by Ali Vali
"My name is Tyrell Lagrie, ass wipe, try and remember it. On second thought just don’t talk period, it’s bad enough having to go through this without your crazy ass piping up every ten seconds with some stupid shit." The sun had gone down at least an hour ago, but they hadn’t run into any more wet or dry land. By silent consensus, they had all just kept moving. There had to be an end to this stinking hell sooner or later.
"What you in for Tyrell Lagrie?" asked Byron Sr. There was something about this man he didn’t like but he hadn’t narrowed it down yet. One thing, the man didn’t have a single hair on his head or chest. What kind of man doesn’t have any hair on his chest? Byron Sr. asked himself the question as she watched the powerful looking body plow through the water.
"I beat a man to death outside of his house."
"What cha’ go and do something like that for?" The old man jerked sideways suddenly as something swam by and brushed his leg. After the fate of the first two men, Byron Sr. had no desire to join them.
"He beat my sister and broke her back. I figured he should have picked on someone that could fight back. I got no tolerance for a man that beats up on women, it ain’t right. What you three losers in for?" Tyrell stopped so suddenly that Mike ran into his back. The youngest Simoneaux was grateful for the distraction before they all started comparing jail sentences and offenses. It was his guess that Tyrell would not agree with his family’s treatment of the opposite sex.
Tyrell looked ahead of them and in the distance could make out a faint light. Now the question was, what was it? It could be a house of some kind, or the spotlights of the search party looking for them. As bad as the swamp was to travel through on foot, Tyrell knew it was their best chance at escape because the authorities couldn’t use the dogs out here effectively. The old looking hounds were trained on a daily basis to hunt down scented targets, and they were damn good at their jobs. Once the dogs got their first smell, they shook off their lazy demeanor and looked like the hounds of hell possessed.
From the prison library, Tyrell knew that they had the main road to the prison on their right, and the Pearl River to their left. The river was easy to sweep with helicopters sporting spotlights, and the main road would be heavily patrolled. The book on the prison made no mention of any inhabitants out in the swamp leading into the penitentiary.
"What in the fuck did you do that for idiot?" asked Byron Sr. When Mike stopped suddenly, his father had slammed into the back of him and lost his footing. In an instant he was pawing at the iron band that was Tyrell’s arm. A large hand had closed over his throat and had shut off his air supply.
"Shut the fuck up old man and I might not have to kill you," whispered Tyrell. In the quiet of the night sounds were intensified out here, and he hadn’t come all this way to get caught now. Pressing one finger to his lips, Tyrell pointed to the light up ahead. "Stay here and let me go see what that is. If you see it move, get some cover because it might be the cops."
Without another word he slipped away from them and headed toward what could be his ticket out of there. Tyrell cocked his arm back ready to throw a punch when he heard the water ripple behind him, stopping at the last minute before he hit the younger Byron. "There’s no way I’m losing sight of you Lagrie, if that’s a way out of here we’re all going."
From behind the crevices of a cypress tree the two listened to the conversation going on about a hundred feet from them. Along with the sound of two men talking, Tyrell and Byron could hear the hum of a generator and the swarm of the bugs the lights were attracting.
"No sheriff, I ain’t seen nothin’ suspicious. Got my trusty security system with me at all times though so you might get them back with some holes if they come tracking through here. Heard y’all found one of them with a chunk missing this morning though, any truth in that?" asked Ross Pierre. The man lived in the modest shack two months out of the year so that he could hunt alligators. In the past five years there had been a jump in the market not only for the hides, but for the tail meat and heads as well.
