His Reluctant Bodyguard

by Loucinda McGary

  From the corner of his vision, he saw three mounted riders approaching. But when he turned to motion to Luc, his friend was waving at the men and pulling his horse to a halt. Rip followed suit, though Midnight seemed reluctant to obey.

  “Are those rifles?” Avery spoke into his ear, her voice tinged with fear.

  “DuBois!” The rider in the middle called out, and broke into a spate of patois.

  “Roussellot,” Luc replied. “English please, our friends aren’t natives.” He motioned with one hand. “This is Rip Pollendene and Miss Avery Knox.”

  The mounted man ran his eyes over the two of them and Midnight before he gave a short nod of acknowledgement. “The main contingent left a half-hour ago. We can still catch up if we leave right away.”

  Luc inclined his head at another of the riders, then addressed Rip. “You and Avery go with Moreau while Roussellot fills me in on a few details.”

  This whole thing was looking more like a civil war by the moment. But he wasn’t about to debate semantics with three armed men, so Rip urged the mule to follow the young guy Luc had called Moreau.

  “What details?” Avery hissed in his ear. “And if we’re marching on that fort where you were imprisoned, they have cannons and all kinds of weapons.”

  “Just wait until we figure out what’s going on,” Rip advised, but his mind was racing with possibilities, most of them violent.

  Their guide dismounted behind a barracks-like building, secured his rifle to the saddle and tied his horse to a drain pipe. Rip pulled Midnight to a halt, and the other man helped Avery to the ground. His hand lingered just a little too long on her waist to Rip’s way of thinking.

  The inside of the building looked like a barracks too. Their guide motioned for them to sit on the bunks while he disappeared into another room.

  “Avery, I think you better stay –”

  “No way!” Avery interrupted, determination blazing in her wide blue eyes. “I’m not letting you walk into a war without me. I won’t allow you to get yourself killed. I am your bodyguard, after all.” She clamped her lips together as their guide Moreau re-entered and tossed some camouflage pants and a jacket at Rip. “Where’s mine?” She demanded, hands on hips.

  After looking from her to Rip, Moreau gave a vague shrug and disappeared again. He returned moments later with more camo wear, and handed the items to Avery with a lift of his eyebrows. “Would mademoiselle like coffee?”

  Avery fluttered her hand like a perfect Southern belle. “Why, yes. Coffee would be lovely.”

  Smothering his snort of laughter, Rip concentrated on shedding his bedraggled shorts and pulling on the canvas pants, which were a couple of inches above his ankles. Looking at his dirty bare feet, he decided to ask Moreau for footwear as soon as the guy fetched Avery’s coffee. The coat fit snugly across Rip’s shoulders, and the cuffs stopped short of his wrists, the very reasons he had to have most of his jackets altered. He turned around to see Avery placing her shorts and long skirt on the bunk.

  But before he could say anything, Moreau opened the door and offered Avery a heavy ceramic mug. “Sorry, mademoiselle, you must drink it black.”

  No cup for him, Rip noted with a hint of suspicion hovering on the edge of his mind. At least if Avery came with him, he could keep his eye on her, he rationalized.

  Taking her time, Avery pulled her camo jacket on over her frilly blouse and folded back the cuffs. “That’s fine, merci.” She tugged at her baggy trousers with her free hand. “Do you have some kind of belt?”

  Moreau inclined his head as if he were the perfect servant, and swiveled on his heel.

  “And shoes for me!” Rip called after him.

  Avery took a sip, made a face and set the mug on the floor. “What can I do about my hair?”

  The door to the outside opened and Luc strode in. “Time to leave— ” Seeing Avery’s attire, he stopped abruptly and gave Rip a stern, questioning look.

  “She’s my bodyguard,” Rip said raising his palms in defeat.

  He was spared any arguments by Moreau coming in yet again. The man stared for a moment at Avery’s hair before he handed her a length of twine. Almost as if it were an afterthought, he tossed a pair of worn hurraches at Rip.

  “Okay, let’s go.” Rip shoved his feet into the shoes. Miraculously, they fit.

