Chapter 18
Section 21, Iscariot Headquarters, Vatican City, Rome.

Monsignor Johnathan Delacorte walked the halls of his official headquarters with an air of blind arrogance. Within these walls he was the undisputed master. He answered only to His Holiness, the Pope, and his Arch Bishop. Both of whom he was able to keep in the dark as to his less than Godly pursuits. As he approached his office, the young priest that acted as his Secretary stood up with a stack of reports in his hands.

“Monsignor Delacorte, we have a problem with our connections within the United States.” The young man told him solemnly.

“What’s happened Father Daniel? What could be so terrible as to drive you to panicking at this time of the morning?” Delacorte mused.

“Not out here sir. We need to discuss this only in your office.” Daniel’s attitude and need for secrecy had Delacorte giving him a second glance. “It is a dire situation sir. And not one for the ears of others.”

“Follow.” Delacorte commanded. Once inside of his office and the doors were closed, Delacorte activated an electronic jammer on his desk. “We’re secure.”

“Donald Abrams was assassinated while in Paris the other day. His company was shortly thereafter the victim of a hostile takeover by Prima International Investments. The only thing that we have found on them is they’re a private investment firm formed by a small group of former ballet dancers. Sir, our conduit for shipping the novices has been shut down.” Daniel waited for his Monsignor to blow his top. When Delacorte just nodded his head for Daniel to continue, Daniel sighed.

“We have also been able to confirm that Ronald Vickers is dead. The Fort Lauderdale Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit are still of the belief that this was a sanctioned hit by a foreign government. Our man on the Police Force is of the same belief. The main reason behind this is all the evidence supports this point of view. The copies that we have of the investigation reports all bare this belief out. Military grade explosives, ammunition, tactics, all of it points to a military-style operation. More precisely; a Black Operations Strike by at least a SWAT team or higher.”

“Why do they think that it was a military strike team?” Delacorte questioned. “Why not one of the US Police Departments SWAT teams?”

“We had our man double check to see if there was warrant of arrest or search issued anywhere in the US. Vickers was totally off everybody’s radar sir. No one had any clue as to the extent of his criminal activities. At any level of Law Enforcement with the exception of Interpol. They may have known he was a crook but had no proof.” As Daniel gave Delacorte his reasons and those of the Inquisitors Delacorte just nodded his head.

“Go on, Father Daniel. What else has happened?”

“It seems that Sylvia Price has also been the victim of a similar attack. Only the attack on her appeared to be more of a revenge attack than anything else. It almost appears as if these two attacks were committed by the same group. Only one is very obviously a military strike team. While the other was a pure assassination team bent on revenge.”

“What of the assassination of Abrams? How was it done?” This Delacorte was thinking along the lines of a Master Criminal.

“From the reports that we have received from our people with Interpol and the French National Police he was killed with a single rifle shot. The reports also point towards the Irish Rose as the shooter.” Daniel saw his boss begin to lose his temper over this last piece of news. “Her signature Rose petal and shell casing were found at her sniper's nest, sir.”

“DAMNATION! WILL WE EVER BE RID OF THAT ACCURSED WHORE!” Delacorte screamed. Daniel waited for his boss to regain his composer. “Who found the signature?”

“One of the Interpol Inspectors sir. So far, the Americans have stayed out of what is basically a French investigation. They haven’t pushed for a joint investigation, yet.” Daniel took a deep breath. “Sir, our best people down in Intentions and Speculations doubt that situation will hold for much longer though. Sooner or later they believe the US Embassy is going to request a join investigation with the United States Marshals.”

“Why the Marshals? Wouldn’t their Embassy prefer that the American FBI handle the investigation?” Delacorte wanted to know. “The FBI as always been their premier anti-organized crime and terrorist unit.”

“Not so, sir. When it comes down to a manhunt that duty has always fallen to the US Marshals. They are more than just the Americans oldest Law Enforcement Agency. Among their ranks are the finest of trackers in all the world.” Daniel didn’t want to admit this harsh truth but knew that he had to. “Even we have had to go to the US Marshals when we need someone hunted down at times. Not even our best trackers can match the US Marshals I’m afraid.”

“Tell me something; why haven’t we been able to recruit some of those people?” Delacorte demanded.

Father Daniel replied simply. “They are Americans.”

Delacorte want to take umbrage with his secretary over the crack about Americans. The problem was he could understand the man’s attitude towards his fellow countrymen. After all the attitude among Americans for telling most world governmental agencies to fuck off is well documented. If not for his own circumstances Delacorte would still be Stateside drinking wine in his favorite restaurant.

“What have the Americans done as far as GWT is concerned? Are the Law Enforcement Agencies moving to seize it?” was Delacorte’s next question.

“Thanks to the intervention of Prima International Investments the company itself is now on solid ground. Abrams’ wife and children were basically run off along with the old board of directors. Before you ask sir. None of our operatives have been able to find out where Abrams’ wife and children are. Nor have they been able to find out which agency has them. It’s as if they have fallen off the face of the Earth, sir.” Delacorte could hear the disappointment in his secretary’s voice.

“Earlier you reported that Sylvia Price was also killed in a revenge style killing. What of her operations on our behalf? Are they still safe? What of the Gingerbread houses? Have they been discovered?” As Delacorte rattled off his questions Father Daniel was accessing his reports.

“According to our operative inside of the New York Police Department Price’s operations have been shut down. All of her safehouses have been raided by NYPD SWAT teams. Their SVU units were the ones to lead the raids with backup from what appears to be an SOG team for the US Marshals.” Daniel cleared his throat before continuing. “The SOG team is led by former member of U.S. Army Special Forces, William Chandler, much of his dossier is classified. At one time he was even believed to be dead. Deputy Chandler has been promoted by leaps and bounds within the US Marshals. From what we have been able to gather he is a formidable opponent on any front.”

