Tony Bennington was a rich man who wished to hire Anita to raise his decesed wife, Ilsa, who had died in a gas explosion. Because his wife was badly burned and her body was not whole, Bennington believed that only Anita Blake was capable of raising her as a zombie. Anticipating that Anita will refuse his request, he hires Jacob and his pride to fallow Anita and her lovers and kidnap her. He threatens her that unless she raises Ilsa, Jacob man will kill Jason, Micah and Nathaniel.