  Hastily folding the twine in half, Avery slipped it through the belt loops on the baggy pants and knotted it around her waist as she followed the three men out the door. The other two men waited with the horses. They both stared momentarily at her hair, and she paused long enough to retie the scarf around her head.

  Luc snatched a floppy hat from the young man he’d called Roussellot and handed it to her. “Keep this pulled over your eyes.”

  She was only too happy to oblige. While she trusted Luc, she wasn’t so sure about the others. Moreau’s solicitous behavior and the long looks from all three of them set her teeth on edge. The less she looked liked a blonde woman, the better. Apparently they were a rarity on Benezet.

  Somewhere, Luc and his cohorts had procured another horse, though it actually wasn’t much bigger than a pony. To her surprise, Moreau offered his larger horse to Rip, and held the reins of the smaller mount for her.

  “No thanks,” Avery waved her hand. “I’ll stick with Midnight.”

  At the sound of his name, the mule brayed and twitched his ears. Rip stepped up and held his laced hands to boost her onto the animal’s back.

  “You better behave,” she muttered into the mule’s long ear. “Or so help me Midnight, you’ll regret it.”

  Her legs were so stiff and sore from their recent ride that she barely managed to heave herself onto the mule’s broad back. Rip and Roussellot mounted up while Luc gave last minute instructions to Moreau and the remaining man, who were staying at the plant with a small band of defenders. Then the four of them – Luc, Roussellot, Rip and her — took off at a bone-jarring gallop.

  The first thing Avery noticed once she adjusted to Midnight’s rolling gait, was that the road below the power plant was wider and in better repair. Soon, she also saw that the debris left by the storm had been cleared from the center of the roadway. They were able to ride two abreast, Luc and Roussellot in front with she and Rip behind them. But she was too busy trying to keep from falling off Midnight to voice any of the concerns crowding her mind.

  Just when she thought she couldn’t take much more bouncing and jouncing, Luc and Roussellot slowed their horses. Craning her neck, Avery saw a pile of trees and branches blocking the road ahead. Luc called out, and a moment later, a golf cart came toward them. Luc dismounted, but Roussellot remained on his horse and Avery could see his hand hovering near his rifle. However, when one of the men in the cart answered, a grin spread rapidly over Roussellot’s young face.

  “My brother, Henri,” he explained as he leaped off his horse and dashed for the cart.

  With a spat of patois, the two men embraced while Luc signaled for Rip and Avery to join them. She was grateful Rip had his hands on her waist because her aching legs almost buckled when her feet touched the ground.

  Rip’s eyes narrowed with concern.“You all right?”

  “Peachy,” she lied, already dreading whatever might happen next.

  “Good news!” Luc told them. “We’re taking a jeep the rest of the way.”

  Avery had never heard more beautiful words. “Thank all the blessed saints,” she muttered as she and Rip led the horses and Midnight toward the others.

  At the edge of the roadway, they were met by several other men dressed in camo. Much jovial laughter occurred as Luc introduced Rip. Avery could see that about a dozen men were hidden on this side of the roadblock, and Luc explained that another dozen were stationed on the other side of the road to stop anyone heading for the power plant. Behind a wall of bushes and brush, she saw the jeep, and two men pulling an ice chest from the back of i
t.

  To her horror, she also glimpsed a rocket launcher, and a metal box that probably held ammo. Not exactly what she associated with demanding an election. A spurt of panic made her heart pound hard against her ribs at the thought of being involved in a full-fledged war. Meanwhile, someone opened the ice chest and bottles of cold beer were passed around like they were at a sporting event. The whole scenario felt surreal to Avery.

  When a man offered one to her and reached for Midnight’s halter, she stopped him. “Wait! This mule has to be returned to Jasper Parlier. We promised.”

  “Don’t worry, mademoiselle.” Roussellot intervened, taking the mule’s rope from her. “My brother will make sure Jasper gets him back.” He guided her toward a makeshift bench. “Sit here a moment and I’ll bring you something to eat.”

