Anna and Eddie came down from the Lear as Pete began post-flight checks and Carl hooked up the tractor to the nose gear. Eddie had come to greatly admire the oldest member of the island’s population. He was really impressed at the way she handled the purchase of GWT. She waited until the stock prices to rock bottom before striking.

“Miss Anna, I got to ask. Yesterday when the stock prices were falling out of control like that. Why did you wait until they hit rock bottom like that?” Eddie asked.

“Why Edward, it was to save money. I had no desire to pay full price for a company that I could get at Fire-sale prices.” The old woman giggled. “This was one-time Edward where patience was a virtue. I knew that the price of those stocks would reach rock bottom faster than the traders expected. Especially after what our little darlings, Gemini, dumped on the net and in the laps of the news hounds.”

“Damn that is just mean, Miss Anna.” Eddie chuckled.

“Far from it, dear boy. If I wanted it to be mean. I would have let the company go into full bankruptcy before stepping in.” Anna told him bluntly. “I have to be honest though. I wasn’t quite expecting the reactions of the other federal authorities. I hadn’t expected them to react so quickly. There should have been at least a day or two delay.”

“Was that why you had reservations for three days instead of just the one?” Eddie asked her bluntly.

“Yes, it was. I fully expected to have a fight on my hands with the old board of directors for GWT. Instead, they bailed out using their ‘golden parachutes’ to the last man or are in the hands of the federal authorities. I truly thought that I was going to have a major fight on my hands in Miami just trying to sort things. Instead I was able to handle everything just by smiling and making a few phone calls. Most of which I enjoyed. Only two of them were a pain in the ass. Those two men I enjoyed firing.” Anna grinned.

As they approached the main hangar and office for Ram-Air Charters they were met by Kimberly. “Nice to have you back home, Miss Anna.”

“Nice to be back. I hope you got my text?” Anna smiled.

“We were surprised by the number of shares you were able to snatch up. What was the final total?” Kimberly smirked.

Anna’s answer was to reach into her briefcase and hand Kimberly a portfolio. “Here are the shares of the company, dear. I think that you’ll find everything is in order.”

Anna turned and walked out the hangar towards the DeMarco home. “Be sure to send Mindy up for her afternoon snack when she gets home from school.”

As Kimberly read through the packets she gawked, finding it hard to believe what she was reading. “MISS ANNA; THIS CAN’T BE RIGHT!”

Anna stopped and looked back over her shoulder then chuckled.

Eddie looked over at her. “What was that all about Miss Anna?”

“Oh, just a little something that Madam Maria has done for all of you here on the island.” Anna told the young man that she had come to think of as a nephew. Anna reached into her briefcase one more time before handing a file of forms over to Eddie. “By the way Edward. I forgot to give you these.”

Eddie took one look at the papers in his hands and knew what they were. They were stock certificates for GWT. All in his name. “Miss Anna why is my name on all these certificates?”

“Oh, those are my gift to you for escorting this old lady for the last days.” Anna smiled shyly. “It made me feel young, beautiful and cherished again.”

Eddie said the only thing a smart man could to that comment. “Miss Anna, you may have a few years on most of us on the island, but you’re not ready for the retirement home. And secondly, you’re still as beautiful a woman as the Madam or any of the others Miss Anna.”

“Oh, you are truly a rogue among rogues, Edward. I’ll be seeing you at dinner time. Today I think I’ll introduce your taste buds to a real Chicago style pizza. So be sure to bring your appetite.” Before Anna could escape to the DeMarco home she was stopped by Lyssa.

“Just a moment, Anna. You're needed downstairs.”

“I thought that my part in this little operation was over?” Anna asked.

“We are in need of your experience. We have a bunch of ledgers that were scanned and uploaded by Gemini last night.” Lyssa explained for the older woman.

“I see that I have missed a great deal. May I have a few minutes to change into something more island friendly?” Anna waved at the business suit that she was currently wearing. While stylish and acceptable for a boardroom or trading floor it wasn’t really meant for wear around Ram’s Rock.

“Of course. Annette hasn't been able to make heads or tails of them and the rest of us are wrapped up.” Lyssa said. That statement grabbed Anna’s attention.

“If the White Tulip can’t figure out the code then it must be a nasty one. Lead the way Prima.” Anna turned and headed towards the TOC. “Time is of the essence. The Madam will need that information.”

Lyssa just nodded as the older woman went from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye. Gone was the loyal maid for a family of assassins and in her place was the Consiglieri for one of the most feared families of assassins in the world. It was this quality above all else that Lyssa admired in Anna. Anna’s loyalty to Maria amazed the Operator at times.

Lyssa knew loyalty among team and unit members. She had seen firsthand the loyalty of men, some of whom she called brothers, lead to death for each other. Though being around Maria and her family for three years, Anna still held some mystery at times. The biggest mystery for Lyssa was the reason behind the almost blind love and loyalty of Anna’s for the DeMarco family.

“One day I would like to know how you and Madam Maria became such good friends.” Lyssa knew that the story would be highly entertaining by the way Anna chuckled.

