“Okay, let's get our coffee and then I'll tell you.”
They pulled up in front of the coffee shop in Bad, the next town up the bayou from Autre. Bad, Louisiana was nothing if not quirky. The original German name for the town—something long and hard to pronounce and including B-A-D in it—had been shortened over a hundred years ago to simply Bad and the town now leaned into the name. The hair salon was Bad Hair Day, the bar was Bad Brews, and Bad Habit was the quaint little coffee shop that was painted a sunny yellow and had white wooden shutters and a white wooden front porch.
Over the years people had tried to make Autre and Bad rivals, and they certainly had been in things like high school football and baseball, but when it came right down to it, the two towns got along and Carter, the cop in Bad, happened to be one of Zander's good friends.
Zander also really happened to like this coffee shop.
They went inside and placed their orders. Zander's regular—which made Caroline smirk, both because he had a regular order that the barista knew automatically and because it involved cinnamon dolce syrup, heavy cream, and a dusting of cinnamon over the whipped cream on top—and her concoction with at least four ingredients that he wouldn't have been able to repeat if he had to. But he steered her back out to the truck once they had their cups in hand, rather than to one of the tables or booths.
He had to work today and couldn't spend all morning sitting in the coffee shop in the next town telling Caroline all of his deepest, darkest secrets.
Even if he wanted to.
Still, as they drove back to Autre, sipping their drinks, he told her far more than he'd ever told anyone.
“Little over two years ago, Theo was out patrolling the bayou,” Zander started when they were about a mile out of Bad.
“Who's Theo?” Caroline interrupted.
“One of our game wardens. My best friend since we were kids.”
“Okay, got it.” She lifted her cup and seemed to settle into his truck seat.
“He found a cabin deep on the bayou, that had been abandoned for years, was suddenly occupied. Along with the one half a mile to the north and another one a quarter mile east.”
“And that’s weird?”
“A little. Those aren’t vacation homes. The only way to get out there is by airboat. There are no roads. Gettin’ supplies out there isn’t easy. There’s no cell service out there. People who live or even stay out there to hunt and fish have to know how to rough it.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“So Theo kept his eye on things. He had to be sure they weren’t hunting or trapping without licenses or violating any environmental regulations. Having a bunch of guys suddenly show up in abandoned cabins is just worth looking into.”
“Agreed.” Caroline sipped again, clearly intent to just listen.
“Over the next couple of weeks, he noticed that boats kept showing up with supplies. But not fishing and camping equipment. Tech equipment. Computers and stuff. Plus lots of guns and ammo.”
“Wow.”
“Yep. So he asked some questions. And took some photos. Of course, the guys wouldn’t say much and he didn’t have a warrant to search the cabins so he didn’t get inside, but he passed the photos and info he had on to Spencer.”
“Who’s Spencer?”
“FBI agent. My cousin. The one I’ve been in touch with about the lion.”
“Okay. And he found something?”
Zander nodded. “Two of the guys are regulars on message boards that the FBI watches.”
Her eyes were round when he glanced over again. “Um…wow.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “They haven’t done anything, but we’re keeping a very close eye on them. And when a few of them started venturing into town, talking to people about making really good money by helping them out with machine parts and transportation and contract work—welding, and electrical work, and stuff—we told them that they were not welcome in Autre.”
“You and Theo and Spencer?”
“And Michael and Wyatt.”
“Who are they?”
“Michael’s our fire chief and chief paramedic. Autre boy all his life. Wyatt is Spencer’s brother. Coast Guard. Their grandparents were from Autre, so they know and love the town.”
“You made it clear that you’re protecting Autre as law enforcement officers?”
“No. As men who weren’t going to let anything happen in or to our town.”
“And your brothers and cousins, they all feel the same way, right? You have a huge number of people to protect Autre.”
“No,” he said quickly, and firmly. “Just Michael, Theo, Spencer, and Wyatt.”
“Your brothers don’t know? And your other cousins? Isn’t one of your cousins the mayor?”
Yeah, clearly Heather had filled Caroline in on his family tree over dinner last night.
“Yes, the mayor of Autre is my cousin. But no, she doesn’t know about this.”
“Shouldn’t she?”
“She would be the first one to get on an airboat and head out there to kick their asses,” Zander said.
“But seriously—”
“I’m being serious. My family is very protective of this town too. They’re all strong and stubborn and fiercely loyal. They would want to run these guys off.”
“So why not let them in on all of this? The more people the better right? I’d love to have a bunch of people on my side helping me with my stuff.”
“It’s not that easy. One of my brothers is a third-grade teacher. One does construction. My cousins run a swamp boat tour company. Others are veterinarians and lawyers and TV stars and…” Zander ran a hand through his hair. “Kennedy and her husband run a foundation that’s working to save the coastline of Louisiana. They’re involved in politics and have the ear of people who can get important things done. Fletcher teaches little kids to read and about science and about being kind. He’s literally helping make good future citizens. My cousin, Charlie, has taken the little otter exhibit and, with the help of everyone else, has turned it into a sanctuary for abused and endangered animals.”
He blew out a breath, feeling the familiar tightness in his chest that was a weird mix of pride and anxiety. “They drive me crazy. But they are amazing people doing amazing things and I can’t risk them getting hurt or even losing sleep or spending their energy or time worrying about some assholes camping out on the bayou. That’s my job. That’s what I can do. I can keep that shit away from them so they can do the great stuff they do to actually make the world a better place.”
There was no sound but the tires on the pavement for several seconds. Then she said. “Got it.”
“Do you?” he asked, glancing over. He sincerely wanted to know if she understood.
He and the guys wore their badges proudly and believed in what they stood for. But sometimes, it came down to him just being a guy who was willing to do whatever it took to keep his family, friends, and town safe. He didn’t work with kids or animals or the environment, but he sure as hell could keep the people safe who did.
“Of course. I’ve been living a double life for almost a decade in an attempt to keep my family safe from the threats I perceive around them.”