  As she watched Midnight being led away, Avery felt oddly bereft. Squeezing her eyes shut, she started deep breathing to pull herself back from a major freak out. She sensed someone standing over her and opened her eyes to Rousellot, who offered her a hard roll and a hunk of cheese. She took several bites without tasting anything or really focusing in the activity going on around her. As long as everything remained a blur, she could keep her anxiety under control.

  “Avery.” She jumped at the sound of Luc calling her name. “Time to go.”

  Wobbling on her sore legs, she approached the idling jeep. Roussellot held the door and Rip, who was already in the back, offered his hand. An anxious glance confirmed that the rocket launcher and ammo had been removed, but as Roussellot got into the front passenger seat, he laid his rifle across his lap. She even glimpsed a pistol tucked into Rip’s waistband.

  Deep breaths, she told herself. Deep breaths.

  “We’ll be there in less than an hour,” Luc informed them as he ran through the gears, picking up speed.

  She wasn’t sure if that was good news or not. At least riding in the jeep was a lot smoother than riding Midnight. The road was also a big improvement, much wider with fewer potholes and almost no junk from the storm cluttering it. They met no people either, even when they began to pass some small homesteads.

  Was everyone in hiding?

  Luc’s cell phone beeped and Avery jumped at the unexpected sound. They must be within range of that cell tower Rip had told her about. Luc fished the phone from his jacket pocket and passed it to Roussellot as he cast a quick glance at Rip in the rear view mirror. “Thierry.”

  The guy who had rescued Williams.

  Roussellot spoke patois in quiet tones that Avery couldn’t hear, much less understand. She bit her lower lip and waited anxiously for the conversation to end. But Roussellot’s tone grew more and more excited as he spoke.

  “Bon. Oui! Bon!” He finished and flipped the phone closed before turning toward Luc. “Thierry wants us to meet him at the evacuation center at Sacre Coeur school.”

  “Not the rendezvous point?” Luc questioned, his voice tight with tension.

  “Jean Baptiste’s troops have abandoned him!” Roussellot’s excitement got the better of him, and he babbled. “Thierry says no more than a hundred are holed up with him inside the fort. He says half the population of Saturnina is massing at the walls of the fort. Anyone not already there is marching through the streets!”

  “B-but that’s over ten thousand people,” Avery sputtered in disbelief.

  “How will we get through?” Luc asked, still obviously concerned.

  “Thierry has a troop transport truck.”

  Avery saw Rip shudder at Roussellot’s words, but he shook himself and asked, “What about my uncle Jean Jacques?”

  Roussellot looked back at them and his expression sobered. “No one has reported seeing him. He must be holed up in his quarters inside the fort along with Jean Baptiste.”

  “They must agree to our demands now.” Luc concluded.

  She started to remind the men about the artillery inside the fort, but decided this wasn’t the best time. Maybe Rip’s cousin and uncle would see how hopeless their situation was and surrender. However, after a sidelong glance at Rip’s stubbornly clenched jaw, she had to admit she was kidding herself. Pollendenes didn’t surrender.

  “Call Gaston or whomever has a phone.” Luc instructed Roussellot. “Tell him things have changed. Bring the St. Namadie contingent to Sacre Coeur school.”

  With a nod, the young man flipped open the phone and dialed.

  “Do you think there are women and children in the crowd at the fort?” She blurted out the thought in the forefront of her mind.

  “I hope not.” Luc’s sober admission gave her no reassurance.

  Rip’s expression told her he shared her concern.

  In the front seat, Roussellot made another call, and Luc made a couple of quick turns. Avery could see the bell tower of a church looming not far ahead and figured it must be Sacre Coeur. Houses now lined both sides of the street, but she didn’t see any signs of life. That changed in the next block. A group of children and two women trudged along going in the same direction. Avery wished they could offer them a ride, but the jeep wouldn’t hold all of them, so she bit her lip and looked at her feet.

  Though Luc slowed the jeep considerably, they reached the school within a few minutes. Directly across the street from the church, the school’s parking lot was clogged with vehicles and teeming with people. Everyone craned their necks and stared as the jeep rolled slowly by. Luc parked right in front of the main doors.

