Two days later, Samantha smiled as she watched Kasey, Kristine and their fathers running up and down the runway. The girls had spent the morning in the dance studio with her and Angelic going over the basics of the Dancing Blade. Samantha showed them no mercy. When she was done with them Hunter and Bobby took over. Their fathers took the girls down to the range for firearms training. For every round not in the bullseye the girls had to run one lap around the runway. The reason Hunter and Bobby were running was their misses. The two men believed in leading by example.

As Samantha walked towards the main hangar she thought long and hard about the last few days. It had taken Samantha just over eighty-eight hours to exfiltrate safely. She didn’t want to burn any of her UC ids. She used every last bit of her training. She knew that her mission was a burnable situation. Just as the whole operation had been from the very start. Samantha used every trick in her book plus a few that weren’t to avoid attention. Even her return to Ram’s Rock had been done in such a way as to not draw any attention.

Samantha had taken nothing but commercial flights all the way to Freeport. Starting in Linz, Austria she took a Lufthansa Flight to Berlin. From there she grabbed a British Airways to London. In London she switched IDs for the first time before she took the Delta redeye flight to Toronto. There she took the ferry across to Cleveland. In Cleveland, Samantha switched IDs again then took the first flight out to Miami. In Miami she switched IDs for the last time before grabbing the afternoon flight to Freeport. She spent the night there before catching a ride with Lonestar as he picked Mindy up from school.

Now she just needed to finish the last part of the mission. The Major had made one concession for this debriefing. There would only be the four of them there. Her, Maria, Lyssa, and him. Lyssa was now moving around. No one else from the OICA would be there for her debriefing.

This was the first separation of the OICA Operations. From now on, it seemed only the Major would debrief the Black Badges on their operations. The rest of the OICA would no longer participate in Black Badge operations with the exception of transport. Just as the Black Badges would have nothing to do with the operations of the military side of the OICA. Samantha had found this out directly from the Major. Which in her mind was perfectly fine.

Krystel’s little rant had given Samantha a lot to think about during her journey back to Ram’s Rock. The one thing she kept coming back to was the veiled threat that Krystel made about a Rainy-Day file. A threat that would be removed today. She had played by their rules. She played by the rules of the Marshal Service. Sure, she went off the reservation before all this started to remove a threat to Kristine. But that was the only time. However, the threat of her going rogue was obvious. Samantha understood that had been going further than she should have.

If Maria had ordered her to stand down and let Delicato go for now she would have followed orders. She wouldn’t have liked it, but she would have done as ordered. She would have waited. A few more years of waiting would have meant nothing to her. She was a Capizeo and they were very good at the long game.

Kimberly met her as Samantha entered the hangar. “They’re ready for you now.”

“Figured as much.” Samantha without any real concern as she walked towards the conference room. “Still trying to shake off the jetlag.”

“Samantha, before you go in, you need to adjust the attitude.” Kimberly warned. “The Major, Marshal, and Sergeant Major are not in the mood.”

“Tough shit. Besides, after today, I doubt I’ll be around, Kimberly.” Samantha stopped and sighed. “I won’t have my hands tied.”

“Tied?” Kimberly asked in confusion.

“Krystel has a file on me. She called it her Rainy-Day file. If she has one on me that means she has files on all the others. That is a threat.” Samantha slowly turned to look her in the eye. “I don’t take kindly to threats to my family, Kimberly. Eighteen years ago, I saw those that threatened my family either put in a grave or behind bars. I missed the greatest threat of them all. That man started a mob war that sent three other Mafia families after the rest of my family until almost none were left. That finale threat to my family has now been removed.”

“Was that what your little rampage in the Vatican was all about? Removing a threat to your family?” Kimberly asked. “All those bodies just so you can feel like you’re protecting Kasey and Kristine? Your missions pose a greater danger to them than that man ever did.”

“Wrong family, Kimberly.” Samantha told Kimberly as she faced towards the conference room. “You and Krystel may be good at finding data and tracking patterns, are some of the best investigators out there, but you both suck at manhunting. I’m one of the best. There are only four that are any better.”

