Chapter Ten
Jadyn trudged behind Colt as they left another empty camp behind them. Daylight was fading quickly, and she knew they didn’t have time for much more searching.
“Maybe we could use flashlights and keep going,” she suggested.
Colt stopped and looked at the sun sinking over the line of cypress trees. “I’ve thought about it. We could, but we might miss signs of recent entry using only flashlights.”
“True, but at least we’d know if the camps were empty. Most of them had electricity.”
“Most of the ones we saw today did, but our next group moves us farther into the swamp and that area doesn’t have power. The owners use generators for electricity, but they usually take them with them when they leave to avoid theft. I guess I should have planned better and had us start with those first.”
“No second-guessing yourself now. Besides, we both agreed it made more sense to start with camps nearest where you found the car.”
He nodded and glanced once more at the disappearing sun. “If you don’t have a problem with the conditions, I wouldn’t mind checking out more.”
“I definitely don’t mind. If we see anything suspicious, we can always recheck that location tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” He stepped into the boat and fished two flashlights out from the seat storage. Jadyn clutched the flashlight and took a seat. It was the right thing to do, continuing their search as long as they were alert enough to do so, but it was also more dangerous. Once the sun went down, the traffic on the bayou would dwindle down to only the die-hard midnight fishermen, and without the general buzz of local boats, someone would be able to hear their boat coming from miles away.
Whoever was brave enough to kidnap a federal agent wouldn’t have any trouble opening fire on local law enforcement.
“That was the last camp in this section,” Colt said. “We need to backtrack a bit to get farther east, but with any luck, we’ll be able to check everything else west of the pond tonight.”
Jadyn nodded and settled in for the ride. Based on what she’d gleaned from the maps, it would take a good ten minutes to wind out of the area they were in and get to where the next section of camps started. Ten minutes for her to consider everything that could possibly go wrong with this plan. She shook her head. What she needed to do was shift her focus to something that could occupy her mind but not stress her out.
Like Helena Henry.
She couldn’t even imagine what all had transpired between Helena and the FBI agents, and God help her, she was dying to know. The fact that Helena had left Maryse behind worried her a bit, but if anyone could traverse the bayou without being sighted it was Maryse. Worst case, Ross detained her and would have to let her go. After all, he could hardly arrest her for being on her own property.
Colt slowed the boat and Jadyn peered into the dim light at the bank, barely making out the outline of a camp about twenty feet from the pier.
“This one belongs to your boyfriend Bart. He inherited it from his father.”
Jadyn threw her hands up. “Why does everyone keep calling him my boyfriend?”
“It’s kinda obvious he’s got a thing for you.”
“Well, the thing has to run both ways or it doesn’t equal a relationship. I barely know the man.”
Colt smiled. “A picky woman. I would never have guessed.”
He looked way too smug about Jadyn’s denial of interest, which irritated her. “What does Bart do, anyway?” she asked, knowing her interest in the other man would take some of the wind out of his sails.
The smile disappeared. “Construction. He’s a master welder and they’re in high demand with all the rebuilding after Katrina.”
“A master welder…so I guess that means he’s good at it?”
Colt nodded, although he didn’t look overly pleased about it. “The best I’ve ever seen except for his father.”
One of the boards on the pier sagged beneath her and she shook her head. “I guess the skill set doesn’t transfer to wood.”
“No, that’s the rule of professions—what you do at your job, you avoid at home, so I imagine most structures around Bart are falling apart.”
“That’s so true. My uncle is a plumber and refused to fix the leak in his bathroom. One night while my aunt was taking a bath, the tub fell straight through the floor and into the crawl space.”
Colt laughed. “Talk about being literally being in hot water.”
“Oh, she still uses it to get her way, and that was well over ten years ago.”
“I suppose there’s no statute of limitations on having to crawl back into the house from your own bath.”
Jadyn grinned. “I suppose not.”
As they walked up the equally saggy steps to the front porch, Jadyn hoped the weak wood held long enough for them to get in and out. The door was unlocked, as most of the others had been, but with no electricity at the remote camps, except for the stream from their flashlights, they were staring into darkness.
