FBI Agent Jade Monroe: Live or Die 01-Blood in the Bayou

by Sutter, C M

  “Who’s there?”

  “My name is Sally. Troy kidnapped me and beat me into unconsciousness. I was tied to this tree all night, but I escaped just before dawn. I’ve been hiding in the swamp, and when he left earlier, I started working my way back to the house. I prayed there would be a phone inside. I was getting close, but then he returned. I saw what he was doing to you and hid again. Where do you think he went?”

  “I don’t know where anyone is, but I need you to untie me and fast. I’m an FBI agent, and we have to get the hell out of here. Please, hurry!” Just then, a gunshot rang out. “Oh my God! Please, get these ropes off of me!”

  “I’m scared!”

  “I am, too, Sally, but damn it, you need to get these ropes off of me now. I can protect you but only if we’re both free!”

  Sally worked frantically on the ropes while I kept my eyes peeled for Bob to return. Seconds later, I heard another gunshot then silence.

  “Hurry!”

  “Okay, your hands are free. Let’s get your legs.”

  My head throbbed as I knelt over to untie the ropes from my ankles. That was my first look at Sally, and by her appearance, Bob had worked her over badly. She was lucky to be alive.

  Free from my restraints, I saw the hammer still lying in the dirt. I picked it up and led the way.

  “Come on, Sally. Run like your life depends on it because it does. He has my gun and probably plenty more. We’ve got nothing but our wits. Don’t get too close to the water, though. As far as I know, gators don’t wander inland too far, but there’s still snakes and wild hogs. Watch every step you take, but you have to keep right at my side, and we have to run until our lungs ache.”

  As I thought about the property layout and the location of the driveway, I knew the road had to be on our left. We would run straight for a while then veer in that direction. I didn’t want to be anywhere close to Bob’s driveway or give him the opportunity to see us running through the woods from the upper floor of his house. My mind raced as we ran. I remembered Bob bragging about being a great hunter and tracker and wondered how true that was. He’d left me alone at the tree for quite a while as he built that fire, but then he’d disappeared, and within minutes, the gunshot rang out and, seconds after, another. He either saw or heard something that raised his suspicions. I hoped to God law enforcement had arrived, but at the same time, I hoped they hadn’t. If those shots I’d heard were aimed at unsuspecting targets, then it, or they, were probably dead, just like Stillman.

  “Okay, let’s stop for a second and catch our breath.” I looked down and saw Sally’s bloody foot. “What the hell happened to your shoe?”

  “I lost it this morning in the mud and couldn’t find it again. It was still dark outside.”

  “Here,” I whispered. I took off my shoe and gave it to her. “You need it more than I do right now.” I put my finger to my mouth then cocked my ear. I didn’t hear anything yet—no twigs snapping or anyone running through the woods. That told me there was a chance that Bob hadn’t noticed I was gone yet. “Okay, come on. We still have to get farther away before we cut over to the road.”

  “What if he’s driving back and forth and sees us?”

  “We’ll stay in the woods but close enough to be parallel to the road. I know Bob’s truck, and if I see it, we’ll duck down.”

  “He said his name was Troy.”

  “I know, honey, but he’s probably given a fake name to everyone he’s abducted. Come on. We have to keep moving.”

  We continued on, and I heard Bob yell out. He’d discovered that I was gone. My heart pounded, and I knew he would be even more dangerous if he caught up to us. No matter what, I couldn’t let him know that Sally was still alive.

  “Jade, oh, Jade. Where the hell are you? You know as soon as I locate your tracks, I’ll find you. I know these swamps much better than you do, and I know what predators lurk here.”

  His words gave me goose bumps. He had given me a warning earlier, which I’d brushed off as trivia. Man was the most dangerous predator, and he was proving it with every step he took into the swamp.

  “You aren’t leaving here alive, and the deputies who just showed up aren’t either. They’ve already met the same fate Stillman did, and don’t forget, I have your gun as well as a rifle. If I see you in the woods and put a bead on you, you’re as good as dead.”

