by Taylor Lee
Meeting her gaze, the gorgeous tableau around them faded. It was as though Sam was lost in the glacial blue of her eyes. Only the beautiful Annika, her cheeks rosy with excitement and her smiling lips shiny with gloss, was real. As the glamorous duo neared the platform, Sam allowed himself to glance at his father. Not hiding his emotion, Sam brushed at the tear on his cheek and bowed to the distinguished man.
His father nodded in return, a slight smile curving his full lips. Taking Annika’s hand, he proffered it to Sam. His murmur was low, unlikely heard by anyone other than Sam and Annika, and Nate and Erin.
“It is my honor, Son, to present this beautiful woman to you. Protect her with your life and treasure her as the gift that she is.”
Bowing slightly, the Chief Justice turned and left the dais.
Sam smiled at Annika and pulled her toward him. The fragrance of her unique smell almost undid him. Just as he turned to acknowledge the Justice of the Peace who would perform the ceremony, a little voice rang through the hushed silence.
“What about me, Mr. Sam? You forgot to get me!”
In the midst of the chorus of soft laughter that greeted her accusing inquiry, Sam heard Lexie’s horrified whisper imploring Jake to get the little imp. Sam turned first to Annika. At her smiling nod, he waved Jake back and held out his hand to the little girl whose red velvet party dress was worthy of a bridal attendant. The smudges on the urchin’s chin indicating the remnants of a pilfered chocolate and the slightly askew bow on her riotous curls confirmed that the three-year-old wasn’t quite attendant worthy.
Sam chuckled and held out his hand. Loudly enough for the grinning audience to hear, he said, “Why so I did, Sprite. Forgive my oversight. How about you stand here between me and Detective Stryker? That way you’ll have a front row seat and be able to see and hear everything that happens.”
~~~
Nate interrupted the applause and waved his handheld mic. A born master of ceremonies, he’d elicited a series of toasts from the appreciative audience. Some, like Erin’s and Margaret’s, were sweet and touching. Others like Chief Carter’s and Jake’s were ribald—and in Jake’s case salaciously suggestive. The most powerful though was Luke’s tribute to Sam.
Acknowledging the friend whom he’d never met until he returned home from war a broken bedridden man, Luke told how Sam came to his cabin every day, and along with his pushy cousin, insisted that someday Luke would walk again. Describing the torturous exercises and Sam’s never failing good humor, he told how Sam’s rock hard belief in his ability to recover and his insistence that Luke do so, gave him the strength to surmount his incapacitating injuries. Luke concluded with an ironic tribute.
“I can tell you that this persistent son of a bitch gives new meaning to the old saw that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. After months of arduous work it got through my thick skull that Sam would die himself before he allowed me to give up. I finally gave in to the son of a bitch and got stronger. Thanks, man. I owe you.”
As Luke made his way back to the head table, Nate broke the silence following Luke’s touching remarks.
Stepping in front of the podium, Nate slicked back his unruly biker hairdo and smiled.
“Luke’s on target. All of us who know Sam know you underestimate him at your peril. I learned that the first day I met him. My Chief, who makes Chief Carter seem like a lap dog, hauled me into his office and told me he needed a favor. Now in 20 years of being browbeaten by the irascible old Army colonel, Chief Roberts has never asked me to do a damn thing. It’s always, ‘Stryker do this’ or ‘Stryker how many goddamned times do I have to tell you to cut your fucking hair.’ ”
He paused for effect to let the laughter die down.
“Chief Roberts told me that one of his ’Nam buddies who runs the LAPD had called in a chit. Said he had a guy that they were grooming for a big role in the LAPD. Said the hotshot was already a superstar in his own right but was looking for experience in a smaller force where the lead detective ran the department. For some reason the asshole specifically wanted to work with me. I don’t have to tell you my reaction.”
