They arrived about three o’clock at the small man-made lake near Cypress Oil. Luc and Tee-John followed her directions diligently, and within three hours, dozens of samples of soil and water had been gathered from the various tributaries leading off the holding pond.
Mostly, they worked at a considerable distance—at least a mile—from the plant grounds, which were heavily posted against trespassers. It would be even more damning if the contaminants were concentrated at that distance, especially since these tributaries led to residential areas. Even without performing complicated chemical tests in a lab that would break down the components in the samples, Sylvie knew by sight and smell alone that they had clear evidence against Cypress Oil.
“How could the oil company be so careless?” she asked Luc.
He was pressing the small of his back to get out the kinks after being in a bent-over position for so long. “They’ve been getting away with it forever, so they probably consider themselves invincible. Hell, in many ways they are. A little money tossed here and there, and evidence disappears, court decisions defy logic, government officials look the other way.”
“Then what’s the use?”
“If you give up, you might as well lie down and die. There’s always hope, sweetheart. When all else fails, there’s hope.”
“We’re Cajuns,” Tee-John interjected with pride. “We never give up.”
She and Luc exchanged a smile.
Then Luc tousled his brother’s hair. “You betcha, bud. Regular Ragin’ Cajuns, that’s what we are.”
Sylvie clucked her tongue at the two of them. “Should we start back now? Surely, we have enough samples.”
“Just a few more.” Luc shifted uneasily.
The fine hairs stood out on the back of her neck. “What?”
“I’m going up closer. We need samples from the holding pond itself.”
“Luc! It’s too dangerous for us to go any closer.”
“We won’t be going. I’ll be going alone.”
“No!” she and Tee-John said at the same time.
“Yes. You two stay here. I’ll only be gone a short while… an hour at most.”
“Oh, Luc, I don’t like this at all.”
“Tee-John, I want you to take care of Sylvie while I’m gone.”
The boy’s chest puffed out at the responsibility.
“Sylv, come over here and show me which vials and baggies to take and how to label them.” When she approached the pirogue, he was already pulling items out and putting them in a backpack. “I’m leaving the boat here with you and Tee-John,” he said in an undertone. “No, don’t argue with me.
I can hide myself better if I travel by foot. If something should happen to me—stop looking like that, chère, I’ll be careful—you and Tee-John go back to the cabin and call Remy. He’ll pick you up and take you to safety.”
“No! I won’t stay here, and I won’t leave without you.”
“You must, Sylvie. These samples are too important. Besides, you’ve got to keep Tee-John safe. He’ll run off half-cocked.”
She threw herself into Luc’s arms then. Hugging him tightly with her face buried in his neck, she cried, “Be careful. Come back.”
He hugged her tightly in return… so tightly she could barely breathe. Then he kissed her fiercely before setting her at arm’s length. “You and I need to talk when I get back.”
She nodded.
Why did she keep thinking if you come back?
Forty-five minutes later, Sylvie and Tee-John were jolted by the sound of gunfire in the distance. Lifting the binoculars to her eyes, she gasped and grabbed for Tee-John’s hand.
In less than a half hour, Luc’s limp body was being carried away by two heavily armed security officers. A third officer was stomping on glass vials strewn about the ground.
Was Luc dead or alive?
“Well, we’re finally ‘home,'” Sylvie said with a sigh, as the cabin came into sight. She squeezed Tee-John’s shoulder.
“We gotta call Remy, right off,” Tee-John said.
She nodded as she helped the boy pull the pirogue up and onto the bank. It wouldn’t be used again if Remy came soon with the hydroplane.
It was two a.m., and the cabin loomed dark before them. It had taken the three of them five hours, not including lunch, to reach Cypress Oil, but the harrowing trip back, laden with worry about Luc, had taken seven hours with only her and Tee-John at the paddles.