The Destroyer: A Nigel Manning Novel

By Sloane McQuiston

Five-year-old Nigel and his adoptive father, Zamir, are beginning their new life together as a family. They travel to Bonaire to celebrate Nigel’s step-grandfather’s life and grant his final request. Upon their return, they learn the US Attorney General is now involved in prosecuting those listed on the flash drive Nigel’s mother found in her apartment. The same flash drive that ultimately got her killed. Nigel’s decrypting of the file has exposed criminals both foreign and domestic. Nigel is asked to testify about the flash drive. Without his testimony, the Attorney General will not be able to prosecute. Nigel’s life is once again in danger. Can Zamir protect his young son from those that don’t want Nigel to testify? Can Zamir find someone to help them?

The Destroyer is the final chapter in the Nigel Manning series. Follow the action as Nigel and his father seek to discover who is trying to kill them and put a stop to the criminals once and for all. The stakes have never been higher and Nigel and Zamir’s family is tested to the limits. This is a fast-paced adventure that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. This final installment introduces some new characters and revisits the lives of your favorite one in the series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sloane McQuiston
• Release date: Dec 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9780463689370

Sloane McQuiston

Sloane McQuiston is the "nom de plume" for Scott Sloan. It is a tribute to his mother and father who he credits for his sense of humor and his writing skills.Scott lives with his wife of 32 years in Oklahoma City Oklahoma. Scott is a native Okie who grew up in Mustang Oklahoma. So did his wife, Brenda. They moved to Texas when their oldest son was just two years old. They lived in Texas for many years and took the opportunity to move back to Oklahoma when Brenda retired from teaching and Scott got a job offer in Oklahoma City. Together they live by the lake and enjoy walking their Welsh Pembroke Corgi, Ranger, near the lake where she enjoys chasing the ducks.Scott is a Safety Professional and Risk Manager and has enjoyed a 27 year career in commercial insurance where he helps his clients on issues related to risk management and safety. He holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Safety from the University of Central Oklahoma, an M.S. degree in Business and Human Relations from Amberton University in Garland TX and an M.P.H. in Environmental Health and Safety from Texas A&M School of Public Health. Additionally, he holds four professional certifications; ARM (Associate in Risk Management), CRM (Certified Risk Manager), CSHM (Certified Safety and Health Manager), and CSP (Certified Safety Professional).Scott also enjoys public speaking and has been a featured speaker at local, regional and national events. If you would like to book Scott for a speaking engagement please contact him through email.Along with a love of writing, Scott enjoys motorcycles and has ridden his bike to every state in the Union except Hawaii and Alaska. Both Scott and Brenda enjoy travel and Scott has visited every state in the U.S. along with nine other countries. They also love riding around in their convertible, with the top down of course.Brenda and Scott have two grown children and are very proud of both of them.Scott wants to thank you for visiting the website and reading the book, The Dropoff - A Timeless Novel. He is hopeful you enjoyed his first book and he is busy working on the follow-up. Stay tuned for details and availability.

Book preview

List of Characters

David Williams – Nigel’s uncle and Star’s husband.

Delila Strickland – Assistant US Attorney General

Eugene Rabinowitz – Assistant US Attorney General

Evangeline – Hired killer.

Jendayi – Flight attendant.

Jerome (Jerry) Harrison – District Attorney

Kim Williams – Nigel’s cousin. Star and David Williams’ oldest daughter.

La Patronne – Hired killer.

Lisa Laird – Nigel’s aunt and Sam Laird’s wife.

Miss Ann – Nigel’s favorite waitress at the Seafood restaurant.

Mist – Leader of the commando team hired by Zamir.

Mist’s team:

John

Clint

Butch

Sundance

Nigel Manning – Five-year-old child who’s mother and step-grandfather have passed away. Zamir’s adopted son.

Robert Duffman – FBI agent.

Sam Laird – Nigel’s uncle and son of Steve, Nigel’s step-grandfather.

Sherry Williams – Nigel’s cousin. Star and David Williams’ youngest daughter.

Star Williams – Nigel’s aunt, Public Defender, David Williams’ wife and mother to Sherry and Kim.

Truett B. Thibadeux – Sheriff in south Louisiana.

Zamir Matumbo – Nigel’s adopted father.

