“What is it?” Heath asked.
“Nothing that concerns you,” Alex said.
Clicking through the icons on her computer, she read a message from her Sergeant:
They’ve separated the women from the men. After making out with Dahlia, Troy is moving in your direction. Trece is with your parents as planned. Zack is waiting.
Her Sergeant watched the drama unfold via satellite link. Everything was on track.
Alex jerked the body armor from the dead man then chucked it in Heath’s direction. She held the machine gun out to Heath.
“Can you shoot?” she asked.
“I can shoot.” He took the machine gun then checked that it was loaded. “What is going on?”
“We received notification of full scale attack planned for this party. Secret Service agreed to monitor activities and assist.”
“Why would someone attack...?”
Troy ran toward them.
“Do you still understand Russian?” Alex asked.
Troy nodded. She gave him the ear piece she took from the dead man. Troy checked the microphone was off then stuck it in his ear.
“How was Dahlia?” Alex asked.
“She’s quite pissed at me, Alexandra,” Troy said.
Bending over the man on the ground, Troy plucked a handgun from the man’s holster then dug ammunition clips out of his pockets.
“Pissed?”
“I led her to the lavatory then locked her in.”
“So you didn’t…?”
“I didn’t,” he said. “I did kiss her. I did. So don’t give me that look. But I didn’t fuck her.”
Troy beamed at his accomplishment. Alex hugged him.
“What is going on?” Heath asked.
“Shut up maggot. No one is talking to you,” Troy said.
“I’m here. I can help,” Heath said. “I want to help. Listen my wife is in there. My pregnant wife.”
Troy and Alex looked at each other. Alex shrugged.
“Maybe they’ll kill him.”
“Good thinking,” Troy replied.
“We don’t know what’s happening, Heath.” Alex turned to look at him. “They’re looking for something or someone. We assumed they were looking for me but... we don’t actually know.”
“Imaging?” Troy asked.
Alex showed Troy the image her Sergeant sent her pocket computer. Men, dressed in the same black T-shirts marked SECURITY in white, carrying machine guns, surrounded the perimeter. Three big guys in dark T-shirts worked the crowd, separating the men from the women. The men were sent down into the amphitheater. The women were herded into the south corner of the terrace.
Alex pointed to the undercover Secret Service agents guarding the VIPs including Troy’s father. Her father and Trece were avoiding the men enough to remain on the terrace.
“They’ve singled Maria out.” Jesse appeared in front of them. “Maria and your Mom. Alex, you have to...”
Alex and Troy took off toward the party.
FFFFFF
Tuesday afternoon
April 1 – 4:20 P.M. MDT
Denver, CO
“We have confirmation. The action has started at the party. We must assume they are coming here.” Matthew sat at the dining room table. “Joseph didn’t want to risk a cell phone. He’s gone to call the police from the pay phone at the 7-11.”
“I came home for lunch between hospitals,” John said. “I’ll be on my way.”
“Yeah. That’s not such a good idea,” Matthew said. “Alex requested you wait in her office.”
“I can’t leave?”
“No,” Matthew said. “We only know they are looking for something or someone. If they are looking for Alex...”
“They’ll take me,” John said. “Cian too?”
“Cian’s here?”
“That’s who I was meeting for lunch,” John said. “Cian and Jimmy.”
“What?” Cian walked into the dining room from the kitchen.
“He’s saying we can’t go anywhere. Something about an action,” John said.
“Ooh fun! Eoin will be so jealous,” Cian said.
“Jealous of what?” James asked.
“There’s going to be action! Here!” Cian said.
“Christ!” Matthew shook his head. “I can’t protect you. I’m too injured. White Boy and Vince will have to fight these guys alone. Alex requested you wait for her in her office.”
“Fat chance,” James said. “You in Johnny?”
“I spent last fall sitting around like a dosser. I’m not doing that again,” John said. “I can shoot. I’m good in a fight. Plus, you’ll need someone to look stupid.”
Matthew shook his head at John.