"Yeah, some drug dealer from New Orleans found one of your pets sometime after they started running. Bled to death out on a mud pile like a stuck pig. The only salvation was it ain’t hot, otherwise the warden says they start stinkin’ right from the start. No great loss in the long run though buddy, so don’t fret over it. Take care and I’ll check on you in a couple of days. Radio in if you see anything. The place is crawling with deputies, but they only got seven miles to the road, which is where everyone figures they’re heading. Got some heat waiting for them there though stretched out every five hundred yards. Stay put for awhile, wouldn’t want any of those snipers to mistake you for a convict," said Sheriff Tyler. He started the electric trawl motor and pushed off from Ross Pierre’s pier. The small boat didn’t go very fast with the small motor, but it was the best way to get around out here. His spotlight scanned the trees and water line, but found only local wildlife instead of human movement. The two hiding behind the tree held their breath as the sheriff headed back in the direction of the main road.
They heard the heavy boots of the man in the shack as he headed back inside. The dim light coming off the pier showed a flatbed boat with a push pole as the means of propelling it through the water. With a goal in sight, Tyrell waited for the man to close the front door then swam underwater until he came up next to the front of the boat. He motioned for Byron to find the others while he waited for the guy to fall asleep to untie the boat.
Byron moved back in the direction that they had left the others, trying to locate them in the dark. After he was a distance from the shack, he heard his name being called softly from somewhere in front of him. Mike, his father and Gazette all huddled together near a group of cypress knees sprouting out of the water.
"What in the fuck is that smell?" whispered Byron as he got closer to them.
"How in the hell should I know? Do I look like a swamp man to you?" asked Mike. His brother was right, it was like the water they were standing in had turned rancid all of a sudden. Not that the shit smelled great to begin with, but now it was down right ripe.
"Come on, we found a way out of here. Just shut the hell up and don’t make any noise. The fucker in there is armed to the teeth it sounds like, and I don’t want to find out what kind of firepower he can lay down on our asses if provoked," said Byron in a low voice, cocking his head toward the shack behind him.
When the generator kicked off for the night the darkness swallowed the structure back into obscurity giving the men the cover they needed. They waited a bit longer to give the guy a chance to fall asleep before Tyrell untied the boat and pulled it behind him. Once the shack was out of sight they men climbed on board and Tyrell took the first turn at pushing them along with the long pole.
"What the fuck did y’all bathe in while you were hiding?" asked Tyrell. The four others smelled like someone had dunked them in urine and were starting to scratch with a vengeance.
"We smell like you shit head so shut up." Byron felt like someone had lit a fire under his skin and it was spreading.
"Ever heard of Nutria Itch dipwad?" Tyrell asked with a smile that showed perfect white teeth.
"No," answered Mike feeling the same sensations the other two men were.
"You’re going to in just a little while," the man said with a laugh. Tyrell couldn’t wait for the sun to go up to the see the results of the infestation that took weeks to get rid of, and was made worse by scratching. With only the white of their underwear showing mutely in the moonlight, they maneuvered their way forward toward the main road with only the sound of the of the pole coming in and out of the water with a plop.
"What’s the first thing you are going to have when we get back to the city?" Gazette asked Mike in a whisper. It didn’t seem like you could hear a normal conversation over the din of mosquitoes and other wildlife but Tyrell had warned them about making too much noise.
"I’m going to order the biggest steak I can find, with a baked potato and a cold beer.
What you interested in getting?" answered Mike.
"I’m going to find myself a woman first, before I think about food. Three years is a long time to go with out, but as far as food, I’d have to give that one some thought," said Gazette. He tried to make out his toes in the moonlight, sure that it would take three months for them to unprune from being in the water so long. Note to self, next time escape fully clothed, Gazette thought. "I love Mexican, so I’d start with… well it’s a hard decision."
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"Just pick something to start us off." Serena was ready to eat her napkins she was so hungry.
"We’ll start with four platters of the seafood nachos, and beer for everyone that raises their hand," said Harry raising her hand. The waitress left with their appetizer and drink orders leaving the long table to talk until she returned. An hour later they were eating almost every specialty dish the Santa Fe Restaurant had to offer and in between bites the conversation was getting louder. Their tab total so far and the fact that they were in a room all alone kept the management from complaining too much, but the other patrons had stopped talking and listened to the lively conversation coming from the last room by the bathroom.
