The Best Laid Plans (Brothers of the Bayou)

by Peterson, Renee

  When Beaux and Lacy arrived at the church, there was a large group of people already forming. Beaux took her arm, resting it in the crook of his elbow, and led her through the crowds and into the church. He was so proud of the strength Lacy was displaying, not just for herself but for Sara also. Lacy hadn’t told him what Sara said when they were alone in the room, but Sara’s voice had carried loud enough to understand the underlying parts of it. And he had clearly heard Lacy’s words of love and trust in him. Dios, he loved this woman more than life itself. Somewhere, he thought he may be going to hell for such thoughts amid a funeral, but yet wasn’t it an appropriate time to also celebrate life and love for the short time it’s given on this earth? He surveyed those in attendance, mildly surprised to see Daniella in the crowd. He hadn’t even had a passing thought of her since that night she approached him in the bar. Was that really just six weeks ago? It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. He prayed to his mother’s God, thanking him for the blessing he’d found in Lacy. He was counting down the days of an indefinite number until he could place a ring on her finger.

  They took their seats and the service began. He sat to Lacy’s left with Sara on her right. Justin sat on Sara’s other side and Beaux noticed the lack of contact between the two. His best friend looked weary with a strained face and a wave of sympathy came over him. This was not easy for anyone and he couldn’t imagine the depth of what Justin was facing. Sara and he had a love affair whose intensity could only be matched by Lacy and his. The distance between him and his wife must be killing him. He stole a glance at Lacy just she did also and they shared a secret smile of love and longing as he squeezed her hand. As the service concluded, the pallbearers lined up and carried the casket to the waiting hearse as the strains of Amazing Grace filled the air. Justin took Sara’s arm; grateful she accepted and led her down the aisle as she continued staring blankly ahead. Lacy and Beaux followed and then the remaining members invited to the burial.

  Less than twenty people were at the grave. As the casket was lowered, most expressed sadness through tears and prayers. Some laid a flower as they walked away. Lacy joined by Beaux, stood by the grave with only a moment of silence then walked away. There were no sufficient words to speak. Only Sara remained and no one noticed as she leaned over and spat on the grave.

  Chapter 13:

  “Do you think I should reschedule my appointment?” Lacy asked. She was fretting over the storm as it raged closer.

  “You’ll be fine. The storm won’t be here until tonight at the earliest. You’re appointment is only an hour away and we finished the bulk of preparations last night.”

  Lacy wished she had the same calmness that Beaux displayed. Inside she was a bucket of nerves. The path of the storm had never changed and was barreling towards them as a strong category three hurricane.

  “What time should we leave for your mom’s?”

  “I thought we could stop by the bar after your appointment and I can secure the last of things there and we’ll leave straight from there. Can you have you bags packed and ready?”

  “I’ve had them packed since last night,” Lacy laughed nervously.

  “We’ll be fine Lacy. I’ve been through worse storms and so have you.”

  “I know, but I’ve never been pregnant with another life to worry about during one either.”

  A wave of tenderness flowed through Beaux. She was going to make such a great mother. He finished securing the house and tying flyable objects down and took one more look around the property. Because he lived on the bayou, his house was apt to flood, so they made the decision to ride out the storm at his mother’s house, further inland and at a higher elevation. Lacy was coming out of the house loaded with bags, and Beaux rushed to grab them and ease her burden.

  “Dios chère, how long do you plan on being gone?” he jest as he took multiple bags from her.

  “You never know what might happen. Trees might block roads for a long time, power lines could go down, it’s best to be prepared,” she said in defense of herself. “I packed enough clothes to last two weeks for both of us.”

  “My mom does have a washer we could use.”

  “And what if the power goes out?” She looked offended, so he backed off from his teasing.

  The truck was loaded and they drove to her appointment in town. A steady breeze was already beginning to flow and cars were lined up at gas stations, waiting for what little fuel remained. They arrived at the ob’s office to a full parking lot. Appointments for the next few days had been cancelled and the office had tried to arrange time today for the cancelled high-risk patients to be seen.