He ducked his head and grinned. “I let the Chief have it. I said something like ‘Oh Christ, don’t tell me. Some Senator’s son wants to be police chief so all the lackeys in the department are pokin’ their asses in the air to show what suck-ups they can be. And now they want the precocious prick to see how the other half lives. What the poh-leese in the piss-poor towns do? Jesus, Chief!’
“It so happened that we were in the middle of a crushing high profile murder investigation and the last thing I wanted was to have a snot-nosed little sycophant follow me around to see how the men with the big dicks do it.”
Letting the laughter subside, Nate continued.
“Chief and I agreed that I’d meet with the asshole and if after ten minutes I didn’t agree we’d send him on his way.”
Like the accomplished storyteller that he was, Nate assumed a mock frown as if remembering the scene. Smiling slightly at the eager crowd, he picked up his narrative.
“Just so happened that I’d already met Sam in the gym. He’d been good enough to introduce himself, tell me his name.” Nate cleared his throat, then continued. “But didn’t bother to mention that he was a cop, or that he was there specifically to meet with me.”
Nate dragged his hand through his hair and tossed Sam a disparaging grin.
“After we’d ‘added’ to our introductions, I took one look at Hollywood here who was dressed in a casual suit that likely cost what I made in two months’ pay, and did what I always do—I did my best to insult him. Told him I was surprised he didn’t become a lawyer. That he could have made a hell of a lot more money.
He kinda shrugged and said, ‘I did—become a lawyer that is.’
“Naturally I couldn’t let that one go. In my usual pleasant self-effacing way, I said, ‘Then you decided that as a black man, even someone with your connections, you should hang out with the riff raff on occasion? Get some street cred? So you became a cop?’
“Never batting an eye, Sam replied calmly, ‘Yes to both of your insulting questions. And because I wanted a job where I could carry a gun. To take out badasses, whether they’re in the gangs or in the upper ranks of the police force.’ ”
Nate nodded appreciatively at the memory and added, “I told him that he better watch his six. That I could start likin’ him if he wasn’t careful.”
Holding up his hand to interrupt the laughter Nate went in for the punch line.
“Never being willing to end on a polite note, I asked him, ‘By the way, which Senator?’ When Sam looked puzzled, I pushed. ‘Which senator is your father? Or your uncle? Or your long-lost godfather?’ ”
Nate flashed a rueful grin.
“It took our smart guy about two seconds to catch my drift. Sam gave me one of those looks of his that could make a man wish he’d worn a steel cup to protect his jewels. But classy as always, he just put up his hands and shrugged.
Nate mimicked Sam’s gesture and said in a dead-on imitation of Sam’s most cultured tone, “ ‘Neither my father nor any of my uncles is a senator.’
“Then he shot me one of those 1000 watt smiles of his and said, ‘However, my father is the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court.’ ”
Nate turned to the head table. “C’mon up here, Hollywood. Show your fans that winning grin of yours and tell me if I didn’t get that story right!” Sam hopped up from the table where his mother, father and Annika were sitting, a huge grin on his face. As he passed by their chairs, he squeezed Annika’s shoulder and planted a kiss on his mother’s cheek. He made his way next to Nate and slung his arm around his outrageous friend’s shoulder. The crowd rose to its feet in a standing ovation, shouting their appreciation for Nate’s uproarious storytelling.
The shouts of laughter and deafening applause were interrupted by a loud crash. The laughter turned to startled shrieks at the sound of a gun blast.
Ch
apter 10
Sam saw the shooter at the same time that five of the waiters yanked guns from their uniform vests and fired into the air. The barrage of shots competed with the shocked screams of the guests. The tall man at the back of the patio grabbed one of the servers, a middle aged Latino woman carrying a tray of glasses. Knocking the tray to the floor with a fearsome crash, the gunman held the terrified woman in front of him. Wrapping one arm tightly around her throat, he pressed the barrel of his gun against her temple. Unlike the rest of the gunmen in waiter’s garb, the leader was in gang street clothes, his heavily muscled arms and chest emblazoned with Nazi skinhead ink. His harsh command rang out.
