“Okay, is he like a bouncer or something?”
“Um…not really,” Isa said slowly. “He’s more of a…what’s the word…”
“Bodyguard,” Claire filled in with a smile.
“A very good, highly trained bodyguard,” I added, hoping to soften the blow.
“Who does he guard?”
“Um…people,” Isa answered.
“Is that why you were gone for a year? He was playing bodyguard for some celebrity or something?”
I blew out a breath. This sucked and there was no way to make this easier. And it was clear that Isa just didn’t know what to say. “Look,” I cut in, “These guys are all highly trained ex-military. They work together to protect people and…sometimes remove bad people from situations.”
Aurora’s head swiveled to Isa’s. “He’s an assassin?” she shrieked.
“No,” Isa said emphatically. “He’s a good guy. I promise.”
“So, what was going on the year that you were gone?”
“Well, that’s a long story. Short version? Morgan had been kidnapped by a very evil man. Chance was taken also, by another very evil man. Gabe, Ice, and Hunter almost died, and for a while we thought they were dead. But then they came back from the dead, and then we were in hiding until about a year later. Then the guys finally figured out who was behind everything, and they went and killed them. So…that’s pretty much what was going on.”
“And you’re just telling me now?”
“Look, I’m sorry, but what did you want me to say?”
“I don’t know, but all those nights we talked on the phone, you never once hinted that you were on the run, escaping from…”
“Human traffickers,” I cut in. “That’s what they were.”
Aurora’s eyes went wide. “Human traffickers? That I would have remembered.”
“Okay, well, let’s forget about all that and go back to examining the dress,” I said cheerily. “It’s a wedding after all. What could possibly go wrong?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Cap
“Everyone in position?” I asked.
There was an affirmative round and then silence.
“Stay the fuck hidden,” I said over coms. “We don’t need to give him any targets.”
“Sure thing, asshole,” Cazzo said congenially. “I get Adams. No one else better touch him.”
“Who says you get Adams?” Sinner asked. “I was tortured because of that fucker. I need retribution.”
“Hey, I’m the one that’s been on the run for the past seven years. I think I get the first crack at him,” Coop chimed in.
“All of you shut the fuck up and concentrate,” I snapped. Sometimes these guys bickered more than women. “Alright, everyone in position,” I called out from what I considered to be home base. I was sitting on the back patio, appearing to just enjoy the night air. There was an open hearth fire on the patio that was becoming a major pain in the ass as I tried to keep an eye out for my surroundings. Even with the teams scattered around the property, I felt an itch tingling down my spine telling me that I had to watch for anyone that happened to sneak through our lines. Did I think it was possible? Not at all. But years in the military had trained me to always watch my back, and not even being out for ten plus years could change that.
“We have movement coming up the road,” Becky said over coms. “Looks like they’re stopping two miles out. You want to send a team out, boss?”
“Not yet. Let’s hold and see how they position themselves.”
I took another sip of my coffee and stared out into the night. I hated not having my laptop out here so I could look at the cameras, but I was here to guard the lodge. Knight and Lola sat at different angles on the patio so we had eyes on every direction. Knight was sitting quietly, but his body was ready to pounce. Lola appeared to be flipping through a magazine, though I knew she wasn’t really paying attention. Mostly because it was People magazine.
“Huh,” she said, still pretending to stare at the magazine. “There’s a rumor that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are getting back together.”
“Who the fuck is that?” Knight asked.
“Actors.”
He huffed. “Who gives a shit?”
She flipped through some more pages and Knight continued to stare out past my shoulder. I watched over his.
“Bossman, we’ve got a wildcard making his way through the woods. Looks to be a scout. He’s coming on the west side of the property.”
“Derek, grab him and bring him in.”
“On it, Cap.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Maggie
“What the fuck is going on here?” Sean asked as we pulled off to the side of the road.
“I told you what was going on,” I said, jumping out of the car and hurrying through the trees. Sadly, I was panting after just fifty feet. Pregnancy did not agree with me. But I kept pushing, dialing Sebastian’s number as I ran.
“Freckles, now isn’t a good time.”
“Would that be because you’re in a war with Victor Adams?”
“Shit, Freckles, stay away.”
“Too late, asshole. You should have included me.”
I shut off my phone and ran forward as fast as I could. Sean was right next to me, though I had a feeling that he was slowing his pace to keep up with me. I glanced behind me, seeing the rest of the ladies right on my tail. We came to a halt when we caught sight of movement up ahead. Much to my amusement, Sinner came strolling through the woods as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He was covered in face paint and his rifle hung lazily in his hand, although, I knew that he was aware of everything around him.
“Freckles, nice of you to join us.”
“I thought I was going to miss the party.”
“Nah, we’re just getting started.”
“How did you know we were here?”
“Well, aside from Sean, you all run like a herd of buffalo. And I’m not fucking talking about your weight, so all the pregnant ladies, please stand down.”
Cara ran past me and practically jumped onto Sinner, kissing him hard. “You look fucking sexy.”