“Oh really?” Kimberly asked. “So, we can only find people that tell us who and where they are? If you believe that, then you never learned anything from us. Good thing your daughters did. They'll be your saving grace. Report for debriefing.”

“Kimberly, you need to listen to what I said. You and Krystel are some of the best investigators I know. But you were never trained as a manhunter. I was. As for my daughters. They still have a long way to go in their training as manhunters. If you doubt me. Just ask Bobby, Hunter, or Annette. Don’t bother asking Maria or Anna. They’re in a class all to themselves.”

As Samantha entered the room she was greeted by the sight of Maria, Paul, and Lyssa all seated on one side of the conference table. There was only one chair on the side facing the door. On the table was a single folder. At the other end of the room were five wooden dummies. Seeing this Samantha returned to her days at the Marshals academy. Samantha squared her shoulders and straighten her back before marching into the room. She came to a stop just behind the chair on her side of the table and snapped to attention while giving Paul a salute. One that he quickly returned.

“Come in Deputy.” Paul said from the other side of the table. “Please have a seat, Deputy Justice. We have a lot to go over today.”

“Thank you, sir, but I’ll stand. I prefer to take my ass chewing standing.” Samantha told Paul bluntly as she assumed the position of At-ease.

“You’re not here for an ass-chewing Deputy.” Lyssa told her.

“Any ass-chewing will be handed out by me Sergeant-Major.” Maria glared. “As for you Deputy. Sit down.”

“Yes, Marshal.” Samantha took her seat.

Maria glared. “I just heard what you said outside, to Kimberly. Do not ever speak to her that way again, and when you go out, you will apologize! She has hunted down and found worse monsters than you have and did so around the globe. Please begin Major.”

“That is debatable ma’am. And no. I will not apologize for stating the truth. I know she has hunted down monsters as you have put it. But so, have I. In our own fucking backyard as well as around the fucking world. Men and women that should have never seen the inside of a courtroom, let alone a jailcell. People that you, yourself would have happily slit the throats of just three years ago, Donna DeMarco.” Samantha returned Maria’s glare with the same level of heat. “There is no difference between a child molester, serial killer, drug kingpin, cartel boss, or international terrorist. They’re all the scum of the earth. And all are deserving of facing justice.”

“Deputy Justice take us through your reasoning for going after the suspect on your own.” Dannigan started off.

“Before I go into my reason for going it alone. I think I need to explain that the suspect Jonathan Delacorte was not your normal runner. He had been on the US Marshal’s most wanted list for the last twenty-one years, nine months, and ten days. He was the main suspect in the deaths of nine Federal Officers, and more than twice that number of local PD officers. He was a known cop killer. The FBI, Ohio State Police, and Toledo PD suspected him in another nineteen murders, but were never able to put together a solid case for prosecution. When he finally did screw up, he fled to the nonextradition country of Brazil. Shortly thereafter he was placed under a Federal Death warrant legally issued by First Circuit Federal Judge Robert Clark in Ohio. The warrant was issued under the name of Alfonzo Delicato with shoot on sight orders.” Samantha looked up at the three as she went over the situation.

Dannigan tapped a file. “I knew all that ten minutes after his name came up, Justice. Take a minute and remember. I've been working Intelligence since before you were born. You are not the Superior in here. Dwell on that and continue when you have your shit together.”

“Samantha, LOSE your attitude!” Maria ordered.

Samantha mentally counted to ten and back then looked over at Lyssa. For some odd reason, Lyssa was giving her a look of encouragement. She could swear the woman was thinking 'you are better than this, show it'.

“Sir, I know that you have been working Intelligence for longer than I have been alive. But Alfonzo Delicato has been able to avoid both arrest and prosecution for longer than most on that list. I don’t know exactly when he joined the Iscariot Division but with his connections I would say shortly before the hit was carried out on my parents. Even back then the man was dangerous in more ways than one. Since then he was able to work his way into a position of power within that organization. He had access to resources, money, power and a personal army. He also had the protection of the Holy See. Making a conventional attempt at arrest impossible. I went over all viable options before settling on the nonconventional option of assassination. To accomplish this, I realized that there was only one viable way for mission success. I go in alone, sir.” Samantha explained to Dannigan.