“Would you believe it was in competition over a contract when we were both younger than you. If I my math is correct Sergeant-Major, you would’ve just been entering kindergarten.” Anna was telling Lyssa as they approached the TOC's door. “Perhaps we could sit down with a glass of…” Anna trailed off then stopped and looked directly at Lyssa.

Lyssa stopped as well and turned, waiting her to finish.

“I almost forgot how dangerous it is to share wine alone with you.” Anna said cautiously.

Lyssa casually leaned her back to the wall. “That's a polite way to put it Anna. You are worried?”

“You had your reasons with the girls. I did agree. The Madam would as well if she knew. Because of you, a former exploiter of Kasey no longer exists and the back-up plan of Kristine’s father that she tried to forget about is in the grave as well. I thank you again, for removing those threats to them. I also thank you for not subjecting the Madam, Annette or Samantha to such inquiry as well.” Anna said.

Lyssa’s gaze didn’t waver. “I made a deal with you. Let me question the girls, without stress or recollection, deal with any threats personally and I would not disturb Maria, Annette or Samantha’s privacy. The Major authorized my action. Deal made, deal kept. Yes?”

Anna nodded. “Yes. I cannot disagree with you. You even left me my own privacy. I thank you for that as well.”

Lyssa sighed. “I don’t care if you have secrets, secret ways. Have them. But on-mission, results matter. I adhere to the rules of engagement. All freebies are gone. No going off reservation. That was the deal and you all agreed to it. Kasey and Kristine too.”

“You have your secrets as well.” Anna pointed out.

“That’s true. The secret that could have meant anything to any of you was dealt with. You were watching the twins for me at the time. The girls may have mentioned it though.” Lyssa commented.

Anna thought a moment then looked back to Lyssa. “Ah yes. The girls did complain about that Colonel in charge of your former associates. It was implied you, yourself, hold a certain regard for him as well. I believe that regard is not favorable.”

“I'd like to disembowel Raines, yes. But that’s personal. That’s why he stayed out of my range. He knew I would do it. He never meddled with any of you. I wouldn’t allow it, and neither would the Major.” Lyssa assured her.

Anna grinned. “Rodrick’s displeasure was quite obvious.”

Lyssa smirked back. “Oh that? That was nothing. Rodrick hits harder sparring with me. Let’s go in now, they’re probably about to rip their hair out.”

“Oh, how dreadful that would be!” Anna laughed.

“Something I am curious about. How did you earn your moniker the Nightingale?” Lyssa questioned the older woman as they entered the TOC.

Annette looked up from her place at the conference table. The bagel in her hand forgotten for the moment. “That is a story that I would love to hear myself, Miss Anna. How did you earn it?”

“Well then while we’re going over these new ledgers. I shall regale you all with a story that is almost as enlightening as it is funny.” Anna looked at the bagel in Annette’s hand. “How many is that, today, Annette?”

“This is only my second, Miss Anna.” Annette blushed as if she was a little girl caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Again.

The rest of the gathered adults just chuckled. Rodrick handed Anna a coffee cup as he took his own place at the table. “Miss Anna have you always been able to curb Annette this way?”

“Not always, Master Rodrick. Annette was a very willful child at times in her younger years. I remember this one time where she and her partner in crime, Joseph Capizeo, broke into the neighborhood sweet shop. What was the name Annette? Toothy Sweets?” Anna questioned of a now beet red Annette.

“It was Toot Sweets, Miss Anna.” Annette looked down at her bagel. “They made the best cakes, sweets and bagels in all of Toledo. Before you bring it up. Me and Joey got caught in the backroom, with two dozen empty cookie trays and a gallon of milk. That was the first time we ever got arrested. If it hadn’t been for Mr. Hamilton dropping the charges, we would have ended up with arrest records.”

Annette got quiet as she thought about the man who had owned that bakery. “I wish that we could have done more for his family. They were good people.”

Anna sighed and walked over then placed her hand on the shoulder of the young woman whose diapers she helped change. “I know dear. The neighborhood was a much sadder place when they closed their doors.”

Annette put down her bagel and wipe the tear that ran down her cheek. In a very blunt attempt to change the topic, she grabbed the first ledger near her. “Miss Anna, do you think you can give us a direction for these headers?”

Anna just smiled and patted Annette on the shoulder. Taking the ledger from Annette’s hand. “Let me take a look?”

“I think I see the problem. You all have been assuming that the headers and log entries are in some kind of code. The truth is they’re not.” Anna said after she had looked over the entries for a few minutes. “I take it that you believe this to be the case. Simply because of the fact that the person who owned them was former military?”

“It would be SOP, Miss Anna, Standard Operating Procedure.” Said Rodrick, as Lyssa and Kimberly nodded their heads. “If she didn’t it would go against her training.”

“I see. The problem is you have looked at these ledgers from the military point of view. When you should have looked at these ledgers with the mind of a criminal. Which is something Annette should have been doing.” Anna looked down at her one-time student and charge. “Your mother would not be pleased.”

