Luc hiked down the road until he came to a bend that seemed familiar. He whipped his head to the left. Sure enough, there was the dead tree broken in half. This was Devils Swamp. They just hadn’t made it deep enough when they were there the other night.
The soft sound of chanting surrounded him. He had to hurry, the ritual had begun. Under normal circumstances, he would have to admit it would be impossible for him to hear their voices so far away, but his life as of late had been anything but normal. He began to jog.
“Jon-Luc, you must return.” The rattle of the gourd followed.
He could have sworn that was Celestine’s voice, he heard it plain as day. He stopped in the middle of the road and looked around. “Celestine?” He was alone.
“That’s right, cher, it’s me.”
“Where are you?” Luc turned in a complete circle, searching in all directions.
“I’m right here beside you,” she said.
Luc opened his eyes and found himself back in the hospital room. Clara’s cool hands were on his cheeks, her face an inch from his own. “Thank you, Legba. Thank you, Damballah.” She kissed him on the forehead and leaned back.
That’s when the others came into view: Jake, Celestine and Mama Arelia, who still chanted softly while she shook the gourd rattle over his body.
Luc glanced down to see a new gris gris bag, this one was adorned with a tiny skeleton head at the top. “What’s going on?”
“You’ve been cursed,” Clara said.
“You’ve been in a coma,” Celestine said.
“How long have I been out?” Luc asked.
“Over a day,” Jake said.
Luc remembered his dream and yanked out the IV needle.
“What are you doing?” Clara shrieked.
“We have to get the police and go back to Devils Swamp. I know where they’re holding the ritual and they have three children ready to sacrifice.”
“But she needs four to complete the cycle,” Celestine said.
Piggee! “There may be another person joining them if he hasn’t already. We have to hurry!” Luc tossed back the covers.
“You almost died, you can’t go wandering around a swamp in the middle of the night,” Jake said.
Luc glanced down and realized he needed to wear something more than the flimsy hospital gown. “I need clothes. Jake, see if you can find me some.”
Jake’s eyes bulged. “Where the hell am I going to find you clothes at this time of night?”
“I don’t know, steal them if you have to.” Luc couldn’t hide his frustration.
“Scrubs,” Celestine offered.
“That’s it! Find out where the doctors change. There should be some in there,” Luc offered.
Jake started toward the door.
“Wait,” Luc stopped him.
Jake glanced over his shoulder.
“Do you have Detective Dubois’s phone number on you?”
Jake rifled through his wallet and made his way to Luc before he handed him a business card.
“Thanks, now hurry.” Luc grabbed the phone by the side of the bed, but Clara stayed his hand.
“Mon Dieu, chew canna go. Chew rest or reopen da wound,” Clara pleaded.
“She’s right. Let the police handle it,” Celestine added.
“But they won’t know where to go. I have to show them,” Luc stated. “Besides, I was just there and I’m fine.”
“Dat jus yur spirit, Jon-Luc, not yur physical bein’. Yur body weak.” He hadn’t noticed that Mama Arelia had stopped her chanting until she spoke.
“I’ve got to do everything humanly possible. I can’t just lie here doing nothing while their lives hang in the balance. If they die I’ll never be able to forgive myself.” Then he focused on Clara. “Or you.”
The room fell silent.
Jake burst through the door holding a folded stack of blue material. “I found some. I hope they fit.”
“Thanks.” Luc ripped off the lines that kept him attached to the heart monitor and it made an awful racket. He frantically searched for the off button before the entire staff ran in to resuscitate him.
He stood with his back to the wall in an effort not to moon the ladies. He instantly latched onto the tripod, which held the saline bag for the IV while his body swayed. He hated to admit they were right, he was not physically ready to leave his bed, but he must soldier on.
Once Luc felt he could speak, he said, “You ladies will have to excuse me while I dress.”
Reluctantly the women filed out of the room.
“Did you get a hold of the detective?” Jake asked.
“I haven’t tried yet. I ran into a bit of resistance.”
Luc gingerly sat on the side of bed. He shook out the pants and threaded each leg through its hole before he stood to pull them up.
Each movement was slow and deliberate.
Jake eyed him suspiciously. “You have to see it from their perspective.”
“I know. Women are fragile and emotional. I don’t need a Frank Thibodeux lecture right now,” Luc grumbled.
“Although that’s all true, it’s not what I was about to say. Luc, you were in a coma. The prognosis was not good. We’ve all been worried sick, praying that you’d come back to us.”
Luc tossed the gown on the bed and pulled the shirt on over his head, then searched the room. “Where are my shoes?”
Jake reached under the bed, pulled out a plastic bag and placed it on top. Luc reached for the bag, but Jake grabbed his wrist. Surprised, Luc faced his friend.
“Dammit, Luc, this is serious.”
“I know.” Luc shook his wrist free and opened the plastic bag. “Why do you think I’m trying to hurry?”
“Shut up and listen to me, will ya?”
Luc pulled out his shoes. “I am.”
“No you’re not. I need you to focus on what I’m saying.”
“Fine.” Luc sat on the bed and stared at Jake. “Go ahead.”