Contents

Dedication

List of Characters

Chapter 1 - La Patronne

Chapter 2 – Bonaire

Chapter 3 – The Consultant

Chapter 4 – Burial at Sea

Chapter 5 – The past

Chapter 6 – Communication

Chapter 7 - School

Chapter 8 – Help

Chapter 9 – Mist

Chapter 10 – Knock Knock

Chapter 11 – Bad News

Chapter 12 - Tough Day

Chapter 13 – Hard conversations

Chapter 14 – Eva

Chapter 15 – The Deposition

Chapter 16 – Capture

Chapter 17 – Interrogation

Chapter 18 – Suffering

Chapter 19 - Answers

Chapter 20 – A Poor Plan

Chapter 21 – The Lure

Chapter 22 – The waiting game

Chapter 23 – Coming to America

Chapter 24 – First Encounter

Chapter 25 – Second encounter

Chapter 26 – Third Encounter

Chapter 27- Last Encounter

Chapter 28 – Family

Chapter 29 - Goodbye

Chapter 30 – Story Time

Chapter 31 – Bravo Sierra

Chapter 32 – Good Riddance

Chapter 33 - Finality

Afterward

About The Author

Chapter 1 - La Patronne

The phone rang. This was the first time it had ever rung. It was an expensive, yet unattractive, black satellite phone. It would get reception anywhere on the planet. She wasn’t even sure it worked, until now. But she always kept it charged. She stared at it. She knew she was supposed to answer it whenever it rang, no matter what time of day, what she was doing, or where she was. Those were the rules. The unamendable rules.

She was apprehensive about answering it, but not scared. She wasn’t scared of anything. Fear had been beaten out of her years ago. All she knew since she was ten years old—or was it eleven—was a life of pain, misery, suffering, and doing whatever it took to survive. Fear failed to be an option a long time ago. Oh, she knew what fear was, she just didn’t feel it. She didn’t fear dying and she didn’t fear torture. Not after the life she had lived. She knew, and understood, the power fear had to exert control. It had taken her years to truly understand it and years more to perfect using it.

On the fourth ring she answered. Oui.

The voice on the other end was altered. The altered voice was difficult to understand but she managed. There wasn’t a greeting or any pleasantries. Only instructions.

She’d been given the phone when she was promoted. The organization she worked for, The Syndicate, recognized her value and continued to promote her. Now she was at a level where she commanded others to do her bidding, instead of the other way around. She had spent years taking orders and had proven to be a good soldier. Now, at somewhere between thirty-five and forty-five years-old—she honestly didn’t know—she was giving the orders and people followed them; without question. If they didn’t, they went to their graves wishing they had.

The instructions were brief. There was a problem in America, and she was expected to handle it. Details would be coming through an encrypted email. She’d memorize the information, delete the email, and delete all traces of the email on her laptop. She’d report back when the problem was resolved.

Je comprends. I understand. She hung up.

French was her preferred language although she understood and spoke Spanish, Italian and some English. She knew she’d have to get better with English now that she might have to go to America.

She didn’t much care for travel. She had experienced a lifetime of it when she was trafficked as a young girl.

She made her home in Morocco, outside the city of Casablanca with a view of the Atlantic. She had a humble, but nice home on a hill facing the west with a view of the beautiful blue water. She dreamed of sailing away so many times when she was young, that the ocean held an allure for her she didn’t fully understand. It had never happened, and likely never would.

She didn’t work for The Syndicate as much as she gave her life for it. It was a criminal enterprise based in Europe with tendrils extending to every populated continent. She became part of the machine when she was stolen from her childhood home in Zaire. Immediately, she was put into the child sex slave market because of her cute face and beautiful dark skin. It was a horrible life but she always managed to stay alive. After a while, she became good at the trade and recruited other girls. This success bred more, and she was given an opportunity in the drug trade.

Trafficked girls who refused to follow orders were beaten to death--sometimes over the course of days—and discarded like used condoms. Her success in the drug trade led to a stint in the kidnap and ransom game. Here, her ability to convince people to pay was rewarded with another promotion. She took charge of smaller units involved in multiple facets of crime. She earned more promotions and now oversaw multiple national managers who had thousands of people under them.

She suspected this assignment was a test. She’d never worked in America before. Her expertise and network were in southern Europe and Africa. The fact she was being asked to solve a problem on the other side of the ocean was an indication The Syndicate needed resolution quickly.

If she was known for anything, it was for her ability to quickly resolve problems. It was an art form. She used brutality like Michelangelo used a brush or Rodin used a chisel. People under her command didn’t make mistakes more than once. They paid for their failures in blood and often their families did too. She found this tactic an effective motivational tool.