“Wait a minute here Miss Anna. I have been looking at all these ledgers like you taught me. None of it makes any sense. I mean I can figure out what each column means. The first column is a list of payouts. The second is a tally of the first. The third is a list of payments coming in. The fourth is a tally of the third. And the fifth column is a total of the first four. The kick in my ass has been in the header column. I mean they’re just a bunch of numbers and letters. That’s it. They have to be some type of code.” When Annette finished, she snarled and took a bite of her bagel.

Anna looked at Annette then over at the header column. She then saw what Annette was getting at. To a normal person the numbers and letters did look like a high security code. Even to the three operators in the room it would look like a security code. The problem was it wasn’t a code in the traditional sense of the word.

“I can see what you’re getting at child. You’re all just over thinking the problem. This is not a code used in the world of espionage. These are all bank routing numbers. Ones that are used for nations which have less stringent banking laws. Places that have no problems with hiding money from US authorities. These banks have better security than most Swiss banks. I should know. I have accounts with half of them. In one form or another.” Anna told them all with a smile.

“Okay, if you say so. Let sleeping dogs lay as far as that is concerned. What can you tell us about those bank routing numbers?” Lyssa asked bluntly. “Is there any way to track them without tipping our hand?”

“Annette, be a dear and fetch my jewelry box please?” Anna asked.

“Be back in ten minutes. You want the rosewood or white ash jewelry box?” Annette asked as she stood up.

“The rosewood one, dear. It’ll have what I need to track down these routing numbers.” Anna had turned her full attention back to the ledger in her hand. “And bring your own collection dear.”

“Do you need just the ones stateside or all thirty-two?” Annette asked as she headed for the door.

“All thirty-two, Annette. Thank you.” Anna never looked up at Annette as she left the room. “Now that she is out of the room. Where is Miss Krystel?”

“Currently dealing with the files we were able to download off of Sylvia Price’s server.” Rodrick told Anna honestly. “She has found some nasty shit in those files already.”

“I don’t doubt it. Price is, no, was a vile thing that should have been put down the day she was born. She is certainly one of a handful of people that I would have killed and taken great joy in doing so.” Anna snarled. “Right here in my hands is enough evidence to have her hung in the middle of the town square with an old rope. At high-noon on a Sunday with a full brass band and cheerleaders.”

“Wow. I’ve heard you get your knickers in a twist before, but this is new.” Kimberly said as she looked up at Anna. “Does it have something to do with this case?”

“Not just this case, Kimberly.” Anna sighed. “Maybe I’m getting too old for this crap anymore. I’ve been in the game longer than Maria for more years than I care to count. Perhaps your Major as well.”

“Yeah? Just how long have you been in the game?” Rodrick asked.

“Going on forty years now, Master Rodrick.” At the stunned looks surround the table Anna chuckled. “You heard me correctly. I will be celebrating my sixtieth birthday this December twentieth. I killed my first man when I was just twenty-one. A vile piece of trash and corrupt politician by the name of Jaco Cavalla.”

“Nothing like cutting your teeth on a nice juicy high-profile target.” Rodrick commented with a smile.

“Not really, Master Rodrick. Jaco Cavalla was a low-level politician in Southern Italy. He was in charge of the local train union. The man had his hand in just about every pocket in the lower half of the country and enough blackmail to stay in power. He was a bigger crook than Al Capone. And three times as ruthless as Capone ever dreamed of being.” Anna told them while going over the ledger. “My father was the one to give me the contract.”

“Miss Anna, I have to ask a very personal question. One that has been bugging me since the operation in Italy. Is it normal for families, such as the DeMarco’s and Capizeo’s, to earn their first kills at such a young age?” Kimberly asked her politely.

“For the very few at that are like the Madam and her family, no. Most families that raise their children in the life of the assassin hold them back until they’re in the early to mid-twenties. Much the way that I was. I know that Maria was not much older than Kristine when she claimed her first kill.” Anna did not see the looks of surprise, shock, and simple acceptance that ranged between the three operators. It was those looks that Annette walked in on. She took one look and knew what was going through their minds. She had seen it all before. Only it was with her daughters.

“I see that you’ve been talking out of school about momma again. Which story have you been retelling this time Miss Anna?” Annette smirked as she held out a rosewood and a black walnut jewelry box to the older assassin. “I brought mine as well, just like you asked.”

Anna set the ledger down and took the two boxes. “Thank you, dear. I know that I have more coins then you, but you do have a few that I don’t have.”

Anna rummaged through the rosewood box first. Pulling out the first coin Anna smiled. “Here we go. The first set of numbers we need to decode this ledger. It should reveal to us who is the owner of this account.”

“How does it work?” Lyssa asked.

“Replace the numbers of the account with the numbers on the backside of the coin. Then replace the numbers with letters and you know who owns the account.” Anna explained the system of the coins and accounts.

Lyssa, Rodrick and Kimberly stared in wonder. That so simple of a system could confound the greatest criminalist and forensic accounting specialists for so long. The basically three-part system, while simple, was complex to the point of being unbreakable. Because if you didn’t have one part; the whole thing was nothing more than a bunch of random numbers. The kick in the ass was the system was older than modern code breaking.