“How did you come to this conclusion, Deputy?” Lyssa asked calmly.

Samantha took a deep breath and collected her thoughts before starting. “Of the personnel currently available on the roster only two possessed the needed background and skills. Deputy Annette DeMarco and Inspector Angelic DeMarco. Deputy Annette DeMarco is nondeployable due to medical reasons. Inspector DeMarco presented too great a risk of unintentional discovery due to her being a known member of the clergy. Deputies Everbrite and Taugh were eliminated for the simplest reason. They lacked the needed background to pass as even a lapsed Catholic. Under normal circumstances this would not have been a problem as they could have gone in as tourists. However, the circumstances dictated a possible need to pass as a member of the Catholic clergy. While Deputy Kasey DeMarco and Deputy Kristine Justice do have the needed knowledge for going undercover. They lack the needed proficiency for an operation of this magnitude. That left me with only one viable option. A solo mission using only outside and unconventional resources with no trace leading back to this organization, Sergeant Major.”

“These outside and unconventional resources, are they trustworthy Deputy?” Maria asked with a sly knowing smile.

“While the resources used are of an unconventional and criminal nature, they are highly trustworthy. The very nature of their business demands extreme discretion for their own protection. The clientele that these businesses deal with are known for their extreme reactions to betrayal, Marshal.” Samantha answered with the same smile.

“Deputy, during your infiltration of the hard site. You deviated from your original plan of a total underground approach. Why?” Dannigan asked.

“The weather played a major part in my decision to abandon the underground route. The above normal heavy rains had flooded most of the tunnels making the underground routes under Rome impassable, sir. The extra patrols by the Swiss Guard and Vatican Police rendered a street level approach just as reckless, sir. Leaving only the rooftop approach, sir.” Samantha felt that she should give a full explanation for her approach not just why she abandoned the underground route.

Samantha felt all eyes boring into her. There was a question to be asked. A hard one.

Finally, Maria closed her eyes then opened them. “When you decided to deviate from your original plan, why did you not update your OverWatch team?”

There it was. It wasn't that she deviated from her plan. The problem was that she didn't update them so that they would be prepared.

“An error on my part. Overconfidence on my part that any countermeasures I would encounter would be easily bypassed without their assistance.” Samantha admitted.

“At any point in time did you believe that you could or should pull out, Deputy?” Lyssa asked jumping straight to the point of this briefing. “For either personal or professional reasons.”

“There were two points, Sergeant Major. Once while still in CONUS. During the interrogation of Andrews. The other was during the drive from Federico Fellini International airport in Rimini, Italy to the ancestral home of the Capizeo family in San Marino, Italy, Sergeant Major.” Samantha answered coldly. “Both times were for personal reasons.”

“So, continuing to go it alone like you did was strictly for professional reasons, Deputy?” Dannigan asked.

“Yes, sir. I had a legal warrant to carry out, Major. Did I have personal reasons for wanting to carry out that warrant? Yes. Did I let those reasons cloud my judgement? No. Would I have taken in a viable backup? Yes. Was that backup available? No. Would I have changed anything if I could? Yes. Am I going to bitch because I couldn’t? No. Would I do it again to carry out a legal death warrant on a most wanted? The answer is an unequivocal yes. Will I go off the reservation to do so? No.” Samantha almost snarled.

“Let’s go over the weapons that were used. Forty-fives with custom built smooth bores. What were they based on? How accurate are they?” Lyssa asked.

“They were base off nonstandard Colt 1911 super frames to hold sixteen-round double stacked extended magazines. They were fitted with eight inch smooth bore barrels with built in four inch suppressor and compensator. With the Hyperion Drill Point rounds deadly out to a hundred yards. The upside is no ballistic evidence. They’re the perfect weapon for a wet-work specialist. The CIA, KGB, Mossad, and a few others have been using them for years.” Samantha answered honestly. “Down side they’re a bitch to clean.”

