The girls moved back as she just took over.They’d seen this before and they knew to just leave her be.
When the call finished, Shay reported, “My crew will be here in an hour.This place is going to get noisy and loud until they’re done collecting everything needed.If there are bombs at the old church they will be collected and taken out under armed guard.”He shook his head.“My guys will also go to Leroy's home and collect everyone there.Hopefully, no one has to die today but if these people are prepared to use force we will end this nightmare.Once and for all.Hopefully, today this will be over before it even has a chance to begin.”
Bethy looked over at Shay and asked, “Are you gonna take my dad with you?”
Shay stared at her for a few seconds then nodded at her.“If we find any bombs in the church and we can prove that he made those bombs, then yeah.He’ll go into custody as well as Salvador, Louise and whoever else is directly involved.”
“Ok...”Bethy nodded.“Then you need to know a family secret.”
“A family secret?”Maudie paused to ask as she cocked her head to one side.
The whole group looked over at Bethy, wondering what else they had to deal with.
Chapter Seven
Bethy nodded then shesighed hard and explained what she meant, “Yeah.My dad’s real last name is Matteo not Matthais.I found this out when I found some papers in a drawer with that name on them.And I think this Louise is related to my dad.Apparently, he had to disappear for a while before he moved here.He made a mistake many years ago and one of his bombs killed the wrong people.I overheard them talking about this last night before I ran.Louise’s dad told him to find a hole and crawl in until the cops weren’t looking for him anymore.Then he told my dad that he would be free to make all the bombs he wanted to and he would be able to sell them and that way the money would keep coming and he would pay him when it was safe.Apparently, his own brother kept all the money, leaving dad out here on his own.My dad has been pissed about that all these years and when Louise showed up last night and they talked this out as she handed him a hell of a lot of money.Money that was meant for him all along, or so she told him.”She shook her head.“I think the only reason she did that was because her and Salvador needed a place to stay while the authorities are searching for them because of the bombs they set off.Then you got the fact that Salvador is looking for his dad and this swamp was the last place he was known to be.”
Shay growled then asked, “And your mom?Have you heard from her since he tossed her out?”
Bethy’s eyes filled with tears.“I think my mom didn’t just walk out on us...he threw her out and told her she would never see me again.He thought she betrayed him, but she never did.She thought she was protecting me.The last day I saw her she was still trying to get past him to get to me.I was ten years old and he hit her more than one time to get her to leave.He finally knocked her unconscious then he dragged her off into the swamp.When he came home hours later he was covered in blood but he never told me where she was or what happened to her.”She paused then whispered, “I don’t think she’s ever coming back.I think he killed her and buried her someplace in the swamp.I also think she’s still here and haunting him.Sometimes, he wakes up while screaming her name some nights.”Shrugging she added, “Maybe that’s why he drinks so much.He can’t bear to be sober and hear her screaming.”
The room went silent.
All the Hogans looked angry.
Bethy looked around and then lowered her head as she trembled a bit with fear.
Tannin placed an arm around her shoulders.“No one’s mad at you, bae.We just get mad at losers who abuse people to elevate themselves.”
King growled from the bottom of his soul and his hands clenched into fists.“We do get angry at abuse and murder as well as we should.I want five minutes with that motherfucker,” he vowed quietly.
Shay shook his head.“Get in line, big guy.But before we can do anything, we have to catch him.”He looked around the room and instructed, “When my guys get here, we’ll start at the church then go from there.With their keys in the pond, I don’t think they’re going anywhere soon.”
Bethy shrugged.“There ain’t no cell service out by us either.We are too far from any towers there.They would have to walk a long way before their phones would even pick up.That was another thing Louise was bitching about last night.”She shook her head and smirked.“And she isn’t the type to get herself out of bed before noon even on a good day.Plus, she was up drinking until three this morning.I think my dad was getting up to take a leak when he noticed I was gone or he never would have seen me running away this morning.He was still drunk when he started yelling and following me.”She sighed.“I’m not really surprised he never caught up with me.He’s probably still stumbling around, looking for me.”
Maudie came over and put her hand on Bethy’s shoulder.“Dat sounds like he was looking to stop you from getting away, not because he was worried bout you but he be worried you might tell someone there were other people around the place.”
