Instead; Dajon Borgatti and his thugs now resided in Fresnes Prison. Located in the town of Fresnes, Val-de-Marne South of Paris. She knew that the Gendarmerie Corps had to work with Interpol at times. All too often, their justice often took precedence over real justice in her eyes. That just stealing back the stolen or looted art and antiquities was all they would get at times. Also, she had no choice but to let some criminals live to face the courts instead of turning them over to local organizations. Acceptance of those facts were a test of her faith. This recent case, however; truly tested both her vows and her faith in not only the Justice system, but in the very Lord himself. It was the sights of what else she had found in that house that haunted her dreams and waking hours. Even now, three months after the operation, she still had not confessed to Father Frances her Confessor what she saw.

In her report to her Superior; she had outlined what she saw but could not go into detail. Not just because of what troubled her, but because of what it could mean for U.S. and Vatican diplomatic relations. Relations already strained, due to the continued sexual abuse scandals surrounding certain Dioceses in the United States. If what she had found were to ever become common knowledge those already strained relations could very well snap. The very problem she struggled with now was, who to tell? Who could she reveal this information to, that would take action, but not damage control?

She knew her Supervising Superior Officer in the Gendarmerie would push for her to bury the knowledge. The Priest was more concerned at times over political appearance than seeking justice. Her Mother Superior for her Order wanted her to just Confess what she had seen to Father Frances and let him decide what to do. Her contacts with Interpol wanted to handle the problem quietly by ignoring the connections to America. Everywhere she turned; Sister Magdalena was being told to just let what she found at Borgatti’s home, go. Something that her conscience would never let her do. Justice had to be done in her eyes and heart.

That was the way of the DeMarco and Capizeo families. For over four hundred years they had brought justice to those who believed themselves above the laws. The Guild of the Moonless Wraiths had long ago passed into legend in the old countries. Only here in Rome and Italy were they even still talked about. Even then those who talked about those assassins did so with hushed reverence. It was said that they walked as vengeful ghosts in the shadows of a moonless night. Neither seen, nor heard, with their passing always marked by death.

Magdalena reached in the pocket of her vestments. Looking around to make sure that she was alone she pulled out the nondescript business card. On the front of it was a single international phone number. A phone number that was good for a one time use. She knew that on the other end of that phone call waited Death incarnate. Unlike the rest of the Gendarmerie Corps and most of Interpol, Sister Angelic Magdalena knew the truth about the legendary United States Marshals’ Black Badge Division. They were real and they did not arrest individuals. The Black Badges were the bloody righthand of Lady Justice. She also knew that if she made this phone call, she may very well have to leave her Sisterhood. All of that was as certain as the crucifix around her neck. Just as much as that if she didn’t make the call, a group of people would never face justice.

No matter how it came, it was down to her. It was this decision that was testing her faith. She knew that calling her aunt meant unleashing a force of nature that only brought vengeful death. She knew that her father would just tell her to say fuck the Monsignor and just call her aunt. But was it the Christian thing to do? Could she turn loose such a terrifying force? Even in the pursuit of justice? For the first time in her young life as a Nun, Sister Magdalena was at a crossroads of faith. With a heavy sigh, she put the card back in her pocket.

In a voice barely above a whisper, Angelic admitted. “Not yet, I need more guidance.”

The young Nun headed for Confession. She would confess her sin of omission to Father Lawrence. One of the few Priests that the Gendarmerie could use outside of their organization. Then she would ask for guidance and her penance. After that, she would do what must be done. As the young Nun approached the Confessional, she began to doubt her decision. In that moment of doubt, she stepped over to one of the pews and prayed. It was there with her hands clasped in a death-grip, head bowed in prayer and sweat running down her forehead that Father Lawrence Jacobs found her hours later.

“Tell me Sister. What demon haunts you so that you would pray for the very Arch Angels to descend on vengeful wings? Why would you call for the Angel of Death?” The Priest asked.

“I am having a crisis of faith, Father.” Magdalena answered truthfully before sighing. “One that I doubt even the General of Heaven and wielder of the Holy Flame, Arch Angel Michael can help with.”

“I see. Enter the Confessional Sister. I would hear your confession.” Father Lawrence turned and walked toward the confessional knowing the Nun’s vow of obedience would have her hot on his heels.

What he would hear would soon have him questioning his own faith. If only half of what Sister Magdalena told him was true, then there truly was a need for the Iscariot Division of the Gendarmerie Corps. Lawrence long believed that such need for the shadowy group of Priests and Nuns were a throw back to the past. That there was no need for them anymore. The days of using criminals to bring justice to those who abused their power were over. He now knew he was wrong.

“Your penance for your sin of omission will be ten Hail Mary’s and ten Our Fathers with an act of contrition. Also, ten minutes of your time outside.” He stated then exited.

Once outside of the Confessional; Father Lawrence turned to the Dominican Nun for the Saint Nicholas Order. “Sister Magdalena, I know that what you have done was to protect our beloved Church from more scandal in the United States. Though I cannot help but to wonder what else we can do? We have to report what you found. I also know that your Superior is an uncaring man when it comes to crimes outside of his division. Yet we cannot let this go unchallenged.”

“Father I know of someone that can help us. It would mean going to someone outside of the Gendarmerie though. I also fear that if I were to go to these people it would be breaking with my vows to my Order.” Angelic sighed heavily. “That is why I was praying so hard when you found me. I was asking for guidance.”

“This is one time that being a Confessor for the Gendarmerie is a blessing. Wait here for me to return Sister.” With that the Priest turned and walked towards the back of the chapel.

Angelic returned to the pews, pulling out her rosery and knelt. She figured that she had time to say some of her penance and started with a Hail Mary. She had just started her third Hail Mary when Father Lawrence returned.

He waited for her to complete her Hail Mary before waving for her to follow him. “Come with me Sister. The Bishop will see you now.”

Angelic had no idea of which Bishop Father Lawrence was taking her to see. It wasn’t like she could go before just any Bishop with this information. Hell, depending on which Bishop she was taken before, she could very well be Ex-communicated at the worse. At the least; made to take vows of silence. Most likely though, she would be released from her vows to her Order and returned to her family in shame. If she was given the third option, she won’t be heading home. She would exchange her plane ticket, for the Caribbean instead.

All she would pack would be her black tights, long sleeve leotard, faux leather fleece lined leggings, zipper front jacket, knee high soft sole leather boots and a pair of elbow length gloves. Last would be her custom made nylon vest and weapons belt. Because of her vows; all of Angelic’s weapons were all non-lethal. A pistol that fired a ten-millimeter tranquilizer dart designed to drop a suspect in seconds. Next were the sting-ball grenades. These were basically flash-bang grenades that ejected rubber balls at non-lethal speeds, but fast enough to knock someone out. Then there were the two collapsible ASAP tactical batons for hand to hand. These were followed by a modified tazer gun. Instead of only reaching fifteen feet, this one had a range of close to twenty-five feet. Lastly in there was her family knife. These she would put in a diplomatic compartment of her suitcase.

Of all things in the world that Angelic could do, there was one that Angelic would not do. That would be to return to her family; in shame. She would die before letting that happen. She would also find her aunt Maria and give her the information that she found at Dajon Borgatti’s place. Then sit back and let the Hounds of Hell find their next meal. Magdalena was brought out of her dark thoughts as she was led through the cloister and into the Chapter-house. She was more than a little surprised by the man that was waiting there. The black and red vestments marked this man as a Bishop, but she did not recognize the man. Sister Magdalena thought she knew all of the current Bishops in Roma.

Lawrence waved her forward as he announced. “Sister Magdalena, allow me to introduce His Excellency Karl Ferdinand from our intelligence unit; the Iscariot Division. He will hear your story child.”

With that Father Lawrence turned and left the troubled Nun in the hands of the one man he knew could help her. There was a reason for Karl Ferdinand was the Bishop for the Iscariot Division. One that only a very few select people within the Church knew. Not even the Pope knew who the man had once been before coming to the Church.

Only two people in all of the Catholic Church knew who Karl Ferdinand used to be. The First was the Captain of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. The other was a humble Priest that had spent twenty-five years in the US Army as a Chaplin and was now the Bishop’s confessor. There was only one man outside of the Vatican that knew who Karl Ferdinand used to be. And he was as big a secret as the Bishop.

“Father Lawrence tells me that you have a problem Sister Magdalena. One so great, it has caused you to question your faith. Tell me of your burden. Mayhap between the two of us we could find a way for you to regain your faith.” The Bishop offered.

“I don’t know where to begin, Your Excellency.” The young Nun stated truthfully. “The secret that I now hold could very well destroy our relations with the US Government. This could very well be a bigger scandal than the Sexual Abuse cases within the Pennsylvania diocese.”

“I see. Then start with by how you came by this information, Sister.” Bishop Karl knew about the young Nun’s unusual background. He had been the one to send Father Orlando Genovese to ‘convince’ her to join the Sisters of Saint Nicholas and the Gendarmerie Corps of the Vatican City.

“It started with a standard Nazi looted art retrieval Your Excellency. We have been tracking this one painting for the last eighty-five years. It was first stolen from a Jewish owned museum in Würzburg Germany in nineteen-thirty-four. It was next seen in the personal collection of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, in thirty-eight. In forty-three it along with a good portion of the Göring collection went missing. The painting was next seen in the personal collection of Hans Goodier in fifty-nine, where it was stolen from his home. It next surfaced in France on the black market two years ago. Before our agents could purchase the painting; a known Drug Lord, one Dajon Borgatti, secured the painting. I was given permission by my Supervisor in the Stolen Art Division to scout and recover the painting at all costs.” Sister Magdalena sighed and took deep breath. She knew the next part was going to be the hardest.

Karl sensed the Nun’s distress. “Tell me about this painting Sister. Why is it so important that you were given permission to secure it by less than normal means.”

“It is one of the few portraits credited to Karel Dujardin. Done during his earlier years before his first patron. It is one of the rarest paintings by a Dutch Master of the seventeenth century. The fact that it was stamped with the Star of David by the Nazis and was not destroyed makes it one of the greatest treasures of our times.” Magdalena sighed and looked down at her hands. “The Nazis destroyed thousands of paintings, statues, and antiques of all types. To keep them out of the hands of the Allied Armies and to further suppress Jews.”

“I see. Tell me something Sister; you are Catholic in your upbringing. What is it about that dark time in our history and that painting that troubles you so?” Karl knew that there was more going on with the young Nun.

“I can only tell you that there are people in my family who have direct connections to the Holocaust and are survivors of that terrible time. That painting belongs to the Holocaust Survivors museum. Not to some thug with too much money and not enough common sense or good taste. I was more than happy to have the chance to steal that painting back for the Church.” Magdalena sighed. “I just wish that I had never seen that computer file. Over eight-hundred underage ‘mail-order brides’ sold across the World all from Eastern European countries. Girls barely legal enough to travel are being ‘married’ to men well into their forties and fifties.”

“Tell me Sister why did you hack Borgatti’s computer? That is not your normal operational expertise. Surely, all you needed to do was recover the painting and leave. What were you looking for?” Karl knew that there was more to the story.

“I was looking for Borgatti’s illegal art dealer contacts, Your Excellency. We have been trying to shutdown the flow of looted antiquities and art through Europe for years. I saw a chance to gain access to that information and took it. I used a hacking program to break into Borgatti’s computer that came into my possession a few months back.” Magdalena wasn’t going to tell the Bishop who had given her that program. No way in hell was she going to even think about exposing her cousins. She knew that her aunt would be very upset with her for endangering her granddaughters.

“I take it that the people who gave you this program wish to remain anonymous?” Karl asked her with a knowing smirk. He waved his hand to reassure the young Nun that he understood. “What is it about these teenager girls that has you so upset that you sense a danger to the Church?”

“Most of the girls come areas with a heavy Catholic presence.” Magdalena sighed. “Excellency, all of those girls were supposed to be headed for convents in the West. Most of these girls came from poor families. They were given over to their local convent and were promised that the girls would be treated as Novices until they reached their majority. Instead, they have basically been shipped off to become some leech's sexual plaything under the guise of wife.”

Karl saw what the young Nun didn’t. “And being good Catholic girls, they don’t think twice about disobeying the orders of the Sisters. They go willingly into those marriages and not questioning the morality of marrying a man old enough to be their fathers. To add to their misery, they are all from poor yet honorable families, they do not wish to return to their families in disgrace.”

“Exactly, Your Excellency. I would have no problem turning this over to the American FBI and Interpol, were it not for those girls.” Magdalena took a deep breath before continuing. “Excellency, our problem is compounded even more by the fact that two of Borgatti’s underworld contacts for stolen or looted art are both Americans.”

“First off; are these Americans well known?” Magdalena nodded her head yes. “Do they have powerful contacts within their Government?” Again, Magdalena nodded. “Are they connected to the trafficking of the girls?” This time Magdalena shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t you know?”

“This is where things get crazy Your Excellency. The Eastern Europe convents used a reputable shipping firm to handle the transport of the girls between convents. Somewhere between the time they leave their home convent to where they end up, they are sold. I have yet to figure out how the US convents are connected to all this yet. I just know that there are only four.” Magdalena explained for the Bishop.

Bishop Karl Ferdinand knew that Sister Magdalena wanted to go after the Americans for exploiting the teenage novices. The problem was her vows to her Order. Not many young women join the Order of Saint Nicholas as Nuns. Even fewer young men join the order. Their vows of total obedience and secrecy made the order the perfect spies for the Church’s Intelligence agency. Most of the young men and women who join the order of Saint Nicholas had rather colorful backgrounds. Almost all the members were at one time thieves. Very few people outside of the Church knew of the order. Only the Iscariot Division was a greater secret. Mainly because their members were all once either thieves, assassins, soldiers or spies. The Church went to great lengths to hide and protect these reformed criminals.

“You wish to go after these people don’t you, Sister Magdalena?” Karl asked her bluntly. Only to get a shameful nod of the Nun’s head. “Do you have a plan?”

“No, Your Excellency. I do have someone that could help me. I would need to make a phone call or use a computer to send an email. They will help without question.” Magdalena felt that she should be as honest as possible. “I know that if I were to use my contact for help; I would be releasing a force of nature. One that once loosed upon these people, the only justice they will face is the justice found at the end of a gun barrel or knife point.”

Karl just chuckled. “Yes, working with family can be trying at times. Wait here for my return Sister. I will make your call for help much easier to make. Before you ask; the answer is no. You will neither have to leave your Order nor renounce your vows.”

Sister Magdalena had no idea what the Bishop was going to do or who he was going to call. She only knew that he had ordered her to wait for him to return in the Chapter-house. Reaching inside the pocket of her habit's skirt she pulled out the pocket watch her father had gifted her. Like a lot of the Sisters that worked with the public Magdalena was allowed this luxury. Opening the plain silver pocket watch, she checked the time. She sighed as she realized that she would be in trouble with her Mother Superior for missing the noon meal, again. She only hoped that the Bishop would make her late for the evening meal and prayers.

Nondescript Office Building in Washington D.C. 0945 local time…
The desk phone had only rang once before the man seated behind the desk snatched it up. In a gruff manner he said. “Report.”

“Hello, old friend. I see you are still as cordial as always.” The voice was one from his past. One that belonged to a friend from his younger years. A friend that had last been seen shortly after being ordained that now said the confirmation code. “I; who offers Absolution, seeks Him, who brings Resolution.”

“I haven't heard your voice is a long time. How are you? Still driving His Holiness crazy with that bunch of miscreants you call an Intelligence Agency?” the nondescript man asked in jokingly.

“Oh, I have been able to curtail some of my more rambunctious members. Just as you have done with your own organization, my friend.” The man on the other end of the line chuckled. “Paul, that is the name you go by now, yes? I have a problem. One that can very well cause problems for both your government and the Holy Roman Catholic Church.”

“Alright Karl, talk to me. You’ve never once called me for help. Whatever it is must be smelly. Do you need one of my operatives?” Karl Ferdinand was one of the few people who knew that Paul Dannigan was the head of OCIA.

“No. But I know that you would know who I needed to contact for a certain group of U.S. Deputy Marshals. The ones that carry the Black Badge.” Karl knew that if anyone knew about those mysterious Law Officers it would be that long ago friend now calling himself Paul Dannigan. “This is a matter that must be handled in the light of day and shadows.”

Paul almost chuckled at their old code phrase for a black bag operation done above board. “Why do you think there is such a thing as a Black Badge Division of the U.S. Marshals, Karl? I mean they’re nothing more than legend.”

Paul figured he need more information before he pulled out one of hole cards. “Please old friend, do not insult me or my organization. We know the legends are true. We also know that they have returned from the mists of legend to bring justice to those who believe themselves above the law. We do more than just hear things. We double-check the facts for what we hear. Now who do I contact for the Black Badges? Time is of importance here.”

Paul thought about how to keep the two houses of the OICA separate and still give his old friend the help he needed. “I can get them in touch with you Karl. It will cost you though. The Marshal that runs that unit is not known for taking bullshit. I will tell you this now Karl. Unless you have someone the Marshal can trust, you can forget about receiving any help. She’s not about to endanger her people for just anyone. She wouldn’t even do that for me.”

“I see. Would the Marshal trust a Sister of the Saint Nicholas Order?” Karl asked not knowing exactly who the Marshal was. But he knew that Sister Magdalena was beyond approach. The young woman carried her secrets like she wore her habit. Impeccably.

“She might if it was the right one, Karl. Who do you have in mind?” Paul asked.

“The same Sister that brought the problem to my attention. Sister Magdalena of Saint Nicholas. She is one of finest art recovery specialists.” Paul’s chuckling interrupted Karl in his description of the Sister. “I take it you know of her?”

“Let’s just say that I have an extensive file on the young lady.” Paul chuckled. Paul was not about to tell his old friend that he was the Nun’s uncle by marriage to her aunt Maria. Nor was he going to tell the head of the Iscariot Division that he had access to that organization's formidable database. Paul had done a complete background done on all of Maria’s family. Sister Magdalena was the easiest. Thanks mostly to Maria providing most of the information. “I am a little surprised that the Order of Saint Nicholas would take in a DeMarco though.”

“Why should that be a surprise, old friend? After all Saint Nicholas is the patron Saint of thieves. What better place for reforming such individuals?” Karl chuckled.

“More like if you can’t reform them use them, you old dog. You forget who you’re talking to. Besides, if I could ever get a trained DeMarco under my command, I would definitely use their special skills to remove more than a few problems.” Paul wisecracked knowing that he did have such a person working for him. He actually had five such individuals that worked for him. “Karl, have your Nun in your office in one hour. Have her ready to answer some questions. The Marshal still has the final say on whether her team will help. If she says yes, your Nun needs to be ready to fly. Can you arrange for an Apostolic Letter and Diplomatic passport for the Nun?”

“I can have it done within the hour. I’ll let you make your call and fetch my Nun. Don’t worry Paul. If she has to fly out tonight, she’ll have what she needs to get the job done. Where do you want her to land?” Karl asked him.

“Daytona International with a connecting flight to Key West. Why, you paying? That’ll be a first.” Paul joked with the Bishop.

“Yes. This is one time that the Vatican will be in debt to whoever handles this mess for us. Paul, I will not joke about this my friend. The Church has a problem that must be handled by an outside source. For no other reason than to repair our honor and dignity in the eyes of the world.” Bishop Karl Ferdinand stated bluntly. “As much as I would love to handle this in house I cannot. Not with the way that we have been portrayed in the world press lately.”

Paul thought about what his friend just said. He like a lot of Americans had been watching the coverage of the sexual abuse cases in Pennsylvania. Paul also knew that there was more than a few Congressmen and Senators pushing to have the Priests who had been accused of sexual abuse be tried in civil courts. This push was causing a strain on the diplomatic relations between the US and the Vatican.

“Tell me something Karl. Does this problem have anything to do with the possible smuggling of arms, drugs, stolen art, and human trafficking?” This was something that Paul need to know so he could brief Maria.

“Is there a box for ‘all the above’? You have named just about every crime Paul. The only one you left out was antiquities smuggling. Don’t say that falls under art theft because it deals with a totally different market.” Karl answered.

“I'll take your word on that. Tell me about the human trafficking.” Paul demanded. For the next ten minutes Karl went over what he knew of the trafficking. When he got done Paul was not happy. “What you’re telling me, is this: somewhere here in the U.S. there are two or three scumbags snatching up teenaged Novices and forcing them to become mail-order brides. Said Novices are being shipped over from the East European Catholic population centers. That kicker is; most of these girls are barely old enough to join a convent, let alone enter into marriage legally. Have I missed anything?”

“No, you haven’t. I wish that I could tell you more Paul, but the sacrament of the Confessional prevents that. I’m sorry.” Karl truly was sorry he couldn’t say more.

“No need to apologize Karl. Pain in the ass, but I get it. You have your belief, I have mine. Try not to take such offense." Dannigan snarked.

The Bishop had been drinking some water and almost choked then sputtered. “Offense? 'Major', you forget, I presided over your funeral.”

Dannigan was smiling. “Please. You only spoke. It's not like you had to carry the coffin.”

“No. You did that yourself. It was all I could do not to smite such flippant conduct. I saw you smirking the entire time and even mocked by pretending to sniffle and wipe non-existent tears. Such a sacrilege.” Karl scolded.

“The first time is always memorable.” Dannigan quipped.

Karl sighed heavily. “Forgive him, Heavenly Father, for he truly is an Ass that should be struck upon the jawbone.”

“I’ll let you go. I need to make a call. Goodbye old friend.” Paul wanted to spend more time catching up with his old friend but knew that wasn’t possible. Bishop Karl Ferdinand was the same man he had shared a foxhole with all those years ago. Paul hung up the phone then called for his secretary. “Madison, get Kimberly or Krystle on the line.”

“They’re both holding on line One Major.” Madison called back. “I figured they were your next call. Sir, you’ve never taken a call from the Vatican before. Why now?”

“Personal favor for an old friend. Leave it at that, please?” Paul sighed.

“Yes sir. Kimberly is waiting sir.” Madison replied before returning to her work. She knew that whatever this was about deeply troubled her boss. She just hoped that the Military side of the OICA could be used. She knew that the Major worried every time the Black Badges were deployed anymore. Mostly because of the active part that Maria DeMarco took in their operations of late.

Paul picked up the phone and hit the button. “Full recall for the Black Badges, Captain. They have a mission stateside with overseas connections.”

“Yes sir. How long until full briefing?” Kimberly asked

“Two hours. Get on it, Captain. Out” Paul hung up the phone. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. He looked up at the wall behind his desk at the clock. “Maria should have the girls in her studio about now. I wonder when she’ll be ready to pass on her titles to Sam and Annette.”

Headquarters for the Gendarmerie Corps, Vatican City....
Bishop Karl Ferdinand returned to the Chapter-house to find Sister Magdalena kneeling in prayer. He waited for her to finish her current Hail Marry. “How far have you gotten with your penance Sister?”

“That was my last Hail Mary, Your Excellency.” Magdalena answered as she stood up.

“Well, you’ll have plenty of time for the Our Fathers during your flight. Go pack your bags and return in forty-five minutes.” Karl turned to leave but stopped. “Be sure to pack your specialty equipment Sister. You’ll be needing it.”

As he turned to leave Magdalena asked. “Will I have to renounce my vows, Excellency?”

“No need for that worry child. You are being sent as our guiding hand. The morality of our cause is a just if dark one. You have forty-five minutes.” Bishop Karl walked away leaving a very stunned Nun in his wake. “Welcome to the Iscariot Division. You can take your new vows before you leave. We have a saying among the Iscariots. All gypsies, tramps and thieves are welcome among our ranks.”

Sister Magdalena for the Order of Saint Nicholas, once known to the world as Angelic DeMarco, hurried to carry out the orders of the Bishop. That and his departing comment. She knew she fit at least two of those criteria. The DeMarco’s may be from good Sicilian stock, but her mother was a gypsy. Clarice Moretti DeMarco may have married into the DeMarco family, but before donning the apron of a mother she was one of the greatest cat burglars in all of Europe. Her father may have taught her the ways of the DeMarcos’, but it was her mother who taught her to be a thief.

Not just any thief, but to be her successor. Only a very small few knew that the daughter of the Ice Queen was Kitty Soft-Paws. Even fewer knew that Kitty Soft-Paws was in fact a Nun with the Order of Saint Nicholas. The truth was only the Arch-Bishop for the Arch-Diocese of Agrigento, her Mother Superior and Father Orlando, a simple parish priest in her hometown. Only those three people within the Church knew her secret. The rest who knew her secret were all family and only the Devil could get them to talk. These thoughts ran through her head as she hurried back to her cell in the Convent. She knew that she didn’t have much time. For whatever reason, the Bishop wanted her packed and ready to fly. Where she was going would remain a mystery until the Bishop told her.

Home of Maria DeMarco, Ram’s Rock Island: 1345 local time.
Maria was in her studio watching over her daughters and granddaughters practice when the house phone rang. She reached over and shut off the music before picking up the receiver. “Hold one Kimberly. Take five girls, get some water. Kristine when we return, I want you to concentrate more on where you place your feet for the backhand thrust. What can I do for you Kimberly?”

“The Major called Marshal. He needs you and your team in the T.O.C. in twenty-five minutes. Sorry for the short notice. This is a war-footing call, Marshal.”

“I’ll have them down there in time. Thank you for the warning dear. Is this call for all of the OICA or just my Black Badges?” Maria asked quickly.

“Just your team for now Marshal. I don’t know what is going on, but the Major seemed worried about something. I have feeling that something big is in the pipeline.”

“Thank you, dear. We’ll be along shortly.” Maria hung up the phone and turned to her daughters and granddaughters. “As you heard we have a contract in the works girls. Samantha, where are Robert and Hunter?”

“Both are out on the range right now. They said something about testing a new hand load for our Cheytac Intervention 408 sniper rifles. I don’t think they’re happy with the factory loaded rounds.” Samantha answered with a quirky smile. Sam knew how picky a sniper could be about their bullets. Let alone about their rifles.

“Not that I blame them mom. Those factory loads aren’t worth a shit for consistency. I swear; I fired one round that hit four inches above the target. I think that the only way that we’re going to get any type of consistency out of our sniper rounds is to hand load each and every round.” Annette said with a smile. “The boys have been out there every day for the last month testing new loads. I don’t think we want to interrupt them right now for a warning brief. We might need those rounds.”

“Nonnina, I hate to say this, but mama Annette may be right. We can handle the briefing. Then Kris and I can give them a breakdown later.” Kasey pointed out. Kristine just stood next to her sister nodding her head.

Maria thought about what her granddaughters and daughters were telling her. She knew that of the four young women in the studio with her. Three of them were trained in the art of assassination by sniper rifle. They were Sam, Kasey, and Kristine. While Sam had been trained by her father Marko Capizeo, her two granddaughters were trained by four of the best trained snipers in the world. If anyone knew the need for consistency in sniper rounds, it would be these three women.

“Very well. We shall leave them to their work. Grab your wraps and sandals girls. We have a briefing to attend.” Maria set actions to words by wrapping her sarong around her waist and pulling on her sandals. With that simple addition to her wardrobe she went from ballet mistress in leotard and tights to island sheik.

The five Demarco women walked out the studio with Maria in the lead. As they exited the house Anna looked up from her place sunning on the patio. The aging assassin just smiled at Maria. “Do I need to join you, my Donna?”

“Not at this time Anna. Enjoy your sun time. Besides, Mindy should be home from school within the hour. You know she will be up here as soon as she can for you to help her with her homework and treat.” Maria told her as she waved her old friend back to her chaise longue. The four younger members of the Black Badge Deputies just smiled at the interaction of the two old friends.

Anna just leaned back in her chair and returned to her book. Feeling slightly whimsical Anna waved her hand above her head. “Have fun, storming the castle.”

Anna’s wisecrack had two very different reactions from the Deputies. Samantha and Annette both groaned while Kasey and Kristine burst into giggles. Maria smirked before saying. “That will teach you the dangers of allowing the girls to invite Anna to your family movie nights. By the way who picked that particular movie?”

Both teens answered at the same time while giggling. “Mindy!”

“Good. Let her continue to pick the movies girls.” Both Samantha and Annette groaned at hearing this but wisely said nothing more. The whole island was happy that young Mindy was coming out of her shell. Maria attributed this to her time in school with her friends over at Freeport. The flight time wasn’t long, and it was always spent with her father LoneStar. It had become their little father/daughter quality time. Something that Mindy truly looked forward to every day. She had even started to learn the controls of the Bell 222 helicopter.

As the women of the DeMarco family walked into the hangar that held the underground Tactical Operations Center, or TOC. As they entered the TOC they were greeted first by Krystle and then Kimberly. “Hello girls.”

“Where are the guys, Marshal? Are they going to be much longer?” Kimberly asked.

“They’re not coming, Kimberly. That is my call. They need to finish their work on the range with the sniper rifles.” Maria explained.

“Understood. Besides I don’t have much to go on. I do know that the Major sent on a preface for the briefing. I don’t know what to make of it.” Kimberly handed over the printed out page of the briefing header. “Maybe you can explain it to me.”

It took Maria less than ten minutes to read through the header page. Her mood went from pleasant to pissed in zero point zero seconds. “Oh, sweet Mother of God. This day started off so beautifully. How could it just go straight to shit, like this?”

“Okay, Marshal what just twisted your tits in a wringer?” Krystle asked from her station while she waved for Kasey and Kristine to join her. The Cyberwarfare operator was slightly shocked over Maria’s use of foul language. Even if it was just the word shit.

“This is a letter of Invite for Apostolical Visitation, Krystle. In short what that means is the Vatican has asked formally for a visit to our little island.” The two seasoned operators joined their counterparts in digging their lower jaws out of the floor. Maria growled out. “Krystle, be a dear an open that channel to my husband.”

“One moment Marshal.” Krystle began typing away as fast as she could. She could tell that Maria was beyond pissed off. It had to be the idea of the Vatican sending someone to Ram’s Rock Island. “On the main screen Marshal.”

“Care to explain to me why there is a letter of Invite for Apostolical Visitation in my hand, Major?” Maria jumped straight to the point.

“Good afternoon to you too Ria.” Paul chuckled before looking around the gathered Deputies. “Where are Sergeants Everbright and Taugh? I thought I ordered a full recall, Captain. Care to explain.”

“They’re completing a serious logistical matter, Major. Now answer my question. What does the Vatican want on Ram’s Rock?” Maria wasn’t going to be side tracked.

“Fine Marshal. I’ll get straight to the point then. In sixteen hours; an operative for the Vatican’s Iscariot Division will be touching down in Key West. I will tell you all now. This operative is known to us and has the full support of the Iscariot Division’s Bishop. They will be accorded the respect both earned and due. That being said, you must understand that I do not go into this operation lightly. There are consequences at the National and International level. I will be honest here, people. I’m leaving the final decision up to Maria on whether or not you take the case. Especially as it involves the Holy Roman Catholic Church.” The tone of Paul’s voice let everyone in the TOC that she was in command. “She turns it down; it falls to the military side of the house.”

“Why?” Was all Maria asked.

“This operational investigation involves smuggling of drugs, firearms, stolen or looted art, pillaged antiquities AND human trafficking. Fun for the whole bunch. That last aspect involves Novice Nuns from Eastern Europe who have been married off once they have reach the West. Most of these so called Novices are under age teenage girls.” Paul sighed. “Maria, they are being sold off as mail-order brides.”

“Paul; how did you come by this information?” Maria knew that they would take the case. It was the type of case that the Black Badges were assembled for. She just needed to know who gave Paul the information. “Was she wearing the robes for a Sister of Saint Nicholas?”

Paul sighed and then smiled at being caught. “One Sister Magdalena, from the Order of Saint Nicholas, found the information in an art recovery operation. Kasey, you’re to be commended for that password breaking program. Your Cousin used it to hack into the computer of her mark. She was looking for the man’s art connections and found a lot more than she bargained for. She downloaded the prevalent files onto a flash drive. That info is shit-hot. As in eyes only, burn on reading, hot Captain. The only one missing is 'shoot the messenger'. That’s why the pre-briefing is so thin. Hence the need for hand delivery of the full packet people. Only two people have seen everything she has on that flash-drive.”

“Let me guess, grandpa. Sister Magdalena and that Bishop. Am I right?” Kristine asked from her station in the TOC. She was already trying to pull up the needed information and finding nothing.

“Exactly, Gemini-One. There is nothing on the Net about the recovery, or those that were involved. And this is an official briefing, Deputy.” Paul reminded Kristine.

Kristine got the hint. “Sorry sir. It won’t happen again, Major.”

“You’re forgiven Deputy. Have you or Gemini-Two found anything on those Eastern Europe Convents yet? I know it is not much to go on.”

“Already working on it, Major.” Kasey interrupted him. “As it stands right now, there are fourteen that fit the profile. Sir, we’re going to need someone that understands the actual structure of the Convents within the Church. From the looks of it, I think we can dismiss six of them right now as they're Cloistered Convents.”

“Well we have our expert here shortly, Kasey. Your second cousin is on her way here as we speak. If anyone can help you sort out this mess, she can.” Maria answered.

“Well, until she gets there, there is not much more you can do with the information. Especially with how sparse it is. I wish that I had more for you, but that was all the Bishop was willing to transmit over the Net.”

“Kimberly, is Rodrick or Peter available to make the pickup?” Maria asked the Operations Officer. She knew that tonight was their normal ‘family night’.

“The Skipper and Pete can make the pickup Marshal. As it is, we don’t have anything on the schedule for the next three days. After that it is going to be a little tight, but LoneStar can cover if you need to fly out after that.” Kimberly answered politely.

“Nothing fancy dear. I doubt that my niece would be expecting much from a private air charter service. The Lear should be just fine.” Maria turned to look back up at Paul. “Major, we’ll contact you once we have more information.”

“Understood Marshal.” Paul turned from Commanding Officer to caring husband and grandfather then. “Maria, if you feel this getting out of control; bail. Let the chips fall where they may and get the hell out. Take your team with you and drop everything in the lap of the FBI on your way. Understood?”

This final piece of advice got Maria’s attention. “I take it that this could blow up in our faces if we’re not careful?”

“Not to put too blunt of a point on it, yes. Something is off, Maria. What it is; I don’t know, but I have a feeling that our good friends in the Iscariot Division are doing everything they can to distance themselves from this.”