Annette just chuckled. “Got the first one, Miss Anna. It seems that we might need to go with a few more outside contractors. In fact, I would highly suggest that we go that route.”

“How many are we talking about Annette?” Lyssa asked.

“If this number and account holder's name is correct. I would say were looking at more than sixty but less than seventy individual contracts. Say sixty-five or sixty-six.” Annette sighed and looked at Anna. “WAY too many for us to handle either in teams or as individuals without getting burned. No way around it. We’re all some of the best, but we go taking out that many targets. Sooner or later our luck runs out. That is the nature of the beast. Before you say that you can pull it off Lyssa, don’t. You have as much to lose as we all do in this matter. It would be best if we use outside contractors to handle this matter for us.”

“Lyssa, Annette is only stating the facts. This contract already has an ‘Oh shit’ factor that is far too high for the Marshal’s or her husband’s liking. If using outside contractors is distasteful, I’ll handle all the negotiations.” Anna told them all. “As the Donna’s Consiglieri that is my job.”

“Let’s table that idea for now. In the meantime. Miss Anna, just how did you ever come to hold such a valued position with Madam Maria?” Kimberly questioned. “I mean you’ve known Madam Maria for a lot longer than anyone.”

“I did promise you a story. I believe that how I met the Madam is as good as any. Especially while we work on these ledgers.” Anna handed out individual copies of the ledgers and spread out the coins.

“It was fall, the year was nineteen-eighty, I was twenty-two at the time. The place was Saint Petersburg, only back then it was called Leningrad. The Iron Curtain was still up, and the Cold War was at its apex. And the youngest Prima Absolute to ever grace the world’s stage danced within the greatest of the world’s theaters. My father had taken a contract for your CIA. Back in those days it was a common practice. They had integrity back then as well. MI-6 did as well. He in turn gave that contract to me. I was sent in to do just one thing, eliminate a rather vile little man by the name of Anton Pavlov. The little slug was a KGB Security Officer assigned to the ballet company.” Anna let her mind go back through time to that cold harsh time in history. To a country where people didn’t know who to trust. Especially not the government.

“Little did I know that this slip of a girl, who was barely sixteen and weighing no more than ninety pounds soaking wet, was there to take out the same man. To look at her you would never believe that she was the most wanted assassin in the world at the time.” Annette giggled at Anna’s description of her mother. “One who had already earned her bloody reputation before I.”

“Wait you mean to tell us that Madam Maria had already earned her name at sixteen as the Dove?” Lyssa asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry, Prima Lyssa. Maria was given the name the Dove’s Shadow back when she was at the Bolshoi Academy at the very tender age of fourteen. That is right ladies and gentleman, Maria DeMarco’s real moniker is the Dove’s Shadow among the ballet world. She and your old mentor, Olga the Iron Doll, were quite the rivals back then. Some say that their rivalry was one of the greatest in the world. Olga was able to secure the title of Prima Absolute before Maria by a few months. Not surprising. The two of them were stealing the hearts of men and women alike, as they danced across the stages of the world. To those in the criminal world, she is known as the Dove of Death. I think that only the Iron Doll still calls her the Dove’s Shadow. To the rest of the world she is just the Dove. One of the greatest living Primas of all time.” Anna let her smile fill her voice over the notion that she was one of the few who knew where Maria’s moniker came. “The world of law enforcement only knew of her by a trademark red dove’s feather.”

“Where did that come from anyway? The dove’s feather I mean?” Lyssa asked as Annette looked up with questioning eyes.

This time Anna just chuckled. “It was part of a stage costume that she once wore. I believe that the ballet was ‘The Firebird’ by Igor Stravinsky. Her mark was a vile man by the name of Lennard Brandon. He was the head of London’s Baker Street Gang. He was a drunkard, a womanizer and murderer of the first order. The man had escaped the hangman’s noose seven times for rape. He had one vice that only Maria could exploit. His love of ballet. She invited the man to have dinner with her after a show. He agreed. The man died at the dinner table before thirty witnesses. The coroner’s report read that he died of a rare food allergy to asparagus.”

“What did he really die of?” Kimberly asked.

“Only the Madam knows what he really died of, Kimberly. She just left a feather off her costume in his suit pocket and paid the bill for dinner before disappearing into the night.” Maria chuckled before continuing with her story. “Anyway; so, there I was, in Leningrad, out to kill one of the vilest men in the KGB. I had spent the past five days tracking the man. Learning everything I could about the slug. Then, on the last night, I followed him to the Royal Ballet in Leningrad. I purchased a ticket and followed the man inside. That was the first time I ever laid eyes on Maria ‘the Dove’s Shadow’ DeMarco. She was nothing more than a slip of a girl who graced the stage with an unearthly presence.”

A note of fondness for the memory filled Anna’s voice. “The moment I saw her dance for the first time, I knew that I had to meet her. But I had a contract to fulfill first. At the end of the night, I followed my mark back to his home and during the early hours of the morning, I slipped over the backyard wall. I never saw Maria until I entered the man’s bedroom. There she stood over his cooling body. Clear as a black dove flying across the night sky. A bloody knife in her hand and a sly smile on her face. The little minx gave me an elegant curtsy and introduced herself. I’ll never forget her first words to me. ‘Good evening Nightingale. It seems that we finally meet. Shall we dance?’”

