Kent Conwell - Tony Boudreaux 15 - The Mona Lisa Murders Read Online Free PDF

‘Out there? But—what about the alligators and snakes.’
    ‘Just watch where you step. They’ll run if they get enough warning.’
    He stared at me uncertainly. ‘You sure?’
    ‘I grew up in swamps. Now get out or stay here. Me, I’m heading for the road.’
    His face brightened. ‘Road? Where?’
    ‘Back east of us a piece,’ I replied, taking out through the ankle-deep water.’
    He hesitated. ‘How do you know that? You ever been out here?’
    I pointed to a tall steel electrical tower in the distance. ‘Over there. See them. Power lines. Usually where you have lines, you have roads.’
    ‘What if this isn’t one of those times?’
    ‘Then we’ll follow the power lines. We’ll find a road sooner or later.’ I turned to face him.
    Reluctantly, he swung a leg over the gunwale and stepped down into the water. ‘It’s shallow.’
    ‘Yeah, it’s shallow. Now come on. Stay in my tracks. You won’t have any trouble.’
     
    Despite the wind and low clouds tumbling westward, the early morning sun baked our shoulders as we sloshed though the gumbo mud and murky water stained almost black by the tannic acid from the water oak leaves. At least, that was the explanation my Grandpere Moise gave me, and as far as I was concerned, words from that old gentleman were gospel.
    The only way Antone could have gotten any closer to me when we stirred up the first two or three snakes and alligators was if he’d climbed on my shoulders. But then, he saw what I had meant. ‘You were right. They’re running from us,’ he remarked, a gush of amazement in his voice.
    Thirty minutes later, we reached the power lines. And a very welcome party that proved to be most unwelcome.
     

Chapter Seven
    When we stepped from the underbrush into the power line right-of-way, I muttered a curse.
    At my shoulder, Antone exclaimed. ‘There’s no road.’ He looked up at me. ‘Where’s the road? You said there was one here.’
    I was frustrated enough without having to listen to him whine. ‘So I lied. Sue me.’
    As far as the eye could see in either direction, a line of four-legged steel towers stretched to the horizon. I headed north. ‘We’ll find something ahead.’
    Exhausted, the small man eyed the concrete piers supporting the tower legs. ‘Couldn’t we just sit and rest.’
    I glanced at the sun. ‘You won’t like the company.’
    He frowned, his angular face drawn in weariness. ‘Company?’
    ‘Soon as the sun heats that concrete, you’ll have more snakes in your lap than you can count. That’s where they like to sleep.’
    Antone jerked around. ‘I don’t see any.’
    ‘They’ll be there. Don’t worry.’ At the moment, it failed to dawn on me that with the first rays of sunlight, water snakes begin seeking out sources of warmth.
    He swallowed hard. ‘I’m not tired. Let’s keep going.’
    I hesitated, staring into the ankle-deep water surrounding the electrical tower. There, just below the surface, was the road. For a brief moment, I tried to figure out just what had happened, and then I knew.
    The storm Leroi had mentioned, the same one of which the two goons had spoken the night before, was pushing water ashore. I glanced back to the gulf, seeing nothing but patchy clouds and hearing nothing but the wind.
    That explained no snakes basking in the sun. They were moving higher into the trees. In fact, even the alligators and bullfrogs had grown silent. I motioned to Antone. ‘Let’s go.’
    Before we could take a step, a voice called out. ‘Hey there!’
    I glanced around and spotted a fisherman standing in a jonboat back in the underbrush. ‘Hello,’ I shouted.
    Using a long pole, he pushed his aluminum boat through the shallow water. ‘Trouble?’ Well built, he appeared to be in his mid-thirties.
    Warily, I replied. ‘Yeah. Back west a piece. Hit a cypress knee and boat went down.’
    By now, he had drawn near. The small fourteen-foot craft contained fishing gear and supplies for a single