“Why haven’t you asked about your operation?”
“Because it’s not important right now,” Luc said angrily.
“That’s where you’re wrong, it’s of the utmost importance.” Jake latched onto Luc’s arm with a death grip. “Your stomach was filled with snakes.”
Luc shuddered. “What?”
Jake nodded. “Live snakes were inside you trying to get out.”
Luc stared at Jake, he had to be yanking his chain. “Shut the fuck up.” Surely, he was just trying to scare him into staying at the hospital. “That’s not possible.”
“And yet it happened.” Jake cocked his head. “I know because I saw them.”
“You’re so full of shit. You were in the operating room when they opened me up and I was filled with snakes.”
“No. But I was there when the doctor brought their corpses to Clara so she could perform a binding ritual over them,” Jake clarified.
Luc could envision that happening if this bullshit story was true. “Were they poisonous?”
“No, and I’d bet that’s the only reason you’re still alive.”
This had to be another one of his stupid visions, right? Like the snakes are some kind of metaphor to decipher. “If that’s true, then how the hell did they get inside me?”
“Dammit, Luc, why would I lie?” Jake practically yelled. “That thing, that demon we saw in the woods? She conjured them. Mama Arelia says that when she clawed you, she got your blood and tissue. That, along with the t-shirt you left behind, gave her the tools she needed to formulate a curse on you.” Jake stared at Luc, he guessed it was to make certain he was paying attention.
“Whether she meant to kill you or simply stop you from getting in her way is anyone’s guess. The bottom line is you’re weak which makes you vulnerable. You just had major surgery. They had to cut you practically in half to make sure they’d gotten all those damn things out. The babies were small, the size of earthworms. There had to be over twenty in all.”
Luc flinched.
<
br /> “Since then you’ve been on heavy antibiotics to combat whatever contaminants were left in your system. That’s the IV you ripped out. The doctor said it must remain for at least seven days, that any infection that occurred at this point could kill you.”
“Then how come I’m not in ICU under constant supervision?”
“Well.” Jake hesitated. “As you can imagine, your story circulated the hospital swiftly. The administration felt it best to isolate you and place a security guard outside your door for your protection.”
“My protection?”
“Yeah. It seems that things got a bit out of hand.”
Jake appeared to be looking for the right words which was making Luc crazy. “Jesus. Just come out with it!”
“All right, some people were afraid of you, like maybe you were the devil himself. Others wanted to get a look at you. Employees were flooding the ICU, disturbing the other patients. They had to lock down the floor until they could move you to an undisclosed location.”
“Like I’m some sort of a freak?”
“No,” Jake drew out the word.
Which to Luc meant, oh, Hell, yes!
“Let’s just say there are a lot superstitious people in these parts. So for whatever reason, the hospital was having a hard time getting anyone to attend to you. But they finally found one nurse and she agreed to work a double shift until they could find someone else to take her place.”
“You’re telling me that out of this entire hospital, only one person was brave enough to be in the same room with me? Jeez, that makes me feel real special,” Luc said sarcastically.
“It seems we’ve gotten off topic. I was trying to explain why you shouldn’t be out running around when there’s the danger of ripping open your incision. You might feel fine now, but you’re full of morphine. Give it an hour or two.”
“Jake, I understand the risks, but what would you do if you were in my shoes?”
That shut Jake up.
“Exactly. Look, I promise to return to the hospital the minute we get these sons of bitches. But in the meantime, I need your help.”
Jake’s face fell. “Fine. But go easy on the women, okay?”
“I’ll try.” Luc picked up a shoe and pulled it on over his bare foot. “We need to find Dubois. It’s pretty late, he may be in bed.”
Jake pointed to the card on the bedside table. “There are two numbers, maybe one’s his residence?”
Luc finished tying his boots and made his way toward the phone. He picked up the card and sure enough, there were two phone numbers. He dialed the second one and waited. After four rings, an answering machine picked up. Assuming the cop was sleeping, he tried the number again. When the machine answered a second time he disconnected and called the precinct.
Luc barely waited for the man to finish his greeting. “I need to speak with Detective Dubois immediately.”
“I’m sorry, but he’s unavailable at this time.”
“This is an emergency. Tell him it’s Jon-Luc Boudreaux and I have information regarding the kidnappings.”
“Please hold.”
“Crap, they put me on ignore,” Luc said.
A few minutes later. “Thank you for holding. Can you please spell that name for me?”
Luc hurriedly spelled it out.
“I’ll see if I can reach him. Can I have your number?”
“I’m at the hospital. Just a second.” Luc covered the mouthpiece. “Jake, can you give him the information?” He put the phone back up to his mouth. “Please hurry, this is a matter of life and death.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” the man said.
He handed the phone over. After Jake hung up. “Did he say how long it would take?” Luc asked.
“No. Just that he’d try to get a hold of the detective.”
Luc decided to lie down and save his strength while they waited.
TWENTY-FOUR
“I don’t like it, Gator, it’s too risky. We’ll get caught for sure,” Piggee complained.
Gator glared at him. “Look around you.” He was referring to the fancy apartment they now shared in the French Quarter. “You want to go back to living in that old abandoned warehouse where you froze your balls off?”
