over to where the men sat, where she placed the ice chest on the ground and opened the top. Peering inside, Richard saw five tiny alligators, wrestling around in the shallow water.
"You're going down this time, Clint," Dorie said, obviously straining for control. "You're not getting another warning." She walked back to the jeep and returned with three sets of handcuffs. Tossing a set to Richard, she said, "I'm helping you, the least you can do is help me."
"Hell, Dorie," Clint said, rising from his chair. "You ain't putting those things on me. Now, let's just talk about this for a minute."
"I was done talking the last time, Clint," she said. "Now drop the bottle and put your hands out in front of you."
Clint spat on the ground next to him and gave her a dirty look. "I ain't putting down my bottle for no woman."
His last word still hung in the air when the shot rang out, the bottle shattered and Clint found himself holding what was left of the neck. Richard spun around to look at Dorie and saw her calmly placing her gun back in the holster.
"Drop the rest of that bottle, Clint," Dorie said. "Or I'm taking the fingers with me next time."
"Shit!" Clint said, still looking down at his hand in horror. "You could have shot my hand off, Dorie."
"You know better than that. If I'd have wanted to shoot your hand off, I would have. Now drop that glass and put your hands out."
Richard was fairly certain Clint was drunk, but apparently, he wasn't wasted. He threw the remaining piece of the bottle on the ground as if it were on fire and stuck his hands out in front of him. The other two men jumped up from their chairs and did the same. Dorie looked at the men for a moment, then down at the bayou.
"Tell you what. I have a better idea." She motioned toward the pier at a large floating object made of Styrofoam and wood. "Head on down to the barge."
The men looked confused, but weren't foolish enough to ask questions. When they reached the barge, Dorie motioned them all on board and instructed Richard to start cuffing them around a metal frame with nets attached to it.
"Dorie," Clint protested. "You can't leave us here. For Christ's sake, we can't even reach our things to pee"
"Should have thought about that before you tried to black-market alligators again. I don't have room for you three idiots and an ice chest of baby gators in my jeep. I don't suppose you have to ask which I consider to be more important. And I'm talking to Judge Harvey about garnishing your sales to pay the fines. For all three of you. If I have my way, the Gator Bait game warden will be taking a third of the cut you make off shrimping for a good long time."
The three men began to curse and pull at the cuffs. Dorie fired her gun in the air and all noise and movement ceased. "Keep it up, gentlemen," Dorie said sweetly, "and I won't send Joe for you until tomorrow." She put her gun back in the holster and motioned to Richard to leave.
Dorie lifted the ice chest and gently placed it in the back of her jeep, securing it tightly with rope, then jumped in the driver's seat, her face still flushed with anger. She looked over at Richard, who still stared at her, completely confused by the entire situation.
"Are you coming or not?" she asked. Richard nodded and jumped into the jeep, glancing back at the men handcuffed to the metal frames. This option is better, he thought as he studied Dorie's face, but only barely.
***
Dorie shoved the shifter in gear and tore out of the clearing. She strained to get control of herself but was pretty sure she was losing the battle. I’d better get a grip fast. The last thing I need is Dick thinking I can't handle things. Especially now.
She glanced over and found him staring intently at her, which unnerved her a bit.
"Are you all right?" he asked. The genuine sound of concern in his voice surprised her, and she felt some of her anger fade away,
"You're going down this time, Clint," Dorie said, obviously straining for control. "You're not getting another warning." She walked back to the jeep and returned with three sets of handcuffs. Tossing a set to Richard, she said, "I'm helping you, the least you can do is help me."
"Hell, Dorie," Clint said, rising from his chair. "You ain't putting those things on me. Now, let's just talk about this for a minute."
"I was done talking the last time, Clint," she said. "Now drop the bottle and put your hands out in front of you."
Clint spat on the ground next to him and gave her a dirty look. "I ain't putting down my bottle for no woman."
His last word still hung in the air when the shot rang out, the bottle shattered and Clint found himself holding what was left of the neck. Richard spun around to look at Dorie and saw her calmly placing her gun back in the holster.
"Drop the rest of that bottle, Clint," Dorie said. "Or I'm taking the fingers with me next time."
"Shit!" Clint said, still looking down at his hand in horror. "You could have shot my hand off, Dorie."
"You know better than that. If I'd have wanted to shoot your hand off, I would have. Now drop that glass and put your hands out."
Richard was fairly certain Clint was drunk, but apparently, he wasn't wasted. He threw the remaining piece of the bottle on the ground as if it were on fire and stuck his hands out in front of him. The other two men jumped up from their chairs and did the same. Dorie looked at the men for a moment, then down at the bayou.
"Tell you what. I have a better idea." She motioned toward the pier at a large floating object made of Styrofoam and wood. "Head on down to the barge."
The men looked confused, but weren't foolish enough to ask questions. When they reached the barge, Dorie motioned them all on board and instructed Richard to start cuffing them around a metal frame with nets attached to it.
"Dorie," Clint protested. "You can't leave us here. For Christ's sake, we can't even reach our things to pee"
"Should have thought about that before you tried to black-market alligators again. I don't have room for you three idiots and an ice chest of baby gators in my jeep. I don't suppose you have to ask which I consider to be more important. And I'm talking to Judge Harvey about garnishing your sales to pay the fines. For all three of you. If I have my way, the Gator Bait game warden will be taking a third of the cut you make off shrimping for a good long time."
The three men began to curse and pull at the cuffs. Dorie fired her gun in the air and all noise and movement ceased. "Keep it up, gentlemen," Dorie said sweetly, "and I won't send Joe for you until tomorrow." She put her gun back in the holster and motioned to Richard to leave.
Dorie lifted the ice chest and gently placed it in the back of her jeep, securing it tightly with rope, then jumped in the driver's seat, her face still flushed with anger. She looked over at Richard, who still stared at her, completely confused by the entire situation.
"Are you coming or not?" she asked. Richard nodded and jumped into the jeep, glancing back at the men handcuffed to the metal frames. This option is better, he thought as he studied Dorie's face, but only barely.
***
Dorie shoved the shifter in gear and tore out of the clearing. She strained to get control of herself but was pretty sure she was losing the battle. I’d better get a grip fast. The last thing I need is Dick thinking I can't handle things. Especially now.
She glanced over and found him staring intently at her, which unnerved her a bit.
"Are you all right?" he asked. The genuine sound of concern in his voice surprised her, and she felt some of her anger fade away,
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