EPILOGUE

Five weeks later

Thursday morning

June 19 – 5:00 A.M. MDT

Somewhere between Denver and Fort Carson, CO

“Did you post the video?” Alex asked.

“Before we left,” Larry said. “It’s up on the Alex the Fey YouTube channel station.”

“You didn’t add anything after I approved it?”

“No sir. The video consists of the rescue and the side pieces. Like the fight video, there’s no view of your face. Max did the voice over.”

“Good job,” Alex said.

The team was riding in the back of a Black Hawk Helicopter on their way to Fort Carson. Larry was leaving for Iraq in a half-hour.

“Let’s go through it again,” Matthew said.

“The Fey is a man,” Larry said. “He works for Military Intelligence. He is my mentor. I will receive calls from him on a regular basis.”

“Good job, kid,” Joseph said.

“I don’t know what the problem is,” Trece said. “White Boy and I have been in Iraq, Afghanistan, all over the Middle East. We’ve never had any problems.”

“You weigh three hundred pounds,” Vince said. “Who’s going to bother you?”

“Two-fifty but you have a point.” Trece laughed.

“I had a great time in the field,” Alex said. “I think you’ll have fun.”

“I’m not the Fey,” Larry replied.

“Nope, you’re G.I. Joe,” Troy said.

“Don’t call me that,” Larry squealed. “I thought you weren’t calling me that any more.”

“We never say it to your face,” Troy said.

“You just did,” White Boy said.

“Except for that time,” Troy said.

Larry grimaced.

“We’re almost there. Push ups!” Joseph called.

The men began rounds of push ups.

“Shades. Remember…” Joseph said.

“Super cool!” The team replied to Joseph’s call.

Alex pulled on a digital fatigue jacket with ‘Fey’ marked on the pocket. The jacket covered her breasts and torso. She hugged Larry and kissed his cheek.

“Every week. We’ll talk every single week. If you have trouble…”

“I’ll call,” Larry said. “I’m a Green Beret, Alex. I can do this.”

“I believe you can,” she said. “Hell, we’ll dance in Paris at the New Year.”

“And Helene will move to Colorado in the fall,” Larry repeated what they had said over and over again.

“She’s going to CU Boulder in two months.”

Alex moved to the front of the helicopter. The long suffering co-pilot got up from his seat to let Alex sit down. She sneered at him then realized she should learn his name. Last year’s nasty co-pilot had joined her rag tag group of friends, and Heath Wheeler, to create the new Fey Team.

“How is he?” Zack asked.

“Freaked out,” Alex said. “The team doesn’t like intelligence officers. He’s their third. They’ve chased the others away.”

“I feel like we are sending our son to war,” Zack said.

“He’s going to be all right,” Alex said.

Alex watched Fort Carson come into view. They flew to the runway where Larry’s new team gathered to leave for Iraq. She turned to look at Larry. She did feel like they were sending their son to war.

“Remember you’re a man.” Troy yelled to Alex as the helicopter landed. “Here we go.”

Troy slid the helicopter door open.

“Olivas! No way man. Are you coming with us?” a soldier asked.

“Nah man, I’m dropping off a friend,” Troy said. He shook the soldier’s hand then greeted two other men.

Matthew jumped out of the helicopter behind Troy.

“Hey Mac.” Another soldier came over to say hello to Matthew. “Whatcha doing, man?  I heard you were working with the Fey.”

“I’m his second. He’s in there.” Matthew flicked of his head toward the helicopter. “Your new intelligence officer is his protégé.”

“Holy shit! Is the Jakker in there, too?” the soldier asked.

Larry’s new Captain came over to Matthew to say hello.

“Is that really the Jakker?” the Captain asked.

“The Jakker is the only one who flies the Fey,” Matthew said. “You know that.”

The soldiers looked at each other. Vince hopped out of the helicopter and walked over to Matthew.

“I thought the Fey was dead,” another soldier said.

“Nah man, laying low until the heat’s off. But I’ll tell you.” Troy gave the soldier a knowing look. “One thing I’ve learned working for the Fey. You don’t want to be on his shit list.”

That was Larry’s cue to come out of the helicopter. Larry hopped out of the Black Hawk helicopter and walked over to Troy. Trece and White Boy followed Larry out of the helicopter. They stood with machine guns on either side of the helicopter door. Alex and Zack sat in the doorway of the helicopter. Heath sat behind them and Margaret stood next to him. They held machine guns and wore intimidating looks on their faces.

“That’s really them, isn’t it?” the team medic asked Vince in a low voice.

“Who?” Vince asked.

“The Fey and the Jakker,” another soldier said.

“That’s White Boy and Trece so it’s got to be them,” The medic said.

Vince made a show of looking over to the helicopter. He turned back and nodded.

The Commanding Officer of Larry’s new team yelled for them to get going and the men moved toward the plane. Continuing their cool macho act, Troy and Matthew carried Larry’s gear to the plane then each gave him a macho hug. Larry raised a hand to Alex before turning to get on the plane.

The team watched as the door closed and the plane took off.

“He’s going to be fine,” Matthew said getting into the helicopter.

“We’ll know it if he isn’t,” Vince added following him.

Alex wiped a tear from her eyes.

“Will we really get him if he gets in trouble?” Heath asked.

“Fuck yeah,” Troy said.

Trece closed the door to the helicopter.

They flew to base in silence.

F

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

One day later

Friday Night

May 16 – 6:14 P.M. PDT

Sav-UR-Buks Hotel, Barstow, CA

Alex arrived at their hotel room to find that John had already been there. Tonight was the first night they were medically approved to be together. It was even a month since she had her belly button re-pierced.

And he was at this car auction.

He said he would make it up to her. Looking around the room, she had to admit that he’d tried.

The floor was covered with red rose petals and white rose petals covered the bed. Her favorite champagne was chilling with an extra bottle in the refrigerator. He set out a new silk chemise for her to wear. There were a dozen white roses next to the bed. Candles littered every surface.

The bathroom was adorned with a dozen red roses. The cheap motel soap had been replaced with her favorite soap as well as lavender and Epsom salts for her favorite bath. He had even switched out the towels from standard hotel towel to fluffy lavender colored towels. Alex pressed her face against the towels. They smelled like lavender.

She smiled. Picking up a red rose, she wandered back into the room for a glass of champagne.  A note and a ring box sat next to the chilling wine.  Tearing open the envelope, Alex found a white card engraved with: John Kelly Drayson, MD.

In John’s fluid handwriting, he wrote:

Don’t put it on until I get there. Please.

Desperately in love with you,

John

Alex closed her eyes. Hoping it wasn’t some big diamond thing, she flipped the top of the box open. Shocked, she dropped the box. She fell to her knees to pick up the box. Tucked inside the box was an identical ring to her wedding band and a note that read: ’With this ring, I thee wed.’ Stamped into the top of the box was the name of the tiny jewelry store where they bought their original rings.

She’d never in her wildest dreams believed she could have her wedding ring back. Like so many precious things, the ring was lost. Until now. She held the box to her chest as if to welcome it back into her heart.

Not willing to let it go, Alex carried it and her champagne into the bathroom. Using Jesse’s lighter, she lit the candles and took a long soak in the tub. When she was almost a prune, she got out of the tub. She carried her glass and the ring box back into the bedroom then dressed in the new chemise. Pulling back the covers, she laughed. John had put rose petals in the sheets too.

She dusted the petals onto the floor. Smiling, she slipped under the warm covers. He had replaced the cheap hotel comforter with a down comforter. She nestled into the feather bed he had placed on the sagging queen bed. Pulling the comforter up to her nose, she smelled lavender again.

She fell into a sound sleep knowing he would return soon.