Maria got a cold feeling in her gut. “Do you believe they’ll go so far as to abandon one of their own? Namely a Nun for an Order of thieves.”

“Truthfully? Yes.” Paul’s answer was enough to silence everyone in the TOC.

For the two operators the idea of being cut loose was always a part of the equation. They had set up themselves up for this possibility. Getting Burned was a common occurrence in the world of Black-Operations and they were prepared. For the Deputies, the idea of leaving one of their own behind was as foreign to them as it was distasteful.

Then there was the DeMarco family motto to contend with. Family first, Family last, Family always. It may be more than a little unconventional, but the Black Badges were a family none the less. One that was ruled by the ancient traditions of the DeMarco family and the most feared guild of assassins, the Wraiths of the Moonless Night. Therefore, the idea of the Church abandoning her niece did not sit well with Maria.

Paul could see it in her eyes. “Don’t worry Ria. If that should happen, she’ll have a place on your team. I understand the family motto.”

“Thank you, Paul. I wasn’t going ask. I know that not all can work and live under these conditions. Though I fear that won’t be needed. I have a feeling that if this operation goes south, our niece will end up in a Cloistered Convent under an Apostolic ordered vow of silence.” Maria sighed as she remembered the story of one ancestor in the late 19th century. “My great, great, aunt Marta was sentenced to such a fate in eighteen-ninety-two. We still don’t know what her secret was. A secret that she took to her grave I remind you. I would not put it pass our friends in the Church do pull the same stunt now.”

“Any way to stop this from happening if things go south, Ria?” Paul asked sharply. For some reason the idea of punishing an operative for doing their job pissed him off. He could see the need for burning one in the most extreme of circumstances. It was why he had more than one grave in Arlington. He understood the fog of war. What he wouldn’t do was just arbitrarily abandon one that was still viable.

Maria sighed as she thought about the question. When she came up with an answer she smiled. “Only one, Paulo. We would have to kill her.”

“I'd really like to avoid that. It would complicate things on several fronts.” Dannigan quipped.

Maria chuckled. “At the least.”

Dannigan took on his command look. “Kimberly. Update Steel Dove, Status: Blue Bayonet. Steel Butterfly and Ramrod: Black Bayonet.”

All knew those terms by now. Blue Bayonet meant a three-hour recall for deployment. Black Bayonet was only one-hour. The sharpest ends of the spear were being readied.

-----tbc-----

“Tell me something Skip. You ever heard of this Iscariot Division before?” Pete asked not his CO, but friend.

“Just whispers in backrooms and dark alleys. According to Lyssa they’re something like the OSS, MI6, CIA, FBI, KGB, 3PLA, BND, Mossad, and just about every other Intel Agency in the world all rolled into one. From what I understand they can give classes on how to keep secrets to the rest of the Intel world. Shit, what am I talking about? Look who they work for. Probably the only person back home that really knows anything about them is Madam Maria and she is keeping her mouth shut tighter than the Major’s on the subject.” Rodrick grumbled.

“Damn. And I thought we were the great big, deep, dark, scary, black operation. If what you say is true. How long have these jokers been around and in operation?” To Pete the idea of there being an Intelligence Agency older than most European countries was just too much for him to grasp.

“Word is; they’re supposedly the oldest Intelligence Agency in the world. Dating back to the late fifth or early sixth century. That's all I got.” Then Rodrick got a thoughtful look on his face as he thought about how Samantha and Annette reacted to the news of the Apostolical Visitation. “I do know that Sam, and Annette are flat-out scared shitless over this Visitation. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t understand. I mean those two women are just as deadly as Krystel, Shawna and probably Tiffany. They have no problems with wet work.”

“No shit, Skipper. I swear the only people that I think can beat those two are Madam Maria and Lyssa in a straight up fight. Even then I’m not going to give or take any odds.” Pete got a faraway look in his eyes. “I’ll be honest, boss man. They scare the shit out of me at times.”

“Trust me, Pete. I know what you mean. You know what gets me even more?” Rodrick turned to look Pete in the eyes. “Between all of us on the island training them; Kasey and Kristine will make all us look like amateurs.”

“Think it'll come to that boss?” Pete asked him bluntly. “They’re teenagers. Sure, they’re scary good with computers and almost on the same level as Krystle. But they’re still teenagers.”

“Teenagers that have already stepped into their heritage as members of the DeMarco and Capizeo Families. Two families with a tradition of being the greatest trained assassins that go back hundreds of years. Maybe a thousand. Remember they earned their spurs on that Interpol Operation last year.” Rodrick’s blunt answer forced Pete to remember just who he was dealing with when it came to the island’s teens.

“I have to say boss. I never thought that you or Lyssa would be okay with what went down in Japan. I mean we all know that you were both pissed when the Madam went off the reservation like that. But when the Major told you that the op was ‘need to know, eyes only, burn on reading’ you both dropped it like a hot grenade. You’ve never done that. Hell, you both have Clearances that are fucking stupid level high. What the hell was so fucking important to lock you two out? None of us like it Skipper. It ain’t right. The Black Badge operations are not supposed to be above us.” Pete knew he was pushing the line with Rodrick, something he wouldn’t do with Lyssa, but he felt that their CO needed to know the situation with the military side of the house. Especially with bringing in the Vatican for this operation.

“I understand. Trust me, I do. Nobody likes it. Let it go, Pete. That's an order.” Rodrick growled. “Paul slapped that clearance on the Madam’s operation in Japan. He has his reasons. This is one of those times we shut the fuck up and deal. Even Lyssa has gotten over it. Is she still pissed; sure. But she got the drift that the Madam’s op fell under OpSec. The order is 'drop it', so we drop it.”

“Sure Skipper. So any idea of who we’re supposed to be meeting?” Pete got the meaning and changed the topic.

“Outside of the flight they’re coming in on? Not a damned thing. All Madam Maria told me was to look for a man or woman of the Cloth. That could be just about anybody. Outside of a catholic priest or nun; I won’t know what to look for. Hopefully there'll only be one on the flight!” Rodrick had no sooner finished his growl-fest than he spied the nun. It took him all of two seconds to recognize her. “Well now, fuck me in a dark alley. This just got interesting.”

“What’s up Skipper? You know her?” Pete turned to look at the nun that stepped over to the luggage carousel.

Taking in the solid black habit, coif, wimple, and veil. Both men could tell that this was no ordinary Nun. The dress part of her habit may have stopped at her knees but even her tights and shoes were still black.

“Yeah. You could say that Pete. You remember reading the reports on our operation in Europe with the Madam’s family?” Pete nodded his head yes. “That young lady is the Madam’s niece, Sister Magdalena, a.k.a Angelic DeMarco. One of the finest thieves in all of Europe, if not the world. Art Historian, expert in art forgery. Employed by the Art recovery division of Interpol for the Vatican.”

“Damn! She’s that nun?” Pete started to chuckled as he scoped out the young woman dressed in the Nun’s habit. “Aw shit! She's the one that Lyssa BASE-jumped with? She's a looker though. Bit of a waste, her being a Nun.”

“Don’t let the Madam hear you say that. She might not let it slide.” Rodrick chuckled.

Pete shook his head. “I don't have anything against joining up, I just always regarded it like the Legion. 'I joined to forget'. You know?”

“Maybe for some. Just keep in mind how protective Maria is of the girls and Mindy. Then think about how she treats Father Clancy and Sister Julian over in Freeport. Now, take all of that and apply it to a member of the DeMarco family.” When Rodrick finished describing the situation with Sister Magdalena he went in for the kill. “How do you think Madam Maria would react to someone getting fresh with someone like that?”

This time Pete winced, thinking about the ramifications. He had seen the video feed from when Maria had taken down John Casey Wait and the raid on Robert Hines’ farm in Italy. He knew that Lyssa respected the two oldest women on Ram’s Rock Island for a damn good reason. They were both DEADLIER than a Bengal Tiger with a lit torch jammed up its ass. Rodrick just chuckled as his friend’s sudden discomfort and held up a placard that read ‘RamAir Charter Service’.

Angelic grabbed her bag off the carousel and turned to leave the terminal. She spotted the two men right away thanks to the sign. Her Bishop had told her she would be met by a private air service in Key West. With her normal confidence of protection afforded to her by her habit. Angelic walked up to the men. “Excuse me, but I believe that you are waiting for me gentlemen.”

“I believe so; Sister Magdalena." Rodrick smiled.

Angelic's mouth gaped then she whispered. “You?”

“Please allow my associate to take your luggage?” Rodrick gave the young Nun a smile as he waved for Pete to take her bags. He was only slightly surprised when she refused to hand over briefcase, at the point of a knife that came out of nowhere. Rodrick just chuckled. “Just like your aunt Maria, I see. Only problem is I know that your vows prevent you from taking a life Sister Magdalena, your show of force is wasted. And, I was only being polite AND doing my job. You're a passenger on my plane, I'm supposed to see to your comfort.”

This time Angelic was the one to chuckle. “Sorry, senor but that is no longer the case. My aunt Maria should have explained that to you.”

It took Rodrick all of two seconds to realize there was a lot more behind the Iscariot Division than the DeMarco family let on. For the first time he truly took in the full meaning behind the young Nun’s new habit. The Iscariot Division were the special operations division for the Vatican. Pure and simple. Knowing the Vatican and the Holy Roman Catholic Church, that covered a shitload of nasty. After all, the Church was over two-thousand years old. Who knew what all they were keeping secret in their deepest vaults. Nor to what lengths they would go to, to keep those secrets. Rodrick knew that religion was one of the big three reasons for people going to war. The other two were money and imperialism.

He was shocked though when Angelic turned the briefcase to show them both the seal on the front. Pete knew the sign of the Papal seal on sight, the Triregnum with crossed keys, thanks mostly to the Tom Hanks movie. It was that movie, plus the way that the DeMarco family acted around the Clergy, that had gotten him and Carl interested in the history of the Catholic Church. The problem that they kept running into was the lack of real information. There was just too much of the Church’s past that was clouded in both the sands of time and mystery. The two men did learn a great deal about the symbolism surrounding the Church in their research though.

“Skipper, unless we both want to face the wrath of the Holy Church. She can keep the briefcase. I don’t feel like pissing off the Vatican just yet.” Pete stated over his shoulder. The moment he saw the knife, he had moved to block the view by people passing by. “Sister, we don't own this airspace.”

“I'd put that away, around all these civilians. They tend to panic easily.” Rodrick crooked a finger for her to follow. “This way Sister. We still have a one hour hop to our base of operations.”

“After you, senor. This is my first time to the United States.” Angelic answered with a smile that hid more than it revealed. Then she gave Rodrick a funny look. “You said we have another hour long flight to your base of operations? If it is not in the Continental United States, why was I directed here?”

“Oh, we’re part of the US. Our base just isn’t in CONUS.” Rodrick chuckled and led the way to the private terminal. As Pete loaded Angelic’s luggage into the cargo compartment Rodrick helped her up the stairs into the Lear jet. Twenty-minutes later they were airborne and headed for Ram’s Rock Island.

DeMarco house, Ram’s Rock Island, 0715
Maria waited patiently at her table sipping her morning tea for her family to come down to breakfast. She had already sent her granddaughters back upstairs to change once already. She knew that whoever was coming was the personal representative of the Pope. Didn’t matter that they were the lowliest Priest to the next members of the Preferiti, their visitor spoke for the Pope. Maria like her all of her ancestors was a devout Catholic, as were her daughters. As for her granddaughters they had come to embrace all of their new family’s traditions, to include the Church.

Maria paid for the fuel for their weekly flights over to Freeport out of her personal accounts. Just as Anna paid for any flights that she took off the island. Even when Rodrick explained to them that there was a fuel expense setup for such trips the Matriarch of the DeMarco family refused to use it. Always stating that it was part of their penance and she had more than enough money to last several life times. Anna would always make the same argument. Rodrick went ahead and accepted the payment then donated it to the local orphans' home without telling them. From hurricanes to school fees, the orphanage always faced difficulties and were grateful to the anonymous donations.

To Maria; making their weekly trips for confession and services was a way of reminding them of their place in the world. She also knew that Father Clancy was the only Priest in the islands that could hear her family’s confessions. Even Bobby and Hunter were spending their Sundays in Freeport. Just not in church. Those two were as about as religious as a prize steer in a meat market. The two GI’s had found themselves a lovely little beachside bar, for mostly ex-patriots from all over the world, to wait for their family. At first Anna and Maria disapproved of the two men spending their Sundays in a bar. That is until Samantha explained that this was their way of dealing with their past sins. Carl informed them that many of the patrons were former servicemen from various branches all over the world, but mostly American and British Navy.

Maria was brought out of her worrisome thoughts by the return of her granddaughters. Maria took in their tan dress skirts, white blouses, suntan hosiery and three-inch heels. Maria nodded her head in approval for what she saw. “Very good, girls. Where are your mothers? Still changing?”

“No, Nonnina. They are dressed the same way we are.” Kasey giggled. “It’s our fathers that are the hold up.”

“Oh really. I take it that both of them a fighting the dress shirts and ties tooth and nail?” Maria sighed as both girls giggled and nodded their heads. “Are they at least wearing pants instead of shorts and flip-flops?”

This time her answer came not from the teens, but the stairway. Maria could have heard the screech of Samantha’s voice clear down at the airstrip over the roar of the C-17’s engines. Even if it had been running. “I don’t care what you two want! You will wear a damned pair of slacks and dress shirt. You don’t have to wear the fucking tie, but those are a must, Robert. Hunter; if you don’t put on a pair of shoes and socks I’ll gut you myself! You will not embarrass us in front the Vatican!”

“Merda. Che pasticcio.” Maria placed her head in her left hand sighing. Looking back up at her granddaughters. “Girls, please do me a favor? When you leave the island and find someone to love; do try to treat them with a little more respect than your mothers treat your fathers. Promise me girls.”

Both teens giggled at their grandmother’s antics and pleas. “We promise.”

The second scream of frustration that followed caused both teens to almost pee their panties. “I DON’T CARE IF MUDDY BDU’S WERE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU’RE OLD BATTALION CHAPLAIN! YOU WILL DRESS ACCORDINGLY!”

“Wow! Mama Annette is really mad, to be screaming like that.” Kasey smirked.

“Child! If she is screaming, then it is a good thing. It is when she stops screaming, that we need to worry. The last time that happened I got a call from her high school principal. She handed out five life altering beatings to cheerleaders.” Maria groaned as she waved her hand towards the stairwell. “If your papa Hunter comes flying down the stairs, we know they pushed it too far with your mothers.”

“No mama, they won’t be flying down the stairs. They may walk with a limp for a few days though.” Samantha told her adopted mother as she entered the kitchen just ahead of Annette. “But that's all I’ll promise. I won’t give any promises for Annette. She said something about ball bats and nutcrackers.”

“I said nothing about nutcrackers, Sam. Ball bats; yes, but no nutcrackers. Too much work involved, with those damned things.” Looking over at Maria, Annette smiled. “The boys will be down shortly mama.”

Maria gave her daughters the once over, as she had with her granddaughters, before nodding in approval. Before she could say anything, Bobby and Hunter entered the kitchen. Their shirts and slacks were clean and ironed, which for the two of them was a major concession. At least in Maria’s mind. “Let’s go.”

As they exited the house the DeMarco family heard the Bell 222 takeoff for Freeport. Bobby and Hunter both turned to look towards the airstrip and spotted the helicopter before the rest. Bobby chuckled as the helo wobbled a little before straightening out to fly level. “Look’s like LoneStar is letting Mindy get a little stick-time.”

“Wondered how long it would be before he started to let her get some in.” Hunter chuckled as he started to rub his hands together. “Can’t wait to see Pete and Carl. What day is it Bobby?”

“Hate to tell you this papa Hunter, but you lost the pool.” Kasey giggled.

“What do you mean I lost the pool? That has to be her first time behind the stick.” Hunter quickly griped. Only to see both teens shaking their heads no. “WHEN?”

“Mindy has been taking over on the stick after takeoff for the last week. Uncle Lonestar had her in the Textron Aviation AMV-90 multipurpose simulator for the last month. From what Lonestar was saying the other day by the time she is ready to get her license in four years, she’ll be a better pilot than he is.” Kristine told her family with a mile wide smile. “By the way, no one is supposed to know that she has been doing all the flying between here and Freeport, except for takeoff and landing.”

“NO shit kiddo. It’s just a little illegal.” Hunter told everyone quickly. “Now, if a licensed instructor decides give an impromptu lesson while in flight that is another matter. As long as he remains in the cockpit it's totally legal.”

Both Kasey and Kristine started to giggle. They had both had the same idea at the same time. Bobby gave them a look only a father could. “Okay, what are you two thinking about now? What’s got your funny bones?”

“I can’t wait until Mindy asks for the keys to the ‘family car’ for the first time.” Grinned Kasey while Kristine just bobbed her head. The five adults could only groan but smiled at the facts of the main transportation were aerial.

The sounds of the approaching Lear had them turning to face the far end of the island as the Klaxxon burped twice to signal inbound aircraft followed by Kimberly announcing. “Inbound aircraft. Marshal team report to Main Hangar.”

Maria immediately took control. “Time to go. I do not want the Vatican’s representative to be waiting on us.”

The business jet was just entering the landing pattern when they arrived at the hangers. Maria walked inside to hear Kimberly giving landing directions to Rodrick. Not wanting to bother the younger woman during this important time she returned to wait with the others at the hangar door.

“Maria, do you know who is on that flight?” Lyssa asked as she walked up.

“Not a clue, Lyssa.” Looking around her young friend Maria frowned. “Where are the twins and Warlock? Shouldn’t they be nearby?”

“I asked Anna to look after them for now. I ordered Warlock to stay in the house. I heard about what came in yesterday.” Lyssa looked out at the landing strip. “I’ll be blunt Maria. I'm not enthusiastic about having the Vatican anywhere near our operations. I especially don’t like having the Iscariot Division nosing around. They don't play well with others, worse than Kidon.”

Maria sighed and turned to Lyssa. Their friendship had been strained ever since she went off the reservation in Japan taking Kasey and Kristine with her. This newest wrinkle would either break their friendship or heal it. Maria wasn’t sure which.

“Lyssa, you can trust me on this. I don’t like them being here either.” Maria spit into her hand and held it out to Lyssa. “You have my word that if I don’t like the looks of the person who gets off that plane. They will never see the sun set.”

“Whose word do I have?” Lyssa asked quietly.

“The word of the Mistress for the Moonless Night Wraiths.” That was all Lyssa needed to heard to take the older woman’s hand. Lyssa knew that Maria would kill to protect the secret of Ram’s Rock Island. Even if it was a Catholic Cardinal.

“That works, thank you, Maria. But you won’t have to kill them. We’ll just send them packing. You can still walk away from this operation. The Major gave you full command authority for accepting this one.” Lyssa looked back to the runway and Lear jet touching down at the far end. “I’ll be honest; I wouldn’t think any less of you, if you did turn this one down. Something stinks to high-hell about this.”

“Like a city sewage plant at high-noon on the hottest of summer days.” Maria growled quietly. “Damn those Iscariot bastards.”

“Tell me something Maria. Is there any truth behind the rumor of the there being a whole section to Iscariot that does only wet work?” Lyssa asked the elderly assassin.

“Do not let their priestly robes fool you Lyssa. There are very few people in that organization that are not killers.” Maria hadn’t taken her eyes off the air strip. “Understand one thing Lyssa. They are not soldiers. They are not Operators. They are nothing like any of us in this agency. That includes both me and Anna.”

“Damn Maria I’ve never heard that kind of hate come from you. Anger, yes. Hate, no. What gives?” Lyssa was shocked by the venom in the old woman’s voice.

“This is not the time or place my friend for that conversation.” Maria took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Not to mention way too sober.”

As the Lear taxied to a stop in front of the hangar, to be met by Eddie to secure it, Maria’s mood darkened slightly. As did her thoughts as she was taken back to the only other time that she had dealt with the Iscariot Division. In a voice barely above a whisper that came from the grave. “It will not end the same way this time.”

Lyssa barely heard Maria’s whispered comment. “What was that Maria?”

“Nothing Lyssa, nothing.” With the plane stopped and the door now Maria stepped towards the plane. “Time to make the donuts.”

As Maria walked passed Kasey and Kristine, she asked one question. “Are you setup for your briefing Gemini?”

“All set, Marshal. Both laptops are connected with downstairs and the projector in the conference room.” Kasey answered quickly.

“Very good Gemini. Let’s beard this lion in the den and be done with it.” Maria ordered her family as she led them towards the plane.

Before Lyssa could ask what was really bugging Maria she had stepped out on to the tarmac with her family. “I hope like hell she doesn’t have to carry out her promise.”

Unlike Sam and Annette or any of the others on the island, Bobby and Hunter weren’t as unsettled as they were. They knew something was up with Maria, but they didn’t know exactly what. Not yet at least. Bobby looked over at Hunter. “Whatever is going on brother, keep your hand on that forty-five.”

“Read you loud and clear, partner. I’m still trying to get a read on this whole Vatican bullshit myself. What about you?” Hunter asked his friend and blood brother as quietly as possible.

“In more ways than one. I only know that whatever it is has mom massively on edge.” Bobby kept his voice low as the Lear’s steps were lowered.

Maria stopped her family twenty-feet from the plane and waited. Pete was the first to step off the plane. He was followed by a Nun dressed in solid black. The only color to the young woman’s outfit was the silver-white crucifixes that hung from her belt and at her neck. When the Nun looked up and smiled, Maria started to hold out her arms in welcome. That was until she saw the briefcase bearing the Triregnum with the crossed keys of the Papal seal. That was all Maria needed to see to go from a friendly family welcome to full blown diplomatic welcome.

“Welcome to Ram’s Rock Island, Reverend Sister. If you’ll follow us?” Maria’s cold welcome of her niece did not go unnoticed by the military side of the OCIA. Not that Maria cared. She knew that for her niece to be here wearing that habit, with that briefcase in her possession, that Angelic represented the Iscariot.

Rodrick, Pete, Lyssa and Kimberly were all stunned by the blunt harshness of Maria’s treatment of the Nun. They never thought that Maria would treat a member of the Clergy in such a manner. Especially if they were also a member of her family. Maria stopped Angelic at the hangar lounge before going any further.

Maria opened one of the lockers and pointed inside. “La pistola e il coltello per crocifissi si prega di Suor Magdalena. Solo i miei deputati saranno armati nel briefing.”

“Si.” Angelic complied by depositing her weapons in the locker then patted herself and genuflected to show she was now unarmed.

Maria went straight to the hangar conference room. She wasn’t about to show her whole hand just yet. Not even to her niece. Waving for her Deputies to take their seats around the table, Maria took her place at the head and waited.

“Okay, Sister. The ball is in your court. You have twenty-minutes.” Maria knew that her niece would get the hint. It was not a US Marshal that sat at that table, but her family’s Donna, and Mistress of the Moonless Night Wraiths.

Breaking the seal on her briefcase Angelic quickly pulled out four folders and a flash-drive. She handed the flash drive to Kasey before passing out the folders. Clearing her throat, she looked to Kasey. “The password for that drive is Psalm 23:4 be sure to use the colon. No spacing.”

Kasey gave her cousin a sideways look before plugging the drive into a secondary USB hub. “Don’t worry Marshal. That hub has secondary security features to prevent unwanted intrusions. We can look at whatever is on that drive without giving anything way. Sorry, cousin, but around here; In God we trust, all others we verify. Nobody gets a look at our babies’ insides.”

“I understand cousin. I would expect nothing less.” The whole Black Badge team was more than a little surprised by Angelic’s acceptance. Once Kasey and Kristine had opened the flash drive she gave them the files to look for. “The files you need are all under the heading ‘Market Place’.”

Kasey and Kristine looked up at her and smiled before displaying the requested files. What they didn’t show or say was that Kristine was already flash copying the rest of the drive into a secured location in ONYSSIUS. Once they were alone, the two teens would tear into the information on that flash drive with a fine tooth comb. They would crosscheck the data on that flash drive with the data that they had recovered from Japan and Vassago. If there was more to be found, they would find it.

Angelic took a deep breath as the first file appeared on the wall behind her. “Marshal, Deputies, allow me to introduce one of Europe’s most wanted. Dajon Borgatti. Drug lord, murderer, gun runner, dealer of stolen, looted, or forged art, antiquities smuggler and human trafficker.”

“Excuse me, Sister. But how does this man figure into our current situation. It says here that he is currently behind bars in the French Prison in Fresnes.” Bobby want to get to the bottom of the situation fast.

“Peace, Deputy Everbright. It is important that you should know the background for where this information came from.” Angelic knew that she was tapdancing on thin ice with her aunt’s family. They were not normal Law Enforcement. “It started with a standard Nazi looted art retrieval just short of four months ago, Deputy. We had been tracking this one painting for the last eighty-five years. It was first stolen from a Jewish owned museum in Würzburg Germany in nineteen-thirty-four. It was next seen in the personal collection of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, in thirty-eight. In forty-three; it, along with a good portion of the Göring collection, went missing. The painting was next seen in the personal collection of Hans Goodier in fifty-nine, where it was again stolen by Peter ‘the rabbit’ Hans. It next resurfaced in France on the black market just over two years ago. Before our agents could purchase the painting; one Dajon Borgatti, secured the painting. I was given permission by my Supervisor in the Stolen Art Division to scout and recover the painting. It was during the recovery of that painting that led to the discovery of this information.”

“Thank you, Sister for the explanation. By the way what was so special about the painting to cause the Vatican to send you in?” Annette asked quickly.

“The prominence of the painting makes it almost beyond priceless. For starters, it is one of the few portraits credited to Karel Dujardin. Commissioned during his earlier years before his first patron. It is one of the rarest paintings by the seventeenth century Dutch Master. The fact that it was stamped with the Star of David by the Nazis and was not destroyed makes it one of the greatest treasures of our times.” When Angelic finished Hunter whistled softly. “Exactly, Deputy.”

“I must say Sister. You most definitely have a flare for getting yourself into trouble. Other than the painting what else were you there for?” Samantha asked smiling at her cousin.

“Next file please Deputy Justice.” Angelic asked looking at Kristine. Kristine double clicked on the next file opening it up. “Besides the painting, I was sent in after this. The names of Dajon Borgatti’s contacts. These are the biggest three on that list. Sylvia Price, Ronald Vickers and Donald Abrams.”

“Shit. I know that last monkey-nut. So do you, Hunter.” Bobby spat out.

“Isn’t he the shit-bird that got recalled from France by Bush, or was it Clinton?” Hunter asked.

“Neither. Clinton installed him, Bush kept him for his connections. He was recalled by Obama in oh-nine for damned near ruining sixty years of diplomatic relations with the French in one night’s drunkenness.” Maria growled. “I could have taken his head for his stupidity. On pure principle.”

“Please my Donna, I have much to go over with you yet.” Angelic chuckled at her aunt’s anger over one of the biggest diplomatic nightmares in decades. Maria just glared and waved for Angelic to continue. “Each one of these people have ties in the stolen art and antiquities world. Not to mention illegal arms dealing, drug and human traffic internationally.”

“Oh wonderful. No wonder the Major said we could walk away from this one.” Sam quipped. “Okay cousin give us the break down on the scumbags.”

“Apt description of our suspects cousin. I wasn’t joking about their ties to the international world of smuggling of all kinds. For example, I give you our first contestant on the criminally challenged. Ronald Vickers. Known illegal arms dealer, drug trafficker and the second largest dealer in stolen or forged artwork and looted antiquities in the Southeastern United States.” The picture of the man on the wall made all six members of the Black Badges seethe. Angelic could tell that they all knew exactly who Ronald Vickers was and what he was wanted for. “I see that you know the man.”

“We’ve been trying to tie that cocksucker down for the last nine months. We have shit-ton of circumstantial evidence, but that's all it is. Just like what you’ve got there.” Kasey snapped just before she received a glare from Maria. “Sorry Marshal.”

“You’re forgiven Kasey, considering the subject of discussion.” Maria turned back to Angelic. “You still owe me two hours in the studio for the foul language.”

“Yes ma’am.” Kasey squeaked out as Angelic chuckled.

At the glare from her aunt, Angelic coughed then continued with her briefing. “Next up is one Sylvia Price. Wanted on the following charges, stolen art and antiquities dealer. Illegal arms dealer. Drug trafficking. Finally, human trafficking. The woman uses her legitimate business Trans-Atlantic Modeling, a two-million a year business, as cover for her illegal dealings. She is well known amongst the modeling world and is often seen in the company of Sports stars, businessmen, and political figures. In short, the woman is attracted to money, fame, and power. With her offices in Miami, Berlin, Mosco, Milan and Tokyo she is able to facilitate the flow of all illegal merchandises worldwide as the ultimate broker.”

“Is she the connection to our third contestant for scumbag of the week?” Annette asked grimly while pointing to the picture of the blonde haired, green eyed, woman in her late thirties to early forties.

“Sadly, the answer to that is yes, cousin. The connection between contestant one and two is contestant number three on this week’s episode of the World’s Biggest scumbag. Is the same one we opened the briefing with Donald Abrams.” Angelic waved for Kasey to put the man’s file up on the wall. “AS you can see the man has been a busy beaver since leaving public service.”

“Wow. He must have really gotten lucky or he knew somebody.” Kristine cracked.

“No cousin. He is not lucky, nor does he need to worry about knowing people. He got his money the old fashioned way. He inherited it and married more.” Angelic waited until Kasey put the second part to Abrams’ file on the wall. “As you can see the man has heavy connections in the shipping industry. Thanks in part to his ownership of Global Sea Transit. They are a seaborne transportation company; with assets totaling in the millions. For starters they have twelve Panamax, dry cargo haulers, and twenty Handymax dry cargo carriers. Those are just the seaborne assets. I didn’t have time to fully research the company’s holdings for their Port Everglades, Florida Headquarters. All I can say is that they are massive.”

Kasey and Kristine had been driving into the public image of Global Sea Transit. It didn’t take the two cyberwarfare operatives for the Black Badges to slide their way into the heart of the company’s server. Even as Angelic was talking about GST’s seaborn assets they were digging up what the company had in Port Everglades. Within minutes they had all of GST’s assets were displayed on the wall. GST truly was a heavy weight in the seaborne cargo transit business. Their greatest asset at Port Everglades wasn’t the warehouses, or Headquarters building. It was the four dockside cargo cranes that were the real money-makers in the port.

“Marshal, we might have a major problem with this last one. The first two we can take down with simple sting operations. Abrams has enough capital to tie up any legal action we take for years. He won’t even have to use his political connections. Which are considerable to say the least.” Kasey spoke up from her place at the end of the table near Kristine. All six adults turned to the two teens at the tone of her voice. They could tell that there was more that they were not saying.

Bobby prompted Kristine to talk with them. “Okay short round talk to us. What has you two on edge already?”

“Abrams has connections to two of the last three POTUS. He may have been recalled in oh-nine from his post in France, but he still has a lot of political clout at that level. Enough to get us ALL burned. BURNED badly.” Kristine explained. “Just look at his shipping contracts. If I didn’t know better the man is related to LBJ.”

“Are you saying this guy has military supply contracts, girls?” Hunter asked sharply. “Like what LBJ had during Vietnam?”

“That is exactly what we’re saying Sergeant.” Kasey knew that using Hunter’s rank would drive the point home for him and Bobby. “Of those thirty-two cargo ships; eighteen of them are carrying a military munitions load at any one time.”

“Oh fuck me, in a back alley, with a steel dildo!” Samantha blurted out. She turn to Maria before the old woman could correct her. “I’ll pay for that in the studio with Kasey mother. Sorry. I lost my temper.”

“No need Samantha. You just expressed the same feelings that I have.” Getting up from the table she headed for the door. “Angelic, continue with briefing my deputies. I need to make an emergency call.”

“Who is aunt Maria going to call?” Angelic asked the room.

“Cousin, this is one time you need to drop that line of questioning.” Kristine answered her faster than anyone else in the room. “What can you tell us about the home and offices for Ronald Vickers?”

“He currently has just the one home in Fort Lauderdale Florida. It is at the end of Ponce de Leon Drive in Harbor Beach. The back of the house backs up to a water way. The front of the house is protected by an eight foot high iron fence.” Angelic knew that the deputies would do their own recon once on site, but she wanted to show them that she hadn’t been idle during her flight.

TOC, Ram’s Rock Island. Current time.
Maria stormed into the TOC madder than a wet cat. Both Kimberly and Krystel looked up at the older woman in wonder. They had seen her pissed off before, but this was taking things to a new level. “Kimberly, get the Major on the horn ASAP. Call for Lyssa and Rodrick as well, please.”

“Ten minutes for the Major, Marshal. Lyssa and Rod are upstairs. Do you want the rest of the military house down here?” Kimberly answered quickly.

Maria stopped and thought about what she and her team were facing. “Yes please, dear. This is one time where I need the advice of the experts.”

Lyssa and the rest of the military for the OICA entered the TOC to find Maria pacing in front of the main screen. The sight of this formidable woman pacing like a caged tiger brought them all up short. Lyssa cleared her throat to get Maria’s attention.

When Maria turned to face her Lyssa got down to business. “Take a breath Maria and tell us what fresh hell the Vatican dropped in our laps, Marshal.”

“Just a political nightmare that makes our last mission look like a fucking CAKEWALK!” Maria screamed. Taking in the shocked looks of her younger counterparts Maria took a second deep breath before continuing with an apology. “Please forgive me the outburst, my friends. It was uncalled for and unlady-like of me.”

“If you’re raising hell like that Madam Maria. It must be a whopper.” Carl answered for the rest of them. “Are you thinking about refusing this operation?”

“THAT, Carl, is the million dollar question.” Maria growled out then sighed before looking down at her feet. “Sadly, I doubt that we can just walk away.”

Before she could explain further the main screen lit up with the face of ‘Major’ Paul Dannigan, Head of the OICA. He took one look at the very agitated Marshal Maria DeMarco. The woman who was more than just the head of the Black Badge division of the OICA. She was the woman he loved, mother of his daughter, and wife. “Talk to me Ria. How bad is the situation?”

