Chapter 11

It took roughly an hour to get everyone together to execute the search warrant and the trap. Ray went with Dwayne to the staging area with SWAT, while the rest of the NCIS team hooked up with Valdez and the NOPD.

"This is crazy," Tammy muttered, watching as Marie and her friends did some ritual that Marie said would help and protect them as they executed the search warrant on Remi Simoneaux's house. Dwayne had reached out to Marie earlier and explained what was about to happen, trusting her to know what needed to be done to keep them safe, given that they were stepping into a heavily religious area, serial killer or not.

"Right now, with everything that's going on, I'll take what I can get," Hannah said, keeping her voice low. "Sometimes that means getting a little crazy."

They were at a staging area several blocks down from Remi Simoneaux's house, about to execute the search warrant with the NOPD, Valdez, and several other NCIS agents Dwayne had pulled in, watching as Marie and her friends did their blessing on the assembled crew. If their source was right, they couldn't take the risk that Remi Simoneaux might have followers who would destroy the evidence in the house before they could get to it, and right now, every little bit would help, even if it was a bit unorthodox. Privately, Chris couldn't help but wonder if the source had been Mercury again.

Marie stopped in front of Chris, and held out her hand. "I require one of your bullets."

"Okay," he said, removing his gun, removing the clip, and handing her one of his bullets from the clip.

"You are her protector," Marie said, clutching the bullet tightly. "They say troubles will come your way, for both of you, but together you are strong." She handed the bullet to one of the other women, who did something with it with some smoking sage, or whatever it was that the woman had, before handing it back to Chris, which now felt a lot hotter than it had before. "You will know what to do with this when the time comes. For now, engrave it with your initials, and hold onto it. May the odds be ever in your favor in your hunts, Christopher Adam Lasalle," she said, causing his eyebrows to shoot up at the fact that she knew his full name.

"Thanks, I think," he said, tucking the bullet into his pant pockets.

Once the ritual was done, the team moved in, surveying the house with binoculars first.

"I'm seeing movement on the first floor," Hannah said.

"We need to get to the second floor before someone else does," Tammy said.

"Same way as last time?" Chris asked.

"The ladder? If you can find it, yeah," Hannah said. "Move in and move carefully. If our source is right, whoever's there may be willing to either fight or destroy evidence, so watch your six."

That was easier said than done.

Moving low and fast, Chris and Valdez found the ladder and got it up against the house. What helped was that the window to the ritual room was open, so he and Detective Valdez were able to climb inside the room without too much noise.

"There is something very, very wrong with this place," Valdez hissed, eyes darting around the room.

"There's a machete missing," Chris said in a low voice, pointing to the one wall where he'd seen them the last time.

"If he's going after Rayhanah, then he may be planning on cutting off her head, which would be the easiest way to transport her eyes," Valdez said.

"You're not helping," Chris said, glaring at him.

Valdez chuckled. "Relax; Captain Cameron won't let anything happen to her. He gave me his word, and we've been friends for years."

"We're in," Chris said to Hannah over his radio.

Downstairs, Hannah banged on the door. "NCIS! Search warrant, open up!" she yelled.

There was a crashing noise from downstairs. "And thar she blows," Valdez said, raising his gun and aiming it at the door, Chris right beside him.

"We have a runner!" someone yelled, amid the commotion from downstairs.

"Chris, someone coming your way!" Tammy yelled.

And then someone slammed the ritual door room open. It was a man in a shirt and jeans, with a wild look in his eyes and a long machete in his hands.

"NCIS!" Chris snapped. "Drop your weapon!"

"Now!" Valdez yelled.

The man stared at them for all of two seconds and then gave a wild yell, lunging forward, machete swinging wildly. Two guns fired simultaneously, three times each. Six bullets hit the man in the chest, and he dropped to the floor, the machete clattering across the floor.

"Shots fired!" Valdez called. "One down!"

