by Akart, Bobby
“I … Alpha. Chepe escaped. But … Hannah …”
Frustrated, Delta keyed his mic. “Say again, X-Ray. You’re breaking up.”
Suddenly, the Avalanche lurched forward. Chepe, or whoever was driving, had discovered Delta on his tail and tried evasive maneuvers. He rapidly gained speed, forcing Delta to chase after him as the speedometer registered a hundred miles per hour. The rpms on the Silverado’s engine reached a fever pitch as his speed climbed.
“Do you copy, Delta? Hannah is safe. Chepe has escaped.”
“Good! I’ve got him in my sights!”
Delta’s words were never heard by X-Ray, as he was now out of range and on his own. The man responsible for the raid on the Haven and, ultimately, the death of his son was now going to be brought to justice.
His sweaty palms gripped the wheel as he pulled behind Chepe’s truck. They were now miles away from the Varnadore Building, but ironically, they’d just passed the new location of the Varnadore Company as the two sped toward the Charlotte suburb of Matthews.
Delta hearkened back to his training as a police officer when he’d learned pursuit techniques. One of the most effective ways to end a high-speed pursuit of a suspect was to execute a PIT maneuver. Sometimes referred to as a Precision Immobilization Technique, or also a Pursuit Intervention Technique, the result was the same—spin the suspect’s vehicle from behind during a chase.
Although the PIT maneuver can be achieved in three easy steps, factors like traffic, road conditions, and vehicle speed complicate matters. Delta had performed the technique on several occasions in his career but never at speeds in excess of a hundred. Ordinarily, his superiors would tell him to back off at high speeds like this, opting instead to utilize air support to follow the subject vehicle.
On this early morning, Delta didn’t have any backup, nor did he have any witnesses. If he successfully executed the PIT maneuver, it was unlikely that Chepe would survive the wreck, not that Delta cared. He didn’t have anybody to answer to except the memory of his son.
Delta had successfully matched Chepe’s speed and eased up on his right rear bumper. His goal was to gently nudge the right rear fender with his left front, causing Chepe to lose control. It was no different than what a NASCAR driver did on the short tracks of Richmond or Bristol. A gentle nudge forced the rear end of the lead vehicle to get out of sorts, allowing the race driver to make the pass.
Only this was different. Delta would upset the back of Chepe’s truck, causing him to lose control, but then he’d accelerate to complete the PIT maneuver. At slower speeds, the suspect vehicle would spin sideways and eventually come to a halt. At a hundred-plus, anything could happen, including Delta losing control as well.
Delta had mastered the practice of left-foot braking that enabled him to match the suspect vehicle’s speed precisely. He recalled the technique and gently steered toward Chepe’s right fender. He had to be careful to make both the requisite contact and the subsequent steer-through as gentle as possible to avoid throwing them both into a fiery crash.
Delta nudged Chepe, but not hard enough. The Avalanche fishtailed slightly, but Chepe corrected it. Delta tried again, a little harder this time. He kept constant pressure on the throttle, and he steered into Chepe’s truck.
Momentum took care of the rest.
Chepe lost control, overcorrected, and went sailing off the shoulder of the freeway down an embankment. His truck didn’t appear to slow down as it rose up the other side of the ditch and sailed into the air, bounced once on the service road, and roared across until it drove head-on into a post office.
Immediately upon impact, the Avalanche was crushed by the brick and granite structure before bursting into a spectacular eruption of flames and debris.
Delta brought his truck to a screeching stop and then threw it into reverse, spinning his tires into a cloud of black smoke and burnt rubber. When he was in front of the point of impact, he leapt out of his truck and walked to the shoulder of the freeway to view the results of his efforts.
He defiantly raised his right hand and gave Chepe’s burning truck the middle finger. “Go to hell. Return to sender!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Varnadore Building
Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
After Bravo team cleared the remainder of the building, they rendezvoused with Alpha team on the sixth floor. Leading the way, the ex-soldiers escorted Hannah to the ground floor, and rather than bother unlocking the door, Bravo found a cinder block and threw it through a plate-glass window, allowing a rush of fresh air to enter the building and the smoke generated by their stick grenades to billow out.
