Brotherhood

Chapter 28

...

The pork tasted like ash in his mouth, the biscuit like dried bone. The sticky heat cloaked him in sweat, trickles of it stinging his eyes and making his neck prickly where it soaked into his tee shirt. He hesitantly accepted the whiskey Guidry offered just to dull his growing disgust at the man's closeness. He could smell him. It was a fetid smell like the swamp that surrounded them, reeking, as if an old evil was rotting his insides. He cringed whenever the man's rough hand slid up his back to grip his shoulder, his gravelly laugh odd sounding and disturbing considering what they were discussing. He shakily poured himself another whiskey and downed it quickly without looking at his brother, who sat staring at him from across the rough wooden table. He knew he was drinking too much, knew it was reckless, but right now he didn't give a good goddamn. He was sitting next to an otherworldly inhuman being seriously trying to decide the best way to take a man to the very edge of death without actually killing him.

Guidry had ordered the dinner table and benches set up beside the platform where Doctor Mouton and Elliot Dale were cruelly tied. The two men could hear every word he spoke, every description of each terrible torture he'd either tried or was anxious to try.

"Looky dere, mon fils," Guidry said, gripping his neck. "De ol' doc be cryin'."

Slamming back another shot of whiskey he cussed out a string of words to stop himself from smashing the man beside him in the face. Callen reached across and gripped his forearm so tightly it hurt, and he glared back at him, but slowly settled, letting his revulsion slide back down his throat. There had been no time to talk privately about their own plans, and Guidry had yet to give them permission to be alone with the two badly beaten men.

"You want payback, dontcha boy?" Guidry said, pulling his head close as he whispered in his ear.

"Ain't I owed that?" He spit out, unable to hide his boiling anger.

"I 'spect ya are," Guidry replied. "You angry, mon fils, and I gonna let ya take it out on dem two soon enough. Just don't kill 'em when I let ya loose, ya hear?"

Guidry laughed as he reached behind his back and slowly pulled a wicked looking knife, stabbing it into the table between the two of them.

"Go cut me some more pig meat, mon fils," he ordered, slapping him on the back. "Ya need ta cool off. Ya runnin' hot right now. Might slice open dat doc's throat before I get ta have my fun."

The man had easily read his rage, but not who it was directed at, and for that he was grateful. He saw the warning in the intensity of his brother's eyes, but also the fear that rippled along his jawline. He fought to get control of himself, fighting the strong hold Jimmy Hale had on him, jumping up quickly from the table to do as he was told. The heady smoke from the barbecue pit made his eyes water, although he didn't care much since it was such a relief just to be away from Guidry. The sweet smell of greasy pig made him want to puke, but several men were watching him and it pissed him off.

"What the fuck you lookin' at?" he snarled, noticing they took a couple of steps back and quickly averted their eyes.

Their actions made him aware of just how high he'd risen in the pecking order because of his closeness to Guidry, and it actually calmed him down. Some of the wariness he'd always felt around the men of The Brotherhood now faded and he became brazen and unafraid. He stood taller, strutting back toward the table, the warm juices of the pork running between his fingers as he clutched the meat in his fist. He stopped halfway there to look into the terrified eyes of Elliot. The man's bloody chin quivered as he watched him, pleading silently for his life, something he had no power to grant. His mind began to fluctuate between the arrogance of his alias and the empathy of his true self. Which one would help him survive? Which one could find a way to keep these two men alive, but then instantly questioned if he even wanted that and it scared him. The old blues man had warned him not to get lost, and now he was afraid he already was.

He looked over at Guidry, the man's slick black hair dripping with sweat, as he talked intensely to his brother, wiping grease from his scraggly mustache and the edges of his mouth with the back of his hand. Jimmy Hale might want to follow in the devil's footsteps, but he didn't, and he tried to cling to that thought with strident determination.

He gripped the slippery handle of the knife as he approached, aware of how easy it would be to end Guidry's life in an instant. It was so tempting, but Callen's eyes caught his and widened, reading his thoughts so easily that it made him smile. He shook his head and he saw the muscles in his brother's shoulders release as he slowly blew out a relieved breath of held back air. He leaned over and let the handful of meat tumble onto Guidry's plate, not wanting to sit back down beside him. The man suddenly grabbed his wrist and held it in an iron grip as he turned to look up at him.

"You got ahold of yourself, mon fils?" He growled, yanking him close.