“Everyone stay calm. No one will get hurt. We’re here on behalf of the Aryan Brotherhood. We’re after one man and one man only. Anyone moves and I shoot this woman.”
The armed men spread out into the audience. Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Jake jerk little Ana out of her chair and shove her to the floor at his feet. Across the table he saw Lexie tense. Sam knew that he, Jake, Nate and Luke were all armed, as was his father. He doubted that Lexie was carrying unless it was a knife. Her body-hugging dress didn’t allow for even a small gun… but then Lexie’s fiercest weapon was her highly trained body.
The angry man called out, “We’re here for Chief Justice Samuel Carter. Step forward, you cowardly son of a bitch.”
Justice Carter rose slowly, his dark eyes flashing ominously. His strong voice carried across the shocked gathering.
“I question, Emmitt, who is the coward? The man who is standing here unarmed or the coward holding a gun at a harmless woman’s head?”
Sam knew that his father was attempting to distract the shooter, but was horrified that he was brazenly provoking the armed man.
Keller responded with a shout. “Hands up! In front of you, now! You, Monroe, get Carter.”
Jerking his head, Keller motioned to the man closest to Sam’s father, who surged up next to Chief Carter, a raised gun in his hand.
Sam exchanged a quick glance with Nate who lifted his chin toward the primary shooter. Luke was sitting closest to the man holding the hostage. Clearly the most pressing danger was to the hostage. Seeing Luke tighten his grip on his cane, Sam gave a barely perceptible nod, indicating he understood. It would be a daring gambit but if anyone could pull it off, Luke could. The four-foot cane in the big man’s hand gave him a formidable reach. In the seconds that followed Sam made eye contact with Jake who shuttered his eyes—a clear ready signal. His heart pounding dangerously in his throat, Sam glanced at Annika. Sitting between Sam’s mother and father, she was closest to the gunman threatening his father. Sam knew his wife didn’t have a weapon. But his father did. Annika raised her shoulder slightly, indicating that she was ready to move. Knowing Annika, Sam anticipated what she planned to do. It took everything he had not to yell a warning.
Justice Carter’s voice rang out.
“Leave these people alone! It’s me you want, Emmitt.”
He held up his hands in front of him freeing his jacket. Sam knew his father planned to reach for his gun, a brave but foolish move given that armed man at his shoulder.
In a scornful voice, Chief Carter continued to bait the lead gunman.
“Let the woman go, Emmitt. Now, you cowardly son of a bitch.”
Waving his gun at the Chief Justice, Emmitt Keller bellowed, “Think this is your courtroom, Judge? That you can tell us what to do?”
Justice Carter shrugged.
“I can’t. But my son can.”
Sam flashed his fingers in a one, two, three gesture, the ‘go’ signal universally recognized by trained fighters from every discipline.
Luke’s cane flashed through the air, the sound whizzing across the terrace. The steel reinforced tool was more potent than a sword. Bringing the cane down with a fearsome blow, Luke sliced through the space between the gunman’s weapon hand and the hostage’s head. Before the shooter’s gun hit the ground, Luke drew his Glock and fired. Emmitt Keller fell back, blood geysering from his chest.
SWAT-trained and a sniper to boot, Sam took charge.
“Everyone down!”
In the melee that followed, Sam saw Annika grab the gun from Justice Carter’s back holster and train it on the shooter next to his father. With a fierce shove she knocked the Justice aside and blew the gunman’s weapon to the ground. Following up with a round to his shoulder, seconds later Annika had the screaming man on the ground clutching his bleeding wounds. Jake, Nate and Sam easily picked off their targets within seconds, each with a single expert shot.
Lexie’s fierce warrior cry echoed Sam’s command to the terrified guests. Springing from the table she launched herself at the surprised gunman next to her. Yanking her dress up over her hips, the blonde warrior spun in a circle and arched a fierce kick to the criminal’s jaw. The startled man fell back with a cry, his gun skittering helplessly across the ground. When the man unwisely tried to stand, Lexie drove her knee into his gut and then spun once again in a trademark move, driving her heel against his ear. The sound of shattering bone resounded across the patio. In the seconds of surprised silence that followed, a shrill little voice rang out.
