by Jillian Neal
“Outta play the field before you settle down there, boy. Only way a marriage works is if you go deaf before you walk down the aisle so you don’t have to listen to ‘um harping.”
Rainer offered the required polite chuckle and then shot Logan an SOS glare.
Connor and Logan stepped in. “Hey, Rainer, Em needs your help with something.”
“See, already ordering you around. Run while you still can, boy! Run, run!” Mr. Livingston urged vehemently. His tone echoed out to everyone standing nearby.
Governor Haydenshire approached and handed Henry to Rainer. “Mr. Livingston, it’s so nice of you to join us.” The Governor effectively saved Rainer.
Henry was busily consuming a butter cookie with his right hand. He had two others in his left hand for later snacking.
“Well, Lillian, I was hoping we’d get to see little Miss Abigail. I brought something for her,” Marian Vindico urged.
Rainer noted Vindico rolling his eyes. He kept his jaw clenched tightly. His gaze continually travelled to Fionna and Garrett talking in the corner.
“Oh, well, the baby is inside with my mom, Marian. She’s asleep, but it was so sweet of you to bring a gift. You didn’t have to do that.” Mrs. Haydenshire looked rather weary of being asked if Abigail would be making a debut at the shower.
“Perhaps I could just sneak in for a peak.”
Vindico stepped in to rescue Mrs. Haydenshire. “Mom, the baby is inside for a good reason. It’s to keep her safe. You don’t need the Haydenshires to risk Abigail’s safety so that you can tell your Bridge club that you saw her.”
Mrs. Haydenshire looked panicked as she glanced between Mrs. Vindico and her son.
“Why are you not with Fionna, Daniel? Are you two fighting?” Mrs. Vindico quipped.
Rainer’s ears perked up. He’d been wondering the very same thing for the last two weeks.
“No, mother, we’re not. You know perfectly well why we aren’t together. Could you please keep your voice down? If you run your trap that we’re together to the hundreds of people here, then there’s really no point in our making ourselves miserable by being apart, now is there?”
“Emily,” Mrs. Haydenshire called clearly looking for an out. “Why don’t you and Rainer open your gifts, honey?”
Emily and Fionna had been talking with Chloe and Garrett.
“Oh, uh, okay.” She and Rainer were whisked into white folding chairs in the center of the tents while everyone situated chairs around them.
Rainer hated this portion of all of the showers he’d attended over the last few weeks. He never felt like he expressed his appreciation appropriately, and some of the gifts they’d received were rather odd.
Keeping an eye on Vindico, Rainer felt a sense of relief wash over him as Fionna discreetly moved until she was standing right beside him.
He smiled at her adoringly and moved until the backs of their hands were touching.
Garrett remained by her side, keeping up appearances that they were together, but Fionna’s weary eyes sought Vindico.
The first gift Emily opened was a place setting of the dishware that she’d selected and registered.
She’d shown Rainer picture after picture of different dishes trying to get his opinion. He’d finally admitted that he didn’t really care what the dish looked like as long as it had food on it, so she’d finished their registry herself.
“This is from the Carringtons,” Lucy supplied as she handed Emily a package from the former Crown Governor and Serena.
Rainer followed Emily’s insistence that he open it and pulled the paper off of the box. He offered the Carringtons an appreciative smile as he pulled a long, silver, cylindrical tube out of the box.
Emily smiled. “Uh, thank you,” she offered quizzically. Rainer tried to determine what they’d been given before he offered his thanks as well.
Governor Carrington chuckled, “It’s a time capsule, you two. Serena and I took the liberty of placing one of your wedding invitations in there, and we were hoping that you would add a few things to it. Perhaps you could bury it wherever you two decide to set down roots that will be all your own.”
Rainer was deeply touched that Governor Carrington understood that he was looking forward to having somewhere that was really his own, just he and Emily.
“Thank you, Governor,” Rainer urged sincerely, “that really means a lot.” He stood to shake Governor Carrington’s hand, but as he moved towards him, Rainer’s cell gave its shrill ring.
His eyes goggled as he listened to Vindico’s, Logan’s, and Garrett’s phones make the same noise. The deafening sound echoed around him as every Iodex officer’s phone began blaring.