“Paulo, we have a major situation on our hands. One that can blow up in our faces. We’re not talking about an IED either, Paul. This one is an ICBM with a MERV warhead.” Maria had taken to learning the military lingo so she could better understand her counterparts and husband at times. “Did you know about Donald Abrams being involved with this situation?” Maria asked him bluntly. “I need to know Paulo.”

“No. Remind me; who is Donald Abrams and what does he have to do with this situation?” Paul was just as confused as the rest of the military in the room.

“Former Ambassador to France, Donald Abrams. With ties to Presidents Clinton, and both Bush’s. CEO for Globe Sea Transit. Holders for twenty percent of our military munitions seaborn cargo.” Maria told him bluntly.

“WHAT?!” Paul yelled out. “Lieutenant Commander verify that information, now.”

“Aye Sir. Already working on it, sir.” Krystel called out from her position. With a few minutes Krystle had the needed information. “Sir, the Marshal and her team have underestimated the percentage. It is actually closer to twenty-five percent. Most of which is medium to heavy ordinance.”

“Oh, bloody fucking hell.” Paul whispered. “Ria, when you said this was a nuke waiting to blow. You underestimated the payload and fallout.”

“Just how bad could this one get Paul?” Maria asked bluntly. “I need to understand the full impact of taking this bastard down.”

“Marshal, without those shipments, our overseas troops could be shorted needed supplies at a critical point in time. By that we mean everything from MREs and batteries to rifle and artillery rounds. The loss of those types of shipments will always be a danger.” Lyssa answered from her place on the far side of the room. “One that could cripple our troops. Not only their morale, but their very ability to carry the fight and defend themselves. You’re right in the fact that we should think twice about going after this guy.”

“Oh, I am going after him. I just need advice on how to do it.” Maria growled.

“What kind of advice are you looking for Marshal?” Lyssa asked with a strained smile. “You already know how to go after him from both a Mafia and Law Enforcement point of view. What more do you need to know?”

“I need the advice of a military mind Lyssa. I will not endanger troops in the field. How can we keep those supplies flowing and still take the man down?” Maria fought to keep the anger out of her voice.

“Major, there is only one way we can keep this from blowing sky high and keeping those shipments flowing.” Rodrick said as he stepped forward. “We use the Navy and Coast Guard. Board and escort all GST ships. We let the Marshal and her team remove Abrams and his playmates from play, however they wish. Personally, I say Lethal Finding for them all. But that is at your discretion.”

“Marshal, I know this is going to sound crazy. How would you have handled this twenty years ago?” Kimberly wanted to know.

“Twenty years ago, hell, just ten years ago, I would have placed a contract on Ronald Abrams’ head. Then waited until the company became unstable during the infighting to see who the next CEO would be. Once that happened, I would go in for a hostile takeover. GTS is publicly traded stock. The problem is Abrams has a son, old enough to step in immediately for his father. Sorry, but I will not kill an innocent. I am not a terrorist. The DeMarco Family is many things, but first and foremost we are the oldest and most honorable Guild of Assassins in Europe.” Maria knew that she was preaching to the choir.

“We know that Maria. We don’t either. The problem is how do we remove Abrams while keeping his son out of the picture for the takeover?” Lonestar pointed out.

“Why not use the old way and still have the Navy and Coast Guard secure those ships?” Kimberly asked the room.

“Okay? Just what are you getting Captain?” Paul asked her.

“We do exactly what the Marshal suggested. We use the Marshal’s old Mafia contacts and place a hit on Abrams. We let it get out that there is a terrorist threat against GST. Using the threat as a definitive reason the Navy and Coast Guard can board, then secure all of GST’s ships under the Patriot Act.” As Kimberly outlined her idea Maria saw exactly where she was going.

“I know of an independent contractor that can handle the job. One that specializes in the impossible shoot. It will take a short trip to Boston though.” Maria told them all with a wicked smile. Turning to Pete and Carl. “Well boys, feel like playing out your inner mobster fantasies?”

Carl gave Maria a quirky look before thumbing his nose. Using a cheap and extremely fake New Jersey accent. “Sure ting, Bahs. Whose do you wants us t' whack?”

Maria just chuckled as the others groaned. “Boys, you will need new suits for your meeting. As for the rest of what you will need; come by the house later.”

“Excuse me Marshal, but what else do they need?” Lyssa asked her, trying not to laugh.

“They will need one of my coins, plus a letter of introduction from me. If they don’t have that, the person I am sending them to see will gut them both.” At Lyssa’s blank look Maria explained. “You don’t just post a want-ad in the local paper for a hitman or on the Internet. Nor do you go through just any fixer. You must meet with a hitter’s contract coordinator.”

“Okay Maria, just who or what is that?” Lyssa asked, then slyly added. “Did you ever have one?”

“Oh, Lyssa, of course I had a coordinator at one time. Just as Annette did before joining this little merry band of cut-throats.” Maria waved airily with her nose in the air. “Yes. There are certain protocols, shall we say, that must be followed about such things. The first of which is paying respect to the Hitter’s family head.”

“Is that why we're headed for Boston?” Carl asked.

“Exactly, Carl.” Maria turned to look up at Paul. “Major, this is only the first part of our operation. The next two parts will have to be taken care of by the ground team in the field. We’ll be beginning full operations tomorrow. This is a full tactical rollout for the Black Badges, Major.”

“Understood, Marshal. You taking the Maid with you?” Paul knew that Kasey had her driver’s license now. There was no real need for Anna to travel with them. Both Kasey and Kristine were more than able to defend themselves, not to mention handle the Earth Roamer.

“Negative, Major. The Maid is retired from all further field operations. Her place is here. Looking after those we leave behind. Until she takes her leave of us.” Maria almost snapped but held in her tongue.

“Understood and approved, Marshal. Here are your orders, Marshal. Take down these people by whatever means is necessary. I’ll have the Lethal Findings for all parties before sunset.” When Paul finished, he gave Maria a concerned look. “Be careful Ria. At any point in time you feel the need; pull the plug and drop this shit on the FBI and Homeland’s laps. Understood?”

“Clear as a bell, Paul.” Maria gave him a smile. “See you when this is all over. Command out.”

Paul put on his command face before disconnecting. “Go to War, Marshal.”

With the assurance of her commanding officer and husband Maria turned to the others in the TOC. “While that was informative, I still need some advice here people.”

Lyssa looked around at the rest of the military in the room. “Maria, this is one time that we cannot help. This is truly a diplomatic nightmare. We are all WAY outside of our depth. As much as I hate to say this. You and your family will need to return to the roots of your family.”

“Lyssa, I want you to think about exactly what you’re saying.” Maria looked her friend and fellow Prima in the eyes. “I do this; it will mean breaking a promise.”

“Sometimes Maria, it is better to break a promise to preserve the peace than it is to let evil men prosper.” The cold dead eyes of her friend let Maria know where Lyssa stood on the matter. “Follow your heart on this one, Donna DeMarco.”

Maria just turned and head for the door. She was not shocked nor was she concerned by Lyssa's answer. The truth was she expected nothing less from the Operator. As she reached the door Maria stopped. Turning towards Lyssa and the others. “You know that once I open this Pandora’s Box there will be no going back?”

Rodrick answered for the rest. “Hell is only half full of fools and criminals.”

Maria had only one answer to the man’s comment. “I am but a shadow that passes through the moonless night. I am the right hand of Lady Justice. None are above the Justice that I bring. All shall feel my blade. Let the rich and powerful know. In the darkest of night, that Justice comes on swift and unyielding wings. We are the Wraiths of the Moonless Night. Fear our passing. For we bring death and justice to those who believe they are above the LAW.”

Once Maria had left the TOC Kimberly turned to Lyssa. “What was that little speech about Lyssa? You know more about the Madam’s family traditions than any of us.”

Lyssa Looked towards the empty doorway. “Something I have prayed to never hear, Kimberly.”

“Okay Love, what the fuck are you getting at?” Rodrick asked Lyssa bluntly.

Lyssa looked around the room at the rest of the OICA. “In my travels I have met only two people like the Madam. One is a soldier. The Madam is the other.”

“What does that have to do with that little speech of hers?” Carl asked.

“Maria DeMarco, just said goodbye to all of us.” At the blank looks of her fellow military Lyssa sighed. “Maria doesn’t expect to return from this operation. That was her family’s final goodbye to those they respect.”

“HOLY FUCK!” Peter yelled. “You have to be shitting us?”

Lyssa sighed as she looked over at the man. “No. One way or another, Maria DeMarco will end this threat. Even if it costs her, her life.”

Looking around the room Lyssa could tell that this revelation was almost too much for her fellow operators to grasp. Maria was not one of them. She could walk away from something like this operation. To think that a civilian would willingly die to complete a mission was more than they could contemplate.

“Remember something people.” Clearing her throat Lyssa looked them all in the eye. “Maria DeMarco is the Mistress for the oldest Guild of Assassins in all of Europe. Her two daughters have trained to replace her from the time they were old enough to walk. Before you ask, the answer is yes. The Major knows exactly what he has unleashed on the world.” Lyssa turned back to the doorway. “Ladies, and gentlemen Death walks the night in the guise of Justice. The Lithium Flower has come again once more to bring Justice to those who believe they are above it.”

“Lithium Flower? Who or what is that Lyssa?” Krystel asked.

“Just one of the deadliest flowers known to man, Krystel.” Lyssa turned to her friend. “Pray that she comes home.”

“What does that mean?” Lonestar asked her.

“Because if Maria does not return. Controlling Hunter, Bobby, Kasey, and Kristine will be the least of our problems.” Lyssa gave Lonestar a look that said more than words. “Samantha and Annette will do more than rise up to avenge their mother. Their family honor will demand blood for blood, a life for a life. They will call down the full relentless might of the DeMarco Crime Family. They will make the mobs wars of the twenties seem like child’s play. Those two will make the streets run red with the blood of innocent and villain alike. And not care.”

Pete groaned. “Aw shit!”

Lyssa nodded. “I want the room. Kim stay.”

Everyone else left, leaving Lyssa and Kimberly alone.

“Get Shawna, Tiffany and the Major.” Lyssa instructed.

Kimberly made the connections then brought the split window up on the main monitor.

“What's up Sergeant-Major?” Dannigan asked.

Lyssa gave a hard look. “The Black Badge team may not accomplish this mission. They may accomplish this mission and be blown or burned. The whole of this installation may become compromised.”

“State your request.” The big spook directed.

Lyssa paused for a moment then spoke clearly. “Update the Code: Reno protocols.”

Code: Reno. The BlackOps signal for being betrayed by the Powers That Be; Intentional Burning of operations as damage control. Dubbed that after Major Marcus Reno of the infamous 7th Cavalry, who had been blamed for abandoning Custer resulting in the failure at Little Bighorn. He had been cleared of the charges after review, but the stain remained. Many testified that it had not been cowardice or drinking, only that they had been overwhelmed, had to retreat and Reno designated a scapegoat. After the review there had been allegations that the testimony hadn't been truthful. Reno never escaped the stigma attached to him and later forced out under charges of Unbecoming. Now his name was used as a signal for being intentionally burned by Higher-ups to cover their own asses.

Every member of the military side had a plan should the entire unit be revealed. Abandoning the island with facilities to self-destruct and exfiltrate to non-extradition treaty haven countries undercover. Within an hour, all could be scattered to the compass. Lyssa was fairly sure Maria, Annette and Anna had similar plans as well. Samantha may have one in the very off-chance she was compromised, but the others likely did not. That was Lyssa's concern.

Dannigan now considered that as well. “Understood. Update Reno Protocols and brief all personnel. Ghostmoth, update protocols. Steel Dove, verify protocols and update as needed. Pray it doesn't come to that. Proceed. Out.”

“Out.” Lyssa acknowledged then turned to Kimberly. “We have work to do.”

Kimberly nodded. “It's going to be a long night. I'll get Krystel back down here.”

-----tbc-----

“Marshal, Deputies; due to the very volatile nature of this operation it has been decided to update Reno Protocols. This includes you and your team.” Kimberly started off with as the eight members of the DeMarco household looked on as Krystel handed out eight folders.

Maria frowned at the new term to learn. “What exactly are Reno Protocols?”

“Code: Reno.” Bobby explained. “It's a SpecOps term. You're familiar with Code: Gloria; Imminent Attack. Code: Reno is for betrayal. Intentional Burn by the Upper Echelon to cover their asses.”

Hunter nodded. “Reno Protocols are the Escape and Evasion plans for an individual or unit in the event of an Intentional Burn.”

“So, we're at this point now.” Annette remarked.

Samantha looked around the table. “Shit definitely got real.”

Kimberly gave her a flat look. “Yes. We do understand that some of you may already have such measures in place. Please bear with us. Inside each of these folders holds Travel documentation. We’ve arranged for you all to converge in Montenegro. With its position on the Adriatic Sea you can be in Italy in under a few hours by boat or an hour by air.”

She stopped when Maria started to chuckle. As much as they wanted to remain professional Bobby, Hunter, Samantha, and Annette were right behind them while Kasey and Kristine blushed clear down to their breasts.

Lyssa looked over at the teenagers. “Okay Gemini; what have you two gone and done, this time?”

“Do not blame my granddaughters for this, Sergeant-Major.” Maria spoke up quickly. Lyssa focused when Maria used her rank. “About four months ago I set the girls a task as part of their continued training.”

“What was this task Marshal?” Kimberly asked, already putting two and two together. Kimberly could only groan at the grins the two teenagers’ were wearing, concerned the protocols would conflict. “Please tell me that it wasn’t setting up your burn packets.”

“Then we won’t.” Kasey answered with a smirk.

Lyssa, just shook her head and took a seat. “Why am I not surprised. Okay Gemini let’s have a look at your burn packets.”

Maria stood up. “Lyssa, please don’t be angry with the girls. They were only following my orders. I wanted to see if they could setup new identities for the whole team. I had them use not only our resources here on the island but also the backdoors into the WIT-SEC and Bureau of Indian Affairs databases. I had Krystle set it up as a training exercise to begin with. After they learned how I had them do the setups for real. Each one has five fully backstopped ids here in the US, two in allied countries, and three in nonextradition countries.”

Kimberly shook her head. “None of us are angry that they set up protocols. Our concern is that the protocols will conflict. Our objective is that all of us go under the radar but maintain connection. That would be imperative to survival.”

Krystel was the first to re-engage. “Wait a minute. When did you get a backdoor to the BIA?”

Kristine reached into her purse and pulled out her Reservation Id Card. “Um… we kind of had it for a while now. Ever since we visited Papa Bobby’s home. The clerk wasn’t very secure with her passwords. I kinda, well; copied them for a rainy day. Miss Krystel you said ‘always be on the lookout for legitimate ways into systems’. So we did.”

Kimberly held up her hands. “Okay let me get this straight. First the two of you used the WIT-SEC and BIA to setup a total of one-hundred separate clean back-stopped IDs. Secondly, you did all this under the noses of the Command Staff here on the island. Lastly not only were you able keep this secret from Krystel and me but erased all traces of the activity from the logs.”

“No ma’am. We only had to work up a total of sixty back-stopped IDs. The Marshal and Maid, already had back-stopped IDs for such emergencies. As for clearing our computer log usage. Um… you were the one to institute that policy.” Kasey explained before going on. “As for the number of IDs, Kris and I both felt that it would be best if each member of the team had more undercover IDs that could be used during our operations should the need arise. We used our undercover IDs from the South Carolina operation as a guideline for the others.”

“Kasey, Kristine, as the Roamer has yet to be loaded please go retrieve our undercover and burn packet IDs please?” Maria ordered. Both girls hurried to carry out their grandmother’s order. While Kimberly and Krystel looked to each other with uncertainty, Lyssa just sat there stoically. Maria knew that her friend was worried about the work that her granddaughters had put into the cover ids. Especially the ones that would be used in case of her team being burned. “Don’t worry Lyssa, their work will make Kimberly and Krystel proud. My little swans have learned their lessons well. I doubt even you will find fault.”

“Bear with me Maria, if I doubt their abilities in this field. These ids have to be more than just a quick cover job for a short term mission. They have to be more than just above reproach. They have to be completely infallible.” Lyssa expected Maria to contradict her. To say that Lyssa was surprised when Maria didn’t was an understatement. “It’s not that I don’t think they can do the work Maria. It’s just that they lack the experience to pull it off.”

“That last part is only partially true, Sergeant-Major. What they lack, we, their parents; more than make up for.” Samantha looked across at the three operators. “Bobby, Hunter and I may have been in the Fugitive Recovery Office of the Marshal Service, but we’ve all three spent time working for WIT-SEC. As for Annette and mother Maria, there is more to assassination than just killing. One must be able to build a new personality for each assignment if needed. That means everything from educational, medical documentation to photo IDs. Unless you’re willing to pay top dollar for a forger every time that could turn around and sell you out. You learn to do these things yourself.”

“You mean to tell me that we have had a forgery division on hand for three years? One that is good enough to surpass just about every inspection in the world.” Kimberly asked of Maria and the others.

“No Kimberly. You are mistaken. None of us are forgers, nor are we a forgery ring. What we are is a highly talented and experienced group of individuals from a wide range of fields. Each individual with highly specialized skill sets. Skill sets that overlap sometimes. We just know where and how to use the system to hide in plain sight.” Annette told her young friend honestly. “Just as you, and the others have passed on your skills to Kasey and Kristine. We have done the same.”

About that time the teens returned to the room. Each girl carried a Toker’s black 24x16x6 aluminum zero attaché case. When they set the cases down and opened them Kimberly and Krystel both looked inside. They were surprised to find passports, visas, birth certificates and even wedding licenses; everything under the sun needed for the Black Badge Deputies to go undercover or completely underground at a moment’s notice. Lyssa joined her two Command Staff as they examined the documents. It was finally Kimberly that put their thoughts into words.

“These are perfect. They’re just as good as what we came up with last night.” Kimberly turned to Lyssa. “They did a good job. Do they even need us anymore?”

“Not true, Captain. We’ve still got a lot to learn yet.” Kristine objected.

“Kristine, Kasey; you girls have been two fine students, but Kimberly is right to ask that. You have surpassed your training. There isn’t much more that we can teach you. Your time to step out onto the world’s stage has finally come.” Lyssa nodded at each girl in turn. “Remember your training. Rely on it. For that is the one thing that will never fail you and may be the only thing will save you.”

The two teens smiled up at one of their mentors as they placed everything back in the zero cases. “We’re wheels up in forty, Marshal. Rodrick, LoneStar and Carl have the C-seventeen almost fully loaded and prepped for takeoff. We should touch down in Miami around zero-nine-thirty-hours. Miss Anna and Eddie already have their tickets for their connecting flight to Boston. They should land at Boston Logan International no later than twelve-thirty-hours. With projected travel time from the airport to the contact point of thirty minutes. Miss Anna should meet with the hitter’s coordinator no later thirteen-thirty-hours. We should have eyes on Ronald Vickers no later than eighteen-hundred-hours on the outside. We have taken in the needed travel time between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We have tagged him as Tango-Three.”

“Hold up Gemini, why do you have the team going after Vickers first?” Lyssa asked quickly. This wasn’t part of the original mission briefing that was handed in by the teenagers. Originally, they were going after Sylvia Price first.

“Two reasons for change of targets and reordering of mission parameters, Sergeant-Major. Time and accessibility of targets. Currently Ronald Vickers is the only target within CONUS. Sylvia Price and Donald Abrams are overseas. This has been confirmed by multiple sources, Sergeant-Major. Price’s personal schedule currently has her visiting her European offices for the next four days. Abrams is currently working a multi-million Euro shipping deal for the UN forces in Afghanistan. Tango-One is trying to parley his success with US military munition shipments into a UN contract. These negotiations have no time limit at present. The only bright spot is the restrictions that Congress has placed on most US Flag carriers. Especially those dealing with overseas militaries.” Kristine figured the best way to explain their reasons for the change was to be blunt.

“Gemini just how bad is this going to get?” Kimberly asked her.

“To be honest, Captain. We have no idea. Until we can get some control over the situation in the field all we got is SWAG.” Kasey smirked.

“SWAG?” asked a very confused Krystel.

Both teens smiled then sang out together. “Scientific Wild Ass Guess.”

Lyssa just smirked then looked over to Krystel. “Give them points for that one.”

“Now I know how Tiffany felt. We trained them too damned good.” Kimberly complained then turned to face the teens. “Keep your heads down and watch your six out there, girls. Bring your team home. Safe and sound.”

The teens walked around the table and hugged Krystle tight. “Roger that Captain.”

“Alright people, time to saddle up. We got places to be, and people to kill.” Bobby popped off with only to get a dirty look from Maria. “Sorry mom, but we have three Lethal Findings to carry out. Which for once I have no qualms about.” He looked over at the only other male on the team. “What about you Hunter?”

“In the past three years I’ve had my doubts about a few of the scumbags we’ve gone after. These three aren’t even worth a second thought or the buck-twenty-five to blow their ass to hell. I want to get up close and gut that bitch Price.” Hunter snarled much to the surprise of Maria and the others in the Black Badges.

“What is it about this woman that has you so pissed off Hunter?” Kimberly asked.

Whenever the men of the Black Badges showed emotion like this the Command Staff always got worried. These men were always the ones that they counted on to hold the rest of the team in check.

“Read her file, Captain. You'll figure it out on your own.” Hunter turned and walked out of the room. Bobby was hot on his heels.

“Lyssa, I need to get my team in the air. If you want to know what has my two Deputies ready to kill this time. You’ll need to read the files that Gemini put together for the Command Staff.” Maria told them as she led the rest of the deputies out of the room to the hanger.

Lyssa picked up the file that they were given on Sylvia Price and began to read. By the end of the second page it was taking all of Lyssa’s considerable self-discipline to not jump on the C-17 with them. Looking up at Kimberly and Krystel, Lyssa waved the file folder in her hands. “Have you read these files?”

“I’ll admit that I haven’t yet. What about you Krystel?” Kimberly answered.

“No Ma'am. Been too busy with setting up those burn packets. Should have double checked with the Madam, damn it.” Krystel grumbled. Then looked her boss in the eyes. “Why? How bad is it, Lyssa?”

Lyssa looked through the empty doorway and out into the hanger. “Over the past three years that team has taken down some real worthless human beings. Some not as bad as others, some that never deserved the mercy they showed them.” Lyssa tapped the file for Price. “If Price is anything like the other two, then all I can say is God can have mercy on their souls. Because the Black Badges fucking won’t.”

“Damn. You know something boss, I haven’t always been on board with the Major’s choice of bring in the Marshal and her Deputies. But they always get results in situations that are messy as fuck to begin with. I know that we’ve trained Gemini to be better than us and their parents. Do you think that they’ll make a difference this time?” Kimberly asked as she joined Lyssa staring at the big cargo jet.

Lyssa knew that she had to hide her feelings on this topic. She was the CO now of field operations. “If anything, Captain it will be Gemini that keeps this operation from going nuclear. I have every confidence in their ability to keep control of the situation on the ground. Before you ask the reason is simple. They’ll be able to remain objective on this operation. It’s the guys I’m worried about.”

“Why them?” Krystel asked as she joined her friends to watch as the C-17 started its engines. “They’ve always been our stop gap for the others.”

Lyssa sighed before looking over at the other two operators. “Not this time. They’re going to end up facing ghosts on this operation. Especially Hunter. Here read the file on Sylvia Price, you’ll understand why.”

Krystel took the file from Lyssa’s hand and began to read. The more that she read the madder she got. “Oh fuck. This isn’t going to end until Price is dead is it?”

“No, it isn’t, not when it comes to Hunter. He wants her in a bag and buried.” Hearing this Kimberly grabbed the Price file from Krystel and began reading. When she got to the end of the second page Kimberly looked over at Lyssa with eyes filled by hate. “Before you ask, Kimberly. The answer is yes. Sylvia Price was once one of ours. First Lieutenant Sylvia Cutter, Judge Advocate Officer Fort Bliss, Texas. Hunter dealt with her during his time as an MP. I don’t know the whole story, but I will bet you whatever it is got him burned or somebody else burned so bad, he felt the heat.”

“Get the Major on the line?” Krystel asked.

“Not yet. We let Gemini handle things for now. I want to keep this on the Ground team for as long as possible. If he's needed, I want Maria to call him and say so.” Lyssa walked out into the hangar as the C-17 rolled down the runway. “Let’s just hope that they’ll be enough.”

Kimberly had followed her and asked. “Can you go? If it comes to it, can you?”

“Yes. We're just trying to avoid it. Others need to take up the fight. They're ready.” Lyssa replied then went to take the twin back home.

The Rose Tavern, Boston, Massachusetts, 1300
When the bell above the door rang in the empty bar Dianthia O’Leary looked up from the bar top. At first, she could not believe her eyes, then she didn’t want to. It wasn’t the man that just walked through the door to her bar that unsettled her. For her he was nothing more than hired muscle. No, it was the elderly woman just in front of him. “Ya’ hav’ som’ nerv’ walkin’ in ta me bar, Anna. Ya’ better have a good reason fer bein' 'ere. If nout, I’ll be puttin one b'tween yer eyes.”

“I’ve been sent here by the Madam, Dia.” Anna reached into her purse and pulled out a gold coin. After placing it on the bar top, she placed a twenty dollar bill under it. “An Irish neat for me and a pint for my friend.”

Dianthia fixed Anna her whiskey cocktail. When the man stopped her from pouring the beer smiling Dia was slightly miffed. But only slightly as he was polite and professional about it. “Thank you, ma’am but no thank you. I’m on the job right now. Best to remain clear headed.”

“Anna, since when did you start traveling with a side-boy?” Dia asked.

“Since Donna Maria, saddled me with the young man to mentor, Dia.” Anna sighed. The truth was it had been Anna to suggest the change that morning. Instead of sending Pete and Carl, two totally unprepared operators into set up the hit. Anna would go in on her own and make the deal. Maria agreed with the idea, with one change. Anna would be taking one of the men with her. When Anna tried to argue the point, Lyssa backed Maria. So here she was, six hours later in Boston, with Eddie as her escort. “It seems that my Donna’s grandchildren have grown quite fond of me.”

Dianthia looked the man over with the eye of a professional hitter. She could see the military markers and pure deadly intent behind the eyes. “I see that Donna Maria is at least pickin’ her spare muscle from the SAS.”

Eddie knew the comment about the SAS was supposed to piss him off. Instead he went for something she would never expect. “Don’t be insulting me, ma’am. I’m Fleet.”

It wasn't a lie, just not the whole true. He wanted her to put two and two together; coming up with twenty-two. He had been Fleet, Pacific Fleet, not a Fleet Recon Marine. She did exactly that.

“Marine, eh? How long and where?” Eddie saw what Dia was trying to do and just smiled at the older woman. Dia got the hint. “Okay lad I’ll drop it. Keep your secrets, protect Anna.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Eddie now understood why Miss Anna and Madam Maria were worried about him and Pete meeting with this woman. She had to be retired IRA.

“So, tell me, Anna. Why has the Nightingale come t’ ma bar? Wha’ need would you or the Dove ha’ for the Irish Rose? It’s not like’s you to take out a contract.” Dia knew that whatever reason brought this woman to her bar carrying a marker coin for Maria DeMarco was not one to take lightly. Placing her finger on the coin. “The Donna DeMarco doesn’t hand out these for no reason.”

“The Dove has an annoying little problem that has to be handled with kid-gloves. As you have most likely already guessed neither my Donna or I can handle this one directly. It is also a time sensitive problem.” Anna reached into her purse. She pulled out a photo of Donald Abrams. She slid it across the bar. “This is the problem. He has twenty-four-seven standing side-boys.”

“How much is the pay-out Anna? And where are the particulars?” Dianthia knew that taking this job would cause problems for her. When Saoirse Doyle called in her marker she made a deal that she would retire and stay retired. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t handle the contracts for her daughter Ryne.

“Forty large and it has to be a one shot, one kill. This is non-negotiable. It has to look like what it is. A direct attack on a war profiteer. A traitor to the cause. Donna Maria doesn’t care how you spin it. Just that it looks like an IRA attack.” The more that Anna explained the particulars of the contract to Dianthia. The more the woman wanted to take the job herself.

“D' ya have a file on the target?” Dia asked quickly. Then smiled as Anna reached into her briefcase. As always, the Nightingale came prepared. Dia took the file and began to look through it. The name was of course meaningless, but the man’s habits were laid out in great detail. Not to mention his personality quirks. “Bloody hell the man is a fucking robot. Does he ever spend time with his family?”

“Not that we have been able to find out. What we do know is that he is a true piece of shit that needs to find the bottom of the grave.” Anna reached over and flipped to the back page of the file. “Here are just his known crimes.”

Dianthia looked over at Anna, then down at the page. “Care to explain why Donna DeMarco is going out of her way to take out this scumbag?”

“What have the DeMarco’s always done, Dianthia? We take out the trash of the criminal world. This man is one of the worse. He should never see the inside of a courtroom. He is OUR problem. He would bring too much unwanted attention to our operations. He is to be a message to the rest of the scum who would traffic in human misery.” The was a fire in Anna’s voice. One that Dia had only heard once. At the point of a gun barrel. Dia knew that Anna was giving her a chance to repay that long held life debt.

Dianthia thought about what Anna was wanting. “I need to make a phone call. Come back in two hours. You’ll have your answer.”

Anna just smiled, picked up the coin and left the bar with Eddie right behind her. Once outside she stopped and sighed. “Damn it, that didn’t go as I was hoping.”

“Miss Anna, what just happened? I thought that once she saw the coin it was a done deal. What am I missing here?” Eddie knew that he was out of his depth. Something that made him very uncomfortable.

“Dianthia had her marker called in, and part of her deal was to retire.” Anna explained for Eddie as best she could.

“I take it that retirement for people in your old line of work is a rarity?” Eddie asked Anna quietly. “One that isn’t afforded too often? If ever.”

“Edward, there is one harsh and unforgiving fact amongst Hitters. Retirement is a luxury that few of us ever live to see. Maria and I are among the very few to have earned retirement. Dianthia O’Leary is one of the few people that we know to have reached our same age and retire. She has earned her retirement.” The wistful sound of Anna’s voice pulled at the Sailor’s soul. Eddie had never expected to hear Anna of all people to feel sorry for handing out a contract. “She is like a lot of Hitters, Edward. Most never want this life for their children.”

“If I’m stepping over the line tell me, Miss Anna. Did Madam Maria ever have second thoughts about training Annette to replace her?” Eddie tried to be polite about the question but couldn’t think of a different way to phrase it.

“The DeMarco and Capizeo families are different from other Hitters Eddie. Their family traditions go back for hundreds of years. Passing on those traditions is what has kept those two families from dying out. Even though Samantha now carries the name of Justice, she is still the last Capizeo. She is now passing on the Capizeo family traditions to Kristine. Just as Annette is passing on the traditions of the DeMarco’s to Kasey.” As Anna explained all this to Eddie, she could tell that he was having a hard time understanding what was going on. “My old friend Dianthia is in there right now calling her daughter Ryne. She is the one that has taken up the mantle of Irish Rose. The Impossible Sniper. If anyone can make the shot and get away with it, it’s her.”

When Eddie went to correct her, Anna held up her hand. “As good as Lyssa, or any of the other snipers are back on the island. None of them hold a candle to the Irish Rose. That family trains their children to make shots that even Samantha can’t. I’m talking about putting a bullet in the T zone at fifteen hundred yards through a two-by-two inch hole in a wall.”

“Bullshit! Nobody can make that kind of shot.” Eddie scoffed.

“Dianthia’s daughter made that exact shot four years ago in Belfast. Ryne killed a pedophile priest in front of his congregation during high mass on Easter Sunday.” Eddie like the others on the island had heard about the impossible sniper shot in Belfast.

None of them could figure out how the shooter had made the shot. Only Lyssa had kept silent and refused any discussion of it. Samantha replied with one word, 'Training'.

Anna could tell that Eddie still didn’t understand the difference between trained Hitters and family raised assassins. “Edward there are two types of Hitters. The first is your Mechanic. The other is your family raised assassin. You and the others back on the island are becoming familiar with the second one; assassins raised in the traditions of their family. That is what we have with the Madam and her family. The other type, the Mechanics. They are young men and women with military or Intelligence training. Some of them have specialized training such as Shawna, Tiffany, Rodrick and a few of the others back on the island. These individuals are highly sought after in the world of Hired Gunmen. They are the ones that Madam Maria and I worry over. A good many of these young men and women only enter into the life because they feel they have nowhere else to go. They also have very short lifespans once they have taken their very first contract. Normally I would include Prima Lyssa, but now that I have gotten to know her well enough, she's not like that and it would be an insult to her.”

Eddie could hear the pain in Anna’s voice. “Miss Anna, how many of these Mechanics have you met?”

“Too many Edward. Far too many.” Anna sighed as she led him towards the end of the block. Anna knew exactly where she was going. “How do you feel about corned beef? There is this lovely little deli the next block over.”

“Sure, I'm easy Miss Anna.” Eddie knew a change of subject when he heard one. “I would prefer a decent Philly cheesesteak sandwich though. I don't get up on the Northern seaboard much.”

“Edward, my dear boy, you really must broaden your horizons. Man cannot live on beer and Philly cheesesteaks alone. Much to your and Peter’s disbeliefs. Or those of Hunter and Robert. I know that Dianthia won’t have answer for us until an hour from now at the soonest.” Anna looped her arm through Eddie’s. “Besides, my dear boy, you can use a little cultural education.”

Eddie just chuckled and let Anna led him to the deli. As soon as they entered the deli the smells hit his nose and his stomach rumbled. Eddie had the good graces to be embarrassed. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize just how hungry I was.”

“No need to apologize, Edward. Now, do you want some advice?” Anna asked him.

“Sure. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never been to a place like this.” Eddie looked around sniffing the air. “Damn, it smells good in here.”

“Not something your lady-friend that works the resort in Freeport has at her cottage?” Anna chuckled and walked up to the counter.

The man behind the counter turned and took one look at Anna then smiled. “Anna, it has been too long. Your usual?”

“Not today Jacob. Two of your house specials please. Extra sauce.” Anna looked down the counterspace to a teenage girl. “Sophie, two birch beers with no ice.”

