Author's Notes:
Kataract52: Thanks so much for the quick review! I'm the type that would rather not write when I know I won't pen my best work. And, unfortunately it can be months… But I'm still at it so don't worry.
Rabid_Jack: Thanks for the twitter follow!
True Summer Wonder: Thanks for adding A Thief's Bargain to your favorite stories list!
Chapter 5
"Drowning?" Anna questioned as she fingered through the coroner's report. "How exactly does a young man in his 20s drown in the middle of a deserted street?"
"Maybe it was just a dump site," Damon replied as he examined his own stack of files. "Lake Pontchartrain is within walking distance. Pierre crosses the wrong people. They drown him in the lake and leave him in an abandoned neighborhood for the stray dogs."
"No. It just doesn't sound right. See all the debris and rubble; CSI was able to identify his footprints. Pierre walked there on his own accord," Anna explained. "The odd part is that the only footprints around his body were his. If Pierre was dumped there, they would have another set of prints."
Damon analyzed the photographs taken by the police. As much as he hated to admit it, Anna was right. Damon sorted through the photos and laid each one out on the table before them. A hint of color from one the images caught the corner Anna's eye. She quickly turned her attention to the photo. It was a full body shot of Pierre. His body lay on his side, as if he were merely taking a nap. But in the corner of the image was some sort of cloth, folded neatly by his feet.
"Damon," she said, "read through the report. What does it say about this red and gold fabric?"
Damon flipped through one of the files for a few seconds before answering. "According to the report, it's a cloak. It was examined for any trace evidence, but they couldn't find a thing. It doesn't say anything except that it's a reddish and golden cloak. Sixty inches long. Made of…"
"Velvet and silk," Anna interrupted.
"Yea," Damon replied, narrowing his eyebrows. "How did you know that?"
"It's the cloak associated with members of the Assassin's Guild," Anna replied. Assassins wearing that cloak had held Rogue forcibly in a fight on more than one occasion.
"The rival guild," Damon answered. Damon was not completely unaware for the guilds. After all, he was an FBI agent and there have been numerous investigations into both guilds ranging from grand larceny charges to heinous murders. "So do you think this murder was nothing more than guild rivalry?"
"I don't think it's that cut and dry. Last I heard the guilds were at peace. I just don't know," Anna replied. She would definitely ask Remy about it as soon as they met up with him. Everyone at the Bureau knew the guilds were at peace, though. The deaths of rival guild members were at an all time low. What could have caused such a violent act – especially one that would surely restart a war.
"So, hypothetically speaking, let's say it's not the Assassins. Then who?" Damon had a valid question. Unfortunately, Anna didn't have an answer.
"That's why we're here, Price." Anna replied.
"Belle," Remy forced through his teeth.
"Remy," Belladonna Bourdeaux, the leader of the Assassin's Guild and Remy LeBeau's ex-wife, smiled in reply. "Now is that a way to greet your first love?"
"Get over yourself, Belle. I haven't thought of you that way for years. And you haven't thought very kindly of me either," Remy answered. "So, why are you following me?"
"I wasn't," Belle replied. "Well I wasn't at first. Believe it or not, I was just enjoying this beautiful day, reading my newspaper in the park." Her eyes pointed to the scattered pages of The Times – Picayune.
"Let me think. What if I choose not to believe it," Remy said. He loosened his grip on her and helped pick up her belongings. "Why don't you just come clean. I don't have time for your games, woman."
"Fine," Belle pouted. "I heard about Pierre. I was on my way to see you at your father's house when I saw you leaving. I decided to follow you into town. The rest you know. By the way, was that Rogue I saw with you? I thought she left the X-Men."
"She did," Remy replied. They stood in awkward silence; Belle waiting on her former husband to elaborate. When it became evident that he wasn't going to volunteer any more information, Belle continued.
"Well, you have to tell me this at least," Belle smiled. "Who was that gorgeous man that was with the two of you?" Remy rolled his eyes. Belle couldn't have been into Damon too. No, he wasn't her type, Remy convinced himself. She was only doing this to rile up a reaction out of Remy.
"Forget about it, Belle," Remy replied.
"Uh-uh," Belle interrupted, waving her slender finger in his face. "You are going to introduce me to him, Remy LeBeau. Give me his name at least."
"What's with you," Remy questioned. "I thought you had better taste than that. After all, you married me right?"
Belle raised a solitary eyebrow at Remy. "Get over yourself, LeBeau. And, what do you know about my type? I like gorgeous, powerful men. He's definitely gorgeous. Is he powerful?" Belle joked.
"No," Remy answered. "He's a new teacher at Xavier's school."
"Oh well," Belle replied, "I can make him powerful. Now, let's head back to the café. You can buy me a latte while we wait." Remy watched as his ex sauntered out of the alleyway and back onto the busy sidewalk. She hadn't changed one bit; Belle was just as beautiful, as confident, and deadly as ever. Whatever charade she was playing, Remy was going to play right along.
Anna was standing by the café where Remy was supposed to wait for them. Damon went inside to check for Remy. Anna felt a knot in her stomach when she saw Damon through the glass windows without Remy in tow. What if something happened to him? What if whoever killed Pierre, was now after Remy?
