Nick was the first to show up at Clair’s ranch. He arrived in one of the newer Lincoln Town cars, driven by a teenage woman. When she got out of the car to open the back door for Nick, she was wearing a custom-made chauffeur suit. She looked no older than a teenager.

She was shorter than Nick by at least a foot or so. Her short dirty blonde hair fell to the middle of her neck.
Clair was standing on the porch with Jasmine beside her. The other women were busy feeding their visitors. Becky had left to explain things to her uncle.

A smile appears on Nick’s face when he spots Clair and her granddaughter on the house's porch. It has been so long since he has visited her. He saw the damage done to the house. He knew the construction company he was a quiet partner in was on their way to fix the house. He starts walking towards the house.

The young woman with him stayed by the Lincoln Town Car. However, even with her sunglasses covering her eyes, she was watching Nick and everything around her like a hawk.

“God, Nick, what have you been taking?” Clair steps down off the porch to hug her old friend.

She couldn’t believe how young he looked. She knew Jack had been granted a second chance at life when she last saw him. He had explained everything to her about how it happened. Now, Nick looked like he was back in his prime again.

Nick hugs Clair. He can tell that Jasmine is watching him. Jasmine was rescued by Clair and adopted by her.

“It looks like you and your granddaughter survived.” Nick steps back to look into Clair’s eyes.

“I was lucky I had some talented people staying here with me. I was thinking about something, but before I pitch it to you and Jack. Which, when
will he be here?” Clair knew Jack was coming out.

“He’ll be here tomorrow morning. One of his grandchildren took a turn for the worst last night.”

“What happened?” Clair was curious.

“It appeared his granddaughter, Haylee, and some of her friends had been infected with a rare parasite while in Africa. This parasite is so rare that there isn’t much known about it. The medicine she was taking to remove it from her system had weakened her immunity systems so much. That she started developing problems, and it sent her system into shock.

Jack had to call back one of his daughters who specialized in alternative medicine to help her and her friends suffering from the same thing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she is better.” Clair knew how much Jack cared about his family.

“She is and should fully recover. However, you know how much he hates being unable to do anything about a situation.” Nick knew his blood
brother hated standing back and being unable to do anything.

“Yeah, I know. There are times when being a parent and unable to protect a child sucks. It’s worse for you and Jack because you two don’t like being unable to do anything. You two are problem solvers.”

“Hey, you’re just as bad as well.” Nick knew how much Clair hated standing by and being unable to help team members when they were dying.

“Not as bad as you two.”

“So, did Anika’s team arrive?” Nick knew Anika had sent members of her team to help Clair.

“Yeah, and I have to say, I have never met such an unusual bunch. Did you know one of her team members is an exhunter?”

“That would be Carla. Jack told me all about her and how she was born. It seemed the Vatican has more secrets than it likes to share.”

“We have always known about that, Nick. Remember that one mission they sent us on had been a setup to kill us?”

“Oh, I remember. Now, why don’t we go to your office, and you tell me what happened here.”

Clair looks towards the town car and the young woman watching them. “Is your driver going just stay there?”

“Yeah, she has problems being around people she doesn’t know.” Nick knew his driver had trust issues and didn’t like being around people.

“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.” Clair wonders what happened to the poor girl.

Clair and Nick carefully make their way up the steps. Nick was glad that he and Jack had the old house reinforced before they moved it onto the property. He smiles when he comes face-to-face with Jasmine.

“How are you doing, Jassy?” Nick had his own personal nickname for Jasmine.

“I’m doing okay, uncle. I took a .50 caliber round to my back.” Jasmine was thankful the suit stopped the sniping round.

“That had to hurt. I’m glad to see that the suit managed to stop it.”

“Me too, however. You or Uncle Jack need to redesign these suits to dull the kinetic energy a little more. I have a bruise that covers the center of my back.” Jasmine saw the huge ass bruise that completely covered the middle of her back.

“I’ll mention it to Jack. I know you're not the first to complain about the bruising you get from wearing that material.” Nick has had several himself from the lining of his clothes.

Clair escorts Nick to her office. Just before she shuts the door, Clair looks at Jasmine. “I’m going to be a while. Ensure Nick’s driver is cared for along with the others.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jasmine wonders what the deal was with her Uncle Nick’s driver.

Out Back Behind The House:
“Is everyone okay? Do you need anything?” Ada and Alya had made breakfast for everyone. Ada had gone to the nearest grocery store to get everything she needed for breakfast.

“Sit down, Ada. You need to eat as well.” Mark looks at Ada when he says that.

“I know.” Ada sits down at the table next to Jamie and Henry.

Alya was sitting across from Carla. She noticed that Carla wasn’t eating much.

“Not hungry?”

A smirk appears on Carla’s face. “I’m not much of a breakfast person. So, how did you hook up with everyone here?” Carla was curious.

“I broke down and spotted Mrs. William’s house. She let me stay overnight, and we dropped my car off at Becky’s grandfather’s place to have it fixed. If you don’t mind me asking, why do you do this type of job?” Alya was curious about Carla.

“I’m making up for mistakes in my past. I have a question for you. How did you manage to take out several of the attackers?”

Alya looks at the blonde-haired woman. “Let’s just say my ancestors gave me a unique power.”

“You’re Native American, aren’t you?” Carla has never met a Native American before.

“Yes, and I also work at the Native American Museum in Washington, D.C. I’m one of the curators that work there.”

“Well, I have to say, I have never met a Native American before until now.” Carla drinks some of her coffee.

Jasmine comes walking out of the back door and spots everyone still eating. She grabs a biscuit and some of the slices of country ham Clair had bought and makes a sandwich.

“So, who showed up?” Ada looks towards Jasmine.

“My uncle Nick. He’s one of my grandma’s old partners.” Jasmine couldn’t believe how Nick, looked.

“Nick? Isn’t he called the Owl?” Mark looks towards Jasmine for an answer.

“Yep, where Uncle Jack is called the Devil’s Bounty Hunter or the Wolf. Uncle Nick is called the Owl.”

Why are they called that?” Henry was curious.

“Because they are extremely dangerous. Uncle Jack, Nick, and a woman called the Cheshire are three of the most dangerous assassins. Uncle Jack, because he fears nothing. He has been known to chop the heads off of the people he goes against and leave them on a pike. Uncle Nick is just as deadly as Uncle Jack, but he ruins you using the law and rules. As for the Cheshire, she has been known to use poison or to take you out herself. She is her namesake, and you never know when she will arrive.”

“So, she’s like the Disney Cheshire who appears and disappears?” Carla has heard rumors about her but has never met her.

“You could say that. She’s good at appearing and disappearing without you realizing she killed you.”

“Man, they sound dangerous.” Henry has heard stories about the wolf and the Cheshire.

“They are.” Jasmine fixes herself a cup of coffee.

During the rest of the morning, everyone gets to know each other. Mark figures that Jack and Nick might turn them into a team. He figures Ada, Alya, Clair, Jasmine, and Becky might make a good team from everything he saw when they arrived.