  Two hours passed before Lacy was called back. The nurse asked for basic information while taking Lacy’s vitals. When they weighed her, she became self-conscious and made Beaux turn away. He quickly complied, knowing never to mess with a woman when it came to her weight. They were led to an exam room and the doctor came in shortly. He asked and told much of the same information from the emergency room last week. Finally, they were led to the ultrasound room, where they were able to see and hear their baby for the second time. This time when given the picture, they could determine the head right away.

  When they left three hours after they first arrived, Lacy couldn’t shake the feeling that something very bad was happening. The wind was already picking up and much faster than it should have been. Rain was beginning to fall and darker clouds loomed on the horizon. Beaux saw her anxiety and assured her they wouldn’t be long at the bar and then would soon be on their way to his mom’s. Fighting the wind made the trip to the bar longer than normal, and Lacy gasped when she saw part of the metal roof on the bar flying back. Beaux slammed the truck into park, helped Lacy out then went running inside.

  “What’s going on?” he asked Rachel.

  “A strong gust blew through and just tore it off. The roof is already starting to leak.”

  “Damn it.” He muttered more oaths under his breath while he thought what to do. “Lacy, I have to try and fix it before we leave. Otherwise the bar doesn’t stand a chance.”

  Lacy looked pale at the thought of remaining while the winds and rain increased outside.

  Levi stepped forward, a rare occurrence for the quiet guard. “I can take Lacy to your mom’s. She’ll be safe and sound before you even finish.”

  “Lacy?”

  “I don’t know Beaux. I don’t want to leave you behind, but I’m terrified.”

  “Chère, go on ahead. Levi’s a good man and I can fix this quicker knowing you’ll be safely off the roads before the storm fully hits.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, still not able to shake her feeling. She just wanted out of this storm. Beaux took her in a quick but urgent embrace. “I love you Beaux. Please be careful and call me before you leave.”

  “I will, I promise. I love you too.”

  Beaux dug the ladder out of the storage shed after recruiting the help of a patron hoping for a hurricane party and went to work on the roof. His phone rang. Seeing it was Jared, he decided to call him after he was done. He likely just wanted to know if he had secured the bar. Time was of the essence and he had to get this roof fixed. His phone rang two more times and Beaux finally answered to a panicked Jared.

  “Beaux, we have to talk. Where’s Lacy?”

  “I sent her to mom’s house while I secure the roof of the bar. What’s wrong?”

  “Damn it Beaux, who is she with?”

  “Levi offered to take her and they left about an hour ago. What the hell is going on Jared?” Beaux felt his chest compress in fear.

  “Shit Beaux, Levi is a rogue.”

  Beaux was already off the ladder and in his truck, all thoughts of the bar forgotten.

  “Damn it Jared, what the hell? She just left with him. Mi Dios what did I do?” Beaux was frantic as he floored the accelerator heading towards his mom’s house. By now the wind was roaring and rain left no visibility. Still Beaux pressed on, looking for any sign of them.

 
“Monica finally came out of her coma rambling sentences that didn’t make sense, but we pulled enough out to know that Levi isn’t one of the good guys and is the missing Mrs. Landon’s son.”

  Beaux couldn’t breathe. Why had he sent Lacy with him? Why didn’t he just say screw the bar? Both times he left her now, something had happened. What kind of protector was he?

  “Beaux, are you still there?”

  “I’m here Jared. We have to find her. I can’t let anything happen to her. I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Look, by now every authority in a five state region has been alerted. There are no flights going out down there and they can’t get far in the storm you guys are getting. I’m on my way back now as we speak. I’m sure by the time I get there she’ll already be found.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Beaux said but fear clenched his heart. The wind was tossing his five ton truck all over the road and sheer determination kept him moving on the road. Sweat poured over his face as adrenaline took over. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel for dear life. “I love you Lacy Landon.” he said to the air. “I’m going to find you.”

