Mystery on the Bayou

                                                                                        Chapter 15 

                                                                                          Stand Off                                                                                             

     "Jessie, this is Frank," the sheriff said.  "Yes Frank.  I recognize your voice," she said with a roll of her eyes.  Frank chuckled.  " The F.B.I. and my men are going in now.  Normally, the F.B.I. would just take over at this point, but the head guy out here tonight is a friend of mine, and wants me to take the lead.  You all stay put.  Don't leave the attic until we come and get you.  You understand?"  "We'll stay put Frank.  And Frank,  be careful,"  Jessie told him.  "Right O," Frank said and hung up.  "Did anyone bring a watch?" Jessie asked.  Ron looked over at her and said, "It's midnight."

     "Frank and the F.B.I. are coming in," Jessie told her friends.  "He said to stay put until he, Clark or Mike come and get us."  "I think we should pray for them Grandma," Essie said.  "I think you're right child."  So everyone said their own prayers silently for Frank, Clark, Mike and the F.B.I. agents.  Meanwhile, Sheriff Frank Matthews, his friend Tony Free, the F.B.I. agent, and the others were about to enter the Breaux Bridge Hotel with the help of the owner, whose hand was folded around a set of keys.   

     "Just open the door Stanley and then go over to the neighbors until one of us comes and get you," Frank told the hotel owner.  "Yes Sir," and then said, "You guys be careful."  "We plan on it Stan,  deputy Mike told him.  Then Stanley gave a wave and left.  "Okay guys, Let's go," Frank's friend Tony said.  They came through the door quietly and started slowly up the stairs.

      Tony had stationed a few men out back of the hotel just in case the bad guys decided to get creative and tie bed sheets together, one end to a radiator, (For Frank had told him that, that was how this hotel was heated) and then throwing the other end out of the window and climbing down to the ground.  Frank had told Tony he knew of someone who had done that.  Frank had no intention of telling Jessie what he had told his friend.  But he had got the idea because of her telling him she'd done it once and had succeeded.  His friend Tony had laughed when Frank had told him the story.

     When Frank, Tony, Mike and Clark reached the top of the stairs, they stopped and ducked down; and Tony told the slew of agents behind them to duck too. There was no one in the hallway.  Frank looked down the hall and then up to the ceiling and saw the trapdoor among the tiles, and was very thankful Jessie and the others were safe.  He pointed out the hiding place to Tony, who nodded and said, "That was clever of your friends."  

     The suspects were obviously hiding in one of the rooms.  But it could have been a room on anyone of the three floors.  Frank just hoped they were on the right one.  Frank had led Tony and the men to the third floor first, because Jessie had told him, that's where she and the others had heard voices less than a half an hour ago.  Tony gestured to half of his men to sneak down the hall to their left and the other half to the right.  Then to take positions along the wall.   Clark and Mike were backing up Frank and Tony.

    "Got any idea's?" Tony asked Frank.  "Well, I'd say we need to think of some way of finding out what room they're in," he said.  "Well, Dah," Tony said with a smirk.  "Okay,  my F.B.I. agent friend, you come up with a plan."  "Okay.  How about this?" And Tony took the bull horn that he had carried upstairs with him and spoke into it. "TIME'S UP FELLAS!  GIVE YOURSELVES UP.  OR IT'S GONNA GET UGLY!"

     "Grant who was dozing off against a large box, jumped like he'd seen a rat.  He did have the sense not to holler. "What the heck!" he whispered with a red face.  Floyd looked over at him from a neighboring box; his straw hat pulled down over his eyes, his long legs straight out in front of him and chewing on a licorice stick he found in his pocket.