Fionna and Adeline shared a terrified glance as Logan and Vindico answered simultaneously.
~Dan Vindico~
“This is Vindico,” Dan demanded of the phone.
“Dan, it’s Cahill,” the Gifted police officer that was running the switchboards confirmed. “Wretchkinsides somehow managed to get several of his guys back in the country. Fitzroy just called. Nic just bought dozens of AK’s and Mac 10’s. They’re headed to D.C. Pravus is with the dealer, and we got him on an interstate cam on 64. I can’t think where he might be heading if it’s not to the Haydenshire’s, Dan. Everyone knows the big shindig is there today.”
Feeling his heart seize and his blood run cold, Dan was momentarily unable to speak. This is quite an undertaking, dear. Wretchkinsides’ malignant voice echoed in his memories. But realization finally jolted through his entire being. He was going to end them. This was his chance. No more lies. No more hiding. He’d tell the world tonight that Fionna was his and that she was carrying his child.
“He’s not coming here. He’s not getting that far,” Dan spat furiously when he regained the ability to speak.
Every Iodex officer that heard the conversation on their phones wore the same stunned, terror-filled expression. Governor Haydenshire had casted Logan’s phone and pulled the signal into his own. He’d heard everything Cahill had to say.
“Let us know what you want us to do,” Cahill urged.
“Will do.” Dan hung up the phone. His heartbeat rang in his ears. With a deep breath, he set to work. “So sorry folks, but the party is unfortunately over. Please move quickly to your cars and head home.”
“Stephen, what’s going on?” Mrs. Haydenshire demanded.
“Governor Haydenshire, I need you to get Abigail and the twins and go with them to Will’s. Stay there until you hear from me.”
“We’ll get her.” Lucy and Patrick raced towards the farmhouse.
“Please, sir, take Fionna and Emily with you and Adeline as well. Keep them there,” Dan heard his own voice fracture.
Governor Haydenshire nodded his understanding. “Lillian, go pack bags for the boys and get enough bottles for Abigail for several days,” the Governor ordered.
Mrs. Haydenshire followed Lucy and Patrick into the house.
“What are we gonna do?” Logan stepped in.
“We’re gonna end Wretchkinsides, once and for all. I’m done. This is it,” Dan vowed.
Determination rose like bile in the pit of his throat. Today was the day. It was all going to end. He was going to end the hatred, end the violence, end the threats. He was going to have a life with Fionna, a real life. He wasn’t walking away this time until Dominic Wretchkinsides was dead.
He pulled Fionna into him forcefully. “I love you so much, baby. And this is it. I’m done, Fi. I’m not playing his games anymore. By tonight, I’m going to tell the world that you’re mine.” He discreetly rubbed his right hand over her midsection, “I love you.”
“Dan, stop, you’re scaring me.” Fionna trembled. She stared down at his hand on her slightly swollen waistline.
“It’s okay, baby doll. I promise you. I will take care of everything.” He kissed her passionately, no longer caring who saw him and gave another loving caress of his child’s current residence. “I’ll come to Will’s and get yo
u when it’s all over.”
“Daniel, just what are you planning, son?” Governor Vindico demanded.
“This is my show, Dad. Just stay the hell out of my way.”
“Okay, each partnered team should have a vehicle. Everyone meet me at the Senate building,” he ordered the Elite teams. “You two, come with me. We’re making a quick stop first.”
He’d come up with this plan as he’d paced the halls of his house the night before. This had to work. It was their only chance.
Move the Mountain
~Rainer Lawson~
“What is he doing?” Logan mouthed as Vindico steered the Hummer into the O’Ryan’s circular driveway.
Rainer shrugged. He had no idea.
“Let’s go,” Vindico demanded furiously.
Rainer and Logan slid out of the Hummer and sprinted behind Vindico as he raced up the brick front stairs and busted the front door open violently.
Ignoring the stunned disbelief on the members of Mitchell’s family’s faces, Vindico marched inside. He had cuffs on Marlisa and her casted and drained in a matter of moments.