“You need to go in Alex’s...”
“He used to be quite handy,” James said. “And he certainly looks stupid.”
“I’m not sitting anything out,” Cian said. “I was enjoying a nasty toss up before you were born, Mattie.”
“Don’t even think about having me sit this out.” Raz walked across the room. “I have this back brace and I’m supposed to be on my feet. Even less than 100%, I’m more than most in a fight.”
The men looked up as a woman’s voice carried toward them. Larry blocked Helene’s way into the dining room. She pushed past him. Her brown eyes glowed with anger.
“I will not go into Alex’s office. I don’t care what she said. I’m capable. I know some kickboxing and I can shoot.” Helene reached behind her and pulled a handgun from a sacrum holster. “I have my own handgun. It’s just us until Joseph gets here with the police. You need my help.”
Matthew looked at the girl then at Larry.
“Helene, you can’t…” Larry started.
“You won’t tell me what to do. My father has taught us to take care of ourselves. I’m not as good as Alex, but you aren’t either.” Helene looked from Matthew to Larry then shrugged. “Who is? I won’t sit aside like some fading flower while my loved ones are in danger.”
Larry’s faced flushed as she said loved ones. She smirked at his reaction then turned to Matthew. Raising his eyebrows, Matthew looked from Helene to John.
“We moved everything of importance to the carriage house. The carriage house is smaller and easier to defend. We don’t know what they are looking for…”
“Or whom,” Vince came in from the back of the house. “Alex’s source thought they would hit the party and the house. We assume they are looking for the Fey but... “
“They were very adamant last year about some property; their property. All of those telephone calls...” John said. Matthew’s head jerked up in surprise. “I’m not a fading flower either.”
“That’s true. Eleazar kept asking Alex for his property,” Raz said.
“They are here. Two SUVs. Eight guys.” White Boy ran into the room from the front.
“Let’s get to the carriage house.”
Vince slipped an arm under Raz’s shoulder. John took Raz’s other shoulder. Helene and Larry ran ahead with James and Cian behind. Holding the door for Raz, they rushed into the room. Helene set the lock on the door.
And they waited.
FFFFFF
Tuesday afternoon
April 1 – 4:25 P.M. MDT
Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO
Running toward the terrace, Alex pointed Troy to the top of the red sandstone Creation Rock. He nodded. An expert marksman, Troy would cover her. Sticking the handgun in his pants, he began climbing the rock. Heath wheeled up behind them.
“I’ll cover you,” Heath said. “Go on.”
“Don’t shoot me, asshole.” Alex yelled.
She ran toward the party.
A man in a SECURITY T-shirt, carrying a machine gun, ran toward her. Leaping sideways, her right leg straight with her left tucked under, she caught the man in the chest with a powerful flying kick. Unable to keep his balance, he snatched at her right foot. Rotating midair, she smacked the man in the face with her left foot.
He fell unconscious onto the concrete.
Hearing machine gunfire, she stopped moving.
“That’s Heath,” Troy said through her ear bud communicator. “He’s actually helping. I’m in place.”
“Go,” Heath yelled.
Alex’s single focus was on her mother and Maria. Running toward the women, her eyes caught the motion of men falling from Troy’s sharpshooting. Health’s machine gun cover kept men from moving near her. Troy’s sharpshooting cleared the way. Jumping over falling men like hurdles, she approached the crowd.
Terrified party goers ran in circles in front of her. As if intentionally trying to slow her down, they cut into her path or stopped right in front of her. Alex pushed her way through the crowd to get to Maria and Rebecca.
“They are moving your mom and Maria,” Troy said. “South stairway.”
At the edge of the stairwell, the men in SECURITY shirts noticed Alex’s approach. Pushing a woman out of her way, Alex watched two men capture Maria and Rebecca. With their machine guns against the women’s ribs, the men held their elbow against the women’s windpipe. They could break Maria and Rebecca’s necks with ease in this position. Jesse appeared between the women. His hands pointed to the men’s necks.