"Secure the scene!" Hannah called back. "Hands are a bit full right now!" Both men heard the sound of grunting over the radio, like someone was putting up a fight, followed by yelling.

"Watch that knife!"

"Tasing, tasing!" someone yelled.

"Son of a bitch, what is this guy on?" Tammy yelled.

"Tasing again!"

"On the ground, on the ground!"

"Damnit, Sebastian, get him!"

"Guy's a damn greased pig!"

"We need straps and a mask! This guy's a spitter!"

"Sonvabitch!"

"Roll ambulance, we've got injuries."

Chris stared at Valdez, who was staring back at him, both with wide eyes.

"Looks like your source was right," Valdez said.

"We got off light," Chris said, starting to look around the room.

Breathing hard, Hannah joined them a moment later. "What do we got?" she asked, her clothes showing signs of having been involved in the scuffle. She carefully stepped over the body and studied the room.

"Blood, body parts, photographs of our victims," Valdez said, pointing to the altar and the floor.

"And lots and lots of fingerprints," Chris said, pointing to the blood that was on the floor, where several prints could be seen in the dried blood.

"Anything connecting Remi Simoneaux to our Lieutenant Ryder?" Hannah asked.

"How about his vocal chords?" Chris asked, holding up one jar in his now-gloved hands, where a human voice box and tongue sat floating in some kind of fluid. "Only problem might be is if this is formaldehyde."

"Get that over to the lab, along with anything else," Hannah said.

The room was about the size of a master bedroom, and the altar was on one end of the room, covered in melted candles and various objects. On the floor, painted in blood and white paint, were various symbols, with similar symbols on the walls. In the closet there were shelves that contained supplies and carefully-labeled jars. There were several four gallon mason jars filled with liquids and various organs, such as hands, hearts, eyes, even a brain, and one jar that had a pair of ears floating in it. The general suspicion was that the ears belonged to Michael Thoredeau, who had been found with his ears missing. His talent had been his musical abilities, as, according to several witnesses, he had been fantastic at composing piano music.

"Before we do anything else, though, Marie wants to perform a blessing on the house, which she says will help protect Ray and disrupt Remi Simoneaux's magic. I told her that's fine as long as she doesn't destroy any evidence," Hannah said. "She's agreed to do it outside, and needs all of us outside for a few minutes."

"Well, I've waited this long to get my hands on this place, I can wait a few minutes more. Besides, maybe some good mojo might help us with our case," Valdez said. "That guy ain't going anywhere, anyway."

Outside, there was an NOPD prisoner transport van now parked nearby. Several NOPD officers were glaring at someone who was on the ground, a spit mask covering his face, and his hands and feet in straps and cuffs. Despite the restraints, the man was still yelling obscenities and squirming, trying to kick whoever he could reach, which was extremely difficult, given the fact that he was hogtied.

"That bad?" Chris asked Tammy, who was looking worse for the wear.

She glared at him. "Turns out there were two of them, other than the one you guys tangled with. He's got to be on LSD or some other crazy stuff, because it was like nothing we did brought this guy down, not even two jolts of a taser."

"One officer got bitten by him," Sebastian said, joining them. "He'd filed his teeth to some pretty nasty points and he bit down on the guy's arm like-"

"We get the idea, Sebastian," Tammy said, glaring at him.

Said officer was being attended to by another officer while they waited for an ambulance, and his arm was clearly bloody.

"NOPD had to hogtie the guy and put a spit mask on him with the way he was going at it," Hannah said, also joining them. "As it is, several officers are going to have to be tested, and so is the suspect."

Both Chris and Valdez cringed. That meant the loss of several good officers until the bloodwork came back on everyone.

"And the other guy?" Valdez asked.

"Tried to run, he got grabbed and slammed when he tried to run out of the house," Hannah said. "He's in the wagon right now, not saying a word."

Finally, Marie and her friends were done, and NCIS could do their thing, including calling Loretta in to deal with the fellow upstairs.

