Chapter ten

Julian broke away from my grip and hurried toward the closet. "If dat's another o' y'r family, LeBeau, I swear."

"It's n't polite t'swear!" I called, chasing him into the closet and down the stairs. The stairs were narrow and steep and threw me for a loop for a moment as I nearly fell down two stairs. I slung a hand out to catch myself, before adjusting to the stairs and hurrying down. At the bottom of the stairs, I found myself alone in the passage. No Julian, no anybody.

I scanned the room and realized with a heart wrench where I was. The hidden parts of the assassin's guild. This place would be crawling with assassins and no doubt, the moment Julian found them I would have a small herd of them on my heels. I should get out of here, but where was Anna Marie. I hadn't risked all to hasten to her rescue to not find her. The guild might forgive me if I returned with the hostage.

Suddenly, something touched my elbow. I whirled around, body tensing to come face to face with Anna Marie. Her green eyes were wide and she flinched away. "It's meh!"

I breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. "Y' little rogue," I told her, reaching out and grabbing her around her waist and pulling her closer to me. She was stiff against me for a moment but after a moment she loosened up and slid her arms around me.

"Y' had me worried," I admitted into her auburn curls. "But y'c'n take care o' y'rself."

Anna Marie laughed a little and then shoved me away. "We should get outta here."

"Y'r right," I said, taking her hand.

"So, uh, how do we get outta here?"

"Good question." I gazed around the hallway. It branched off into three directions: up the stairs, down the hallway Julien had gone, and the small hallway that Anna Marie had tucked herself into. It looked more like it had been used for a storage area than anything else.

"Dis way," I said, taking her hand and pulling her after me. It was tight squeeze through the boxes and junk that the Rippers had piled on the sides of the hallway.

"Not very neat, are they?" Anna Marie drawled sarcastically as we paused so I could untangle a length of rope that had snake its way around my boot.

"Can't say dat y'r wrong," I grunted, finally tugging the rope off and throwing it away. Anna Marie hopped off the stack of boxes she had been sitting on, slithering to the floor, started off again.

"How are we getting' out of here?" She asked.

"Dat remains t'be seen," I responded. "Hopefully, Etienne will still be waitin' f'r us." I didn't add the rest if dey haven't foun' 'im yet.

"Oh," was all I got from my wife.

We continued on in silence for a few minutes. "Remy, we got a problem," Anna said.

"What?" I asked.

"It's a dead end."

I came up beside Anna Marie and saw that she was indeed correct. There was no way out. I closed my mind and began carefully go over the Ripper mansion in my mind. By all accounts on the other side of the wall, should be the wine cellar and clear exit. But there was no way out.

For anyone who wasn't Remy LeBeau.

I paused wasting precious moments that we didn't have, but it might save us a little trouble. "Dere's dis t'ing dat I c'n do," I began slowly, picking my words carefully. "It's a little strange an' dangerous, but it's de only chance we have t'get outta here. Y'understand."

Anna Marie's large green eyes studied me for a moment. "Just do it, Remy, Ah want outta here."

"Get behind me. Don' wan' y' t'get hurt." I advised, reaching into my pocket and withdrawing a deck of card.

I pulled a card out and concentrated feeling the card warming and glowing in my hand and threw it at the door. It exploded on impact leaving a gaping hole in the wall. "C'mon," I urged, grabbing a stunned Anna Marie by the wrist and dragging her through the hole.

My mental map had been correct. We were in the wine cellar . . . and standing ankle deep in wine.

Pity, just from the smell I could tell it was expensive.

"How did ya do that?" Anna Marie finally managed.

"I don' know exactly," I admitted. "I jus' can. Now hurry."

Keeping close on my heels, (for someone so small and skinny Anna Marie was fast) I lead her up the stairs. The flight of stairs led us to the kitchen and more importantly to a quick exit through the kitchen door.

We burst into open, humid air that I had never been so happy in my life to breathe.

"Remy!" A voice hissed.

My hand delved into my pocket, reaching for a card, but the voice quickly revealed itself to be Etienne. "Jus' me. Calm down."

"What're y'doin' here?"

"Y' didn' leave m'much choice in dat matter. C'mon dere's a boat we can use. Hurry up!"

We raced to the water edge. Etienne was the first in and I helped Anna Marie and just as the boat's motor roared into life I leapt in.

Etienne steered expertly and for a few moments I sat happy to catch my breath and luxuriate in victory and adrenaline. Anna Marie's hand was still clenched in my own and neither of us seemed to have any intent of letting the other go.

I swallowed and squeezed Anna Marie's hand. "Dat was a close one."

"Ah'll say."

"'ow'd y'manage it?" Etienne asked.

"Good question. I wan' t'know how y'managed t'get out of y'r room," I asked looking at Anna Marie.

"Ah used mah spoon tah push the tumblers back in the lock." Anna Marie explained and then shrugged.

"Y'got y'rself a rebel,. Nice goin', Remy."

"Yeah, quite the little rogue," I said affectionately looping my arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple. "Glad I got 'er though."