“I sure hope you guys are as good as Harry says you are,” Dennis said as he reached for a crisp strip of bacon and crunched down on it after putting it in his mouth. “Forty-eight guys is a serious obstacle to overcome. I can pitch in if you need me. I only have a brown belt, but I can hold my own.” He shrugged when no one commented on his offer.
“There is a question of vehicles,” Maggie said. “Ted, Espinosa, Dennis, and I will be in the van. Where do we park it?”
“In the back. It won’t be visible from the front driveway, but I do expect the security team will do a walkabout,” Fergus replied.
“Annie’s car and Jack’s BMW will be in front. Jack is the one who will open the door for the Karas brothers on their arrival. He’s going to pose as Annie’s secretary, so his car being in the front won’t cause alarm. I’m sure they have a way to run the plates but will find nothing out of the ordinary. The first thing they will do will be to set up a perimeter. We need to figure out which way they’re going to do that,” Charles said.
“So we’re all going to be inside at the outset, is that right?” Abner asked.
“Correct,” Charles responded.
“What’s the plan if the brothers want to bring some of the security inside?” Allison asked.
“A flat-out no. With a clarifying statement they are free to leave if they make it an issue,” Charles said. “I think since this is a more or less one-on-one, the brothers will agree. If I’m wrong, we’ll improvise and suggest a picnic on the veranda. Although I doubt that the Karas brothers even know what a picnic is.”
“When we left here yesterday, I took the boys over to Annie’s farm to show them the layout,” Harry said. “We did a few practice exercises all over the grounds before we went to the dojo and worked out. When we get out there, we’ll show you what we call our plan.”
Cyrus moved, nudged Jack’s leg. The food was all gone. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Avery Snowden pushed back his chair. “And I’m going to be where? I understand I’m here strictly for mop-up work, but where do you want me stationed? Where do we park our SUV?”
Fergus held up his hand. “I think it’s a mistake to try to hide all of our vehicles. Annie’s farm is a working farm. Supposedly. What that means is there would be all kinds of cars, trucks, vans, farm equipment scattered about. Don’t you all think it will keep that little army busy trying to keep track of everything if we leave it all out to be seen?”
“Good point,” Ky said. “I vote for everything out in the open.”
There was some muttering among the gang, but in the end, everyone agreed with Fergus’s suggestion.
Cyrus raced to the door.
* * *
Annie’s farm was two miles down the road, as the crow flies, from Pinewood. The caravan arrived in short order. Snowden got out, walked around, then strategically pointed to various spots for everyone to park their vehicles.
“Looks like there’s a party going on. We should have bought some balloons,” Ted said, laughing out loud. “I don’t think we’re going to pose a problem to the brothers. Meaning, Joe, Maggie, Dennis, and me. Annie does own the Post, after all, and she would want pictures for tomorrow’s edition along with a write-up. The brothers are used to being celebrities in their own right. It’s that little army that will be the problem.”
Annie’s courtyard was three times as big as the one at Pinewood, so there was no problem doing a mock drill.
“Eight suburbans parked here might be a problem,” Jack said as he shaded his eyes from the sun. “Let’s route them back toward the barn. Avery, the first chance your people get, disable those SUVs.” Avery nodded his agreement.
Charles and Fergus arrived just as the group scattered.
The time was eleven-thirty.
Inside, the gang milled around as they checked out all the first-floor rooms, vantage points, window views, and the time as measured in seconds that it would take to get from one vantage point to the next.
The time was twelve noon when the gang assembled in Annie’s kitchen.
“An hour to go. I suppose the Karas brothers might be fashionably late, but I doubt it since the messenger who delivered the invitation was firm on his wait time. If anything, I think they will be about ten minutes early. Their army will use those ten minutes for surveillance; then they’ll troop on up to the veranda,” Jack said.
“Espinosa, Ted, Dennis, and I will be in the sunroom,” Maggie said.
“Fergus and I will be in the kitchen,” Charles said.