Sebastian's eyes went wide when he saw the ritual room. "Oh boy," he said. "Where do we even start?"

"I hope that's a rhetorical question," Tammy said, eyes also wide.

"No, nope," Sebastian said. "This is going to take me weeks to go through."

"We just need enough to convict Remi Simoneaux of murder," Hannah said.

"Evidence that he handled the victims, that won't be a problem," Sebastian said. "Evidence that he murdered our victims, that could be a problem, because I'm not seeing any sign of that bolt gun."

"Which means he could have it with him," Hannah said.

"Someone like him, probably," Valdez said. "He wants an unspoiled soul and the best way to do that is when the soul doesn't know fear before it dies, unlike the way Dana Brown was murdered."

"Start gathering," Hannah said. "Time waits for no one, not even us."

They worked quickly and efficiently, teaching a very-interested Valdez about evidence-gathering techniques, but it still took at least an hour. Half an hour in, Chris got the call that Remi, and a fellow worshiper, had been safely captured, with no injuries reported.

"I do believe there's a bottle of sweet pink moscato wine with your name on it, at my place," Chris told Ray, grinning.

"Now we're talking, deputy," Ray teased. "But I sincerely hope that's not all you're planning on piling me with."

"Nope, and I'm not saying anything more. See you back at NCIS, sweetheart," he said, hearing Tammy call him to another room that was like a pantry or linen closet.

"Remi's been stalking Ray for a while," she said, looking at the photographs all over the wall. They were all surveillance-type photos of Ray as she went about her day, both in and out of the store.

"He was watching her the day we made our first date," Chris realized, seeing the one of him and Ray dancing. It looked like it was through a long-range camera lens, which could explain why he didn't see anyone like Remi Simoneaux hovering around the store at the time. There was another one of Ray watching him and Dwayne depart, a smile on her face. And then she appeared to be turning to say something to someone.

"Any idea who she may have been talking to in that one?" Tammy asked.

"Possibly Mary," Chris said. "Her chair is in the store, and Ray's got a pretty good relationship with her."

"Suzy told me a bit more about Mary," Sebastian said, joining them, having overheard the last bit. "Her name was Mary Freeman. Born, raised, and died in the store, which was her home at one point. Likes to play games with the staff once in a while."

Chris chuckled. "Scared the hell out of a few of Ray's dates that way, like the one time she put this guy's underwear in the freezer, froze it solid, and sent one of Ray's cashiers running out of the store when she found it, never to be heard or seen from again."

Tammy glared at him. "I am never setting foot in that store. I hate ghosts," she hissed.

"We may have to," Sebastian said, spotting something. "That's Suzy and Donnie," he said, taking a photo down from the wall. Donnie had a grip on Suzy's arm, looking angry, while she looked frightened at whatever he was saying to her. "Looks like it was before his arrest, because he's currently sitting in a jail cell because he can't afford his bail, which, given his lack of jobs isn't all that surprising. Plus he tried to run, and there was the gun charges, so he's going to be there for quite a while."

"And you're sweet on her," Tammy guessed, grinning at her friend.

"She knows about every character in the Marvel universe," Sebastian admitted absently. "And her strawberry mint lemonade is really good."

"If Remi goes after Suzy, we could have a problem," Hannah said.

"I'll send someone over there to keep an eye on her, if she's at the store," Valdez said.

"Hang on," Sebastian said, digging out his phone. He dialed a number and soon had Suzy on the line, on speaker. "Suzy, it's Sebastian Lund."

"Sebastian! I was hoping you'd call!" came Suzy's happy voice. "I found that sugar cookie recipe I told you about."

"That sounds really good, Suzy, but that's not why I'm calling. Are you in the store right now?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah. Ray had to go take care of something, said she'd stay in touch. Is everything okay? Mary's been giving off some funny vibes and I can't shake the feeling that something's off."

