Chapter Seven
Bethy nodded then she sighed hard and explained what she meant, “Yeah. My dad’s real last name is Matteo not Matthais.
I found this out when I found some papers in a drawer with that name on them.
And I think this Louise is related to my dad.
Apparently, he had to disappear for a while before he moved here.
He made a mistake many years ago and one of his bombs killed the wrong people.
I overheard them talking about this last night before I ran.
Louise’s dad told him to find a hole and crawl in until the cops weren’t looking for him anymore.
Then he told my dad that he would be free to make all the bombs he wanted to and he would be able to sell them and that way the money would keep coming and he would pay him when it was safe.
Apparently, his own brother kept all the money, leaving dad out here on his own.
My dad has been pissed about that all these years and when Louise showed up last night and they talked this out as she handed him a hell of a lot of money.
Money that was meant for him all along, or so she told him.
” She shook her head. “I think the only reason she did that was because her and Salvador needed a place to stay while the authorities are searching for them because of the bombs they set off. Then you got the fact that Salvador is looking for his dad and this swamp was the last place he was known to be.”
Shay growled then asked, “And your mom? Have you heard from her since he tossed her out?”
Bethy’s eyes filled with tears. “I think my mom didn’t just walk out on us.
.. he threw her out and told her she would never see me again.
He thought she betrayed him, but she never did.
She thought she was protecting me. The last day I saw her she was still trying to get past him to get to me.
I was ten years old and he hit her more than one time to get her to leave.
He finally knocked her unconscious then he dragged her off into the swamp.
When he came home hours later he was covered in blood but he never told me where she was or what happened to her.
” She paused then whispered, “I don’t think she’s ever coming back.
I think he killed her and buried her someplace in the swamp.
I also think she’s still here and haunting him.
Sometimes, he wakes up while screaming her name some nights.
” Shrugging she added, “Maybe that’s why he drinks so much.
He can’t bear to be sober and hear her screaming. ”
The room went silent.
All the Hogans looked angry.
Bethy looked around and then lowered her head as she trembled a bit with fear.
Tannin placed an arm around her shoulders. “No one’s mad at you, bae. We just get mad at losers who abuse people to elevate themselves.”
King growled from the bottom of his soul and his hands clenched into fists. “We do get angry at abuse and murder as well as we should. I want five minutes with that motherfucker,” he vowed quietly.
Shay shook his head. “Get in line, big guy. But before we can do anything, we have to catch him.” He looked around the room and instructed, “When my guys get here, we’ll start at the church then go from there. With their keys in the pond, I don’t think they’re going anywhere soon.”
Bethy shrugged. “There ain’t no cell service out by us either.
We are too far from any towers there. They would have to walk a long way before their phones would even pick up.
That was another thing Louise was bitching about last night.
” She shook her head and smirked. “And she isn’t the type to get herself out of bed before noon even on a good day.
Plus, she was up drinking until three this morning.
I think my dad was getting up to take a leak when he noticed I was gone or he never would have seen me running away this morning.
He was still drunk when he started yelling and following me.
” She sighed. “I’m not really surprised he never caught up with me.
He’s probably still stumbling around, looking for me. ”
Maudie came over and put her hand on Bethy’s shoulder. “Dat sounds like he was looking to stop you from getting away, not because he was worried bout you but he be worried you might tell someone there were other people around the place.”
Bethy nodded. “He might be but he doesn’t think anyone else knows who those people are or what they are doing here.” Shrugging, she said, “Most people don’t really care what’s going on beyond the edge of the swamp, at least that’s what he’s counting on.”
Colt nodded. “That’s true enough. We are simple people and we’re just trying to live a decent life here.”
Sonny snorted. “Cousin, you just got here.”
Colt nodded. “Yeah cousin, but we were only gone like four years. I’ve seen the world outside this swamp and you know what?
I liked coming home. Despite the trouble here, it’s a safer place here than out there.
But lately, this place is drawing the bad here.
Nothing we can’t handle, mind you but it’s a sad thing when trouble this bad follows us home. ”
Maudie snorted. “Sha, it didn’t follow you here, it’s been here all along.
Even life here has its own set of troubles.
We just have to deal with it sometimes and right now is one of those times.
Most of the time we live peacefully but lordy, sometimes we don’t.
And the times we don’t... well mais, that’s just bad people making trouble.
When dat happens, we take care of things in our own way. ”
“We got our own weaponry, the beast dogs and the gators to help us with the very worst.” Leeza snickered.
Rhetta nodded. “I’m thinking Shay should just cancel the troops and we have ourselves an old-fashioned Gator Gig.”
Shay leaned back in his chair and asked, “Do I wanna know what that is?”
“NO!” the entire group shouted the answer.
Everyone snickered now.
“It involves a winch, with a chain,” Sonny explained. “Then when the sun goes down...” He shrugged.
Boomer shivered as he knew right away. He’d seen that once when he was here. “Sometimes, I almost feel sorry for the idiots who mess with you.” He paused and added, “Almost...”
Shay agreed, “They think they can come here and mess this place up but you all teach them they can’t. Then when it’s all said and done, they find they can’t do a damn thing and this fact just seems impossible to them. And do you know why?”
King stared at him and then he smiled.
Shay just smiled back. “They can’t win against you because of the spirit inside this woman right here.
” He motioned to Maudie. “She’s got the spirit of this swamp inside her and she knows damn well the swamp will always protect her if she protects the swamp.
Maudie is much stronger than she realizes.
I’ve met many people over the years being what King called the ‘Everywhere Man.’ But I’ve never met a more kindhearted, warm, human being.
This swamp and all of you need her. I, for one, am happy to have even met her,” he paused then he looked up at King.
“Brother, I hope you always love and protect this woman because if you don’t, I have a feeling this swamp will eat you alive and spit out your bones, picked clean. ”
“Son, you don’t think I know my woman?” King growled.
“She loved me enough to wait fifteen years for me to finally remember my way home.” He looked around the kitchen.
“She built me a dang mansion to come back to. There were many nights I lay in the cold and dirty sand, dreaming of her and waiting till the day my work was done so I could come home and be back in her arms. And the day I did, she was here waiting for me. And I knew the minute she put her arms around me again that I came home for good. No way in hell am I ever leaving her. Never again, not for anything. You bet I’ll stand beside her, never behind or in front of her but right there beside her.
” Shaking his head he added, “Sometimes at night I have to wake myself up to listen to her breathing right there in my bed. If I can hear that, then I know everything in my world is alright.” He caught Shay’s eyes and stared at him while he said, “I will die for this woman and I would kill for her too. She’s mine in a way that only she knows and that suits me just fine.
And for as long as I live no one will ever hurt her. She is my queen.”
Everyone in the room had gone silent.
Tannin, Colt, Mickey, Ragan and Tiege all whispered at the same time, “Damn...”
His speech even got to Leeza, Rhetta and Rene. They all had to swipe tears away while showing their softer side.