He wondered how to answer as the man's sweaty hand tightened. He was tired of being manhandled, and he teetered between Jimmy Hale and himself, trying to decide on how to react to the painful grip and to the troubling question. Just who did he have ahold of?

"What the fuck does it matter? Now, let go of me," he growled, yanking his wrist free.

Guidry moved so fast that Jake had no time to react, and neither did he. The man grabbed him by the throat and slammed him down on the table, scattering plates of meat and bowls of grits, the remaining biscuits rolling off the edge into the dirt.

"If you ain't gonna use dat knife, boy, you best let it go," he snarled in his face.

He fought to breathe, opening his hand to let the knife slip free.

"Don't ya never talk ta me like dat again, boy," he ordered harshly. "Ya hear me?"

"Yessir," the words nothing but a strangled whisper.

"Jake. Your little brother too wild after what dey did to 'im," he said, breathing hard as he held him down. "You talk sense into 'im, or I'm gonna take a switch to his backside like he a little boy 'stead of a man. Understand? Boy needs discipline and I'll give 'im a good whuppin' if he don't show me respect."

Guidry shoved himself off of him and he rolled over on his side and coughed at the dry pain in his throat. He was fiercely angry and wasn't sure what he would have done if Jake didn't have a fistful of his shirt in both hands, keeping him in place.

"Don't, kid," he whispered. "Stay down, dammit. Just stay down."

"Don't be a dumbass, Cuz," Elan said slowly and softly in his ear. "Think what it would do to Joe if you got yourself killed. He'd blame himself, Marty."

The familiar words and his own name took the air from his lungs and he panted, trying to catch his breath as his adrenaline and rage drained away.

"You good?" Jake asked and he nodded weakly.

"Let me up."

He pushed himself off the table, embarrassed by his actions and his loss of control. He was a better undercover operative than this and he sat down hard on the bench, pulling his head down almost to his knees as he spit out the bitter taste in his mouth. He had almost blown the advantage they had, and he silently cursed himself for his bad judgment and for letting himself be controlled by his own alias. He knew Callen had been shaken by his actions, and he needed to prove to his partner that he hadn't completely freaked out, so he blew out his breath a couple of times and stood up and searched for Guidry.

The man was up on the platform, his hand around the doctor's throat and his mouth close to his ear. His eyes were wild and dark as he berated the whimpering man. Deeks couldn't hear what he was saying, but he knew it was about him and he walked past Callen and stepped up onto the platform.

"Mr. Guidry?" He called out softly.

"What now, couyon?"

"Came to apologize, sir," he said humbly. "I'm just an idiot sometimes. You can ask Jake. You been good to me, Mr. Guidry. You saved my life and I ain't never thanked you for that. I woulda died if it weren't for you."

Guidry turned to stare at him, searching for the truth in his words. They had been honestly spoken and Guidry finally seemed satisfied and motioned for him to come closer. He gripped the back of his neck and Deeks hung his head, hoping the man would assume it was because he was ashamed instead of a way to hide the revulsion he felt.

"Long as you know not ta fuck wid me, boy, we get along," Guidry said. "You lucky I like you, mon fils, otherwise I woulda beat the shit outa you like your daddy shoulda done."

"Oh, he did that real good, sir," Deeks said with a hint of the real anger he felt. "Since I was four. Got the scars to prove it."

"Good," Guidry said. "Dat what daddies is supposed ta do."

Deeks struggled not to argue with his sick belief, keeping his head down so the man wouldn't see the sudden flash of indignation in his eyes.

"Dis here sonofabitch shoot ya up wid all dem drugs. Dey make ya a little bit crazy. Crazier than ya are, anyways," he laughed harshly. "You and Jake take your time wid dese two while me and Tino check de perimeter. Don't want dem assholes sneakin' up on us. 'Member now, boy. Dontcha kill 'em. Dat's my right."

"Yessir," he replied softly, making sure there wasn't a hint of rebellion in his voice.

"Good boy."

Guidry slapped him across the chest before jumping off the platform and he was filled with such a deep hatred for the man that his hands unwittingly curled into fists and he struggled to remain contrite.

"Please don't hurt me?" Mouton whimpered, and Deeks realized the man had seen his reaction to Guidry and assumed it was meant for him.

"Shut up," he said calmly as Callen stepped up next to him.

They both took their time checking out the men in the area, not wanting anyone within earshot when they talked to Mouton and Elliot. Once the table was cleared and moved, the militiamen let them be, everyone keeping their distance, probably on Guidry's orders.