"Is there anyone else in the store right now?" Sebastian asked, seeing Valdez making a call.

"No, but there's been a guy hanging around outside, and I'm starting to get nervous," Suzy admitted.

"Suzy, this is Agent Hannah Khoury. Can you lock the doors to the store, or get someplace safe?" Hannah asked.

"In a heartbeat," Suzy said, sounding like she was already on the move.

"Do it. NOPD is heading your way, and you're to stay with them until we figure out what is going on," Hannah said. "As soon as Sebastian is done here, he and I will come over and explain what's going on."

"Moving," Suzy said. There was a crashing noise, and Suzy screamed in reflex.

"Suzy!" Sebastian yelled.

"I'm okay, I'm okay! That was Mary; she tipped over a coat rack we had near the door, and it's blocking the front door now," Suzy said, panting. "Think she's trying to tell me something."

"Yeah, like get going!" Sebastian said.

"I'm going, I'm going, I'm going! Okay, okay, I've got the cameras, and the back door is locked. If, and when, NOPD shows up, tell them to come to the back," Suzy said. "If it really is them, they'll do Shave and a Haircut, and say they have a delivery."

Sebastian glanced at Valdez, who nodded. "I've got someone coming your way that I trust," Valdez said. "You'll like her."

"And I'll be there as soon as I can," Sebastian said, ending the call.

"Go," Hannah said. "'We'll finish up here. Keep us posted."

"Going," Sebastain said, tearing out the door.

Earlier:

At the muster point with SWAT, Ray and Dwayne were introduced to Captain Cameron, who was a tall, muscular man, with a no-nonsense air about him, who studied Ray the way someone might study a bug under a microscope, more so when he found out she was a witness.

Just in case she was being watched, Ray would be driving her car, with Dwayne in the backseat, and SWAT converging on the house from the other roads. An NOPD prisoner transport van would be joining them, and so would two other officers, who would block off the access roads, just in case someone tried to run. The team had been warned about Remi Simoneaux's behaviour and preference for ambush shooting and given a map, abet an old one, of the house they were supposed to be going to.

"In that case, I expect you to do what I tell you, when I tell you," Cameron said to Ray. "If I say jump, don't ask how high, just do it."

"Actually no, I wouldn't. Instead, I'd tell you to go to hell," Ray said sweetly. "Do you need directions, or can you find your own way? That is, if you've already been sent there a few times, which, given your very charming personality, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they have a room with your name on it already."

"I'm trying to keep you safe," Cameron fired back, ignoring the sniggers from the others, and Dwayne's wide eyes; he was trying to decide if he was going to cringe or crack up. Ray was clearly no push-over.

"So am I," Ray shot back. "I know what I'm walking into. Your job isn't to keep me safe; your job is to capture that walking weirdo before he gets to me. Me? My job is to draw him out long enough for you guys to pound his sorry ass into the swamps, preferably without getting a bolt gun to the back of my head, because I'd really like to get another date with a certain NCIS fellow."

"And you will," Dwayne promised, "as long as you don't do anything we wouldn't do."

"Do you really want to go there?" Ray asked, muttered, tugging her hat onto her head and heading for her car, which she had picked up after Chris had dropped her off at the store, after a kiss that had nearly melted her Grumpy Cat socks off.

"You and I go in. You drop me off around the corner, before you come into view of the house," Dwayne said to Ray as she popped open her trunk and pulled out a pair of black hiking boots, quickly changing into them. "Captain Cameron and his team will be on the ground and circulating the house, doing, as you said, what they do best. Do you have your gun with you and is it loaded?"

"Yes I have it with me, no it's not loaded, because I didn't feel like dealing with jumpy cops," Ray explained. "Gun and rounds are in the glove compartment, and why am I not surprised that you know that I have one? Is there anything Patton didn't find out about me?"