Hannah, who was now walking on her own, covered her face with the bandanna used by Hayden to lend the appearance she was one of the anarchists. As it turned out, the operation had moved so briskly that the anarchist-apparel subterfuge was unnecessary.
Alpha summoned X-Ray, who told him that Delta had chased after Chepe. He instructed X-Ray to rally the troops and meet in front of the Varnadore Building, as it appeared there were no remnants of Chepe’s group remaining in the area except for the dead.
Within minutes, the group had assembled and were all congratulating each other. When Hannah revealed how she’d moved the laundry basket, causing Chepe to crash hard onto the floor, the group erupted in laughter and exchanged high fives.
Sirens could be heard in the distance, but X-Ray advised them that the police scanner revealed a high-rise fire in downtown Charlotte had occupied all available fire departments and police precincts. The group agreed that this shoot-out might not garner any type of law enforcement investigation.
The smoke coming out of the building began to dissipate as Delta pulled into the parking lot, with his Silverado only slightly damaged from the high-speed chase involving fender banging.
After exiting the truck, he immediately hugged Hannah and then pulled Alpha aside to explain what had happened. The taller Alpha slapped Delta on the shoulder several times as they spoke, and then the two men exchanged a bro-hug, indicating that any differences between them had been squashed.
“I think we’re done here. What do you guys think?” asked Alpha as he and Delta joined the rest of the rescue team.
Hannah was the first to respond. “I think I’m ready to go home.”
“I’ll bet you’re hungry,” said Hayden as she knelt down next to the young girl. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver foil package and handed it to Hannah. “Your mom said you liked blueberry Pop-Tarts. Well, they just happen to be my favorite too.”
“I love them!” exclaimed Hannah as she ripped open the package and pulled out one of the delicious pastry snacks.
“Well, you know, I’m a big believer in girl power, and I happen to know that some of the strongest women I’ve read about love blueberry Pop-Tarts. I think you’ve earned these.”
Hayden pulled some debris out of Hannah’s hair, and then something caught her attention. She quickly backed up and placed her hand on her pistol grip.
“What’ve we got?” asked Alpha.
“Looters,” replied X-Ray. “Look at ’em.”
The group hadn’t noticed that a group of people, likely curiosity-seekers and residents of the neighborhood, were running through the broken window and carrying out anything that wasn’t tied down.
Cans of food, cases of dry goods, bedding, and supplies were all exiting the Varnadore Building as fast as the locals’ feet could carry them.
“Unbelievable,” began Delta. “They’re stepping over dead bodies in order to get in and out.”
“That’s desperation,” added Alpha. “Well, it’s not our problem. Let’s get out of here before a cop wanders up or Chepe’s people decide to come back.”
The group gathered their gear and followed Delta and Alpha in the lead truck as they headed back to the Haven and Hannah’s anxious parents.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Haven House
The Haven
&
nbsp; Every parent experiences an emotional moment on a scale they never thought possible in their lives when their children are born. From the exhilaration of hearing the heartbeat in the womb, to the first kick in the mother’s belly, through the heart-bursting pride at their child’s first steps. Even as they grow older, the stomach-wrenching worry of a teenager who is late coming home one night makes parents realize when it comes to their children, emotions are amplified.
The triumphant caravan was approaching the front gate when news began to spread throughout the Haven of their return, with Hannah safely in hand. Cort had been working the gate’s security since the moment the teams had pulled out the night before. He hadn’t slept, nor had Meredith, who’d hung out with him during the entire nerve-racking evening. Delta pulled the Silverado to a stop and allowed Hannah to jump out of the back seat to approach the gate.