"I thought you lost it, brother," Callen finally said.

"I did. Sorry, man," he replied.

"Remember why you're there, Deeks," Sam's strident voice said loudly in his ear.

"You owe me a thank you, numbnuts. I kept' this big ol' Navy SEAL off comms," Roy chimed in. "You really know how ta piss him off."

"He didn't need someone yelling at him, Sam," Elan said.

The three men argued among themselves for a few moments, and Deeks found he enjoyed listening to them. It was just the distraction he needed to right himself.

"We need those names, G," Sam finally said.

"And y'all are gonna have ta show Guidry that ya took it to those two bastards," Roy reminded them. "It'll be suspicious if they don't look a whole lot worse for wear than when Guidry left."

Deeks and Callen stared at one another, both realizing Roy was right and as repugnant as it might be, they would have to rough them up unless they could think of some other way.

"Mouton pumped you full of drugs, brother," Jake Hale spit out angrily, giving him a hard shove as he spoke. "Now make him regret it."

Deeks searched his brother's face, understanding what Callen was trying to do, but it only made him sad. "He's an old man."

Jake's face slowly hardened into a cold mask, his eyes like ice, and not a remnant of his true self seemed to remain. His nostrils suddenly flared before he turned away, walking purposefully over to stand in front of Doctor Mouton. The man cowered, whimpering softly, but Jake Hale snorted in disgust and hit him hard and low. The man screamed when Jake hit him again and began to plead, babbling that he'd been forced to do what he did.

"Bullshit," Jimmy roared as he rushed over to face the man. "You smiled, asshole."

"No, no, no...," he said weakly. "I was just afraid. They would have killed me if I hadn't done what they wanted."

"Pierce will make you pay for this," Elliot threatened from behind them. "He's got people you don't know about. They'll blow you away if you kill us."

"Who the hell would that be, asshole?" Jake grunted in derision. "The old man just said he was forced into it, and now you want us to believe Pierce is gonna send some dudes we don't know to kill us just to save you two?"

"Yeah, Elliot. Give us some names, or shut the fuck up," Jimmy taunted as he approached the man. "Who are these mystery men? They up there in Washington?"

"Friends in the military," he boasted.

"Like a captain or somethin'?" Jimmy laughed. "Hey Jake. I think I'm scared now."

"You should be you stupid punk," Elliot spit out.

Jimmy hit him with a roundhouse punch high on the cheek, and then backhanded him across the mouth, before grabbing his shirt in both fists and shoving him hard against the rough post.

"You're the one tied up and waitin' to die, dickhead," Jimmy snarled in his face. "Give us some names and maybe Guidry won't set a pack of dogs on ya or feed ya to the gators like he did one of his own men."

"He did that?" Elliot squeaked out.

"You think all that talk earlier was some kinda joke or somethin'?" Jimmy asked with a cocky smile. "I watched him do it. Nasty. Real fuckin' nasty. That douchebag screamed like you wouldn't believe. Gator ate his arm first. Then his head. Stopped the screamin', which was nice. Just gobbled the rest of him down till there was nothin' left. Just his boots. Ugly thing spit those out."

By the time he was finished with the description, Elliot was shaking so bad he peed his pants.

"Got us a pisser, Jake," he laughed.

"Think the boss might like to meet these mystery men," Jake said as he came up and put a hand around Eliot's throat. "Who the fuck are they?"

"Okay...okay. The main guy is with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. One of his subordinates is in charge of combatant forces for the Marines. That guy is one mean sonofabitch," Elliot said in a rush. "He's the one who'll bring down the wrath of God on all you bastards if you hurt us."

"Didn't hear no names come outa your mouth, fuckface," Jimmy said as he pulled his gun from behind his back. "I think he's just makin' stuff up, Jake."

He pressed the barrel of the gun into the trembling man's ear and laughed. "Did you just pee again?"

"Boss said you can't kill 'im, Jimmy."

"Sonofabitch. You're right, brother," he replied as he moved his gun down and pushed the muzzle into the side of his butt. "Didn't say I couldn't shoot his ass off."

"Wait, wait...please just wait, okay?" Elliot pleaded. "Hunter Greer is with the Joint Chiefs. General Jefferson Rasmussen answers to him."

"Those are some serious dudes," Roy said in his ear and whistled softly.

"We need a way to get all the co-conspirators together in the same place so we can take them all down at once," Sam said. "You two will have to figure out how, G."