Jadyn shone her light across the room, trying to get a feel for the layout. A kitchenette, of sorts, stretched across the back wall with a tiny table and two chairs in front of it. The wall to the right held an ancient television with an even older couch in front of it. The wall to the left contained a double bed. The entire space couldn’t have been more than twenty feet square.
“This one won’t take long,” she said and followed Colt inside.
Colt pointed to a door in the middle of the wall on the left. “I’ll check out the bathroom. Start canvassing on the right.”
“Yep,” she said and moved to the right, shining her light on the floor.
She couldn’t see any signs of recent passage, but then the tattered rug that covered the living area was light tan and already covered with dirt. It would be impossible to determine if the footprints had been made recently or a month ago. She continued forward, shining her light across the wall with the television, and then moved to the couch.
It was covered in dark gray corduroy, a style that hadn’t been popular in Bart’s lifetime, so she assumed it came with the inherited camp. As her light panned over the far armrest, she took a step forward, ready to move into the kitchen area, but then she stopped.
Out of the corner of her eye, she’d seen something that didn’t fit. She backed up and leaned over the couch, slowly shining her light over every square inch, trying to locate what had caught her attention. On the inside edge of the armrest she saw it—a darker spot in the fabric. She touched it with her finger, but whatever it was, it was dry.
“You got something?” Colt asked as he exited the bathroom.
“I’m not sure. This could be blood, but it’s dried.”
“It doesn’t take blood long to dry, especially in this heat.”
He stepped beside her and rubbed his finger on the dark spot. “It’s flaking off a bit. If it has been here for a while, it probably would have flaked off before now, especially with Bart and who knows who else occupying the couch.”
“Can we get a good sample from the flakes?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m not going to take any chances.” He pulled out a pocketknife and cut a section of the fabric off the armrest, then folded it with the stain on the inside and slipped the entire thing into his front pocket.
“Won’t Bart be mad about his couch?”
Colt reached for a roll of duct tape that was on top of the television and taped the hole in the couch. “There. All fixed.”
Jadyn shook her head. “That’s not exactly quality patchwork.”
“Nonsense,” he said and shone his flashlight on the opposite armrest. “Now they match.”
Jadyn glanced at the other duct-taped armrest and smiled. “It’s sorta nice living in a town where the keeping-up-appearances standards are so low.”
“Welcome to Mudbug.”
Jadyn laughed and moved to the kitchenette while Colt checked the sleeping area.
“Nothing,” she said.
“Here either. Let’s roll.”
They exited the camp and headed back to the pier. What little sunlight had remained when they entered the camp was completely gone now, and the pitch-black swamp had come alive with the sounds of the night creatures. Something croaked as they stepped onto the pier and Jadyn drew up short, shining her light across the water.
“Was that a frog or a gator?” she asked.
“Bullfrog. Gators have a much louder rumble. One that you can almost feel, if that makes any sense.”
“Yeah. I haven’t been out here to work at night yet. I was waiting until I knew my way around a bit better, but I need to be able to identify the sounds.”
“That’s a good idea. Most of your work will happen or can be put off until daylight hours, but you never know when you will have to venture out at night. Sometimes we get a kid who doesn’t listen to his parents and wanders off into the swamp.”
“Ugh. I hadn’t even thought about that.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds—from your end anyway. The town pulls together on that sort of thing, so there’s never any shortage of volunteers. All of them know these swamps like their own backyard, and we never travel in singles. Not at night.”
Colt stepped into the boat and moved to the steering column. As Jadyn started to step in beside him, a gunshot ripped through the night air and a split second later, she heard a bullet whiz by her head.
Immediately, she jumped off the side of the pier opposite the shot, and sank up to her chest in the shallow water and mud. The gun fired again and she heard a large splash on the opposite side of the pier.
Colt!
A burst of panic raced through her as she worried that the shooter had hit his mark this time. She crouched behind one of the huge pylons and peered under the pier, trying to see something in the inky dark. She’d dropped her flashlight when she jumped—not that it would have done her any good soaking wet, and it would have given away her position—but she still felt more vulnerable without it. Her gun was still strapped to her waist, but the rounds were saturated and useless.
Bottom line—she was trapped.