“Get him, Mama! Kick him hard!”
Ana’s excited shriek helped to lighten for all the frightening scene that had gone down.
~~~
In the aftermath, Sam congratulated his cohorts that none of the wounded shooters were killed. Most importantly, none of wedding guests were hurt. As Sam was checking with his mother and father, Nate and Jake rounded the corner supporting a shaken Deke. The long-time bodyguard explained how he’d had been jumped by the gunmen. Deke confirmed that the shooters waylaid the catering truck and captured the wait staff that’d been hired to serve at the wedding. Dressed in the caterers’ garb, the gunmen were able to move freely among the wedding guests.
While Sam, Nate and Jake were acknowledged for their leadership and strategic shots, the heroes of the melee were clearly Luke, Annika and Lexie.
Holding a shaken Margaret in his arms, Chief Carter stared in amazement at his daughter-in-law.
“Damn, Annika. How did you know where my weapon was? That was a brilliant and totally unexpected move.”
Nate disagreed. “Unexpected only if you haven’t worked with Lt. Nilsson, Sir. There was no question in either Sam’s or my mind that Annika would somehow get the asshole threatening you. It’s what we’ve come to expect from our crack detective.”
Annika flushed with pleasure.
“It was nothing, Samuel. Right before you escorted me to the ceremony, I took the liberty of ‘feeling you up.’ You obviously didn’t notice. In preparation for any event I make it a practice to account for all the weapons present. My dress didn’t allow for even my custom Sig. But I knew that the guys were all carrying and assumed you were as well.”
Samuel whistled appreciatively.
“Daughter-in-law of mine, I don’t know how I could be more impressed with you than I already was. But saving my life and possibly Margaret’s as well puts you in a galaxy occupied only by my son and the warriors who surround him.”
Planting a resounding kiss on Annika’s flushed cheek, Justice Carter whispered, “Thank you, my dear.”
Sam turned to the rest of the group with a wide smile.
“I agree with my Pops. Annika was sensational. I had a good sense of what she planned and though I knew she could do it, I have to say it scared the shit out of me.”
He hugged Annika close. “Congratulations, Princess. A classy and daring move! Like Nate, I knew you’d pull it off.”
He turned to the others. “Annika’s heroism was surprising only to those who don't work with her on a daily basis. And of course, you all could expect that Nate, Jake and I would get our ‘man.’ But by god, have any of you seen anything like what these two did?”
Sam singled out Luke and Lexie in amazement.
“Damn, Luke. You saved that woman’s life. Honestly until Keller started wav
ing his gun around, I didn’t know how you could get between his gun and the hostage’s head. I saw you grip your cane and had an idea of what you intended but frankly didn’t know if it would work. You’ve got some serious angels guiding you, bro—in addition to balls of steel. No question, I’m telling you, man, that move will go down in the annals of the ballsiest moves ever!”
Turning to Lexie, Sam shook his head and grinned.
“And then there is without a doubt the most beautiful woman who ever kicked the shit out of a bad guy.” He whistled appreciatively. “Don’t you know that asshole will spend the rest of his sorry-assed life wondering how a gorgeous blond in a skin-tight dress and silk stockings could have turned him into a sniveling, cowardly mess writhing on the ground? Congratulations, Lexie, your fame preceded you and if anything you exceeded your fierce reputation.”
Sam reached for Lexie’s hand and bowed low. She murmured her thanks as the others clapped and cheered.
From her perch on her father’s broad shoulders, Ana frowned.
“What about me, Mr. Sam? Did I do good, too?”
Sam chuckled and threw the little imp a kiss.
“Damn straight, Sprite. One of the most important jobs in a take-down is that everyone does their part. You stayed where your daddy told you to stay so you didn’t get hurt AND you cheered on your mom when she kicked that bad guy’s head in!”