“You’re under arrest.” Vindico dragged her out the front door and threw her in the back of the Hummer. “Keep a pistol on her,” he demanded of Rainer.
Pulling his gun, Rainer stared bewildered at Logan who shrugged his shock.
Several minutes later, Vindico jerked the Hummer into park. He hoisted Marlisa out of the back seat.
“You can’t do this. I didn’t do anything wrong!” She’d regained enough energy to be belligerent.
“Shut up,” Vindico growled. All of Elite Iodex watched in stunned disbelief as Vindico threw her into one of the holding cells in the Senate. He spun and raced back to his office.
Dogged determination cast Garrett’s face. “All right, listen up,” he called to the team in Vindico’s absence. “Dan is not going to lure Wretchkinsides in and then get himself killed. We’re going with him, right beside him, and we’re ending this with him. This is it, gentlemen. This is what we’ve been working for all this time. So let’s get this done for all the people that he’s tortured and killed. Let’s do this for my brother, for Amelia, for Samantha Peterson, for Governor Lawson, and please, let’s do this for Dan. He deserves to be able to bury the dead and go on with his life.”
His speech visibly moved the entire team. They stood ready to fight beside their leader, to fight for good, to end evil, and to take the opportunity to make their world a safer place.
“I’m so proud of you Rainer. Always keep Emily safe,” Rainer heard the words of his dad echo in his mind as he stood in the hallowed halls that his father had established.
Vindico returned with the most recently cloned phones from the Interfeci. Two Non-Elite officers had cloned Pendergrath’s phone Friday at the Tantra.
He photographed Marlisa in the cell and then texted it to every contact in the list.
“You want her back you come and get her -V.” was the message.
As they awaited a reply, Vindico turned to the waiting teams. “This is Pravus, for those of you who might not know.” He held up a mugshot photograph of Pravus for everyone to see.
“As you heard, he is currently traveling with a great deal of weaponry. So keep your guard up constantly, gentlemen. Wherever this show goes down, we are shooting to kill until you get to Wretchkinsides. He’s all mine,” Vindico sneered hatefully.
Rainer’s stomach knotted. He wasn’t going to let Vindico end his own life just to be the one that took out Wretchkinsides.
Marlisa would mouth off occasionally, but the enhanced cell kept her energies depleted.
Time ticked by slowly. Rainer tried not to look at Marlisa. He tried to forget that she was being used as bait in an extremely dangerous game.
Suddenly the phone made a foreboding chirp, and everyone moved in to see.
A horrific gasp evulsed from Vindico as, “Oh, my God” fell from his lips in utter shock.
“What?” Rainer turned to see the screen. Mouth gaping, he took in the picture that was Wretchkinsides’ response.
Bridgette was bound and gagged in front of a brick wall writhing back and forth; she looked terrified.
“If you want her back come get her, and bring Marlisa, or she'll suffer the same fate as dear Amelia. You have fifteen minutes before the games begin,” followed the gut-wrenching picture.
“How did he find out she was spying for us?” Garrett demanded. Vindico shook his head, but couldn’t seem to formulate words as he studied the picture intently.
Suddenly breath hissed between Vindico’s teeth. “I know where he is! That’s the basement of the Tantra!”
“We taking her?” Garrett threw his arm out to Marlisa.
“No.” Vindico shook his head. “Listen up! They have an innocent woman hostage. Make certain you don’t hit her if you fire. Take them down with energy, cuff them, fire if you’re fired upon, but be absolutely certain you know who you’re hitting.”
Everyone strapped on bulletproof vests, energy synced jackets, and loaded ammo into the cars.
“Let’s go,” Vindico demanded as the SUV’s flew from the parking decks headed to the Tantra Gentlemen’s Club in a flood of blue lights.
~Governor Stephen Haydenshire~
“Hey, Fi, are you okay?” Will offered Fionna a cup of tea that Brooke had prepared for her. She’d been crying since they’d all arrived at Will’s home a few minutes before.
Emily had stuck by her closely, trying to calm her frantic energy streams, but she seemed too distraught.
“Fionna, sweetheart, Dan is an outstanding officer. He’ll be all right,” Stephen soothed.