"Can't Hetty just have them arrested?" Elan asked.

"We only have Elliot's word," Sam reasoned. "We'll need more than that little shit's word, especially if Guidry kills him. Do what you can G. I'll call Hetty."

Callen pulled Deeks aside, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and walking him to the far corner of the platform. The crickets had started up now that the sun was down and a large bird was a welcomed distraction as it gracefully set down on top of a tree in front of them. It was an egret and snowy white, looking so pure it made Deeks feel dirty. His hand felt slick and grimy as he gripped the gun, pressing it tightly against his leg. He found it hard to breathe and Callen gripped his shoulder as if he understood how much he hated what they were doing.

"Maybe we can get Guidry to offer to release Elliot and the doctor in exchange for meeting the two new players," Callen whispered. "He's gotta be pissed he wasn't told about them."

"Good plan if the bastards want them back," he replied. "If they don't...what then?"

"It's worth a try," Callen said softly.

They jumped down from the platform together, Callen's hand sliding up his back to his shoulder, squeezing it briefly as they went in search of Guidry in the deepening twilight. Being partnered with him on this assignment had been a revelation. He loved him as a brother, and enjoyed his companionship when they were together, but he'd never been on a long undercover mission as his partner before. He was extremely supportive and able to read him even when he wasn't sure of his own thoughts. Callen's ability to quickly assess a situation and act, as he had when he'd been reluctant to hit that helpless old man made him appreciate what a professional he was. He did what was needed, even when it was decidedly unpleasant.

"Thanks for having my back," Deeks said softly.

"You did good back there," Callen assured him and then smirked. "You made Elliot pee and everything."

"One of my specialties."

"Good to know, kid."

The Brotherhood members were always armed, but now they held their automatic weapons at the ready and the tension in camp was tangible. They got no suspicious looks from any of the men, which was a much-needed relief. What they did get were expressions of camaraderie, and that was definitely something new. They had obviously all heard what Pierce and the doctor had done to him and the men nodded or saluted as he passed. Because of it they'd been accepted as integral members of The Brotherhood, something they both had worked hard for, but still found abhorrent. He schooled his features as Callen was doing beside him, clinching his jaw tight as he nodded back at the men, knowing they would kill them without a shred of remorse if they knew they were federal agents.

They asked one man at the edge of camp if he'd seen Guidry and were pointed to a break in the undergrowth and a narrow track that led down to the bayou. The light became murky as the thick growth closed in around them on the twisting path. It was one they'd never been on before and they could hear distant, angry voices up ahead. Two men suddenly stepped out in front of them pointing rifles at their chests as two more came up silently behind them. They were men they didn't know.

"Easy now," Jake said softly, spreading his arms wide to show he had no weapon in his hand.

"We got somethin' Mr. Guidry needs to hear," Jimmy said quickly, only to be shoved against a tree and a hairy forearm pressed against his throat.

"What's he gotta hear from a punk ass like you?" the heavily bearded man growled.

"Your breath smells like a fresh load of crap, dude," Jimmy smiled cockily before the man shoved him sideways onto the ground.

"Touch 'im again and Antoine'll gut ya," Tino warned as he suddenly stepped between them. "If his brother Jake don't kick your ass first."

Jake helped him up and he spit on the ground at the man's feet. Then he stuck his hand out and smiled.

"Name's Jimmy," he said with a wide smile. "What's yours, dickwad?"

"You're Jimmy Hale?" The big man asked nervously. "Sorry man. Did I hurt ya?"

"No. Just pissed me off," he replied.

"Don't blame ya," the big man said humbly. "Folks call me Beau."

"Can't say it's been nice meetin' ya, Bobo, but you seem like the right sonofabitch to watch the boss's back," Jimmy said, slapping the man lightly on the arm.

When he turned back, Guidry stood in the dim light watching him. He thought he saw him smile, but he wasn't smiling now, simply waved him and Jake forward. The guards melted into the undergrowth as if they'd never been there and Jake shot him a look that told him he was impressed with their skills. Tino led the way into a clearing leading to a wooden walkway that jutted out into a shallow lake covered in algae. At the end was an old, roughly built shack on stilts with half walls and a shed roof, the rafters hung with various sized lanterns that glowed brightly in the eerily dark surroundings.

"You boys done wid dem bastards already?" Guidry asked sharply.

"Was just gettin' started when Elliot let slip Pierce's got some big shots in the military on the payroll," Jake told him.

