Free Showdown in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon Page B

Raissa was into, it probably wasn’t going to help their case. Or he just didn’t want to admit that they would be in deep shit if they talked to her again. Either way, Zach had his walking orders from the FBI and his captain: no contact with Raissa Bordeaux.
    It was a shame he had no intention of listening to either of them.

Chapter Six
    Maryse looked over at Raissa, tapping away on her laptop, and bit her lip. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
    Raissa opened the glove compartment of Maryse’s car and tucked a black box with a wire inside, hoping her hastily rigged equipment worked as planned. “Of course it’s not a good idea. Why do you think we’re here at midnight?”
    Maryse stared out the driver’s window at the mansion across the street. Sonny Hebert’s mansion. “Trying to get ourselves killed?”
    “God, you’re such a whiner,” Helena bitched from the backseat. “All that shit you went through in the last couple of months, and you’re getting all worried about sitting in a car on a public street.”
    Maryse turned around and glared at Helena. “Do I need to remind you that all the ‘shit’ I went through the last couple of months was your fault, and I never did anything to put myself in the middle of it? And that I’m still taking antacids?”
    “When you put it that way…” Helena grumbled. “Maybe you should double your dose, just for to night.”
    “I’d love to, but the pharmacy was out…again.”
    “The pharmacy is always out of medicine. Call Dr. Breaux and ask for samples. I don’t think I paid for medicine the last three years.” Helena looked over at Raissa. “You want to help me out here? I’m sorta getting killed on this one.”
    Raissa smiled. “Don’t worry about your stomach, Maryse. We’re not getting any closer than this, and his security cameras don’t scan farther than the curb in front of his house. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to walk up to the door and ring the bell.”
    Maryse turned in her seat to face Raissa. “Do you honestly believe sending Helena in there is a better option? The Harbinger of Death? The Master of Disaster?”
    Raissa laughed and handed Helena a little round piece of plastic. “All she has to do is hide this somewhere in Sonny’s office, preferably not a plant, as they are prone to being watered, and take a peek in a storage closet. Piece of cake.”
    Helena tucked the plastic piece in the front pocket of her black leather jacket, then took the second piece Raissa handed her and popped it in her ear. “Are we ready to go?”
    “One second.” Raissa tapped more keys on her laptop. “Say something, Helena.”
    “Something.”
    “Smart-ass,” Maryse mumbled as Helena’s voice screeched from the laptop.
    Raissa adjusted the volume and gave Helena a thumbs-up. “All set. When you get inside, turn right, then let me know when you’re in the big hallway. I’ll guide you from there. And everyone pray that Sonny hasn’t rearranged his house since last time I was there, or it’s going to be a long night.”
    Raissa gave Helena the once-over. “So what’s with the outfit? You still doing the classic-movie thing?”
    “Yep,” Helena said and climbed out of the car, tugging her spandex pants out of the crack of her butt as soon as she hit the sidewalk.
    Raissa grimaced. “Should I even ask?”
    Helena rolled her eyes. “Grease 2.” She crossed in front of the car, the neon blue of the pants creating a glare from the streetlight.
    Raissa studied her for a minute. “She’s wearing a T-Birds jacket and motorcycle boots. Is she supposed to be a guy or a girl?”
    Maryse shook her head. “I don’t even want to know. Just be glad that lately her outfits cover most of her body. The MTV years were far less kind on the rest of us.”
    “Yuck.” Raissa fitted a microphone around her ear and positioned it to the side of her mouth as Helena walked through the front wall of the house. “Helena, can you hear