“Coming right up, Miss Anna. Are you in town for the Dracula ballet? I heard a Russian Prima is dancing the female lead.” The girl was almost bouncing at seeing Anna in the deli. Eddie was starting to worry about a breach of security.

“As much as I wish that were the case Sophie, I’m here on business.” Anna gave the teen a polite look that ended all further conversation. As Anna led Eddie over to a back corner booth, he noticed that the deli was mostly empty. “Yes, I picked this deli for a reason, Edward. There are two reason. Can you guess?”

“Ease of access to both the front and rear exits. And plenty of coverage if things go sideways.” Eddie was thinking exactly like Anna expected.

“Close but not exactly correct.” Anna nodded to the front of the deli. Eddie looked over his shoulder at where Anna was looking. “See those two men across the street?” Eddie spotted the two men Anna was talking about and nodded his head. “They belong to Saoirse Doyle, the local Irish mob boss.”

“I take it that you wanted them to see you?” Anna just smiled and nodded her head. Eddie gave it some thought but couldn’t come up with a reason for the locals to know that they were there. “Miss Anna, I don’t understand. Why do you want the locals to know that we’re here?”

“Two reasons, Edward. The first is respect. Saoirse Doyle, earned his way up through the ranks of his father’s organization. By letting them know that I am here they won’t panic and call for a sit down. I can operate with immunity. Up to a point.” Anna explained for Eddie. “The second reason I chose this deli is one that you would not expect. To arrange for a second hitter.”

Eddie’s eyes damned near came out of their sockets. He looked around the deli trying to figure out who could possibly be this second hitter. Everywhere he looked all he saw was a family run business. Mom on the cash register, dad behind the counter making sandwiches, two daughters working as waitresses, and a son washing dishes. There was no way that this was a contact point for a high priced hitter.

Anna chuckled at the young man’s confusion. “Not what you were expecting Edward? Don’t worry, the Fitzpatrick family are some of the best shooters in the field.”

Eddie dropped his voice to barely above a whisper. “You have got to be pulling my leg. There is no way that this is a family of hitters.”

Anna chuckled even harder. “Dear boy, I want you to look at the Madam and Annette. For fourteen years they posed as a mother/daughter ballet teaching combo. In that time; Annette earned her bones and carried out over sixty confirmed contract kills. No one ever gave them a second look.”

Eddie sat there thinking about what Anna had just told him. He thought about Maria and Annette. Everything that Anna told him was true. There could be no two less suspicious people in the world for carrying out contract killings. With the exception of the woman sitting across from him. Anna gave him a sly knowing smile as Eddie started to put things together. Anna made the sign of the cross. “And so doth thine light shine upon thy child.”

Jacob's oldest daughter walked up just then with their order. She placed the plates in front of Eddie and Anna chuckling. “Will you be needing to see the cocktail menu Miss Anna? Or do you want to order off the beer list?”

Eddie wanted to do a double take but fought his natural urges. Anna just smiled up at the girl. “Thank you but we won’t be ordering from either Lisa. Though I do need to talk with your father about catering a special dinner for two.”

“Straight away, Miss Anna. I’ll have him out here in a minute.” Lisa gave a short bob of a curtsy then headed for the kitchen. “Edward, whatever happens next do not reach for your sidearm. From here out we are in a very delicate situation.”

“Copy Miss Anna. Hands off the weapons. We’re deep in Indian territory. You going to smoke the peace pipe with this guy?” Eddie quipped only to get a dirty look in return. “Sorry for the smart ass, Miss Anna.”

“Eat your sandwich Eddie.” Anna gave the young man a smile to take the sting out of her words. As she picked up her own sandwich Jacob Fitzpatrick walked up to their booth. Not saying a word Anna reached into her purse and placed the coin on the table. “I need to make arrangements for a private catered dinner for two, Jacob.”

The man placed a napkin over the coin and slid it back to Anna. “Sorry but our catering service is currently booked for the foreseeable future Miss Anna. I would suggest talking with the Rose Tavern. If they are not available; might I suggest Kelly’s Dinner or the Blackwater Café. They are both highly recommended.”

“Is that Kelly’s on Independence Ave and Blackwater over on K street?” Anna asked politely. As if she was wanting street directions instead of pointing out cities.

“No ma’am. That’s Blackwaters on Boardwalk.” Anna just smiled and slipped the napkin back towards Jacob. This time Jacob just picked up the napkin but left the coin. “We don’t charge for sending customers to qualified competitors.”

Anna picked up the coin and put it back in her purse. “Thank you, Jacob. Please be sure to send me an email for Lisa’s wedding.”

“Why am I not surprised that you spotted the ring. Go on and get out of here. Your meals are on the house. Have a good day, Anna.” Jacob walked back to the kitchen.

“Okay Miss Anna, what just happened?” Eddie asked quietly.

“For starters I just found out a good deal of information. First, Jacob informed me that they cannot handle the contract. Second, we need to take a trip back to the Rose Tavern and talk to the Irish Rose. Third, if the Rose cannot take on the job, we have two options. We’ll have to do a little traveling if we need to use the other two options. Both of which are more than qualified for our needs.” Anna took a bite of her sandwich chewed then swallowed. “The first of which is the Scotsman in Philadelphia. Biron Kelly, Bad Conduct Discharged Sergeant for the SBS, trained sniper with eighty-two confirmed kills and all-round scoundrel.”

“Sounds like you admire the man Miss Anna.” Eddie smirked. “And the other option.”

“Someone that I hope we don’t have to use. I’ll call the Donna and the job myself first.” The retired assassin turn cold as the frozen North. “Markus Black. Third generation Canadian Army, Dishonorably Discharged, and a real sadist. Trained in antiterrorist tactics and explosives expert. The man doesn’t care about collateral damage or the number of civilian casualties.”

“Damn. Talk about your no-win situation with that guy. At least we try to keep Joe public in the dark about what we do.” Eddie griped. Eddie thought about what Anna had just told him. “Would you really take the job yourself Miss Anna? I mean Madam Maria has retired you from active operations. You don’t have to do this. We can turn it over to Tiffany or Shawna.”

“That is not an option here Eddie. Listen very carefully to what I am about to tell you. This is a matter of honor between the Donna Maria and me. If I cannot secure the services of either the Irish Rose or the Scotsman, the contract falls to me.” the steel in Anna’s voice left no doubt that she would complete the contract. Even at the expense of her own life.

“Why?” Was all Eddie could think to ask.

“Because if I don’t then the deadliest sniper on Ram’s Rock Island will step out of the Shadows once more. Something that Donna Maria is trying prevent.” There was something about Anna’s eyes and voice that grabbed Eddie’s undivided attention. He knew that Anna wasn’t speaking about Lyssa or any of the other military trained snipers on the island.

He thought back to how Anna referred to Annette and Samantha earlier. “Miss Anna, just how good is Samantha? Really.”

“Edward you and the other military members of the OICA have seen Samantha work with a sniper rifle. She was trained from the time she was six to use a rifle for assassination. She earned her place among the Wraiths at thirteen. She fulfilled her first contract by putting a bullet between the eyes of an informant from over fifteen-hundred meters. As good as military trained snipers are, I've seen none can match her skill with a rifle. Only the Irish Rose can do that.” Eddie wanted to call bullshit on what Anna just told him, but he had seen the way that Samantha handled a rifle. He was forced to accept the fact that Anna was telling him the truth. What Anna said next brought a chill to Eddie’s spine. “The day that Stephany Capizeo takes up a sniper contract is the day that we should all fear.”

“Miss Anna, I have to ask what you mean by that?” Eddie didn’t like where this conversation was going. He knew that he needed to send warning back to the TOC because Lyssa hated unknown variables.

“Because the last time Stephany Capizeo took up such a contract two whole Criminal Organizations disappeared from the face of the earth.” Anna put down her sandwich and gave Eddie a hard look. “Edward, throughout history there has only ever been one family that was more feared than the DeMarco’s. The last member of that family wears the badge of a US Deputy Marshal. You know her as Samantha Justice. I knew her long ago as Joseph or Stephany Capizeo. The world knew her as the Silver Bullet Ballerina. The deadliest sniper outside of the Irish Rose.”

Eddie had to fight back the choking fit that threatened to overtake his natural need to swallow. “You have to be shitting me.”

“No Edward, I’m not. I wish that I were. Samantha Justice is truly that deadly with a rifle. AS good as Lyssa, Rodrick, Bobby and Hunter are; they pale in comparison to our petite and feisty Samantha with a sniper’s rifle.” Anna took a bite of her sandwich chewed and swallowed as Eddie thought over what she had told him.

Anna could tell that Eddie was having a hard time processing what she told him. Not that Anna blamed the young man. Most people had problems seeing Samantha Justice as a threat let alone a stone cold blooded killer. Anna and Eddie finished their sandwiches in silence. When she finished Anna looked down at her watch.

Smiling she stood up. “Time to go Eddie. Dianthia should have an answer for us by now. I hope it is a yes.”

Anna walked to the counter, paid the bill and led Eddie out of the deli back to the Rose Tavern. As they walked up the street Anna waved at the two Doyle mob soldiers. Eddie just chuckled as the men turned red with embarrassment and shuffled off towards their waiting car.

Eddie commented. “That was just wrong Miss Anna.”

“Oh phawsh, Edward. Those two need to learn a lesson about keeping a lower profile. If Saoirse Doyle doesn’t want to have his operations pulled down around his ears, then he will give those two the needed education. In the long run he will thank me.” Anna quipped just before she chuckled at Eddie’s stunned look. “I did that as a courtesy for Saoirse. If I wanted to be a bitch, I would have shot them in the ass or knee. Something to give them a limp.”

“Damn that is just mean Miss Anna. Would you really have shot them to teach them a lesson? It’s not like they did anything wrong.” Eddie countered.

“Not only would I have shot them, I would have done so with no qualms. There is a certain amount of respect that is expected between the Families. They saw that I was here with just one, I repeat, one bodyguard. That I was visiting known fixers for contractors. I have made no move towards their operations. I acknowledged their presence and left them alone. All of this was done out of respect to their boss, Saoirse Doyle. They should have returned the respect by leaving before we finished our sandwiches. That or contacted their boss. Which they did neither.” Eddie could tell that Anna was pissed over the two mob soldiers show of disrespect.

“Should we be expecting a visit from their boss anytime soon Miss Anna?” Eddie wanted to make sure their cover was still intact. That they were safe.

“Depends on what my old friend Dianthia says.” Was all Anna told him. Walking inside, Anna wasn’t surprised to find Dianthia had company. The man was well dressed wearing dark sun glasses with a white, red tipped cane leaning against his stool. “Well now, I’ll be damned. What are you doing here?”

“So, it is true. The Nightingale has a job that she needs handled by an outside contractor. I never thought that I’d live to see the day.” The man said as he picked up the cane. “Oh wait! I didn’t live to see the day, and never will.”

“You were warned to stay away from the McFeeters family, David. Be thankful to still be alive.” Anna told the man as she walked up to the bar. “Annette wanted to kill your ass outright. Madam Maria was the one to hold her back.”

“She could have left me my sight, Anna. You know what that means to a shooter.” The man responded with more than a little heat.

“David you were told to back off. You didn’t. You paid the price. Be thankful that you still live. The contract stated dead or gone for good.” Anna told the man. Anna looked over at Dianthia. “Will Ryne take the contract?”

“There’ll be no business conducted here until you answer for what was done to me, Nightingale. Doyle promised me that.” The blind man said waving for two men to join them from the back of the bar. “Let me introduce.”

That was as far as he got before Eddie took both men down faster than David or Dianthia expected. None had any idea who Eddie was or the places he'd been. Though an aircraft mechanic in the Navy, he had been deployed on carriers for the Pacific Fleet. He had been in more waterfront dive bars than could be counted. One thing all sailors learned, was to expect any fight to be dirty. He pulled an old trick on the two men. He moved, making them think they had the advantage. One facing him and the other behind. It was exactly what he'd wanted. The man behind him wasn't paying attention to what was behind him.

When the front man came at him, Eddie grabbed him and slung him past, directly into the other. The back-up guy reacted accordingly and to his doom, by backing up. The table behind him surprised him and diverted attention, giving Eddie the upper-hand for his real attack. In the far-east this was done with people. He used furniture and still pulled off a perfect 'ShangHai Surprise'.

Two broken arms, one knee and a shattered shoulder blade later, Eddie stood up straight and popped his neck. “Amateurs. Next time pay the extra and get some real talent. They might last longer than ten seconds.”

“Now now Edward, there is no need to be insulting of the local talent. Just because they think they can handle someone in your league there's no reason to be degrading.” Anna smiled down at the two hired muscle. “Though, I do see your point. Not really up to snuff, are they? What do you think? Local dojo?”

“Not even. Just a pair of dock-rats looking to make some extra cash. No training at all. I would say that your boy there hired them on his way over here.” Eddie explained.

“I see. Thank you, Edward.” Anna placed her hand on the shoulder of the now very scared blind man. “David, this will be the last time I or anybody else will warn you. Get out of the game and stay out. The next time you end up dead.”

“You will pay for this, Anna. You and those DeMarco bitches; will pay.” David said as he pointed to his blind eyes.

It was the last threat the man ever made. Anna moved faster than Eddie would have expected. With a twist and wrench of David’s head, a sickening crunch sounded in the almost empty bar. The blind man dropped from his chair to the floor dead.

“I truly wished that he had not pushed things so far. He had suffered enough as it was.” Looking over the bar, Anna found a smiling Dianthia. “I take it that David has been pressuring you and Ryne?”

“Tha’ lil' bastard, has been using Doyle’s goons to chase off me payin' customers. Doyle has been trying to get his hooks into me and Ryne ever since I got me marker back. He really doesn’t like the fact that the Irish Rose is no longer under his control.” Dianthia explained as she spit on David’s cooling body.

“Dia, if I promise to get Doyle off your back, can you get Ryne to handle my little problem?” Anna asked quickly.

“You get Doyle off me back and out of my business we have a deal. If Ryne can’t handle the job then I’ll come out of retirement to handle the job, Anna.” Dia knew that there was only one person that Doyle feared more than Anna. That person wasn’t currently in Boston, thankfully.

Anna just pulled out her phone and dailed the number from memory. On the second ring the call was answered. “Doyle, Anna Fonticello here. Yes, I sent them home to have a nice chat with you. You did? Good. I really do hate to see such incompetence in underlings. Yes, you’re quite right. Such things should be handled in-house. Speaking of in-house problems. Did you authorize pressure tactics on Dianthia O’Leary? You didn’t? Well that’s strange. You see I’m standing over two of your street boys in the Rose Tavern. Yes, I said standing over. No, they’re still alive, just in need of medical attention. David Whitehall on the other hand needs a Priest. You know the rules on trying to force contractors to take jobs or go exclusive Doyle. You know how Donna Maria gets when family heads interfere with contractors and their coordinators. She won’t stand for it and neither will the other families. I’m sure that this is all a misunderstanding. One that you will be happy to sort out before the end of business today. Thank you, Doyle. So nice to hear from you. Goodbye, and have a pleasant day.”

Anna hung up the phone and smiled. “Taken care of, Dia. Do you want the rest of the file on the target.”

“I take care that Miss Anna.” The voice was light, airy, with a touch of Irish to it. Anna and Eddie turn to find the owner of the voice standing in the doorway to the backroom. “Besides, me ma’ is retired. I handle the actual ground work now.”

Anna smiled at the five foot six inch tall redhead who was the spitting image of a true Irish maiden. “Hello Ryne. It has been a long time. You've grown rather lovely?”

“That it has Miss Anna, thank you. I take it that this one is to be a political hit?” Ryne replied and gave a nod of acknowledgement to Eddie who nodded back.

“That is exactly what we want, Dear. A hit with enough fallout to force the rest of the family into hiding and the Government to step in to secure their shipping assets. Do you think you can get the job done?” Anna knew that Ryne’s answer held more weight than her mother’s.

“When, where and who do you want blamed?” The young woman asked.

“No later than three days from now. In Europe. Who you blame is up to you. Me I would prefer that it look like an IRA hit on a war profiteer.” Anna knew that getting the IRA involved was touchy.

“What do you think ma’? IRA sniper attack, high noon, the Cross Guards Brigade for the blame?” Ryan asked her mother.

“Use the Black Brigands instead. Never did care for those arrogant lil' shits. Everythin' else easy enough.” Dianthia told her daughter.

Hearing this Anna placed her briefcase on the bar. Opening it up, Anna took out the contract file then stacked four ten-thousand-dollar packets on top of the file. Placing the money and file on the bar top Anna put a gold coin on top of everything. “Four days and done. Here is everything we have on the target. As agreed upon; forty thousand. Paid, up front, in full.”

“Done.” Ryne said.

Anna took Eddie's arm as he escorted her out saying over shoulder. “Ladies.”

Out on the sidewalk Anna smiled. “Very nice work in there Edward, where did you pick up that clever trick?”

“One time, I was in Shang Hai for shore-leave. This little place, with cold beer and cute honeys, just called 'come on in Sailor.' I did. What a rowdy night that was!” Eddie smiled.

Anna chuckled. “And what was the name of the young lovely that made it so?”

“Honey.” Eddie smirked. “And oh how sweet, she was! Rather ironic, running into her again. In Freeport. At a certain resort.”

Anna had no choice but laugh. “You scoundrel, no wonder you visit there so much!”

-----tbc-----

Chapter 4

I-95, Miami, Florida, 1300

Samantha watched the traffic as she worked her way north towards Fort Lauderdale. With just five adults for the assault teams it had been decided to send one ahead to scout the neighborhood of Ronald Vickers’ home. Bobby had wanted to be the one to go, but Maria overruled him. She knew that a woman looking at houses would draw less attention in the Rio Vista neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. Sam and Annette drew straws to see who would make the drive and scout the neighborhood. Sam won.

While Sam was doing that, the others were taking care of finding a place for Gemini to setup shop. It didn’t take Bobby and Hunter long to figure out what the girls needed the most. Security. At least that was what they thought. Annette and Maria had other ideas. To them the most important thing was Concealment. When the four adults couldn’t come to an agreement Kasey was the one to put her foot down. The teenager pointed out that the Earth Roamer’s outside appearance was that of a small RV. It didn’t take them long to find a KOA campground that would make the perfect cover.

While Hunter, Bobby, and Maria took care of the girls. Annette was taking care of Angelic. The biggest problem was Angelic’s appearance. Maria had pointed out that her niece stood out among the general public. Annette volunteered to handle the problem with a short shopping trip to Saw Grass Mills. The whole team knew that Angelic would leave the mall with a whole new wardrobe. Curtesy of the OICA.

Sam smiled to herself as she drove through the metropolitan areas of southern Florida. The sights of the surrounding cities brought back memories of the last time she was here. It was one of her easiest Fugitive Recovery operations as a Deputy. The man was a con-artist who had escaped from prison during transfer for his Court Hearing. He had been on the run for only seven weeks before Samantha had tracked him to a high-end hotel in Miami. The man had a bad habit of targeting rich single women at such hotels. Samantha just checked into the man’s hotel and waited for him to come to her.

Samantha was brought back to the here and now by the exit sign for Davie Blvd. Sam got her head back in the game as she drove east down Davie Blvd towards the Intercoastal Waterway and Rio Vista. At the corner of South Federal Hwy and Ponce de Leon Dr Samantha pulled into the parking lot for the Southern General Animal Hospital and parked behind the hospital’s dumpster. With practice ease Samantha dug out her cover ids and camouflage for her truck. Fifteen minutes later Samantha was pulling back into traffic heading for Ronald Vickers’ neighborhood and home.

Parking at the corner of SE 7th and Ponce de Leon just down the road from Vickers’ house Samantha climbed out of the truck with camera in hand. Hanging the camera and name tag from her neck Samantha began to walk around the neighborhood ‘taking’ pictures of deferent houses. When she got to Vickers’ place, she got down to really taking pictures. Samantha took thirty pictures before Vickers Security got curious and took action.

“Care to explain what you’re doing around here?”

Samantha smiled as the blue suited security goon approached. “Good afternoon, sir. Doctor Lisa Kittridge, US Zoological Association.”

“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing.” The goon demanded.

“OH! You’re talking about me taking pictures. As I was saying I’m Doctor Lisa Kittridge with the US Zoological Association. We have received reports of a very rare bird in this area. The illusive Columba stoolis domestica. The last one report in the wild was in the San Francisco Bay over fifty-five years ago.” Samantha never let the smile slip from her face. Even as the goon’s eyes glazed over at the first usage of US Zoological Association.

“I’ll need that camera, lady.” The goon ordered.

Samantha let her smile drop. “Unless you’re a cop and have a warrant the answer is no. This camera is United States Government property.”

When Samantha turned to walk back to the truck the goon grabbed her arm. “Listen here sister. You’re going to hand over that camera now!”

Samantha didn’t think twice about her net move. At the top of her lungs she screamed. “RAPE! HELP RAPE!”

The more Samantha scream the more agitated the guard became. He let go of Samantha’s arm and tried to regain control of the situation. “Calm down lady. No need to get bent out of joint.”

Samantha ignored the guard’s pleads and continued to scream. The more she screamed the more people in the neighborhood turned to look. After about five minutes the security guard’s boss showed up. The only problem was the local PD was also showing up at the same time. Samantha figured out from the response time that someone in the neighborhood had called the cops before she even started screaming. She knew that the team was on the right track from the way the local PD acted when they climbed out of the car. They had their hands on their side arms ready to be drawn and there was more than just one responding.

Both security guards backed off of Samantha as she stopped screaming at the sight of the local police. Samantha though frantically ran over to the first officer she could. She wasn’t about to let this chance go. “Oh officer, please help. Those men were going to rape me.”

“Hold on that is a bald-faced lie. We’re only trying to do our job.” The Security Chief countered quickly. “We’re only trying to secure that camera.”

The cop gave Samantha a harsh look. Seeing the camera hanging from her neck and the id badge he just sighed. “Okay, lady. The truth, now. Or you can spend the night in a holding cell.”

Samantha sighed. “Okay fine. Doctor Lisa Kittridge with the USZA officer. I’m just out here trying to do MY job. These two thugs think they can just confiscate government property.” Sam waved the camera around. “Namely, this camera.”

“Miss Kittridge, what is the USZA? I’m afraid that I’ve never heard of it.” The officer asked in confusion. He just knew that whatever it was, it was most likely a waste of taxpayer money.

“That’s DOCTOR Kittridge. As for who the USZA a is, we’re a small branch of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. We’re charged with identifying rare, endangered or unidentified Species. We go around the US investigating reports of species that are supposed to be either extinctic or endangered. Not to mention the supposedly mythological creatures such as the great swamp ape.” Samantha sighed over the last bit. Mainly because the local PD was going to laugh at the comment. When they did Sam just gave them a withering glare. “Gentlemen let me be clear on this matter. I have spent the last fifteen years of my life searching for proof of these creatures. They are NOT urban myths. In fact, they are based on known species that are indigenous to not only North America, but South America and Eastern Africa.”

“Wait a minute Doctor. Are you saying that there really is a swamp ape?” one of the cops asked in disbelief.

“That is exactly what I’m saying Officer. And it is my job to find the proof. As for why I’m in the area; I have already explained that to these two men.” Sam let her voice fill with contempt.

“About that Doctor.” The Officer didn’t get any further as he was interrupted by the Security Chief.

“You can’t really believe that bullshit? Give me a fucking break here. This bitch is no more a doctor than I’m the man in the moon.” The Security Chief bitched as he once again reached for the camera. Only this time he was stopped by the Officer placing his hand on his Tazzer.

“Okay buddy boy. Let’s break this down for you. One; I’ve seen her ID. Two; you haven’t shown us yours. Three; her explanation makes a fuck-load more sense than anything you’ve said so far. Now, do you want to let her finish, or do we just take your asses in for attempted assault of a Federal Employee in the performance of their duty?” The Officer ordered bluntly. Turning back to Sam. “Now, Doctor Kittridge, you were saying that you’re only here to verify an endangered species?”

“That is correct officer. The elusive Columba stoolis domestica. An extremely rare bird Officer. One so rare that if I can spot one, just one, on this street; the surrounding two miles becomes a National Wild Life reserve. If I can find actual mating pair; the surrounding five square miles becomes a nesting site. If that pair is on private land; that land-owner just got a massive tax break. For life.” The more Sam talked the more excited she sounded.

“Excuse me, just how large of a tax break Doctor?” The Security Chief asked.

“If your boss has a mated pair on his property, he’s looking at a tax-free exemption for life. A pair will return over and over. One of the young will take over with its mate when the original pair die.” Looking around at the neighborhood Sam smiled. “From the looks of things around here; that would be one hell of a savings.”

“Just how big of a savings are we talking about here Doctor?” The Security Chief saw something his guard didn’t. A way to get in good with the boss.

“Wait a minute here Doctor. Just what makes this bird so special? What does it look like? I mean can this bird be just anywhere?” The cop was already thinking about his own house and grounds.

“Well for starters, over the last twenty-nine years we have ever recorded only two-hundred-and-sixty. At present there has only ever been approximately one-thousand-five-hundred-and-forty-five sighted in the wild. The last confirmed sighting was March 21, 1963. Now, all of those were on the west coast, in the San Francisco Bay area. Until just a few days ago it was feared that the bird was extinctic. So, you can see why the very mention of there being just one of those elusive birds on the east coast is such exciting news.” Sam really laid on the overzealous Zoologist act.

“Damn, Doctor Kittridge. From the way you’re acting that bird could make you famous or something.” The Security Chief chuckled.

“Sir, I’ll have you know that we’ll ALL be famous if there is just one of these birds in the area. Especially if I can confirm it with photographic evidence. Please don’t scoff gentlemen, this would be like finding definitive proof of a living T-Rex.” The way Sam was spinning things she knew that she would soon have her needed access to Vickers’ estate grounds. She knew she had them all with the Security Chief’s next words.

“Officer, I think there has been a massive miscommunication here. I think that what needs to happen is simple. Let me go clear it with the boss. I’m sure that I can convince the owner to allow escorted access to the grounds.”

“How long would you need?” The cop asked. For him this was a win-win situation. He got to deescalate a potential situation that could involve a Federal Agency and still maintain the peace.

“Give me ten minutes.” With that the two security guards headed back to Vickers’ house. Sam smiled and turned to the police.

“Thank you for your speedy response gentlemen. I’ll make sure to mention you in my report to my boss.” Sam knew that the thought of ‘official recognition’ for the local PD was always appreciated.

“No need for that Doctor. We’re just doing our jobs. You know keeping the peace and all that. I do have a question. Why did you scream rape?” the cop asked out of curiosity.

“Over the last few years I have found that when dealing with Security goons that best way to handle things is in front of local PD.” Sam looked over at the Vickers’ estate. “For some strange reason most private security guards hate having the local police climbing all over their ass.”

The cops stood there for a second before busting out in laughter. Sam just stood there smiling as the police officers just laughed at her joke. The down side to her joke was the truth behind it. After all the joke may have sounded innocent but it was far from it.

“Yah, we can see how that is. I do have to wonder why you just didn’t show your credentials to the goon squad though.” The cop asked.

“Do you want to know what happens every time that I do that? I get either arrested or detained until arrested. I’ve lost count of how many times some goon thought that the USZA was some fake government office.” Sam let out a dramatic sigh. “As much as I love my job, there are times it can be a real pain in the ass when dealing with the public.”

The cops just chuckled at the look on Sam’s face. They quickly squared themselves away as the Security Chief returned. “Okay, Doctor Kittridge, here’s the deal. The boss has given permission for you to come onto the grounds. You can take your pictures and anything else you need to do on one condition. If you find one of those birds or a pair of them, you keep the name of the owner out of your reports. Just where you found the bird, Deal?”

Sam just smiled prettily for the guard. “Sure, no problem. He’ll be notified about the change in tax status if it should come about by mail.”

“Sounds good. Thank you, for being so understanding, Doctor.” The goon told her with a smile. As she had done so many times in her past, Sam used one of her greatest assets to gain needed intel. Her size and beauty.

Over the next hour and a half, thanks to a little flirting and choice name dropping Sam had gained almost unlimited access to the grounds. She was even able to use the drone in the back of the truck for aerial recon. The only sticking point came when the Security Chief question her on about the gun locker in the bed. Thankfully, Sam had a readymade and very believable explanation for both the locker and weapons.

“Have you ever been chased by a three-hundred-pound wild hog? Maybe, a North American Brown Bear female that weights in close to five-hundred-pounds. No better yet just for this area, an eleven-foot alligator. One that thinks you would taste good chase you through the Saw grass.” As Sam explained the possible dangers of her cover job the man blanched at the thought. “I have had each one of those happen to me sir. That’s why I have the gun locker and weapons. I don’t always get the nice cushy safe urban jobs like this one.”

“Have you really faced all of that Doctor? I mean don’t you usually have a Game Warden or backcountry guide with you?” The Security Chief asked.

“I’ve faced all of three of those, and more sir, on my own. As for the Game Warden and guides; that costs money. Money that my small department doesn’t have. We maybe part of the US Fish and Wildlife, but we’re the smallest department in the USFW. Sadly, because we’re a research department and what we research, we lack the respect of the rest of the department.” Sam let out a very heave put upon sigh. “We often find ourselves operating on our own, sometimes for weeks, in the wilds of this great country. But you know something, I do love my job.”

“No offence, here Doc, but are you crazy?” The Security Chief smirked.

Sam chuckled and batted her eyes at the man. “No. I’m not crazy. I get to go to some of the most pure and untouched parts of our nation. Areas that are so tightly governmentally controlled only our forefathers have seen it.”

“Can you give me an example Doc?” By now the Security Guard was totally sucked in by very pretty and petite Zoological Scientist.

Sam just smiled up at the man and launched the drone. “You know that whole area behind Mount Rushmore that is off limits? I had the chance to spend four weeks out there while I tracked a one of a kind sighting. An albino North American Ursus arctos better known as the grizzly bear.”

“Wait a damned minute Doc. Are you saying that you really went out there hunting down a fucking grizzly?” the security guard asked in amazement.

“Yup, sure did. Just me, and my partner Doctor Beth Marten, all by ourselves. That was when we got chased by the grizzly. Not the albino we were looking for, but a really big bull that thought we would make an excellent snack.” Sam told the man with a smirk.

The whole time she had been talking to the Security Chief she had made four full sweeps of the grounds and surrounding area. She knew that she was getting great Intel on their target. Intel that was being uploaded directly to the cloud and the team back at the KOA. When she made a fifth and final pass Sam landed the little drone in front of her. Picking it up she placed it in the bed of the truck. With a smile she closed and locked the hard top. Turning to the Security Chief. “Well, it’s been nice working with you sir. You show be hearing from our office in the next few days.”

“Say Doc, I know this is going to sound crazy, but would you care to go to dinner sometime?” Sam was almost surprised that Security Chief waited this long to ask her out. “Or just say coffee? I would really like to learn more about what you do. From the sounds of it, it can get really exciting.”

“Sorry, but I’m married. If you want to learn more about my job though that is easy. Me and my partner give guest lectures at U of M on the third Friday of every month. When we’re in town.” Sam was climbing behind the wheel of the truck as she fast talking her way out of the estate. “Why don’t you come to the lecture next week over in Carol Gables. See you guys later.”

Sam quickly rolled out before the Security Chief or his guards could second guess her and start asking uncomfortable questions. It didn’t take her long to get back out onto the main drag and head for the highway. She didn’t stop until she was on the I-595 heading west. Even then her only stop was at the local Kangaroo station at the exit for the KOA. It took her less than five minutes and she on her way to the campground.

Hitting the speed dial on her phone she waited for Kasey to answer. “You’re a go for Command, White Swan.”

“Gemini Two, have you or One downloaded the Intel for Tango three’s hidey-hole yet?” Sam asked as she drove.

“Working on that now White Swan. We should have the full download by the time you get here. The Madam says good work on the Intel by the way. Looks like we got some really good pictures of the suspect’s primary location. Did you get a chance to use the drone?”

“Got five full sweeps of the area from inside the exterior wall, Gemini. I even got a firsthand guided tour of the property.” Sam wanted to giggle as she thought about how the Security Chief was going out of his way to help her. Once he thought he had a chance at a date with the pretty Zoologist.

“I can’t wait to hear this story White Swan. For now, be on guard when you hit the gate. They’ll be asking to see your creds. Before you ask White Swan, the campground has us off the beaten path in an area reserved just for Law Enforcement. We got everything we need for our operation here.”

This got Sam to thinking. “Gemini have you or sister hacked into Tango One’s home computer system yet?”

“We’ve owned that computer for the past hour, White Swan. Why? What are you thinking about?”

“There was one area that is on the fly overs that I wasn’t able to get any direct pictures of. Is there any way to get into the security system? The video feed for that area should be on the network.” Sam explained.

The phone remained silent for all of ten seconds. “Okay White Swan we see the area you’re talking about. We think. Is it on the backside of the boat dock near the canal?”

“That’s it, Gemini. Can you give me an idea of what is there? I got this real bad feeling about that area.” Sam knew that was ever there wasn’t good.

The phone remained silent for a few seconds before Kasey answered her. “The Madam has ordered a hold on all intel until full team debrief White Swan.”

“Copy that Gemini. ETA is just over.” Sam looked at her watch. “Ten minutes for the main gate. Say twenty until I’m on site.”

“See you in twenty White Swan. Command out.” The phone went dead, and Sam was left to wonder what was so disturbing about that area of the estate.

Smiling John’s KOA, Hollywood, FL, 1630

Just as Kasey had warned her, the gate guard for the campground asked to see her credentials. Once he saw her badge and ID the man handed her a map of the campground pointing out the team’s campsite. “Don’t worry Deputy. We keep that part of the campground reserved just for Law Enforcement.”

“Not to be a suspicious ass about it, but why?” Sam want to know why 15 campsites were held in reserve just for Law Enforcement by this campground.

“The Owners are both retired NYPD. As for the staff, more than half are former cops of one type or another. Two of them are even former DEA. It was their idea to keep those fifteen campsites separate from the others. Seems that we make a really great place to operate an undercover operation for people like you and your team. Especially if you want to stay under the radar for the local PD.” The guards blunt statement caused Sam to think twice about the campground’s security.