"Yeah, boss...said if we hurt him and the doc that they'd come down on us and take us all out," Jimmy hurried to add.

"Pierce holdin' out on me," Guidry grunted out. "Don't much like bein' threatened, neither."

He motioned for them to follow as he headed across the walkway to the private hangout at the end. There were several folding lawn chairs set up inside and a big red-topped cooler sat in the middle.

"You boys want a beer?" He asked as he slouched into a pale green and white lawn chair. "Pea brung up a few six packs and some ice. He just a good ol' boy at heart."

They both took one and Deeks thought it was one of the best damn things he'd tasted in a long while. He noticed how wary Jake was acting and he slumped back in the low chair and kept quiet and alert.

"Why Elliot tell ya 'bout dem military honchos?" Guidry asked, taking a sip of his beer, his eyes curious and dark.

"Jimmy was gonna shoot his ass off," Jake said with a smirk. "He was saying all kinda things to hold onto it."

"Y'all believe 'im?"

"Gave us their names, sir," Jimmy replied, trying to sound as deferential as possible. "They're generals."

"Why the fuck wouldn't Pierce tell us about them, boss?" Tino said, obviously ticked off.

"Cause dat man think he smarter den me," Guidry said. "Wants ta use me and De Brotherhood as scapegoats. Jimmy heard em. Said dey call me a hick."

"They're just interested in the money," Jimmy said hoarsely. "Heard that sick bastard Pensky talkin' about all the stuff he was gonna buy while he jacked off in his pants."

"You didn't tell me that," Jake said.

"Didn't tell you a lot of things," he replied, jumping up and leaning over the low wall, hoping for some cooler air.

Guidry was suddenly behind him, and he desperately tried not to flinch when the man ruffled his hair. "Dey done more to ya, didn't dey boy?"

"Little bits and pieces keep comin' back," he whispered. "Couldn't fight 'em. They're sick shits, boss. They don't respect you, sir, or what The Brotherhood stands for. Hate to see you go down to a bunch of fuckers like that just so they can buy another big boat and live happily ever after."

"Ain't nobody gonna take me down, mon fils," Guidry said. "'Specially dem slickers from up north. Ain't trusted dem since Pierce said dey was gonna poison the Mississip. I love dat big ol' river. Dis my home, and I gonna fight for it. Dey be de ones goin' down, boy, and dey goin' down hard."

"How we gonna get 'em all back down here?" Tino asked. "You did threaten to shoot those two assholes if they didn't give Jimmy back."

"Trade the two bastards we got for a meeting with them and these generals," Jake suggested. "They don't know Jimmy's still alive. Once you tell 'em, they might want to find out if he remembered anything."

"Bait de trap, den snap it shut with a big ol' bang," Guidry laughed.

"Sure they won't just shoot us down the minute we show up?" Tino questioned.

"Why kill your own scapegoat?" Jake said.

"Yeah...they still need us, boss," Jimmy said with a cocky grin.

"But we don't need dem no more. We done wid 'em," Guidry said gruffly. "You a smart man, Jake. I like that. Guess dem two I got tied up gonna live another day. Go give 'em de good news, Tino. I'm gonna call Pierce and tell 'im about Jimmy and how Elliot spilled his guts 'bout a couple of generals I wanna meet."

"Where this meetin' gonna be, boss?" Jimmy asked as he slouched against the wall. "Hope it ain't gonna be on that damn boat of theirs. Had enough of that slick shithole."

"Me too, mon fils," Guidry said, draping an arm across his shoulder. "I think de doc's house be a good place. Make 'em think dey in neutral territory."

"What ya got in mind for 'em, boss?" Jake asked.

"Still thinkin' on dat, Jake," he replied and drained the last of his beer. "Jimmy's lookin' tired. Take 'im on back to your cabin. We talk in de mornin'."

"Can I take a couple of them beers, boss?" Jimmy asked. "Thought Addy might like one."

"She gone, boy," he grunted. "Got too full of herself. Had ta teach 'er a lesson. Go on now. No time ta be thinkin' 'bout fuckin' some bitch don't know her place."

"But she's okay, ain't she?" He asked, trying to control his sudden fear and hold his temper.

"Don't push me, boy," Guidry growled, reaching out to grip the neck of his t-shirt, twisting it in his fist as he pulled his face close. "Shut the fuck up 'bout that skinny little girl and git on back to your cabin."

He could see Jake stand and take a step toward them, his intense blue eyes full of warning and he reluctantly took the hint and backed down.

