Ghostwalker 03 - Night Game

pole between the deck and the cabin.

    “Vicq Comeaux,” Raoul said, keeping his voice only to her. “It started to rain so he decided to forget fishing.”

    “He’s not alone with her,” Flame said, her stomach beginning to knot up. She could hear inside the cabin now. The low cries of a female voice, the slap of something against flesh.
    The pleading and sobbing that followed. She quickened her pace. “I can hear other voices.”

    “Don’ go getting yourself killed, cher . We want them all together. It will be easier that way.” He caught her arm. “Someone’s coming out.”

    The door to the cabin opened and Vicq Comeaux shoved James Parsons out. James teetered and nearly fell. “Get the hell out of here before you end up gator bait,” Vicq yelled.

    “You wouldn’t even have her if it wasn’t for me,” James snapped.

    Gator signaled Flame forward, out of the water and she went in low, allowing the water, even the shallows, to creep up to her neck so she slithered out on her belly. She began to crab crawl up the slope toward the side of the cabin using a slow, steady movement designed not to draw the eye or move the foliage around her too much.

    She heard the call of a bird. A second one answered. A bullfrog croaked. The men were in place. It was up to her to get inside and protect Joy.

    “You sniveling piece of city boy shit. You wouldn’t have the balls to grab a woman. Carl took her, just like he took the last one. The only reason you were let in on it was to get your pappy offa Saunders’s back. That’s the only thing you’re good for and we already got the tapes, so as far as I’m concerned if you turn up dead, nobody’s gonna care one way or the other.” Vicq took a step to ward him and James backpedaled, misstepped and tumbled into the shallow water.

    Gator immediately sank beneath the surface of the water and headed toward James. Vicq burst out laughing, slapping his knee as he watched James trying to regain his footing in the soft muck on the bottom.

    Flame crept up to the window. The cracked glass was coated with years of grime, making it nearly impossible to see into the room. An old piece of burlap hung inside, at one time intended perhaps to block the light, hut it was ragged with age and torn almost in half. Moving around to the back of the cabin she discovered a much smaller window.
    One flimsy strip of board slashed across the open space at the back. There was no glass.
    It wasn’t going to be easy with a broken arm, but she would endure anything to make it into that cabin and protect Joy.

    Looking inside, Flame could see a bed directly under the window. Joy was standing, both hands tied above her head to a hook hanging from the ceiling. Her body was covered in bruises and welts.

    “Don’t look up, Joy.” Flame sent her voice directly to the woman. “I’m a friend of Nonny Fontenot. She sent me here to get you out.” She wiggled the board free, and tossed it behind her before jumping up to catch the windowsill with her good arm.

    Joy frantically nodded her head toward the door several times, obviously fearful that Vicq and James would return.

    Flame was grateful for her physical enhancements, which enabled her to pull herself up so she could wiggle through the small opening. She had to go in headfirst, but she landed on the bed and somersaulted onto the floor in a crouch, knife already drawn. A jolt of pain ran through her arm and crashed through her body. Breathing deep to ride it out, she took a quick sweep of the cabin, noting there was only the one door.

    A butcher knife lay on the counter alongside several stacks of dirty dishes. Flame stepped over a long thick staff and reached up to cut through the leather ties binding Joy’s hands to the hook.

    Joy crumpled to the floor, her legs unable to support her. Flame reached down to her, grasping her shoulders when the cabin shook slightly, and she knew immediately Raoul was warning her.

    Vicq Comeaux stepped inside and quietly closed the door, a huge grin spreading over his face. “Nothing I like better than to see two women on their knees in front of me. Go ahead and touch the bitch, everyone else does.”

    Flame’s eyes widened. She started to stutter an apology, standing, backpedaling—
    drawing him to her. Vicq stalked her across the small room, toeing Joy out of his way to get to Flame. Flame went for the helpless look, cradling her broken arm, making herself look even smaller until Vicq