The man put her fears to rest with his next words. “We keep that area roped off. That is unless we have ‘special guests’.” Sam caught the air quotes on the last two words and smiled. “We have extra screen canopies for those guests and regular ten-man tents for rent.”

The smile let Sam know that the team, and more importantly in her mind the girls, were safe operating here. Not that the youngest members of the team need fear too many people anymore. Not with their training. The two youngest members of the Black Badge Deputies were deadly with just their bare hands. When you gave them their knives, sidearms, assault and sniper rifles; then it didn’t matter who they went up against. Those people were dead. They just didn’t have the good sense to realize it yet.

Sam took the campground map and set it up against the steering wheel. She followed the guard’s directions to where the rest of the team had setup their command post. What she saw as she rounded the final turn on to the out of the way trail surprised Sam. The only vehicles on the tenth of mile stretch of sandy road belonged to the team. The Gary Ghost was parked behind the ALOC. Black Beauty was parked off to one side of the campsite acting as a wind block for the ALOC. It also served as a defensive shield for the canopy and ALOC.

Taking her cue from the rest of the team trucks Sam pull in directly in front of the canopy. Blocking it from the dirt road and providing a more secure site. As Sam climbed out of Big Blue she was greeted by the teens with hugs.

After the welcome Sam turned to face Maria. “Looks like I missed all the fun. Where’s Angelic?”

“She in the ALOC changing clothes. The girl only had her habits and ‘working clothes’ with her. She stood out like a hooker in church on Easter Sunday.” Annette informed her with a smirk. Only to get smacked in the back of the head by Maria. “Sorry mama, but it is the truth.”

“That may be, Annette, but there was no need to be rude about it.” Maria corrected her with a frown. Maria then smiled to take the sting out of her words. “You have to remember that Angelic has spent the several years of her life with the Church as her soul support. You shouldn’t expect her to have a bikini in her suitcase dear.”

Samantha just chuckled as Annette had the good graces to blush. “I warned you about that. You know how mama gets when it comes to the Church.”

“Oh, shut it you. You’re worse than me about not showing respect for the Church. If mama didn't drag your ass to confession, you would never go.” Annette countered quickly as Bobby and Hunter chuckled at their wives.

Kasey and Kristine just stood back as their parents had their fun. Everyone’s attention was draw to the ALOC when the door opened. It was not Sister Magdalena who stepped out. It was Angelic DeMarco who now graced the Black Badge Deputies with her presence. Dressed in black 505 jeans, a little powder blue peasant blouse, and Reebok tennis shoes; Angelic was the picture of a South Beach socialite out for a day in the country.

Both Bobby and Hunter let out a wolf whistle while the girls just clapped their hands. Angelic blushed at first then let her smartass bone take over and curtsied. “Thank you, thank you. You’re most welcome.”

Maria chuckled at the antics of her team before calling them down. “Alright children we have business to take care of. Let’s get to it. Gemini have you downloaded White Swan’s scouting report yet?”

“Already done Marshal. We’ve been printing out the photos she took of Vickers’ estate. We were just waiting for Agent DeMarco to clear the ALOC.” Kasey answered her grandmother. Then headed inside to grab the printouts.

Kristine waved for the team to gather around the picnic table under the canopy. As she waited for her sister to return with the photos Kristine setup two laptops, a projector, and a portable movie screen. The teens had already hung sheets to block out the harsh light of the early evening. For once they had prepped their truck with everything. Everything that they thought they would need. On top of the extra ammo the teens had packed extra reems of printer paper and ink.

As the adults took their normal places around the table Angelic found herself lost as to where she should sit. This was solved by Kasey’s return. “Your place is over there by the Marshal, Agent DeMarco.”

Angelic smiled and took the empty places next to Maria. “Thank you, Deputy.”

Once everyone was seated the teens handed out half inch-thick folders. Kristine started off. “Marshal, Agent, Deputies, allow me to introduce to you nine-seven-four-eight-eight Ponce de Leon dr. A two and a half acres of prime real estate in the heart of Fort Lauderdale Florida. Compete with fence, electric gate, property guards, waterway access, boat dock, boathouse, full size swimming pool, pool slash guest house and ten room house.”

“Excuse me Deputy, this area over here behind the boat dock and boathouse. Is that some type of rampway?” Angelic asked once she had Kristine’s attention. “The only reason I’m asking is because it is wide enough for a small seaplane to exit into the waterway.”

“We thought that as well at first Agent DeMarco. Until we dug into the actual waterway access rights. That ramp not cannot be used for a seaplane. Legally.” Kasey answered her before putting in the cravat. “The problem is that doesn’t stop someone from coming in between one and five in the morning.”

“Why during those times Deputy?” Sam asked for everyone there already knowing the answer and not liking where this was going.

“Those are the best times for a small seaplane to work its way through the waterway almost undetected.” Kasey sighed. “To be honest mama Sam that ramp is listed as a boat ramp, but it is just too wide to be your normal boat ramp. That thing is nothing less than a seaplane ramp.”

“Girls, couldn’t that ramp also be used for an airboat?” Hunter questioned.

“Yes sir. But it doesn’t fit with our suspects normal MO. At least not from what we’ve been able to find so far. The man may be a sleezy sewage rat, but he holds himself up as this pillar of the community. Something like an airboat or seaplane would draw too attention to his operations.” Kristine explained their reasons for discounting the ramp as a smuggling point. “That doesn’t count it out as an emergency exfiltration route though.”

“Just how small of a seaplane could be stored in that boathouse or outbuilding Deputy?” Angelic asked quickly.

“We would need to consult an expert on that Agent DeMarco. This is way outside of our experience.” Kristine told her. “Before you ask, we have sent in the request for that information and are waiting for a reply.”

“Good work kids. Now what can you tell us about that security system? Personally, I’ve never seen one like it.” Sam asked next.

“We know that is it a Grayson and Hickman forty-four-hundred, Deputy. After that we’ll have to ask a resident ‘security infiltration’ expert.” Kasey answered truthfully. “This is one system that has all of its information about it totally off the books for some reason.”

Angelic swore in Italian. “Fuck me blind with a ten-inch steel dildo!”

“ANGELIC!” Maria wasn’t the only one shocked by her niece’s outburst. “I know that your mother taught you better than to use that type of language.”

“Sorry auntie.” Angelic bowed her head in embarrassment.

“You’re forgiven, but I expect you to report this breach of behavior to your confessor, once you’re home. Understood?” Maria chided her. When Angelic nodded her head, Maria continued. “Now what has you so upset over the system?”

“The Grayson and Hickman forty-four-hundred is the top of the line in residential fire and anti-thief currently on the market.” At the blank looks of her cousins and their husbands Angelic sighed. “Grayson and Hickman design each forty-four-hundred for individual sites. No two are exactly the same. These are truly custom designed security systems with multi-tiered redundant backups. Each layer consists of laser trip sensors, motion sensors, sound sensors, glass break sensors, and hidden pressure plate flooring. That doesn’t take into account the multi-tiered video coverage and roving guards. After that really it gets to be fun.”

“Who in their right mind would put something like that in their home?!” Annette asked for the rest of the team.

“Someone who doesn’t want their home broken into. These systems are normally only installed in museums or art galleries. That system was originally designed with those types of institutions in mind. If there is a roving guard, they must enter a code before entering each room. After that the guard has a set time limit to reach the other side and enter a second code. They fail and the alarms sound. By that I mean at both the security center and the local triple nine dispatch office. There they roll fire, ambulance, police, and the local SWAT Team. The standard response time for this system is under ten minutes for everything.” Angelic explained.

“That is a shit load of response Angelic. Are you sure about that? Not that I doubt you, it’s just a little overboard.” Hunter questioned the disguised nun. “The cost for that kind of response is a little prohibitive.”

“That is one of the reasons why that system is normally only in museums and art galleries Deputy. Grayson and Hickman pride themselves on their ability to gather that kind of response to one of their systems. They not only install the systems, but they insure the systems. Sometimes upwards of half a billion dollars if not more.” Angelic answered Hunter. “To be honest there is only one other system that is deadlier than the forty-four-hundred.”

“What system is that Agent DeMarco?” Kasey asked out of curiosity.

“The Steranko Security System. It is without a doubt the toughest security system in the world. So much so your very Pentagon leaders call it ‘Overkill.’” At the very stunned looks of the Deputies Angelic explained the Steranko in words that they would understand. “It’s as if the designer took one of those supercomputers that can beat like a hundred people at chess, then gave it a brain the size of a fifty story building, hooked it up to military grade infra-red, ultra-sound, and motion sensors, and then gave it the personality of a pissed off Rottweiler. That’s just the everyday Steranko. Each one is custom built with their own heuristic algorithm that allows each system to adapt to your every move and evolve a strategy based on your response. They learn, they hunt, they kill.”

“Holy shit! Those systems are more like assassins than security systems. Talk about using a nuke to kill a fly.” Kasey asked quickly as she and Kristine knew it would be their job to disable that system for their parents. “Does the forty-four-hundred system have any weak points?”

“The only time that I was ever able to beat one of those systems was from the inside.” Angelic picked up the photos of the outside walls. At thoughtful expression came to her face. “There may be a way with this one. Do we have any photos of the roof?”

“Thanks to Deputy Justice we do have flyovers of the whole estate Agent. If I can have a few seconds to bring it up?” Kasey told her and opened the file on her laptop. When the projector came to life Angelic could tell that the drone’s camera had been upgraded. During the first flyover of the house Angelic spotted the week point in the system.

“Can you hold it there please, Deputy?” Kasey paused the feed. “Zoom in as best that you can on the skylights please?” Kasey did as asked. She knew that Angelic was the expert. “Just as I thought.”

“What do you see Angelic? What are we missing?” Maria asked.

“When Grayson and Hickman installed this system, they overlooked the second floor and the skylights. I fully expect that we would never be able to bypass the ground floor array, but the second floor is wide open with the exception of the windows. See how there is no tape on the skylights?” She asked.

Kasey looked around the table at the adults. Seeing the looks on their faces she put their feelings into words. “Train to insane and crazy becomes doable. We have to go through the roof and work our way down.”

“What is this we? Your job is to secure that damned security system.” Maria told the teens hotly. “As for going in through the roof that falls to Agent DeMarco. She is the only one with the needed skills.”

“Marshal as much as I would love to have my young cousins secure that system from offsite. It’s not possible. The Network security on those systems is equal to that of a police or military grade mainframe.” Angelic told her aunt. She knew that is was almost impossible to break the encryption on the Grayson/Hickman Forty-four-hundred.

To answer her niece’s challenge Maria smiled up at her granddaughters. “Girls how long have you had control over Vickers’ home computer system?”

Kristine looked down at her watch. “Just under two hours now, Marshal. The house has a Cisco Systems SG300-28 Rackmount switch and Cisco EPC-3010 modem. These are not your ordinary switch and modem for home use. Instead they are commonly used in small businesses. This is both good news and bad news for our purposes. Good news is that all Internet traffic runs through that switch and modem. Bad news is that all traffic runs through that switch and modem.”

As both girls giggled at their parents facepalms Sam gave them both a dirty look. “We really do wish you girls would stop using that movie reference. Now, please explain why the good news and bad news is the same. And use words that we’ll all understand.”

“Okay the good news first. Now that we are already in the system. We own the modem and switch. Thanks mainly to the fact that they are independent units. The bad news is that if the forty-four-hundred is tripped we will have less than five seconds to override the system lockdown.” Kasey explained.

“Excuse me, Deputies. If you own the system as you say. How can the security system lock you out?” Angelic knew that her expertise wasn’t in computers and her cousins' was. This didn’t make sense to her.

“That was the one thing we were able to find on the Forty-four-hundred. It has a stand-alone cybersecurity system. This system gave us both a nasty surprise when we first penetrated the Network. If we hadn’t been looking for traps, and back traces that system would have spotted us in under twenty seconds. As it was, we were able to convince the system that we were administrators performing offsite updates.” Kristine told her.

“How long do I have from the time I enter the upper floors until the system spots me?” Angelic asked with a smile, knowing that the girls couldn’t answer her question this time.

“Two minutes to clear the second floor, and thirty seconds for the ground floor. Unless you cross one of the laser sensors. Then you have less than five seconds to find somewhere to hide.” Kristine answered quickly.

Angelic just sat there blinking her eyes. She couldn’t believe what the teenagers just told her. They were right of course but she wasn’t expecting such an exact answer on the time. “Are you sure Deputies?”

As much as Kristine want to snap the head off of Angelic, she remained professional. “Yes ma’am, Agent DeMarco. During our dive of the system we figured the response time for the ground floor sensors. Until you explained about the rest of the system’s passive sensors, we were planning for a ground floor insertion of the house.”

“Understandable Deputy.” Angelic smile up at the teenager. “I was not questioning your figures but the way you came about them. To tell you the truth I had placed the response time at just over three seconds. How did you figure out the two-minute window for the upper floor?”

“The second floor is the only floor with bedrooms. Even the servants’ quarters are on the second floor. Those are in the third wing going off the back of the house. Which is also the one wing that must be avoided until the security room is under our control.” Kasey answered her.

“Kasey, you said that the servants’ wing needs to be avoided at all costs. Why? What aren’t we seeing now?” Hunter asked his oldest daughter.

“Sir, that wing is the only wing with full time residents.” Kasey decided to give the team the shitty news now. “Our tango may not be home. This is his winter home. Before you ask, we only found this out an hour ago. We’re currently working to find out if he is even home.”

“Wait! Are you saying that our bunny might have already jumped?” Hunter asked before looking down at his folder. “I thought we had definitive proof Vickers was at this locale. What happened?”

“Hunter, if you will give the girls a few seconds to explain. I’m sure that all will be brought to light.” Maria said calming the man down.

“It’s like this sir. Until we get visual confirmation, we have no idea if Vickers is home or not. We won’t have that confirmation until eighteen-hundred hours at the soonest.” Kristine explained. “We do have an update on the connection to Tango’s One and Two.”

“We have solid evidence of their complicity in a multi-national smuggling operation. Hard records stripped from Vickers home computer.” Kasey said with smile that was a mile wide. She almost chuckled when Angelic tried to swallow her front teeth hearing this. “The forty-four-hundred maybe a hardcore security system Agent DeMarco, but it is a trusting soul. You show it the proper credentials and it will let just anybody walk through the door.”

“Good Lord! If they have been able to do this in just a short time with just what is in that truck. What can they do with more time and a server farm?” Angelic let her amazement over what she was seeing fill her voice. The teenagers just giggled at the unintended compliment.

Bobby, Hunter, and Samantha just chuckled as Annette smiled at her cousin. “There is a reason we call the girls Gemini, Angelic. They are our twin goddess of information. What they can do with computers at times is in the realm of the godlike. It is their ability with computers that worries us, and why we take so many precautions with their safety.”

“I can see why.” Angelic looked over at Kasey. “Tell me Deputy, have you figured out how we’re going to crack this nut?”

“Until now we only had one way to go at this. At first, we were considering a full team water insertion from Colee Hammock Park across the New River canal. With this new data we will need at least twelve hours to revise the plan.” Kasey answer honestly. “Thanks to that new data we now know that we need three penetration teams. One water, and two land. With one of the land teams coming in through the roof.”

“Any ideas as to how we should break down into teams Kasey?” Hunter asked

“Team one is Stalking horse and Rumrunner for the water insertion. They have the most experience with this type of tactic.” The adult members of the team saw no reason to disagree with her, so Kasey continued with her breakdown. “Team one will also be the only two-man team. Teams two and three will come in from the street. Team two will consist of the Dove, White Swan and Black Swan. Their job will be the neutralizing of all exterior roving guards. The last team consisting of the Kitty and Gemini will have the job of coming in from the roof.”

Only Bobby and Hunter objected to the team ups. Sam, Annette and Maria just sat back.

Bobby voiced his and Hunter’s objection. “Who’s going to run ops? That’s your job Gemini. Or did you forget that?”

Kristine was quick to answer. “We turn ops over to Schoolhouse. Like we should have done in Japan. We made a mistake there. We learned from it. Let us do our jobs, Rumrunner. We know what we’re doing. Of all those here the Kitty and Gemini are the best for the rooftop penetration.”

Before Bobby or Hunter could raise another objection, Maria raised her hand. “Let them explain their reasons boys.”

“Thank you, Marshal. For starters, both Gemini one and I have had the most recent training in scaling vertical walls. Second is our size. All three of us present smaller targets for the sensors. While the Swans could do the job just as easily. The Dove is going to need their experience when dealing with the roving exterior guards. Remember that the interior guards will most likely be older and not paying attention to their surroundings. Unlike the exterior rovers who will be on the bounce. We’re good at hand to hand but not good enough yet to handle the crop of guards that Vickers has working his estate grounds. We got lucky in Japan. We had surprise and speed on our side. This operation calls for stealth not speed.” As Kasey outlined their reasons, both bobby and Hunter were forced to concede.

“The third reason for the Kitty and us making up the third team is simple. We earned our bones on our last mission. She is not yet ready to do what must be done. It’ll be our job to ensure her safety while she deals with the security system. Once that is down you can make entry.” Kasey waved at the five adult members of the Black Badges. “It’ll be your job to secure the outside estate grounds. Especially, that boat dock, ramp, and boathouse. I cannot emphasize the importance of this Team One.”

Bobby and Hunter looked at each other before asking the same question. “Why?”

“If our target is there, and he escapes to that area. Then we will lose him to the night. We know for a fact that Vickers owns a thirty-eight-foot Wellcraft Scarab KV cigarette-class boat. The specs are as follows. It’s powered by twin five-oh-twos with ten-seventy-one Blower Shop blowers, with Super Chillers making seven-hundred horsepower. Bravo one-XR with Bravo four blade twenty-eight P props, Mayfair hydraulic steering, two-eighty K-planes, mechanical indicators for drives and K-planes, halon system. In short, the thing is a monster built for the open ocean. He gets to it and he’s a ghost. We would be forced to call in for the Bad Boy back at Schoolhouse to put it down.” Kasey’s description of Vickers getaway boat drove the point home for the water and grounds teams.

Bobby turned to Hunter. “We still got that C-four onboard Black Beauty?”

“Enough to send that piece of shit to the moon.” Hunter said coldly. “Though I was hoping that we wouldn’t need it until we got to New York.”

“Excuse me, but why would you need high-explosives?” Angelic asked.

Maria sighed and looked over at her niece. “Angelic, please understand that my sons-in-law live by a certain saying.”

“What saying?” Angelic asked.

“There is no problem that is too big that it cannot be handled with the application of the proper amount of high-explosives.” Maria said.

Bobby and Hunter raised their arms high. “BOOM! No more problem!”

“Oh Lord; please save me. I thought those Deputies in Europe were insane, jumping off the cliff. With me strapped to her no less! My cousins’ husbands are pyromaniacs. On an epic scale.” Angelic groaned.

“No. We’re not pyromaniacs, Angelic. We just know that some problems are best dealt with total destruction. This situation is just one such problem. If Vickers should reach that boat this whole operation will be for nothing.” Hunter went on to explained quickly. “The boat that Gemini detailed is an extreme high-performance offshore racer. Those boats have an extremely long range that belies both their size and performance rating.”

“The best way to deal with a boat like that is to destroy them before they can leave the dock. If you can’t do that you have to chase them down with an air unit. Like a high-speed helicopter that is armed with machineguns. Just like the Coast Guard uses.” Bobby explained for everyone there. “Trust us, Sister Magdalena; Hunter, Samantha, and I have worked enough with the Drug Interdiction Units to know just how hard those boats are to stop.”

“I don’t doubt you, Deputy. I just wonder if blowing up the boat will be adventitious to our overall mission.” Angelic felt she should explain her feelings on the matter.

“We’re not going to blow the boat, Sister. We’re going to drop the boathouse on top of it.” Hunter smirked. “You see, one of the things that rich assholes like Vickers have in their boathouses; is private fuel stations.”

“Fiery explosions are common among these types of boathouses. The local Fire Departments have special gear just for dealing with boathouses and docks.” Bobby smirked. “Set a fire in the right place, and boom. No more boathouse.”

“That takes care of the seaborn escape route. What about overland? What are your plans if Vickers tries to escape through the city?” Angelic asked.

“That’s why we’ll be using Gray Ghost and Big Blue to deliver teams two and three. Those two trucks have the needed power and performance for a highspeed chase. Not to mention the size to force just about any factory standard vehicle off the road.” Kasey pointed out for Angelic. “Black Beauty also meets the needed requirements. It’s just in a bigger package.”

“What of your ALOC? Does it not also have the same capabilities?” Angelic asked wondering about the heavy truck.

“The ALOC has more than enough power to escape just about any pursuit. It also has off-road capabilities. It just isn’t designed for pursuit.” Kristine glossed over most of the ALOC’s capabilities for the simple reason of OpSec. The beeping of Kristine’s laptop drew everyone’s attention. “That should be the information update on our Tango.”

With a few key strokes Kristine opened the monitoring program she had running on Vickers estate. She let a small smile grace her lips. “Ladies and gentlemen the rabbit is in the hole. In seven and a half hours we strike. Oh, and Schoolhouse added 'The Bad Boy is prepped for launch, Ramrod and Lonestar can be on station in thirty minutes'.”

Maria nodded with a smile. “Bless those two. Well, we are now covered and have a plan. Let us prepare.”

After Angelic crossed herself Maria hugged her niece. “My dear, you are not in Purgatory. This is nothing more than duty and service. We will do this and prevail. We must. We will!”

-----tbc-----

Chapter 5
Ram’s Rock Island 2130 local time

Lyssa, Kimberly and Krystel spent the last few hours going over the assault plan sent in by Gemini. So far, there was only one flaw in the plan. One that unfortunately they had no real way to fix. No matter how they looked at it, Gemini was needed as part of the assault. This did not sit well with Kimberly or Krystel.

Lyssa though knew that in times of war all bets were off. And this was a very unconventional war that Maria was waging. She knew that her friend and fellow Prima was doing everything she could to keep the military side of the OICA out of her operation. The sad truth was this operation fell solely under Maria’s command.

“Okay, other than sending in one of us to replace them or augment. Is there any way to keep Gemini out of this op?” Lyssa asked the two seasoned operators.

“I hate to say it, but no. The only weak point in that house’s security is the roof. It’ll take the Madam and both Swans just to secure the front of the house. As for securing that boathouse, dock, ramp and ramp house; only the military side has the training outside of Hunter and Bobby. So that takes them out of the picture. Those four objectives must be accomplished if this operation is to succeed. No matter what happens, the only way to truly secure that security system is from inside the house. That means boots on the ground, leaving only Gemini and the nun to handle that objective.” Krystel pointed out for Lyssa.

Kimberly sighed and nodded her head in agreement with Krystel. “I would only make one change in the teams if I could. I would send two teams in by water.”

Lyssa looked over at Kimberly. “Why?”

“It would increase their chances for success. I would have team one escort team three across the waterway and up the boat ramp. From there team three could scale the back corner of the house practically undetected. Sadly, we don’t know the sister’s swimming abilities. As it is, Gemini has laid out the best possible assault plan with what assets they have on hand. It’s like Krystel said; the only sure way to secure that system is from inside the house.” Kimberly explained.

“Any word back on that ramp house? Does Vickers have a seaplane? If so; what type? Do we know if the man even has a pilot’s license?” Lyssa asked her two Command Staff.

“That's some intel that we do have. According to Rodrick a ramp building of that size can hold nothing bigger than a single engine floatplane. Because of the size of the ramp building our choices are cut down to three types aircraft, the two-oh-eight Caravan Amphibian, the De Havilland DHC-three Otter and the De Havilland DHC-two Beaver. The biggest of which with the widest wingspan is the DHC-three Otter at fifty-eight feet.” Krystle outlined for Lyssa grimly.

“Which one is the greatest threat for escape?” Lyssa wanted to know. “By that I mean range and speed.”

“That would be the two-oh-eight Caravan Amphibian. Range is just over one-thousand-two-hundred-and-thirty-two miles, crew of one or two, total nine passengers or thirteen with a FAR Part twenty-three waiver, cruise speed is two-hundred-and-fourteen mph. If Vickers has one of those it will be our biggest threat.” Kimberly pointed out for Lyssa. “And biggest nightmare as far as tracking.”

“How hard is that bird to track?” Lyssa asked.

“It can put down anywhere and refuel. The two-oh-eight has both land and water capabilities. Mostly due to the floats but does have actual gear. It only needs four feet of water depth to land and take-off, seven hundred meters.” Krystel explained

“The bad news is that Vickers does have a small aircraft license. The really shitty news is he is qualified for both multi-engine and amphibious operation. The man also has a small to medium craft license for offshore boats. That means if we don’t put a stop to him once he’s out to sea it’s going to be down to the Coast Guard’s offshore patrols to stop him.” Krystel bitched. “As much as I hate to say this, but I have to agree with Kristine on this. Vickers gets to either that fucking speedboat of his or possible floatplane, we’re going to need the Bad Boy. According to Gemini it’s an almost straight shot to the open ocean with only the South East Seventeenth Street Causeway Drawbridge in the way. Bridges with more enough clearance for even a triple-decker yacht with the drawbridge down. As for the span between the pillars you could drive just about anything between them.”

Lyssa could already tell the downside of Vickers’ escape. One that she didn’t want to face. Lyssa got a thoughtful look on her face. “How long from Launch can Rodrick and Lonestar be on station? I need to know because if that cocksucker gets away the Marshal and her Deputies are going to be chasing a ghost.”

“At full-military they can be on station in under thirty minutes. With the electronics package on that bird they can hunt down any boat or plane leaving that area.” Kimberly answered with a grim smile. “Don’t worry Vickers won’t get away into the night. If we have to, I can arrange for a mid-air refuel for the guys. The one thing that we need to remember is their time on station. Not matter what happens. We have to remember that big boy toy of your husband’s really drinks the go-go juice.”

“Sounds good so far.” Lyssa nodded her head. “Gemini send in the weapons loadout?”

“All three teams will be using forty-fives with silencers and knives only. Mainly to prevent accidental fatalities. They’re a good choice for close in work like this.” Kimberly told Lyssa with a harshness that belied her normal demeanor. “I'll say this Sergeant Major, the Marshal and her Deputies should have this in hand. I think that the only people any better at CQB are us, DemonWraiths, CAG and DEVGRU. Even then I would have to put in qualifiers on some.”

“No shit. This is their kind of work. I swear damned near pissed my pants as I was watching the Madam going over some of the more advanced moves for that knife fighting style with Gemini the other day. Talk about getting downright nasty. I mean that knife fighting style of theirs is just wrong in so many ways. I know that we were good, but Samantha, Annette, and Maria move like they’re dancing. Not performing some type of bladed martial art. When they first got here all I saw was Madam Maria giving the girls some type of advanced ballet training. Not anymore.” Krystel frowned.

“Keep in mind, that style of knife fighting is a very tightly kept and centuries long held secret among the DeMarco and Capizeo families. From what I understand it's passed down generation to generation. And NEVER to someone outside of the family. No matter how close to the family they are. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing exactly two practitioners of that very deadly martial art until now. The first was a soldier who could give just about anyone with a blade a run for their money. He was that good.” As Lyssa thought about that soldier from long ago a small smile came to her face. “Rager once told me that as good as he is, he doesn’t hold a fucking candle to the women in his family. As of now, I know exactly six practitioners. And they’re all deadly as hell when push comes to shove. Fights with them aren't pretty.”

“Damn. I knew they were good but for you to say that Lyssa it is just more than a little fucked up. I do have to ask you one thing though. Just who is this soldier you keep talking about?” Kimberly asked her friend and their CO.

“I first met Raphael ‘Rager’ Giordino in CAG. First Group Special Forces, Special Operational Detachment Delta back when I first got out of Special Warfare School. He's a distant cousin to Maria and Annette. Somewhere around a fourth or fifth cousin not really sure which. I’m not too sure if he has a connection to Samantha or not. I just know that he is part of the DeMarco extended family and one hell of a knife fighter. He was also the one to first show me the Way of the Dancing Blade. I don’t know how many cherries he put through their paces on the sands. All while beating the piss out of them bare handed.” Lyssa smirked as she thought about that Italian-American soldier. “You know for a New Jersey beach boy he is most definitely not some stupid damned guido. The only time I could ever tell what that he was even from the Jersey coast was when he got tired. That was the only time his accent ever came out.”

“Damn Lyssa, you must have really respected the guy. Is that why you let Maria on the inside in the first place?” Kimberly asked.

“Nope. That was all on the Major. It was all his idea to bring in Maria and her family. As for Rager, I gave him fits because he couldn't beat me. I just hope like hell that Gemini can keep a handle on their fathers. Their operations need to remain in the shadows for as long as possible.” Lyssa felt deep in her heart that the time of the Black Badge Deputies was coming to an end. As a full team anyway. Kasey and Kristine may go on with the undercover and investigative side of the work, but their parents will be relegated to a more support role.

“What ever happened to Rager?” Krystel asked her.

“Drunk driver hit him while he was home on leave.” Lyssa sighed. “The last I heard he’s in a wheelchair. Paralyzed from the waist down. From what I understand he’s a professor of history for WVU.”

“Speaking of old vets. What happened to that contact of Annette’s in Colorado? You know Gunnery Sergeant Earl Hartley?” Krystel sked Lyssa. “The last we heard he was just getting out of the local VA Hospital. How did the lawsuit settle out?”

“Let’s just say that Gunny was well taken care of.” Lyssa smiled. Then turned serious as she looked down at the estate grounds map. “I wish we had a better Intel on that damned ramp house.”

“You’re not the only one. Even with the drone flyovers that Samantha got us and OUR own satellite overflights we still got next to nothing. Only the size and possible uses. I think that only Rod and Lonestar can give us a full report on that damned thing. Even then it’ll be a best guess at most.” Kimberly growled.

“Kimberly, just what is it about that damned building has you so on edge? This is not like you.” Krystel almost demanded.

“Too many fucking variables. That’s what has me on edge here Krystel. You looked up the specs on those three planes. And that motherfucking boat of his. Hell, that fucking boat itself is a goddamned jet on the water. As far as the bridges go, they might as well be skyways. Team one has to secure their four targets, or this op is fucking blown.” Kimberly bitched for all to hear.

“Trust in the Deputies and the Marshal, Kimberly. This is their kind of war. We keep Joe and Jane Public in the dark to what we do. Never let them see the blood-spattering their white-picket-fences. The Black Badges have to work in the light and shadows. Their job is to go in and clean the blood-spatter off Joe and Jane Public’s white-picket-fence once all has gone to shit.” Lyssa told her friend.

“We know that boss. It’s just that there are times when we wish we could do more than just send them in as a ‘cleanup crew’. We spent too much time in training Gemini for them to end up as just being a pair of beat-cops or to take over where their parents leave off. They’re better than that.” Krystel sighed.

“We know they are Krystel. The problem is we need someone like them out there in the trenches. They’ve both grown by leaps and bounds. Those two girls have outstripped their training in ways WE as their trainers never saw coming.” This time it was Lyssa who sighed. “Three years ago, when they first arrive on the island, I never saw those two girls becoming what they have in such a short time. I know that their parents just wanted them to be your everyday teenage girls. Worrying about their grades and boys. Not chasing down International Criminals and taking on Organized Crime.”

“Do you still believe they’ll make the difference in this mission?” Kimberly asked her bluntly.

“Tonight’s operation will be the deciding factor. What about the Boston op? Any word from Anna or Eddie?” Lyssa asked.

“Anna called earlier and confirmed the contract for Abrams.” Krystel answered nodding her head. “She was able to secure the services of the Irish Rose. At the set price and conditions. They’re catching commercial flights back to Freeport. She said something about avoiding the Miami traffic.”

“About that Lyssa. Why are we going with an outside contractor? Wouldn’t it be better for one of us to takeout Tango One?” Kimberly asked quickly. “I mean this is totally outside of our standard operational procedure. Can we even trust this person?”

“To a point. We need a true kite on this one, Kimberly. One that can be thrown to the wolves and have no blowback on us for starters. It also gives Madam Maria’s plan a chance at working. Start setting up the chatter to cover a terrorist attack on Abrams. DOD will do the rest for us. Thus, allowing Maria the time needed to go in for a hostile takeover of the company.” Lyssa pointed out the full plan for taking out Abrams and securing his shipping company. “As for trusting the person handling the contract. They’re a professional hitter. They'll get the job done or face having a contract taken out on their own head. The Irish Rose will succeed or die trying. That is a world and profession on to itself.”

“I got to ask. Does Maria really have that kind of monetary clout to pull something like that off?” Krystel was still trying to find how just how much Maria was worth.

Lyssa just chuckled. “Trust me, Maria can buy and sell that company twice over and never break a sweat.”

“Please tell me that we’re not going to let her pull that?” Kimberly snapped as she thought about Maria having that kind of clout with the military. “We do have a plan in place. Right boss?”

“Let’s just say that I trust Maria to do the right thing. Besides, I doubt you will be hurting after she lets her whole plan play out.” Lyssa smirked before turning serious once again. “Did Gemini send in their contingency plans if things go sideways?”

“Received and updated. As it stands, between Gemini, and the other Deputies they have covered every foreseeable contingency. As for the security system I have to say that the Kitty truly knows her shit. That woman knows more about breaking and entering than we could ever dream. At least when it comes to security systems.” Krystel had to begrudgingly give Angelic her due.

Lyssa shrugged. “As good as we are and we’re some of the best. Remember that there is always someone out there that’s better at something because they're specialize. Angelic ‘Kitty Soft Paws’ DeMarco just happens to be one of the best thieves in the world. The woman could give lessons on Infiltration techniques. She's that good. Drift is different so you can't compare them. There's probably some SEALs in DevGru and Red Cell that could give her a run for her money.”

"Oh." Krystel replied.

Lyssa got that thoughtful look on her face again. “Were there any plans for just a two-team incursion?”

“They sent in four. Plan A is a combination of Stalking Horse, Rumrunner, and both Geminis. Plan B has Gemini One, White Swan, with Stalking Horse, and Rumrunner. Plan C replaces Gemini one, and White with Gemini Two and Black Swan. Plan D has the Swans with Stalking Horse and Rumrunner. All four plans leave the Madam with the Kitty and whoever is free for backup. Also, all four plans allow for the water insertion of a four-man team.” Krystel told Lyssa quickly seeing where her boss was going. “Which team setup do you want to suggest they go with?”

