The plantation had been outfitted with a surrounding high fence, the top three strands razor wire, and a guard shack. The propane truck rumbled up to the guardhouse and the driver leaned out. He was sweating. The morning was already hot and humid, the air heavy with moisture. His shirt was wet under the armpits and down the front. His cap was pulled low over his eyes and he chewed on his toothpick.

“Danny.”

“Pete,” the guard answered, even more bored than the driver. He’d been on duty 24-7 since Cordeau had disappeared with several of his lieutenants. At night, Robert Gaton insisted everyone stay alert. Mostly the plantation was visited by deer and other wildlife. They set off the motion detectors and the floodlights every so many minutes. Danny was sick of it, just like most of the other soldiers. Gaton treated everyone like shit. He liked being the boss and knowing everyone had to jump if he told them to—and he told them to often.

“Gonna be hotter than hell today,” Danny observed. “And it’s gonna rain.”

Pete glanced up at the sun, squinting. “Yeah. Maybe in an hour or two. I got a heavy schedule today. I’m going to get wet.”

Danny grinned at him, revealing crooked teeth. “You ever find that niece of yours? When she disappear? ’Bout three months ago?”

Pete’s face closed down. He pulled his hat lower. “Nope, we never found her,” he said. “Funny thing, that. You and your partner, Bart, spent a lot of time talkin’ to her every night at the bar.”

“Didn’t get anywhere.” Danny shrugged. “Legs were tight, man. She wasn’t givin’ anything up.”

Pete’s mouth hardened. His hand closed over the small caliber gun tucked down the side of his seat, but then he relaxed. He had a little surprise for Gaton and his crew. He knew Danny and Bart had taken his niece from the bar when her shift ended three months earlier. Hell, everyone knew it. Danny liked to taunt him about it. Pete also knew she was dead and that she’d probably died hard. Women tended to disappear if any of Cordeau’s men took a fancy to them. Gaton was every bit as bad, but everyone feared them and no one dared to challenge them. Until now.

Danny waved him through, laughing softly. Knowing he’d had Pete’s niece and he was going to keep on having her until he used her up. He and Bart had been having good times for the last three months. They enjoyed putting on shows for some of the other boys. She didn’t seem to enjoy it, but then she wasn’t into receiving pain as much as they liked dishing it out. He especially enjoyed taunting Pete to his face, because he thought Pete—and no one else—would ever stand up to them.