She woke to his lips on her nose.

“Hi,” she said. Sitting up, she turned on the side lamp. “Thank you for all of this.”

“Shhh,” John said. Taking the ring, he kissed her left hand and slipped the ring on. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

He kissed her lips and her tear drenched face.

“He remade the ring,” John said. “I sent him the old ring and he reformed it. ‘Not a problem.’ That’s what he said. He remembered us. He asked me if you were still so skinny. Remember how skinny you were?”

She kissed him.

“I was really skinny after Special Forces training and much less scarred. Did you like that better?”

He kissed her lips with a fervor that took her breath away.

“Every moment is different. Every moment is wonderful. This moment is so much more perfect than the last. Every day that passes, I have only loved you more, wanted you more, and you’re so beautiful.”

He stood to get the bottle of champagne. He smiled as he poured two glasses.

“You wore it,” he said. He slipped his fingers through the tiny silk strap of the chemise.

“Of course,” she said. “Did you buy some cars?”

John blushed.

“What?”

“We are the proud owners of a gorgeous Audi R8.”

“For two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”

“We’re supporting the DEA’s efforts in the war on drugs.”

“Two-hundred thousand dollars?”

“Mmmm. It’s owned by JAM property as well as a Lexus SUV and a Cadillac STS. As we agreed : one sedan, one SUV, and one fun car.”

“How can a two-hundred thousand dollar car be fun?  I’d be so worried about dinging it.”

“I’ll have you know, we used great restraint.”

“We?”

“Raz, Max and I. We bought the cars together.”

“I’m supposed to believe that the three of you, together, used restraint? That’s not likely.”

“We didn’t buy the 1959 El Dorado or the sweet red Spitfire convertible or the perfect 1960 convertible black Thunderbird for that matter. For the record, we didn’t put even one bid in on the Indian motorcycle or the Russian fighter plane either.”

“But you know who did?”

“Mmmm.”

“You realize you will fight over who drives the Audi,” she said.

“You’re going to fight over a car?”

“Very funny. I’m driving my CJ. It’s the only car I know how to drive!”

He laughed. “I have some other news.”

Alex smiled her crooked smile. The very core of him ignited with heat and passion. He pressed her back to the bed. His mouth took her lips for his own. His mouth pulled at her chin then her ear. His hands cupped her breasts.

“You have news?” she asked.

Panting, he groaned and rolled to the bed.

“You do that on purpose,” he said.

“I do that because I can,” she said.

They laughed.

“May I fill your glass, beautiful wife?”

“I’d love some champagne.”

John poured more champagne. He held his flute to her lips and she took a sip. They kissed.

“I have a job,” he said.

“What?” Alex asked.

“Yes, I’m no longer the Mooch. I was offered a position at Denver Health with a faculty assignment at the University,” John said.

“I thought those departments were full,” Alex said.

“They are,” John said. “I’m working half time on two teams. The head of trauma saw the work I did on Troy and found funding for me to work for him. The arterial disease team pitched a fit.”

“Of course, they didn’t want to lose you.” Alex began unbuttoning his shirt. “I don’t want to lose you either.”

“I’m so glad.” He kissed her then shifted his shoulders. His shirt dropped to the ground.

“When do you start?” Alex asked.

They pulled his white undershirt off together. Alex stroked his taut muscular chest. Tugging on the dog tag that bore her name, she pulled him toward her for a kiss.

“I have more good news. I was given a month off,” John said.

Alex squealed and hugged him.

“I thought you couldn’t get time off!”

“I thought so too, but they gave me the month. They didn’t have money for a signing bonus so they offered the month off. When I get back, I’ll work and finish my residency at the same time.”

“That sounds like a lot,” Alex said.

“It might be, but it’s only a couple months. Then we’re done.” He beamed.  “You may call me Professor Drayson.”

“What are you going to teach me?” Alex unbuckled his belt.

“Oh love.” He kissed her. He placed his hands around her face. His cobalt blue eyes held her brown eyes.  “Thank you. You’ve made all of this possible for me. You’ve paid for everything, supported me, encouraged me, dragged me along, and most of all loved me. What was vapor — a crazy orphan’s fancy — is now a reality. I’m a vascular surgeon. I never could have done it without you.”

“Your dreams are important to me,” she whispered.

His eyes welled with tears. Her fingertips caught his tears. He kissed her fingers then clutched her to him.

“I love you so much,” he said.

“Not more than I love you.”

“So a month of bikinis!”

“What?”

“I wanted to take you to Majorca, but you need to get this cast off. So we compromised on Kauai.”

“We?”

“Max and I. We leave from Barstow.”

“What about my work?”

“Details, details. Raz took care of it. You’re on vacation for a month. He and Samantha are going to join us in a couple weeks.”

“Wow.”

Alex untied his lacer cowboy boots. He pushed them off. Her hands stroked his feet as she slipped his socks off.

“Oh…”

“Yes?” Her eyes raked his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I won’t teach right away. I’ll just do research. Do you think that’s all right?  I was so excited to have the position we wanted that I accepted while you were on TDY. I haven’t signed the contract though. I said I had to talk to you first.”

“The job is exactly what we thought would be ideal. Don’t worry. Plus, you like research,” Alex said. “By the time we get home, your study should be done.”

John nodded. “So I’ll sign the contract?”

“I think so. Then we’ll take it one step at a time.”

“Like we always do.”

She unbuttoned his pants. They slipped his pants off together.

“No underwear,” she said.

“Anticipation of a month of bikinis made under garments a bit… constrictive,” he said.

She stroked him with her hand. Their lips caught in a kiss.

“I want to look at you… to touch you… taste you…” John said, his voice husky. “We have all month. Let’s go slow.”

Pressing her back to the bed, he held her beautiful brown eyes. Alex’s lips turned up into her crooked smile.

“Maybe next time.”

F

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Three weeks later
Thursday night
May 15 – 9:30 P.M. MDT
Near the Gulf of Mexico

“You remember, we have the DEA car auction tomorrow night,” Raz said into Alex’s ear bud communicator. “Drug dealers have the best vehicles. And we own no vehicles.”

“We own my CJ,” Alex said.

“A thirty-year-old Jeep doesn’t count as a vehicle,” Raz said.

“You realize it’s in Barstow,” Matthew said.

“We’ll be there in time, right?” Raz asked.

“You know, usually you let me sleep in the helicopter!” She laughed.

“It’s not my fault. I’m not there,” Raz said. “You’d get your beauty rest if you’d let me come.”

“YEAH, if I was there, I’d get my beauty sleep too!” Troy said in her ear bud.

Alex laughed.

“Are you ever going to tell us why this mission is called ‘Something Big’?” Mathew asked.

“Probably not,” Alex said.

They started the day at Fort Carson. The Fort set up a command center for Raz, Troy, Matthew and, by temporary assignment, Heath Walker. Her Sergeant would act as a relay for all the factions – US military, Mexican police, and the new Fey Team. Alex, Vince, Joseph, Larry, Trece and White Boy were going to complete the first new Fey Team retrieval. They picked up a medic at Fort Carson. So far, the medic had been too intimidated to utter a word to them.

Much to the Jakker’s chagrin, the Army insisted on flying them to Fort Hood. He whined until he realized he could nap the entire way to Fort Hood. Tonight was going to be a long night. He needed his rest.

There was another brawl at Fort Hood. The US Calvary, along with about a billion soldiers who showed up when they landed, wanted to be involved in the first new Fey Team retrieval. Air Force brass got involved. Army brass got involved.

Alex dragged Zack and the rest of the team to dinner at Fort Hood’s finest steak house, Texas Land and Cattle. Alex picked at her salad while the men argued over steak. Joseph was paying the bill when Alex received the call.

