Page 42 of Witch
“That’s a lot of words coming from you,” smirked Ghost. Trak actually chuckled, nodding.
“I guess it is. The truth is, for all of you,” he said, looking at the Robicheaux brothers, “they are as much our sisters as yours.”
“And wives,” said Dex.
“Amen,” said Cruz. Mac, Clay, Jake, and Sly nodding.
“Jake? When did you get here?” asked Nine.
“I’ve been sittin’ here since 0700. Wanted to be sure there was food here, and it was clean in case the girls were stuck for a while. Never know what can happen. Besides, Claudette is my wife, and I won’t be just sitting on the sidelines waiting to see if she’s safe.”
“I don’t know why I fucking worried,” smirked Gaspar. “I could have just left it in the hands of their husbands.”
“You could have,” smiled Dex, “but they were your sisters before they were our wives. We yielded a bit to that.”
“Here they come,” said Miller.
The men scrambled to be sure they weren’t seen, more than two-dozen crammed into the small cottage. They heard the car doors slamming and the women coming up the steps of the porch.
“His car just passed,” said Archie. “Shall I follow?”
“No need, Archie. He’ll be back this way soon,” said Nine.
“Honey, we’re home,” chirped Camille. Cruz appeared from around the corner, frowning at her.
“Not funny. Everything okay?” he asked.
“All good. We bought jerky and candy, some new earrings,” she stopped and looked up to see the angered faces of her brothers. “Oh. Right. Yes, everything is good. He followed us just like you said.”
“Come with me,” said Trak. “We’ll get you beneath the netting with the ghosts. They’ll guide you to the boat downriver and come back to leave the netting for us.”
The sisters hugged their husbands, kissing them, and then hugging their brothers. When the ghosts returned with the netting, Cruz, Doc, Wilson, Dex, Kade, and Otto left, covered in the netting to take the women back to Belle Fleur.
“Haunt the fuck out of him for me,” said Cruz, nodding at the victims.
Knowing that Hopkins probably wouldn’t make a move until dark, the men relaxed, staying low and away from the windows. As darkness fell, they quietly ate, the television playing some mindless show.
“He is here,” said Astrid. “He’s here.”
“Alright,” said Nine. “Stay out of sight until you get the signal from us. Do you understand?” The ghostly images all nodded at the man, but he wondered if they would actually take his orders.
Trak signed to the other men.
He is at the back door.
Alec waited behind the door, hearing the man fiddling with the doorknob and lock. Even if they hadn’t been there, the women would have heard his commotion and shot him through the door. He was a terrible lock picker.
Hopkins slowly opened the door, hoping that the women were in the front room. When he entered, he pulled a small object from his coat pocket. It looked like a grenade, but they all knew exactly what it was. It was a smoke bomb containing an aerosol sedative that would knock the women out. No doubt he had a mask in his pocket as well.
As he lifted his arm to toss it, he felt the bones in his wrist crushed by a large hand. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Alec flung the man against the wall, watching as he bounced onto the floor.
“Hello, Marcus. Nice to see you again,” said Gaspar.
“No. You! No, it’s not possible,” he said, shaking his head.
“Obviously, it’s possible,” said Gaspar, shaking his head. He looked at the men in the room, smiling. “Why do they always say that? If we’re standing here, it’s possible. So ridiculous.”
“You’re all mad. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe you’re all witches!”