  We crouched down and didn’t move a muscle. I could tell by Bob’s voice that he was still a ways off, but if we began to run frantically through the woods, the noise would give away our location.

  I whispered to Sally, who was quickly becoming unglued, to take a deep breath and stay calm. Then I heard Renz holler my name. A rush of relief mixed with fear swept over me. The cavalry had arrived, but they had no idea what they were heading into.

  Chapter 52

  Renz saw the doors open and ran to the squad car. Nobody was there. He and Conway inched forward and found both deputies lying on the ground next to Stillman’s car. They’d been shot dead, and by the looks of it, they hadn’t seen it coming. Neither had drawn their guns.

  “Good God! I have three dead deputies here. What kind of maniac are we dealing with?”

  “The worst kind, Pat.” Renz knelt and put two fingers against the neck of the deputy lying on his side of the squad car. He shook his head. “He’s definitely gone.” Renz looked around. “Robert Williams is cunning, clever, and cautious. These deputies didn’t know they were being watched, and that tells me Robert is using a rifle. We have to stay low and remain in the tree cover.”

  “But he already knows we’re here. You yelled out to Jade.”

  “That’s right, but between her, you, and me, we can outsmart him.”

  “What makes you think Jade is still alive?”

  Renz watched his surroundings as they advanced. “Stay under the trees, Pat. Don’t walk on the driveway. If Jade was dead, Robert would have taken off after shooting the deputies. He’d know that we were onto him, and there wouldn’t be a reason for him to stick around. Jade is out here somewhere and now it’s a matter of finding her.”

  They weaved through the woods with their guns drawn. With the small amount of daylight glowing between the trees, Renz saw the buildings.

  “We’re almost to the clearing. I can see the outbuildings and house from here. It’s going to be tricky getting from the woods to the buildings without being shot at, but we have to check those sheds and the house before we go any farther.”

  “We need backup.”

  Renz shrugged. “Go ahead and call, but we don’t have a half hour to wait. We need to find Jade now.” The larger building appeared to be a garage, and it was the closest to the tree line, a hundred feet away, but a hundred feet without cover. They would have to make a run for it. “Are you ready?”

  They scanned the surroundings and every window in sight. They didn’t see any movement. Conway gave Renz a nod.

  “Okay, on three. Three, two, one, go!”

  They bolted for the garage then hugged the wall when they reached it. Renz crouched at the window and slowly stood until he could see in. A tarp-covered truck sat inside. He turned the knob, and the door squeaked open. They entered cautiously and cleared the space. Renz yanked the tarp off the truck and saw Billy’s red Dodge Ram underneath.

  “Shit. So that son of a bitch played along as Lorna Bennett cried for her husband’s safe return. That man is beyond evil.”

  Renz looked out the window. The house was the next building, directly across from the garage, and a smaller shed, likely for tools and yard equipment, sat on the edge of the woods on the far side of the driveway.

  “We aren’t going into the house, are we?” Conway asked.

  Renz shook his head. “We better not since that could be a death sentence. There’s only one way in and one way out, and we’d be completely exposed. He could pick us off like birds on a wire.”

  “So then what?”

  “Then we need to find a way to draw him out. Let’s get
to the house, peer around the back where the stairs are, and see what’s there. If we don’t spot Jade anywhere, I’ll keep yelling out to her. Either Robert will get sidetracked and come after us, he’ll yell back, which would give us an indication of where he’s at, or he’ll shoot in our direction, so we have to be protected by cover. If he’s here, which I think he is, he’s either in the house or in the swamp—and neither are good for us.”

  They rushed to the back of the house. Renz peeked around the corner while Conway covered his back.

  “I don’t see anyone anywhere. The only thing I do see is a roaring fire with a big metal pot over it. He’s got to be out there somewhere since that fire has recently been tended.”

  “There isn’t any way to get to the tree cover on the other side without running through the clearing,” Conway said as he took a look. “If he’s in the house, he’ll pick us off in seconds, but we can’t start shooting at the house to force him out if Jade is inside too.”