“Damn. Another source of income for our operations gone. How many does that make now? Five? Six?” Delacorte snarled.

“Not counting the weapons smuggling operations; six, Monsignor. If we add in those, we have lost a total of ten exterior income operations. If we add in the GWT smuggling operations that brings the total to eleven.” Father Daniel swallowed hard. “Grand total for our loss of external income is over fourteen point five million Euros, sir.”

“WHAT?!” Delacorte couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That 14.5 million Euros was a full 1/3 of his divisions total operating income. It was the entire operational income for his division within the United States. “How the hell could this have happened?! What in the name of all that’s Holy are those fools in ‘Precision Holding’ doing? Playing pinochle?”

“They started their investigation into how the first four operations were compromised three months ago, sir. It has been handled by our office in New York. According to the last reports their investigation has hit a dead end. Whoever has been taking down our operations is operating in the dark, sir. They have left no trail. Not one shred of evidence anywhere. It is as if our people are hunting ghosts.” Daniel could tell that Delacorte didn’t want to hear about the New York Office’s failures.

“Damnation! I want results, Daniel. I don’t care what they have to do. Just get the name of whoever is fucking up our operations. If you have to put a whole Section on it, I don’t care! Just find out who they are and end them. Am I understood Father Daniel?” Delacorte demanded.

“Are you sure about that last command sir? We already have the whole Northeastern delegation on the investigation. If we put any more on the case, we’ll have to pull them in from the other sectors.” Daniel felt it was his duty to point out the shortage of personnel to his superior. “We are already fearfully short of operatives in the United States.”

“Just do it, Daniel.” Delacorte snapped. “If you have to pull in operatives from the Western European area of operation so be it. But I want that organization found and eliminated. No matter the cost.”

Father Daniel could tell that this mysterious organization has hit a nerve with his superior. What that nerve was he had no idea. He only knew that he would follow his orders and a little more. “Sir, should we use less than traditional means in gathering the Intel?”

“I told you to take whatever measures you need to Daniel.” Delacorte turned to face Daniel with a glare that could freeze the North winds. “That includes using outside contractors if you have to.”

“Understood sir.” Daniel turned and left Delacorte to his thoughts. As he was closing the door to Delacorte’s office Daniel noticed the Monsignor staring out the window to his office. “Daniel before you go. Those reports of there being one last Capizeo. Have they been confirmed?”

“Yes sir. It does seem that the Capizeo family has not yet gone to their Hellish reward. Despite all of our efforts on that front.” Daniel knew that the Capizeo family was a very touchy topic with Monsignor Delacorte. Everyone in his Section knew this and knew to tread lightly when the topic came up.

“Place a fifty-thousand Euro bounty for the head of the Capizeo. I want this settled before the end of the year as well, Daniel.” Delacorte never turned away from the window. He just gave out the order as if he was ordering lunch.

“I’ll see to it personally sir.” With that Daniel closed the door and went to carry out the orders of the Monsignor.

With the door now closed to his office the man in Priestly robes let the facade that was Monsignor Delacorte fall away. For over the last sixteen years Alfonzo Delicato had hidden away within the walls of the Iscariot Division. His betrayal of Marko and Mary Capizeo had ended up with a price on his head. Placed there by the last surviving members of the Great Lakes Organization. All because that stupid Priest let that little fucker, Joseph Capizeo survive against orders.

Alfonzo took out a cigarillo from the metal case he kept in the top middle draw of his desk. After lighting up Alfonzo took a deep drag and thought about the financial blow his Section had received over the last six months. First there was the unexpected discovery of the Mexican drug tunnels in the border town of Eldorado, Arizona. Next was their gun running operation in San Diego, California. How that ever came to light was beyond even the Iscariot Divisions ability to figure out. Then there was their white slavery ring in Denver, Colorado. Out of nowhere, a whole organization wiped-out in one night.

“If I didn’t know better, I would swear that fucking kid’s ghost was still hunting me. But I saw the boy go down on the courthouse steps with my own eyes. Nobody could have survived a seven-point-six-two full-metal jacketed round to the heart. This new Capizeo has to be from another branch of the family. We might not have gotten rid of them of all in Sicily. That has to be the answer. That is the only answer for all of those operations going bad within such a short amount of time. I know that Maria DeMarco never had a grasp of how far my operation had spread. With her retirement, she is even further out of the loop now.” Alfonzo took a deep drag off his cigar.

“Though that brat of hers could cause me problems. But so long as I stay away from the DeMarco operations, she’ll leave me alone. At least for now.” Taking another deep drag off his smoke Alfonzo started to chuckle as a nasty thought came to mind. “Though it would be nice if the White Tulip removed that fucking bastard Ferdinand for me. I could step right around that old goat Hartmond and right into the Bishop’s office. If I play my cards right. The problem would be in how do I frame the old man.”

As Alfonzo Delicato stood there planning, he had no idea that at that very moment death was slowly working its way towards him. Not just any death. It was a death that would bring about the downfall of his whole operation. It was a death wrapped in the guise of a vengeful shadow from ages past. This death was one that was well known to these holy halls of power. For it was within these unholy halls of power that this death was given birth over five centuries ago. A death that had haunted the Iscariot Division since.

Archbishop Office, Iscariot Division, Vatican City, Rome

Archbishop Karl Ferdinand sat as still as one of the many marble statues that surrounded the top of Saint Peter’s basilica. Not even his closest friend within the church had ever seen him so still. Nor had the Sister for the Order of Saint Nicholas ever seen the deadly intent in her old friend’s eyes. She knew that when she brought the report from the New York Convent to his attention the man would be angered.

