Chapter Ten
King chuckled and said, “Boom has two volumes...Loud and Louder.”
Everyone laughed.
Selene seemed startled again but this was because of the sound of loud laughter. Confused, she looked around.
King saw her confusion. “We all get along and we are all family. Even Boomer,” he added.
Boomer rolled his eyes.
More snickers.
“But he isn’t related to you, is he?” Selene asked. “I’ve seen him but only in the last six months.”
Boomer nodded at her. “Some of my men are with or married to the Hogan women and another one of the swamp queens as they now call themselves. Montana and Leeza, Rhetta and Repo. Then Renee and Typhoon. Capone is married to Jilly.”
“And Boomer is my father,” Reecie told Selene.
Boomer slowly looked over at Reecie and he smiled a bit. “Best thing that ever happened to me.”
They all waited for any argument from him but he just smiled. Seems Boomer had learned to handle himself a lot better.
Selene stared at Reecie. “You were living on the other side of my area. But holy swamp grass, you are good at hiding,” she added.
“You were watching me?” Reecie asked. “Mais pourquoi?” But why?
“Because I watch everyone,” Selene replied as the room got quiet.
“You had no one, little Selene,” Maudie told her. “So I can understand you doing that.”
“It was also because there were so many bad ones coming here,” Selene explained.
“I never seen it like that before. In the last two years, you have captured so many nasty people. Grandma made me promise to be on the lookout for myself. Be watchful, she said. She worried about what would happen to me after she died.”
“But you learned how to take care of yourself, oui? Being alone is not easy, vous comprenez?” Reecie said. “I did the same.”
“You are the girl that is so good at using a bow,” Selene stated in awe as she stared at Reecie. “That man was going to kill Sonny Hogan and I saw it when...” Her voice faded away.
“Weh, I got him. He was about to kill my man.” Her eyes met Sonny’s.
He took her hand into his and kissed her knuckles. “I am a lucky man.”
“He took three arrows in the back and he deserved it,” Selene said as she nodded. “I was gonna back you up with my rifle but I believed you were good enough to stop him.” She looked around. “There were other girls there too. The Hogan girls and the dogs.”
“You’ve seen the dogs?” Leeza asked.
“Yes, I know them all very well.” Selene smiled for the first time since she arrived.
Rene, Rhetta and Leeza stared at her.
She looked troubled by the stares they were giving her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to...”
“I think they are just amazed, Selene,” King explained. “Those dogs do not befriend people.”
“No, they don’t.” Colt nodded. “They tend to eat people.”
“They are my only friends.” Selene nodded.
The girls kept staring at her as they looked stunned.
“Our dogs were trained to...” Rhetta paused and shook her head. “Track, hunt and even kill. They only come to us when we use the known signals. Ain’t no one out dere that they kin to, ‘cept for us.”
Selene looked upset at the edge in her voice. “I-I never thought...”
“Selene is not just anyone, girls,” Maudie cut in with her explanation. “And those dogs know it. They know she’s a kind soul and wouldn’t hurt them.”
Reecie agreed, “They are special canines and they know she is a pure soul. Un ange.” An angel.
Selene stared at Maudie then at Reecie. She couldn't believe what they were saying about her.
“So, you have been watching people in the swamps for a long time,” King concluded.
“Yes and I was watching when you returned,” Selene told him. “I thought Ms. Maudie was gonna boot you back out.”
Chuckles went around the table.
“You knew about that?” King took his turn in shock town.
Nodding, she added “I know ole blue too. And he was a special guest at your weddings.”
The table full of people again had their startled looking gazes on her.
“I bet he did not befriend you, though did he?” Boomer asked her with a teasing grin.
Selene paused at the question and replied, “He likes his snout to be rubbed and he loves skinned chickens.”
“What in the...?” Clive spoke up as he stared at her in disbelief. “You mean to tell me that mean ole gator lets you pet him?”
Nodding, Selene went on, “The day he got old Herman Pope was a good day. That war was too long in the making. Poor Blue. Now he’s got young’uns all over the swamp.” She smiled.
“So, you grew up watching all of us?” Harry asked her.
She nodded. “I sort of watched and listened so I wouldn’t feel so... alone.”
“But you never came forward?” Mickey asked her.
“I almost did.” Selene shrugged. “There were a few times when I was going to get um... involved and help you all but I was always afraid that you would chase me down and kill me.”
“Why would we EVER do that?” Mickey exclaimed in shock.
“Because I am scary when you see me at first. Like the She-beast.”
The room went totally silent once again.
“You saw her?” King asked.
Nodding, Selene shivered. “I didn’t realize that she was that bad woman from the castle. Not till days later. But I did see you all hunting her.”
Mickey shook his head. “We weren’t here back then, but from the video Clive showed me that woman was bloodthirsty and hideous.”
Nodding, Selene said, “Yes, she was different from all of us. Half animal, half human. She would howl like a coyote then act like a gator. I had never seen anyone like her before. It wasn’t until later that I realized she was bloodthirsty and a killer. So you all had to stop her.”
“But before that, you believed we were hunting her because she was different?” Boomer asked.
Lowering her head, Selene admitted to it, “I did, so I was scared for a while.”
Mickey reached over and took her hand in his. “For one thing, you are not hideous. You are beautiful. Like the goddess your grandmother named you after. You are also very smart. Geeze Selene, you are special, not hideous.”
Selene slowly raised her head and stared at him in astonishment. “You think that...” She shook her head. “...I am special?”
“I do,” Mickey replied. “And no one here will ever lay a hand on you.”
Boomer spoke up and interrupted her shock, “When you were listening to Jude and Jasmine, did you hear anything that we should know?”
“Yes, that’s why I talked to...Mickey,” she said his name softly. “I watched him for weeks before I talked to him. Funny thing was I think he knew I was watching him. And let me tell you all. No one ever knew I did that before Mickey came here.”
“And what did you need to tell us today?” King asked.
“It is real bad. That is why I came here now. When Jude and that awful woman were at my cabin this morning. They were there to kill me. I heard them talking as they searched my place. They said it was because I might know they were here in the swamps. My place isn’t far from where they are staying.
” She looked over at Maudie. “So, I was in danger, like you said. But that’s not the bad part.
When I was watching them at my place I heard them say that they were going to ...
” She slowly shook her head and whispered the words, “Blow up the Saints.”
They all stared at her.
A few of the Hogan men actually gasped.
“Saints?” Boomer asked. “What does that mean?”
“The New Orleans football team?” Tannin asked.
Nodding, Selene shivered. “The stadium. Something about Jude getting funds from the federal government? After the event is on the news as a terrorist strike.”
“Holy shit!” Boomer yelled as he stood from his chair and it fell to the floor.