“Were you able to secure examples of these Hyperion Drill Point rounds?” Dannigan asked her next.

“Enough that with the right tooling they can be copied, sir.” Samantha answered as she set one of the rounds on the table. “The problem is these rounds can only be used with a smooth bore barrel.”

“We're familiar. Highly exotic rounds need equally exotic weapons. Last question Deputy. You left here with four passports of a questionable nature. They were not used nor were they returned. Those four passports were used twelve hours ago in Linz, Austria. Who is in possession of those passports?” Lyssa cocked her head to the side smirking. “You never planned on using those passports for yourself, right?”

“By this time tomorrow my Aunts Susan and Carol Capizeo will be returning home. Along with my two cousins. After six years in hiding they can safely return to their lives as teachers of ballet.” Samantha answered honestly. “You asked what was so damned important that I would risk everything by going after Delicato. Family. Sure, revenge was part of my motivation, but a very small part. Until Delicato was removed he presented a valid threat to what was left of my family. A threat to me personally I can deal with and ignore. A threat to my family. All bets are off.”

Dannigan sat there nodding his head in understanding. “One more question Samantha. Exactly when and how did you find your aunts and cousins?”

“Sir. No offense to the skills of the Command Staff, they’re some of the best at finding data and tracking patterns. Two of the best investigators I know in fact, but they suck at manhunting. I’m one of the best. There are only four that are any better.” Then Samantha chuckled. “I also know how to think like someone on the run.”

“I will agree to one aspect, Sir. The Deputy is one of the best trackers in the Marshal Service.” Lyssa stated. “But I disagree with the Deputy's appraisal of the Command Staff. They've proven their abilities; such remark is without grounds. She had but to only mention them to Command and every resource would have been devoted to finding them for her. Flight-Ops could have extracted them to a secure location with her approval and participation. She did not and therefore her remark should be retracted. If you do not ask, you definitely will not get. Point: Maria asked for Anna. Not critical, but within reason. Request was granted without undue delay.”

Samantha sat back and shook her head. “Allow me to clarify my statement. I never said they can’t do their jobs, Sergeant Major. They’re some of the best at finding an Unsub. Starting from nothing building a case. Finding the corresponding evidence. Everything you need to bring someone down. Someone that doesn’t know they’re being hunted. At that they are some of the best with very few that are better. What I said was they suck at manhunting. A totally different skillset they weren’t trained in. Case in point; the three teams of escaped assassins. If not for the help of Miss Anna there would have been six to seven more attacks before we stopped them. Manhunting is about following the intangible. Hunches shit you can’t find in a database or profile. You have to think two, three steps ahead of a runner. Sometimes you spend days sitting on one location in the hopes that your hunch pays off. I won’t even go into what working a cold case takes. Like I said manhunting is a set of skills that have to be learned over time and not everybody can learn them. Investigation techniques, criminal profiling can be taught in a classroom then mastered in the field over time. Manhunting is strictly an OJT situation, takes years to learn, and a life time to master. I’m one of the best, because I was taught by the best. In this situation I had nothing more than blind hope. Not a feeling, a hunch, or even a scientific wild assed guess to work off. I wasn’t about to waste the Command Staff’s time on nothing more than blind hope. I’m too much of a professional for that, sir.”

“I don't believe you would have wasted their time. They would agree. They would have been happy to help you.” Dannigan told her. “Deputy, I can honestly say that between the recorded video and your answers the operation was acceptable. Marginal, but acceptable. Work on that margin, Deputy. You can improve. You know it, I know it. Make it happen. On to other matters.”

“You need a demonstration of the Great Enlightenment for evaluation purposes. I figured that’s what the dummies are for.” Samantha stood up and walked over to the five dummies. Centering herself in the middle of them Samantha turned to face her audience. “There are twenty-four basic movements and twenty-four corresponding advanced movements.”

