.
On our way over to the SUV that was going to take us back to Sinful, we stopped to exchange hugs with our Haitian friends. I didn’t bother to contain my tears as I hugged them goodbye. I don’t know that I’d ever been happier for anyone than I was for them, knowing they’d be heading back to Haiti soon.
***
AS WE ALWAYS DID AT the end of one of our little adventures, we ended up sitting around Fortune’s kitchen table with a plate of Ally’s cookies in the middle of the table. Aunt Ida Belle threatened us with bodily harm if we dared ask her again if she was feeling well enough to be out of bed.
“Keep in mind that I single-handedly rescued all ya’all from that cement box,” she growled.
Well, she’d been accompanied by a cadre of armed law enforcement officers, but we let that slide.
“I’m sorry about Bull, Gertie.” I bit my lip, unsure what else to say. I had no doubt that Gertie’s heart was aching far worse than Aunt Ida Belle’s arm.
Gertie shook her head. “Don’t be. That critter was aptly named if anyone ever was. I wonder how his mama knew he’d grow up to be a pile of crap?”
My great-aunt, Fortune, and I exchanged glances. What could we possibly add to that?
“He made a fool out of me,” Gertie said, sounding more vulnerable than I’d ever heard her. “Aww, heck. I made a fool out of me.”
Fortune reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Welcome to human race, Gertie. You were blinded by what you thought was love. Something every other woman has done or will do at one point in their life.”
Gertie wiped away a tear. “I feel so stupid.”
“I think your willingness to start a whole new chapter in your life is inspiring,” I said.
Aunt Ida Belle cleared her throat. These types of discussions weren’t her forte. “Look at it this way, at least you were brave enough to give what you thought was love a chance. Some of us can’t even get that far.”
Was she talking about her and Walter? Before I could ask, she shot me a warning glare. Clearly, she wasn’t open to the question. Duly noted. For now.
“Looks like we’re a bunch of losers in love,” Gertie said. “Well, except for Fortune and Carter. Is he coming over?”
Fortune shook her head. “He’s gone to arrest Harold Lisieux. But, yeah, love’s a landmine alright.”
Gertie looked at me. “And you and Agent Hunky. You lovebirds are fine, aren’t you?”
Were we? “I’m not so sure.” I reached for a cookie, broke a corner of it off, and stuffed it in my mouth. By the time I was finished chewing, they were all still staring at me. “There’s the little matter of our promise to the Heberts.”
I’d forgotten that Gertie didn’t know about our visit to Big and Little until I saw her confused expression. Fortune and I took turns telling the story, complete with the part about my promise to betray Kase’s trust.
Gertie gave a low whistle. “Whoa, that’s ten times worse than the time you and Fortune drugged him.”
“That was all Fortune,” I protested. “I was an accessory after the fact.”
“Just tell us you’re not going to go through with it,” Gertie persisted. “You could ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
I sighed. Gertie was right. Meeting Kase was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I loved him. And I could say the same thing about meeting Aunt Ida Belle, Gertie and Fortune. Yes, even Fortune. I think I was finally seeing what my great-aunt and Gertie saw in her. She was a good person. Librarian or CIA agent, it didn’t matter. She was my friend.
“I can’t try again, and not just because Kase is on to me now. It’s the wrong thing to do.” I said, my voice thick with emotion. I would never, under any circumstance, betray Kase’s trust by stealing classified information from him to give to the Heberts. “I just don’t know how to get him to forgive me for handcuffing him to a coffee table.”
“We’ll think of something,” Aunt Ida Belle assured me.
“We’ve got this.” Fortune gave me an encouraging smile.
“We’ll feed Big and Little to the gators if it comes to that,” Gertie said.
I looked around the table and laid a hand over my heart. “Thank you.”
I didn’t kid myself that this was going to be an easy situation to wiggle out of, but it was clear that Swamp Team Three had my back. Bless them.