She felt something bump against her leg and barely stifled a scream. What if that sound hadn’t been a bullfrog after all? She’d seen the boat’s spotlight reflecting off gators’ eyes on the way to Bart’s camp, the number increasing as they wound deeper and deeper into the swamp. Could she risk leaving the water? What if the shooter had a night vision scope? A second later, the water erupted and something large burst through the surface right next to her.
Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth and Colt said, “It’s me.”
Relief rushed through her so strongly that she felt slightly weak. She clutched the pylon to keep her balance with one arm and wiped the water from her eyes with her free hand.
“Were you shot?” she asked.
“No. I dove just as the second round came. It’s a good thing. I think he would have gotten me.”
“Can you tell where he is?”
“Not for certain, but based on the direction of the shot, I’d say down the bayou to the right.”
“Where he can sit calm and wait,” Jadyn said. “We’re totally screwed. There’s nothing to stop him from paddling right on top of us and we’d never see him coming.”
“We’d hear him, but yeah, it’s not optimal.” He peered under the dock. “My rifle is on the side of the boat next to the steering column. I have enough room to maneuver under the pier without getting it wet.”
“It’s too dangerous. He’s got to have some sort of night vision to make those shots. He’ll see you reach over the side.”
“We don’t have another choice,” he said and ducked down under the pier.
Jadyn crouched lower, trying to watch his progress, but she may as well have been looking into a black hole. The sounds of lightly splashing water were the only indication she had of his passage. It felt like forever, but finally, she heard a thump, probably Colt grabbing hold of the side of the boat. She closed her eyes and said a prayer that the shooter didn’t see him reach for the gun, but before she could even finish the thought, another gunshot blasted through the silence.
Involuntarily, she ducked lower and squeezed more tightly behind the pylon. Had Colt been hit? Without knowing how close the shooter was, did she dare call out?
Taking a chance, she whispered, “Colt?”
Only the sounds of swamp creatures answered her. “Colt?” she whispered a bit louder.
Again, no response.
Should she go look for him? The tide was going out. If he was unconscious, he’d be swept away from the dock and then impossible to find. Before she could change her mind, she ducked under the pier, but before she could take a step, her face slammed into something hard.
“Jesus,” Colt said. “What are you doing here?”
“I was afraid you’d been shot.”
“Damned close. The bullet grazed my arm as I was pulling the rifle over the side of the boat. Did I hit you?”
Jadyn rubbed her throbbing nose. “Yeah, but I’ll live.”
“Then let’s get this show on the road before he moves closer. He can’t be far away.”
They slid out from under the pier and Colt crept up the bank until he could balance the rifle across the pier.
“Come as close as you can without exposing yourself,” he said. “I’m going to fire in the direction I think he’s in. I don’t expect to hit him, but I’m hoping to scare him enough to leave. If you hear his boat fire up, then run for the camp.”
“And if there’s two of them?” One could easily reposition the boat while the other kept watch for any sign of movement.
“Yeah, I’m not willing to consider that.”
“Okay.” Jadyn wasn’t thrilled with the thought either. What he suggested was very dangerous, but they couldn’t stay where they were. If the shooter didn’t get them, something even worse was likely to.
“Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’m getting.” She moved to the side of Colt, crouched a bit in the shallow water, hoping her feet didn’t sink too far into the clingy mud.
She heard Colt chamber a round and tensed, ready to spring. A couple seconds later, the shot boomed from the rifle, causing her ears to ring. Right after, a boat engine fired up down the bayou. She listened for a second as the sound got farther away.
“Go!” Colt said.
She sprang out of the water, her thighs straining to pull her feet from the thick bayou mud. When they finally pulled free, she stumbled up the bank, regaining her balance as she continued running full speed ahead. She took the steps to the camp two at a time, praying that none of the rotted wood broke underneath her, and raced across the porch and into the camp. As she slammed the door shut, another gunshot rang out.
Immediately, she bolted to the front window and peered outside, but in the dark, she couldn’t see a thing. Had the shooter circled back? Had he gotten off a lucky shot?
Clutching the rough wood of the windowsill, she strained to see or hear something. Her pulse increased with every passing second until she thought her heart would burst. It’s been too long, she thought. If the shooter had left, Colt would have made it to the camp by now.
She scampered back to the door, then crouched down, ready to sneak back into the dark and find Colt, but before she took the first step, the door flew open and Colt ran inside. She bolted upright as he flew by her, flinging the door shut. She reached for the lock and twisted it into place, although the flimsy metal on the thin door wouldn’t be much of a restraint against anyone insistent on getting through.