  “Yeah, I know. All I can do is yell her name and wait for an answer—”

  Conway raised his hand. “Yell his name instead. Jade isn’t going to give up her location if by some miracle she was able to get away from him.”

  “You’re right, and if he’s the narcissist I think he is, he won’t be able to resist my taunts. We’ll be able to track down his location by his voice.” Renz cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled Robert’s name. “Robert Williams! We know who you are and what you’ve done. There’s no way out. You can only stay in the swamp for so long before the animals take you out. Instead of the hunter, you’ll be the hunted. Your days of killing people are over. Now throw down your weapons and come out. We will shoot to kill and that’s a promise.” They waited for the response they needed. It was the only way to zero in on his location. It seemed like forever, but he finally yelled back.

  “Nope, not doing it, Agent DeLeon. What do I have to lose by staying out in the swamps? You’ll never come in here to find me. You don’t have the stones.”

  “Well, apparently, Jade does. You wouldn’t be out there unless you were looking for her. Guess she got away from you, right?”

  “I like to hunt, and Agent Monroe is my prey. She’s going to be my trophy kill, and then you’re next. The best part is you won’t even see it coming, just like those deputies didn’t. Doubt if your handguns are any competition for my rifle.”

  Renz pointed at the woods. They would have to get ahead of Robert then work their way back. The bayou was on one side and filled with alligators. The road was on the other side, and hopefully, help was on the way. Somewhere in between were Jade and the monster tracking her.

  “Let’s take the road, Conway. We can get ahead of him and then backtrack through the woods. If we try to go straight in, he’ll mow us down in a matter of seconds.”

  “Shouldn’t we check the house first?”

  “No, going up those stairs is still too dangerous. He can easily pick us off with that rifle, especially if it has a scope on it. He wouldn’t be out in that swamp unless Jade was too. He’s already admitted that.” Renz jerked his head toward the driveway. “Let’s take the squad car up the road a half mile or so, see what the ETA is for our backup, and then head into the woods on foot.”

  Chapter 53

  We heard the exchange between Renz and Bob. I now knew that his real name was Robert Williams, and it was apparent that Renz had figured out everything he needed to know about the man. From what Robert had said, he wasn’t going to stop coming after me. If Sally and I went to the road and he saw us through the trees, he would have an easy shot with that rifle. We had to stay in the dense cover—it was our only way to survive. I doubted that he would expect us to head toward the water. It was too dangerous with alligators along the banks, just waiting for an unsuspecting animal to come down to drink. What I’d give for a drink of water. I was sure Sally was even thirstier, but we would hold out. We didn’t have a choice.

  “We need to go deeper into the swamp, Sally.”

  “Why? I thought we were going to head toward the road.”

  “He has that rifle, and it’s too dangerous in open areas. We need to stay as invisible as possible. My partner will find us sooner or later, and I’m sure backup is already on the way.”

  That time, we moved slowly. I didn’t want to give away our location, and I knew Robert was closing in. If only I had my phone so I could tell Renz where we were, but we didn’t have that luxury. I was going on my wits, and I had to do whatever I could to outsmart Robert Williams.

  The ground became squishier, and keeping our shoes on was nearly impossible. The mud nearly sucked off the only shoe I was wearing, and then I understood how easy it was for Sally to lose hers that morning. The mosquitos and bugs were relentless, and the bites were constant. I did my best to keep the slapping at a minimum so Robert wouldn’t hear it. We were becoming tangled in vines, and the closer we got to the water, the more fearful I became. Maybe that direction was the wrong choice. From where we were, I could see the bayou and the large cypress trees jutting out of the water. Shivers ran up my spine at the loud commotion and the screech of a bird likely getting eaten by a gator, but I had to stay levelheaded to keep us alive.

  “We’re going to stay right here and hunker down until help arrives. This fallen log will hide us.” I looked Sally straight in the eyes. “No matter what, we can’t scream if we see something that terrifies us like an enormous spider.” I held up the hammer. “Remember, we have this if we need to use it.”