  He called his mom with a small hope that just maybe that is where she was. His hope was quickly diminished when she answered the phone asking how much longer until they arrived. A tear escaped him as he told his mom what was happening.

  “My dear son, I will be praying,” she told him, but Beaux found no comfort.

  Next he called Justin trying to balance the phone between his ear and shoulder as both hands were needed on the steering wheel to stay on the road. With Justin and Sara both listening, he quickly relayed what happened and heard Sara gasp when he revealed the truth of her half-brother. Going on instinct, he addressed Sara.

  “I’m begging you Sara. Can you think of anywhere your mom could be hiding? Is there anywhere you went as a teen that was secluded or you weren’t allowed to discuss?”

  “Not that I can think of. We always took vacations out of state.”

  “Please Sara, think hard.” He was begging and pushing for information that may not exist but he didn’t care. He needed to do something.

  “Wait a minute; my parents had a camp on the Bayou Courtebleau. I was never allowed to go because it was their getaway.”

  A small hope shined in him.

  “Do you remember anything about it? Any details they could have mentioned?”

  “The Blow something. I’m sorry Beaux; I wish I could tell you more.”

  “Thanks Sara, it’s better than nothing. I’ve got to get going.”

  Beaux did the calculation in his head. On a good day, it would take him an hour to get to the Courtebleau. With this storm, he would be doing good to make it in two. He called Brad who without a doubt already knew the situation.

  “I am heading up north. The Landon’s had a camp there and it’s just a hunch, but I’ve got nothing else to go on. All Sara knows is that it had Blow in the name.”

  “Angela and I are right behind you. She’s contacting St. Landry Parish as we speak. Matthew is heading toward you mom’s in case anyone shows up there.”

  Beaux hung up and tossed his phone to the seat. Grit and resolve propelled him as he continued to fight the storm. Roadways were beginning to flood, adding to the delay. He would find her. He would live up to the trust Lacy had put in him.

  Lacy wasn’t sure through the rain and wind, but this did not look like the way Beaux took to his mom’s house.

  “Are you sure this is the right way?” she asked Levi.

  “We have to take a detour. Some roads are already flooded.”

  “Maybe I should call Beaux to tell him.”

  “He’s lived here all his life Ms. Landon. I’m sure he knows what roads flood first.”

  She took out her phone anyway, but she had no signal. Dumb storm, she thought to herself. She never should have left him. She was just being selfish in her fear of the storm. Beaux wouldn’t have kept them at the bar long enough to be in danger. They should have been to his mom’s by now even through fighting the onslaught of the storm. Uneasiness formed a tight ball in her stomach.

  Levi pulled up to a stilted building that already had waters flowing beneath.

  “Where are we?” Lacy asked trying to quell the panic quickly rising.

  “Change of plans sweetheart. Get out of the car now and hold your hands up,” Levi demanded as a gleam of silver flashed in the light. Lacy obeyed, too stunned to screamed and fairly certain there would be no one to hear her if she did. Levi walked around, holding the gun to her back as he directed her up the stairs.

  He opened the door directing her to sit in a chair at a round table. She heard shuffling and looked up to see Mrs. Landon.

  “Aunt Liza! Where have you been? What’s going on?” The brief rush of seeing a familiar gaze quickly disappeared when she saw the hard glint in her aunt’s eye.

  Levi crossed the room, brushing a kiss on Aunt Liza’s cheek. “Hi, mom, mission accomplished,” he said followed by a sinister laugh.

  What is happening Lacy thought. Please tell me I am just in the middle of one of those pregnancy dreams she was warned of. She pinched herself. No, she was definitely awake, not the she really thought she was in a dream. Her gaze passed back and forth between her two captors.

  “You know, Sara and you brought this on yourselves. If you had just stayed separated as planned, we could have avoided this confrontation or at least postponed it,” her aunt said.

  “What is going on? I don’t understand any of this.”