Joint team, joint effort.

The Jakker could fly to the destination but the Cavalry would take them out of the country. They picked up another medic and piled in a Hercules. They would land at Mérida Air Force Base, hoped into a Black Hawk and head to their destination. The Policía Federal had monitored the situation all day. They were set to take over when the team slipped away.

“How does it look?” Alex glanced jealously at the men sleeping in the compartment.

“Very quiet, sir,” Heath said. “They put him to bed at six as we expected. Outside of the guards, we haven’t seen any activity for the last hour.”

“We’ll go radio silent once we land at Merida, I expect…”

“The last heat and infrared to your pocket computer fifteen minutes prior to destination,” Raz said. “You’ve said…”

“Seven times,” Troy said. “Plus your Sergeant just IMed us not to fuck up.”

“No fuck ups,” Alex said. “We have to do this right.”

“Yes sir,” Heath, Matthew, Troy and Raz said.

“Is Peaches still working?” Alex asked.

“She checked in an hour ago,” Matthew said. “She says she will have a report for you when we return.”

“Great.”

“I want to protest again. You should not be on this assignment,” Matthew said. “Your hip is less than two months old and you’re still wearing a cast on your arm.”

“So noted,” Alex said. “I have a black cast specifically for this assignment. I’m supposed to be swimming and walking.”

“So noted,” Matthew said.

“Ok, I need ten minutes to get my head straight,” Alex said. “We’ll talk when we’re done.”

“Yes sir,” Heath said.

“Be safe,” Raz said.

“Love you, missy,” Troy said.

“I can’t top that,” Matthew said. “We’ll talk in a few. You’ll take pictures?”

“Larry has the video camera,” Alex said. “He’s practiced on Helene, so I think he knows how to use it. Bye, Bye.”

Alex took out her ear communicator. Leaning into her seat, she closed her eyes. Three years ago, missions were easy. Even with the Boy Scout to slow them down, they completed more missions that year than any year before. She looked up when Joseph sat down next to her. He held out his hand. They sat hand in hand the rest of the way to Mérida Air Force Base. Once there, all loss, pain, and uncertainty slipped away. They were trained professionals.

There was work to be done.

FFFFF

One hour later

Thursday night

May 15 – 10:30 P.M. CDT
Outside of Cancun, Mexico

“Ready?” Alex pulled up the hood to her wetsuit.

Joseph went down the line checking parachutes. Trece checked body armor and White Boy checked everyone’s weapons. Alex and Vince were parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico where they would meet a CIA-operated fishing trawler. Trece, White Boy and Joseph would parachute onto land.

“Alex, I have your target,” Zack said over the intercom. “They’ve signaled.”

“Anything else from base?” Alex asked.

“Nothing new,” Zack said. “Catch you on the flip side.”

“Go!” Joseph said.

Vince jumped from the helicopter. Alex gave Joseph a quick hug.

“Go!”

Alex dropped in a military free fall to catch up with Vince. He pointed to the fishing trawler. They fell together toward the ocean. Pulling her chute, she followed Vince into the water. Vince swam to Alex. Bobbing in the open water, she laughed. They swam a few feet to the fishing trawler. The agents on board pulled them into the boat.

They were on board the ship when Trece and White Boy took off from the helicopter. Five miles off shore, Joseph and Larry jumped from the helicopter. The boat slowed at a rock formation two miles from shore. Alex and Vince slipped into the water.

Even with two weeks of open water swimming practice, Alex lagged behind the Navy SEAL, Vince. He was undressed by the time she arrived. He helped her with her wet suit. They stashed their wetsuits and made their way toward the residence. She saw a flash of light indicating Trece and White Boy were in position. Falling back, Alex nodded to Vince.

The men would secure the location before she entered. That’s how the Fey Special Forces Team had worked. The new Fey Team would do the same. It made sense.

She hated the long minutes of waiting. Every sound could mean disaster. She let out an anxious breath. Looking at her watch, she saw it had only been two minutes. Jesse appeared beside her.

“Wish I was here,” Jesse said in Spanish. “We had fun waiting for the guys. You never know what will happen!”

Alex nodded.

“Nervous?”

Looking at him, Alex nodded.

“You usually are. I’ll be right here,” he said. “Me and my arsenal of scary ghostie weapons.”

Alex chuckled at his exaggerated horror movie voice.

“Maria finally told me what was going on,” Jesse said. “You were right. I was wrong.”

Alex furrowed her brow. She signed, “What are you talking about?”

Jesse’s head dropped back and laughed. She smiled at his glee.

“Maria is adopting my mother’s youngest children. I have a sister who is six months old and a brother who is two years old,” Jesse said. “My darling mother is incarcerated… three time loser… for life this time. She lost custody. No one knows who the father is. Maria is very excited. And…”

Alex heard a low whistle indicating her team was entering the residence.

“So am I,” Jesse said. “I was angry at first, but… Maria loves babies and…”

Alex pointed to Jesse.

“Me!” Jesse smiled.

Alex chuckled.

“Five minutes,” Jesse said.

Alex pushed her digital fatigue pants low on her hips. She stripped to her tank top and cinched down her exercise bra. Jesse pointed to her head. Using her fingers, she spiked up the blond tips to her military haircut. The back lights to the residence flickered on then off.

“Time to go!” Jesse said.

It was time for the Fey to make her first appearance in almost three years. Alex jogged to the sliding glass door of the residence. With a nod to Jesse, Alex pulled her handgun from its sacrum holster. She pressed the sliding door open.

She crept across what appeared to be a living room. Near the kitchen, she picked up Larry and his video camera. She nodded to him then continued her silent journey across the house.

Turning left, she passed Trece. He pointed toward the two unconscious men he’d piled into corner of the hallway. Alex smiled. Trece beamed back at her. As agreed, he hadn’t killed the men. Continuing down the hall, she found White Boy with his own stack of unconscious men. White Boy was so pleased with himself he bowed to Alex’s silent clapping.

Using her breath to control her nerves, Alex shifted to cold intelligence officer. Show time.

Joseph waited for her at the door. She nodded to him and he followed her through the door.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” the young woman screamed.

While Alex continued forward to the bed, Joseph detained the young woman. Alex went to the bed. Under a blue cotton blanket, a slim figure lay curled up in the fetal position. When she touched his shoulder, he rolled onto his back. His eyes opened, puzzled then flooded with tears.

“Mr. Joiner? We’re here to free you.”

“Águeda! You have to save her! She’s shackled in the basement.”

“Papa, I’m here!”

Leaning on Vince, the woman, they’d thought was a cook, made her painful journey across the room. Vince helped her sit on the bed next to the man.

“Papa, we’re free!”

Cecil Joiner Sr. wept in earnest.

F

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

“I thought you looked familiar,” Alex said. “I couldn’t place you. How is your father?”

“Dead, thanks to you,” the woman said.  “They killed him when the token didn’t work.”

“When you broker death, at some point you’re going to broker your own. Did you kill Troy?”

“He’s dying,” she said. “Arrogant fool. He deserved a slow, painful death. You’re foolish to keep imbeciles around you.”

“Yes, well, loyal friends,” Alex said. “Would you like some coffee?”

Still pointing the gun at Alex, the woman moved farther into the room.

“I’d like the security token.”

“How did you know it was here?”

The woman nodded to the fake journals in the corner.

“The journals? How?”

“We suspected your little journal held the information we needed. We tried to get it at the imbecile’s father’s award ceremony. How did you know?”

Alex shrugged. The woman raised a single eyebrow, and her handgun. Alex sighed.

