Growing Pains - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Missy Red and Kaleidopy
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 9

Lapin jerked up in bed, something had hit him in the face. "Huh?" His eyes adjusted to the moonlit room to see the culprit holding a pillow in his hands. "Y' got 'bout one second to tell me why y' hit me b'fore I take your head off."

"We're leavin'," Remy whispered, looking out the window. "M'sieu Boudreaux isn't stupid. It isn't gonna take him long to figure out who we are."

Remembering whose home they had been sleeping in, Lapin jumped out of the bed and started getting dressed. "Y' finally came to your senses an' decided it's time to go home?"

"Told y' b'fore, I ain't goin' home anytime soon." Remy stripped the sheets off the bed and started tying them together to form a rope. He tied one end of the rope to a leg of the bed and tossed the other end out the window. "Follow me if y' t'ink y' can keep up."

"Follow me if y' t'ink y' can keep up." Lapin mocked him in a falsetto voice as he climbed down behind his cousin. Reaching the ground, he shrugged his shoulders. "After you."

Remy ran back into the woods, searching for the dirt road that would lead them to a paved one. Lapin followed, unaware someone was tracking them.

Therese tried to remain calm, listening to Tante explain the disappearance of her brother and cousin to the police. Henri and Bernard had spent most of the night searching for the two boys with no luck. Finally giving in to Tante's demands, Henri admitted defeat and allowed her to call the police.

"Let me get this straight," The first officer scribbled on his notepad, without looking up. "You're telling me, two ten year old boys ran away from home without a reason?" He clicked the pen, placing it in his pocket. "Look, Lady, I've been a cop for over twenty years and there's never been a case that I'm aware, where a child ran away for no reason. You want to tell me what's really going on so we can find these kids before they get into more trouble?"

"Don' t'ink dey could get into any more trouble." Henri muttered, leaving the room. He was too angry to get into a discussion with strangers over family matters.

"We'll find dem." Bernard promised.

"Remy better hope de assassins find him b'fore I do." Henri walked into the garage, opened the car door and climbed inside. "Bernard, it may be a waste of time but check 'round assassin territory an' see if anyone has seen or heard anythin'."

"Surely dey wouldn't go dere."

"Wit' Remy, anythin's possible."

Inside the house, the oldest of the three officers took control of the situation. "I promise, I'll do my best to find and bring your boys back home to you, unharmed." The roaring of an engine, the screeching of tires, caught the officer's attention. He looked out the window, watching as the Lamborghini left in a hurry. "I guess we weren't doing our job fast enough to suit Mr. LeBeau."

"My brother's worried. It's his way of dealing with what's happened." Therese explained. "We're all worried."

"We'll be in touch." Taking a deep breath, the officer suggested. "Just my opinion, but I think you need to get in touch with the boys fathers. If they were one of my own, I would be upset if I wasn't told." Tipping his cap, the officer left. "G'night ladies."

Tante shook her head, watching the police cars leaving the yard. "Guess dere's no point an' puttin' it off. I better call Jean-Luc."

"Wait, Tante." Therese grabbed the phone before Tante could reach it. "Let's give Henri a few more hours. If he hasn't found them by then, we'll call Uncle Jean." She bit her lower lip, re-thinking her words. "Uh, I mean you can tell him Remy and Lapin are missing."

Lapin had to admit that he was enjoying himself. Here he was, in the middle of New Orleans with no adult giving him orders or dragging him into stores that didn't interest him. He stood back and watched as his cousin conned or stole what ever he wanted without a care in the world.

Remy looked into a store window of a small bakery searching for the owner. A few seconds later, an elderly man with a long gray beard stepped outside. "Dere y' be boy, been askin' for weeks 'bout y' an' now here y' be."

"Bonjour M'sieu Picard." Remy greeted the man, who gave him a paper bag. "How's Madaam Picard? She still workin' wit' y'?"

"Non, dat woman talk de horns off a billy goat, told her, she either stay home or she gonna run de customers off with dat mouth of her's."

"I know Mad…m Picard," Remy eyed the man, smiling slightly. "She don' take nothin' off y'."

"Oui, y' b' right boy, she de boss." He admitted, walking back into the story. "Now get outta here b'fore she catches me standin' around an' makes me do something."

"Lapin, y' want breakfast?" Remy held the sack up and shook it. He opened the paper bag and pulled out a biscuit. "Who needs money when y' got me."

Lapin yanked the sack out of his cousin's hand, grabbing a biscuit for himself. "So what's next? Y' plannin' on robbin' de bank?"

Remy ignored the sarcastic remark and turned his attention to the loud noise of an intercom speaker. "Hey, look!" He pointed at the large banner hanging on a building across the street. "Grand opening, dey always givin' stuff away at dose places."

Having spent the last two hours searching the streets of New Orleans, Henri decided to return to the house. A car horn honking caught his attention. Bringing the car to a stop, Henri waited until the other car pulled up along beside his. "Bernard, y' find anythin'?"

"Oui, but y' ain't gonna like it." Bernard began. "Accordin' to one of our spies, Julien's complainin' 'bout two kids spendin' de night at his father's house. Dey took off early dis mornin' withou' so much as a thank you." He looked into the rear view mirror, listening as Henri swore under his breath. "Julien claims one of dem was a mutie wit' devil eyes."