When the vehicles approached, Meredith stopped her nervous pacing and ran to her husband’s side. As the vehicles pulled into view, she became weak in the knees as emotions overcame her. She strained to look for Hannah, praying to God that she was in one of the cars, safe and unharmed.
At first, Meredith reached through the iron bars to greet her child, but then she remembered the side gate accessible through the gatehouse. Before the security guards could open the main gates, Meredith bolted around the wall and through the guardhouse, where she collided with Hannah in a tangled mess of motherly love.
Cort finally caught up with his family, at first standing there in shock as tears rolled down his cheeks. His mouth agape, words escaped him as the joy of seeing his only child safe and sound froze him in time.
Finally, Meredith rose to her feet, helped Hannah up, and the close-knit Cortland family held each other tight, vowing never to separate again. However, promises made during an emotional moment can’t always be kept, but at the time, they feel good nonetheless.
Ryan was one of the first to arrive, followed by Blair. They allowed Cort and his family to enjoy their emotional reunion, opting instead to get a quick debrief from Alpha and his team.
“Everybody okay?” Ryan began with an obvious question. He and Blair were fully aware of the dangerous mission undertaken by everyone who had left to rescue Hannah. They all knew the risks, but Ryan needed to know that they had come home safely, too.
“Yeah, not a scratch,” replied Alpha as he removed his utility belt containing his sidearm, extra magazines, and a few leftover smoke grenades. He handed off his gear to one of the guards standing nearby, who was eager to help. “Charlie inhaled too much smoke. She complained that her respirator kept fogging up, so she stopped wearing it.”
“Was it defective?” asked Ryan.
“Nah, user error,” replied Alpha with a chuckle. “I straightened her out on the way back. Listen, Chepe is dead. Delta took him out.” Alpha turned to see Delta standing off to the side, holding his ex-wife and Skylar in a solemn hug. While the Haven’s residents were thrilled to see Hannah’s safe return, it was not lost on any of them that Ethan would be gone forever.
“Good,” said Blair. “I hope it was painful.”
Alpha smiled and twisted his back until an audible crack could be heard. “Let’s just say he went out in a blaze of glory.”
A sizable crowd began to form around the front gate as the Cortland family broke their embrace and accepted congratulations for Hannah’s safe return. While kids and adults alike spoke with Hannah, Cort and Meredith made the rounds, personally hugging and thanking every member of the rescue effort.
Even hardened, tough ex-soldier Alpha managed to get emotional as Meredith spoke about what her daughter’s safe return meant to her. Alpha told them briefly about the rescue and then finished by relaying the way Delta had caused Chepe’s death.
The Cortlands and Hightowers spoke to one another last, sharing the excitement and sorrow of the last forty-eight hours. Ryan wanted the conversation to continue, but he decided to move the welcome home party up the hill, closer to Haven House. One never knew when a straggler might pass by their entrance or approach the gate.
Apparently, Blair had the same idea and raised her voice to get the attention of the crowd. “Hey, everybody! I know that we’re all grateful to Alpha and his team for rescuing Hannah. There are reasons to celebrate, both for Hannah’s return and to honor the lives of those we’ve lost. May I suggest we all go up to the house and get away from the front gate? You know, for security reasons. I’ve got food and drinks ready to go. I’m sure we wanna hear the details of Hannah’s rescue, and I want us all, as a group, to remember those we lost during the attack.”
“Great idea, Blair,” added Ryan. “Please, let’s head up there now and allow security to put the vehicles away. Alpha, Delta, all of you, please join us. I’ll have somebody return your gear to Haven Barn.”
The murmur of voices could be heard as people finished up their conversations and started new ones. They began the trek up the gravel driveway toward the house, except for X-Ray, who stood meekly to the side. Blair noticed this and whispered to Ryan, “I need to speak with X-Ray.”
“What do we do with him now?” he asked.
“I’m the toughest critic and judge here. That said, I think he’s earned his way back in.”
“Good, I agree.”
