Bayou Sunset (Agents of HIS #4)

Chapter Thirty-Two

DAISY MAE’S PIERCING scream shattered the peaceful beach sounds, echoing across the inlet as her heart raced. Frozen in shock, she stood motionless, her eyes fixated on Steve and Alice, who were tumbling to the sand in the aftermath of a single gunshot. In that moment of confusion and dread, the question loomed large: which one of them had been shot?

As blood began to stain the sand, she felt herself on the verge of losing control. Even with one of them injured, Steve and Alice continued to struggle in their fight for the gun.

When Marie approached and attempted to separate Steve from Alice, Daisy Mae sprang into action. She leaped onto Marie’s back, vehemently trying to prevent her from getting involved in the altercation. As they tumbled backward, Daisy Mae briefly struggled before wriggling from under Marie. Both regained their footing at the exact moment.

Daisy Mae quickly glanced at Steve and Alice to ensure Steve was still distracted, then lunged at Marie. Caught off guard, Marie stumbled and fell onto the soft sand, leaving Daisy Mae with an opening to strike her with a powerful punch to the jaw.

Merde . Daisy Mae winced as shooting pain jolted up her arm, causing her to shake her hand to alleviate the discomfort. Gradually regaining her composure, she noticed Marie rising to her feet. The two opponents cautiously circled each other, focusing solely on the other, seemingly indifferent to the ongoing altercation nearby.

Daisy Mae urged, “Leave ’em be,” feeling torn between wanting to step in herself and trusting Steve to handle the situation. The knowledge that Alice had received training as a sheriff’s deputy and was skilled in combat made her uneasy, as she feared they might be evenly matched in a confrontation.

With determination in her voice, Marie squinted her eyes and said, “Sorry, chère . No can do.” Swiftly, she surged forward, and another shot echoed in the air.

Daisy Mae and Marie froze. Daisy Mae’s heart pounded as she waited to see who would emerge unscathed from the intense scuffle.

Steve rolled off Alice while groaning and clutching his side. Blood trickled through his fingers, adding to the tension of the moment.

Daisy Mae darted forward in pursuit of Alice, who’d regained her footing and ran, but Marie slyly extended her foot, causing Daisy Mae to stumble and fall face-first into the warm sand.

Before Daisy Mae could stand, Alice and Marie swiftly dashed toward the shore, heading for Marie’s boat. Reacting quickly, Daisy Mae sprang to her feet in hot pursuit of the pair, determined not to allow her so-called friends to leave the four stranded on the island. However, she heard Steve say, “Leave ’em be. I need ya help to stop da bleeding.”

She abruptly stopped and returned to him, tears welling in her eyes. Blood trickled down from his wounded leg and also stained his side, causing a sense of urgency and concern to grip her heart.

“Don’t worry, Rocket, da side be a scrape. Da leg needs attention, if you please.”

As Daisy Mae frantically worked to apply pressure to the wounds on both Steve’s side and leg, she heard the distinct sound of a boat’s motor slowly fading away into the distance. The sound made her heart sink as she realized that her so-called friends had fled with their only means of escape.

They discovered themselves stranded on a mysterious and unexplored island nestled within a scarcely traversed waterway deep within the bayou. Daisy Mae was left pondering their chances of being rescued. With no clear plan in mind, she couldn’t fathom how they would manage to rescue themselves.

After applying first aid to stop Steve’s bleeding, she untied her brothers and went to check on JP, who had regained consciousness. “I feel so foolish. I trusted ’em,” she lamented.

“It be okay,” JP said. “We did, too.”

JP pulled his cell phone, in a waterproof cover, from his pocket. “No bars.”

Daisy Mae furrowed her brow and inquired, “Now dat we be here, how are we gonna find a way to get home?”

At that exact moment, the sound of the approaching boat that had been getting closer to the island earlier suddenly ceased. She had assumed it was a rescuer coming to aid Marie and Alice, but now a creeping dread made her wonder if it was the same people returning to complete a sinister task. Fear gripped her as she contemplated the possible threat looming ahead.

Steve lay on his back, surrounded by the eerie silence of the deserted wilderness. He released a heavy sigh that echoed through the stillness. “It must be our rescue party,” he muttered with a tinge of hope in his voice despite the dire situation.

Daisy Mae, bewildered, gazed at him in disbelief. “How can ya be so sure, especially since no one even knows we be here?” she said, her concern growing as she approached him again. “Ya must be delirious from blood loss,” she added softly, her worry palpable.

“Trust me.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, nestled in a waterproof cover. That didn’t phase Daisy Mae because they had no signal.

“Bat signal,” Steve said and then promptly passed out.

Daisy Mae hurried back to Steve's side, panic evident in her voice. “Help me, JP and Pierre. We need to find a place to hide from dis new threat.”

JP hesitated, considering the possibility. “What if it be a rescue party?” he asked as he stepped forward to assist in moving the unconscious Steve.

Her voice trembled with fear as she exclaimed, “How dat be possible? No one knows we be here ’cept Marie and Alice. Dey might have dispatched someone to come and eliminate us. ’Member, dat bateau was already headed to da island. It must’ve spotted deir bateau . Why did dey not turn around? Why did dey come here? I tell you, we must find a place to hide.”

JP and Pierre swiftly gathered Steve, and together, they made their way to a patch of dense brush near the inlet to conceal themselves. After that, Daisy Mae grabbed a piece of vegetation to cover the blood and hide their tracks before seeking cover with the rest of the group.

The island was shrouded in an eerie silence devoid of animal noises or footsteps. Daisy Mae couldn’t shake the feeling that someone might be waiting at the boat for her and the others to reach the shore. She was riddled with anxiety over her choice to conceal herself and pondered the uncertain events that lay ahead.

They waited for what felt like forever. Right when Daisy Mae had been about to say that one of them should go to the shore and see what was happening, two women emerged from the trail, rifles raised, surveying the area.

“They’re not here,” one said as she lowered her weapon.

The other searched the area. “They’ve been here. Look how they tried to cover the blood.”

Just at that moment, Steve let out a pained groan as the woman swiftly advanced in their direction, brandishing their weapons. Daisy Mae felt a sinking feeling of dread as she realized they were in serious trouble and could not defend themselves. The only glimmer of hope she had was that Shelly was not one of them. At least one of her friends hadn’t turned their back on her.

“Come out,” the taller woman directed. “With your hands where we can see them.”