  Two nuns came out to meet them. Avery thought she heard Roussellot mutter something about the principal as they all got out of the vehicle.

  “I’m Sister Bernadette. I’m in charge of the school.” The older of the two women spoke with a French accent almost as thick as the spectacles perched on her nose. “And this is my assistant, Sister Agnes.”

  Luc made introductions all around and when he got to Rip, the younger nun gasped, then immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment. Sister Bernadette’s only reaction was a slight lift her left eyebrow.

  “Will you be staying for dinner?” she asked. “We have a generator that we’re using to keep our refrigerators going.” She gave Luc a meaningful glare. “But others in Saturnina are not so lucky. Soon we’ll have too many people to feed.”

  “We won’t be staying long,” Luc answered, ducking his head in deference to the nun. “But some cool water would be most welcome.”

  Sister Bernadette nodded at her assistant and the younger nun disappeared inside. From the corner of her eye, Avery saw several young boys inching their way toward the jeep. But a stern look from Sister Bernadette sent them shuffling backward, looking everywhere but at her. Then Avery noticed one of the boys had his arm in a sling.

  “Have you seen many injuries here at your shelter, Sister?” she asked, and immediately regretted speaking up when the nun’s pale eyes made a thorough appraisal of her.

  “A few,” Sister Bernadette’s voice grew chillier by the word as her gaze swept over all of them. “Mostly from the storm, and I want to keep it that way.”

  “So do we,” Rip quickly reassured, nervously clenching and unclenching his fists.

  The older woman’s severe expression didn’t soften. In fact, Avery wouldn’t have been surprised if the nun pulled out a ruler and rapped all their knuckles. “I understand the hospital is at capacity.”

  The reappearance of Sister Agnes saved all of them from further uncomfortable conversation. The younger woman gave them two bottles of water and two paper cups. Rip opened one of the bottles and poured half in the cup for Avery, while Luc split his with Roussellot. As she sipped her water, all three men gulped theirs down in less than a minute. She also noticed Sister Agnes’s eyes were riveted on Rip, and she wasn’t the only one.

  However, before Sister Bernadette could speak, a series of loud booms split the air. Avery choked on her mouthful of water, while Sister Agnes jumped and clapped her hands over he
r ears. All three men jerked with startled reactions. Luc and Rip cringed, and Roussellot’s dark eyes went completely round with fright.

  Then Luc gave voice to Avery’s worst fear. “Cannon fire.”

  Chapter 10

  “Get everyone to take cover, Sister,” Rip ordered the nun, while Luc and Roussellot both started dialing on their phones.

  “Quickly, Sister Agnes, gather the other teachers!” As the young nun ran inside, Sister Bernadette clapped her hands and called out, “Attention, s’il vous plait, everyone please, come inside! I need everyone indoors now.”

  Luc clicked his phone off and motioned for Avery and Rip to get in the jeep. “We’ll be sending more people to your shelter, Sister Bernadette. Every woman and child we find.”

  The older nun nodded as she held the door and ushered people through. “We will find room for all of them. Good luck, Mr. DuBois, Mr. Pollendene.”

  Avery had no time to say anything as Rip practically shoved her into the jeep, and piled in after her.

  “Gaston and the others are only three blocks away.” Roussellot scarcely got his door closed before Luc thrust the vehicle into gear.

  Another volley of booms split the air, and Avery heard a chorus of screams as their jeep tore out of the school parking lot.

  “I can’t believe JB is firing on our own people,” Luc muttered.

  “He’s truly a madman,” Roussellot agreed, clicking his seat belt. “We must stop him by any means, Luc. Surely you can see that now.”

  Avery wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, but Luc gave a slight nod. Roussellot made another phone call, said about three words she couldn’t understand and hung up. Before she could ask what the heck was going on, the jeep rounded a corner and a huge crowd blocked the roadway. She figured there were at least two thousand, some mounted, but most on foot. Almost all were men and armed.