Samantha spent the thirty minutes using just one of the dummies to show each movement one at time. Once she had done so, Samantha stepped into center once more. Taking a breath Samantha cut loose on the dummies. No sound was heard except for the striking of flesh on wood at first. Then towards the end the sounds of wood cracking could heard as Samantha shifted from nonlethal force blows to deadly force blows. The final strike snapped the wooden dummy in half. Standing up straight Samantha walked over to stand in front of Dannigan. “I hope this answers your questions.”

“Do you understand why?” Lyssa asked.

Samantha nodded. “Yes. I can't be sent to do something I can't. If it is unknown, then Command will not assume I am able.”

“Thank you, Deputy. That’ll be all. Dismissed.” Dannigan told gruffly.

“Before I leave sir. I have one thing to say. Krystel’s ‘Rain-Day’ files go away. They are a threat. I don’t like threats to my family. Make them go away. I and my family dealt with you in good faith.”

Dannigan looked confused. “Rainy Day file?”

Samantha nodded. “Yes. Krystel has it.”

“Why do you look like you don't know what we're talking about?” Maria asked.

“Because I don't.” Dannigan said, standing up, went to the door, and called out. “Lieutenant Commander. Inside.”

“Aye, Sir.” Krystel walked in.

Dannigan sat down. “Clarify for me this 'Rainy Day file'.”

“That would be this, Sir.” Krystel held up a file. “A seriously nasty piece of work, if I do say so myself. I'll be happy to elaborate.”

Samantha glared at her. “Bet you are.”

Krystel gave her a look of disgust. “Of course. Brace for impact.”

Krystel opened the file and took out a picture and handed it to Sam. “Haven't seen this, have you? This is in front of the tribal council hall on Deputy Everbrite's reservation. They got together and made it. A monument to Bobby. The first member of the tribe to serve in Special Forces. To become a federal agent, United States Deputy Marshal. They instituted a competition. The traditional warriors' test that ends with a race from the top of the mountain to the tribal council. The first to touch the monument gets the tribe's support to join the Army and after service ends, apply to become a Deputy Marshal. They even applied for federal funding to help the prospect and got it. All on their own, in Bobby's honor. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they have one for the girls too.”

Samantha looked to Dannigan, who shook his head. “I didn't know about that.”

“This?” Krystel said, taking out another picture and showing it. “Is the room Hunter lived in at the group home. The two boys with the highest grades and exemplary conduct occupy it. They volunteer to be the leaders of the kids there. Been going on for some time I understand. On the door is a drawing of a Ranger beret and Deputy Marshal's star. Every boy that has occupied that room enlisted. Two are at FLETC and the rest are still in service or became police officers. The kids came up with that, all by themselves. Nice, huh?”

“Hunter doesn't know about this, does he?” Maria asked.

Krystel shook her head. “Not to my knowledge.”

Another photo was taken out. “This is at Scarlet Boatwright's school. Look familiar?”

Maria nodded. “Yes. That is one of the dance studios in the school.”

“More specifically; it's the studio you, Annette, Samantha and the girls used whenever you danced there.” Krystel answered. “Word is Catherine wanted to name it The DeMarco Studio. Someone else had other ideas. Look above the door.”

Samantha stared intently then handed it to Maria, who read. “La Speranza della Colomba. Dove's Hope. Who did this?”

“A handful of girls rescued from a certain ship of misery that were the first to be taken in by Scarlet Boatwright. They saw you all dance.” Krystel replied.

“Kendra and her friends.” Maria understood.

“According to internal chatter there, which is constantly monitored by us since you left. At first no one knew who wrote it, so it was scrubbed off. All four were seen the next day rewriting it then stood, hand-in-hand blocking the doorway, until Mrs. Boatwright came. They were very adamant that it remain but couldn't explain why. They even got down on their knees and begged for her to leave it. Kendra herself wrote out a promissory note that she would learn to dance, become an instructor and come back to teach ballet for free. For the rest of her life.” Krystel said.