“Another loyal friend. That’s how it works,” Alex said.

“Our loyal friend put a marker on your journal. We created these journals to notify us when your journal is near. We knew the moment you brought your journal into this room. We went to a lot of trouble to make sure you had a copy of our… fabrications.”

“You broke into Charlene’s house so I would get your fakes? Can I have Charlie’s journals back then?”

“You won’t need them soon.” The woman indicated her weapon.

“Your loyal friend? You mean Robert Powell.”

“That’s correct.”

“You’ve looked for this information for a long time.” For the first time, Alex looked the woman in the face. “Since before everyone died.”

“You’ve held our property captive for years. That’s correct.”

“And what is your property?”

The woman gave an exaggerated sigh.

“You don’t know.”

“I don’t like twenty questions,” the woman said. “I’d kill you now but I need you to put this thing together. No mistakes this time.”

“Why don’t you have a seat?” Alex asked. “I need to take apart the lighter. These are just plastic.”

Alex popped the two plastic pieces apart.

“Move even an inch from your seat and I will shoot you dead. I know about your tricks,” she said.

Alex took a long a drink of her coffee.

“I know almost nothing about you. What should I call you?”

“Get to work.”

“If the token doesn’t work, Cee Cee will kill you,” Alex said.

The woman’s face flushed at the mention of Cee Cee Joiner’s name. This woman was in love with Cee Cee Joiner. Anxious to prove herself, she was very dangerous.

“Haven’t been doing this long have you?”

“I worked for my father,” she said. “I’ve been on my own since you killed him.”

“Your father was a lot better than you are,” Alex said.

Alex swept the plastic pieces, key, lighter and memory card off the edge of the table with her cast. Bending her head over her right hand, she used her left hand to pick up the plastic pieces from her right hand. One at a time, she held each black plastic piece near her eyes then set it on the table.

Retrieving the lighter, her right hand closed over the brass key and the memory card. Under the table, she slipped off her right shoe. While her right hand held the lighter to her eyes, her left hand let the key and memory card fall into her shoe. Slipping on her shoe, Alex felt them against her toes. She set the lighter on the table.

“There’s a computer board and a battery inside the lighter. I need a little screwdriver to take the lighter apart,” Alex said. She shrugged. “I have one in my case. Would you mind if I…?”

“Don’t move.”

Jesse appeared in front of her.

“She stabbed Troy. Assassin cut to the femoral artery. He’s fighting to get to you and to survive. Alex, he’s dying.”

“Save Troy,” Alex said.

“What?” The woman looked around the room. “What are you talking about?”

Unsure of what to do, Jesse hovered for a moment. He knew Alex would refuse help until Troy was safe. He disappeared.

“Talking to myself,” Alex said. “I want to save Troy.”

The woman snorted a laugh.

“The screw driver is in the front pocket. Why don’t you get it for me?”

Keeping the gun trained on Alex, the woman felt around the front pouch of her laptop. She pulled out a long screwdriver.

“Perfect for computers,” Alex said.

Taking the screwdriver from the woman, she opened her Zippo lighter. Tucked under the metal cover was a small electronic computer board. Alex leaned forward to look at the back of the plastic piece on the table. With her face next to the plastic, she tried to determine if the plastic was large enough to hold the computer board. She sat back against the chair.

“What is it?”

“I don’t think these pieces go together.”

There was a sound near the front of the carriage house. The girl jumped to her feet.

“Get up,” she said. “You’re stalling for time.”

“No,” Alex said. “Your father would tell you that I‘d never lie about something like this. They will kill you either way.”

“Who do you think you’re dealing with? I’m no amateur fool!”

The woman raised her gun.

“Cee Cee loves me. He will never kill me.”

The woman fired two shots into Alex’s heart.

The force of the shots sent Alex flying backward. She slammed into the wall behind her. Gasping for breath, Alex’s hands pressed against her chest. Her brown eyes followed the woman’s movements.

“I killed the Fey!” The woman hooted with joy.

Proud of her accomplishment, the woman sauntered over to Alex. She wrapped her fingers in Alex’s inch long hair and lifted Alex off the ground. To finish the job, she pressed the gun against the top of Alex’s head.

Something flew across the room and hit the woman in the throat. The woman’s throat erupted with blood. She dropped Alex to grab at her throat.

Another object streaked through the air striking the woman in the eye. The woman fell backward. She bounced against the wall and fell forward. She was dead before she hit the floor.

Alex worked to stand.

“Stay there, love,” John said.

Barefoot, he ran into the room. He kneeled down in front of Alex.

“She ruined your favorite fleece,” Alex said. Putting her fingers through the holes, she added, “I’m sorry.”

John sliced through the fabric with the razor sharp knife in his hand. Pulling her T-shirt aside, he saw body armor.

Alex was wearing body armor.

He clutched her to him. Letting her go, his doctor trained hands moved behind the body armor. Her sternum was cracked but not broken. She may have broken a rib or two. She had a concussion. Alex grunted when he touched the forming bruise on her sternum.

“Are you going to kiss me or just fondle my breasts?”

Laughing, he kissed her.

“I’ve always known you could do that,” Alex whispered.

Their eyes held for a moment. Max ran into the room followed by James and Trece. Max dropped to Alex’s side. The twins hugged.

“Call 911,” John said.

“Now there’s my Johnny,” James said. He kneeled to check the woman’s pulse. “Still have the old knack?”

Trece peered at the body.

“Damn Drayson, you did this?” Trece said. “I knew you were good with a scalpel but who knew you could throw them? They teach you this in medical school?”

“Troy… you have to help Troy,” Alex said.

“Don’t worry little miss,” Trece said. “Mattie sent us in here. But Drayson, you need to get out there. Troy’s hurt pretty bad.”

John jumped to his feet. He looked at Alex and she nodded.

“Don’t let her get up,” John commanded as he ran out the door.

“He’s in the kitchen,” Trece yelled after John.

“Police?”

“I’ve got them on the line,” James said. “They are on their way with medics.”

Max plopped down next to Alex. She rested her head against his shoulder.

“It hurts me more than you,” he said.

“You always say that.”

F

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Three hours later

Wednesday morning

April 2 – 3:15 A.M. MDT
Denver, CO

Alex lay awake with John nestled around her. Sex always worked to keep her pain at bay. She felt comfortable, but wide awake.

Her small journal whispered her name from the carriage house. Unwilling to give up the festivities, she put the journal out of her mind. The journal’s secrets poked at her unconscious.

Could she really let that little Marine look at her journal first? Not a chance. Despite her efforts at being silent, John awoke while she was getting dressed.

“Lusting for cookies and coffee again?” he asked.

“How did you…?”

“Oh love, I finally know all your secrets,” he said.

“So you think,” she laughed.

“Are you in pain?”

“I feel loose and happy.”

He laughed at her usual post-coital reference.

“Can I wear your fleece?”

“Of course,” he said.

She pulled the fluffy blue fleece over her head. The soft fabric smelled of him. She picked up her laptop case.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Kitchen first. I want some…”

“Coffee and cookies,” he said.

“Yes,” she said. “I’ll be in the carriage house.”

He was asleep before she left their room. Standing on the third floor landing, she listened to the house breathe. Everyone was asleep.

She crept to the kitchen. While the coffee dripped, she dug in the cabinets for some cookies. Of course, the cookie jar was empty. She was about to give up when she remembered Cian’s secret stash of cookies in the freezer. She gave a soft yippee when she found a zip lock bag of lemon drop cookies.

While the coffee brewed, she checked to see if the party was cleaned up. She found Eoin and his curly red haired girlfriend nestled on the couch together in the living room. The woman has so much curly hair Alex could only see the red hair and Eoin’s face. If that was the soon-to-be wife, they were going to have a lot of red haired kids.