Henri hit the steering wheel hard with his hand. "Y' want to go talk to Marius or do y' want me to go?"

"I'll do it, b'sides wit' de mood you're in right now, it might start a war." Bernard shifted the car into gear and drove off.

Remy studied the people shopping in the new department store. Having lifted two wallets and a diamond ring, he boasted to his cousin. "Mon Dieu, I'm good."

"Y' jus' lucky dat's all." Lapin glared with jealous eyes.

"Don' see y' doin' better."

"Watch de master." Lapin walked off in another direction of the store to scout out the customers.

Remy moved to the men's department. A woman was on the phone punching in a couple of numbers to active the intercom system.

Lapin hit him in the shoulder and then gave him a pair of sunglasses. "Put dem on b'fore somebody starts yellin' mutie."

Taking the glasses, Remy took his time examining them. "Y' could have at least gotten me an expensive pair. Sheesh Lapin, can't y' steal anythin' right?"

"Steal dis!" Lapin shoved his cousin into a circle rack of dress shirts, knocking down two display mannequins in the process. The commotion brought several people running over to the two boys.

"Are you alright, young man." A little old lady rushed over to help Remy to his feet. After making sure he wasn't hurt, she proceeded to complain to anyone who would listen. "Who's in charge of this store?" She grabbed the arm of a young woman. "You work here? I want the manager."

The young woman used the public address system to call for the manager. Remy and Lapin quickly slipped away from the gathering people. Spotting a phone on a pole, Remy pointed towards a step ladder. "Bring dat over here Lapin, it's time to liven dis place up a bit."

Lapin pulled the ladder over to the pole and watched his cousin climb up the first two rungs to grab the receiver off the phone. "Uh Remy, don' do dis, somebody gonna see us."

"Time to stampede dis place." Remy pushed several buttons. Hearing a loud beep over the intercom system, he knew he had access and spoke into the receiver. "Attention all shoppers! For de next five minutes, dis store is havin' a 100% off all items. Dat's right! Everything in dis store is free for de next five minutes."

The second he got the last word out, people were running wild, pushing buggies and carts everywhere. Fights broke out between customers over electronic equipment, toys, and clothes.

Standing back and watching the chaos, the two boys were laughing so hard they didn't notice the huge man until it was too late.

"You two are coming to my office and we're going to wait until the police come and haul you away for causing this riot." He yanked both boys roughly by their shirt collars. "We'll see if you're laughing then." He forced the boys to sit on the floor while he announced to the public 'the last announcement was a hoax'.

"M'sieu, come quickly," A girl ran up to the man. "People are runnin' out of de store with their arms full of things and not payin' for dem."

"I'll deal with you two later." The man ran off leaving the three behind.

"Dat's another one you owe me." Bella laughed before running out of the store.

"Bella, wait." Remy chased her outside and down the sidewalk. He grab her by the arm to slow her down. "Why y' followin' us? An' b'sides why didn' y' tell me who y' were."

"Y' asked me my name an' I told you." Belladonna yanked her arm free. Wrinkled her nose and studied her friend. "How come y' left without sayin' goodbye? Y' hiding somethin' yourself, huh Remy?"

Lapin pointed at her. "Y' be an assassin,"

"An' y' wouldn' know 'bout de assassins if your family wasn't from de Thieves Guild." Bella grabbed him by the hair and yanked it hard. "What's your last name? 'fraid to tell me?"

"Let him go, Bella,"

"Why should I?"

"B'cause Lapin isn't gonna hit a girl, dat's why." Bella released Lapin and glared at Remy, who shrugged. "So we're thieves, you're assassin, big deal."

"Remy," Lapin warned his cousin.

"Your father's de leader of de Assassins, an' y' one too?" Remy asked her.

"An' proud of it too." Bella answered. "Bet your father has to bow to every high rating thief who crosses his path." She laughed, mocking him. "Does Jean-Luc LeBeau pull his strings like a puppet?"

"Papa's,"

"Remy's father's a thief, one of de best." Lapin interrupted his cousin. "Since you're too good to associate wit' two thieves, leave us along."

Belladonna placed her hand on Remy's chest, keeping him from moving. "Y' can't help who's your family. I'm sorry dey are Thief an' not Assassin."

"Sorry your family is Assassin, an' not Thief." Remy answered with a vicious tone. "Thieves have honor, somethin' dat y' Assassins know nothin' 'bout." He shoved her hand away. "Come on Lapin, let's get outta here b'fore I say somethin' she may regret."

Sighing deeply, Bella sucked in her pride and apologized. "Care if I tag along?"

"Non,"

"Sure." Remy disagreed with his cousin. Arm in arm, the two walked together leaving an angry Lapin glaring at the two's back. "Dere's an old buildin' I use to explore. Y' wanna see it?"

Grinning, Bela agreed as Lapin sulked behind them, making snide remarks about how stupid his cousin was and how he couldn't wait until a certain someone got in trouble with Tante.

Stopping at an old three story building, the three looked up, discovering the place was scheduled to be demolished in five days. "Let's go upstairs to de third floor. Y' can see de city real good from up dere."

The three climbed the cracked concrete steps, stepping over plaster until they reached the large room. They stood looking out the window, enjoying the view. "See, didn't I tell y' de view was great."

"To bad it's going to be the last sight you ever see." A voice came from behind them. They turned to see a man standing behind them, pointing a gun.