"Who your first kiss was," Dwayne teased her as he got into the passenger seat of the car. "But give him time." He quickly found the silver and black Ruger, along with a box of .357 Magnum rounds, and a belt holster.

"Why the revolver?" Dwayne asked, as Ray got into the car. "I would have thought maybe a Glock or something similar for you."

"Pull the hammer back on that," Ray said. Dwayne did so, and noted the sound the action made. "That's enough to make the more saner ones stop and think. Only ever fired it once outside the gun range, and that was at a cranky alligator. He got the hint after the first shot."

"Nice," Dwayne said, uncocking the gun, and putting it away for now. "And this is really nice," he said appreciatively, buckling in, as Ray turned the car engine on.

"Belonged to Aunt May. Gave it to me when I decided to leave Alabama," Ray explained. "Lotta years, lotta miles, and a whole lotta lovin'."

Later:

On the highway, traffic was light, thankfully, because all of a sudden, Ray screamed and slammed on the brakes of her car, causing Dwayne, who was belted in, thankfully, to go forward from the inertia.

"Ray! What's wrong?" he demanded, seeing the younger woman stare at something he couldn't see.

"Okay, enough!" she yelled, glaring at something on the road. "I know you don't want me to go to that house, because I know that you know he's there, but quit scaring the hell out of me! I know what I'm doing!"

"Ray?" Dwayne asked gently as Ray let go of the gas and resumed driving, breathing a little hard, as his radio crackled.

"Everything okay, Agent Pride?" came a male voice.

"Everything's fine," Dwayne radioed back. "Ray thought she saw a gator in the middle of the road and her car's not equipped for that kind of damage. Turns out it was just a reflection." He glanced at Ray.

"Lieutenant Ryder. He and the others know where Remi is, and they know I'm on my way to meet him, and they're trying to stop me from going there because they don't understand," Ray explained. "Thought I saw him in front of the car for a second."

"Hence the brakes," Dwayne realized.

"Yeah. Him and Dana and the others, they're hovering. I think Marie and her friends did something because when I can see them, their colors aren't quite as dark. Like they're almost free."

"Well, let's hope that at the end of the day, we can free them completely. Lieutenant Ryder's family mentioned he wanted a New Orleans-style jazz funeral. You should come," Dwayne said.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. Despite everything that's going on, I don't really know Ryder," Ray said.

"Maybe not, but if it hadn't been for you, he would never have been found, Kritanta."

Ray snapped a look at him.

"Mercury, if you're going to be calling me names. Kritanta is the god of death. I'm not; I'm just a messenger, like Papa Legba."

"Fair enough, but sooner or later, Chris is going to figure that out, if he hasn't already."

"Can we worry about one thing at a time, because the GPS says we're coming up to the house, which means it's time to stop jawing and start working."

"Fair enough. This conversation is on hold, for now," Dwayne said, checking his weapon as Ray slowed down.

Once she had slowed down enough for him to get out safely, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, shutting the door quietly, and disappearing into the woods surrounding the house. SWAT would be taking a slightly different route around the back of the house and circling accordingly, while Dwayne kept a close eye on Ray and her movements.

"There's a truck here," Ray said over her radio. She gave a plate number that Dwayne recognized as belonging to Remi Simoneaux.

"Be careful," Dwayne said.

"As a kitty in a room full of rocking chairs and old folks," Ray promised.

Dwayne watched as Ray parked and got out of her car. She went to the trunk of her car and pulled out a black N95 mask, slipping it over her face, along with protective eyewear, before putting her glass gloves, other wise known as Kevlar knit gloves with latex palms, on. Such gloves would prevent cuts and slippage from sharp glass, more so from dirty glass. The mask would prevent her from breathing in mold and other contaminants that were bound to be floating about in a building that was as old and abandoned as the one in front of her, and the glasses would protect her eyes from flying debris. A disposable hair net went over her hair to stop unwanted visitors from getting into her hair, and with her curly hair, getting ticks out could be difficult.