“I’m not sure why I’m even here, but I’ll be upstairs in the first room on the left,” Abner said.
“You’re here to show them we have all of Mezaluma’s money. And to tell them their free ride is over,” Charles said. “And, of course, to show them your picture gallery.”
“The Triad, Harry, and Allison will be in the library, where they will be waiting for Jack once he opens the door, impersonating Annie’s secretary,” Charles said.
“You still want me and my people in the greenhouse? We will be visible, bear that in mind,” Snowden said.
“I wonder if . . . I wonder if the brothers will send out an advance guard, so to speak. Say four of the SUVs, which would mean twenty-four guards,” Snowden mused half to himself and half to the others. “We need to take that into consideration. They might even want to check the inside of the house. That is a real possibility, now that I think of it.”
“That’s not going to happen. The part about their coming into the house,” Jack said. Cyrus threw back his head and howled, which meant he was in total agreement.
Allison Bannon threw her hands high in the air, a disgusted expression on her face. “I just remembered something I read about the brothers. Damn it, I can’t remember if it’s that they are allergic to dogs and cats or they’re afraid of them. When I read it, I must have glossed over it, thinking it wasn’t relevant to the case. But yeah, it’s one or the other.”
Jack burst out laughing. “Ferg, how many barn cats you got out there in yonder barn?” he drawled.
“I know the answer. Nine!” Allison shouted.
“Snowden, go scoop them all up and bring them in here. That should liven things up a bit,” Jack said, still laughing.
The time was 12:40 when Snowden and his people set down all nine hissing, snarling cats that didn’t seem to know what to do.
“They’ll figure it out,” Charles said. “Okay, everyone, go to your stations and stay sharp.”
That left Charles, Fergus, Jack, and Cyrus, along with the nine squalling cats that still didn’t know what to do. Cyrus barked incessantly as he tried to shoo them off in different directions. When the cats stayed clustered, he gave one of them a gentle swat with one of his big paws. That did the trick, and the cats hightailed it in different directions.
The time was 12:50 when they heard the sound of the first vehicle approaching the house. The sound increased as seven more SUVs followed suit. “Sounds like a supersonic jet,” Jack said, and grinned. “How do I look?”
“Like a slob,” Fergus replied, laughing. “Annie would never let you work for her dressed in cutoff shorts, sandals, and a T-shirt that . . . well, it’s better left unsaid. Our guests will get the tone of the message.”
Cyrus was quivering from head to toe in excitement. The cats were back circling the kitchen at a dazzling speed.
The moment the doorbell rang, Jack smoothed down his hair and walked out of the kitchen, Cyrus at his side. He opened the door with a wide flourish, a questioning expression on his face as he stared at two men who towered over him. “I’m the countess’s personal secretary. Today is my day off, but I agreed to stay on to help with her luncheon. And you are?”
“The Messrs. Karas’s security team. We’d like to inspect the premises before they enter. It’s standard protocol for our employer.”
“Well, now, you see, that’s not possible. No one crosses this threshold unless they are invited. That’s one of the counte
ss’s pet rules. You can fetch your employers, but you may not come in. It’s just the way it is. Kind of take it or leave it, if you get my drift,” Jack, in the guise of the put-upon secretary, said breezily.
“The dog has to go.”
“Where?” Jack pretended not to understand just as two of the barn cats streaked across the foyer. It was all he could do to stifle his laughter. “Sorry again, the dog stays.”
“Cats! There are cats here, too!” both security men said in unison.
“Yep. Nine in total. The countess loves them; they all have royal names, too. So, what’s it going to be? We going to stand here in the doorway talking about animals or is your boss, as in plural, coming for lunch? Like I said, this is my day off, and I’ve already wasted half of it on this pissant luncheon.”
Both security men backed off. “We will, as you suggest, speak with our boss to see what they, as in plural, want to do.”