Chuckling at her joke, she collected her coffee and added milk. She took half of the lemon drops. Imagining Cian finding his stash raided, she put a few cookies back then tucked them back in the freezer. At the backyard door, she checked her handgun to make sure it was loaded. She slipped the gun back into its sacrum holster. She opened the door to a blast of cold and jogged to the carriage house.

Turning off the security for the carriage house, she wandered through the downstairs until she found the thermostat. She cranked up the heat. Settling in the small bedroom on the first floor, she was going to take her jacket off when she realized she was too cold. She opened the door in hopes the room would warm up faster. Taking her laptop from its case, she turned it on, then read Private Peaches’ note.

“The books are expensive fakes. Did you have them x-rayed?” Answering out loud, she said, “No. We didn’t think of it.”

“There’s a plastic tracking device that doesn’t necessarily show up on the usual tests. You can see it with x-ray.” Alex read.

“Good work, Private Peaches,” she said out loud. “Wish you could tell me what they were tracking and who ‘they’ are.”

Alex tossed the books in a corner of the room. She would have them x-rayed tomorrow.

She took Helene’s Magic 8 ball from the zippered pouch of her laptop case. Turning it over, she saw, “NOT A CHANCE.” Smiling, she set it next to her small team journal. She placed her broken Zippo lighter next to the Magic 8 ball. For good measure, she put Charlie’s journal next to the lighter. Biting her lip, she let out a sigh.

Each item held some secret.

Every word in the journals could be a clue.

She had no idea what secret or what clue.

She reached for her small journal then stopped. Her hand hung in the air over the journal. What if the small journal unlocked the key to the swirl of Joiner, the Weasel, the Boy Scout and the deaths of her team? What if it didn’t? She poured a cup of coffee, to avoid the question.

Stalling, she opened an email from Krystal Joiner.

Subject: Update

Hi Alex,

I wanted to let you know that Cory is out of the ICU. They don’t know if he’s out of the woods yet, but they’re hopeful. His organs are responding to treatment. We won’t know about permanent damage for a couple months.

I’m sure you heard Bobby and Beth Ann are here with Tristan. Tristan made it through the surgery and they think he will be able to go home in the next couple of days. Home to Long Beach, that is.

Cody will probably go home today. His stupid momma keeps talking about how “mean” the Texas Rangers were to her. But she’s relieved Cody is alive.

Thanks to you, and God of course, we think the boys will make a full recovery. Of course, the insurance company is squawking about payment but luckily they have a good agent!

Sue Ann is in bad shape. She fell apart at Daniel and David’s funeral. She’s been hospitalized. I don’t think she’ll recover.

I attached a little update of my own. It’s only been a few days, but I think he’s my dream come true. Make me a fairy wish, Alex.

Your friend always,

Krystal

P.S. Do you see the funny tattoo on his shoulder? I asked him what it meant and he said it was a military thing. Since you’re the only person I know in the military, do you know what it means?

Alex clicked open the attachment to find a picture of the head and bare shoulders of the Texas Ranger who escorted Krystal to Texas. Tucked on his side, he was in bed and smiling at the camera. His bare shoulder displayed his black script ‘F’ tattoo.

Alex smiled. Sometimes her little meddling worked.

“Lazy butt,” Alex said out loud to herself. “Get to work.”

Clipping on her laptop’s webcam, Alex dialed the map phone through her computer. She took out a pad of paper and sharpened her yellow pencil.

“Lieutenant Colonel Alexandra Hargreaves Drayson. It is April 2, 03:42,” Alex said into the recorder. “This is the first review of my Fey Special Forces small team journal recovered approximately twelve hours ago.”

She held up the journal to the video recorder. Opening the small journal, she began to read the Navajo based code. These little journals held her private thoughts, plans and random details. This book started about seven months before the team was killed.

Her entries were routine – who won at cards, what Jesse was getting Maria for her birthday, thoughts about John and plans with Max. Her fingers grazed the text. Her life on the Fey Special Forces Team had been really good. Nestled within the team, she was happy, safe and accomplished.

She pulled the large team journal from her laptop case. She had all but memorized this journal. During the assault, she carried this journal from friend to dead friend only to hide it under a crate when she heard someone coming. Something in this journal was valuable, important. She had no idea what.

The large journal began the day Joseph left the team to spend six months with Nancy. After fifteen years of infertility, Nancy was pregnant with twin girls. The small journal held a page of potential names for the twins and everyone’s bets. Of course, Joseph and Nancy took one look at their babies and named them Joy and Hope.

Alex smiled. She couldn’t think of better names for the even-tempered miracle girls.

Glancing at the big journal, Alex noticed repeated words in the large journal and the small journal. About a month after the Boy Scout joined the team, she started a running conversation between the two journals. One word on one page. Another word in the small journal then the next couple words in the large journals.

No one would ever notice these words. No one but Max. In school, Alex and Max used to communicate to each other via the books they shared. The words were identified by small details added to vowels. An ‘a’ had a flat tail and the space in an ‘e’ was darkened. ‘I’s had crosses for dots. The details were subtle. You’d have to know what they meant to have any idea they were code.

She flipped back and forth between the journals. Slowly, a private narrative, written by Alex for Alex’s eyes only, emerged.

She had been unsure of the Boy Scout from the very beginning. Intelligence had only spotty details about him and his life. Moreover, she couldn’t find anyone who’d ever worked with him. She’d encouraged Charlie to trade him. And Charlie had tried to trade him. More than once. He was never able to get rid of him. She was left to try to determine what he was doing on their team.

She monitored every thing the Boy Scout did — every phone call, every conversation and every email. The intelligence center set up an area to hold all of this data. After everyone was killed, she asked for access to the area and was told the account never existed. Whether the account existed or not, the intelligence center would never tell her how to find it. She would have insisted on at least that level of security.

Her small journal gave the exact location, passwords, and codes to get into her data on the Boy Scout. After downloading her database to her laptop, she logged out to continue working her codes.

When she finished the small journal, she began working backward through another pattern of words until she found familiar words – ‘security token.’ Last year, Eleazar believed her Zippo was a security token that would get him into… What? The Zippo had a small computer chip connected to the spark wheel. Neither Alex nor the team at military intelligence were able to determine what the Zippo did. One thing was certain. It was not a security token.

In the dim light, she noticed a wrinkle in the back binding of the journal. She rubbed her fingers across the inside back cover of the journal. That was no wrinkle. There was something glued into the book.

Using her Leatherman Freestyle knife, she gently pulled the paper from the cardboard. A 2G microSD memory card and a brass key were taped to the cardboard of the small journal. She turned memory card over. Hoping to find some marking on it, she held it close to her eyes. Shrugging, she took a card reader from her laptop bag. She hooked the reader to her computer then slipped in the memory card.

The card held thirty-three photos of the Fey Special Forces Team at various locations. Every photo revealed laughing, joking teammates. Alex had to rip herself away from the forgotten images of joy. Now was not the time. Taking out the microSD memory card, she set it next to the Magic 8 ball.

The key was a standard brass key. Also about two inches long, the key was stamped ‘Made in the U.S.A’ on one side. The other side had a series of numbers stamped on it. Clicking through the internet, she went to a Homeland Security site which described keys. She was able to match the key to a filing cabinet or compartment key. The key’s numbers indicated the lock’s make and model not its location or even what the lock might be associated with. Not sure what to do next, Alex tapped the key against the table.

Picking up the key to set it aside, her thumb felt a pattern on the “Made in the U.S.A.” side of the key. Even next to her eyes, Alex saw nothing. But her thumb traced the tiny fairy she stamped at the bottom of maps. She must have stamped the key then wiped off the ink.