The fact that five lost novices showed up with a lost masterpiece had just shown up out of nowhere was just the tip of the iceberg. The recovery of twenty-seven more novices there were lost in transit by the NYPD and a SOG team for the US Marshals had kicked over a massive white slavery ring. A ring that had ties to a known arms dealer and smuggler. A criminal that was well known to Archbishop Karl Ferdinand.

“Tell me something Sister Roberta. This SOG team that led the strikes on those safe houses. Who is the Inspector?” Karl asked in a voice just above a whisper. Though the whisper was filled with deadly intent.

“Supervisory Inspector William Chandler, your Imminence.” Roberta answered.

“Billy? I’ll be damned. From NEMESIS Operator to US Deputy Marshal. I wonder how that happened?” Karl mused.

“According to Section ten, as near as we can tell, it all came about because of a temporary assignment for the US DOJ. From what they were able to find out, that assignment was to act as bodyguard for US Marshal Dorothy Rose. She was the one to actually offer Chandler the position as Chief Inspector for a SOG Team. One that he personally handpicked.” Sister Roberta chuckled. “The man picked some of the best Deputies there are for his team.”

“I take it that he’s not too popular with those other SOG Team leaders?” Karl asked with a crooked smile.

“Let’s just say that the man doesn’t play will with others sir. Though I must admit to one thing about his team. There are only four generalists on his whole team. Those four generalists aren’t really generalists per-se either. All four of them are former US Military Special Operations Specialists. All of them are trained in CQB, hostage rescue, sniper tactics, demolitions and could give any SWAT team in the world a run for their money. The others members cover the spectrum.” Roberta told Karl.

“Tell about the other members of the team. You said they cover the spectrum.”

“Chandler has experts in each and every field covering Profiling, Cyber Crimes, Organized Crime, Tracking, Forensics, you name it, sir. He assembled one of the best teams in the world for tackling these types of crimes.” Roberta snickered. “The way he went about it was with a military mind.”

“Not surprising considering the man’s background. Yes, I can see it clear as day. He was given an assignment and looked for the best local assets to attack the problem.” Karl started to chuckle. “The young man reminds me of someone I knew in my youth. Someone that if they were still alive today would give us a run for the money, Sister Roberta.”

“You say that ‘if he were still alive’, your Imminence. I take it that he has gone onto his Heavenly Reward?” the Sister of Saint Nicholas as politely.

“The man died years ago. I presided over his funeral at Arlington.” Karl sighed heavily. “I miss my old friend, at times Roberta. Times like this. He had a mind for ferreting out solutions to these types of problems.”

“How so, sir? What would he do in this situation?” Roberta asked Karl.

“If he was here, now, he would tell us, that we have to overwhelm our problem so that they see that they have no choice but to back down.” Karl told her with a sly knowing smile. “And then make it very clear that if they don’t keep their word that life will get ‘very complicated’ for them. To him threats are pointless if the targeted person doesn’t believe they’ll be carried out. Usually with deadly force. A philosophy that I follow myself.”

Roberta smiled. “Where did you get your negotiating skills, sir?”

“Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and a few other fun-filled places in the world.” Karl replied without skipping a beat.

Roberta laughed. “That’s a good one, sir.”

“Um, Roberta, I’m not kidding.” interjected Karl. Sister Roberta had the good sense to not laugh at her boss’s comment. She could tell that he was deadly serious. No one really knew much about the man known as Archbishop Karl Ferdinand. The man was one of the greatest mysteries within the Iscariot Division and the Holy Rome Church.

“Um… sir how do you want to proceed from here?” Roberta knew that she had to change the topic away from her boss’s past.

“We let things proceed along the current path. I have a feeling that if we do; our problem children, in Section twenty-one, will be dragged into the light. One way or another.” At the confused look on Roberta’s face Karl sighed.

“Sister Roberta, there is an old saying. ‘Never chase a snake into the wheat field.’ With that saying in mind I want you to think about all twenty-four Sections within the Iscariot Division. Of them all; which one is filled with our greatest number of problem children?” Karl snarled.

Sister Roberta didn’t have to think hard on the question. “Section twenty-one is our problem child. Always has been. At least for the last seventy some years or so. Ever since World War Two, anyway.”

“Very good, Sister. Now, I want you to think about one other thing.” Karl looked down at the top of his desk. “There is a legend whispered within our very halls. One that even the other Orders of our Faith fear to even speak.”

“You’re talking about the Wraith of the Moonless Night. But sir, no one has heard of them for over thirty years. Surely you can’t expect the Ghost of the Vatican to rise up from the grave to handle this problem?” Sister Roberta was many things but superstitious wasn’t one them. She may believe in the Holy Trinity and the Hosts of Hell, but vengeful ghosts didn’t play into these beliefs. Not by a long shot.

“That is exactly who I expect to handle our dear Monsignor Delacorte and his band of misfit toys. Even with all our superior surveillance and security not to mention the millions of hours of investigation. We have never been able to find the route that Rinaldo Capizeo took to carry out his legendary vengeance.” At Roberta’s shocked expression Karl chuckled. “Oh yes Sister Roberta, the legends concerning the Wraith that haunts the Vatican are very true. And I fear that the most dreaded of the Moonless Wraith Guild has not gone quietly into the night. The Hemlock Rose is still very much alive.”