“Tell them to go with the Plan A alternate. That way Gemini can provide cover for Stalking Horse and Rumrunner while they secure their targets. Once the ramp house, ramp, boathouse and dock are secure; they can then move to support the Madam. Gemini and the Kitty can link up then move straight towards their primary mission of securing that fucking security system by the back corner of house.” Lyssa ordered them. “Everything else stays the same as far as the plan goes.”

“Copy that boss. Want us to pass anything along to the Black Badge?” Kimberly asked Lyssa.

“No.” Lyssa said then paused. “Hold. Check that. Run the Hostile Personnel Roster again.”

Kimberly began to review them till Lyssa pointed. “HOLD!”

“Jack Ramirez?” Krystel asked.

Lyssa nodded. “Forward this guy to them. He is to be taken intact. He doesn’t have to be alive, just clean. No residue of him.”

“What’s his deal?” Krystel asked.

Kimberly put it together quick and answered. “Fall guy. They need somebody to blame this on. An inside guy.”

“Exactly. He’s new and sketchy. Otherwise, Sam gets pegged. She’s on the radar because she had to interact with cops. They made a report.” Lyssa explained.

Krystel forwarded the instructions and file. “On it. Anything else?”

“Everybody comes home.” With that Lyssa turned and headed for the door. “You have your orders. See you thirty minutes to mission clock.”

The two seasoned operators turned to carry out their assigned tasks.

Krystel looked over. “Kim, do you get the feeling that Lyssa is worried about this op?”

“In more ways than one, Krystel.” Kimberly looked to the door of the Operations Center. “Ever since the ‘good sister’ showed up on the island Lyssa has been on edge. I know that Madam Maria was pissed that the Iscariot Division is involved. Why; I don't know. I do know that they're the big bad spooky arm of the Church and all. But I get the feeling that for Maria there is something personal going on.”

“There is something personal going on. I asked Annette about why her mother was on edge. You know what I got for answer? A dirty look that said to go burn in hell. I left it alone after that. What I do know is this. Whatever went down between the DeMarco family and the Church wasn’t good.” Krystel shuddered at the memory of that conversation. She was sure that Annette was going to pull her family knife for a minute.

Kimberly frowned. “No matter what happens we have to do our damnedest to give that team the best top-cover we can.”

“Don’t you worry about me doing my job on that, Kimberly. If I have anything to say about it. Nobody’ll ever know they were there. They’ll be nothing but ghosts in the machine.” With that Krystel turned her considerable talents to making sure the Black Badge Deputy Marshals disappear into the ether of the net.

97488 Ponce de Leon dr. Fort Lauderdale Florida, 0330

In the shadows of the overgrown sea grape tree Maria bided her time until the mission started. Just behind her were Samantha, Annette and Angelic. All four women were dressed in the form fitting tactical catsuits that were supplied by the OICA. Even Maria had given into the necessity of the suit over her vanity of being too old to wear one. Also like their counterparts in the military side of the OICA, the three law enforcement operatives had painted their faces in night-time cammo. Samantha was the one to help Angelic with her cammo.

Maria called in. “Stronghold; this is Bravo-Actual. Come in Stronghold. Do you copy? Over.”

“Stronghold here Actual. Read you five-by-five, signal is green. Are all your elements in place?” Lyssa replied.

“Waiting on confirmation of Bravo element now Schoolhouse. They should have just about reached the dock. Any contact?” Maria was actually worried that sending half of her team to Colee Hammock Park might endanger the total mission.

“Stronghold; this is Bravo team. We are set at point Bravo One. Gemini is in overwatch.” The sound of Bobby’s voice coming over the radio finally eased Maria’ worries. “Sorry for the delay. Had a small problem with the local LEO’s to sort out before we could legally enter the water. Over”

“Stalking Horse, are those LEO’s going to be a problem on your return?” Lyssa asked quickly.

“Negative. Played it off as two undergrads and profs doing an aquatic night life study.” Bobby answered quickly.

“How’d you explain the weapons?” Maria asked him.

“Never came into play Actual. All they saw was two teenage college students with their Professors in wetsuits.” Bobby explained.

“Actual to all elements stand-by to execute incursion. Mark your targets. ROE’s are now in effect. Everybody comes home. Over” Maria looked over at Samantha, Annette. The two women doubled checked the .45 APC pistols. Angelic pulled her 10mm pistol and double checked that there was a dart in the chamber and shivered. For the first time in her life Angelic would be firing lethal rounds. Her Aunt Maria had impressed upon her the first rule of her team with ice in her voice. Everybody comes home alive. Maria told her bluntly that if she could not take a life Maria would take hers. Angelic knew that was no ideal threat. Maria DeMarco would always protect her immediate family first.

So, it would be that on this night it was not Sister Magdalena that would walk among the shadows. No, it would be the newest member of the Moonless Wraths Guild, Angelic DeMarco. Even though she had yet to claim her birthright. All four women double checked their family knives and signaled their readiness. Only Angelic was having second thoughts.

“Alpha team; set.” Was all Maria said into her mike.

“Bravo team; set.” Cam Bobby’s quick reply.

“All teams set Stronghold. Waiting on go order.” Maria told the operations center.

Kimberly responded. “Op center; set. Mission clock; set. Thirty-five minutes. On our mark.”

Maria held her breath waiting for the go order.

“All teams; Hold. Say again: all teams; Hold.” Lyssa ordered then dropped off the net entirely.

Maria couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Something had to have gone wrong for Lyssa to call for a hold. Before she could ask what was going on the Op center came back up on the net. “All teams; stand-by for go order in ten mikes. Over.”

“What the hell, Actual?! We got a clear shot to the front of the house. I say we go now.” Annette bitched only to have Maria give her a glare that could freeze oxygen.

“We don’t have all the facts. We hold until given the all clear. You were trained better than this Black Swan.” Maria snarled as she slowly scanned the surround area for possible threats. Then as if by magic she spotted what none of them had. Pointing towards the waterway. “THAT is our reason for holding.”

Out on the waterway a forty-five-foot cabin cruiser with tuna tower was slowly making its way towards the open water. The sounds of drunken sports fishermen could be heard coming from the boat. They were running with full nav-lights and beacons. The foreword sweeping spotlight would have highlighted Bravo team as they exited the water going up the ramp or onto the dock. Not something Maria wanted to happen. By the time the boat had passed the ten-minute window was closer to fifteen, but Maria didn’t care. She wanted her team to execute this operation as safely as possible.

“All clear, Actual. Stand by for go on our mark.” Kimberly’s calm cool professional voice came back up on the net once more. “Stand by. Stand by. EXECUTE! EXECUTE! EXECUTE!”

As one the four women slithered around the massive sea grape tree onto Vickers estate. They all moved as if make of smoke and shadows with deadly intent.

Maria announced their presence to the security guards by placing two rounds in the center of the head for the Gate guard. “Actual; one down.”

Samantha wasn’t far behind her with her first kill by dropping the first of eight roving guards. “White Swan, one down.”

Annette slit the throat of the next rover. “Black Swan, one down.”

Angelic took her aunt’s warning to heart and for the first time took a human life by shooting a roving guard in the back with a poisoned dart. The man was dropping over dead before he could react to the sting of the dart.

“Kitty, one down.” She reported.

Tarpon River boat ramp

The second they heard the go team Bravo moved out. They had held their breaths as the cabin curser rumbled pass as they waited in the water under the boat dock. Bobby led Hunter and the girls slowly up out of the water along the boat ramp towards the ramp house. He stopped the team once they we’re level with the dock.

Kasey spotted the first roving guard and put two rounds into him. One in the head and one to the heart. “Gemini Two, one down.”

Bobby, Hunter, and Kristine were already shedding her fins and scuba tanks. Once Kristine was free of her scuba gear she took over for Kasey as lookout. Once Bravo team were ready, they moved out to secure the dock, boathouse, ramp house, and ramp.

Bobby sent Hunter and Kasey to secure the dock, and boathouse. Meanwhile he and Kristine took care of the ramp and ramp house. As Bobby neared the ramp house, he spotted a second roving guard and fired two shots. “Stalking Horse, one down.”

The man was dead before he hit the ground. Kristine rushed forward and searched the dead man. What she came up with surprised her. “Stalking horse look at this?” She held up the black bifold wallet to her father. “Does this look like what I think it is?”

Bobby took one look and keyed his mike. “Alpha team double check rovers for CWPs and PSC creds, Over.”

“Stalking Horse are you positive on that last transmission? Over” Samantha asked.

“I have solid confirmation in my hand Schoolhouse. These mooks have Charley-Whiskey-Papas and Papa-Sierra-Charley creds. Over” Bobby knew this wouldn’t change their operations, but it could throw a monkey wrench in their investigation.

“Stalking Horse, can you tell who those creds were issued by. Over” Maria asked him.

“Creds were issued by Castle Private Investigations, Madam. Over” Bobby knew that Kimberly and Krystel were monitoring their radio chatter. The two teams didn’t have to wait long to find out who the PCI was and where their Corporation Head Quarters was.

“Stronghold to ALL Bravo, Bravo elements, shift to Bravo phase NOW. Over” Lyssa ordered.

Kristine looked over at her father when she heard the order to shift to bravo phase. “You going to be okay here on your own dad?”

Bobby pointed to the back corner of the house and then ordered. “GO. Your sister is going to need you to help cover the Kitty.”

Kristine didn’t need to be told twice. She broke into a dead run for the back corner of the house. Kasey was hot on her heels. They had just reached the corner of the house when Angelic rounded the far side. Kasey didn’t wait for their cousin to reach them before she threw the grappling hook over the roof edge. After a quick tug Kasey sent Kristine up the rope first. When Angelic reached her Kasey sent the thief up the rope behind Kristine.

Once Kristine cleared the roof edge, she waved for Kasey to follow Angelic. Kristine stood lookout for her sister and cousin as they climbed the rope. Kristine never took her eyes off the surrounding area. She watched as Bobby and Hunter entered their respected target buildings undisturbed. From her position she couldn’t see the cigarette boat or a seaplane. Once Angelic and Kasey had joined her on the roof all three moved to the nearest skylight.

The TOC Ram’s Rock Island

Lyssa glanced over at the clock waiting for the water team to get into position. The main screen held the satellite view of the compound. She could see the markers for Alpha team under the sea grape tree. On the secondary screens were the individual video feeds for the bodycams. So far Kimberly and Krystel had spotted all eight roving guards. And thanks to Gemini’s work Krystel was deep inside the house security mainframe. She was watching the system like a hawk thanks to the warning that Angelic gave them.

“I swear Lyssa this system is fairly nasty, even if it is a trusting soul.” Krystel remarked. “Just about showtime, yes?”

“Just about. What’s the hold up on the Bravo element, Captain?” Lyssa asked Kimberly without turning to look at her.

“They were detained by some local LEOs. Stalking Horse fed them some line about them being a pair of Professors for MU and Gemini was their grad students.” Kimberly chuckled. “I really got to give it to Gemini. Some of those cover ids they came up with are so far out there its funny. I mean who would actually believe there is a real Professor Roy Hinkley and Professor Harold Everett. I know that I wouldn’t have thought of those aliases.”

Lyssa never took her eyes of the main screen. “Blame their fathers’ twisted sense of humor for that, Krystel. That and way too much time with access to amazon prime. I got a look at some the aliases for the girls’ mothers, those were some real side splitters.”

The radio came to life. “Stronghold this is Bravo-Actual, come in Stronghold. Do you copy? Over”

Lyssa answered the older woman and team leader. “Stronghold here Actual. Read you five-by-five, signal is green. Are all your elements in place? Over”

“Waiting on confirmation of Bravo element now Stronghold. They should have just about reached the dock. Any contact? Over.” Kimberly knew that Maria was worried about having to split up her team the way she had. She wasn’t the only one worried about that.

“Stronghold this is Bravo team. We are set a point Bravo One. Gemini is in overwatch.” Bobby’s voice coming over the radio finally eased everyone’s worries. “Sorry for the delay. Had a small problem with the local LEO’s to sort out before we could legally enter the water. Over”

“Stalking Horse, are those LEO’s going to be a problem on your return? Over” Kimberly asked quickly.

“Negative Stronghold. Played it off as two undergrads and profs doing an aquatic night life study. Over” Bobby answered quickly.

“How’d you explain the weapons? Over” Maria asked him.

“Never came into play Actual. All they saw was two teenage college students with their Professors in wetsuits. Over” Bobby explained.

“Actual to all elements, stand-by to execute incursion. Mark your targets. ROE’s are now in effect. Everybody comes home. Over” Maria ordered her team over the radio. “Alpha, team set.”

“Bravo team set.” Came Bobby’s quick reply.

“All teams set Stronghold. Waiting on go orders. Over” Maria told the operations center.

Lyssa looked over at Krystle and Kimberly. “Op center set. Mission clock set. Thirty-five minutes. On our mark.” Lyssa looked up at the main screen and spotted the boat before Kimberly or Krystel. “All teams; Hold. Say again: all teams; Hold.”

She rounded on Krystle and Kimberly. “Where the hell did that boat come from? Talk to me here people.”

“It’s a privately-owned cabin cruiser Lyssa. It came from somewhere up river. Fog of war, Sergeant Major.” Kimberly answered fast.

“How long before that boat is out of there?” Lyssa demanded.

“It’ll take it at least ten minutes to clear our teams.” Kimberly answered for the Op Center team.

“All teams stand-by for go-order in ten mikes. Over” Lyssa turned to Kimberly. “Any more surprises like that on the waterways?”

“Scanning for them now, Sergeant Major.” When she was done Kimberly looked at Lyssa. “Clear. The Black Badges have a forty-five-minute window once that bitch is out of there, boss.”

Lyssa turned back to watch the cruiser troll passed the Bravo element then gave the countdown and go order. Once the two teams were moving Lyssa turned her attention to the bodycam feeds. She smiled at the deadly precision of the two teams. Even Angelic didn’t hesitate to drop a roving guard.

Lyssa whispered to herself. “Bring them all home, Maria. I do not want to stop your family. They can do this.”

“What was that Sergeant Major?” Kimberly asked.

“Nothing.” Lyssa answered.

97488 Ponce de Leon dr. Fort Lauderdale Florida

When Maria heard the order to shift to Bravo she waved at Angelic. “Go. Gemini will meet you at the back corner.”

Angelic just nodded her head and took off. Maria then turned to Samantha and Annette. “Link up with Stalking Horse and Rumrunner. Take out as many roving guards as you can. I’ll secure the front of the building. Get a move on girls.”

Samantha and Annette didn’t argue and moved to carry out their mother’s orders. Maria turned her attention to securing the front of the house. She spotted the guard long before he had a chance to call out a warning. Three well placed strikes with her left hand and the man died standing up. “Actual one down. What is the count Schoolhouse? Over”

“Six with two outstanding Actual. Over” Lyssa answered quickly.

“Where? Over” Was all Maria asked.

“Rover One is next the main gate headed away from you. Rover Two is on the downside of his sweep towards the ramp and boathouses. Over”

“Damn. I only have time to take out one of them.” Maria looked up at the sky. “Just once could you give me a break here?”

“Gemini Two, one down backside of the house. Over” Kasey’s voice over the radio made Maria smile in thanks.

Maria looked back up at the sky. “I guess you do answer prayers sometimes.” As she headed for the main gate Maria keyed her mike. Keeping her voice low Maria warned her team. “There is still one more rover out here people. Stay on the bounce. Over”

“Bravo-Actual you’re ten minutes on the mission clock. Get a move on.” Lyssa warned her.

That was all Maria needed to hear to move with more speed. Kasey’s voice came up next on the radio with an update on their progress. “Stronghold this Gemini One, breeching skylight now. Kitty has by-passed exterior sensors for alarm. Over”

“Gemini you are a GO for second floor penetration. Stalking Horse, Rumrunner, what is your status?” Lyssa asked as she looked to their feeds.

“Stronghold, this Rumrunner. Surprise packages are in place with remote detonators for the cigarette. This baby is set to blow the moment it even thinks of leaving the dock. Over” Hunter called in from the boathouse.

“Stronghold this Stalking Horse. Our suspicions about there being a seaplane were correct. The situation is our worst-case scenario. Tango Three has a Cessna two-oh-eight Caravan Amphibian. Planting surprise packages now with remote detonators. Over.” Bobby’s report brought Maria up short.

“Stalking Horse, do you have enough surprise packages to ensure that beast goes down? Over” Maria him quickly.

“More than enough Madam. Don’t worry Tango Three won’t be using this baby to go anywhere. One touch of a button and it goes away. Over.” Bobby’s reply put Maria at ease.

She wasn't the only one to have their fears set to rest. Back in the TOC Lyssa called up to the flight line with orders to have Rodrick and Lonestar downgraded.

“Flightline; Stand-down Bad-Boy.” Lyssa ordered.

They wouldn’t be needing the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. At least, not this time around. That was one of two ace cards the OICA wanted to keep up their sleeve for as long as possible.

Second-floor of the house

Angelic dropped to the floor on feet of feathers. Kasey and Kristine came down right behind her. The teenagers immediately split up. Kristine led Angelic towards the control center while Kasey moved to secure the other end of the floor. It didn’t take Kasey long to find the second-floor security guard. The man had taken a seat in a chair at the far end of the floor and gone to sleep. Kasey didn’t bother with finesse as she moved to carry out her orders. She pulled out her family blade and shoved it beneath the man’s left ear. He died in his sleep.

At the other end of the hallway Kristine spotted the next guard on the landing between the two floors. She also didn’t waste time, putting two rounds in the man’s head with another round to his chest. The man dropped dead where he stood.

She turned to Angelic and nodded. “It’s your show cousin. We got two minutes before the next guards show up.”

Angelic shivered at the cold and callous nature in which her younger cousins could kill. Even her time round Samantha and Annette had not prepared her for their daughters’ actions. If this is was what it meant to be a Moonless Wraith, then Angelic was having second thoughts. She had always known that part of her family were members of that deadly and feared guild. That she had not embraced that side of her training was never an issue for her family. Just as it was with her brothers. They had always known they could walk away from that part of the family traditions. Here in front of her was the final accumulation of over four-hundred years of traditions and training. Something that she could only try her very best to match as Kitty Soft Paws, the Holy Thief.

With skills born of training and need Angelic led her younger counterparts down the stairs to the first floor. After snatching the security guard’s pass-card Angelic was able to disable the floor sensors in each room and hallway between the stairs and the control center. Once there Angelic went to work on the combination lock for the control center door. When the lock clicked Kasey was the first to enter the room. She fired twice killing the on-duty guard. With an ease born from practice Kasey reloaded and let the slide for her weapon slam forward.

Kristine was already working on securing the security system. Once she opened the computer system, she contacted the TOC via the Net. “Stronghold; Gemini One here. System is open. It’s all yours. Have fun and strip this bitch. Over”

“Copy that Gemini. Thanks for the assist. Now get out of there and link up with the rest of your team. Over.” Krystel ordered.

Kasey and Kristine grabbed Angelic and headed for the front of the house. They needed to let the rest of the team in the house. The first of which would be Maria.

Maria had not been idle while her granddaughters and niece were taking care of the security system. She had removed the final roving security guard in the fashion of a Lithium Flower. By moving between the shadows of the trees and other landscaping Maria approached the man from behind. For a short time, Maria lost the man to the shadows of the curtain wall. That was until he lit up a cigarette. She smiled as he drew in deeply on the cigarette and the cherry flared. She waited until his back was to her and exhaled. With a speed born of years Maria struck.

Placing a hand over the man’s nose and mouth she pulled his head to the left. With an assuredness born of years, Maria delivered the coup de grâce. She slid the blade of her family knife between the base of the skull and top of the spine. Effectively severing the spinal cord from the brain. The move has been taught to military units around the world as a way to silently kill sentries. For Maria it was taught to her by her mother as a way of assassination.

As the man fell dead at her feet Maria thought about the term Bobby and Hunter had taught her for the move.

“That is most definitely a sure-fire way to disconnect the computer.” She chuckled as that saying came to her mind then turned him over and smiled. “Ah, Buonasera Signore Ramirez. So nice to meet you.”

“Madam, one down at main gate. I have the designated Tango. Moving to front door. All elements report in.” She said as she pulled the dead guard deeper into the shadows of the curtainwall to be retrieved on the way out.

“Bravo lead and White Swan; target secure and moving to front door.” Bobby told her quickly.

“Bravo two and Black Swan; target secure and waiting for Gemini to open the door.” Hunter answered from his place next to the front door with Annette.

When all six adults were finally at the front door Kristine opened it. With an efficiency of a well-trained and long-time team the Deputies split up to carry out their next assignments. Bobby and Hunter headed for the servants’ wing to secure those that were there. Samantha and Annette headed for the second floor to find their main target, Vickers. Maria took Kasey, Kristine and Angelic then headed for Vickers office.

Bobby and Hunter found that the servants’ wing held six rooms. The door to each room was double checked and found to be locked from the outside. Both men looked at each other as a shared thought ran through their heads. The servants were slaves.

Bobby keyed his mike. “Stronghold, once we’re clear notify the LEOs. November Charlies are possible slaves. Over”

“Can you verify Stalking Horse?” Came Kimberly’s angry reply.

“Negative, Stronghold. Only evidence of forced captivity.” Hunter answered for them both.

“Stronghold; I agree with Stalking Horse and Rumrunners assessment. Hold for our extraction. Then contact LEOs.” Maria ordered Kimberly. She had her own problems to deal with just then. Namely a very deadly safe in Vickers’ office.

“Angelic are you sure you can open that thing without blowing us all to our Heavenly reward?” Maria asked as she glared at the Harmon and Gary 45000 Heavy Security Safe. One of the few consumer safes built with a layer of high-explosives between the door plates. Enough high-explosives to level the house killing everyone inside at the time of the explosion.

“Don’t worry, Marshal. I got this.” Angelic assured her with great confidence. Angelic knew she could crack the safe.

“Confidence is a fine thing dear. Over-confidence can get us all killed. Now, can you open that safe safely or not?” Maria snapped.

Angelic nodded her head and turned back to her work on the safe. “I can but it is going to take me time. How much do I have?”

Maria looked down at her watch. “Stronghold; what is our mission clock? Over”

“You’re at twenty-five on the clock Madam.” Lyssa answered her quickly. “Is there a problem?”

“You could say that Stronghold. Do you have a good feed on the Kitty’s body-cam?” Maria asked quickly.

“That is a roger Madam. What exactly are we looking at?” Kimberly asked in confusion.

“Stronghold, that is a Harmon and Gray forty-five-thousand deadman’s safe. The door, and walls of this bitch are packed with over fifty pounds of class-one high-explosives. First mistake; arms the detonators. The second, sets them off.” Angelic answered as she worked the combination to the safe.

TOC Ram’s Rock island

Lyssa spun around and demanded. “Why isn’t that thing on the schematics?”

Both women were pounding away on the computers at their individual stations. Kimberly was the first to say anything. “Sergeant Major that has to be a change order in the building plans. That or it was installed without a permit.”

“There isn’t even an order or receipt for the thing. IT shouldn’t even exist let alone be in that house. The one on file is the Carson two-hundred.” Krystel said from her station before looking up at Lyssa. “Sergeant Major we got a real problem here. I just got the specs on those things. They’re built for military, Counter-Intelligence and Homeland Security use only! They're used to hold top secret documents that are burn on reading, NATO Rainbow Clearance only, shoot the messenger shit here Lyssa. Stuff like what that nun brought us.”

“Madam drop down to channel three.” Lyssa waited for Maria to join her on the private Command channel. “Madam, you have less than twenty-minutes to get that safe open and remove Tango three from play. Can you get the job done?”

Lyssa could tell by the bodycam footage that Maria had walked out of the office. “We can get the job done but there is not enough time for information extraction. As for the safe, I have faith in the Kitty to get it open and in time.”

“Do NOT take chances Madam. If that fucking thing blows with you and your team in that house; you’re all dead.” Lyssa knew the danger the Black Badge team was facing.

Before Maria could answer Angelic came up on the team channel. “The safe is open. I suggest the Madam rejoin me. I have something that she needs to see. Over”

Lyssa let the breath that she had been unconsciously holding out through clenched teeth. “Go Madam. Your mission clock is at thirty-minutes and counting down.”

“Copy that Stronghold.” Maria replied.

Lyssa turned to Kimberly once Maria was back on mission. “I want to know how a fucking civilian got their goddamned hands on a military and intelligence extreme high-level security safe. I don’t care how you get the information. Because I know for a fact that the Major is going to want to know that answer more than I do.”

“No shit! I watched as Angelic worked that combination on that safe. Talk about sweating bullets. I know that I saw her hands shaking at least once. I know that I wouldn’t have tried it.” Kimberly told Lyssa. “I am worried that they don’t have to time to get actual intel off Vickers though.”

“I have a feeling that Maria has planned for that contingency.” Lyssa said as she looked up at the bodycams for Samantha and Annette. “I get the definite feeling that Vickers is in for a LONG night.”

97488 Ponce de Leon dr. Fort Lauderdale Florida

Maria heard several thuds coming from the front of the house and went to investigate. She smiled as she saw Samantha and Annette dragging a rather large and very full duffle bag down the stairs. “I do hope that our bunny isn’t hurt too badly by your treatment girls. We need him to answer a few questions for us yet. He can die later. Not now.”

Sam kicked the bag with her heel to hear a grunt. “Don’t worry Madam. The scum is still alive.”

Maria looked to Samantha at hearing the anger in her voice. “What was he doing when you interrupted him dear?”

“You would have to be there to believe us, Madam.” Annette said as she spat on the bag. “This pig doesn’t deserve to breathe.”

“Black Swan go secure our truck. White Swan give her a hand. I’ll have Stalking Horse and Rumrunner bring out our guest and additional.” Maria ordered her two daughters. “We’ll question the scum somewhere nice and quiet. Somewhere where we won’t have to worry about being interrupted by nosey neighbors or the police.”

With those orders Maria turned and headed back to the office. There she found Kasey and Kristine going over what they found in the safe. “Talk to me Gemini. What do we have?”

Kasey was the first to speak as she held up a stack of passports. “Vickers has a lot of friends, Marshal. I got multiple passports and visas for the US, just about every member of NATO, half of the Middle East Nations and six nonextradition countries so far. This stack is nothing but bearer bonds and blue-chip stocks.”

“Marshal that is just the tip of this iceberg. I got a stack of ledger books that is going take somebody with a butt-load more experience than we have. There's some kind of code here that I can't figure out. Take a look?” Kristine handed the one she was currently looking at over to Maria.

Maria took the ledger book and scanned the headers. It didn’t take her long to figure out what they meant. This was a full accounting for every arms-deal that Vickers had ever made. It held the information for the type of weapon, how much, how many, who to and where delivery was made. It also gave her who those deals were made for. Maria wasn’t surprised that the number one entry under that heading was for a certain US counter intelligence agency.

“We can’t do much now girls. We'll have to deal with this later. Gather everything up. That includes any cash the man had stashed here. We leave nothing behind.” she turned to Angelic. “Can you relock that safe safely?”

“Yes ma’am. Once I was able to open the safe, I wrote down the combination. I just have to enter it in reverse.” Angelic turned thoughtful. “Though I would advise against doing that.”

“Why?” Maria figured she needed all the facts. She wasn’t a thief.

“Because the next person who tries to pop this safe, could end up dead. And take all the evidence with them.” Angelic turned to look towards the servants’ wing. “And any unfortunates that may still in the house. This is not some everyday safe to play around with Marshal.”

Maria thought about what her niece just told her. “Very well, leave it open.” Maria keyed her radio. “All Bravo elements exfiltrate now. I repeat exfiltrate now. Time for us to go kids. Stronghold; contact the LOEs in ten minutes. Bravo Actual; OUT”

With that the Black Badge team left the estate of Ronald Vickers. Samantha, Annette, Angelic, and Maria left by the front gate in Big Blue with Vickers and the body of Ramirez in the bed of the truck. Bobby, Hunter, Kasey, and Kristine left the way they came in, by the waterway. They would be met by the Alpha team in Coolee Hammock Park. From there the team would find someplace remote to handle the interrogation of Vickers and to go over his ledges.

When they were halfway across the waterway Bobby pulled out the remote detonator and hit the button. Both the seaplane and speedboat went up in a rolling ball of flame. The shockwave sent ripples across the water high enough to reach the tops of the docks on the far side of the canal. As the pieces of the two storehouses rained down the four-man team finished swimming to their extraction point under the cover of night and the explosions.

As they climbed out of the water they were met by Maria and her half of the team. “Really Robert? You just couldn’t have removed the explosives before leaving?”

“We did Marshal. Just as our Instructors said. The best way to remove armed explosives is at a distance or blowing them in place. We chose the easiest way. Blow them in place.” Bobby answered honestly with a crooked smile. “Besides, everybody loves a good fireworks show and fire. We just gave the locals an early Fourth of July and weeny roast.”

“Our daddies love a BIG boom.” Kasey and Kristine sang out.

-----tbc-----

Chapter 6
Warehouse district, Port Everglades, Fl

Maria had Samantha get out and open the door to the abandoned warehouse. After the hour-long drive from Fort Lauderdale was taken in silence. Annette, Samantha, and Maria knew what had to be done with Vickers. Angelic had no idea why her aunt and cousins were driving to such an out of the way place to interrogate the criminal.

Little did Angelic know that this wasn’t going to be an interrogation, but an information extraction. While not as bloody as what their counterparts of the military side of OICA would conduct. It would still end with the same results. All of Vickers secrets be spilled and him dead.

Angelic asked. “Aunt Maria why are we here? Shouldn’t we be interrogating Vickers in a police station or back at the campground?”

“The Black Badges work in the shadows, Angelic. We cannot go to the local police and use their facilities. Not for what we must do. We cannot let that man withhold one shred of evidence from us. We must use the ‘old ways’ at times to get what we need to complete our mission. This is one such a time.” Maria explained slowly for her niece then pointed to the surrounding warehouse. “This place gives us the needed privacy.”

Annette looked over her shoulder from the driver’s seat. “If you don’t have the stomach for what must been done cousin. We understand. It takes a certain type of person to do what we have to do.”

Sam climbed in beside Angelic. “Coast is clear, Annette. Drive to the far end. There’s an old workshop we can use.”

“What about the door?” Maria asked.

“I’ll take care of it once we’re inside.” Sam answered.

Annette just nodded her head and drove into the warehouse then stopped on the other side. Sam jumped out and closed the door returning to the truck. Annette drove to the far end just as Samantha directed. Once there the four women climbed out of the truck. Samantha and Annette dragged the still unconscious Ronald Vickers from the bed of the truck. Using the heavy lift ceiling hoist, Samantha and Annette winched Vickers up off the floor.

Maria led a still confused Angelic over to the workshop. The older woman went over to the tool bench and began to look around for whatever they could use. Like a lot of shuttered warehouses in the area, this one had most of the workshop tools in the workshop area. At least the heavy tools. Tools that most machinists and mechanics could not afford on their own.

The acetylene torch was just one such tool. With practiced ease Maria checked to see if the torch still had fuel. A smile came to the old woman’s face. “This will do nicely. I believe that dear Ronald will talk to us now.”

“Aunt Maria are you really going to torture that man?” Angelic was shocked by the ruthlessness of her aunt.

“Not only will I torture that slug. I can do so with a clear conscience and soul free of sin. I may carry the badge of a US Marshal now. But I am still the Mistress for the Moonless Night Wraiths. For centuries in the old countries we have hunted those who believe they were above the law. Today, here in this country, my deputies and I now carry on those ancient traditions.” Maria turned and gave Angelic a harsh glare.

A glare that held no love or patience. “Understand something Angelic. I do not trust your so-called ‘holy’ masters within the Iscariot Division. The DeMarco family have had more than one run-in with that particular order. And they have always come out on the short end of the deal. One way or the other. I won’t even go into the Capizeo family’s view of the order.”

“Why is that aunt Maria?” Angelic asked her aunt quietly.

“Because your cousin Samantha would gladly gut you just for being associated with the order. She most likely would have already if it were not for the fact that you are family. Believe me when I say; Stephany Capizeo has even less reasons to trust the Iscariot Division.” Maria’s very blunt statement of facts grabbed Angelic’s attention. “Your new order turned their backs on the Capizeo family in one of their darkest hours.”

“But aunt Maria. No, Donna Demarco the Iscariot Division owes no alliance to any Guild or Famila. They are part of the Holy Church.” Angelic couldn’t believe that Maria felt like the Church owed their family or even the Capizeo family anything. She had always been taught that the Guilds and Mafia Families were separate from the Church for a reason.

“The Iscariot Division and more than a few other Holy Orders owe our families for covering up their mistakes before, during, and after the second World War.” Maria snapped. “We were the ones to HUNT DOWN those mass murders that the Church helped to escape the War Crimes tribunals. It was not the Iscariot Division or the other Nazi hunters but us. Yet we let them have all the credit for taking down the escaped NAZI war criminals.”

This was something that Angelic had never heard. It was totally new to her. It had to be wrong. Yet, this was her family’s Donna telling her this, so it had to be true. “Why would the Iscariot Division turn their back on the Capizeo family, aunt Maria? Tell me that please.”

“Do you remember when it was thought that the Capizeo family was wiped out in America?” Angelic just nodded her head yes to that question. “Stephany went to a certain Priest of the Iscariot Division looking for sanctuary. That Priest turned her away into the night. Told her to fend for herself. That the Iscariots had no use for the half-grown whelp of the Capizeo family. That if she wanted to truly prove herself worthy of sanctuary to go and kill off her family’s enemies, then come talk to him.”

“What did she do?” Angelic asked in hushed and amazed tones.

“What every Capizeo has done throughout history when challenged in such a manner. She destroyed or killed every last one of her family’s enemies out of revenge, then went back and killed that Judas Priest. Understand something Angelic, Samantha Justice maybe the name she uses now. But underneath is still Stephany Capizeo the current Hemlock Rose.” Maria reached over and grabbed hold of the handle for the torch cart then leaned it back. “If I were you, I would think long and hard about where your loyalties lie child. With the Church or your Family.”

“If they are with the Church?” Angelic asked her aunt with more than a little fear in her voice.