She was known as La Patronne—The Boss. While her title sounded feminine and she looked feminine, there was little femininity in her actions. No one knew her real name and there were times when even she wondered if she still remembered it.

She earned the nickname La Patronne many years ago, long before she was actually a boss. It was the only name she was comfortable with.

She lived in the present and for the future. Life had taught her harsh lessons about not preparing for the future. She had seen many people fail to plan properly and be victimized by their own avarice, deceit, or stupidity. Unlike them, she was a survivor.

Chapter 2 – Bonaire

It was Christmas and Nigel and Zamir spent that morning together in their new house—Nigel’s grandfather’s old house. The two of them had settled nicely into a routine. Zamir continued to drive for Uber, and Nigel counted the days until school started. He missed the first semester because of the kidnapping of his cousin and the murder of his mother. He couldn’t wait to enter school and make new friends.

After his mother’s death, Zamir became his official foster father. Now that life had stabilized, Nigel felt grounded enough to start school. But first, there was the trip to Bonaire with his whole family. They planned to spread the ashes of his grandfather, who passed away several months ago.

Grandpa Steve had been the first adult to treat him like a person, not a little child. His grandfather was kind, listened to him, and didn’t get upset when he used big words. Nigel missed his grandfather and always would.

It was his grandfather who introduced him to Zamir. Nigel considered Zamir his real dad rather than a foster parent. His mother never told him who his biological father was, perhaps because she didn’t know. But none of that mattered. He had a dad now.

Nigel missed his mother too. Especially at Christmas time. She always loved Christmas and spent extra time with him. She would take a whole week off work and they’d go places and see things.

Nigel loved to ride with her in the car to look at Christmas lights. Their old car stuck out in the nice neighborhoods. He remembered his mother telling him that they’d be pulled over by the cops if it wasn’t the holidays. But, since it was Christmas, the cops left everyone alone as long as they stayed in their cars and left the neighborhoods at a respectable time.

What do you mean by respectable time? Nigel had asked.

His mother replied with a soulful look, Whenever rich people say it is, baby.

He also remembered her talking about the golden rule. It went something like this: He who has the gold, makes the rules. Nigel wasn’t sure what that meant back then. But he did now. Sadly, at the ripe old age of five, he knew much more about the world than he had at three.

Zamir had been the Uber driver that drove him and his grandfather to the store to buy food and a futbol—or soccer ball—as his grandfather called it. Zamir explained that everyone in the world, except Americans, called it futbol. Nigel loved Zamir’s passion for the game, so he decided to call it futbol too, except when he was with his grandfather. He used the word soccer to make his grandfather happy. He liked making him happy. He believed his grandfather liked making him happy too.

When Nigel’s mother, Marina, was killed, her sister and her husband, Star and David, took him in. That was nice, but he wanted Zamir to be his dad. Aunt Star, a lawyer, worked her magic so that Zamir could be his foster father. Nigel was thrilled.

He loved his aunt and uncle as well as their girls, Kim and Sherry, his cousins. But Zamir was extra special. The man was full of life. He understood how to help people. He was also big and tough. Zamir helped get Sherry back from the kidnapper, Joe, who posed as a friend so he could get the flash drive. This bad man, Joe, murdered his mother because he thought she had the flash drive. Then Joe kidnapped Sherry when he couldn’t find it. But Zamir had made him pay. Joe paid with his life and this helped Nigel feel safe.

Nigel loved the way Zamir helped people without expecting anything in return. He also loved that Zamir was black, like Nigel. Having a black father seemed to make life easier than having a white mother. This didn’t mean Nigel didn’t love his mom—quite the opposite. But if he was honest, life had been easier with Zamir than it had been at any other time in his life, even the short time he had lived with his grandfather, Steve. Nigel was glad to have Zamir as his father and live in his grandfather’s house.

***

The trip to Bonaire was his uncle Sam’s idea. Uncle Sam was Steve’s only son and he reminded Nigel of his grandfather. He even once called Sam grandpa by mistake. Uncle Sam was kind and didn’t get upset at the mistake. He said he was honored.

The trip had become a family vacation. Everyone was going including his cousins, Kim and Sherry and his aunt and uncle, Star and David. Of course, Zamir would accompany Nigel.

