Page 75 of Landry

“I can’t leave her inside to die.”

“You’ll die before you get to her.”

As if to prove the point, the roof shuddered and fell into the structure, shooting flames and embers high into the sky.

“No,” Landry cried. “She can’t die. We didn’t have enough time. I didn’t get to tell her.”

Simon continued to hold him from behind. “Man, I’m so sorry.”

Landry shook free of his friend’s arms. “I never thought there could be someone like her. She cared so much about everyone and loved her daughter deeply. And the kid...” He swallowed hard on the lump in his throat. “He didn’t even have a chance to grow up.”

“Help,” a small voice called out. “Please, help.”

Landry looked around. “Did you hear that?”

“I did.” Simon pulled a small flashlight off his vest and shined it down beside the dock.

There, in the black waters of the bayou, was the pale face of a boy.

“Help,” he said.

“Billy Ray?” Landry dropped to his belly and reached down. “Give me your hand.”

The boy shook his head. “No. You have to help me, or she’s going to die.”

Hope burst like a flame through Landry’s chest. “Where is she?”

“Under there.” The boy pointed to the flaming inferno of the hut. “Hurry. It’s about to cave in.”

Without hesitation, Landry stood, shed his bullet-proof vest and dropped into the water. He went under a few feet, then pushed off the silty bottom to surface behind Billy Ray.

“Show me,” he said.

The boy led the way to the edge of the hut and pointed beneath. On the edge of the island on which the back corner of the hut had been anchored, lay a pale figure, half in the water, half out, and too still to be conscious. Above her head, the hut burned, the smoke and flames rising up. What remained of the hut’s wooden foundation wouldn’t last much longer. Like the roof, it too would fall.

Landry swam for her, his feet eventually touching bottom just close enough to reach her.

Billy Ray appeared beside him. “I couldn’t swim her out. The best I could do was drag her up here to keep her head above water.

“You did good. Go get my friends. They’ll help.”

Billy Ray swam out from under the hut.

With little time left to get her out, Landry laid his arm across Camille’s chest and hooked his hand beneath her opposite arm. He laid her back against his chest and pushed off the side of the island.

His clothing and hers weighed them down, dragging them under. He surfaced, kicking hard to bring their heads to the surface. He kicked again, pushing himself hard in a sidestroke, inching his way toward the edge of the building.

Above him, something cracked. The hut shook, the flaming walls trembled.

Landry fought harder, his arm cleaving the water, his legs kicking, boots and all. As he reached the edge, hands grabbed him from both sides and pulled him and Camille out from beneath the structure as the walls caved in and the flaming floor collapsed into the bayou below, sending a fog of steam rising into the air.

“Keep moving,” Simon urged. “We’re almost there.”

“We’ve got this, Landry,” Rafael said. “Never leave a man...or woman behind.”

They swam to the side of the airboat where Marceau, J.D. and Valentin each reached down to lift Camille out of the water and lay her on the deck.

Landry pulled himself up over the side and dropped down beside Camille.

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