“However, he’s on probation. From now on, he reports directly to me. I wanna know what the little weasel is working on at all times.”
Ryan laughed and gave his wife a playful shove. “You’re tough. Look at him. He’s about to wet himself thinking he’s getting banished.”
Blair managed a devilish grin. “Oh, believe me, I’ll make him think he is. Then I’ll make him wish he was. Finally, he’ll be thanking me for the second chance.”
“That’s the way you roll.”
“Yup,” she added as she walked with purpose over to X-Ray.
Ryan made sure the front gate security team had their marching orders and that the residents were on their way, and then he stopped to survey the scene. He’d envisioned the community coming together as a family through the common need for safety, and to overcome adversity when it presented itself.
The Haven had been tested early on. In some respects, they’d failed in their preparations despite their best efforts. The loss of three lives was a testament to that. On the other hand, the group had jelled when they had to.
Ryan smiled, quietly patting Blair and himself on the back for managing triumph out of tribulation. Once again, as they’d done so many times in their life together, the couple turned lemons into lemonade.
Winning.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Haven House
The Haven
Slaphappy from exhaustion, the adults chatted away, partaking of a glass of Rosa Regale from Blair’s private stash. The sparkling red wine came from a specific wine grape grown in northwest Italy. It was a light ruby red color, but most importantly for Blair’s personal taste, it had a sweet flavor like a dessert wine. Coupled with the lack of sleep and the desire to lift their spirits, it only took two glasses to immediately cause the residents to become chatty.
Meanwhile, Hannah was holding court in the media room, away from the watchful eyes of the adults. With the other kids gathered around, and the four-legged babies sprawled out on the hardwood floor, Hannah gave the blow-by-blow details of her abduction and captivity.
Then, with the drama that only a master storyteller can manage, she explained her decision to pull the laundry basket away from Chepe’s landing spot. She had the kids rolling in laughter as she described how he’d groaned in pain when his ankle snapped. She stood on one leg and hopped around, using animated gestures to imitate Chepe as he made his way out of the utility room.
Of course, Hannah never let on how utterly terrified she had been during the entire ordeal. And when the other kids left the room to get a snack, she asked Skylar to stay behind so that she could tell her how brave Ethan had been. He’d died a hero, she insisted, and Skylar should forever be proud of wh
at her brother had done to protect Will.
After a couple of hours, fatigue took over and the wine began to cause some eyes to gloss over from exhaustion. The celebration began to break up, and eventually, the group dispersed, leaving only the Smarts, Sheltons, and Cortlands behind.
“Ladies,” began Ryan as he reached for Cort’s and Tom’s arms, “may I borrow these gentlemen for a moment before everybody heads to their cabins for a mid-afternoon nap?”
Donna chuckled. “Of course. Meredith, Blair, this is the time when the roosters slip away to congratulate themselves on a job well done. They’ll likely bust open a bottle of scotch, pour a few more rounds, and then we’ll have to put them to bed, where they’ll snore blissfully well into the night.”
Tom began laughing. “Now, Mrs. Shelton, why would you want to taint these fine ladies’ images of their husbands?”
Blair rolled her eyes. “Tainted? Pshaw. Ryan only waited for the others to leave so he wouldn’t have to share the good stuff.”
Ryan smiled, rolled his eyes, and shook his head. “My missus takes no prisoners, but I love her so. Actually, no drinks. Cort needs to get some rest, and Tom’s on antibiotics. I had to promise Angela that he’d stick to no more than two glasses of bubbly.”
“All right, go ahead, then,” said Meredith with a smile. “I’m sure Hannah can wait another few minutes.”
Ryan led the guys into the study and gently pushed the door partially closed. His face grew serious as he paced the floor. He looked through the sheer curtains and then turned to his two top advisors. “It’s time to make an honest assessment here. Chepe is dead and I think we’ve established that he was one of the top thugs working for the Schwartz family. Here’s what I need you to think about, and we can reconvene later to discuss it.”