Karl stood up and walked over to the cabinet in his office. Sister Roberta just watched as the Archbishop poured himself two fingers of bourbon. “And I fear that their vengeance has finally come, once again, to sit proudly on our alter of pride.” After downing the whiskey Karl turned to face her. “Only this time I expect that the Hemlock Rose will burn down that alter using Section twenty-one as the firewood.”

Nondescript Office Building, Washington DC.

Paul Dannigan sat quietly reading the update from Stronghold. The raids on Sylvia Price’s safehouses went down without a hitch. Chandler’s team had shown their skills in ways that surprised even him, to a point.

“Not surprising really. The man formed his team from the best Deputies within the Marshals. At Least of the ones that were available to him.” Paul chuckled.

“Major, what’s going to happen with all those kids?” Madison asked entering his office. “There are close to forty of them.”

“Half of them will be returned to the Church Madison. They are, after all, Novices for the Order of Saint Nicholas.” Paul sighed. “I’m more than happy to let that happen. Those girls have something that most of our organization lacks. True faith in the All Mighty. I think that only Maria, and Anna have that. Maybe you as well. For the rest of us. We have all seen too much of the evil that men do, to blindly follow a God that allows such evil to go unpunished in this world.”

“Sir, I doubt that. The problem is that for the military minded like most of you. You all face one great problem. The reality that to fight evil you often must use unimaginable violence. That is just the nature of the beast that you all face. I believe that if it were not for this fact you and the others would have just as much faith as Maria and her family.” Madison smiled at her boss. “The only member of the Black Badges I doubt has that kind of faith is Gemini. Their still young and trying to find their way.”

“I believe that you’re right in some ways Madison. But there is one flaw in your reasoning. It’s not the evil that we’ve seen that causes us to doubt that there is a God. Nor is it the violence that we use to fight that evil. To the military minded, it is we often begin to doubt our worthiness of a Heavenly reward and are bound for a much warmer place in the afterlife. Of those that do believe in an afterlife.” Paul chuckled as he thought about the military members of the OICA. “The military side of the house has always been the point of the bayonet. While the Black Badges are the OICA’s deadly cutting edge.”

“I see sir. Though I do have one question. Samantha Justice; where does she fit in with this idea?”

Paul was forced by Madison’s innocent question to truly look at the one problem child for the OICA in general. “That is the real sixty-four dollar question Madison. Of both sides of the house, she has to be the greatest mystery of them all.”

“Why’s that sir? Surely you can have Krystel hack the database for Wit-Sec. They would have all her records.” Madison knew that finding out about Samantha Justice should be easy.

“That is not the problem, Madison. Yes, we have the all the Intel on Samantha Justice that the Wit-Sec database has on her. The problem is we have no true Intel on the way that she was trained. Then there is the problem of her secretive training on Ram’s Rock. I know that I have my secrets, but that woman is the biggest mystery within the Black Badges. Even if she agrees to allow myself or Maria to evaluate her. I doubt that there is a way to truly gauge her skills. The Sleep of the Beautiful Death is just too deadly for her to face off against living opponent. With the exception of Lyssa and the Demon Wraiths, I doubt that anyone could face off against Samantha’s skills now and win.”

“Is she really that deadly sir? I mean Lyssa is a Master of Evolution.” Madison had seen Lyssa use that deadly form of Martial Art. She truly believed that no one could stand against the Sergeant Major.

“Creator and Master of Evolution. That is the only reason Lyssa can standup to Maria and Samantha. As for Tiffany; she’s good, but she lacks the experience to face off against Maria. As for Samantha, now that she seems to have mastered the Sleep of the Beautiful Death, she stands a strong chance to bring Tiffany down.” Paul sighed. “Don’t get me wrong Tiffany has been an excellent student of Lyssa’s, but she doesn't have the physiology. The problem is Samantha is too much of an unknown. Until we can evaluate her, she is just too much of a wild card. When we take in the woman’s need for revenge, all bets are off.”

“Do you think that Madam Maria can’t control her sir?” Madison questioned him.

“I believe that Maria has control, to a point. The problem lies with Samantha’s distrust of the Command Staff. There is just too much of the old world mafia in the woman. I don’t know how she ever excelled in the Marshals with her authority issues.” Paul snarked as he thought about the enigmatic woman. “At least for now Maria has control over the situation.”

“Why do you say that sir?”

“Once their operations State-side are done. Samantha Justice will step aside, and the deadliest member of the Black Badges will finally hunt down the true snake behind this mess.” Paul looked Madison dead in the eyes. “When that happens there will be nothing, and I mean nothing, that we can do stop her. Truthfully this is one time that I don’t want to stop her. Lyssa agrees. In fact, she endorses letting Samantha have him, but under conditions. Conditions she’d agree to, if she thinks about it for more than a second.”

“What are you going to do sir?” Madison knew that just one member of the team going off the reservation could expose the whole operation.

“For now, nothing. This operation is still in the hands of the Marshal and I need to trust her. If Samantha Justice does go off the reservation pray like hell that she finds her way home without blowing our operation. If we're lucky, I go down and everyone is burned. If not, the worst will be unleashed.” Paul knew that he was backed into a corner when it came to Samantha.

Just after midnight, Albany, New York

Samantha and Angelic stood on the roof of Century First Banking tower looking over at Precision Holding. The two of them had gone in just before ten pm as part of a temp cleaning crew. Now, with the security guards down to five men for the whole building they had worked their way to the roof. For the past hour they had studied the Precision Holding’s rooftop. Even with the blueprints for the building and suggestion from Lyssa they knew that the best way to enter undetected was through the rooftop access. The only way to gain access to the seven story building was from the ten-story office building next door.

“You don’t think the angle is too steep?” Samantha asked as she tied the rope off to one of the rooftop water pipes.