Setting the key next to the microSD memory card, Alex turned the large journal over. Nothing there. There was nothing under the paper and cardboard of the front either. The weight of the large journal caused it to slip out of her hand and land on the table with a clink.

A clink?

Alex noticed the binding was separated from the leather surround. Flexing the book open, Alex looked down the binding. Something was glued onto the leather next to the paper binding.  Turning the book over, she looked down the binding to find another item glued to the leather. Using her knife, she dislodged the object from the glue then flicked it out of the tight space. A black plastic piece bounced on the table.

Alex picked up the inch and a half long plastic piece. It looked like half of a keyless entry system. Keyless entry systems are sometimes called ‘security tokens.’ Bingo.

From the other end of the binding, she retrieved the matching inch and a half long plastic piece. The two pieces fit together with a satisfying click. This was not a code generator, nor an intelligence key. The logo and markings had been burned off. She smelled the unit. The markings were burned off with acid. That’s something she would have done.

She set the plastic box next to the memory card and the key. Three’s the charm. To what?

Alex tapped her lip with her finger and stared off into space. Without a computer chip and battery, this security token won’t work. Plus she had no idea what any of these pieces unlocked. She only knew Eleazar believed a security token was the key to retrieving his property. ‘I want my property.’ He’d said that over and over again. What property?

“Check your lighter,” Jesse said.

Alex picked up her broken Zippo lighter. Clicking the lighter, she heard a mechanical whirring sound. The sound went for a few seconds then stopped.

“It’s the ball,” Jesse said.

Turning over the Magic 8 ball, the white die settled on ‘OF COURSE.’ She clicked the lighter and the die moved to ‘NOT A CHANCE.’ Clicked the broken lighter again and the die shifted to ‘DOES SHIT STINK?’ Alex laughed.

“A joke? All this worry over the lighter and it was a joke?”

“Who knows what lurks in the minds of the fairy godmother,” Jesse said.

“This was for Helene?” Alex laughed.

“Who else did you play Magic 8 ball with?”

Laughing, Alex clicked through the rest of the sayings. The lighter rotated the die to another saying every time she clicked the spark wheel. She couldn’t tell if they were in a set order or the die flipped at random. She was about to set it down when she noticed Troy’s curvy brunette standing in against the door frame.

“I’ll take the security token,” she said.

Stepping forward, the woman revealed a silenced handgun.

FFFFFF

Wednesday morning

April 2 – 3:48 A.M. MDT

Denver, CO

Feeling Alex’s hands move along his naked body, John shifted out of a deep sleep. He sighed. Her soft fingers moved from his face to his shoulders. Her fingers explored his nipples then dipped into his belly button. He entwined her hands pulling them over her head and rolled on top of her. She glowed in the moonlight. She lifted her head and he crushed his mouth with hers.

His passion and longing welled inside of him. His body burned to join with hers. As if she could read his thoughts, she shifted her hips. Hovering over her, he heard her laughter like the tinkling of bells. He kissed her lips.

“We can’t,” he whispered.

Her body drew him to her and they entwined. He dove in, again and again, relishing each moist embrace. Kissing her neck, he realized the glow was not cast by the moon. She was emanating a blue glow.

This was not Alex.

He reeled back.

“What do you want from me?” he asked.

“She’s in grave danger.”

The blue fairy transformed from her Alex shape to her magnificent blue countenance. With flowing robes and long dark hair, she was a vision of everything good and beautiful in the world. He had to shade his eyes from her blue light.

“Wake up, John Kelly. Now is the time to show what you can do, to be the man you are.”

John awoke in bed.

He jumped from the bed then he scrambled for his jeans. Pulling on a T-shirt, he went to his bag for a small leather satchel. James had given him this satchel a couple nights ago. He knew he would find John someday and John would want it back. John shoved the satchel into his back pocket. Sliding down the banister, he made a quick journey to the first floor.

F

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Two and a half hours later
Tuesday evening
April 1 – 8:45 P.M. MDT
Denver, CO

“We’re almost there,” Joseph stuck his head in the carriage house small dining room. “Fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks,” Alex said.

Alex spent an hour with the Denver Police. When Joseph took over, she retreated to the small bedroom on the first floor of the carriage house to work with the Fey Special Forces Team journals. The men were busy cleaning up, repairing the doors, and installing state of the art security in the carriage house. Alex could devote her undivided attention to the Fey journals.

Family members dropped the remaining journals by the house around dinner time. The journals had arrived from Buckley by secure transport an hour ago. Attempting to create order out of chaos, Alex sorted the journals into stacks. She ordered them chronologically leaving the most recent journal on top.

There were five tall stacks of their communications officer Tommy’s journals. Tommy always had so much to say. As if she was patting Tommy’s back, her hands lovingly patted his journals. There were four or five journals in Dwight’s stack. As a weapons officer, his journals consisted of lists of weapons. Remembering Mrs. Harris’s assertion, Alex smiled. Dwight would never have written even one detail about his liaisons. Never.

Nathan’s son had dropped off one journal. He said his father didn’t like to write things down. Also a communications officer, Nathan was the opposite of Tommy. She flipped through the pages and smiled. To Nathan, words were powerful and should be used sparingly. Paul’s engineering precision led to only a few concise journals. She held the tiny precise script close to her eyes.

Jax’s journals were filled with the team’s health data. She had three stacks of his journals. Dean, their other medic, also had three stacks of journals. Doing a quick count, Alex realized they had an equal number of journals. She wondered if they kept the same information. Or…

Who knows? She rubbed her heart where her loss lingered.

Joseph had about as many journals as Tommy. His journals were clean and fastidious. Typical Joseph.

She didn’t have any of Mike’s journals. After letting his kids pick one item, his wife threw all of his belongings away. The kids were tossed out about six months later. Mike’s oldest son, MJ, supported his brother and sister on his salary as a Special Forces medic. She remembered Mike having journals. But, like her funny, mercurial friend, they were lost forever.

Scott and Jesse had about the same number of journals. Four stacks. She wondered what Scott the engineer, kept in his journals. Jesse’s were filled with drawings and comments about the churches they visited. Jesse loved old churches. Every trip, they visited at least one church. Alex fanned Jesse’s journals in front of her. She felt a familiar warmth and safety brought by her best-friend.

Charlie’s journal sat on top of the desk next to her own last journal. Going from stack to stack, she pulled the last journals from each of the stacks. She set the journals out in a row on the table. She counted eleven journals. She set Charlene’s fake journals above the eleven true journals.

Alex folded her arms across her chest. She was looking at the last words of the Fey Special Forces Team.

“Yes,” she said to the knock at the door.

The door opened to show a small round faced woman. If she wasn’t wearing in a full dress Marine uniform, Alex would have thought she was twelve years old. The woman’s eyes went wide with surprise and she popped to a salute.

“Who are you?” Alex asked.

“Private First Class Margaret Peaches reporting for duty, sir. I mean ma’am. I mean Fey. I mean…”

“At ease Private,” Alex said. “Why are you here?”

“I’m a translator, ma’am. I’m a member of the Navajo nation. My grandfather was a code talker in World War II, ma’am. The Peaches have always been Marines. We’re always ready to be of service,” Private Peaches spoke in a rush of anxious words. “I’m here to fulfill a request by Major Joseph Walter. High priority clearance ma’am. I flew to Denver from the sand.”

“I’m sure you’re exhausted,” Alex said.

“I’m here to serve, sir. If you show me where I can start, I’ll begin at once.”

“Private Peaches, we are about to have dinner and a little party,” Alex said. “If you’d like to look over these books, you may start. But I will encourage you to join us for dinner.”