“You have got to be shitting me? Maria ‘the Dove’ DeMarco actually challenged you to a fight in the middle of a contract?” Kimberly snarked. “I find that hard to believe Miss Anna.”

“That is exactly what the Madam did, Kimberly. I must admit that I found the situation rather humorous myself at the time. I know that this sounds crazy and unbelievable to all of you. But even back then, no one in their right mind claimed that the ‘Dove of Death’ was sane. Trust me I held no illusions as to my chances against this slip of a girl. She could have killed me before I ever reached for my knife or gun. Maria Demarco was just that deadly in her younger years.” Anna sighed as she thought back to that night.

“Damn. So, she was a boogeyman of the underworld at seventeen? I find that hard to believe.” Lyssa smiled.

“No, that honor went to Marry Capizeo aka ‘Bloody Mary’, ‘the Crimson Ghost’, ‘Hell’s Maiden’, and a few other names that have been lost to time. A woman that had claimed the lives of more men, than Madam Maria and me combined, by the time she was eighteen.” When the three military operatives looked over at Annette to confirm what they just heard from Anna.

Annette just nodded her head. “As deadly as Samantha has become, she still has yet to match her mother. I won’t even bring up her grandparents. Their names are still only whispered in the darkest corners of the halls of every organized crime family in the world.”

The three operators just chuckled with Lyssa giving Annette a small smile. “I must say Annette you paint a very ‘intimidating’ picture.”

“Prima Lyssa, you think that Annette is pulling your leg? I can assure you that she is not. We have never lied to the military side of OCIA. We have all told you repeatedly that Stephany Capizeo is the deadliest of us all. Not Samantha Justice but Stephany Capizeo, why wouldn’t her parents be just as deadly. If not more so?” Anna pointed out for everyone.

“Okay, we can see that.” Rodrick answered for them. “But why is Samantha so distrusting of our side of the house? Can you tell us that much?”

“It all goes back to the way she was raised, Master Rodrick. You have to remember that Samantha Justice holds the secrets of not just one Mafia family, but two of the most feared. Please remember that Samantha is the product of the Capizeo and the Di Stefano families.” Annette told them as she picked up a second ledger. “Oh, that last ledger concerns the accounting for all of Price’s and Abram’s legal businesses.”

“Annette just why does Samantha’s father have the last name of Capizeo if he was a Di Stefano? Shouldn’t her mother be the one with the name of Di Stefano?” Kimberly asked, confused.

“Normally that would have been true, Kimberly. But among certain old world families there is a custom where the husband takes the bride's last name. They truly marry into the families. The DeMarco and Capizeo families are just two of those families.” Anna explained for Annette as she looked over the first ledger that Annette had finished decoding. “Annette, what is this one entry for ‘Precision Holding’?”

“I’m working on that one right now, Miss Anna. Before you ask, that is the only entry for ‘Precision Holding’ in that ledger. It stood out as a major anomaly to me as well. I got this sick feeling that there is more to that one company than I want to admit.” Annette’s words had the three operators looking for the same entry in the ledgers they were looking at.

Rodrick was the first one to spot the entry. “Is that entry at the bottom on the last page? Fifth column?”

“I got the same entry in the same place.” Kimberly said as she looked up at Anna. Looking over at Lyssa as she raised her head. “You got the same one?”

Lyssa nodded with a scowl. “Same. Bottom of the last page; fifth column. Annette flip to the last page of that new ledger.”

Annette did as asked, and there it was in black and white. “Right where you expected it to be. We need a thief.”

“Luckily we have access to one of the best. I believe it is time for a certain Kitty to play.” Anna told the gathered members of the OICA. “Do we have a location for the nearest office of ‘Precision Holding’?”

“Bravo Team will be passing their office on their way to visit LFC later this evening. They should be able to make a slight detour for Intel on ‘Precision Holding’ with little or no delay.” Kimberly said looking up from her laptop.

“Speaking of the Ground Team. I wonder how they’re doing with the girls’ shopping trip. I mean, mamma left with them at nine this morning. They should be done just about now.” Annette smirked.

“What shopping trip?” Anna questioned Annette.

“It seems that after last night’s Glitz and Ditz protocol, the Marshal felt that Gemini needed a wardrobe upgrade for undercover work.” Kimberly explained as she opened the tracking program on the Ground Team’s cellphones. “Looks like they just left Bergdorf Goodman and are headed for either Saks Fifth Avenue or Macy's Herald Square. I can’t really tell.”

“You said they just left Bergdorf Goodman, then they’re headed for Saks, with Tiffany’s shortly thereafter.” Anna told the military side of the house. “Knowing the Madam, she’ll have called ahead and spoken with Ronald already.”

“Can I ask why she is taking the girls to Tiffany’s? Or should I just keep my nose out of that purchase?” Kimberly questioned Anna with the eye towards watching the budget for the Black Badges. Not that it ever came up as Maria usually covered most of the team’s expenses out of her own pocket. It still amazed Kimberly that Maria was able to hide such a massive fortune from her, Krystel and the rest of the OICA.