“So do you, Lollipop. Did you come armed?”
“Of course,” she said with a grin before he set her down.
“Good. Sean, how did they talk you into coming?”
“They didn’t. I went to pay my sister a visit and they were all sneaking out.”
“So, what can we do?” I asked excitedly. “Any grenades left?”
“Cap wants you to sit this one out.”
I stared him down, my eyes boring into his. He shifted uncomfortably. “Freckles, don’t do this. Cap will kick my ass if you get involved.”
I mustered up the best tears I could and sniffled. “Sinner, you just don’t get it. He knocked me up. Again. I’m having triplets. I’ll never get another opportunity like this. For the next three years, these kids will be my whole life. There’ll be no more investigating and no more grenades. You know how Sebastian is. I’ll be lucky to get on the gun range.”
I let the tears slip down my cheeks and saw him starting to come around. The pained look on his face told me that I had won this round. “Freckles…” He let out a big sigh and waved us over. “Fine, but you stay by the lodge and you don’t touch a thing.”
“Yes!” I said, jumping up and down excitedly.
“Sean, do me a favor and keep an eye on her.”
He snorted and followed Sinner back the way he had come.
“So, what’s this all about anyway?” Sean asked.
“Basically, Vanessa’s dad is back and wants to kill us all.”
“I thought you had blackmail on him?” I asked.
“Seems the man has nothing to lose anymore. He went after Derek and Hunter at Thanksgiving. He’s been after Coop for years, and now he’s off his rocker.”
“So, what are we talking here? A few guys or a whole army?”
“Most likely more than a few guy
s. But the guy is seriously short on resources, so who knows what he’s bringing. Did you bring your gun?”
I looked at him like he was an idiot. “When have I ever gone anywhere without a gun?”
“Point taken. Alright, hurry up and get over to the patio by the lodge. No fucking around.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, saluting him as we all ran quickly over to the patio.
“Is this really a good idea? Being out here in the open?” Sean asked.
“Well, this is where he told us to stand, so it must be the safest spot.”
I wandered around the patio area, looking around for any signs of a threat. I wandered a little farther away to a bunch of trees near the lodge and that’s when I knew I had hit the jackpot. There, sitting in a box on the ground, was my very own RPG. It was like Santa had come to visit early.
“Maggie,” Sean warned. “I can see you.”
“I’m just looking,” I grumbled, walking away from my newfound toy. “Geez, you guys are no fun.”
“Don’t make me go call Sinner.”
I plopped down in the chair and glowered at the roaring fire. What fun was it to come along if I had to sit out?
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Cap
“Maggie’s here. Don’t fucking shoot her.”
“Where is she?” Knight asked.
“No fucking clue. She turned her phone off.”
“I got her, Cap,” Sinner said. “Looks like she brought a whole fucking party with her.”
“Tell them to stay the fuck out of the way.”
“You tell her that,” he retorted.
Twenty minutes later, Derek was dragging the man he captured over to the side of the lodge where it was dark and we wouldn’t be seen.
“Any problems?” I asked Derek.
“Nah, Hunter was with me. I relieved him of his weapons and coms.”
“You work for Adams?” I asked as Derek held a gun to his head. He didn’t even flinch, didn’t sweat or appear scared.
“I don’t know anyone named Adams.”
“So, you were just wandering around the woods in tactical gear and carrying a gun for no good reason.”
He remained silent.
“Look, it’s admirable that you’re keeping your silence, but it’s not gonna do you any good. We’ve been prepared for Adams since he attacked us the last time. It didn’t work then and it’s not working now. So, you can either join us or you can take a bullet right now.”
The man’s jaw clenched in anger, but he gave a stiff nod.
“What’s your name?”
“Mike.”
“Mike. You got a last name?”
“Parker.”
“Well, Parker, if Derek lets you go, don’t try anything. We’ve got men surrounding you, and you will be shot the minute you make a move.”
As if to prove a point, a rifle sight appeared on his chest. I nodded to the mark and he looked down, then back to me.
“I won’t try anything.”
“Good. Now, what can you tell us about what Adams is planning?”
“He’s got men coming in from the west, south, and north side on foot. Three armored vehicles coming up the drive and about five guys coming in by boat on the lake. He’s also got two helicopters coming in.”
“Dropping off?”
“One is dropping off. One’s for cover fire.”
“Weapons?”
Parker snorted. “He’s got shit for weapons. Nothing that will do any good up against what I’m sure you’ve got.”
“And how would you know what we’ve got.”
“If you were prepared, you came prepared for anything necessary. He’s got some M4 Carbines, TrackingPoint rifles, AR-15’s. Pretty standard stuff.”
“Anything else?”
“Grenade launcher. That’s about it.”
“Not well enough.”
“So, what now?” Parker asked.
“Now, you sit your ass down and you wait until we’re done working.”
“And after?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not Knight thinks you should live or not. If he says you can live, you might have a job. If you can pass our tests. If not, you run away and don’t come anywhere near us again.” I turned to Derek. “Strap him down.”