Aunt Lisa, Sam’s wife, made all the arrangements. Thanks to the generous inheritance Steve left for everyone, they could all afford to go. Nigel had offered to pay for everyone using the pirate money his grandfather had left for him in the Cayman National Bank, but everyone insisted on paying their own way.

Uncle Sam arranged a rental boat for them while they were on the island so they could spread Grandpa’s ashes at sea. Grandpa Steve had lived on a boat for several years. He met Venus, Nigel’s grandmother, in Bonaire. The two married and traveled the Caribbean together for years before they moved back to dry land. This was long before Nigel was born.

Because of his love of the sea, Grandpa Steve put it in his will to have his ashes spread over the water. Uncle Sam described Grandpa’s final wishes as burn me up and cast me over the water. Spreading the ashes was the final step in executing Grandpa Steve’s will.

The Manning, Matumbo, and Williams families were to leave the next morning. It would be the adventure of a lifetime—at least in Nigel’s eyes. For Zamir, who was born in The Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sam, who had traveled the world with the Navy, the trip held less charm.

Nigel woke up excited. He’d never been on a plane before, and he hardly slept anticipating the fun.

They headed to the airport and Nigel got his first taste of the TSA. He thought it was cool to be patted down like he was a spy or something. Zamir found it less so. Everyone boarded the plane finding themselves in first class. None of them had ever flown first class. Kim and Sherry were excited to sit in the plush comfy seats and have their own flight attendants—or as they saw it—staff. Zamir wanted to fly first class because his large frame did not fit well in coach.

After wading through the security checkpoints and waiting for the flight, Zamir was glad to settle in the comfortable seats of first class. Star and David looked like two teenage lovers escaping their parents and eloping to a tropical island despite the fact they’d been married twenty years. Neither of them had ever flown first class either. Uncle David joked it was a second honeymoon.

Nigel bounced around in his seat like a mongoose. The flight attendant had to tell him several times to stay seated and buckle up. A stern look from his father warned him to comply. However, once the plane taxied to the runway, he started bouncing again.

Wow! Nigel said as the plane accelerated for takeoff. His voice was audible over the roar of the engines. The plane’s nose lifted into the air and blue sky filled his vision. Wow, Nigel repeated even louder. His excitement was contagious. Everyone in first class snickered or laughed out loud, even the hardened flight crew.

The first-class attendant, a very beautiful, elegant African woman, asked Zamir for Nigel’s name. Zamir noticed Nigel was oblivious to her. Zamir said, it’s Nigel. She flashed her flight attendant smile, thanked him, and walked toward the cockpit.

This is how it looked when I got shot. Nigel whispered against the window, I rose up into the air and everyone got small. Nigel recalled when the kidnapper, Joe, shot him and he died. He was later revived via a defibrillator in the ambulance. He had told the story to many people and most of them humored him nodding and smiling, but it was obvious they didn’t believe.

But it was the truth.

Nigel knew what really happened and who he met. It was like his grandfather’s pirate money. No one had to believe it for it to be true.

True was simply true.

Nigel stared out the window when he heard the captain come on the intercom. The captain talked about cruising altitude, the weather, and possible turbulence. Nigel wasn’t sure what turbulence was but he believed it must be important or the captain wouldn’t be talking about it.

Uh, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a special passenger sitting up front with us today, the captain’s voice said. This young man is five years old and is taking his first flight. Can we give Mr. Nigel Manning a warm round of applause, please?

Nigel’s eyes got as big as saucers. Everyone in first class looked his way. He dropped his jaw. Whaaat? Is he talking about me?

Zamir, his father, flashed a bright smile. Nigel unbuckled and jumped into the aisle. He held his arms above his head in a victory pose and hopped from one foot to the other. Now the entire plane laughed. Nigel took that as encouragement to keep dancing.

His father grabbed him returning him to his seat in one swift motion. Nigel didn’t want to sit. He wiggled around like a worm on a hook, making the task of buckling him more difficult. The flight attendant appeared asking Nigel to be seated. Her face was pleasant but her voice less so. With a sigh, he complied. Then she presented him with a set of wings. Instantly his face beamed with pride. She removed the cover from the adhesive strip and pressed the wings on his little shirt. Nigel felt like he was being knighted by the Queen.

The flight attendant grinned. Congratulations, young man I see—

Nigel strained against his seatbelt cutting her off mid-sentence. Hey, you have the same accent as my father. Are you from the Democratic Republic of the Congo too?

Nigel, you interrupted this nice woman. Apologize. His father’s voice was low and stern.