“Don’t worry Kimberly. If mamma makes a stop at Tiffany’s, then she is just picking up the necessary accessories the girls will need. Nothing too elaborate. Just a few diamond earrings, necklaces, rings, and a watch or two. Basic stuff. I doubt that she’ll exceed four-hundred-thousand. Well, seeing as how this will be their first trip to a real jewelry store, mamma might go as high as five hundred-thousand.” Annette told Kimberly with a smile.

Rodrick and Kimberly looked at Annette as if she just grew a second head when they heard this. Lyssa just chuckled as she turned to her two fellow operators. “I’m not that surprised about the amount. Like me, Maria has the connections to borrow jewelry if she needs but asking for the girls is asking too much. Even for her. Annette how much do you think she has spent on the girls so far today?”

“On just the girls, I would say that she probably spent somewhere around ten to fifteen-thousand apiece so far. If you throw in the boys and Angelic add another twenty-thousand. I figure that mamma is trying to spend this week’s family allowance. Not that she’ll succeed. We already earn more in one week than she can spend in a month.” Annette giggled. “I remember the last time she went on a shopping trip like this. She gave the downtown shopping district of Toledo a real boost in the arm. I think she dropped somewhere close to the million and a half mark.”

“They must’ve been really hurting. Nice though.” Lyssa remarked.

Anna and Annette just chuckled. Annette figured she needed to explain something about her mother. “I love my mother dearly, but she does have one addiction other than ballet. She loves to SHOP. Not just any shopping, but POWER SHOPPING. I think that the only thing she loves to do more than shopping is ballet. It goes back to her time as a Prima. She gained a real taste for the finer things in life and never looked back. With the exception of my stepfather’s mishandling of the family fortune. The DeMarco family has never seen a loss. Even then mamma was able to rebuild what he lost in only three years. After that our fortune took off at a rate that has only been matched by a few fortune-five-hundred companies. Even then I can only tell you what is in my own accounts.”

“What's your standing on your own?” Kimberly questioned her.

To answer Kimberly’s question Annette placed her hand on her stomach lovingly. “Let’s just say that this one will never have to work a day in their life or follow in my footsteps as an assassin. This baby will have a trust fund that will allow them to go to any school in the world.”

“Are you going to quit taking field assignments?” Rodrick asked her.

“Only until the baby is born. After that, I believe that mamma will be staying behind to look after the baby while I join the rest of the team in the field. That is if she can’t talk Miss Anna into sticking around for one more generation.” Annette looked up at the woman who had as much a hand in raising her as her own mother. “What about it, Miss Anna? You game for another generation of DeMarco children?”

“That is a conversation for another time, over a bottle of good wine.” Anna had been thinking that it was past time for her to retire. “I do wish that the lovely Krystel or her protégées were here.”

“Did I hear someone invoking my name?” Krystel asked as she exited the hidden room, they called the Diving Bell. “What can I do for you Miss Anna?”

“I was wondering if during your investigation you happened across a reference to a ‘Precision Holding’?” Anna questioned the cyberwarfare operative.

“I found more than nine-hundred references to that company in the files of Price. That company is all over the place. Here take a look at this.” Krystel typed on her terminal. “Main monitor. It took me some digging, but I found who owns that umbrella company. I setup a slideshow just to show you all the shell companies I had to dig through to find the owner. I’ve seen less confusion in Wormhole traps for cyberattacks.”

As the graph appeared on the far wall Rodrick could only make one comment. “Damn. Talk about your corporate superstructures. And all these companies are under just that one company?”

“They are Skipper. Welcome to the architect behind all of this mess. One: Johnathan Delacorte; Monsignor for the Iscariot Division, a.k.a. Alfonzo Delicato. Our current cockbite de’ jour.” Krystel snarled.

“Son of a bitch. Samantha is going to go fucking ballistic. Is he or this company tied in any way to Charles Anderson?” Anna demanded.

Krystel wasn’t the only one that was shocked by Anna’s use of foul language.

“Yes ma’am. Anderson’s cover company does have a tenuous link to the Iscariot Division. Not enough for a legal warrant, but more than enough to piss off the Bravo team.” Krystel answered.

“Then the moment the good Marshal makes contact we shall inform her of this connection. We also need to let her know where that office for ‘Precision Holding’ is. I have a feeling that she is going to let Angelic and Samantha handle that side trip on their own. While she handles Charles Andrews with Robert, Hunter and the girls.” Anna laid out her thoughts as to how the evening was going to go. Only to have Annette and the others shake their heads 'no'. “What else did I miss during last night’s walk in the dark?”

“Mamma found out about where those safes have been coming from. Lithium Flower Construction.” Annette told her honestly.

Anna face-palmed the moment she heard Lithium Flower Construction. “Oh, dear Lord. Please tell me that the LFC mentioned earlier is not the same company?”

“We won’t lie Anna. It is.” Lyssa told the old woman honestly. “We understand that the Marshal has a connection to the company in question. She confirmed that herself. Rather upsetting to her.”