“Then I suggest that you never double cross your cousin.” Maria never looked back as she pushed the cart towards the host. “Because Stephany will not be as forgiving as I am, and I won’t be able to stop her. Nor will I try.”

Angelic turned to where her aunt and cousins where preparing Vickers for torture. Annette and Samantha were using their knives to cut away the man’s night clothes while he hung lifelessly from the host’s hook by a pair of handcuffs. His legs were held apart by a broom handle duct taped to his ankles. Maria pulled out a small zippered pouch and opened it. Angelic knew that she should go over and try to stop them. Yet, she just couldn’t bring herself to stand in her cousins’ and aunt’s way. With a heavy heart Angelic turned and walked to the far end of the warehouse. She needed time to sort out what her aunt had told her. The first thing she needed to come to grips with was the idea that the Iscariot Division would intentionally turn someone seeking sanctuary away just because of their family.

Angelic knew that the Division was where the Church sent their more troubling members. The ones that had questionable backgrounds to begin with. Men and women seeking to atone for a life filled with bloodshed or other questionable activities. She was barely able to escape becoming one of their numbers when she first joined the Church. If it had not been for the Sisterhood of Saint Nicholas Angelic knew that she would have gone straight to the Iscariot Division. When she first brought her problem to her superior, she expected to be given the choice of joining the Iscariot Division or leaving the Church. She should have just left the Church quietly in the night.

Angelic thought about her time working with the Art Recovery Division. A place where she would have been welcomed with open arms. The men and women there always held her in the highest regard. More than a few of them were amazed by her education in Art History. To them she was one of the few Art Historians, or experts in art forgery that the Church truly trusted. She was also one of the few experts to ever be called in to verify stolen antiquities on a regular basis by both the Vatican and Interpol. She had earned not only their respect but their trust as well.

Angelic looked over her shoulder at her cousins as they broke Vickers feet with a pair of hammers. Angelic sighed. She realized that she would need to earn her cousins’ and her aunt’s trust. Just because she was family didn’t mean she was automatically accepted and trusted by them. If she wasn’t a member of the Iscariot Division that might not be the case.

The scream from Vickers forced Angelic to turn and look at what was happening. Maria was standing in front of the nude man waving the lit torch just inches away from his penis. “Dear God! Please have mercy?! I’ve told you everything you demon bitch! I’m just the middleman!”

As Angelic approached them she heard Samantha sneer. “Who is pulling your strings Vickers? Who’s your boss? Tell me.”

Maria held the torch a little closer to his penis. “I work for Donald Abrams! I’m just his middleman! I swear, on my life!”

This had Angelic’s undivided attention. “What do you do for Abrams?”

“I just move the drugs, guns and stolen art his ships bring in from overseas! That’s it! I swear! I don’t know anything else!” By this time Vickers has pissed himself and sweating like a stuck pig.

Something inside Angelic snapped releasing her pinned up anger over the last few weeks. Blinded by her anger Angelic reached over and grabbed a hammer off of the worktable. With a cold and ruthless shove Angelic didn’t even think twice as she jammed half the handle deep into Vickers’ rectum. As Vickers bucked and scream Angelic twisted the handle around in the man’s ass with a savagery, she did not realize was in her.

“THE GIRLS! WHERE DO YOU GET THE GIRLS? WHERE DO YOU SEND THEM? TELL YOU SICK FUCK!” Angelic demanded.

“I SWEAR I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE GIRLS!” Vickers screamed then went slack in his chains. “Abrams doesn’t let anyone near that part of his business! Not even that cunt, Sylvia Price, knows where he gets them or what he does with them! We don’t even know when they arrive!”

Maria moved Angelic back with a slow but steady push in the chest. “Tell me Vickers; this one arms dealer. Your number One supplier. Who are they with the CIA? I want their name.”

Gasping for air and in fear Vickers spilled the information. Information that would end his life. “Not CIA. Not even Intelligence. Another dealer that works for Abrams. Charles Ira Andrews. Big time arms smuggler on the west coast. Deals mostly with Middle Eastern and Far East nations only. He used to be the big dog arms connection for Afghanistan in the eighties and nineties. Andrews was one of Charly Wilson’s suppliers. He is still running guns and munitions into the area. Just not as heavily. Shifted his market over to Eastern Europe countries with heavy insurgent or rebel factions.”

While Samantha, Annette, and Maria were happy with what they had gained Angelic wasn’t done with the man. Grabbing a hold of the hammer’s head once more she gave it a twist and shove. “Tell me where Abrams gets the girls!”

“Don’t know I swear! I was never involved in that part of his business!” He started screaming as Angelic twisted the hammer pushing it in deeper. “I swear nobody knows where he gets them from or where they go! Not even Price knows, and she handles all of his illegal art and antiquity sales.”

With a finale shove Angelic drove the handle of the hammer clear to the head. Even as the blood started to pump from Vickers ruptured anus Angelic’s rage was not cooling. Taking the torch from Maria’s hand she began to burn slices of meat from the man’s body. All the while Angelic never stopped demanding to know where Abrams got the girls.

Vickers died from shock and pain, long before blood lose. Samantha and Annette just watched as their cousin vented her anger at this man. Maria just sighed as she knew that Angelic had reached a point where she could never again return to the Church except as an agent for the Iscariot Division. After their conversation earlier Maria had her doubts of that happening anytime soon. Now, she was assured of her niece’s situation.

“Enough Angelic. He is beyond our justice now.” Maria told her niece as she pulled the torch from the crying young woman. “The only one who hears him now is King Minos, Judge of the Damned and Lord of Limbo. May his eternal punishment be as fitting as his crimes.”

Angelic stepped back and looked at what she had done in her uncontrolled rage. With a trembling hand Angelic crossed herself and began to pray for forgiveness. Nothing in her life had prepared her for what she had just become or done. With tears streaming down her cheeks Angelic turned to her aunt. “What have I done? This is not me.”

Maria took pity on the young woman and pulled her into a tight hug. “I know that child. Yet, it is something that we can all become. That monster lies inside all of us. It is only our ability to control those impulses that separate us from the animals. That you feel remorse for what you have done is a sign that you have not turned evil. You are still very much on the side of the Angels. Only now you understand that there are soldiers within the shadows fighting to keep the war out of the public’s eye.”

“This is what we do, Angelic. Just as our family has always done.” Annette said from her place next to Samantha near the body.

Samantha just placed her left hand over her right with palms together, then curtsied to Angelic. “May your journey in the night, be quiet and your passing, unseen. Go with our blessing; bringer of justice.”

It had been a long, long time since Angelic had been even treated to the traditional greeting to her family’s guild. So long a time in fact, that she almost forgot how to reply. Placing her hands in the reverse position, Angelic quickly returned Samantha’s curtsy. “I am, but a shadow in the night, passing quietly to my destination. I seek only to bring justice to those who believe themselves above the law. The innocent need not fear me. I leave peacefully, fading into the depths of the Moonless night.”

Maria smiled and gave her niece a hug. “We shall deal with your problem within the Church once we have completed our mission. As for your show of rage; think nothing of it, child. You’re only human and it did get us some very valuable intel on how our three suspects are connected.”

“I know this is going to sound wrong, but can we even trust what he told us? I mean we did torture the man for the information. He could have been lying.” Angelic explained her reasons for questioning their interrogation method.

“He was on five-cee-cees of Two-Tone-Shadow. The man was seeing pink unicorns and purple elephants by the time we started working on him. The only thing he could lie about was his shoe size. Anything else and the pain would force him to tell the truth.” Maria’s cold and unfeeling answer brought the young woman out of her stupor. “Time to go girls. Leave the body where it is.”

“Won’t the police wonder why he is here?” Angelic asked.

“The Drug Cartels still have a good deal of influence in the area. They’ll just assume that it is a drug war related crime. The local police will most likely look at this as a message to other traffickers in the area.” Maria told her bluntly. “Sadly, this is an all too common occurrence in Southern Florida and the surrounding states right now.”

“Yeah but it helps to cover our tracks. Between how we hit Vickers house and someone finding his body in a few days. The LEOs will just chalk it up to another drug turf war gone bad. With Vickers being the loser.” Samantha explained as she wiped down the hoist and the rest of the tools. “Almost done with the cleanup Marshal. What do you want done with the hand tools?”

“Round them up and put them in bag. We’ll dump them in the campground’s dumpster. According to the schedule it gets dumped daily.” Maria ordered.

“What do you want done with Ramirez?” Annette asked.

“There’s an abandoned fish market not too far from here. We can dump the body there.” Angelic offered.

Maria thought about what her niece was suggesting. “No. Too many chances for people to find the body. What we need is an out of the way dumpsite that no one is going to be climbing around for a good deal of time.”

Samantha looked up at Maria with a smile. “Why not just use the solid waste vat behind the warehouse? I mean it has to be a five to six-hundred-gallon tank with a sediment filtration system on the thing. We weigh the body down with some scrap metal and drop it in. By the time someone finds the body it’ll be nothing but bones at best. Even then they’ll have to find the body in the next five to seven days depending on the heat. If they take longer than that even the bones start breaking down. After two weeks no one will ever find even the smallest part of the body.”

It took Maria all of ten seconds to make up her mind. “Do it.”

The three young women moved to carry out their orders. While they were taking care of that Maria swept the warehouse to ensure they left nothing behind. Just before 0530 Maria and the girls left the warehouse with Samantha driving and Annette closing the door behind them. It would take the four women an hour or so to return to the campground. Maria had Annette stop for coffee and Donuts on the way. When Annette returned, she carried two classic pink boxes of donuts, a box of coffee cups and a bag.

97488 Ponce de Leon dr. Fort Lauderdale Florida, 0530

The Crime Scene Investigators walked through the gates of Vickers estate each carrying their individual kits and cameras. You could tell by their actions they were pros at their craft. The one in the lead started handing out orders the second they passed the gate.

“Calleigh take the outer edge and work your way in. Delko start with the gate guard and work your way in the other direction. Wolfe head inside, start with the security office and work your way up. I've got the dock, boathouse, ramp and ramp house. And no matter what; watch your step people. We might still have unexploded ordinance laying around. I do not want to make any next of kin phone calls.”

The tall red headed Detective stopped and looked around. “Anybody seen Tripp or Boa Vista for Major Crimes?”

A patrol officer who was walking past him stopped and pointed. “They’re both down by the dock Lieutenant Caine. They said to send you straight back. Something about this being a major cluster fuck.”

“We’ll come find you if we need you H. If Tripp or Boa Vista are already looking for you then it has to be bad.” Calleigh told her boss.

Horatio just turned and headed for the dock. Southeastern Florida’s famous sunrise was already turning the early morning a dazzling display of colors and light. As he approached the dock Horatio was stopped by a heavyset and slightly bald man in his mid-to-late forties and a Latino woman in her mid-thirties. On his walk around the house, Horatio spotted the dead guards laying at individual points and wasn’t liking what he was seeing.

“Tripp, please tell me that this doesn’t look like what it does.” Horatio asked in a gruff and almost demanding voice.

“If you’re thinking a hit squad for either the Norte del Valle or North Coast Cartels. Then yes. Right now, I’m not even ruling out a possible Mexican Cartel connection. They could pull something like this with no problems. I won’t even go into the Jamaican or Haitian connections.” Horatio looked at the destroyed boathouse and ramp house. “From what I’ve seen so far it could have been anyone of them. I’ll know more when I get the preliminary reports.”

Before Tripp or Boa Vista could reply a Sheriff’s deputy ran up to them. “Detectives, Lieutenant, I think I found something over by the fence.”

When Horatio got to where the Deputy was taking them, he knew right away what the man had found. “Thank you, Deputy. Could you do me a favor and go find Detective Wolfe? You’ll find him inside the house.”

Once they were alone Horatio turned to Tripp and Boa Vista. “Frank, hand me an evidence bag. Natalia, Frank; no matter what happens. No one, I mean NO ONE, knows about what that Deputy found here.”

“Why? What did he find H?” Frank asked.

“That is a Mark-seven military grade remote control detonator Frank. Used by more military forces than I care to even guess at this point. This shit just got really deep.” Natalia answered him as she looked over at the dock and waterway. “You can pick these things up on the black market for around ten-grand a dozen. When it comes to Organized criminals; the Russians have the easiest access to these little beauties.”

“Wait! Are you two saying that Ronald Vickers was killed by a foreign nation’s military? You have any idea what kind of shit storm this would cause if it got out?” Frank asked his counterparts.

“No that’s not what we’re saying. But whoever did hit this place had military training at one point in their life. Frank, I need you to pull that Deputy off to the side somewhere nice and quiet. Once there have a talk with the kid and explain the situation for him. None of what he found here goes into any reports. Everything goes through me and my crime lab. This whole crime scene has International Incident/ Professional Mercenaries written all over it in red ink. This is a false flag-operation straight down the line Frank. One that could make our worst nightmares look like Disney vacations.” Horatio placed the detonator in the bag that Frank handed him then stood up. “I got a fifty that says the chemical makeup for the explosive comes up as either homemade Plastique or Semtex with Eastern Bloc signature.”

The three senior detectives scanned the surrounding area. Horatio could see how it all went down. “If I had to hazard a guess. I would put my money on a PMC hostage recovery team or most likely a free-lance special operations team, at least sixteen men with one working as an inside man. They came in from the waterway; taking out the shoreline guards first. They broke down into three teams. No wait four four-man-teams. Team one moved to secure the ramp, dock, boathouse and ramp house. Team two swept back to front going from the back-right corner towards the main gate. Team three swept back to front from the back-left corner towards the front of the house. Team four climbed the rear of the house and entered from the skylight.”

“Damn H; it sounds like you scripted this attack or something. Where did you learn this shit?” Frank asked the red head.

“Had a partner in New York who had once been a Force Recon Marine. On more than one stakeout he would tell me about the training they went through. Shit like this is just one type of scenario they train to handle.” About that time Detective Ryan Wolfe came walking up. Horatio handed him the evidence bag. “Ryan, I need you to take this back to the lab. Run a full battery of tests.”

“Sure thing H. I’ll get on it the second I finish up on the inside.” Wolfe told his boss and started to walk back inside.

“Forget the house Ryan. That bag takes priority. I need the results as fast as you can get them for me.” Horatio snapped.

“What should I be looking for H?” Ryan knew that something was up.

“C-four, or other military grade plastic explosive.” Ryan got the hint and nodded his head. As he turned to leave again Horatio stopped him. “And Ryan; nothing in the computer, no written report, nothing but a verbal report. Everything in-house. Am I understood?”

“Understood H. I’ll get on it right now. Before I go H, you need know something. There is one guard that is still unaccounted for. The guy’s name is Jack Ramirez. He’s only been with the compound guards for three weeks.” With that Ryan turned to head for his car and back to the station.

“Thanks Ryan. Good work. At least we now know who the inside man was for this cluster fuck. Did any of the security footage survive?” Horatio asked.

“Wiped clean by the security system itself, H. I have to be honest here. I’ve never seen the lengths of the security in this house. I don’t know who this guy is, but he sure as hell isn’t no normal drug lord.” Ryan dropped his voice low as possible so that only the three detectives could hear him. “H you need to know that there is a military and intelligence grade safe in that house. The kind that when you try to crack them and screw up; they blow sky high and take the building with it.”

“Shit! This just gets better and better. Any more good news from inside Ryan?” Horatio asked his CSI.

“Just that whoever hit this place left the servants’ wing alone. H, I think what we got with this Vickers guy is a human trafficker.” Ryan had turned red as he thought about what might be behind the doors of that wing. Back when he had been a beat-cop he had been on one too many raids concerning illegal aliens. Ryan had developed a real hatred for coyotes and snakeheads.

“Alright Ryan, we’ll get someone to have a look. You need to get going.” Horatio told the younger man. Ryan just nodded his head and took off.

Once they were alone again Frank gave Horatio a look. “How bad do you figure this is going to get H?”

“If we can keep the press out of it for the next seventy-two hours. We might have a chance at keeping this from going crazy. If the press breaks this story before we get a handle on it then all hell is going to break lose.” Horatio gave the estate a second look. “This won’t be the only bloodbath.”

“Any idea of where to start looking for Vickers’ body H?” Boa Vista asked him as she scanned the estate.

“What do you mean look for his body? Isn’t it upstairs?” Horatio asked her.

“That is the other great mystery this morning. The owner of this fine estate is missing. No blood in the master bedroom. Nothing. Total mystery.” Boa Vista answered him as she spotted the first news vans arriving. “Shit. How do we handle this H? The vultures are circling.”

“Tell them that we have an active crime scene and that a statement will be forthcoming at a later time. That is all we’re able to say for now.” Horatio looked around and spotted a deputy then waved him over. “Deputy round up three more officers and move those reporters back to the far end of the street. If any of them give you a hard time arrest them for interfering with a police investigation. Let them spend the night in a holding cell.”

“Yes sir.” The Deputy turned around and called for a group of officers. “Stone, Campbell, Murphy, Lewis; we got orders from the Detectives to escort the bloodhounds back to the end of the street.”

“Nothing to the press, guys.” As the five sheriff’s deputies moved to carry out their orders Horatio turned to Tripp and Boa Vista. “Start by searching the abandoned warehouses over in the warehouse district over in Port Everglades. I got a bad feeling that, that is where we’ll find what is left of Ronald Vickers. Him and whoever else is missing.”

As the red headed Lieutenant Detective turned to walk away, he smirked putting on his trademarked shades. “This is one hell of a sunrise breakfast.”

Airstrip, Ram’s Rock Island 0945

Eddie, and Anna climbed out of the Bell 222 as soon as it set down. Eddie grabbed their bags before Anna had a chance to reach for hers. “Head on inside Miss Anna. I know that the boss lady will want a full update.”

“Thank you, Edward. Just put my bags in the family golf cart, please.” As the old woman turned to head inside, she stopped. “Oh, and Edward, please let the rest of the boys here know that lunch will be served promptly at noon sharp. We’re having Philly-cheese steak sandwiches.”

“Oh man; I can't wait! I’ll be there Miss Anna. I think that it’s only me, Carl, Pete, and Krystel on the island right now though.” Eddie called out to her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to invite Krystel.” With that Anna disappeared inside the hanger. Eddie was still amazed at how the old woman handled herself while in Boston. In his mind Anna and Maria were the original models for all of the women on the island. Anna and Maria were nothing, but style, grace, and beauty wrapped around one deadly as hell package.

Anna head straight for the TOC. As she walked through the door, she was greeted by Krystel and Lyssa. “Hello ladies. Where are the Marshal and her deputies? Is everything going according to plan?”

Lyssa once again had to reassure the old assassin that her ‘family’ was safe. “Everybody is perfectly fine Anna. Their operation went off with almost perfect timing. Even then Gemini’s contingency plans covered everything we could think of and then a few that we hadn’t.”

“Thank goodness. I was a little worried after their change in plans. Something that I know Donna Maria is not one to do lightly.” Anna breathed out heavily the breath she had been holding. “As for my business trip to Boston; it has borne fruit for us.”

“I take it that the Irish Rose had no problems with taking the contract?” Lyssa asked her with some interest. This was a part of the criminal underworld that was still a mystery to most of the military side of the OICA. Lyssa and Rodrick had a better grasp than the others.

“We had to sweeten the deal a little for her to take to contract but nothing we didn’t account for behand.” Anna answered with a slight smile. “I was able to get her to see things our way in the end. I just had to handle a minor outside irritant for her family.”

“Did the Rose give you any idea for when she would carry out the hit?” Lyssa asked Anna out of professional curiosity.

“If all goes well; this time two days from now, Abrams will die from a sniper's bullet. So long as he follows the schedule in that folder.” Anna answered with the pride of renowned assassin.

“Miss Anna, I will have you know that I put that file together myself!” Krystel huffed. “Everything in it is accurate.”

“I don’t doubt that dear. But in the words of Adolf Hitler ‘Being unpredictable has saved my life more times than being surrounded by a full battalion of bodyguards.’” Anna told the young woman. When Kimberly and Krystle both looked at her Anna sighed. “The one thing that no Hitter can consider is the unpredictability of a mark, and the randomness of life. Chance has always been our greatest enemy.”

“The Fog of War effects more than just military operations. Even in business and everyday life the random encounter changes how things play out. We try to take in account every little detail, but we can’t always plan for the unaccountable. We try, but sometimes we fail. Like last night. That cabin cruiser damned near caused the whole op to go sideways because someone wanted to go fishing at sunrise. If we hadn’t spotted that boat in time the Bravo element would have been exposed and in a world of shit.” Lyssa told them.

“I take it that there was an unforeseen complication during the Madam’s operation?” Anna asked Lyssa straight forward.

“A boat load of liquored up rednecks heading out for an early morning fishing trip. They should just be crossing the hump about now.” Lyssa told Anna referring to the Atlantic Shelf drop off. “I figure they’re going after shark or blue fin tuna. Maybe some other big game deep water sports fish. Happens all the time in that part of the States.”

“I don’t understand. Why would they leave so early for a fishing trip? Wouldn’t it be better to leave when the sun was up?” Anna asked with real confusion. After all that was when the men of Ram’s Rock did their fishing. Usually in the late afternoon and early evening.

Lyssa saw what the problem was right away. “Anna, most of the Eastern seaboard of America doesn’t have the easy access to fertile fishing grounds that we have here in the Bahamas. Most sport fishermen have to go a good distance offshore to find the really big game fish. That usually means a three to four hour run on the way out. Then another four maybe five hours of trolling. Followed by another four to five hours trip back in. To make up for the travel time out and back most of those guys leave before sunup. Usually in the middle of the night.”

“I see. They’re able to get out to their favorite fishing spot sooner. That way they can have a longer time to fish for the big game.” It was like a light coming on in a darkened theater as the idea took hold in Anna. “While our men don’t have to take all day to get out to their favorite spots. They just have to walk down to the beach or down to the end of the dock. Once there, they’re fishing.”

“Now that we have that out of the way. Can we get back on topic?” Kimberly asked as she placed a picture of Abrams on the table. “When should we start sending out the chatter on Abrams? And who are we blaming?”

Anna actually started to giggle at Kimberly’s questions. “These things have already been set in motion. By noon today Donald Abrams will be considered a war profiteer by the IRA. The more radical of their factions will be demanding his blood by tomorrow morning. By the time the Irish Rose places a single bullet in the man, every extreme militant faction within the IRA will be screaming for his head on a pike. Only it will be the Black Brigands Brigade who will claim the actual kill.”

“Wait a minute! Anna, you cannot possibly be considering pinning the Black Brigands for this are you? Do you realize the shit storm that will rise here stateside? Every Congressman, Senator, currently sitting on any committee, subcommittee, or investigation panel will be screaming for GWT to be searched and secured before sundown for possible ties to terrorist groups around the world. Every alphabet agency will descend on GWT like a plague of locusts.” Lyssa outlined what she knew would happen for the older woman who just laughed. Then it hit Lyssa. “Aw shit! That’s exactly what Maria wants to happen, doesn’t she?”

“Exactly, Prima Lyssa. This will throw the investors into a panic. They will begin to sell off their stocks. Seeking to divest themselves of an apparent criminal organization. AS the price of GWT stock falls the Madam will wait. Right up to the point where it hits rock bottom. Then, when all of the stock is floating around looking for a new home, I’ll step in. I’ll buy up all the outstanding stock in a matter of minutes. Thus, saving GWT from crashing and rebounding the stock to a more manageable stock level.” Anna smirked then turned to Kimberly and Krystle. “Now, before I leave again ladies. I will need for you to sign a few documents for me. Also, can you get in touch with Tiffany and Shawna for me as well? I need fax numbers for them.”

“Okay, Anna. What are you and the Madam up to?” Kimberly asked bluntly.

“All I ask is that you sign these forms for me. They are your powers of attorney allowing me to act as your representative in the purchase and sale of stocks and bonds.” Anna answered with a smile that was a mile wide. “Before you or they go talking about not having the funds to invest in such a large gamble don’t. Donna Maria has placed at your disposal twenty-million dollars apiece for this endeavor. That includes Tiffany and Shawna.”

“Hold up Anna.” Lyssa said. “I'm not letting Maria pay out eighty-million dollars just like that. We do have the funds to cover those investments out of our own personal finances.”

“Please, Prima Lyssa, let Donna Maria do this for you and the others here.” Anna whispered into Lyssa’s ear. “You and they are her famiglia. You have become as daughters to her. Just as Samantha has.”

“That why she's doing this?” Lyssa asked the older woman bluntly. “If so; tell her that I don’t need the money. The same goes for all of us. We all have enough money to fall back on, none of us are hurting.”

“No. She is doing this for more than just securing the future of those here on the island. She is doing this to ensure that a situation like this never happens again in our lifetimes.” Anna answered quickly as she raised her hands to shoulder height and shrugged her shoulders. “If we should make a tidy profit in the meantime; who’s to blame us.”

Kimberly, Krystel and Lyssa stood there looking at the old woman with a mix of expressions. Kimberly was trying her best to figure out how Maria could just think of spending 80 million dollars like it was nothing. Krystel was still trying to figure out where Maria could have hidden a fortune large enough that she could just throw around that kind of money from her. To her, the idea was inconceivable. Information and databases were her life. If anybody should have found that kind of fortune in Maria’s background it was her. Yet, Maria had been able to do just that.

Lyssa just stood there shaking her head and sighed. “Any way it’s sliced, this is happening. So be it. However.”

“However?” Anna asked.

“However.” Lyssa hedged. “This will be done through our shell companies. Period. This is where you say ‘Yes’ Anna.”

“Certainly. Yes, Prima Lyssa.” Anna smirked. “Kimberly, please see to that paperwork for me? I still need to make certain preparations in Grand Cayman for the takeover.”

“Of course, Miss Anna. Is there anything else you need from us to make this takeover happen?” Kimberly asked.

“No, dear. Just those papers. Even certain offshore banks need that to keep their books on the up and up.” Anna explained. “Wait there is one thing you do for me to make things easier. I need a week’s long hotel arrangements made with the Grand Cayman Belvidere Imperial Hotel. Please.”

“Why there? Wouldn’t the Hilton or the safe-house be better for something like this? Less attention on you.” Krystel asked quickly not understanding where Anna was going.

“Perception Krystel. This is one time where staying at the lesser known but higher quality hotel is better for us.” Both Kimberly and Krystel gave Anna a strange look at hearing this tid bit of information. “The Belvidere Imperial is known for hosting well known and financially astute investors from around the world. Then there is the one main benefit that the Belvidere has over all the other hotels on the island. Direct connections to the buyers, sellers and dealers on the main trading floor of the Wall Street Exchange. Prima Lyssa knows this.”

“I have a fixer for that, but yes. How do you plan to handle the takeover of GWT Anna?” Lyssa asked.

“My plan is a simple one. I am to act as the CFO of Acquisitions for Prima International Investments, I need a creditable point of contact. Namely that direct connection to the main trading floor.” Anna explained kindly to the three operators. “The only one of its kind in the Caribbean; on Grand Cayman.”

“Couldn’t you do what you want through the Net Anna?” Krystel knew that day traders made a killing sitting behind their computers at home.

“This is one time where a face with the correct documents will hold a greater impact than a faceless nobody behind a computer screen in their living room Krystel. As the CFO of Acquisitions MY bids will be given greater weight on the trading floor. We most show the utmost propriety in our dealings during the final part of the takeover to avoid the implications of insider trading.” Anna gave all three a hard searching looking. “The SEC will be watching for anyone trying to capitalize on a hostile takeover while GWT scrambles to reorganize. Especially among the Board of Directors. They will not be looking at an outsider going in for the kill as hard, but the trades must be made from a recognized trading location that is not a day trader’s computer.”

Krystel and Kimberly gave Anna searching looks as Lyssa asked what was on all of their minds. “Out of curiosity Anna, how many times has the Madam pulled something like this over the years? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I'm merely curious.”

“I can and will only speak for myself on the matter. Four times in total. All with companies freely traded on the open market. I knew about the contracts on the CEOs beforehand and waited for the confusion to hit before making my investments. Even then only after the companies’ stock prices hit rock-bottom as a last resort to save those companies from going under. Do not think that CEOs and CFOs only practice ‘White Collar Crime’ ladies.” Anna turned deadly serious as she explained something that none of the operators ever expected to hear. “More than a few takeovers have happened due to a well-placed knife blade, drop of poison, or well-aimed bullet. Contract Killers are more common among the corporate infrastructure than people would like to believe. It is a mean, nasty, dirty, vicious, bloody, business among those that walk the halls of high finance.”

“Damn that is just cold Miss Anna. From the way you talk you would swear that there are conspiracies to control the NYSE, Dow, TSE, HKEX, and the LSE all at the same time.” Kimberly joked only to get a dirty look from the older woman and a harsh glare from Lyssa. “Sorry Miss Anna. It’s just that the way you were talking there is some kind of insider trading among Hitters.”

“No need to apologize Kimberly for stating what is an unknown truth. While it is not common; Hitters do talk to each other. From time to time anyway. Usually seeking information on a mark. This is never a one-way exchange. To get something, you have to give something. Most of the time it is a deposit in your account or a marker coin. Among those Hitters that work in the corporate world infrastructure it is usually a trading tip on a stock that will be swing up or down.” Anna got a faraway look in her eyes. “One of the best trading tips I ever got was because I helped a Corporate Hitter with ENRON. He advised me to sell everything I had in the company before it went in the toilet. Trust me, I heeded his advice.”

Lyssa looked at the older woman with wondering eyes. “How much would you have lost if not for that tip?”

“Let’s just say that I would have had to come out of retirement for personal reasons.” Anna growled. “I may be a hired assassin, but I never screwed over the innocent bystander. If the kind gentlemen in the DOJ hadn’t take them down. I would have gladly done so for them.”

Seeing Anna’s mood darken Kimberly decided to change the topic. “While you’re here Miss Anna. Can you take a look at the ledger pages that Gemini sent us? They’re coded and need extra eyes.”

“Of course, Kimberly. Just let me get a cup of tea and I’ll get started on them.” Anna gave her a smile in thanks.

“Also, Miss Anna, would you have any idea as to why Annette would have gotten two dozen donuts, half gallon of coffee, and three toasted sesame seed bagels?” Krystel asked her.

“Krystle are you tracking the Marshal and her team’s expenses?” Anna asked.

“Anna we always do that. Just in case we have to cover for something out of the ordinary. We even do it for Lyssa, Tiffany, and Shawna when They’re deployed. Standard Procedure.” Kimberly informed her. “What is odd, she used the card. The Deputies normally use cash for such things.”

“She had to have still been in her night-time work clothes Krystel. That’s the only reason why she used the credit card. By the way; were those bagels special ordered?” Anna asked with a curious smile.

“Um… just a second.” Krystel typed way on her computer. “Yes. Three toasted sesame seed bagels: lox, cream cheese, tomato, sliced onion, cucumbers and. Wait. What the hell; Peanut butter?” Krystel looked up at Anna. “What the hell Miss Anna? Is this some kind of weird Italian food carving?”

Anna just groaned and then face-palmed. “Not exactly. But when the Marshal contacts us; do expect to have her arrange for sending Annette home.”

This grabbed the Command Staff’s attention. Maria wasn’t known for sending part of her team home in the middle of an operation. Lyssa once again asked the question on all their minds. “Why Anna?”

“Five will get you fifty that Annette is pregnant.” Anna told them bluntly. “That was what Madam Maria craved during her first trimester. I just hope we can get her those damned bagels and everything else for her. If she is anything like her mother, Annette will be a right unholy bitch without them.”

“Oh Hell. A highly trained old-world assassin, now pregnant. WUNDERBAR. Once those hormones kick in and then the mood swings will anybody be safe?” Kimberly jokingly asked of the gathered women.

“I promise if she is like her mother in any way; I’ll personally take away all of her guns, knives and explosives.” Anna chuckled. “How are we setup for oysters, clams and tabasco sauce?”

“Excuse me, but did you say oysters, clams, and tabasco sauce? You’re kidding right Miss Anna?” Kimberly asked her.

“Oh no, I’m quite serious Kimberly. When Madam Maria was pregnant with Annette during the last part of her first trimester and first part of her second trimester, Maria absolutely carved those three items. She had to have oysters and clams with every meal. She put tabasco sauce on everything. Including her bagels. Thankfully, she grew out of that particular craving before she entered her third trimester.” When Anna thought about Maria’s final cravings she shuttered. “I just hope we can get those disgusting things flown in for Annette’s last craving if she is anything like Maria.”

“What is so bad about Maria’s last craving?” Lyssa really wanted this juicy gossip on her longtime friend. “What could the great Prima Maria the Dove DeMarco crave that would cause you to shudder?”

Anna looked over at the three of them with dread filled eyes and a pale white face as she answered. “White Castle hamburgers with a side order of Gold Star five-way Cincinnati style chili.”

All three Operators groaned in unison. “Aw shit.”

-----tbc-----

Kasey, and Kristine hooked up their hard drives to the Earth Roamer’s computers the second they were secure. With the information they had stripped from Vickers’ home computers on the way back to ONYSSIUS and the command team for further examination, the girls started scanning the ledger books that were recovered from Vickers’ safe. This was hard evidence of Vickers’ participation in the conspiracy. The ledgers were also the connection between Abrams, Price, Vickers and two other unknown suspects.

While the girls were handling the recovered evidence Bobby and Hunter were over at the campground showers cleaning up. By the time they returned the girls were set to get their own showers and change. With the girls out of the way, the two men sat down and took care of cleaning their equipment. First up were the Tactical .45 pistols. With only four weapons to clean and oil, the two men had them done in next to no time. Next was their team’s dive gear. While the Black Badges didn’t use the equipment often, they still took care of all their equipment. The team did everything it could to ensure their success in their duties. Taking care of all their equipment was just one part of their daily choirs to ensure that success.

When the girls returned; they were dressed in shorts, t-shirts and sandals. To the outside observer they appeared to be your everyday tourist teenagers. Both girls gave their fathers a quick hug and got to work helping them clean their equipment from last night’s raid. The sun was just rising as the women of the Black Badge team returned. Bobby just smiled and pointed towards the campground showers. “Go get cleaned up first. It’s best that the civilians don’t see you four right now. We got time until we have to report in.”