“Looks like an army out there,” Jack said, craning his neck to see where the SUVs were positioned. “You’d better snap to it, guys, the countess is hell on wheels when it comes to punctuality. It’s five minutes past the hour now. You have maybe seven minutes, or else you can head on out.”
The two guards raced to the cluster of SUVs and yanked open the door of the car containing the Karas brothers. “You have seven minutes to decide to go in or not. No security is permitted inside. And . . . there are cats and one massive dog inside. What do you want to do?”
“I knew this was a mistake,” Ryland said as he climbed out, shook his jacket into place, and strode forward. Roland followed. “Since we’re here already, we might as well suffer through what is sure to be a beastly luncheon. Stay close.”
“They say the countess is eccentric,” Roland said.
“We follow orders,” Ryland snapped.
The door opened before Ryland could ring the bell. Jack stretched his neck to see if anyone had followed the two brothers. He swallowed hard as he saw the solid flank of men surrounding the eight SUVs.
“James Emerson, the countess’s private secretary,” Jack said, extending his hand. He noted the brothers’s buffed and polished nails. “The countess is running a tad behind today. She asked me to escort you to the solarium. She said you are both avid connoisseurs of fine art. You can view her art gallery, which I must say is quite impressive. She has several original Monets and two original Rembrandts.”
Mystified at this strange behavior, the brothers had no other choice but to follow Jack, who was apologizing profusely, babbling actually, about his day off and his casual dress. “The countess should be done polishing her tiara by now. I will advise her that you’re waiting for her. Enjoy your luncheon, sirs.” He couldn’t help but notice the two men sniffing for cooking aromas, which were, of course, nonexistent.
Jack suddenly moved sideways to avoid stepping on one of the cruising barn cats. Cyrus barked. The cat hissed and snarled.
“Good God, is that a cat?”
“I believe it is. Ah, yes, that’s Smokey Joe. He’s the countess’s favorite. Ah, here comes Yogi Bear, and the third one is Fred. They’re the ordinary cats. I have no idea where the royal ones are. Enjoy the artwork, sirs.”
Not to be outdone, and just for fun, Cyrus ambled over to the brothers, who appeared to be clutching at one another, and showed them his pearly whites. Then he growled, after which he let loose with a mighty howl that scared the three cats so badly, they ran for cover.
“You just had to do that, didn’t you. Show-off.” Jack laughed as he headed for the library to meet up with the Triad and the others.
“Ah, just in time,” Harry said. “We were just about to get dressed.”
“Dressed for what?” Jack asked.
Harry tossed him a lump of some black material. “What is it?”
“Your ninja outfit!” Allison snapped. “It’s for shock and awe, and one size fits all.”
“Whatever,” Jack said as he donned his new black garb. Cyrus prowled and growled at these strange goings-on. Jack’s assessment when everyone was fully dressed was, “If I look half as scary as the rest of you, this should be a win-win for us.” He looked down at Cyrus. “Remember what I told you the other day—it’s all about the eyes. See, all that is visible on the six of us is our eyes.” Cyrus stopped growling as he watched Ky hand out seven metal pointed stars and small cylinders.
Even though Jack knew what he was stuffing in his pockets, Ky said, “I hope your pitching arm is good. Use all your upper-body strength when you throw it. Aim for the upper arm, and it will paralyze it. The minute we hit the courtyard, set off your smoke bomb. Then drop to the ground so you are Cyrus’s height. He has the advantage. The smoke will be waist high, giving us the edge. We go for the legs, and we have to move fast. The smoke will last about four to five minutes, then we set off a second round. The minute we step outside, we have maybe thirty to forty seconds of shocked surprise. That’s enough time for them to pull their guns. We need to throw the stars in the first five seconds. Don’t worry about Cyrus. To them, he’s just a dog. They have no idea what a warrior he is, but they will find out soon enough. Any questions?”
No one had any questions.
“Let’s do it!” Harry said.
Ky took the lead, followed by Ling and Momo. Then Harry, Jack, and Cyrus. And last was Allison, who was speaking softly to Jack.