The old restaurant was located in an old house across the street from Washington Park, and made what Harry referred to as gourmet Mexican food. The seating was dispersed in one large room downstairs and a variety of rooms upstairs in what everyone assumed were the bedrooms at one time. Desi had to laugh at the old claw foot tub in the full sized bathroom that housed only one toilet. With no beepers and no one on call, Harry, Kenneth, Serena and Sam relaxed a bit and started drinking beer. Their partners just sat back and enjoyed the sharp bantering that was flying around the table, all gathering ammunition for a later date. Because Butch was with them, they kept the conversation interesting but clean.
Rachel and Serena had ridden with them to the restaurant to talk about what had happened. The two sisters decided that they would wait for the morning to call the number June had left before leaving that evening. If the woman they had seen earlier that evening really was their mother, the two sisters couldn’t think of one explanation for her abandonment. By mutual consent they decided to wait until the next day before they passed judgment.
When Desi emerged from the her third bathroom run, she immediately noticed the tall redhead standing next to the small bar upstairs waiting for a drink right off. The woman was intently staring into the room Desi’s group was sitting in. The tight, sleeveless blue silk dress she had on revealed a slim, well-proportioned figure that, when combined with the beautiful face, made a devastating combination. Whoever it was, she didn’t even turn around when the bartender handed her a Margarita.
"Could I have a glass of water with a wedge of lemon in it please?" asked Desi. As the man scooped ice into a glass she looked up at the woman, who had finally come out of the trance she seemed to be in.
"Sorry, I just saw a page from my past and it surprised me," she gave as an explanation for her staring. She shrugged her shoulders before she went back to her staring.
"Good chapter I hope." Desi squeezed the lemon into her glass and waited to see if her assumption was correct.
"More like the chapter of lost opportunity. Good looking, but too self absorbed to notice anyone else around her. Some people just aren’t capable of love I guess." The woman raised her glass in salute before taking a small sip and continuing. "It’s a shame too. Put the looks together with a considerate nature and it made for a winning combination."
"Oh I don’t know. Sometimes people are just patiently waiting for the right one to come along. Stranger things have been known to happen." Desi could see whose back the gray eyes seemed to be glued to. Harry baby, thank God you never figured out just what kind of affect you have. I don’t think I would have been so lucky to have gotten you back if you had, thought Desi.
Desi had run into them around town every so often when she was out with Tony. They were the women that had drifted in and out of Harry’s life before they had found each other again. The first encounters had left her with an overwhelming feeling of jealousy, until Tony introduced them. All of them flocked to Tony for a Harry update to see if they had a second chance with the successful surgeon. It was then that Tony would take great pleasure in introducing Desi and she saw the jealousy in their eyes. Desi had achieved what they all had wanted. The other thing that occurred to her was the fact that not one of them looked like her, and none of them had green eyes. Tony had explained it in his off the cuff manner in saying, "She couldn’t replace you, so why add torture to the torment."
"That honey, would take an act of God."
"No honey, just good sex and no birth control was all it took." The shocked look on the woman’s face and Tony’s ghost wink told Desi she had come a long way in a short time. The best satisfaction came when Harry turned around looking for her. The blue eyes were a little glassy, but still full of love.
The woman was still staring when Desi walked away with an uneven gait to accommodate her load. It was a little mean maybe, but it never hurt to flex a little proprietary muscle for Harry, she was entitled. Desi enjoyed the welcome back kiss near the door as the silk dress slinked away.
"You ok baby?" Harry was far from drunk, but the beer was working up one hell of a frisky mood Desi if the deep voice near her ear was any indication.
"Never better lover."
"Friend of yours?" Harry thrilled Desi with the question without her knowledge.