Angelic just smiled and took aim with the crossbow. Unlike most thieves Angelic had trained herself in how to use this ancient weapon and her highly specialized arrows. The one that was currently loaded was tipped with a spring-loaded grapple hook. Once the arrowhead pierced its target the hooks would snap out and anchor the carbon fiber shaft in place. The trailing wire would then be pulled exposing the anchor ring. The wire could then be used to attach a climbing rope to the anchor ring. With a steady squeeze of the trigger the bow snapped forward firing the specialized at 1250ft pre-second.

At just over 75yrds the arrow struck home in the center of the elevator service door. Angelic just smirked as she tugged on the trailing wire. In a few moments she had the climbing rope secured to the anchor. “Well, cousin ready to beard the bear in his den?”

To answer Angelic’s question Samantha pulled out her phone. “Stronghold this is White Swan. Over”

“Stronghold here White Swan. Ready to infiltrate?” Kimberly’s voice was a welcomed distraction just then.

“Just waiting for the go ahead, Stronghold. Do you have their surveillance and security systems? Over” This was the one worry that Samantha had for this whole operation. She trusted Angelic to get them in, but to watch her back Samantha knew that she would have to rely on the Command Staff.

“You’re cleared for full infiltration White Swan. Stand by, on my mark. Three, two, one. GO!” Lyssa ordered over their coms.

When Lyssa gave the command to go Samantha pointed at Angelic. Angelic grabbed the rope and swung her legs upward to slide down the rope. When Angelic neared the door, she dropped her feet as she crossed over the edge of the building. After ten feet she dropped to the rooftop. Samantha was right behind her with only ten seconds separating them. Once both women were on the roof of Precision Holding Samantha moved to cut the rope. Only to be stopped by Angelic though.

“We might need it as an emergency exit route. Leave it in place for now.” Angelic explained her reasoning.

“Concur. Leave in place White Swan.” Lyssa instructed Samantha.

“Yeah, there are too many variables for this op than I like. November Tango is our expert on this and you're backing her.” Samantha felt that it was best for her to follow Angelic’s instincts and training on the matter.

“Good. However, I suggest you form a Pop-charge on the line should you not be able to exfil and retrieve using it, White Swan. Continue on mission. You’re cleared down to the sixth floor for now.” Lyssa told them.

That was all Angelic needed to hear. With the ease born from long hours of training Angelic had the door lock picked while Sam pressed a small cube of Semtex around the line with a remote detonator. As the two women worked their way down from the rooftop to the sixth floor Krystel kept an eye on them through the buildings security cameras. She guided the thief through each floor of the building towards the main server room and the company’s security safe.

These were the two women’s target. The information held in those servers and safe was more important than any other evidence. Despite all of Kasey, Kristine and Krystel’s efforts to hack the server; they were confronted with the greatest security for all computers. The servers were stand-alone complex. This was truly a direct infiltration situation. One needing all the skills of a trained thief. Luckily, the Black Badges had the services of the best. As they worked Krystel kept the two women appraised of the guards during their rounds.

Once they were in the server room Samantha went straight to the main server hub. As soon as she had her smart phone connected by USB cord, Krystel was able to work on the server's database. While Samantha was dealing with the servers Angelic went to work on the security safe.

“Shit! Sam, we have a problem.” Angelic’s swearing had done more than alert Samantha to the fact they had a problem.

“November Tango, update. What's the problem?” Lyssa called out over their coms.

“Stronghold do you have a good feed on video for this safe? Over” Angel asked quickly as she studied the massive bank vault still safe.

Lyssa replied calmly. “Step back some, November Tango, so we can get a good look.”

“Roger. This is a Hitchner-and-Cocks ninety-one-hundred. Not the Harmon-and-Gray three-fifteen that was in the report. Over” Angelic hoped that the Command team understood what she was talking about.

“Copy. How much of a problem will it be November Tango?” Lyssa asked.

Angelic turned to Samantha in shock. “Don’t they understand what I’m dealing with here Swan? This is not what we planned for. I don’t have the tools to crack this damned thing.”

“Hold one Stronghold. We need to rethink our approach to the safe. Over” Samantha gave her cousin a sharp look. “Okay Angelic, what has you on edge here? The last time I checked, there wasn’t a safe you couldn’t crack.”

“I can crack this bitch. Just not in the time allotted.” Angelic snarled. “I need at least twenty minutes more to crack one of these with the tools that we have on hand.”

“Right. We just fix the mission clock. Get to cracking.” Samantha didn’t understand what the problem was.

“Damn it, Samantha. If I fuck up just once. This whole building goes bye-bye. And us with it.” When Angelic told Samantha this she turned white.

“Are you telling me that this is the big brother to those other safes we’ve been dealing with?” Samantha whispered. When Angelic nodded her head, Samantha didn’t think twice. “Stronghold we have a problem. Over”

“Go.” Lyssa replied.

“We have the big brother to the Harmon-and-Gray forty-five-hundreds. And from the looks of things; the brother has an attitude.”

TOC, Rams Rock Island.

Lyssa, Kimberly and Krystel had entered the TOC just after twenty-two-hundred hours. For the first few hours they did their best to lockdown the patrol routine for those few hours before Samantha and Angelic commenced their infiltration. Lyssa had to give it to the guards’ professionalism for Precision Holding. They varied their times and routes with each round. That was just the first change they had found.

The second change was one that they were not expecting. Though the main server was off the grid, the security server had a backup at secondary location. If it hadn’t been for this one flaw in their security setup Krystle wouldn’t have been able to help Samantha and Angelic until they were in the server room. Though she was able to hack into it using her very considerable skill. The last problem they found was one no one was expecting. Especially not the Command Staff.