Maria squeezed her eyes shut. “Those girls. As savaged and brutalized as they were, they somehow hung on to some part of themselves unsullied, pure, simple and wonderful.”

“Oh, they didn't stop there.” Krystel smiled. “The room Kasey and Kristine stayed in, is now called the Castilian Room by all the girls and staff. Secretly though, it's called something else. Las Princesas Españolas, the Spanish Princesses. They even painted two tiaras on the door.”

Samantha couldn't resist smiling at that. The girls had made an everlasting mark there.

“Don't forget the flipside, Colonel Boatwright's Academy. Bobby and Hunter gave rise to something special over there and those kids did more than just run with it. A total of twenty pseudo-A-Teams now. Fourteen members each and modeled after both Special Forces and SEAL platoons. They are the elite of the Academy. Several have even been selected for West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs, the Citadel, and New London. New London is Coast Guard. Two girls will enter Valley Forge this year. Valley Forge military junior college. They did damn good I'd say. Go get 'em girls.” Krystel said proudly.

Dannigan nodded. “Outstanding.”

“One of Annette's friends, back in Toledo, floated a loan and bought the DeMarco studio there. The best dancer of her classes takes position all by herself on one side. They call her the Annette. That might sound blasse` but it's important to them. The current 'Annette' is working hard and saving up to go to Juilliard. I doubt you'd remember the woman. Diane Castenberry, mother worked as a waitress at White Tower, but turned the occasional trick.” Krystel read off.

Samantha nodded her head. “I went to school with Diane too.”

“Oh, I remember that little girl now.” Maria winced. “Oh dear. Now I know why her mother looked embarrassed when she paid the monthly fee. If I had known, I would have taught that child for free.”

Dannigan arched an eyebrow. “Now you’re getting nasty, Lieutenant Commander.”

Krystel shrugged then pulled a page and handed it to Samantha. “Last, but not least. Dorothy Rose instituted the Equal Justice policy. The hiring of transgender prospects for the Marshals' Service. Two are at FLETC as we speak. Officially, she is merely being progressive. Unofficially, she did this for you, and it's nicknamed the Little Sister program.”

“Dorothy did that?” Samantha asked.

Dannigan nodded. “That I did hear about. Commendable, I'd say.”

Krystel looked from Samantha to Maria and back. “Rainy Day file. You thought it was blackmail and probably wanted it destroyed. I think you should hang on to this. Inspiration is a powerful thing. All of you inspired people. People to be better people. You thought it was to cage you. No, better for you to want to work for the better. Rainy Day. When you think it's all for nothing and you don't make a difference; it isn't, you have. This file, it's your umbrella on a Rainy Day. I made it; yes. Not to hurt you. I made it to help you. Maybe even save you. Keep it.”

“Krystel. I apologize.” Samantha said. “The ass chewing you gave me; I earned it. I earned another too. Go ahead, give it to me and don't hold back. I'll listen, I promise.”

Maria nodded. “Go ahead. Direct it to me as well.”

Krystel nodded. “I'll just say this. Just because Kimberly and I are here and not out there, doesn't mean we're just spectators. We're in the fight too. I will deploy if Command deems it. So will Kim. But don't disrespect us. We're not idiots. Neither one of us talked down to you. That said, there is still the issue of violating security protocols in place to protect Kasey and especially Kristine. The girls cannot access the array now and the CIC is off-limits to them unless under, mine or Kim's supervision. Argument?”

“No argument. I approve. We all approve.” Maria stated.

Samantha shook her head. “No argument. You've done and continue to do so much to keep them safe. Please, don't stop. Do all you can, please.”

“So be it.” Krystel saluted Dannigan and left.

Once they were alone again Dannigan looked over to Lyssa. “Sergeant Major, your thoughts on the Deputy's techniques?”