Pushing people out of her way, Alex ran toward them. Ten feet from her mother and Maria, she screamed:
“NOW!”
Maria and Rebecca moved in unison. Stomping on the men’s feet with their stiletto heels, they jammed their elbows into the men’s solar plexus.
Jesse threw his electricity balls into the men’s necks.
The men doubled forward. Maria and Rebecca met the men’s noses with the heel of their hands. The force of the blow knocked the men backward. The men grabbed at the women as they fell. Jesse shocked their outstretched hands.
Rebecca and Maria kicked at the men’s eyes with the sharp toes of their Christian Louboutin heels. Screaming, the men curled up in balls covering their eyes.
Alex reached Rebecca and Maria. Picking up the discarded machine guns, she gave a gun to Maria and another to her mother. The women cocked their guns with obvious enthusiasm.
Looking around the party, Alex saw Troy had released Trece from the man holding him captive. Trece held a man by the neck. He bashed him in the face then threw him in the direction of Patrick Hargreaves. Patrick bound the unconscious man’s wrists with nylon restraints.
Alex whistled. Secret Service agents, scattered among the party goers, pulled their weapons. The agents pushed their VIP targets face first to the ground.
Everything stopped.
The party goers didn’t dare twitch. The remaining men in SECURITY T-shirts stood their ground. Troy and Heath stopped firing. Everyone looked at Alex for direction.
Alex smiled.
As if responding to Alex’s victory smile, a man in a SECURITY T-shirt threw his machine gun in front of him and raised his hands. Near the edge of the party, two additional men threw their machine guns down. The rest of the men in SECURITY T-shirts followed suit. Trece forced the men flat on their faces on the ground while Patrick continued binding wrists.
“They’re coming for you, Alex,” Troy said. “That’s why they gave up their guns. They identified you. Two, maybe three men coming up from the lower level.”
Alex took off toward the stairwells in front of her. “Zack?”
“I’ll meet you there,” Troy said.
“I see ‘em,” Zack said.
The Black Hawk Helicopter rose to hover over the amphitheater. When the men appeared at the top of the stairs, Zack shot over their heads. The men stopped short. Before they could fire, Troy knocked them off their feet with a low kick. Alex skid to a stop to avoid the unconscious men.
Maria began to cheer. The party goers clapped sedately then joined in Maria’s cheer. Zack nodded the helicopter to the crowd then flew to the parking lot.
“I’m wondering if I missed a memo. General?” the Admiral in charge of Special Forces asked Patrick Hargreaves.
“We didn’t want to worry you, Admiral,” Patrick said.
“Just made sure I wore my body armor?” he asked.
“Intelligence tips are notoriously unreliable.”
“When your daughter’s around?” The Admiral clapped Patrick’s back. “It’s best to expect the worst.”
“Sir?” Alex jogged over. Saluting, she stood in front of her boss’s boss. “The subjects have been detained. Requesting permission to leave the rest to the Secret Service.”
“Yes, of course. Let Secret Service get the credit?” The Admiral’s blue eyes sparkled with laughter.
“And the paperwork, sir,” Alex said.
“I was stunned at the efficiency of the Texas Rangers,” the Admiral said.
“They are impressive,” Trece said.
“Sir, we are needed at another location,” Alex said.
“Yes, Lieutenant Colonel. By all means.” The Admiral saluted. Alex and Trece returned his salute. She and Trece turned away from the Admiral when he called her again, “Fey?”
“Yes sir?”
“How about a little less domestic action and a little more foreign extraction?”
“I’ll speak with the men.”
Following Troy to the parking lot, Alex jogged past Maria. Maria moved into her path.
“Maria! You were amazing!” Alex hugged Jesse’s beloved wife.
“I had a very good teacher. Thank you. I know you need to go, but…”
“How can I help?” Alex asked.
“You can tell your friend, Mr. Abreu I’m not going to find another husband.” Maria’s eyes sparked with defiance. Her lips formed a single angry line.