Precision Holding has tripled the number of human guards and added a K-9 element. The sheer number of guards and K-9s plus the irregular routine worried the Command staff. All of these unforeseen problems gave Lyssa a feeling of uncertainty. Something that she hated.

When Angelic started cussing she knew that they had a major problem. “Get me all the intel you can on that fucking safe now.”

“Working on Sergeant Major.” Krystel said from her position.

“Do we abort the rest of the mission, Sergeant Major?” Kimberly asked.

“If it was up to me alone, they would be exfiltrating as we speak.” Lyssa turned to face Kimberly. “Get me Bravo Actual.”

Kimberly immediately opened a channel to Maria. “I have Bravo-Bravo Actual, Sergeant Major.”

“Actual, Ground two has a serious problem.” Lyssa said without preamble.

“Talk to me, Stronghold.” Maria demanded.

“The safe listed is not the one Ground two is dealing with. November Tango classified it as a Hitchner-and-Cocks ninety-one-hundred. It seems that she’ll need an extra twenty mikes to crack it. Do they abort the rest of their mission? The call is yours.” Lyssa felt that Maria would be the best one to evaluate the situation.

“Damn. This is not good. Has Iron Dolphin been able to hack the Precision Holding servers? Over”

“We’re in Bravo Actual. White Swan was able to get us direct uplink.” Lyssa informed Maria. The wait for Maria’s answer to the question of pulling the second ground team let Lyssa know that she was considering all her options. “Actual, it is our belief that they she abort now. Over”

“Understood, Stronghold. The question is; can November Tango crack the safe with an extra twenty minutes on the mission clock?”

Lyssa understood Maria's dilemma. She needed more intel. “Hold one Actual.”

Switching back to Samantha and Angelic’s net Lyssa didn’t waste words. “November Tango, can you crack that safe with another twenty minutes or will you need more time? This is go or no-go.”

“With the tools that I have, I can get the job done Stronghold. It is the time frame. Do we even have the extra twenty minutes?” Angelic asked.

Before Lyssa could make a decision Samantha said something none of them were expecting. “Stronghold, do you have a track on the guards?”

“We got a solid lock on all the guards White Swan. What are you thinking?” Lyssa asked.

“We need to know exactly where they are Stronghold. That's all.” Samantha answered almost snidely.

“They’re in the Control room and main entrance desk White Swan.” Kimberly told her.

“What are they doing Stronghold? Are they watching the monitors?”

Lyssa looked up at the displays that held the locations for the guards and K-9s. “Negative. They’re all watching portable TVs White Swan. Are you thinking what I think you are?”

“We got time Stronghold. Pull up the NBA Game of the week. It should be on ESPN or NBC. They’re watching the big game.” Samantha chuckled.

Lyssa shook her head and turn to Kimberly who did exactly what Samantha suggested. “She’s right. That is exactly what those jokers are doing. If I were a betting woman, I would say that more than one of them has money on the game.”

Lyssa sighed. “That's what I thought. Standby White Swan. I’ll be right back.” Lyssa switched back to Maria’s net. “Actual it looks like Ground two has time to crack the safe. It seems that the guards are more interested in watching the NBA’s game of the week than doing their job. Are they a Go?”

“They are a Go Stronghold. We need the information that safe might be holding. Bravo Actual Out” Maria disconnected.

Lyssa switched back to Samantha. “You’re a Go, White Swan. Try not to blow your asses up.”

Samantha chuckled. “Copy Stronghold. No explosions.”

“I hope like hell that Nun can crack that safe, Sergeant Major.” Krystel said from her position. When Lyssa turned to face Krystel, she put the specs for the safe up on a secondary monitor. “On screen; the Hitchner-and-Cocks ninety-one-hundred Sergeant Major.”

As Lyssa began to read the specs Krystel read them aloud. “Multi-layered homogeneous steel with two layers of ceramic composite, and one layer of high explosives sandwiched between them. For a total of seven layers. That is just the walls. The door itself has two additional layers made of a toxic material that when exposed to extreme heat gives off a poisonous gas. So, drilling and plasma torches are out. Then there is the lovely locking mechanism itself. If the wrong combination is used, boom. Two hundred pounds of C-4 goes up in your face. And that is just in the door.”

“Son-of-a-bitch! Not, another one of these goddamned high security safes. Just how many of these things are in civilian hands?” Lyssa demanded.

“From what the Major forwarded in his report; fifteen. That are known of, Sergeant Major. I got a feeling that there might be more. This one though is used inside Embassies.” Krystel looked up from her console. “Lyssa, I just got a really bad feeling. What odds would you be willing to give that this Precision Holding holds some kind of Embassy rating?”

“None.” Lyssa almost snarled. “Didn’t the Nun say that Precision Holding has some kind of connection to the Church?”

“Yeah, they’re part of some Church owned cover company called ‘Exotic Imports of the Italian Holy Grace’.” Kimberly answered Lyssa from her position. “Aw shit! You don’t think that those cocksuckers in the Iscariot are using this place as some kind of Embassy, do you?”

“It would fit with their normal MO.” Lyssa thought out loud. Her attention was drawn to the monitor showing the guards workroom. She watched as seven guards stood up and secured their weapons belts. “Shit. They’re making an unscheduled round. Not fucking good.”

Keying her mike. “White Swan what is your status with the safe?”

“Working on it Stronghold. November Tango needs another ten minutes.” Samantha answered.

“Update; hostiles inbound. All are armed. Count is ten and rising.” Lyssa informed Samantha.

“Shit. Must be halftime. That is the only reason they would have left the game. Give me their locations by the numbers Stronghold.”