  “Your dad is a damn fool. All these years he went along with us, to keep his brother out of trouble with the law. He even agreed to pretend an affair with me. That’s a thought to make me sick.” Aunt Liza was laughing like a maniac. Lacy didn’t know if she’d make it out alive, but she slid her hand into her pocket where her phone was. From memory, she hit buttons, hoping that she tapped the right ones for the voice recorder.

  Her aunt continued. “Everything was moving along fine, until your dad decided he had a conscience. When you left in May, he decided it was better to cut you off and let you lose connections. He figured you would be safer that way. He always was an idiot. And then you had to come here. You and Sara got all friendly again and Sara was pregnant. Oscar decided he didn’t want this life anymore and got all sentimental about the grandkid. He thought he could just stop. My daddy died putting his life into this business growing it so we’d never have to want a thing we couldn’t afford. I’ll be damned if I let Oden or Oscar suddenly grow a conscience. We’d all end up in jail the rest of our lives.”

  Lacy was rendered speechless yet again. Her aunt’s ramblings didn’t make complete sense but they were coherent enough that the message was clear. Sara’s mom? She had always seemed so sweet, even if a tad distant.

  “You killed your husband?!”

  Levi stepped up again. “I had that honor sweetheart. He never allowed me around. Said I wasn’t good enough for him to claim a bastard baby. Mom asked me to take care of him and I was happy to oblige.”

  Lacy held her breath wondering what they had planned for her. She could see the water quickly rising and if she didn’t die by their hand, the waters would surely finish it off. Wind and rain beat against the house howling through the open air. Lacy was petrified though she did her best to fake an aloof demeanor. How would anyone find her in this storm? She tried to come up with an escape plan, but short of jumping out the window into the bayou which would mean almost certain death she couldn’t see one.

  They were close. Beaux could feel it in his blood. Whenever Lacy was nearby he could sense her presence. The Bayou Courtebleau was quickly rising already flooding parts of the road. The single road was swarmed with trucks, cars and SUVs’ searching with no lights on, for a camp with few clues. Brad was now sharing a vehicle with him. They passed another camp and Beaux felt the feeling even stronger.

  “Stop” he shouted. “They’re in that one right there. The only two story one
. Can you see a name on it?”

  They squinted and searched but the storm was too much. “Call for back up, I know this is it.” Brad called for backup, making several attempts to get through but the storms were even messing with their radios. Beaux jumped out refusing to wait. He waded through eight inches of water until he found the stairs leading up to the entrance. For once tonight he was thankful for the wind and rain that it would muffle his approach. He snaked up the stairs, the Kimber in front of him, ready to shoot if needed. He felt Brad approaching behind him. He reached the top and carefully stood, trying to peek in the window. His instinct had paid off! Lacy sat in a chair facing Mrs. Landon and Levi. The two rogue adults laughed at something, clearly not expecting that anyone would find them in a now category four hurricane. Somehow, he needed to get in without drawing attention. He saw a gun lying on the counter. He would have to wait until they were not in reach of it. He jumped back at the sound of a radio, realizing that Brad’s was working again. Brad stepped down a few steps, quickly alerting of location, asking for back up before the radios could die again. Suddenly Levi picked up the gun and walked over to Lacy.

  “Noooo!” A guttural scream came from Beaux. He devised a quick plan and prayed to God it would work. It was a simple plan, but time was of the essence for Lacy. He took a deep breath and heaved his entire body into the door breaking it open. Levi looked up as he was counting on and in that split second of distraction, Beaux fired a shot and Levi fell to the ground. Mrs. Landon reach for Levi’s fallen gun and Lacy jumped up kicking her in the back, knocking her over. Beaux ran over, grabbing the gun off the floor before she could come to and reach for it again. He reached for Lacy enveloping her in his arms as tears of receding fear and relief came freely from both. Brad was already cuffing Mrs. Landon. Levi was past a point of having life. Back up arrived, but was no longer needed. Beaux had promised he would protect Lacy with all means necessary and that he did.