I’m sorry, Nigel said a little solemnly. Then his excitement returned in a flash, but are you from the Congo?

No, I am from Zimbabwe. It is not far from the DRC though. She extended her hand. My name is Jendayi. It is very nice to meet you, Nigel. Welcome aboard and I hope you have a pleasant flight. She shook Nigel’s hand, winked at Zamir and turned to walk away.

Jendayi, does that mean ‘grateful and thankful? Zamir asked rubbing his chin.

Jendayi spun to face him. Yes. Yes, it does. Very few people know that. I am impressed.

My dad is very impressive. And he is a hero too. He helped get my cousin Sherry back from a kidnapper and—

Nigel! You must stop interrupting the conversation. It is not polite. Zamir’s voice was more stern now.

Jendayi gently put her hand on Zamir’s shoulder. It is okay. He is excited about the trip. Let him be a boy. She winked at Nigel. I am sure your father is very impressive. She lifted her right eyebrow. Kidnappers, eh? Impressive indeed. She flashed a smile and both Nigel and Zamir were silent. As she walked away Nigel noticed his father studying her intently.

Uh-oh, it looks like someone has met their match, Kim chided. She was the older cousin. Kim and Sherry were seated across the aisle from Zamir and they giggled, laughed, and pointed like teenage girls do.

Zamir blushed enough to capture Nigel’s attention. Zamir looked down at the magazine in his hand. It had been a very long time since he had looked at a woman the way he did her. Then he scolded himself for being foolish. What would a beautiful young woman like that want with a man like me?

The rest of the flight continued without incident. Nigel was treated to a visit from the First Officer. He explained to Nigel how planes fly and invited him to the cockpit after the plane landed. Nigel sat in his seat enthralled with the First Officer’s words and promised to stop by the cockpit when they landed. Nigel’s smile lasted long after the pilot left. Jendayi passed by shortly after and Zamir thanked her for taking the time to make a young boy happy. He knew she was responsible for the announcement, the wings, and the visit. She smiled, winked, and returned to her job.

***

Nigel spotted his Uncle Sam as soon as he exited the jetway. Uncle Sam and Aunt Lisa’s flight had arrived earlier since they flew in from a different city. They were waiting at the gate for Nigel and his family. He ran to them yelling, Sam, Sam. He left his father behind.

Sam swept him up in his arms giving him a big hug. Lisa joined in and soon the rest of the group caught up to them. They caused a traffic jam and irritated some of the other passengers trying to exit the plane.

Uncle Sam, you aren’t going to believe it! After the flight, I got to sit in the pilot’s seat, I got a set of wings and the Captain and I are now friends. I bet I can fly the plane now. Well, if I could reach the pedals. Air travel is awesome! Nigel spoke so fast his words ran together.

Sam nodded, shooting a glance at Zamir. Zamir shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. There was no competing with Nigel’s energy once he got started. He would tell Sam and Lisa about it later. For now, his son was happy and that was all that mattered.

As Sam sat Nigel down, Nigel grabbed his hand and then maneuvered between him and Lisa grabbing her hand. They walked along, as Nigel recited every excruciating detail of the flight. Lisa smiled at Sam and occasionally responded. Nigel took this as an invitation to continue and he became even more animated.

They all arrived at the resort and were very impressed. Nigel read the name of the resorts—Sandals.. Hey, isn’t this the same place Grandpa Steve and Grandma Venus stayed when they were here?

Great memory Nigel. Yes, it is, although it was called something different back then. Did dad tell you about it? Sam asked. He told me the story many times. It’s why Lisa and I decided to book our stay here.

This wound-up Nigel’s spring all over again. He began to retell a story Grandpa had told him when Zamir stepped in and said it would be nice to let someone else speak. He reminded Nigel that it’s not polite to dominate the conversation. This shut Nigel down but not before he received a smile and wink from Aunt Lisa. So, he knew he wasn’t in too much trouble.

Everyone met for dinner that evening in the hotel restaurant and Sam told them about the boat he rented. Tomorrow morning, they’d take it out for a cruise around the island. Everyone’s excitement level turned up a notch and the talk turned to boats, Steve, and Venus. The evening was filled with stories of love and laughter about grandparents who made the lives of their children meaningful, fun, and important.