“What are you planning White Swan?” Lyssa asked.

“No witnesses, Stronghold. November Tango can exit the way we came in. I’m going out the front door.” Lyssa could already tell that there was no stopping Samantha now by the tone of her voice.

“Sure, you want to do that, White Swan? You two can exfiltrate, if you go now.” Lyssa offered the option.

“Stronghold we need the intel that safe holds. The only way to get that is to give Kitty the time she needs. Unless you know of another way to buy her the time she needs, I’m all for it.” The command staff heard a heavy sigh over Samantha’s coms. “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few Stronghold. Keep my family safe. White Swan, Out.”

Lyssa knew that the situation was now a true no-win. The Black Badges needed the intel inside that safe, but the ground team assigned to collect it was endanger of being exposed. “Krystel, start recording Samantha’s solo run.”

“WHAT?!” Both women screamed.

“Get on it. She’s taking measures to complete the operational objective.” Lyssa never took her eyes off the main monitor. “Kim, get Anna and Annette. I want them down here for this.”

“It would be better to get her and the Nun out of there.” Krystel remarked. “They’re not expendable.”

“She made her choice. They all know the risks.” The coldness of Lyssa’s voice let her fellow operators know how she was going to back Sam's decision.

“Recording White Swan’s solo run now, Sergeant Major.” Krystel announced.

Precision Holding, Albany, New York

“Get that safe open and the intel back to the Marshal, Cousin.” Samantha ordered Angelic as she walked towards the door.

“You must come back to us.” Angelic knew that there was no stopping her cousin now. She had seen the change come over her cousin. Angelic had heard the stories of the Capizeo curse as a child. She, of all her family, knew that the stories were true. She had seen this for her own eyes in Italy at her aunt's side. As Samantha stepped out the door to the security room Angelic shivered. There was something about the cold-dead eyes that Samantha had shown her just before closing the door. “Death has come to dance the hallways of Precision Holding this night.”

As Angelic returned to her task of cracking the deadly safe. Stephany Capizeo stepped once more to the forefront of the woman know to the world as Samantha Justice. Gone was the caring woman that once held a crying baby at a murder. Gone was the woman who once hunted fugitives only to bring them back alive to face a court of law. Gone was the woman who rescued a scared thirteen year old from a corrupt political party. Gone was the woman whose heart was stolen by a roguish Native American and fellow deputy. In her place was a cold, hard, uncaring, dealer of death and destruction.

The last of her line and family. The last true Capizeo walked the halls of Precision Holding. The greatest fear for the Holy Rome Catholic Church had once more stepped out of the darkest places of Hell. The last Hemlock Rose had set her feet upon a path of no return. Reaching up and keying her mike one last time. “Stronghold this is the Hemlock Rose. Do you copy?”

“Load and clear.” Samantha assumed that Lyssa wasn’t happy about what she was doing.

“Put us on a private channel Sergeant Major. I’ll wait.”

“We’re private. What do you want to say?” Lyssa’s tone hadn't changed.

“I only have one request. If I don’t make it back. Take care of my family for me please.” Samantha had to fight to keep her voice from breaking.

“You don’t have permission to die on my watch.” Lyssa ordered.

“Tell Gemini that the secrets to their heritage will be found with the family journals. They know where I keep them.” Samantha sighed. “Lyssa, we haven’t always seen eye to eye. But that is in the past. Part was my fault and part was yours. The problem has always been your belief that the Black Badges can walk away or turn down an assignment. Do them a favor. Sit down with Annette and truly listen to what she tells you.”

“Yeah, that's a negative.” Lyssa said flatly. “You got five Tangos inbound at the next hallway. Pay attention, I'm only going to say it once. You want Delicato, you can have him; under conditions. I'll even help you. If you fail, here and now, he walks; free as a bird and your secrets will be ash by dawn. Survive, with success, and when you all get back; all you get is your ass kicked by me personally. That’s the deal, or you two both run now.”

“Alright. Deal.” With that Samantha drew both of her knives.

“Don’t worry we have all the feeds from the security cameras on our displays.” Krystel said.

“Then it’s time to have some fun.” Samantha dropped into a low crouch and waited for the five guards to round the corner.

TOC, Ram’s Rock Island.

Lyssa turned as Anna and Annette ran into the TOC. Anna was the first to speak. “What’s happened Prima?”

To answer the older woman’s question Lyssa just pointed to the main screen as she keyed her mic. “Samantha’s op went sideways, pear shaped, and tits up all at the same time. Now she’s going to take on close to a full platoon of armed security forces.”

“How many in total?” Anna asked her.

“Thirty in total, Miss Anna. With four K-9’s in support.” Kimberly answered.

Annette started to chuckle then laugh out right. At the confused looks of the gathered Operators Annette regained her composure. “Thirty to one odds. Not a fair fight. For them.”

Pointing up at the main monitor Annette smiled. “You wanted to see why the Capizeo family and the Hemlock Rose are so feared Sergeant Major. Then don’t take your eyes off that feed. For the first time in history there shall be a witness to the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. Well one that will live to tell what they have seen.”

“You misunderstand Annette. I gave her the go-ahead. She fails, she dies and the whole operation is scrubbed.” Lyssa looked back to the screens. “And should she come back from this mission alive, it will be successful and we all get to live. I can clear that whole building alone, with no problems. She needs to buy Angelic time and make it out herself.”

Maria’s voice came over the comms. “So, it must be this way.”

“Yes. It’s what you all want, you’ll get it. Success means life, failure means death. You all claim to want that standard, very well. Make it happen. No more special treatment. No more options. You take all that comes down the line.” Lyssa said.

