myth, she’d researched the animals, because she was always thorough in her preparations for an assignment
She knew that the cats were most common in Central America. But they also inhabited the southern United States. Still, no matter where they lived, they were seldom seen during the day—or at all.
As she stood facing the cat, all the stories she’d read about local residents mauled in the bayou and left for dead came bubbling to the surface of her brain.
With a start, she realized that the gun was still dangling beside her leg like a cold blob of iron. She raised the weapon now, taking it in a two-handed grip as she faced the animal.
One thing she knew, if the cat was responsible for the deaths in the bayou, she wasn’t going to be his next victim.
She thought that with one part of her mind. With another part, she decided that the animal looked too regal to be a man-killer. She didn’t know how she came to that conclusion. She only knew that laying the blame for the bayou killings on the shoulders of this beast felt wrong.
Drops of rain began to trickle onto her head and shoulders as she stood on the shoulder of the road, still as a statue, facing the jaguar. For several moments, it continued to regard her with that unnerving intelligence. She didn’t know what she would have done if it had come any closer. Maybe fired a warning shot into the air.
But she didn’t have to put her nerves to the test because the animal took a step back, then another, moving slowly as though it knew that spooking a woman with an automatic pistol was a bad idea.
When the jaguar had backed away several paces, it turned and flipped its tail at her like an annoyed house cat. Then, with a mighty leap, it took off, before racing away into the darkness under the trees, lost to her sight in seconds.
She blinked and breathed out a sigh, wondering if the whole incident had been a fantasy. Then she reminded herself that she hadn’t been the only one to see the cat. The men in the baseball caps had taken off like frightened weasels.
Lowering the gun, she looked up and down the narrow blacktop ribbon. The cat had come to her rescue—like he’d known she was in trouble. But she had another problem. The whole time she’d been on this road, she hadn’t seen another vehicle—except the truck that had been following her.
Earlier, there had been no point in calling 911. By the time help arrived, the men would have done whatever they’d planned.
Now the situation was different. Climbing back into the car, she set the gun on the passenger seat and pulled her cell phone from her purse. But when she tried to make a call, she couldn’t get a connection. Either this part of Louisiana was too isolated, or the storm was interfering.
As if to bolster that theory, a bolt of lightning flashed in the clouds in front of her. Several seconds later, thunder rumbled.
So now what? The car’s brakes were weak. If she had another choice, she wouldn’t drive. But staying here was dangerous, since the guys in the truck could come back after they figured the big cat was gone.
Hopefully, she could make it to Belle Vista—then arrange to have the car towed to another gas station. Or maybe even to another town.
###
Andre Gascon came running through the rain from the field behind his house. Still moving fast, he made a dash for his car, dove behind the wheel and started the engine at the same time he stomped on the accelerator, then skidded down the driveway.
Morgan Kirkland should be here by now. Janet had heard from a friend in town that Morgan had stopped in St. Germaine for gas. Probably she’d let on where she was going, which was a big mistake. Because he wouldn’t put it past Bubba Arnette or one of his buddies to do something to her car.
Andre clenched his fists and cursed. He’d asked her to drive straight through from New Orleans. But he hadn’t insisted, because he hadn’t wanted to creep her out before she even got here.
If anyone had asked him how he knew she was in trouble now, he would have put it down to intuition.
But that was a lie. He knew.
And in truth, he’d been waiting for something bad to happen since this morning.
The sky looked like the inside of a coal mine.