“A connection she says.” Annette snorted then snarled. “We only own the fucking thing. If mamma doesn’t handle the problem, then I will.”

“You will do nothing!” Anna snapped at Annette. “THIS IS A MATTER FOR OUR DONNA TO HANDLE! Do I make myself clear, Tulip?”

“Si Consiglieri Anna. I will leave this to our Donna to handle.” The four military operatives could tell that this was an internal matter for the DeMarco family. One that fell into the shadowy world that is the organized crime family known as the DeMarco’s.

“I'm a bit fuzzy on this. Exactly why is Madam Maria so upset with one of her company managers? If those contracts were legit the way the major believes, she should be happy. Shouldn’t she?” Kimberly asked Anna and Annette.

“That’s the problem Kimberly. We don’t know if those contracts were legit. Until mamma talks with Nicholas, we have a massive hole in our nation’s security that should be plugged.” Annette explained for the Operations Officer. “And as much as I WANT to believe my cousin is innocent in all of this, the evidence is pointing to his guilt.”

“Annette what has you so twisted about this situation that you’re ready to snap your cousins head off at the shoulders and shit down his neck?” Rodrick asked her with some confusion. “I mean doesn’t the whole family business kind of give him a pass? It’s not like he went out of his way to breach national security with installing that one safe.”

“That is a misconception Rodrick. If he stepped over the line in his business dealings without consulting his Donna. He is not protected from her wrath. I know that it may seem that to the outside world that the Mafia Families will do anything for a buck, but that is not the case. If a business is a legitimate front, they must remain above board at all costs. To endanger that business by doing something so stupid is tantamount to high treason in our eyes.” Annette explained for him.

“There is more to it than that Master Rodrick, but that is the gist of the matter.” Anna told them all. “I know that there are customs that as La Cosa Nostra that confuses you at times. If you want, I’ll be more than happy to sit down with all of you over a nice glass of red wine and dinner to discuss any questions that you would have.”

“I think that I’ll take you up on that offer Miss Anna. Will tonight be too soon?” Krystel asked the elder woman politely.

“So long as you don’t mind having the boys as company and homemade Chicago-style pizza?” Anna told her with a smile.

“What about me?” Annette whined. “Can I get in on that little get together?”

“Yes, dear. But no wine for you. Not until after that little one is born. Understood?” Anna smiled down at Annette.

“Okay, I can deal without having the wine so long as I get the pizza.” Annette smiled from ear to ear.

“Miss Anna you might need to put in a few extra pies if you’re going to make homemade deep-dish Chicago style pizza.” Kimberly told her with a smile.

Anna just chuckled at the hint. It had become a contest between Maria and Anna when it came to cooking for the island’s population. All to see who was the better cook. So far Anna was ahead of Maria, but not by much. Among the male population Anna was their favorite because of her ability to make some of the best Philly-cheese steaks. Tonight, the old woman planned to take the lead with her Chicago deep-dish pizza. “Don’t worry, I’ll send Mindy home with one after she finishes her homework, Kimberly.”

“Can I put in an order for one of those?” Rodrick asked with a grin. “Yeah, I’m not the only one that likes a good pie.”

“Especially with ice-cold beer.” Pete said from the doorway. “I just stopped in to let you know that LoneStar is off to pick up the munchkin from school. You going to be much longer boss?”

Anna looked down at her watch. “Where has the time gone? I know that these ledgers are important, but I need to get started on dinner. Especially if I’m going to make six, no, seven deep-dish Chicago pizza pies. I suggest we take this up to the house. You can work on them in the dining room while Mindy works on her homework in the kitchen with me.”

“Miss Anna, I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Kimberly started off as she was worried about her daughter getting involved with operations.

“Nonsense my dear. Mindy will be in the kitchen with me. While you, Krystle, Carl, Peter, Edward, and Annette will be in the dining room doing ‘homework’ of your own. It will do the girl some good to see you actually having to read through dull boring books in your investigations for a change. Instead of using the ‘all powerful’ computers.” Anna said dismissively. The rest of the adults in the room chuckled at her comment. They all knew of her rather old fashioned point of view on computers. Anna just didn’t trust them.

“How should we proceed with passing on what we know to the Marshal, Anna? We all know that some of this is going to piss her off.” Kimberly asked. Already knowing how she would pass on their findings.

“We tell her everything. Hold nothing back. We let the Marshal decide who gets this information. If we send this to all of the Ground Team, we run the risk of White Swan going rogue.” Anna’s very blunt assessment of Samantha had Lyssa giving her an intent look.

“Anna, I have asked this of the Marshal and Annette. Now I'll ask you. Just how shaky of a hold do we have on Samantha?” Lyssa held up her hand to cut off Annette. “I need to know Annette.”

Annette snarled. “Just because she decided that you don’t get to know all of her secrets, she’s a security risk? Well, guess what Sergeant-Major, trust is a fucking two-way street with her. Until you share your secrets with her, she’ll never trust you fully. You’re not La Costa Nostra. You’re not a Marshal. Most importantly, you’re not FAMILY.”