“Yes ma’am. I worked on your books last fall,” Private Peaches said. “I’m here to work, ma’am. I…”

“Ok,” Alex said. “First, you need to call me sir.”

“Oh. Oh. Oh. I’m sorry. I remember that from last fall, but… Oh crap!”

Alex smiled.

“Why don’t you start with these two books?” Alex asked. “We know they are fakes. We ran them through every test. We haven’t found anything – electronic, microbot, gadgets, even biological weapon. Just this nonsensical prose. Most of the families threw the books away. Maybe your fresh set of eyes can reveal their mysteries.”

“Yes sir,” Private Peaches said. “I won’t let you down, sir.”

“I’ll come to get you when I’m done,” Alex said.

“For?”

“Dinner.”

“I’m here to work. My Sergeant told me I needed to work hard and not let you down. And I don’t intend to ever let you down, sir.”

“Then come to dinner,” Alex said. “Do you need additional translators?”

“No, sir,” Private Peaches said. “I can do this. I want to do this.”

Alex smiled at the eager girl.

“We’re ready,” Joseph said.

“Major Walter, this is Private First Class Margaret Peaches,” Alex said.

Joseph nodded his welcome.

“She’s going to take a look at the fakes,” Alex said.

“Great,” Joseph said. “We’ll return in thirty minutes. Join us for dinner.”

“Sir, I intend to work hard for Lieutenant Colonel Hargreaves, sir.”

“Then come to dinner,” Joseph said. “We’ll be back.”

The Marine was sitting down at the table when Alex and Joseph left the room. Walking down the hall, Joseph took her hand. She turned to hug him.

“So hard to move on,” he whispered.

Pressing her face into his shoulder, she began to cry.

“I miss them so much,” she said.

“We don’t have to…”

“It’s time,” she said. “The boys would want us to form a new team.”

“Charlie would scream at us for waiting so long.”

Alex shifted back to look at Joseph’s tear drenched face. Their eyes held.

“New team, new era.” As if to dismiss them, she swatted at her tears. “We must be brave.”

Joseph clasped her to him. They stood together for a moment. Pulling tissue from her pocket, Alex offered Joseph one then used another for her own tears.

“You’re prepared.”

“Girl Scout,” she laughed.

“You were never a Girl Scout.”

“Boy Scout?”

Shaking his head, Joseph held his hand out to her. They walked hand in hand through the carriage house to the main rooming house. The men were waiting for them in the dining room. Joseph held the door for Alex. They hugged one last time for strength.

Alex’s Sergeant waited for them in the kitchen. Joseph took the contracts from him. One last look at Alex, and Joseph entered the dining room. Alex stood in the doorway to watch.

“In my hand are your contracts to join the new Fey Team.”

FFFFFF

Three hours later
Wednesday early-morning
April 2, 2009 – 12:15 A.M. MDT
Denver, CO

Alex wandered outside to let Maggie out. Signing the contracts led to a boisterous dinner which continued through the bars on Colfax. The rowdy team members arrived at the rooming house with a bevy of rowdy women. Trece and White Boy were entertaining five college girls in the newly purchased hot tub. Troy and a curvy brunette were doing some version of dirty dancing on the deck. Sharing a lounger, Sami and Raz cuddled under a fleece blanket near the chimenea.

After Maggie finished her business, Alex picked her up and went inside. Vince and Emily were playing cards across the dining room table with Joseph and Nancy. Cian, Max, Private First Class Margaret Peaches, Eoin and his red haired girlfriend were laughing and arguing in the den. She checked on Larry and Helene, who were watching the children in the basement.

Only Matthew and Erin had made an early night of it. Well, and Alex. After receiving solemn promises to keep the noise down, she gave Maggie to Max and retreated to her bedroom.

“Mmm,” John said. Alex slipped into the bed next to him. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You and your hairy palms?”

John kissed her lips.

“Why are you still naked?” she asked.

Her hand ran across his chest. Trying to decide what to do, her fingers pulled the dog tag along its chain before moving down his body. Her fingertips swirled the thin line of hair that went from his navel to his trimmed public hair. John sighed at her touch.

“I had this enlightening conversation with Trece,” John said.

Alex jerked up to look at him. “Yeah?”

“He explained in great detail how I get hair on my palms,” John said. He took her hand and demonstrated the movement along him. “He went on to explain other American euphemisms.”

“Like what?”

John slipped on top of her. He kissed her lips.

“I remembered something from my OB rotation in medical school.”

“Uh huh,” she said. She lifted up so he could pull her T-shirt over her head.

“The concern after hysterectomy is infection from intercourse,” he said.

Hooking his fingers under her panties, he pulled them off.

“What does this have to do with Trece?” she asked.

She gasped as John pulled her nipple into his mouth.

“He told me the meaning of the phrase: ‘southern route.’”

“Mmmm.”

His mouth continued moving down her body. His tongue explored her belly button. Moving along her body, his lips pulled at her soft flesh. She shifted her hips as his tongue and lips found purchase in her tender folds.

“Wait! What about you? You can’t keep growing hair on your palms.”

“Trece also reminded me of the term ‘69.’”

When he lifted her body over his, she giggled. She had just started when he said:

“I wanted to ask you something.”

She looked at his face.

“You know, I realize I don’t really know about you and Zack.”

“You’re asking me about Zack? Now?”

“I realized I didn’t know… the other day when you were upset. I keep forgetting to ask.”

“I must not be very good at this,” she said.

Peering at his face, she saw he was embarrassed. She gave him a soft smile and move to the bed. She shifted her body around so her head rested on his shoulder.

“Why did you stop?” he asked.

“I’d prefer to talk about this. We can return to our festivities when we’re done,” she said. “What do you want to know?”

“What happened between you and Zack?”

“Nothing,” Alex said.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean ‘nothing?’”

“I mean, Zack told everyone we were lovers and we weren’t,” Alex said. “It broke my heart. So when he started up again later, I broke his nose.”

“Did you kiss him?” he asked

“Yesterday, I kissed his cheek. He gave me a peck on the lips like he always does. You know, I don’t think I’ve gone out of my way to kiss Zack… ever. Probably. We’d have to ask Max.”

“No.” John’s voice was frustrated. “As a kid, did you kiss? Make out? Fool around?”

“He kissed me once, messed his pants and passed out,” Alex said. “At a party.”

“So you’re saying…?”

“I’m not saying anything,” Alex said.

John sat up to look at her.

“But Alex, who was your first lover? This really freaks me out. I felt like I knew you. Now I don’t feel like I know you at all.”

“I know that feeling.”

She gave him a wry look. He fell back to the bed in agreement. He stared at the ceiling for a moment.

“Who was your first lover?”

“You.”

“What? How is that even possible?”

“Zack told everyone I was a whore so I couldn’t get a date in high school. I didn’t want boyfriends or lovers in the Army. Any complication could keep me out of Forces training. Men weren’t worth the risk. I met you right after training. It’s pretty simple.”

“Oh,” John said. “Oh.”

“Oh what?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You never asked,” Alex said. “Plus you were like Mister Girl a Night guy. I was kind of embarrassed.”

“Oh.”

John was silent so long she looked up to see if he had fallen asleep. She saw tears in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I’m overwhelmed,” he said. “It’s hard for me to imagine you haven’t had a million lovers. You’re sure?”

Alex nodded.

“I’m the luckiest man in the entire world.” John laughed.

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.

“You should play with Patrick,” John said. “He’s unbelievable. He makes Alex look like…”

“Forty years his junior,” Raz said. “Can you imagine what she’s going to be like when she’s his age?”

