CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

It seemed before they could even make a call, the EPA, local inspectors, sheriff, and police swarmed the stadium. Attendees were exiting, and the stadium was being shut down along with the outlying buildings and facility.

State police and local authorities were sent to Glenda Pinken’s home, only to find it vacant. With an APB placed out for her, she wouldn’t be able to hide for long.

“This can’t be happening to me,” she whispered to herself. She slammed her hand against the steering wheel several times, cursing her team, cursing the other team, cursing anyone and everyone. Hitting redial on her phone, she dialed her sister first.

“Gwen, I need help,” she said in a demanding tone.

“I don’t work for you any longer, Glenda. I’m sorry.”

“You’re my sister! You will fucking help me or so help me God!”

“So help you God, what? What, Glenda? Are you going to torment me like you did when we were kids? Are you going to cut my hair in my sleep? Take my clothes, my toys, my boyfriends? Well, guess what? We’re not kids any longer, and I’m not afraid of you. This is your mess, Glenda. Yours. I hope they hang you.”

The line went dead, and she screamed, shaking her head back and forth. She dialed her brother’s number, waiting a long time for someone to finally answer.

“I’m not helping you, Glenda.”

“Glen, you have to!”

“I don’t have to do anything. I will not be a part of this. You should be ashamed of yourself. I’m ashamed for not asking more questions sooner, and I will testify to that fact. Gwen and me agree that we have some guilt in this. We’ll testify against you and admit what we did and didn’t know.”

“You fool. You poor pathetic ignorant fool!” she screamed. “I will make you pay for this, Glen. You and Gwen both.”

“Do your best, Glenda. We’ll be waiting to speak with the authorities.”

When she was done screaming to herself again, she realized that she wasn’t even sure where she was. Normally, she would have a driver, but today, she ran so fast he was still in the bathroom or eating a damn hot dog somewhere. She just kept driving south, hoping that sooner or later, she would find something that looked familiar. Maybe she’d hop a boat somewhere. Anywhere!

“Lafitte? Where in the hell is this shithole?” she frowned.

Passing some small businesses, she continued to drive, seeing nothing except swamp on either side of her. When the rain started, she slowed down, not wanting to wreck her new baby.

With the wipers moving at top speed, she gasped, seeing shadows up ahead. Slamming on her brakes, she stared out her window, not believing what she was seeing.

“This can’t be real.”

“Sniff, Lucy? I need y’all’s help,” said Mama Irene.

“Okay. What do you need?”

She explained what she needed as they took the boat out to the island. Sniff stared at Lucy, shaking his head.

“Gaspar will kill me,” he whispered.

“No, he won’t. I’ll make sure of it. I need your help, and so do they. Trevon’s meetin’ me out there too.”

“But how will we…”

“Sniff, honey, I need you to listen to me. I need your help, and so do all those men. Now, no arguing. Let’s go.”

“What in the hell is that?” she repeated. “This can’t be real. Someone is screwing with the universe just to get to me!” Laying on the horn, she was getting no results. With no other option, she opened the door and stepped into the rain, right into a pile of bison shit.

“We’ll move along in a minute,” said the old woman in front of her.

“Move now! Do you know who I am? Move these animals now, or I’ll run them over, killing them and you!”

“Well, you could try,” smirked Sniff, “but they weigh more than your pretty car, so it would do a lot of damage to it, not them.” He was lying, of course. If she hit them hard enough, it would cause a lot of damage to the animals.

“Move those damn buffalo!” she screamed. She felt something slither around her waist and screamed, trying to break free.

“Oh, that’s not a buffalo,” smiled Lucy, “that’s an elephant.”

“This is a nightmare. A damn nightmare! Let me go!” she yelled. An old woman walked toward her in an absurd yellow raincoat and rain boots. She stopped at the elephant’s trunk, patting him gently.

“That’s a good boy,” she smiled. “You? Not so much.” Glenda stared at the old woman, wondering who in the hell she was.

“Do you have any idea…”

“… who you are… Yeah, yeah,” laughed Irene. “I know who you are, and I know that you hurt one of my boys.”

“One of your boys? Do you have a son who plays for me?” she asked, squinting in the pelting rain.

“He did. He’s mine now. My son and I will defend him to the end. In fact, I will defend all the boys that suffered at your hands, which is why you aren’t going anywhere.”

“You can’t hold me like this! Put me down!” Irene gave a signal to the elephant, who squeezed a little tighter, causing Glenda to cry out in pain.

“Okay, okay!”

“Good. That’s good. You’re learning about who is really in charge,” said Irene. “My boys will be here soon to take you away to a place where you belong.”

“I won’t go to jail,” she smirked.

“Oh, honey. I ain’t that kind of Grandma. You ain’t goin’ to jail. You’re goin’ to hell.”