Derek started dragging him over to the patio and I watched as he strapped him down to a chair. And of course, Maggie was there and immediately had to know what was going on. But I couldn’t think about that now. We had to get to work. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“Alright, change of plans, boys. I want Derek, Chance, and Alec’s teams on the east, west, and north sides of the property, covering the woods. Ice, you’ve got the road. Take the M136 grenade launcher and take out those vehicles. Cazzo, grab some C4 wired explosives and take out that goddamned helicopter.”
“We’ve got two, Cap,” Cazzo reminded me. “You want us to take out both?”
“Negative. We have one dropping off and one for cover fire. Draw the fire of the second, and allow the first to land. Coop, your team will be waiting. Take out whoever gets off that fucking helicopter and then get your ass in there and take control. Knight, Lola, and I will be on cover fire.”
“Cap, we’ve got movement,” Becky informed me.
“Alright, let’s move out and get to work.”
I could hear rustling over coms as everyone got into position. I saw Cazzo’s team set up in the distance and Coop’s team move into position near the lake.
“We don’t have anyone covering the lake,” Knight reminded me.
“Goddamnit. Alright, we’ll move down there. What do you want?” I asked Knight.
“Let’s bring ‘em in. They’ll dock and we’ll take ‘em out by hand.”
I shook my head. “You just want to break someone’s neck.”
He grinned at me and headed down for the lake.
“Alec,” Becky came on, “you’ve got incoming.”
“I’ve got eyes on target,” Alec confirmed. “Two o’clock.”
“I’ve got the nooner,” Florrie said from her post.
“Copy that. I’ve got ten,” Craig added.
“Let’s make this nice and easy,” Alec said. “Kill shots only. On my mark. Three, two, one, mark.”
“Targets one and two down,” Alec confirmed.
“Targets three, four, and five down,” Florrie came on.
“Shit. One escaped,” Craig hissed.
“Are you fucking serious?” Alec snapped.
“No, I’m not fucking serious. All targets down.”
“Copy that,” I came in. “All targets down.”
Knight, Lola, and I hid in the trees, just by the beach on the lake, waiting for them to dock.
“Targets down,” Derek confirmed a few minutes later.
“Copy that. Chance?”
“Targets down.”
“Ice?”
“Coming up now. They’re closing in fast, Cap. I think they know they’re fucked.”
A helicopter flew over and started laying down cover fire. Cazzo’s team drew the fire, keeping it focused on the north side of the lake, which worked for the second helicopter that appeared and lowered down.
“Coop, move out!”
Coop, Storm, and Tony all ran for the helicopter, staying as low as possible. With just a few shots, the men were down just outside the helicopter and Coop was moving to the front to take out the pilots and take control of the helicopter.
“Take out that second helicopter, Cazzo.”
“On it, Cap.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Cazzo and Sinner
Cazzo
“Alright, let’s take that helicopter out. Sinner, you’re up.”
Sinner picked up one of the balls of wired C4 and grinned, tossing it once in his hand. “This is going to be so much fun. Burg, call it out for me.”
“Sinner’s been a little rusty over the last few pitches,
” Burg said like a sports announcer. “He’s been pulling right, and I think we can all guess why that is.”
“Would you shut the fuck up and throw it?” I growled.
“Winding up now, asshole.”
He pulled back and threw the C4 just as the helicopter was coming down to lay down fire. As soon as it got close, I pressed the remote detonation. The shockwave was massive and sent us all flying to the ground. Flames shot from the helicopter as it slammed into the lake, taking out the boat that had been waiting below.
“Oops,” Sinner said, sitting up and brushing the dirt from his pants. “I may have made the ball just a little too big.”
“You think?” I snapped.
“Relax, we brought it down and everyone’s fine.”
My earpiece was just barely still in my ear, so I pushed it back in to check in. “Target’s down.”
“No shit,” Cap said. “Becky, how’s everything look?”
“Looks good. I’m not-”
An explosion sounded, blasting through the south end of the lodge. Flames shot up, licking at the building. I could see the fire spread instantly, burning anything in its path.
“Fuck. Maggie!” Sinner shouted.
“Maggie?” I asked. “What the fuck do you mean, Maggie?”
Sinner, Burg, and I took off for the north end of the building, our posts forgotten.
“She wanted to have fun.”
“So you left her alone with an RPG?” I yelled.
“Hey, how was I to know she would fire it into a propane tank?”
“Because it’s Maggie,” I yelled back.
It only took us two minutes to get to the lodge, but that was two minutes too long for my tastes. I ran up the stairs, and slammed the door open where the ladies were staying. They all looked up in alarm.
“Out of the building,” I commanded. “Now!”
“Wait, Payton’s not here,” Morgan cried.
“And Lucy and Claire aren’t either,” Raegan said. “They went to get stuff from their rooms.”
“And Jon is in our room down the hall,” Aurora said.
Burg was out of the room and running down the hall. I turned to Sinner, “Go, help him find them. I’ll make sure the ladies get out.”
A Mad Reed Security Christmas Page 19