Fionna nodded but continued to cry.
“Hey, Em, could you go help Brooke with something in the kitchen, please,” Will commanded his little sister.
“Oh, uh, okay” Emily stammered confusedly.
Mrs. Haydenshire moved to sit beside Fionna, clearly hoping that she could mother her into feeling better. “Bless your heart. You’ve just been through enough with all of this, and having to pretend to date Garrett, and not be seen with Daniel. That can’t have been easy.” She offered Fionna a place to begin hoping to get her to talk.
Fionna did lay her head on Lillian’s shoulder, allowing herself to be embraced tenderly.
“Here, sweetheart,” Stephen handed her a handkerchief.
Will seemed to be debating something when Emily’s cell phone rang.
“Oh my gosh!” she gasped after a few minutes of silence. “Okay, Rainer, please be careful!” her voice choked. “I love you too,” she fussed as tears welled in her eyes.
“Vat did he say?” Brooke hugged Emily to her.
“Wretchkinsides took Bridgette hostage, and Iodex is going to try and get her back from the Tantra, but Vindico thinks all of Interfeci is there waiting there on them.”
“Oh, my gosh.” Fionna sounded horrified. Stephen had no idea how to reassure everyone at once.
Something made Will decide to act. “Hey, Fionna, I hope you don’t mind, but Garrett told me what’s going on. He needed my help. I really think you better tell them.” He gestured to his parents.
Emily and Adeline moved back into the living room. Fionna looked woefully lost for a long drawn minute.
“Do you want me to tell them?” Will offered kindly.
Fionna shook her head as she gazed into Lillian’s eyes. “What’s wrong sweetheart? What’s going on? Let us try to help.”
Fionna’s face fell into her hands. “I’m pregnant,” she managed to get out between gasping sobs.
Stephen’s heart seized momentarily as he shared a terrified glance with his wife.
“Okay, it’s okay. Does Dan know?” Lillian kept her tone calm and pacifying.
“I think he suspects,” she admitted in another choked plea.
“I’m sure he does.” Stephen recalled the telltale signs that Lillian had tried to hide when she was pregnant with Will but hadn’t worked up the courage to tell him
yet.
“I have to tell him. He can’t just go in there and get himself killed.” Fionna stood in fitful determination.
“Fi, wait, I’ll go with you,” Emily declared.
“Me too,” Adeline agreed as the girls all grabbed their things.
“Excuse me, but none of you are going anywhere,” Stephen commanded.
“I’m sorry Governor Haydenshire, but I’m not your little girl. You can’t stop me,” Fionna informed him defiantly.
“If I can’t stop you then I’m going with you. Will, stay here with your mother and the kids,” he ordered his oldest son.
“You sure you don’t need me to come?”
“No, but she’s right. Dan needs to know. A man that’s a father makes entirely different decisions than a man that isn’t.”
~Dan Vindico~
“I want every available Gifted officer. Our priority is to remove Bridgette Meyers safely from the basement, then I want every man there processed and either in Coriolis or in the ground by nightfall!” Vindico ordered Cahill over the phone as he drove with the sirens blaring and lights flashing down the interstate headed towards the airport.
Hanging up, Dan threw his cell onto the console and concentrated on the task at hand. Garrett was seated in the passenger seat beside him. His jaw worked rhythmically in an effort not to reveal Fionna’s secret.
Dan was painfully aware that he knew, that Fionna had called him, that Garrett was who she’d turned to when she was terrified. The bitter regret ate him alive.
“I’m giving her the ring as soon as he draws his last breath.”
Turning to him, he and Garrett had a silent conversation. Dan used his eyes to plead with Garrett to tell him that he knew.
“Good,” Garrett nodded. “She needs that.”
“I know.” He slammed the Expedition into park on the gravel lot of the Tantra Gentlemen’s Club. Police cars and jet black Expeditions pulled in all around him. As his boots crunched in the gravel, determination burned hot in his gut.
“I need eyes on the top level. Make absolutely certain that all of the dancers and waitstaff are out of the club, along with any patrons stupid enough to show up here today,” Dan demanded.