"Nope, no one important." Harry was so warm and smelled so good Desi stepped closer.
"There are other people in the room," interjected Sam.
"Easily remedied," Harry shot back. The car keys come out of her pocket and were thrown to her father, and then Harry just waved good-bye pointing Desi toward the door.
"I think the baby likes when you do that," said Desi three hours later. If Harry still found her desirable, who was she to argue? The cabdriver that had driven them home would probably concur. "At this rate, I may be pregnant again already."
"I can’t help it, you are delicious." With Desi propped up against her, Harry’s mind wandered to how different their lives would be when the baby came.
"I’m glad you think so honey. You do wonders for my ego, not to mention my back muscles." Desi’s lower back had been killing her for the past two days, and only walking and Harry was making it feel better. Harry was about to ask about Desi’s back when the phone rang. They both groaned knowing that the damn thing only rang after eleven when someone had arrived in pieces at one of the local hospitals.
"Basantes here." When Harry answered the phone, Desi took the opportunity to run to the bathroom, convinced their child had reduced her bladder to the size of an acorn.
"No Willy, I’m not taking calls this weekend, besides I had about three beers earlier. I have every confidence in you to do a good job. You did learn from the best after all." Harry smiled up at Desi as she padded out of the bathroom back to the bed. A line from an old Robin Williams concert Harry had seen popped into her head as the naked body curled back beside her. ‘One day you get home and while you were at work your wife got a visit from the titty fairy’, or something along those lines. They did look like they’d be a little uncomfortable to carry around, but that didn’t take away from how good Desi looked. Harry found the whole package adorable.
"Listen Willy, just go in there and order all the scans and tests you’ll need, Sally will help you out there, then prep for surgery. It’s that simple."
"Come on Dr. Harry, the kid’s only ten and someone hit him with a truck. I’m not asking you to scrub in, I’m just asking for a second opinion." William Franklin was one of Harry’s surgery fellows, and had been with her since the beginning of his surgical residency.
"All right I’ll meet you in the emergency room in twenty, so start those tests and put rushes on all of them." Desi let out a long sigh and hoped she could get some sleep wit
h Harry gone. "I’m sorry baby, but the kid’s only ten. I won’t be long, I promise."
"I’m not mad at you Harry. I just don’t sleep great when you’re not here, so hurry it up. And be careful," called Desi into the closet. She shook her head wondering what the little boy’s parents would think when they got a load of the young doctor in jeans and a t-shirt.
"What we have here Willy, is multiple fractures in the right leg, and a major fracture close to the left with knee complications. You need a pin here and here, then go in with the scope and clean all this up," said Harry pointing at the screen in front of them. The slow trickle of film was finally piecing the extent of the young boy’s injuries an hour later. "As soon as the scan of his head comes back, call Harold in neurology and have him take a look. Scrub up Willy, you got a long night ahead of you. I’ll stop and bring his parents up to speed before I head out. Call me if you run into any complications." The coffee in Harry’s hand tasted like someone had made it sometime last year, but it was keeping her alert. The events from the night before and earlier were finally starting to take their toll. The fact it was now two in the morning wasn’t helping any.
"Thanks Dr. Harry, I appreciate your input. Have a good night." William slapped her softly on the back. He, like many other, were grateful that Harry had decided to teach as well as carry a private practice. Harry was a hard taskmaster but once her students finished their rotations, they had the necessary skills and knowledge for almost every case they would ever encounter.
"He’ll be off his feet for about four months, but after that with no set backs, Bobby will be back to normal. Dr. Franklin will come out after he’s done and talk with you. I’ll have Sally come out here every hour or so if she can to let you know how it’s going. Do you have any questions?" asked Harry. The two solemn looking people shook their heads and continued to hold each other. "Ok then, just walk to the desk over there if you need something." Harry got up to find the ER nurse Sally standing right behind her. The older woman had waited for Harry to finish, and Harry could see she looked a little anxious.