Her Ruger went into its holster and on to her hip, where it was covered by her denim and sherpa jacket, but ready for a fast draw. After that, all she needed was her heavy-duty flashlight, a large purple 4-cell D Maglite, and she was good to go.

Then she approached the building and stopped. It appeared as if she was praying or something, but Dwayne couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was reaching out, using those same abilities she seemed to hate. Switching to the bug he'd helped put in her ear earlier, just in case something like this happened, he called out to her in a low voice.

"Ray?"

"There's another one here, King," Ray said in a low voice. "He's been here for years; this was his land long before New Orleans was ever a city. I think he was Chitimacha; history says they lived in the New Orleans area centuries ago."

"They did," Dwayne confirmed. "Still do, mostly in St. Mary Parish."

"I don't understand his name, but it has something to do with a fast running horse," Ray continued, moving forward into the house. "He knows there's someone else here, someone he doesn't like,plus two others, and they're on the first level of the house and in the truck behind the house."

"Be careful," Dwayne said, watching Ray go inside the house. "She's in," he radioed to Cameron.

"We see her, and we're seeing movement in the kitchen area and in the area of the barn. Moving in," Cameron said.

There comes a time, child, when the ones you try so hard not to hear, are the ones who can be your friends, and they can teach you things, wonderful things, Father Martin's memory whispered through Ray's mind. She had been ten when he'd told her that, and for some reason, he was in her mind now.

So how do I hear them, when I want to hear them? How do I make friends with them when they scare me so much? Young Ray asked.

The same way you did with me, by saying hello.

Just say hello?

Just say hello. No matter how angry or how much they might scare you, they all have something to say.

She was headed for the kitchen, checking out the area with her flashlight in a steady motion, when the Chitimacha man appeared in front of her. He raised his hand, indicating she was to stop. There was something wrong.

And then Ray heard it; a slight creak of floorboards that were no longer as strong as they used to be. And she carefully reached for her gun, moving sideways into the kitchen door with one careful step, so that the movement of her withdrawing her gun wasn't seen.

Running Horse, as she called the warrior, nodded in approval.

Friends? she asked him, showing him mental pictures of the SWAT team and Dwayne. He shook his head.

She moved further sideways, out of view of the door, just as someone she didn't recognize came into view. It was a woman with long cornrows and in scruffy jeans and shirt, a baseball bat in her hands, ready to strike.

Ray brought the gun up and pulled the hammer back, causing the woman to freeze. "He's not worth your sorry life, woman," she said softly. "Put the bat down and get down on your knees."

"And if I don't?" the woman growled.

"Then you will have to deal with them," Ray said, pointing her light towards three SWAT officers who had appeared at the back door and were now aiming their weapons at the woman. "Do not scream," Ray cautioned the woman as she opened her mouth. "Your life, and the soul of your dead daughter, are not worth dying over," she whispered softly, so that only the woman could hear her. The woman looked at her, eyes wide. "Her name was Rosaleen, and she was a beautiful child who loved Dora the Explorer and singing songs in church. Remi claims he can bring her back, but you know better. What's done is done. She's here, because you haven't let her go. You're better than this, and Rosaleen believes that, because you were her mother, and you were her world, even if her father never was part of it. Be the kind of person Rosaleen thought you were, not what Remi wants you to be. Put your weapon down, and go with the SWAT team."

Nodding, the woman slowly lowered her weapon, and got down on her knees, tears rolling down her face.

"She won't give you any trouble," Ray told the officer as the woman was quickly cuffed, and Ray put the safety back on her gun.

"What did you say to her?" the officer asked, keeping his voice down.

Ray shrugged. "I know things. Better if you don't ask." She knelt in front of the woman, who was quietly sobbing. "Where is he, sweetie? Talk to us."

"Living room, with a bolt gun," the woman admitted. "He put some pretty glass things there to get your attention."