“It doesn’t matter. We are the Command Staff here. We need to know the full extent of her abilities if we are to correctly gauge her usefulness in operations.” Lyssa told Annette then went in for the kill. “As far as your argument goes. Why hasn’t she shared the Sleep of the Beautiful Death with you? You’re all three, Mob, Deputy, and family.”

Annette just sighed. “You just don’t get it, Lyssa. I may be La Costa Nostra, and a Deputy, but I’m a DeMarco. I am not a Capizeo. I already told you. The only person that she’ll hand down those secrets to is Kristine. Maybe Kasey, if Samantha judges her to be worthy.”

Anna tried to call her down. “Annette.”

“No Anna. You really don’t get it, Lyssa. This is one time that you don’t get to have things your way.” Annette ranted. “You got a beef with that, take it up with the Major. I’m sure he and the Marshal have already had this conversation. I can already tell you the outcome. You leave Samantha Justice alone when it comes to the family secrets.”

“You and Samantha are the ones that don't get it Annette." Lyssa said flatly. “I don't care about ‘secret ways’. I care about capabilities. I care about results. I care about operational objectives. Translation: the mission, successfully complete and all of you back alive. Preferably in one piece. The Major has the same view. Some things we have to accept. The Black Badge ops tend to run fast and loose. They’re all over Hell’s creation so it happens. Have we hidden what we do when you were involved, no. Have we done things without you, yes. Do we follow protocols, yes. Do we clear action with the Major, yes. I will not half-ass an operation. If the Black Badges are going to, they'll be recalled and shut down. The Major's words, not mine.”

Kimberly nodded. “None of you have been needed for any of our operations Annette, yet you and Samantha were allowed to go on one. You didn’t like it, remember? You aren’t exactly enthusiastic about going places where the location itself is lethal anymore.”

“One last thing. The Black Badges do have the ability to refuse an operation, always have. A luxury Lyssa never did. I refuse to stand by when she goes!” Rodrick swore.

“Why is she being ordered to stay?” Annette asked smugly.

Lyssa held her stare. “Recovery. All of my ribs were cracked, four slipped discs, right ACL almost ripped and displaced hip. Or didn’t you notice I never left the house for three days after THEIR visit.”

“Wait, all that? And you still candle-danced?” Anna asked. “Madam Maria was furious to see you doing that exercise. She’s afraid the girls will try it.”

Rodrick snarled. “Yeah, they didn’t see her hit floor after and me carry her up to bed. Or hear when I put the ice packs on her. I had to lock Warlock out. This isn’t a battle of the resumes Annette. It’s not a game of who’s the top killer on the island. Lyssa’s job now is the Operations’ Boss. People will follow orders or people will be sitting at home instead. Just like you. You were ordered home not by one, but by ALL. Samantha will follow orders, or she will be ordered home. If she doesn’t comply, I know two men and one woman who will make her. You know them too, your husbands and mother. Conversation closed, this is where you say ‘Aye, Aye, Skipper’.”

Lyssa, Rodrick, Kimberly and Krystel watched as Annette stormed out of the conference room.

Kimberly put all their thoughts into words. “That went well.”

Anna stopped at the door and looked back at the gathered Command Team. “No, Kimberly. It didn't, but now she knows more than she did. She is right though. Samantha will not share those secrets.”

“Keep missing the point. Nobody is trying to force her to.” Lyssa sighed. “The issue is: can positive control be retained? If not, then she has to be pulled. That same rule applies to us all Anna. Samantha isn’t exempt. Nobody is. Not even me.”

Anna looked out the door towards where the DeMarco home sat. “Personally, I hope that doesn’t happen.”

“Us too, Miss Anna. The problem is that this just keeps escalating.” Kimberly said. “More and more complications. Going to an outsider once can be overlooked. Going to over 50? That’s beyond over the line. The Major will not authorize it. He’ll call in D.O.D. to handle it if we can’t. Too many people are learning about us. If you all think it’s so easy to just walk away, you’re wrong. Yes, we have the Reno Protocols, but they aren’t fool-proof. No guarantees. The Major goes to Hell, we all get a bullet. The twins, no. Mindy, maybe not. Everybody else, definitely. Positive control must be maintained, it keeps us all alive.”

Lyssa headed for the door. “Kim. The position has been stated. Nothing more now. Go do domestic. I’m taking the twins home, feed them and put them to bed, I’ll be back later. Everybody else is done for the night. Go. You too Krystel.”

“No. I'll be back.” Rodrick said then walked out with her. Anna stopped them both with her final words on the situation.

“You have all miss one very important point in all of this.”

Kimberly and Krystle both looked up at the older woman asking at the same time. “What’d we miss?”

“For the last five centuries a privet war of survival has been waged. One that has been fought in the shadows of the night. On one side the oldest Intelligence Agencies in history. On the other. A signal family bent on the destruction of that Agency. That war has now coming to a head. This final act began almost eighteen years.” Anna sighed. “Sadly, the last two players of in this play are just now stepping onto the stage. I fear that only one of them will take their final bow as the curtain closes.”

-----tbc-----