“Are you all right?” Jadyn asked.
The tiniest bit of moonlight streamed in through the back windows of the camp, making it possible for her to make out his shadow, but nothing more.
“Twisted my ankle a bit coming up the bank, but it’s nothing serious. Nothing compared to what could have happened.”
“Is he gone?”
“For now, but we can’t assume he won’t come back. Let’s try to find a light source and some first aid for my arm, then we need to get this salt water off our guns. We may need them.”
Jadyn followed him to the kitchenette and felt inside drawers and cabinets. Her hand locked onto a round object in one of the drawers and she drew it out. Inching her fingers up the object, she located the power switch and prayed that Bart kept working batteries in it. She pushed the switch on and a burst of light shot through the small room.
“Direct it at the floor,” Colt said. “We need light, but I don’t want anyone to pinpoint our location from outside. We should try to find something to cover the front windows. Dark blankets, towels…anything that would help block the light.”
Jadyn pointed the flashlight down and toward the sleeping area. The bedspread was dark navy and worked well to cover one of the front windows. After a bit of digging in a storage trunk next to the bed, she managed to come up with two more blankets, both dark brown. Colt hung them over the remaining front window and the one in the rear of the camp.
As soon as Colt covered the back window, she hurried into the bathroom and dug in the medicine cabinet for peroxide and bandages. Bart didn’t have any stitching supplies, so she hoped that Colt’s bullet nick was something the bandages could hold until he could get to the doctor.
She hurried back out into the main room and sat the flashlight in the middle of the camp, pointed up at the ceiling. The light cast a dim glow over the entire room. Colt had one of the blankets pulled back and was peering out the front window when she came out of the bathroom.
“Can you see anything?” she asked.
“No, but what little moonlight there is only appears for a couple of seconds before disappearing behind clouds again. Unless the timing was right, he could walk all the way up to the camp without my seeing him.”
“But we’d hear him.”
“Yeah, we’d definitely hear him, assuming he tries to get into the camp.”
“You don’t think he will?”
He dropped the blanket back in place and shrugged. “Nothing is impossible, but it would be foolish. All he has to do is sit across the bayou and pick us off when we exit the camp.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” She put the supplies on the kitchen table, fighting the feeling that the entire camp was closing in on her.
He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m not saying that’s what he’s going to do. Maybe we surprised someone who was up to no good, and he took the opportunity to fire at us.”
“You’re saying it might not even be related to Raissa?”
He nodded. “It could be a poacher, a boat thief, someone who broke into this camp and bled on the couch. Plenty of stuff goes on out here that people don’t want the game warden and the sheriff to know about.”
“Yeah, but how many of them think killing law enforcement is a viable answer to their problem?”
He sighed. “Not many, I hope, but I’m betting the real answer would depress us both.”
“Then how about we save that discussion to have over a beer at Bill’s Bar?”
“Sounds good to me.” He lifted his left arm up and tried to look at the back of it. “This is the one that got nicked.”
She pushed his arm up a bit and saw the streak of dried blood. “Hold on a second.” She grabbed a rag and wet it, then carefully wiped his arm until she exposed the injury.
“It’s not bad,” she said. “I didn’t figure because it had stopped bleeding already. Just let me clean it out. All it needs is a bandage and lucky for us Bart stocked the waterproof kind, but I hope your tetanus shot is up to date.”
“Working in the swamps without a viable tetanus shot would be akin to walking in an Alaskan blizzard wearing only your underwear.”
An instant vision of Colt walking in a blizzard, wearing only his underwear, flashed through her mind, and she felt a blush run up her face. Horrified at her complete lapse from reality and relieved that he wouldn’t be able to see her blush in the dim light, she gave a nervous laugh and reached for the peroxide and cotton balls.
“This won’t take a minute,” she said as she cleaned the wound. “So what is the plan? Wait until tomorrow morning, then leave? It’s less of a risk in the daylight, right?”
“Yeah, but there’s a small problem with that plan.”
Jadyn froze, already certain she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “What problem?”
“That last shot hit the side of the boat. It was sinking fast when I ran for the camp.”