“I was impressed. There were four that I know 'the updated version' of and five of the same version as hers. Deadly is an accurate assessment. Even the nonlethal blows could send a combatant to the hospital for an extended stay. While it can be used in combat, it is more the art of assassination. In a fight between someone using Evolution and the Great Enlightenment it’ll come down to who makes the first mistake. I doubt that most of the current Demon Wraith Team could take her, simply because they don't know Evolution. Samantha is good. Definitely Whisper, Blitz, me and Noc stand a solid chance of taking her down. Adonis will give her a hard run. Getaway and Kilo are an arguable maybe. On a good day, for them. Again, that will depend on who makes the first mistake.” Lyssa looked at the one broken dummy. “I can understand why she has withheld her developing skills in the art. That last strike would have shattered bones and organs alike.”

Lyssa paused and looked at the broken dummy one last time. “However, there is a problem. Samantha, please pay attention. Several of those require significant bone density to perform. Kasey and Kristine need to wait a while longer. Two years for Kasey, five for Kristine. Due to HRT, their bone density may not be where it normally would be. I ask caution, for their sake. I also believe that Sam's training in the art would also allow her handling two firearms at the same time. It's possible, but not a sure thing. Believe it or not, Kristine stands the better chance for that, due to her previous issue with eye dominance for no other reason than the fact she has dealt with the needed skill her whole life.”

“It explains a lot. Maria, I have only one question. Do you still have operational control over Samantha Justice or is she a detriment to the operations of the Black Badges?” Paul asked her.

“Now that the final threat to what is left of her family has been removed. The threat of her going rogue has also been removed.” Maria answered honestly as she too looked over at the broken dummy. “She has finally buried the past with the names of Stephany and Joseph Capizeo.”

“Does that mean the Hemlock Rose is also buried?” Lyssa asked.

“Yes. It is time for the Wraiths of the Moonless Night to die as well. The last of our number walk this island.” Maria said firmly and got a nod from Samantha. “This is a good thing. Our time has passed. Just as the need and way of life that spawned us has passed.”

“Major?” Lyssa asked.

Dannigan nodded. “Yes, Sergeant Major, your duties are now complete. You are relieved. Enjoy life, Lyssa. Would you ask Angelic to join us please?”

Maria and Samantha's jaws dropped.

Lyssa made her way out, singing. “Gory, gory, what a hellu'va way to die. Gory, gory, what a hellu'va way to die. Gory, gory, what a hellu'va way to die; an' he ain't gonna jump no more! Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom.”

Maria looked to her husband. “What do you mean?”

“Lyssa is no longer obligated to service. She's done. No more. She can walk into my office, the committee, everybody and finally say no.” Dannigan said. “In short; she gets to live now.”

“Okay. What's with that song?” Samantha asked.

Maria nodded. “It was rather morbid.”

“That? It's a song all paratroopers know. Blood upon the risers. It's about burning in. Chute malfunction and death on impact during a training jump. It's how she died the first time. All Demon Wraiths are listed as dead, due to training accidents. None have immediate family, so they have a training accident. Standard procedure.” Dannigan explained.

The door opened and Angelic stepped in. “You wished to see me?”

“Come in.” Dannigan nodded and waved her to the table. “Hope you don't mind a bit of informality. Angelic, there is the question of your future. After discussion, you have two options. Option One; you may return and report to Karl Ferdinand. He will assign you to whatever posting you deem appropriate for yourself, his words. Option Two; you may stay on with the Marshal's team. The choice is yours. You don't have to decide immediately. I'll be here for three more days. This packet is for if you decide to return to Rome, it has all the documents for your travel. That is all and thank you for all you've done during the course of this operation. Deputy Justice; dismissed."

Samantha and Angelic walked out together.

Once they were alone Paul turned to Maria. “It seems we witnessed the end of the most feared guild of assassins in all of the Western world.”

“No, my dear Daniel, what we just witnessed was the birth of a new legend. One that will reach down through history in the annals of Law Enforcement. One that will one day surpass the Black Badges. Or did you miss the fact that Samantha was wearing her old star?” Maria got up and headed for the door then looked back at Paul with a smile. “I’ll hold dinner for you dear.”

Like all good things this story must come to an end. Much like this chapter. This is the last book in the Black Badge stories. At least for a while.