"I suppose we can call him," Damon commented as he walked through the doors of the café. Anna began to reach for her cell phone when Damon grabbed her hand. "Nevermind," Damon nodded in the direction behind Anna. "Our missing Cajun's returned, and it looks like he has company."
Anna's eyebrows narrowed as she turned to see what Damon was talking about. She couldn't fight the pout growing on her face as she watched Remy walk down the street with the notorious, beautiful blonde, and Belle was definitely laying it on thick for her audience. She snaked her arm around Remy's waist, laying her head on his shoulder. Belle knew that Anna had been watching them the entire half a block back to the corner café. Anna could hear Damon give out a quiet whistle.
"Don't even think about it, Price," Anna warned. "She's bad news. As in leader of the Assassin's Guild kind of bad."
Damon raised his eyebrows at the revelation and let out a silent "oh".
Anna forced a smile to her face as Remy and Belle approached. Before Anna could speak, Damon offered his hand to Belle.
Damon gleamed as he eyed the busty blonde. Anna looked up at her partner and saw a familiar glimmer in his eyes. He was definitely attracted to Belle. Anna couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy, but quickly dismissed the feeling since she had been the one to reject Damon in the first place.
"Damon Taylor, and you are?" Damon held out his hand to Belle, who gently placed her own into his. Damon bent over and kissed her hand. Anna was ready to vomit in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Belladonna Bourdeaux," she smiled flirtatiously. "I'm an old friend of this scroundel," Belle continued as she playfully slapped Remy on the arm. She turned her attention to Anna now. "Rogue," Belle plastered a huge fake smile on her face. "It's been years! How have you been?"
"Actually, Belle, I just go by Anna now," the irritated former X-Man turned federal agent replied. "I haven't really used that moniker since I left the X-Men a few years back."
"Really?" Belle questioned. "Then why are you here with two of Xavier's finest teachers?" Shit. Anna hadn't thought of that. What was her reason to be here?
"She's here for me," Remy interrupted, pulling away from the Assassin's grasp. He made his way over to Anna and placed his arms around her waist. "Anna's here to support me while my family deals with Pierre's funeral arrangements."
Apparently, Anna and Remy's rekindled relationship was news to Belle. Despite the surprise, Belle continued with her act. "But of course," her native drawl thickening. Anna knew she had won this round, but Belle was a fighter. Both women knew that there was plenty of cattiness to be dealt out in the foreseeable future. "Well, I really must go. I'll be seeing you around. I'll take a rain check on that latte, LeBeau." Belle walked away, putting a little more sway as she sauntered down the street. Anna cleared her throat to get the attention of her two male companions.
"Remy, we need to talk to you," Anna commanded.
"Uh oh," Remy replied. "I swear, chere, I had nothing to do with Belladonna being here. She just showed up."
"That's not what I want to discuss," Rogue interjected. "Well, it is, but it isn't. I need you to tell me what the relationship between the guilds is like."
Remy was taken back by Anna's willingness to discuss guild business in front of an outsider like Damon. Even though Anna was technically an outsider herself, Remy trusted her enough to discuss some matters. Damon was a different story.
"Chere," Remy warned. "I don't think this is the right time to talk about this."
"Cut the melodrama, LeBeau," Damon sighed. "I know enough just from working at the Bureau."
"And that's exactly why I've got nothing to say," Remy answered.
"Remy, stop with the games," Anna replied. "We have reason to believe that the Assassin's may have something to do with Pierre's death. That's why we need to know."
"What?" Remy asked with growing concern. "What did you see in those case files?"
"Not so fast, Remy," Damon answered. "We asked you a question first. Is there tension between the guilds?"
"Non," Remy snapped back. "None at all. There's a truce. Anyone stupid enough to break the truce knows the price." Remy stared down onto the concrete, running his fingers through his auburn locks. If Pierre's murdered was an Assassin, the streets of New Orleans were sure to be painted red soon enough. He was now faced with the dilemma of whether or not he should offer this information to Jean-Luc. "Now your turn. Tell me what you know."
Anna and Damon recounted their findings to Remy as they walked back to where they parked their car. In the midst of the conversation, none of them were aware of the speeding Mustang dangerously racing around the corner. It was Remy who first heard the squealing of the rubber tires. He wrapped an arm around Anna, rolling them safely out of the way. Anna heard a loud thud as she and Remy landed against the pavement. She quickly surveyed herself, then her boyfriend. Neither of them showed any signs of physical injury. Her thoughts quickly turned to Damon, who was lying in the middle of the street. Anna pushed herself up and ran over to her partner. Panic raced through her veins as the sight of blood caught her sights. She ordered the civilians to back away as she tried to assess the extent of Damon's injury.
"This is Special Agent Raven. My partner is down. We are on the corner of Haley Boulevard and Euterpe. I'm requesting immediate help. I need a bus ASAP. Hold on, Damon. Help's on the way." Anna assured her partner, although he was unconscious. What had already been a bad situation had just gotten significantly worse. Who ever killed Pierre knew they were there. This blatant attempt at their lives in broad daylight was a message to stay away. Anna was sure of that. She pushed Damon's jet-black hair away from his face. She wished for nothing more than to see his crystal eyes staring back at her again.
There you go folks. Two chapters in one day! Phew! I'll write some more tomorrow. Don't forget to look me up on twitter! MzJennaX
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