“Nothing would make me happier than to play cards with Alexandra when she’s seventy,” John said.

“Ahhhh,” James said. “Johnny fancies the wife.”

“He hopes Alex lives that long,” Cian said.

The men fell silent at the thought.

“Cards?” Raz asked.

“Two,” James said.

The front door smashed open. Two men, carrying machine guns, rushed into the carriage house. Acting surprised, James and John jumped to their feet. In the noise, Raz cocked the handgun hidden in his right arm sling.

“Get down!” The men screamed. “Get the fuck down!”

“Really, that’s not necessary.” John accentuated his London accent. “I have cash. Do you require the cards as well?”

He extended his wallet in the men’s direction. White Boy and Cian crept up behind them. One man turned to engage White Boy.

Cian smashed the Hurley in the back of the other man. Moving at the same time, John and James punched the man’s face. The man dropped unconscious to the ground.

“Hold him still,” Cian yelled to White Boy.

White Boy grabbed the attacker’s arms and Cian bashed the man with his Hurley. One last punch from White Boy and the second man was down.

White Boy and Cian dragged the men into the sitting area’s walk-in closet. White Boy closed and locked the door. White Boy plopped down next to John on the couch.

“Whose cards are these?” White Boy asked.

“Move over,” Cian said. White Boy made room for John and Cian on the couch.

“Mine,” John said. He took another hand of cards from Raz.

“These cards are mine now,” White Boy said.

“Your hand’s bleeding.” James pointed to John’s hand.

“Bloody hell!” John looked at his bleeding right knuckle. “I’m a God damn surgeon. My hands are my life. I’ll lose everything if I injure my hands. Fuck. I know people who won’t even ride bicycles for fear of injuring their hands.”

“You probably caught his tooth,” Raz said. He pointed to his incisor.

“There’s no residency for punching people.” John grumbled.

“Surgeons are such pussies,” White Boy said under his breath.

“Watch it! That pussy is my brother,” Cian and James said at the same time. They laughed.

“Two in the back,” Vince yelled. “One upstairs.”

“Oh crap,” Larry yelled.

They heard wrestling upstairs when two men burst through the back of the carriage house. The men rushed past Matthew and Vince and into the sitting area.

“Get the fuck down,” the man screamed.

“We’re making weather here,” James said.

“I don’t give a fuck what you’re doing. Get down.”

“It means we’re hard at work,” John said.

“I was about to call,” James said. “Call.”

“Get the fuck down.” The second man pushed the muzzle of a machine gun in James’s face.

Making an exasperated gesture, James grabbed the muzzle of the machine gun and flipped the man over the couch. White Boy turned in his seat to punch the man to the ground. The man rose to sitting to fight with White Boy.

The other man rushed forward and was tripped by Cian. As he was falling, Raz rose up slightly then punched him in the face. Even with a left handed punch, the man was out. He fell into John’s lap. John lifted his cards over the man’s head.

“No blood.” Raz showed John his left hand.

“You’ve had a bit more practice than I have.” John nodded.

“Talent,” Raz said. “I prefer to think of it as talent.”

“You would, wouldn’t you?” John replied.

“I could use some help here,” White Boy said.

Cian tossed his Hurley to Vince. Vince bashed White Boy’s challenger over the head.

“Thanks.”

White Boy turned around to sit on the couch again. He wiped the blood from his cards with his T-shirt.

“Full house,” John said.

Matthew looked over the couch to John’s cards.

“Four of a kind,” James said. “Aces.”

“Read them and weep,” White Boy said. He unveiled a straight flush. “I always wanted to say that.”

“They were my cards,” John said.

“Yeah, but you won’t tell Alex will you? I’ve never won at cards.”

John shook his head. Their heads turned to look at the ceiling as scuffling continued upstairs.

“You guys all right?” Matthew yelled up the stairs.

“Ha ha!” Helene laughed and hooted. “Got him!”

“Raz?” James asked.

“Flush,” Raz said.

They passed the cards to James and he began shuffling.

“Hey, I was going to ask you, James Bond,” White Boy said. “How does the ‘license to kill’ thing work? Is it like a hunting license with a bag limit? Or more like a driver’s license? Do you actually get a laminated ‘license to kill’ card like our IDs?”

James raised a single eyebrow to White Boy’s flood of questions. The entire line of questioning was based in Ian Fleming’s imaginary James Bond.

“I assure you, I live in accordance to Her Majesty’s laws,” James sniffed.

Cian and John raised their eyebrows at James.

“What’s a bag limit?” James asked.

The men laughed.

“Would you mind…?” John pointed to the man in his lap.

“Sorry,” White Boy said. “I forgot.”

White Boy dragged the man from John’s lap to the closet. Vince followed White Boy with the other unconscious man.

“How are you feeling?” Vince asked Matthew.

“All right,” Matthew said. “I need to sit down.”

Cian and James moved over to give Matthew a tight spot on the couch.

“You will never ever believe what happened!” Larry trotted down the steps followed by Helene. “Helene knocked this guy out with her feet! They came through the upstairs window. We pushed one guy back out the window. He landed on the ground. BLAM! He hit his head.

“Then the other guy? I was fighting him. Man, he was really big and so strong. Helene grabbed the door jam and whapped the guy with her feet. John, what happened to your hand?”

“I’m told I caught someone’s tooth,” John said.

“It’s bleeding,” Larry said. “You should clean it or it will…”

The front and back door burst open. The man at the front door cocked his machine gun and pulled the trigger. Raz shot him dead with the handgun in his arm sling. Everyone ducked to avoid the spray of machine gunfire as the man fell to the ground.

The man at the back door turned and ran.

“Get him,” Matthew said.

“Me?” Larry asked. “Why me?”

Helene ran after the man at the back door. Surprised, Larry stood for a moment.

“Get your girl!” Cian, James and John said.

Larry raced out the back. He tackled the man in a snow drift on the lawn.

“Who’s that?” Colin appeared from the house.

“Bad guy,” Larry said. The man wrestled out of Larry’s grip.

Before the man could stand, Colin caught him in the chest with a solid back kick. The man skid backwards to Helene’s feet. Helene stomped on the man’s face breaking his nose. The man screamed with pain. Larry jumped on the man to hold him down. Colin put his foot over the man’s windpipe until the man passed out.

“Let me guess,” Colin said.

They turned to see a Black Hawk helicopter fly overhead.

“While I was waiting for the doctor to appear for a baby check up, bored out of my fucking mind I might add, you guys were having fun,” Colin said. “God damn it! I always miss the fun stuff.”

Alex ran through the back gate to the carriage house. One at a time, the men followed Alex to the carriage house. With her handgun out, Alex took a breath for courage at the back door. She whispered a prayer that everyone was alive. Creeping through the carriage house, she entered the sitting area. Troy and Trece followed Alex until they stood in the sitting area watching James, Cian, John, Raz, Matthew and White Boy finished another hand of poker.

“Hello, love,” John said. “Fold.”

He stood from the couch to kiss Alex.

“What did you do to your hand?” she asked.

“My hand?  Huh,” he said. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Cut yourself shaving did you?” Trece asked.

“Shaving?”

“Yeah. You cut yourself shaving your hairy palms.”

The men snickered.

“My what?” John asked. “What is he talking about?”

“I’ll explain later,” Alex said.

“I won a hand!” Everyone looked at White Boy. “Can you believe…?”

Joseph and Denver SWAT exploded through the front door. Ten armed SWAT team officers streamed through the front door of the carriage house. The men stared at the SWAT team.

“Can you believe it?!” White Boy continued. “I won a hand. You can ask these guys. I had a straight flush!”

Alex rubbed her mouth to keep from laughing.

F