“Uh.” Alex’s face shifted to blank.
“I saw him. So don’t pretend I’m crazy.”
“Would I do that?”
“Yes. And while you’re at it,” Maria crossed her arms over her chest. “You tell Mr. Abreu he can just as easily speak to me as you. I have important issues to speak with him about.”
“Maria, honey, I’d love to talk but we have to go. Let’s get lunch next week.”
Maria punched Alex in the shoulder.
“Ow!” Alex said.
Maria wrinkled her nose at Alex.
“You’ll talk to him?” Maria asked.
“I’ll talk to him,” Alex laughed.
Alex ran about six feet when Maria said:
“Oh Alex. I’m sorry.”
Alex flipped around and Maria jogged over to her.
“I found this in Jesse’s stuff. I finally went through his belongings. I found this at the very bottom of his shirt pocket. You know, what he was wearing when...” Maria’s eyes filled. Pushing her grief away, she cleared her throat. “At first I was sure it was love letters… to me, of course.”
Alex’s mouth fell open. Maria pulled Alex’s small Fey Special Forces Team journal from her evening bag. Alex gawked at the book. Maria put the book into Alex’s hands.
“Alex, honey, isn’t this your book? It’s your handwriting.”
“I thought… It’s been gone. We thought the killers stole this journal.”
“No, just Jesse. The little thief.” Maria laughed. Maria called Jesse a thief because he stole her heart when she was only ten years old. “I tossed those stupid books last week, you know like the other girls? Do they think we don’t know our husbands?”
“Jennifer called?”
“I was on my way here. I would have brought Jesse’s journals but I didn’t have time to go home,” Maria said.
“Alex! Come on!” Trece yelled.
Alex hugged Maria.
“I’ll bring the journals by tonight,” Maria said.
“Thank you!” Alex yelled as she ran toward the parking lot.
“Talk to your friend!” Maria yelled back.
Turning back, Alex saw Jesse standing next to Maria. She waved to them then ran to the parking lot. Trece stepped into the helicopter then turned to help Alex.
Next stop, home.
>
Alex’s stomach turned over. She prepared for the worst.
F
CHAPTER Forty
Tuesday afternoon
April 1 – 4:25 P.M. MDT
Carriage House, Denver, CO
“For fuck’s sake,” James said.
They were playing cards in the sitting area of the carriage house. Sitting on the couch with his feet on the coffee table, John held up his winning cards. Raz and James sat in armchairs at either end of the couch. James kicked John’s feet off the coffee table.
“They’ve moved through the house.” Vince sat at the small dining room table watching the satellite and heat sensor on a laptop.
“Raz, what did you get?” White Boy said.
White Boy was standing to one side of the door. Cian stood to the other side. Cian held a wooden hurling stick in his hands.
“Nothing I’d like to share,” Raz replied.
“What is that thing?” White Boy asked Cian.
“This my friend is a Camán. In the language of our oppressors, it’s called a Hurley. Made from ash, it’s used in the fine game of Lomáint.”
“Hurling.” James said.
“Surely, you’ve played hurling.” Cian rotated the stick in his hands.
Helene and Larry laughed upstairs.
“You better be watching the yard, G.I. Joe,” Matthew yelled at Larry from his position at the back door. They heard shuffling upstairs.
“I know what hurling is,” White Boy said. “It’s when you vomit. Vomiting is hurling.”
Cian’s face went red. He opened his mouth to speak.
“Leave it,” John said in Ulster Gaelic.
Shaking his head, Cian muttered something about the ignorance of Americans.
“John plays poker with Alex and Max.” Raz shuffled the cards. “Have you played with them?”
“I played with Alex while she was in jail.” James gave an exaggerated sniff. “Twas quite traumatic. I’d rather not speak of it.”
The men laughed.
“I play with Max, Alex and my brother,” Cian said. “Hasn’t helped my game.”
“Here they come!” Larry yelled.
“Two at the front, two moving toward the back.” Vince jumped to the other side of the back door.
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