  It wasn’t long before I heard movement, and it was getting closer. I felt Sally tense up as she sat against me. I put my finger to my mouth. “Shh.” I couldn’t say anything else for fear that he’d hear me. I was sure I’d made the wrong decision. We should have gone to the road. Barely moving, I peeked around the log and saw him. He was to our right and a hundred feet away. I was sure if he passed us and looked back, he would see us. The only thing I could think of was to camouflage ourselves the best we could. I quietly picked up a glob of mud and spread it over Sally’s face and hair. I gave her a nod to continue smearing it on her clothes while I did the same. I knew nothing about survival skills in the swamp, but I assumed the mud might hide our scent too. I indicated for her to lie flat, even as disgusting as that was, and I smeared mud over the back of her clothes. I gave her the hammer then heard a crackling sound just beyond the log. I was afraid to move, but I had to. I looked up and saw the rifle barrel a foot from my head.

  “Get up, bitch. I knew I’d find you. It was just a matter of who has the better skills, and smearing mud over yourself apparently didn’t do it. I could still smell the perfume you probably doused yourself in this morning.”

  He waved the rifle at me. “I told you to stand up!”

  I did as told and stepped over the log so he wouldn’t see Sally.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  “I figured you were taking me back to the house.”

  “You figured wrong. All the stress and running through the woods? Your meat is garbage now. You’re gator food, not good for anything else.”

  My eyes darted left and right as I searched the woods for Renz. I didn’t see anything other than Robert and his rifle.

  He chuckled. “This was a great hunt, Jade. You might be wasted meat, but you’ll still be a trophy in my mind.” He waved the barrel at me. “Head for the water.”

  “What! You can’t be serious.” I looked over my shoulder and saw the bayou thirty feet at my back.

  “I’m dead serious, or should I say you’ll just be dead.” He grinned. “This has been fun, and as soon as you’re out of the way, I’ll tend to the others.” He jerked his head. “Now keep going. I want you at the edge of the water so you can see the gators for yourself. They’ll be licking their chops at the sight of you.”

  I backed up slowly, hoping to hell that Renz would see Robert and fire a shot, but nothing happened.

  “Go on. You’re almost there.”

&nb
sp; I looked back again—only ten feet from the water’s edge.

  “Can you see their eyeballs sticking out of the water? They’re waiting for you, Jade, so it’s your choice. Shall I shoot you first or make you wade out to them so they can devour you while you’re still alive? That would be quite the show and just picturing it is almost erotic.”

  “You’re a sick son of a bitch.” I kept backing up as he nudged me with the barrel of the rifle. My eye caught movement behind Robert—it was Sally.

  “That’s truer than you know. My mother was a bitch and a crazy one at that.” Robert spun when a twig snapped at his back.

  With the hammer lifted high, Sally brought it down on his head with such force that I heard his skull crack. She screamed her rage and pushed him with all her might. Robert dropped the rifle, stumbled backward, and fell into the bayou. A frenzy of opportunistic alligators descended on him, and as they thrashed and ripped his body apart, the water turned blood red.

  I squeezed Sally with all my might. “You just saved my life, and I’ll never forget that.” I picked up the rifle, glanced back briefly at the red-tinted water, then looked away. “Come on, honey. Let’s get the hell out of here.” As we moved to safer ground, I lifted the rifle and fired off a few rounds above the water then yelled out Renz’s name. Relief washed over me when I heard his reply.

  “Stay put, Jade. We’ll come to you.”

  “I have Sally too. We’re both okay, but get us the hell out of this swamp.”

  It took another ten minutes before I saw Renz, Conway, and two deputies I didn’t recognize heading our way. I heard sirens approaching in the distance. We were safe and would be okay, but my heart ached for the deputies who had been shot. I let out a long groan when Renz and the others reached us.

  “You’re a sight for sore eyes, DeLeon.”

  Renz shook his head. “And you’re just a sight. I can’t tell if either if you are injured or not with that mud slathered all over your bodies, but we have several ambulances on the way.” Renz looked around. “What happened to Robert Williams?”