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Luc couldn’t wait to pick Marcel’s brain. After finding the lost treasure in the Sugar Lodge years ago, he wondered if there wasn’t more treasure hidden on some of their islands. Instead of following the path of the Mississippi River, they took their own route through Robicheaux lands until they were near the location just north of Venice. Working their way through Barataria Bay, they finally saw the stranded ship.
“Put stealth mode on,” whispered Miller. Max nodded, pressing the newly created stealth mode for the boats. It was similar to the one on the planes, but this ensured that the engines didn’t create any wake behind the vessel.
“This is a remarkable ship,” nodded Marcel. “It would have served me well while transporting merchandise past pirates and the law alike.”
“Were you transporting illegal goods?” frowned Gaspar.
“No. But the law back then wanted their cut of whatever you were carrying. Remember, it was based off Napoleonic law. Everyone believed they were entitled to a piece of the pie.” The others nodded, realizing how good he must have been in his former job. “There. Do you see up ahead? I’m surprised it hasn’t sunken completely. It must have hit a sandbar and is somehow wedged in place. All the hurricanes and storms. I can’t believe it hasn’t ripped it apart.”
“I thought that it was one of Couvillion’s ships?” asked Miller.
“It is. One of his great-grandfather’s. That is an Orion fighting vessel. She would have had fourteen guns on her at one time. I believe the elder Couvillion sold them. That is the sister ship that rammed me and sunk my vessel.”
“That ship!” gasped Baptiste. “That ship has been sitting like that for two hundred years, and no one has claimed it or tried to recover any treasure.”
“Remarkable. But the Couvillion men have guarded it well. Which begs the question. What is on that ship?” asked Gaspar.
They watched in silence as two late-model windowless vans pulled up to the rickety dock. Young men, boys really, who didn’t appear to look any older than seventeen or eighteen, began to unload the televisions and other stolen merchandise.
“Those are just kids,” frowned Miller.
“Maybe, but they’re kids who’ve stolen merchandise. Look. That must be Tolbert sitting on the deck of the boat. Does he look familiar to you?”
“Sort of, but I’m not sure from where,” said Antoine. “Didn’t we have a case with a guy named Tolbert?”
“Brother, we’ve had more cases than my brain can wrap around,” said Luc, shaking his head. “Pigsty? You there?”
“That’s a stupid question.”
“Right, sorry. Didn’t we have a case with a guy named Tolbert?”
“Yep. We disposed of him.”
“Did he have a son?” asked Luc.
“No, but he had a much younger brother. I have him as living in South Dakota, but maybe he came down here to pick up where his brother left off.”
“Get the kids away from the boat,” said Nine. “Max? You and Angel board on the starboard side. Gaspar and I will take the leeward side. The rest of you clear the kids, cuff ‘em if you can, but try not to kill them. They’re still just kids.”
“Do you often kill children?” frowned Marcel. Gabe laughed, shaking his head.
“No, brother. Not until we’re forced to.”
“Brother? He understands that we are not brothers, right?”
“You have a lot to learn, Marcel.”
“Get everything unloaded!” yelled Tolbert. “We need to get all this shit ready for sale. It’s holiday shopping time, kids.” He laughed as the boys brought the merchandise on board the doomed ship. Too bad Couvillion’s ancestor wasn’t a better sailor. The ship was well-made and could have lasted another hundred years had he taken care of it.
“Jordan? Where’s the shit from the storage units? Did you find it?”
“It’s gone. We looked everywhere, and we couldn’t find it. The kid is protected now, and we can’t touch him.”
“Protected by who?” he asked, narrowing his gaze.
“Dunno. Some big dudes that bought all those shacks.”
“Fuck!” he screamed. The boys stopped, then slowly began moving the merchandise again. “That means they know. They know, and we’re sitting ducks. Get that shit on board now!”
