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“Hey,” he answered, holding the smoke in his lungs.
“Hey yourself, I hope this isn’t rude.”
He released his breath, spitting a speck of weed off his tongue. “Nah. What you wanna know?”
“Well…here’s the thing. Not to plow you with my personal woes, but I’m ready for a change of scenery. I was raised and bred on a ranch full of boys and brothers, the only daughter. If I never see another steer as long as I live…well you know the saying.”
“Yeah.”
“Daddy’s got this thing in his head about me taking the business side over because I'm good with the numbers. But I sure don’t want dealings in cattle. Problem is, all my connections are ranch related so I figured I wouldn’t mind so much dabbling in the fashion side of it to get myself started in something. Not that I give a hoot n holler bout such things but a whole lot of people around here do, so, marketability and all.”
“Right, and those connections,” he added, sucking in another hit.
“Exactly. Thing is, Daddy’s one of them connections and his tether is a bit short and is rubbing more than my neck raw. If I’m gonna get out from under his hoof, I’m gonna need something he won’t refuse.”
“Who’s your Daddy?” he wondered, remembering they had contacts in that area. “We might know him through our bartering systems.”
She shot out a laugh. “I ain't never saw my daddy barter a single cent.”
“Pecan Gap. Believe we trade meat for mods.”
“Mods?”
“Modified vehicles. The Bishop’s eldest son owns Mods and Rods here in Breaux Bridge.”
“Holy Moly, I know Mods and Rods. Daddy got his Harley Electra Glide customized there!”
“And now you have a Bayou connection.”
“Well, I’ll be,” she muttered. “A small world, ain’t it?”
“That it is,” he said, releasing another hit of smoke as the sound of Mr. Pacey’s ride got there. “Hey, I got a patient leaving the hospital tonight,” he said standing. “I need to go see him off. I’ll call you for those coordinates before heading out tomorrow. Text if you have any more questions.”
“Well, you got a deal there, Dr. Swamp.”
“Alright, Texas Tegan.”
****
Ruckus could hardly wait for everybody to leave the room because what he needed to tell his son wasn’t anything he wanted other ears to hear.
The second the door shut, he did the other thing he’d been needing to do and grabbed his son, bear hugging the hell out of him. “You saved my life,” he whispered.
“How?” Samuel asked, his voice tight.
He set him before him, his pulse still hammering. “They took me, but you refused to let me go. I found a place in my mind they couldn’t reach but I also couldn’t get out. Maggie saw everything but I wasn’t sure she’d know what was happening.”
“She brought a notebook full of pictures. Mostly all of girls, many the same ones.”
“I saw the lady behind the white wall,” he said. “And Maggie and Beth, even Cherie.” He shook his head at seeing the worry on his face. “It’s not what you’re fearing. The reason they all looked alike is because they share the same kind of light. The lady behind the white wall knows Maggie and Beth from both abductions. She was around when both happened. She tried to help me but couldn’t without giving herself away.”
“Beth was the last picture. And then she suddenly came visit. I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence. Then she covered my hand, the one holding yours and it was clear to me why she was there.Shehad the power to bring you back, to call you back.”
“I heard her,” Ruckus whispered, still amazed. “When she screamed…”
Samuel nodded a lot. “Felt like an atomic bomb.”
“I knew something was different with her,” Ruckus said. “I’ve never felt any power that strong.”