“Jack, if anything happens to me, get in touch with Lizzie and . . .”
Jack reached out and gave her arm a hard tug. “If you’re going into this with a negative mind-set, then you need to stay behind. Decide right now!”
“I’m good, Jack,” Allison whispered.
Ky opened the door and all six ninjas stepped onto the porch.
It all happened just the way Ky said it would. The only thing he left out was the shrill Chinese shrieks of warriors going into battle and Cyrus’s bloodcurdling barking. He also left out the cursing that resonated in the air from the Karas brothers’ private army.
“Game on,” Harry said as he threw out the first star with deadly accuracy. The others followed suit, the sun bathing the stars in liquid silver. The smoke bombs went off in tandem as the ninjas leaped from the porch, then dropped low to the ground, Cyrus leading the way.
The ninjas rolled and tucked, leaped in midair, legs spread, taking out two of the security team at once. Guns came into play, shots were fired randomly, the shooters hoping to hit unseen targets.
The second wave of smoke bombs went off. Grunts and curses, along with Cyrus’s insane barking, rivaled the noise level of a rock concert in full swing.
Suddenly, automatic fire erupted. Cyrus raced off. Jack heard a loud thump, a crazy squeal of pain, another thump, then a triumphant bark, just as he heard Allison cry out. On his hands and knees, Jack crawled to the sound just as Cyrus appeared out of the fog. “I’m hit, Jack,” Allison gasped as she struggled to breathe.
“Man down!” Jack roared. “Snowden!” he roared again so loud he thought he had burst his own eardrums. “Easy, stay with me, kiddo,” Jack said as he tried to assess the damage to Allison Bannon. She was gut shot and was bleeding out. “No!” he roared a third time.
“Lizzie . . .”
“Shut up! I promised you nothing would happen. Just shut up. Do you hear me? Stay with me—we’re going to fix this.” Jack moaned as Avery Snowden pushed him out of the way. Harry yanked him to his feet. He tottered, but Harry held tight.
The Triad appeared out of the smoke, which was almost gone. They all watched as Avery and his people scooped up Allison and raced for the closest vehicle.
“Goddamn it to hell!” Jack cried.
There didn’t seem to be anything to say to that comment, so the group remained silent.
“There’s work still to be done; then we have to depart these premises,” Ling said. Jack shook his head to clear his thoughts, knowing the mission wasn’t over yet. There would be time enough later to deal with his guilt.
“I’m good,” Jack said.
It took barely twenty minutes to gather all the evidence, stockpile the guns in one massive pile, and drag the bound private army to where the dismantled SUVs were parked.
To a man, they each looked around, satisfied that they had policed the area to perfection. “They’ll talk to the authorities to save their own skin, but none of them saw our faces,” Ling pointed out.
Harry looked at Jack for instructions. “I told you, I’m okay. Time to head inside to take care of the Karas brothers.” On the veranda, Jack didn’t bother to open the door, he just kicked it open. Everyone came running from all directions, even the Karas brothers.
Seeing the black-clad ninjas, the brothers tried to shrink against the wall, cowering together like five-year-olds in the dark.
“Your army is all tied up in a pile out there,” Jack said. “There’s no way out for you two. We need some information from you, and we need it now. We are going to ask you once and once only.”
Jack looked around at his team. “Everyone out, head to Pinewood. Harry and I will take care of this. I know you want out of here, Ky, so go. We’ll meet you back there once we take care of business. Oh, yeah, someone needs to take the cats back to the barn before they go crazy. Dennis, Ted, Espinosa, get on it.”
Maggie lagged behind. “Where . . . what . . . ?” Tears filled her eyes.
“Go!” Jack barked as he patted her back. “Just go, Maggie,” he said gently.
Jack ripped at his headgear, as did Harry. They tossed them to the floor and advanced on the Karas brothers, with Cyrus following close behind them.
Truth or Dare Page 23