"Yessir," he whispered.

Guidry pushed him away and Jake grabbed him by the arm and hustled him to the boardwalk. He suddenly felt drained of energy, and filled with numbing sadness. Addy had been the one bright spot in this hellhole and he wanted desperately to believe she was still alive. It was a tough thing to hope for with a man like Guidry, and he choked on his hatred for the man. He stumbled mindlessly along the path in front of his brother and felt nothing but cold emptiness inside, devoid of any sense of goodness or kindness. He felt more like being Jimmy Hale than during any other time on this assignment. There had only been a few people he had come across in his life that he'd personally wanted to kill, and Guidry now topped that list. Two of the others were already dead.

"You okay?" Jake asked softly as they approached their cabin.

"Fuck no."

"You don't know that he killed her," Jake said as he pushed open the door and led him inside.

"And you don't know that he didn't," the words rushing out with all the venom he was feeling. "This is Guidry. He doesn't do things halfway."

"Why don't you just go ask someone?" Elan said softly in his ear. "You won't be able to sleep until you know."

"He's right, kid," Roy added. "We're at the critical stage now. Ya can't get sidetracked."

"I'll go find out what happened," Callen offered. "You're worn out and pretty drunk."

"I'm not that drunk and I'm not that tired," he snapped as he stormed back out the door.

A rough hand to the chest stopped him in his tracks as the burly man named Beau came out of darkness and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. This time he swung at the man, but an iron hand wrapped around his wrist before he could make contact. Beau slammed him back against the wall of the cabin and held him there as he struggled.

"You're done," Jake said quietly as he placed the muzzle of his gun against the man's temple. "Now let him go."

"Can't. Mr. Guidry told me to keep him in the cabin," Beau said calmly.

"What makes you think I won't shoot you?" Jake asked.

"I don't want ta hurt 'im," Beau said. "Guidry sent me to protect 'im."

"From what, asshole?" Jimmy spit out.

"From doing something stupid," Beau answered. "Told me you're kind of a hothead and don't know when ta quit when ya get somethin' stuck in your craw, so he sent me to keep you in line."

"And just what stupid thing did Guidry think he was gonna do?" Jake asked as he lowered the gun.

"Go lookin' for Addy."

"You know her?" Jimmy asked softly. "Is she alive?"

"Guidry said you had a soft spot for that girl," Beau replied.

"That didn't answer his question," Jake said.

"Tell me what he did to her, Beau...please man," Jimmy said numbly, and the man let him loose.

"Don't think a man should beat on a woman, but Guidry weren't exactly askin' anyone's opinion."

"How bad?" Jimmy asked.

"Used a leather belt until she was screamin' pretty good," Beau said softly. "It was Tino who stopped him. Shocked the hell outa everybody, including Guidry."

"What did the boss do?" Jake asked.

"Think he respected him for it," Beau replied. "Tino and her mother been living together for awhile, so he's got a soft spot for the girl too."

"Don't think she feels the same," Jimmy said.

"Well she does now," Beau said, snorting out a small laugh.

"So she's okay?" Jimmy asked.

"Pea took 'er back to her mama," Beau replied. "Don't think she'll be back here again. No place for a young girl anyways. Specially a sweet one like her."

"Thanks, Beau," Jimmy said, and turned to go back inside.

"She was worried about you," the big man said. "Kept pestering Guidry about you."

"Is that why he beat her?" He turned to ask bitterly.

"Naw. She told Pea it was cause she told Guidry she wanted to go to school so she could be a teacher."

"Why would he beat her for that?" Jake asked.

"Guidry don't need no reason if it just hits him wrong," Beau said, shaking his head as if he couldn't understand it. "He don't think nobody should have a mind of their own. She did and he didn't like it."

"She'll be a good teacher," Jimmy said softly.

"You best tread easy with Guidry," Beau warned. "He can turn on ya as fast as lightning, so watch yourself. He's taken a likin' to ya, but don't let your guard down for a second."

"How do you know we won't turn on you and tell Guidry what you said?" Jake asked.

"I get a feelin' about people," he replied. "I don't think y'all are as mean as ya seem ta be. Easy to see how much Jimmy here cares about Addy. I believe you're good men, and good men don't rat out a man that just give 'em a righteous warnin'.

"Take care, Beau," Deeks said as he reached out to shake his hand. "You ain't the only one gets a feelin'. There's a big firefight comin', so watch your ass."

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