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It was a hot, humid summer day. The threat of rain hung heavy in the air. A group of laughing girls headed to the park to play. No one yet had taken much heed to the warning of the hurricane churning out in the Gulf of Mexico.
Bear Corner, Louisiana was in the far southeast corner of Louisiana, almost near the Mississippi border. There were at least four thousand farmers, roughnecks, fishermen and businessmen that dwelled here. The main livelihood of the residents was shrimping and working offshore on the oil rigs. Most of the men here tended to do both. What with the economy the way it was, shrimp prices were dropping. So, most shrimpers worked on the rigs and then their two weeks off were spent crabbing, shrimping, and fishing depending on the season.
Over the years, this quiet little town had been relatively lucky when it came to the destruction that could be associated with a hurricane. Even though the forecasters broadcast warnings that Bear Corner was directly in the path, no one was concerned on this Friday night. Even though there were other bars located near the edge of town, Cherie’s was hopping. As the sun went down, everyone wanted to drink away their worries and be troubled with the storm later. The parking lot was overflowing with vehicles. Noise poured out of the building. The sound of laughter mixed with the Cajun band playing live music.
Cherie’s was built on the bayou, inviting boaters and land lubbers in for the cold beer, good food, and music.
The patrons at Cherie’s loved their drinking and loud music on Friday nights. Cherie’s catered to a diverse group of people, from roughnecks to fishermen. Occasionally some of the river rats drifted in, but Pierre, the owner, was good at keeping the riffraff out of trouble. He was a burly man who even the toughest of men looking for trouble feared. Cherie’s kept the sheriff’s office busy on Friday and Saturday nights. By Sunday, the holding cell would be full of belligerent drunks who refused to be escorted home.
Growing up, Detective Chad Picou dreamed of becoming a cop. It seemed like the ideal job when he was a little boy. He would get to run around shooting guns and chasing down the bad guys. He would have a chance to be a true hero.
After graduating from Louisiana State University, he attended the Police Academy and went to work in Baton Rouge. After working there for several years, he came to realize that making rank would be harder than he’d anticipated. There were too many eager officers ready to kiss ass. Picou felt that promotion should be merited on your skills and not how well you brown nosed. When he saw the opening in Bear Corner, he jumped at the opportunity and had never regretted the transfer.
Even though the other residents here didn’t seem to be concerned about the impending hurricane, Picou kept a close watch on the forecasts. Right now, it was sitting out there building strength. Some were predicting it would be a Category 3 when it made landfall. This storm could do a lot of damage to this town if caught unprepared.