Dannigan broke in. “Agreed. You’ll evaluated her after?”

“No. When she comes back, I’ll kick her ass and that's it. Authority issue, resolved. I’ll help her get Delicato if she can make it that far. It won’t be a problem for me.” Lyssa replied.

“Very well. If you do help her with him, she may extend trust.” Maria admitted.

Lyssa sighed. “After all we’ve done so far for all of you? I no longer care about her trust problem. She will follow orders or not be able to do anything but lay in bed recovering.”

Lyssa, Kimberly, and Krystle sat watching in silence Stephany Capizeo killed the first five men as if they nothing more than ants. Of the five women gathered in the TOC only one truly understood what they were seeing.

Anna just sighed. “By the gods, she dances just as beautifully as her mother. Stephany you truly have claimed your birthright.”

“FUCK ME! How many times did she hit those men?” Kimberly asked in shock.

“Five, with a final knife strike to the heart to finish them off.” Lyssa answered then amended. “Correction. It was seven strikes and a knife strike.”

“Your wrong Lyssa. For all five of them it was three fist strikes, two kicks and two knife strikes.” Annette chuckled. “The funny thing is she is still holding back. Wait until she faces that group in the main entrance hall.”

Lyssa shook her head. “The knife wasn’t completely withdrawn. She just pulled back slightly, twisted and thrust back in.”

“Annette we’re talking about fifteen heavily armed men. In a wide open area with no real cover with the exception of the security desk.” Kimberly told Annette. “She has her work cut out to take on that many by herself.”

Annette just chuckled. “She’s up to it.”

“Sergeant Major, I’ve been analyzing that last encounter of Samantha’s. None of the moves she used are part of the Dancing Blade.” Kimberly told the others before looking back at Annette and Anna. “Is she using the Sleep of Beautiful Death, ladies?”

“Yes.” Was the only answer that was given. And it was given by Anna. “Watch closely ladies. I can see the teachings of her mother, Mary Capizeo. Perhaps one of the greatest Mistresses of Assassination to have ever lived. Bloody Mary earned her name before even the Dove. She was truly the deadliest person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.”

“This should be quite the show then.” Lyssa commented.

“No Lyssa. What you about to see is the real strength of the Capizeo family. Five centuries of training all accumulated in one person.” Annette corrected Lyssa with a small but sad smile. “Ladies I give you the Hemlock Rose. Stephany Mary Capizeo, the bloody and unholy Mistress of the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. The last of her line.”

Lyssa continued to watch. “Then she better grab another gear, making a mess and taking too long. I'd be done already.”

Main entrance for Precision Holding

Samantha walked into the main entrance for Precision Holding with all the confidence of a true killer. Looking around at the gathered men she smirked. “Hello boys. Care to dance?”

“What the hell? How'd you get in here?” The supervisor for the guards yelled right before six-inches of steel entered his right eye driving his head backward. The throwing knife that ended his life appeared out of nowhere as if by magic. The next two guards fell in much the same manner.

By the time the rest of the guards had figured out that they were under attack, Samantha was amongst them. With just her family blades as weapons Samantha proceeded to kill them two at a time. During her walk down through the building Samantha engaged each group of guards. She left only cooling bodies in her wake. By the time she reached the ground floor and main entrance she was covered in blood and gore.

In over five centuries there has only ever been one other time where a Capizeo showed such ruthlessness. When Rinaldo Capizeo set about his revenge those long centuries ago it was said he left half the Vatican guards bleeding on the Vatican floors. Thou Samantha knew that the stories were true, she never really thought about just how deadly the Great Enlightenment truly was in the hands of someone like her. Even though she knew that the TOC was monitoring her progress, she had no idea of the impact that it was having on those hard women.

TOC, Ram’s Rock Island.

Lyssa stood watching Samantha. Thinking about how she had always placed Maria and Anna at the top of the Black Badges as being the deadliest. Here and now in front of her very eyes was the lie to those thoughts. “They misnamed that art form. This is no Beautiful Death.”

“We never said that it was, Lyssa. The name may be the Sleep of the Beautiful Death, but that is only when used for assassination.” Annette had walked up to stand by Lyssa and point at the monitor. “When used for combat like it is now. There's another name for it.”

“What do you call it when used in combat?” Kimberly asked from behind them.

“Death’s Bloody Dance.” Annette answered without turning around. “Now we see the newest, and possibly the greatest, Mistress for the dance.”

Samantha’s voice came over the comms. “Well, Stronghold. I win.”

“Eight o'clock.” Lyssa stated.

Samantha’s feed shifted and revealed one man holding one hand to his throat as the other was raising a pistol. She practically pounced on him and thrust her knife into his heart, to the hilt. “Clear.”

Lyssa replied. “No, you are not. There are four left. Two on each level of the parking levels below you. Get those bodies out of immediate sight. Move it. November Tango is on her way to the exfil point. You’ll need one of those guard's card to get out without setting off the alarms. Do all that, THEN you’ll be clear. When you are clear, get clean fast.”

Samantha finally caught sight of parts of herself. “Oh. Right. On it.”

Fifteen minutes later Samantha walked slowly down a back alley headed for the parking lot where Big Blue was parked. It had taken her ten minutes to hide the bodies in the lobby and the guards in the parking levels. To clean up Samantha used a waterspout on the backside of Century First Banking. As she rounded the backside of the building Angelic pulled out of the parking lot they had used across the street. In the seat next to Angelic was her backpack. It was filled to the brim with files and ledgers.

“I got the intel, cousin.” Was all she said. Angelic knew that Samantha had left no trace of her passing that night with the exception of cooling bodies. This was the way of the Hemlock Rose.

-----tbc-----