Chapter 3 – The Consultant

The Consultant, as she was known in the profession, watched the Williams family pack up in the minivan and take off. She knew they were headed to the airport. Hacking their Wi-Fi wasn’t very difficult and hacking their computer and phones was only moderately more so. This is how she made her living, learning about her targets. The information she had been given was sparse. She didn’t like a lot of details. And now with the Williams out of their home for the next week, she would have plenty of time to gather any information she needed.

She decided to start here instead of at Nigel’s home. She’d get there soon enough. Everyone was out of town. Bonaire. She had never been to Bonaire—although she once consulted in the Caribbean. She liked islands in general, but they were more difficult to enter and exit without being noticed or leaving a trail. And in her line of work, going unnoticed was essential. She would eventually find out what took them all to Bonaire for New Year’s, but right now it didn’t matter.

She waited a few minutes and then drove up to the driveway and walked around the back of the house. She picked the lock on the back door and entered. She wasn’t worried about an alarm. She had checked the city records for alarm permits and there wasn’t one for this address so she felt confident and went in. Once she entered the home, she took a quick assessment of the place. Seeing nothing unusual or seemingly out of the ordinary, like wireless cameras, she went to the garage, opened it and pulled in her car. She closed the door and went about programming the universal remote she brought with her. The remote in the other car made it easy. Now she had access to the garage, and the house, any time she wanted.

She walked back in and began a methodical search of everything, starting with the girls’ rooms. She had plenty of time and the Williams had been kind enough to draw all the shades for her so no one could see in. She started in Kim’s room. She always found the things in the kids’ rooms interesting. She knew where to look for hidden treasures due to her training and experience. She was trained by one of the best. An old, crooked Louisiana Sheriff named Truett B. Thibadeux. Truett was the father of a friend of hers in high school. Bo, short for Beauregard, his father’s middle name, was a year older and a bit of a bully. He got that from his dad, Truett, the sheriff. Sheriff Tib was a bully of the highest order. He also had a badge and a gun making him the worst kind of bully.

The Consultant was a quick study of human behavior and she had found a kindred spirit in Sheriff Thibadeux. Tib, as the Sheriff was known to most everyone, saw something in her as well. He looked after her and taught her much about dealing with people. Evangeline, or Eva, her given name, hadn’t had a good family life. Her father was a drunk and could barely hold a job. He also had a penchant for taking out his frustrations on women—most notably his wife. Mom eventually had all she could take and one day when dear ole dad was at work, she took off and was never heard from again. Once Tib learned about Eva’s home life, he took her under his wing and began tutoring her. He claimed to feel sorry for her, but really, he found Eva interesting and discovered she was eager, willing, and able to assist him with his tribute work.

Since no self-respecting Southerner, especially Cajuns, ever willingly paid a tax, Tib called his collections, tributes. He liked the way it sounded. He didn’t know if his victims liked the term and didn’t much care. The tribute business touched every criminal activity in the Parish. If drugs were sold, the dealers paid a tribute. Prostitutes paid a tribute. Anyone who ran illegal poker games, had slot machines, or took sports bets, paid a tribute.

The tributes varied in size and cash wasn’t the only thing Tib accepted. He often accepted payment from the ladies in personal services. He occasionally accepted product in lieu of cash from drug dealers. He found having a small quantity of drugs readily available quite handy. When needed, he could plant them at a crime scene, or any place he wanted declared a crime scene. More than one young woman had been stopped for speeding through the Parish and was threatened with jail time for the drugs he found in her car if she didn’t succumb to his wishes.

Tib was the King of his Parish, and everyone knew it. But law-abiding citizens didn’t mind because violent crime was low in the Parish—at least crime against God-fearing, law-abiding, good Christian citizens.

Everyone else?

Well…not so much.

One of Tib’s favorite sayings, and he had plenty, was Gata’s gotta eat too. Even the alligators in Tib’s Parish were taken care of.

This attitude about taking care of the good people of the Parish continued to get Tib re-elected. Eventually, no one even ran against him. He knew how to maintain outward appearances instilling this in Eva. But like Tib, Eva wasn’t overly concerned about the welfare of her fellow man. As a child her primary concern was eating and not getting beaten. Worrying about others was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Her only role models which were her parents, appeared to not care much about people either. Her mother left by the time Eva was three, so her influence was minimal.

Eva saw other people caring and occasionally wondered why she didn’t. Because of her rough home life, she had little time to dwell on such things. She spent more time worrying about eating and staying out of the Louisiana thunderstorms than worrying about how other people felt. She had few friends in school, but school was an escape from home, so she spent as much time there as possible. She also found she related poorly to other girls