I'd like to apologize for the long wait. But my computer ate my hard drive and disk and I wouldn't touch the possessed thing and a hundred things happened at the same time. Good news is that I have the whole story written out so updates should be pretty regular.

Infiltration

The water lapped gently at the sides of the boat as Etienne rowed us to the Ripper's mansion. I sat watching the banks roll steadily by us. Other than the steady splash of the oars and other sounds of the bayou in the evening, we traveled in silence.

Etienne was pondering the gravity of the situation. If we were caught, the guild wouldn't do anything about it. Not that that would really be an option, as the Rippers would probably slay on the spot. If we were lucky, our families would get our bodies back.

"Remy," Etienne started. "Are y' breathin'? Dere are roses dat a less red den y'r face."

I turned to look at him and sighed. "Dey jus make me so angry sometimes. All dey ever do is talk. Dey're not gonna let us deliver de ransom and dey'd never let us do dis, if dey knew what we was doin'."

Etienne pulled at the rows a few more times. "Dey're old and t' stuck in deir ways." He sighed. "T'ings'll be dif'rent when y're running da place, huh?" He teased.

I scowled at him, but before I could think of a suitable reply Etienne stopped. "I t'ink dis is y'r stop, homme."

I stopped and looked at the floating platform, bobbing up and down a little in the water. "Y' don' have t' wait," I told him.

"What kin' o' cousin would I be if I didn't?" Etienne asked, waving a hand. "'Side, y're gonna need a get-away boat, aren' y'?" He grinned and I felt a smirk quirk at my own lips.

"T'anks," I told him and I stepped out of the boat and onto the dock. It rocked slightly but I kept my balance and reached into my pocket and took out my bo staff and touching my ace in the hole—a deck of cards. I didn't want to have to use them. They were noisy and stealth was what needed here.

Getting in would be easy making sure that no one saw me, and finding Anna Marie would be harder.

Suddenly, I felt myself slammed up against the wall, reflexively I put out my arms to stop myself. A cold knife hovered close to my throat.

"I knew y'd come," Julian grinned wickedly. "Y' always did like playin' knight in shining armor a little t'much f'r y'r own good. An' now I got y' right where I wan' y'."

I closed my eyes and concentrated, feeling the warmth in my fingers that signaled the transfer of power to the wall. It began glowing a little at first then brighter.

"What y'doin' LeBeau?" Julian demanded staring at the wall. I could feel his whole body tense warily.

I grinned. "If y'slit m'throat, dis whole wall'll blow up and dere's enough energy in the wall t'blow up mos' of de house and de people in it."

"How're y' doin' dat, LeBeau? Y'some kind of diable or somet'ing?" Julian tried to keep his voice light, but I could sense the fear behind it.

"Julian, don' t'ink I won'. Just t'ink 'bout it: Y'r whole family gone in one big boom, and dozens o' CSI's and coroners swarmin' all ova de plantation. Y'got some pretty strange stuff in y'basement don' y? Wondaa what dat'll be like? Hmm. . ."

Julian removed the knife from my throat, slowly. I whirled and knocked the knife from his hand and sent Julian flying. I bent over the knife and grabbed Julian by the shirt. "Now, y'should take me t'Anna Marie."

With metal pricking at his throat and a threat of a large explosion to hurry him along, Julian led me through the mansion and to the upper room. "Dis is it," Julian motioned to the door.

"I can't very well pick de lock and hold y'up at de same time," I quipped. "Open de door."

Julian dug out the key from his pocket and reached for the door, but the moment his fingers landed on the doorknob. It fell off. Impatient, but already knowing what I would fine, I wrenched the door open and found the room totally empty.

I