“No,” Piggee said grudgingly.
“How about digging through garbage cans for your next meal?”
“No!” Piggee yelled. “But taking all those kids in one night is crazy.”
“We do what we’re told and when this whole thing is finished we’ll have a million dollars. We’ll be rich!”
“Or in jail,” Spike grumbled.
“Or dead,” Snake, the newest member of their gang, added.
“Y’all are just acting like a bunch of whiny little bitches.” Gator was getting more infuriated by the minute. “We pledge our loyalty to this God of hers and we get everything we want, including protection. It’s like we’re invisible now, we can’t be caught.”
Gator wasn’t exactly sure about that last part. It could be they’d just been lucky. She had told him if they followed her instructions everything would go smoothly and it had. So far. It didn’t mean he wasn’t scared shitless every time they grabbed a kid.
She selected the children, gave him the address, and drew a map of the inside of the house with directions to the room. She scoped everything out beforehand. The truth was he’d tell these assholes whatever he had to in order to get the job done.
He had a lot riding on it. If he didn’t need them so badly, he’d just kill them right now and be done with it. He was the one the lady had approached because she knew he was a leader. She’d promised him riches beyond belief and immortality.
The two of them together for all of eternity.
Erzuli. The name rolled off his tongue like a song and tickled his senses. She was the most beautifully seductive woman he’d ever laid eyes on and soon she would be all his. Just the thought of stroking that silky dark chocolate skin and running his fingers through her long black hair had him all but salivating. No more whores for him, he’d have the real deal.
“What are you smiling about?” Spike asked.
Gator focused on the here and now. “I was just remembering what happened to Duke. That will happen to anyone who tries to leave without fulfilling your end of the bargain,” he said in his most lethal voice.
The room fell silent.
“That’s what I thought.” Gator just had to put the fear of the Devil into them. That should keep them in line.
“Now pay attention. We’re gonna split up tonight. Each person will get a set of instructions with an address. Since y’all will be alone, be extra careful.”
Gator zeroed in on Piggee. “There won’t be anyone there to save your sorry ass if you fuck up.”
Piggee swallowed so hard his Adam’s apple jumped.
“Now synchronize your watches.” Gator looked at his. “It’s exactly eleven o’clock now. At midnight, there will be a diversion that will send all the cops and emergency vehicles to the other side of the city. That’s when you go in.”
“But how will we know for sure?” Piggee asked.
Gator glowered at him. Piggee made everything so fucking difficult. He figured it was ’cause his papa scrambled his brains from hitting him so many times in the head. The thing that made him mean was also what made him stupid. He’d give his left nut to just shoot the fucktard between the eyes right now.
“Trust me, you’ll know.” Gator passed out everybody’s orders on a piece of notebook paper. “Now get the fuck out of here.”
He waited until everyone had left the apartment before he locked the door. Then he headed toward his own victim. Oh how he loved that word. Victim.
*
Piggee was huffing and puffing by the time he reached his destination. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if Gator hadn’t given him the furthest address just to fuck with him. He stood across the street from the house and looked at his watch. He’d just made it. One more minute to go. He glance
d around to make sure no one was watching, but the neighborhood was dead.
He crossed the street and stood under the window looking up. A giant kaboom sounded in the distance. That must have been the diversion Gator was talking about. Piggee grabbed the trellis and began to climb. The flimsy wood wobbled from his weight. He was sure Gator had set him up to fail, but he’d show him.
The higher he climbed, the least certain he was of his footing. The lattice lurched and he held on tight. He moved up another rung and noticed the screws coming out of the wall. He decided to hurry before the entire thing pulled away from the side of the house.
He was even with the windowsill when the damn thing began to bow backward. He lurched forward and clasped onto the ledge with both hands just as the trellis gave way. His face slammed against the stucco wall, his feet flailed below him. His heart stuck in his throat. He heard a crash and turned his head to see the makeshift ladder on the grass down below.
A light went on in a second-story window next door.
Blood spilled down his face into his mouth and he spit it out. He’d broken his nose. Dangling from the ledge, he knew his only chance at survival was to hoist himself into that room. Dropping was not an option; he’d break a leg or worse. He felt his right hand slipping and swung his body that way until he got a better hold.
He wasn’t the strongest guy in the world and didn’t know if he could pull his body all the way up, but he had no other choice. Sweat poured into his eyes and the cut across the bridge of his nose. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but it was the least of his problems. His entire body was soaked, which made it more slippery than snot. He had to keep repositioning his hands.
He made a conscious effort to keep his grunting to a minimum so he didn’t draw attention to himself. By swinging and pulling, he finally got his arms over the ledge so he could crawl into the room. Once he dropped to the floor, he was out of breath and his heartbeat was so fast it stuttered. He quickly eyed the bed. Somehow, the kid was still asleep.
He took the time to catch his breath. When at last he was no longer snorting like a bull about to charge, he pulled the chloroform out of his pocket along with the rag and drenched it. He got his ass off the floor and covered the boy’s face. After counting to ten, he shoved the rag into his pocket and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
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