"Okay. Thank you," Ray said. On impulse, she gave the woman a hug. "You'll be okay. It won't be easy, but God never said it would be easy. He said it would be worth it," she whispered to the woman, who nodded vigorously. "Go with them." She stood up and whispered fast to the remaining officer. "She said he's in the living room with a bolt gun."

"We got anyone with eyes on the living room?" the officer hissed over his radio.

"Confirmed. We see him; he's against one wall, near the entrance," someone said.

"Don't spook him just yet," Ray said, seeing Running Horse appear. He pointed at something, and she got a mental flash that the walls weren't that thick. "The walls aren't that thick." She grinned, as an idea came to mind. "Ever watch Kung Fu: The Legend Continues?"

"Every episode. Did you know I was a linebacker in high school and college?" the officer said, a trace of a grin in his voice, as he slung his weapon onto his back and took aim at the wall, crouching down like a football player about to charge. "Nickname was Bulldozer."

"I believe it," Ray said. "Start your engines, Bulldozer."

There was a crashing noise from within the house as Dwayne and the other two officers converged on the truck that was behind the house. The driver, hearing the crashing noise, jumped and spun around in his seat, only to see a smiling Dwayne Pride smiling at him from the back of the truck, gun aimed at him. He turned to dive out of the truck, only to come face to face with the wrong end of an assault rifle, held by a SWAT officer in full tactical gear. He snapped the other way, only to find the same result.

"I think we need to talk," Dwayne said easily. "Hands where we can see them, or you won't be making it out of that truck alive, which would be a pity, because that looks like a really nice truck."

The man slowly raised his hands, but all of a sudden lunged and tried to start the truck, yelling loudly and stomping on the gas.

But the truck never turned over, despite repeated attempts by the would-be getaway driver.

"Stop," the SWAT officer said on the driver's side, sounding disgusted. "You're embarrassing yourself. Out. Now."

Swallowing hard, the man finally gave up and got out of the truck. He was quickly on the ground and cuffed.

"Suspect Remi Simoneaux in custody," Cameron said over the radio. "No injuries reported, other than the suspect, who got bulldozed by our own bulldozer."

"Got another one in custody," Dwayne said. "What about Ray? Is she secure?"

"As a bug in a rug," said Cameron. "She's headed back to her car."

Sure enough, Ray was headed to her car, but Dwayne quickly realized something was wrong. For one thing, she was walking behind the SWAT officers, and what they couldn't see was the long piece of sharp metal she was hiding behind her back.

Moving quickly, Dwayne grabbed Ray's arm, halting her and pulling her away from the group.

"Ray, what the hell are you doing?" he hissed, grabbing the hand that held the metal.

Ray looked at him and he felt his eyes go wide. For a moment he swore her eyes changed color. Then:

"He deserves to die."

"That may be, but you don't get to do that. If you go after him, it won't be just his life you'll ruin, it'll be Ray's, and she is innocent in this," he hissed. "Let her go, now."

Ray blinked, and then staggered, dropping the metal. "King? What's going on?" she asked, confused.

"I think one of Remi's victims took over you for a second. You were about to try and stab him, but I got to you first," Dwayne said, leading Ray back to her car. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused. I hate it when they do that," she muttered, rubbing her head.

"Then let's get you out of here, and get you back home. I did promise Chris I'd keep you safe. Didn't think it would include ghost busting," he said, grinning.

"Think that was Dana who tried pulling that shit. She's pretty mad."

"What about the other fellow, the Chitimacha?" Dwayne asked."Running Horse? Why do you think the truck wouldn't turn over?" Ray asked, grinning, as she headed for the back of her car, popped the truck, and removed her gear. Then she removed a black guitar case and removed a familiar blue guitar. "Home, James, and don't spare the whip, but if you ding my car, I'll ding your head," she said, putting the guitar across her shoulders and chest, and then tossing him her keys. "I've got an itching for some tunes."