“I hope you’re right. But for all we know the rest of the country could be in the same shape as New Orleans,” Eleanore mentioned.
“Then we’re all as good as dead.”
They tramped through the weeds for another two minutes without speaking.
“Hey,” Eleanore said, breaking the silence. “Something just occurred to me. If the Resistance has had the shortwave for five months, why has Adrien only been broadcasting for two weeks?”
“First we had to discover a safe place to broadcast from,” Jerry answered. “We also had to dig up some batteries to power the unit. That alone took us three months, until we came across a stash, in a demolished hardware store. And we had to figure out how to use the thing.
Unfortunately, the radio didn’t come with a set of instructions. You’ve seen all the dials and switches it has.”
“Yes,” Eleanore said. “This is my third trip out here, remember?”
“And we’ll keep bringing him supplies and checking on his progress every four or five days until he makes contact,” Jerry stated.
“Why doesn’t he just come into the city for his provisions?”
“Because we don’t want the shortwave left alone.”
“Then send someone out here to stay with him,” Eleanore proposed.
“What difference does it make? Violet set up the arrangements, and they’re fine as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh. Well, she knows best.”
“How long have you known her anyway?” Jerry inquired.
“Violet and I go way back,” Eleanore divulged. “We’ve been friends since we were six years old. Her folks lived next door to my parents for years until they moved to the French Quarter.”
“I was raised in Algiers.”
Eleanore studied his profile for a moment. “Algiers is one of the roughest sections of New Orleans.”
“I got by okay. We lived on the south end, and it was easy for my brother and me to slip away to Bayou Segnette whenever we wanted.”
“You talk so fondly of your brother. Where is he now?”
“Dead.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“He died three and a half years ago.”
“What happened?”
“The tonton macoutes caught him returning from a hunting trip with a rifle. The gun had been in our family since before I was born, We’d kept it hidden under the floorboards and only used it on special occasions to conserve the ammunition. Howie took it out to go bag a deer. He wanted to treat my father and mother to venison steak for their anniversary,” Jerry detailed.
“You don’t need to tell me the rest. I know possessing a firearm is strictly forbidden, and I can imagine what they did to him.”
“No, you can’t. They pulled his toenails out with a pair of pliers, peeled the skin from his body, and then boiled him alive in salt water,” Jerry disclosed, his, voice wavering.
“Did the bastards make your family watch?”
“No, but they bragged about it afterwards. And they told us that they chopped up Howie’s body and fed the bits and pieces to the alligators in the swamp surrounding the Baron’s estate.”
“So I’m not the only one who joined the Resistance to get a little revenge,” Eleanore deduced.
“No, I guess not. But I’ve changed since I joined. Violet has helped me to realize that freedom for all is a higher cause to serve than personal revenge,” Jerry said. He spotted the cabin dead ahead, a solitary light glowing in the north window, and pointed. “Look.”
“It’s about time.”
They quickened their pace, and in short order drew within ten yards of the closed front door.
“Strange,” Jerry commented.
“What is?”
“Adrien knows better than to leave the window uncovered. That lantern light can be seen for miles.”
“Then why didn’t we see it sooner?”
The question prompted Jerry to abruptly halt. He scrutinized the dilapidated structure warily and strained his ears to detect sounds from within. All was quiet.
“What’s the matter?” Eleanore inquired.
“I’m not sure. Stay put,” Jerry advised, and walked toward the wooden door, his right hand on his survival knife.
Eleanore glanced around apprehensively. She realized the insects in their immediate vicinity had ceased making noise.
“I don’t like this, Jerry.”
“Me neither.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Not until we check on Adrien,” Jerry responded, and called out.
“Adrien! Are you in there?”
The front door unexpectedly opened and out strode a tall, thin man dressed all in red, his flared Afro adding inches to his height. At the same time, from every direction, dozens of men dressed all in black converged on the cabin.
Eleanore took one look at the figure in red and gasped in terror. “Baron Laveau!”
Chapter One
He ran to the east with startling speed, as well he should considering he was a hybrid of human and feline traits, a genetically engineered being who possessed human and bestial features in equal measure, a cat-man endowed with extraordinary strength and agility. Except for a gray loincloth, his four-foot frame lacked clothing. But he wasn’t exactly naked because his entire body sported a thick coat of short, grayish-brown fur.
Tapered nails capped his bony fingers. His ears, like a cat’s, were pointed.
And his face, decidedly feline in aspect, contained a pair of slanted, vivid green eyes.
Ahead of him rose a hill.
He grinned in anticipation, knowing they would be there, and loped up the narrow trail to the summit. True to his prediction, he found them seated on the east rim. “Hey, you turkeys! Guess what?”
The pair enjoying the sunshine and the tranquility turned at the sound of the newcomer’s raspy voice, and both, oddly, scowled.
On the right sat another hybrid, a creature who strongly resembled a two-legged ferret. Like the cat-man, he was only four feet in height, and his weight came to a mere 60 pounds. Brown hair, about three inches long, covered his whole form. Also like the cat-man, he wore a loincloth, only his was black. His head was oversized for his slight build, and from the front of it protruded a long nose that nearly resembled a snout. His brown eyes narrowed as he regarded the cat-man critically.
So did the other creature. Five feet ten and quite humanoid in aspect, this being wore a brown loincloth. His gray skin was leathery, his visage hawklike, his nose pointed almost like a beak. A thin slit of a mouth, tiny circles of flesh for ears, and bizarre eyes with bright red pupils lent him an alien appearance.
The cat-man came to a halt a few feet from the duo and glanced expectantly from one to the other. “Didn’t you bozos hear me?”
“We heard you, Lynx,” said the ferret-man.
“Unfortunately, yes?” added the other.
Lynx placed his hands on his hips and exhaled loudly. “I boogied all the way out here to bring you the good news and this is the way you treat me?”
The ferret-man looked at the humanoid. “Did he say good news?”
“We are definitely in trouble, no?” responded the other.
A muted hiss issued from Lynx’s thin lips. “I go to all this trouble, and you two act like jerks.”
“Would you do us a favor?” the ferret-man asked.
“Sure, Ferret,” Lynx replied, brightening. “You know I’d do anything for you guys.”
“Then would you go jump in the moat and see if you can stay under for an hour or so?”
The humanoid cackled.
“You think that’s funny, do you, Gremlin?” Lynx demanded.
“Quite humorous, yes?” Gremlin replied, and chuckled.
“Look, do you want to hear the good news or not?” Lynx snapped.