Maria returned his smile and led her half of the team to get cleaned up and changed. A half-hour later they all returned wearing something similar to Kasey and Kristine. The only difference was the adults were wearing capri pants or leggings instead of shorts. Annette stopped at the Grey Ghost to grab the donuts, coffee and her bag. With all of the adults gathered around the table Annette placed the boxes in the center along with the coffee. She kept the bag as she found her seat next to Bobby.

Maria watched her daughter as she pulled out the first bagel. Maria noticed that it was topped with lox, cream cheese, tomato, sliced onion, cucumbers and something else.

Keeping her features schooled, Maria asked her daughter sweetly. “Annette, dear, does that bagel have peanut butter?”

In just about any other setting Maria’s seemingly innocent question would not have near the impact. Bobby, and Hunter both looked over at their wife in confusion. Samantha fell out of her chair as she dropped her chocolate glazed donut with sprinkles. Kasey and Kristine both spit milk out their noses. As surprising as Maria question was, Annette’s answer would be a nuke going off.

Smiling happily around a mouthful of bagel, Annette answered her mother. “Yes, ma’am. Oh god, this just tastes so good! I have two more if you want half?”

“Annette. Just how long have you been craving toasted sesame seed bagels with lox, cream cheese, tomato, sliced onion, cucumbers AND peanut butter?” Once again Maria’s seemingly innocent question had greater impact among her team than one would expect.

The teens were lost in true confusion. The men were staring at Annette with anticipation. Samantha who had barely regained her seat joined her husbands in staring. For the first time Angelic felt that something far more important was going on with her aunt’s team.

“I started getting the cravings about three weeks ago mama. Why?” Annette took another bite of her bagel and munched happily.

“When was you last monthly visitor? Be honest with me please?” Maria asked.

Swallowing her current mouthful Annette got a thoughtful look on her face. It took her a few minutes to figure out the answer. “Um… just over seven weeks ago. Right after we took down those four gunrunners in Phoenix for Lyssa and the Major. Then I started to get the carvings a week later. Ish.”

Maria turned to Kasey. “Kasey take Big Blue and find a Walgreens or Walmart. Get three different Home Pregnancy test kits. Use cash.”

Kasey didn’t even blink an eye. She just ran inside the Earth Roamer grabbed her purse. When she came back out, Kasey just climbed by the wheel of the blue F-150 and started the engine. Samantha was the first to regain her ability to talk among the adult members of the Deputies.

“Mom are you saying that Annette might be pregnant?” Samantha asked her.

“That is exactly what I’m saying. Especially if she is having that craving.” Maria just looked down at Annette who was ignoring the others. She was enjoying her bagel too much to care right now. Her craving was finally being satisfied. That was all that she cared about.

“Aunt Maria I know that this is going to sound harsh, but what about our mission? How will this effect what we must do?” Angelic didn’t want to just drop everything because of her cousin’s pregnancy.

“If Annette tests positive. Then I’ll send her back to the island on the next available flight. Then we will continue on with what people we do have.” Looking around at the gathered team members. “ALL of which are far more capable than what most Special Operations Group Teams can dream of having.”

“Mumu’s sright A’gel’c. Unter n’ Booby, r’ ‘wo o’ the est rackers’ ther’ ‘s. Sam ‘s th’ Hem’ock Roos’. Un r’ girls kno’ mor’ about comp’ters than uo or us.” Annette told Angelic smiling with a mouth full of bagel and toppings.

Angelic just sat there shaking her head with a sigh she turned to Samantha. “Semmi, could you please translate that for me. Her subtitles aren’t working.”

“What our dear Annette said is that ‘Mom is right, Angelic. Hunter and Bobby are two of the best trackers there is. I am the current Hemlock Rose. And our daughters know more about computers than you or any of us.” Samantha poked Annette in the ribs. “Next time finish chewing and swallow before answering someone’s question, sis.”

This time Annette swallowed then stuck her tongue out at Samantha. “Don’t interrupt me. It’s not my fault she can’t understand English.”

“Enough you two.” Maria snapped. “Annette no more talking while eating; you know better. Samantha you will give your sister some leeway here. Half her problem right now is that damned craving is driving her crazy.”

“Er!” Kristine added.

Maria tried not to smile. “Indeed.”

Both women just nodded their heads yes as Maria handed out her orders. “Good. Now that we’ve taken care of the lesson in manners. Kristine, were you able to compile a packet for Stronghold?”

Angelic raised her hand. “Excuse me, Marshal. But who is this Stronghold you keep referring to? I don’t mean to sound ignorant, but are they the people back on the island?”

Six sets of hard cold eyes turned on Angelic as Maria answered her niece. “Stronghold is our Operations Command Center. They monitor our activities while in the field. As for WHO they are, that is none of the Iscariot Division’s concern. Am I understood, Sister Magdalena?”

“I owe them nothing anymore, Marshal.” Setting actions to words Angelic reached under her blouse collar and removed the solid black rosery of the Iscariot Division. Angelic dropped the rosary on the table. “My Superiors sent me here to handle this mess. They had to know what I would find. They had to be hoping that I would break. Then they could reshape me into a more useful tool. I will not become their personal weapon.”

“You do not have to leave the faith Angelic. You don’t even have to leave the Church.” Maria placed her hand on her niece’s shoulder giving her a sad but knowing smile. “We can fly you out as well. I can have you in one of your old Order Houses by the end of the day. All you have to do is ask.”

“No ma’am. I will complete this mission first. See it to the end. Then I will deal with those that believe they can manipulate a DeMarco for personal gain.” The snarl in Angelic’s voice left no doubt about how she planned to deal with her superiors in the Iscariot Division. Maria just sighed. She knew that this would happen.

“In our hands rests the blade of vengeance and justice. Take care as they cut both ways, niece.” Maria knew that after what had happened at Vickers' home and the warehouse earlier that Angelic would have a hard time returning to the Sisterhood. She had been forced by her superiors in the Iscariot Division and circumstances to break one of her vows. Maria knew the young woman had reluctantly joined their ranks as a Moonless Wraith. Now that she had it would be hard turning her from the path of revenge.

“I remember my lessons at Grandmother’s knee aunt Maria. I will not let my need for justice turn to a thirst for revenge. That is not the way of our family. I can wait for when the time comes.” Angelic never took her eyes off the solid black rosary. “He wanted to turn me into a weapon. Now, he has. I just won’t let him control me the way he wants.”

“Who is this Priest cousin?” Annette asked quietly. She knew that her family had been burned by the Iscariots in the past, and Samantha more recently.

“Monsignor Johnathan Delacorte, Head of the Art Recovery Division within the Iscariot Order. Why?” Angelic asked as she looked at the others.

“Kristine, can you hack into the records of the Iscariot Order from here?” Samantha asked just above a snarl.

The teen just gave her mother a look of ‘Are you kidding’ before setting actions to words. The adults just sat back and enjoyed their donuts and coffee or in Annette’s case bagels as the teen worked. After about ten minutes Kristine stopped and put in her earbuds. Hitting play, the teenager fell away into the ether of cyberspace.

As Kristine worked, Kasey returned with the requested test kits. Looking over at Kristine and what she was doing, the older teen just handed the kits to her mother and grabbed her earbuds before sitting down in front of her laptop. She never said a word to the adults. She just hit play and dove into cyberspace next to her sister. Within seconds, the world's only Gemini Deity class CyberWarfare Operator was slicing their way into the very heart of the oldest Intelligence Agency in the world.

Angelic just sat there watching in awe as this pair of teenagers slipped through the firewall and security of one of the most secure systems in the known world. All with nothing more than a pair of laptops. “Holy Mary, mother of our Savoir and Lord. If they can do this with just a pair of laptops. What could they do with access to a full server array?”

The other adults just chuckled as they all realized that Kasey and Kristine already had access to just such an array. One so powerful that it had few if any counterparts in the Western hemisphere. Named after the ancient Greek God of Retribution; ONYSSIUS and redesigned by a Cyber Warfare Operator that no longer had a classification. Of the gathered adults, only Maria truly understood what her granddaughters were able to do with the continuous connection and the array back on Ram’s Rock. She also knew the dangers that the two teens faced when they went diving.

“Annette now that you’ve finished that second bagel take those test kits and use them.” She ordered from where she stood behind the teens. When Annette didn't get up immediately but instead reached for her third bagel Maria snapped. “I just gave you an order, Deputy. Carry it out!”

Annette blinked and grabbed the bag from Walgreens. “Yes ma’am.”

“Samantha, go with her. Make sure she uses all three if she can.” Maria ordered. Maria needed to be positive before their morning briefing with Stronghold. Because if Annette was pregnant, she would be flying out that afternoon and Paul would need to be notified of the change in personnel.

Both women moved to carry out their mother’s order without question. Bobby and Hunter looked over at Maria and their daughters. Something had been bothering the two men ever since they first took this operation. Now that they were basically alone, they decided to broach the subject.

“Mom, you and the girls have been on pins and needles ever since we took this assignment. What the fuck is going on between the DeMarco’s and this Iscariot Division? It’s not like you haven’t dealt with spies before.” Hunter asked her bluntly as he gave Angelic a hard glare.

“Do not blame her boys. This is something that goes back over centuries. The DeMarco and Capizeo families have crossed paths one too many times with the Iscariot Division. Every time the Iscariot Division has tried to double cross one of the two families if not both. The last time wasn’t pretty. It sent the only surviving member of a Capizeo family on a killing spree. A killing spree of revenge that ended with the life of the Iscariot Priest that gave them the order.” It didn’t take a building falling on Bobby and Hunter’s heads to know who Maria was talking about. They knew about Samantha’s days of hiding out from the Mob in Toledo before she finally made her way to the US Federal Building.

“Hold up mom. I know that there was a bunch of Priests that helped Samantha out back then. They even went so far as to hide her for a few days. She and they said so.” Bobby knew that there was more to this story that they had never heard. Now was his chance to get another piece of the puzzle that is Samantha Justice. “Just who was this Priest that sent Samantha on that killing spree?”

Maria sighed. She could tell that even Angelic wanted to know more about that time in her cousin’s life. Checking to make sure that Kasey and Kristine were lost to the world around them gave the three a hard stare. “What I tell you must never be repeated to those back home. AM I understood?”

A round of ‘yes ma’am’ answered her question. “Just after her family was butchered Samantha made her way to St. Jadwiga of Poland Catholic Church. There the Priests gave her sanctuary. That was until three days later. A Priest of the Iscariot Division arrived from Rome. He had been sent to verify the deaths of the Capizeo family. When he found Samantha, no; Joseph there he became angered with the Priests of St. Jadwiga. Instead of extending the sanctuary of the Church to Joseph he threw him out.”

“Wait a minute here. I thought that the Church was basically required to provide sanctuary to any and all who seek it within their walls.” Hunter demanded. He had had too many runners use that a way to escape arrest.

“It doesn’t always happen Hunter. Any Church can extend or refuse to give sanctuary to someone. They don’t have to give a reason.” Angelic explained. “And there are Orders within the Church that can revoke sanctuary once it has been given. The Iscariot Division is just one such Order.”

“Okay; so we got some asshole Priest, showing up and revoking Samantha’s sanctuary. The fuck stick then throws her out into the streets. Did he know about the bounty that was on her head?” Bobby snarled. He was rapidly coming to understand why his First Wife had such a hard-on hate for the Order.

Maria took a deep breath and slowly let it out her nose before continuing. “Yes. The man knew all about that bounty. In fact, the Iscariot Division had known about the hit on Joseph and his family for months prior. They saw it as an opportunity to rid themselves of an extremely painful thorn in their side. Namely one of the two families of the Moonless Wraith Guild and the current Hemlock Rose. Hoping that the mob would finally remove the one family of assassins that is more feared than the DeMarco’s.”

“Wait. Are you saying that the Capizeo family was more feared than the DeMarco’s? I find that hard to believe aunt Maria.” Angelic was astounded by this revaluation. “I’ve always been told that the DeMarco family was the most feared of assassins.”

“That has been a recent development Angelic. Remember it took two whole families to kill off the Capizeo family back home in Sicily. Even at six-to-one odds the Capizeo family did not go quietly. They took both families to the grave with them.” Gave Angelic an appraising glare. “Did you not pay attention in your lessons with your grandmother?”

“Oh, I paid attention aunt Maria. It’s just that by the time I started my lessons with grandmother the Capizeo family was fast becoming a mythical legend.” Angelic blushed. “I just put the stories of their supposedly deadliness down to just that; stories. Nothing more than that.”

“Those were not tall-tales Angelic. They were truths that barely concealed the truth of the Hemlock Roses.” Angelic wasn’t the only one listening hard to what Maria was saying. This was all new information to the two men. “We of the Lithium Flower have always been more numerous but the Hemlock Roses have always been the deadlier. There are secrets of assassination that only Samantha knows. Secrets that she will only pass on to her daughters and sister wife. We, the DeMarco’s, may have perfected the Way of the Dancing Blade, but the Capizeo’s hold the secret to a far deadly martial art. One that has only been taught to three DeMarco’s in all of our history.”

“Are you one of those holders Maria?” Hunter asked her in a voice barely above a whisper. The idea of there being a martial art deadlier than the Way of the Dancing Blade was not one he or Bobby wanted to confront. They had already seen Evolution performed by Lyssa, the Demon Wraiths, Tiffany, Shawna and Krystel. For there to be another such deadly art form was almost terrifying for the two men.

“I am not, Hunter. The third DeMarco to know that secret is Annette. After I am finished with Kasey and Kristine’s training Samantha shall begin to teach them the ‘Sonno della bella morte’ and all the secrets that go with that deadly art from. When we are gone your daughters will hold the secrets of two families of assassins.” Maria answered honestly. Knowing full well the impact of what her words would be on the three gathered adults.

Bobby decided to get back to the original topic. “Right. Now, you said that some Iscariot Priest revoked Joseph Capizeo’s request for sanctuary. What happened after that? Where did he go?”

“Young Joseph pleaded with the Monsignor of the Church to stay. Only to have the Iscariot asshole overrule him. The man told Joseph that if he wanted the protection of the Holy Cee that he would have to prove himself. That the Iscariot Division had no need for the half-trained whelp of a Capizeo whore. His exact words after that, are unknown to me, but he basically ordered Joseph to kill or destroy the Great Lakes Organization to prove his worth. That only then would the Church offer him sanctuary, but only as a member of the Iscariot Division. You know what happened to the Organization. Before Joseph turned himself into the Marshals, however, he went back to the St. Jadwiga of Poland Catholic Church. There he slipped back in during the middle of the night. He found the Judas Priest and slit the man’s throat in his sleep.” Maria looked over at the very stunned Angelic. “Yes, child. Joseph Capizeo killed a member of the cloth in their sleep. I also know that he has never felt one ounce of guilt over killing that man. That was only the last person he killed during that time. No one really knows how many bodies he left in his wake to fulfill that awful order by that arrogant Priest. None, but Samantha Justice.”

“Damn. I always knew that Samantha had her demons. I have even read the case file that the Marshals have on her during that time. None of what you just told us in that file, Maria.” Bobby was looking down at his hands. “To think, all of that bloodshed could have been avoided.”

“Now, I understand why Samantha hates the Iscariots so much. Care to tell us why you and Annette have a problem with them now, Maria?” Hunter asked.

“The Iscariot Division used Joseph Capizeo to clean up their mess. They then turned their backs on him. They treated a member of my family as nothing more than an expendable tool. You do not double cross my family like that and live.” Maria answered Hunter quickly.

“Aunt Maria why did they order the deaths of the Capizeo’s? I mean the Church is supposed to hold itself above that type of corruption.” Angelic asked in more confusion than she wanted to show.

“Marko Capizeo was the accountant for the Great Lakes Organization Angelic. The Iscariot Division was using the Organization to funnel money into the LOG party accounts. What all Marko knew exactly is still a mystery. All I do know, is that it got him, and his family targeted by the Iscariots.” Maria sighed heavily. “Even after we took them down nobody knows why they had to die.”

“Why’s that Maria? We had all the evidence. There should have been something in those files to tell you why.” Bobby pointed out. “Hell, I know that you’ve gone over those files back home a hundred times.”

“Because the evidence that she needs isn’t in those files Bobby.” Sam’s voice had the adults turning to face the two women as they returned to the campsite. There was a crooked smile on Sam’s face. One that the Black Badge Deputies knew meant trouble for someone. “There is only one person who knows where that evidence is right now. And they’ll never talk.”

“Where did you hide it Samantha?” Maria asked her lightly. “Where are your father’s books? You no longer have to hold the secret.”

“Wrong mama. Those books keep me safe and the Iscariot Division at bay. Safe being relative of course. I made sure that only one other person knows where those books are. If anything should happen to me. Let’s just say that the world will know all about the Iscariot Division and how they have tried to control every election since Kennedy. I doubt that the Holy Roman Catholic Church wants to face a bunch of pissed off American rednecks with shotguns and hunting rifles.” Samantha snarked.

“Don’t you think that those books can help us now?” Maria asked her. Samantha was forced to think about what her adopted mother was asking her. “They could very well give us the edge we need.”

“Sorry, mom, but those books stay where they are. This way they’re more of a danger to the Iscariot pigs.” Sam stood fast on her position of that long-buried evidence. “Besides it won’t do any good to go digging up the past. Nothing there but old slights and hurt feelings. You taught us to never let emotions get in the way of a contract.” Maria knew not to push the matter with Samantha. Just as did the rest of the team.

“There’ll be time enough later for dealing with the good brothers and sisters of the Iscariot Division.” Samantha snarled.

Angelic didn’t need a boulder dropped on her head to get the hint. The subject was closed for now.

“Annette, what were the results of the tests?” Maria asked.

“All three came back positive.” Annette answered as she walked around the table to her seat. Reaching inside her bag she pulled out the last bagel. Then in a whiny voice. “Now can I please get back to eating my breakfast?”

That brought a chuckled to everyone there, but the two teens who were still lost to the outside world. The adults sat there eating donuts and drinking their morning coffee as the girls danced their way through the world of cyberspace. They had long ago breached the heart of the Iscariot Division’s mainframe server farm. They were hunting specific information on a particular member of that organization. Nothing was going to stand in their way.

T.O.C. Ram’s Rock Island

Krystel’s attention was drawn to her workstation by the sound of a klaxon sounding. Anna gave her a strange look and the Cyber-warfare Operator just chuckled. “That’s just my warning to let me know that is Gemini accessing ONYSSIUS. Let’s see what the girls are up too now.”

Setting down at her station Krystel opened her monitoring link for the ALOC. What she saw worried her.

“Anna do you know why Kristine would be operating on her own, or why she would be trying to hack RUBUS in Rome?” Krystel asked intently.

“I can only give you answer for half that question. Madam has most likely sent Kasey after a few home pregnancy tests for Miss Annette. As for why Kristine is hacking RUBUS. It has to be something concerning the Iscariots.” Anna almost growled the last half of her answer.

“I think I better give her a hand.” Krystel quickly logged-in and began to give Kristine the help.

Lyssa and Kimberly though were giving Anna strange and questioning looks. Here was a source of information for potential mission problems they needed to access.

“Anna can you tell us exactly what is pissing in Maria’s Cheerios? What is her beef with the Iscariot Division? She has been on edge ever since the good sister showed up the other day. It can't be the fact that they’re a bunch of completely self-serving, self-righteous, sanctimonious assholes. Everybody knows and expects it.” Lyssa questioned the older women.

The urge to chuckle at Lyssa's blunt and correct assessment was hard to resist.

Instead, a sigh that escaped Anna was long and heavy. “This is not my story to tell Prima Lyssa. What I can tell you is that the DeMarco’s have a long, sordid, and vile history with the Iscariot Priests. As for the Capizeo family that is a subject that is best left to the past.”

“Why is that exactly? What could be so terrible that it is best left in the past? Talk to me here Anna. I need to know if there is a potential for mission problems. Namely with Samantha.” Lyssa stated then reminded. “Problems I may have to deal with.”

Anna remembered the conversation Maria had with her. Lyssa was not to deploy. For reasons only Maria could be told, Lyssa could only deploy if an operation was completely failing without chance of recovery and all personnel had to be recalled. Not even the Major knew the specific reasons, only that the order came down from too high to go around or ignore.

“It goes back to when Samantha was still Joseph Capizeo and the men that murdered his family in their own home.” Anna turned and looked up at the main screen. It was if the old woman was wishing for her friend to interrupt them with a team update just then. “And the unholy vengeance that child brought down on all those she held responsible for their deaths. Including the Iscariot Division Priest that set her on that path of bloody revenge.”

Lyssa finally asked the one question that had been off the table from the day that Samantha Justice first set foot on Ram’s Rock Island. “Anna just how many people did Stephany Capizeo put in the ground before she finally walked through the doors of the Federal Building?”

The three operators were in no way prepared for the old woman’s answer. “Nobody truly knows the number of people that died at Stephany Capizeo’s hand by the time she walked in off the streets to the Federal Building. What I do know is that several Made-men, countless street thugs and one Priest of the Iscariot Division were all dead either by bullet, blade or barehand. The days following the deaths of Stephany Capizeo’s family are still called the ‘Reckoning’ amongst the Mafia families of Ohio.”

“Sweet mother of God.” Kimberly whispered. “I’ve heard you say on more than one occasion that Samantha was the deadliest of the Deputies, Miss Anna. What I want to know is just how truly deadly is Samantha?”

“There are two families within the Moonless Wraith Guild. While the DeMarco family have always been the more numerous it was always the Capizeo family that were the most feared. For as deadly as Madam Maria is, there are secrets of assassination known only to Stephany Capizeo. The greatest of those secrets is ‘Sonno della bella morte’. This one secret has never been taught to those outside of the Capizeo Family and is known only to the Hemlock Rose.” Anna explained for the operations chief. “Maria and I both hoped and feared that those secrets were lost to time when Mary Capizeo was murdered.”

“Okay; this isn’t a place we were supposed to be, but we’re here now and have to go with it. Anna, there questions that I would like for you to answer. First; why are you now calling Samantha the Hemlock Rose? Next; how did anyone ever get the drop on Mary and Marko Capizeo if they were both so deadly? Finally, why did you ‘hope and fear’ that the secrets of the Capizeo family were lost to time?” Lyssa asked the older woman intently.

Anna took note of Lyssa’s tone and wording. Lyssa wasn’t asking for herself. She was asking those questions, in that manner, for the others and if she would have to report. For some reason Anna felt that Lyssa actually knew more than she let on and did not like revealing what she did know.

“Firstly, Prima Lyssa, Samantha Justice has by all rights always been the Hemlock Rose. She has carried her mother’s blade for the last three years as is her right. Samantha just hasn’t stepped forward into her role as the Hemlock Rose until recently. The answer to how those men got the ‘drop’ on Samantha’s parents unfortunately is simple. They used her sisters as shields as they killed her parents one at a time. After that they put a bullet into the heads of her sisters. Just because they feared the vendetta of those two teenage girls were, they allowed to live.” As Anna told of the gathered operators of that dark and deadly time, she could tell that they were hanging on her every word. This was all new information for the OICA.

“If they could have found Joseph, they would have killed him instead of it being the other way around. As for why we had hoped for the Capizeo family secrets being lost to time. Let’s just say that there are ways of killing that should never see the light of day. As for why we feared the thought of losing them it would mean that the Capizeo family and the last Hemlock Rose was no longer among us.” Anna explanation made the two operators rethink the traditions of the two families of assassins.

“Anna, what can you tell me about this ‘Sleep of the beautiful death’? Expand on that please. I'm fairly certain we will see this material again.” Lyssa continued.

“One must first master the Way of the Dancing Blade before even attempting the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. The last known true Mistress of the art was Mary Elisabeth Capizeo, Samantha’s mother. Until recently both Maria and I believed that Mary had been unable to pass on her knowledge to Samantha.” Anna answered honestly. “The Sleep of the Beautiful Death is an unarmed or armed form of martial art known only to the Capizeo family.”

“What makes it so deadly?” Kimberly asked bluntly.

“It can kill with a single strike and leaves behind no mark. It is said that a Mistress or Master can walk past their target in the morning delivering the killing strike and the target never know it. They can go all day never knowing that they are about to die. Not until the target lies down to sleep that night do, they actually die.” Anna got a faraway look in her eye. “I remember the day that Mary Capizeo killed that Stasi pig, Rudolf Hess just outside of the Boar's Head guesthouse in Würzburg Germany. She bumped into the man on the sidewalk. She apologized profusely to the pig then just went about her shopping. The next morning the maid found the man dead in a locked and secure room on the fifth floor of the guesthouse.”

“Holy shit! What did the man die of?” Kimberly asked trying to figure out how a person could take all day to die and not know it. Nothing was adding up. Surely a person could tell that something was wrong and seek medical attention.

“No one knows. All the coroner’s report said was undetermined natural causes. I doubt that anyone could tell you except, maybe for one person, Samantha.” Anna’s honest answer gave Kimberly the shivers, while Lyssa remained silent.

“Anna, I have been under the impression that Samantha wasn’t trained the same way as her sisters. Why would she now know the secrets of this martial art?” Lyssa asked.

“A trunk she brought with her from her home in Ohio held more than just family mementos. She also carried with her in that trunk all of her mother’s journals and the Capizeo family chronicles. Those chronicles hold the secrets concerning the Sleep of the Beautiful Death and several other secrets of assassination known only to the Capizeo family.” Anna turned and gave Lyssa steady glare. “Secrets that are known only to the true Hemlock Rose.”

“Then why did you refer to Maria as the Hemlock Rose in Italy?” Lyssa asked. “If Samantha is supposed to be this Hemlock Rose.”

“As the Head of the Moonless Wraith Guild, Madam Maria was only holding the title until Samantha stepped forward to claim her family’s rightful title, Prima Lyssa. You have to understand that Samantha has spent the last two years working towards one goal. The final mastery of those secrets hidden within the Capizeo Family chronicles.” Anna could tell that the next question was going to be one that she really didn’t want to answer.

Lyssa asked directly. “Anna, do you or Maria know precisely where this Sleep of the Beautiful Death originated?”

Anna sighed as she just knew that Lyssa would ask.

“You are familiar with similar techniques, as I had guessed. All I know is that it was first noted in the Capizeo family in fourteen-fifty-seven. Where it came from; only they know. Its origin has never been revealed to any outsiders. That includes the DeMarco family.” Anna was saved from having to explain further by Krystel interrupting them.

“Miss Anna, what can you tell us about the Art Recovery Division of the Iscariot Division? Are they like the Art Recovery Division for the Gendarmerie Corps and most of Interpol?” Krystel asked the old woman.

“Only if you consider bears and tigers the same. The Gendarmerie Corps do all in their power to work within the law and the light of day. Those thugs of the Iscariots don’t care how they complete their assignment or how many body-bags they fill to achieve success.” Anna snarled.

“What about the Order of Saint Nicolas, Sister Magdalena’s old order? How are they different?” Kimberly asked Anna with more than a little confusion.

“The Order of Saint Nicolas is not part of the Iscariot Division. To be truthful I was more than a little surprised at seeing Angelic wearing that particular habit. The Iscariots rarely if ever let another order within their ranks.” Anna’s honest and blunt answer caught the three operators by surprise. “Of all the branches of the Church that one Division is the most secretive. Why do you ask?”

“Gemini is digging through the life and times for the head of that section for the Iscariots. One Monsignor Johnathan Delacorte. Any idea why?” Krystel asked as she put the file on the main screen.

Anna took one look at the picture for the Monsignor and wanted to start swearing. If she had been alone, she would have cursed up a blue streak. She may still do so when she is alone at home. “If that is who they are investigating then, Maria and her team might have a real problem on their hands. I don’t know how that man ever joined the Iscariot Division let alone the Church, but he is not who he says he is!”

“Tell us Anna, just who is that man? Is he a threat to the Black Badge operations, and if so, how?” Lyssa asked bluntly.

“His real name is Alfonzo Delicato. Former Under-boss and missing Consigliere for the Calabrese family out of Detroit Michigan. The man is on the FBI’s Most wanted list. I think it is somewhere around number twenty. Maybe a little higher? What I do know is this. With that man as Angelic’s immediate superior, I now know why this whole operation is being done under the cloak of darkness and in the shadows of night.” Anna took a deep breath and sighed as she pointed up at the main screen. “The Major may not know who is behind this whole mess within the Vatican and those missing Novices, but I do. There is the connection that we have been looking for between Abrams and his little mail-order bride scam. He has the connections to ensure that those girls go from their convents straight onto Abrams’ ships.”

“When you say connections Anna, just what are we talking about here?” Kimberly asked her with more than a little concern.

“Before Alfonzo dropped off the face of the earth, he was the Calabrese family’s main contact with a known arms dealer by the name of Charles Andrews. I would give you even odds that the initials CIA in those ledgers stands for Charles Ira Andrews, instead of the Central Intelligence Agency. I won’t even bother with trying to calculate the odds that Andrews is the one that handles all of the White Slavery for Abrams.” Anna was once again interrupted but this time by a signal from the screen.

“That’s the Marshal.” Lyssa turned to Krystle. “Bring them up Krystel.”

Krystel nodded. “Aye Sergeant-Major.”

“Morning Stronghold.” Maria greeted them from the main screen. “We have a minor personnel problem. I need to send the Black Swan home.”

“I need a reason for the extraction Marshal. Is it medical or clerical in nature?” Lyssa could tell by Maria’s smile that something good was in the pipeline. She also knew that Maria needed to know what Anna had informed the command team of concerning Angelic’s Monsignor.

“Medical, Ops. It seems that the Black Swan is in the family way. She is no longer operational until further notice. Is Ramrod or Lonestar available for pick up in Freeport?” Maria asked.

“Transport will be arranged Marshal. Congratulations by the way on that good news. I am correct, that this is good news?” Lyssa smirked.

“It is good news, very good news. Now, I know that you have been monitoring Gemini’s dive. Has she been able to discern anything that they may have missed? I could use some good news on that front.” Maria sighed.

“I don’t know about good news, but we do have news. We’ve found Abrams’ connection between the convents and Abrams. Charles Ira Andrews and Monsignor Johnathan Delacorte of the Iscariots.” Krystel informed her. “Which brings us all to a serious problem. Delacorte is an alias. No surprise at that. His real name is Alfonzo Delicato, which is a surprise.”

“Wait! Did you just say that slug Delacorte is really Alfonzo Delicato?” Angelic practically screamed. “I will handle that 'man' when I return to Rome my Donna. This I swear to you here and now. He will answer for his crimes against the Church, the DeMarco’s and Holy God. Most importantly though the crimes he has committed against the Wraiths of the Moonless Night Guild.”

All four of the women in the TOC could hear the change in the young nun’s voice. Gone was the idealistic novice who had sworn that she would never take a human life. Here before them now was a young woman pushed to her limits. A young woman that had been trained in the traditions of her family. Monsignor Johnathan Delacorte’s days were now numbered by the span of Angelic DeMarco’s fingers. Only Anna knew that she would never get passed the third finger of the first hand upon her return to Rome. First though they needed to deal with the new mark that had been added to their target list.

“This just keeps getting better. Somebody stand her down.” Lyssa muttered, more to herself than anyone, but all heard her. “Continue update.”

“We will deal with that man when the time comes, child. For now, we must handle our current problems. The first of which is the location of Sylvia Price. Stronghold any update on that front?” Maria asked quickly.

“Affirmative. You have a two-day window before Price will be at her home in Cutchogue Station. Plenty of time to make the drive. If you want, we can arrange for pickup of the whole team and fly you up.” Kimberly told Maria honestly.

“Marshal, I suggest we take the offer of a ride. That way we can take the time and do a full recon of Price’s home and the surrounding area.” Hunter spoke up from where he was sitting. “ALSO; Annette can fly back home on the C-17 and not draw attention by nosey civilian authorities.”

Maria thought about what Hunter suggested. “What are you boys thinking? What have we missed? You’re normally not this concerned about a recon for a target like Price. And don’t give some bs reason.”

“Price will most likely have a few BCD or HD monkey-nuts working for her as security. She’ll at least have four of the ass wipes that she bailed out of trouble from her time as a JAG Officer. Then you add in her dead husband’s connections we got a whole slew of other factors to look at. James Price was heavily hooked up with the labor and dock unions in New York.” Hunter explained for everyone. “I’ve kind of been following that bitch’s life ever since she got my Platoon Sergeant burned out at Fort Bliss.”

“What else can you tell us about the woman Hunter?” Anna asked quickly.

Hunter looked puzzled. “I’m not sure what you mean Miss Anna.”

“What are her likes, dislikes, loves, hobbies, everything you can remember about her. Was she prone to use a certain type of shampoo? Did she only eat at set times of the day? Did she only deal with certain types of clients? Was she a risk taker or played things safe? Those types of things, my dear boy. Those little details will be what can save your team a great deal of heartburn. If not the whole operation.” Anna explained.

“I don’t know about what type of shampoo the woman used, but I do know that she loved her fine arts. By that I mean she would spend half of her paycheck on tickets for opera, ballet, theater and going to art galleries. She fancied herself a real connoisseur of the arts. She tried to hold herself above the average soldier or officer. The truth was, she went to those places cruising for a husband. A rich husband. She found him just before she ETSed.” Hunter got a funny look on his face. He looked over at Bobby. “Now that I think about it. Her husband died less than two years after they were married. You don’t think she pulled a ‘black widow’ on the guy? I mean not even she would be that crazy.”

“Hunter, buddy, I wouldn’t put it past that bitch to have done just that. You know how power mad and money hungry she was. Hell, from what I heard, she went out of her way to make herself look available to the higher-ups on more than one occasion. Then there was her nonstop attendance of all those ‘charity events’ for the rich and assholes. What I want to know is how she was able to escape a full command inquiry before she ETSed. I know for a fact that she had pulled some truly slimy shit during her time with JAG.” Bobby answered his long friend and fellow husband.

“Hunter, you said something about Price burning your old Platoon Sergeant. Exactly what happened.” Kimberly asked the very angry man and waved to Krystel. Krystel pulled up the file and began scanning through it.

Taking a deep breath Hunter thought back to the CID investigation that destroyed one man’s good name and forced Hunter’s decision on ETSing. “It all started out as a straight-forward Domestic Disturbance run to On-Base Housing. Sergeant First Class Cain, and Staff Sergeant Hunley were the first to arrive. Before back-up could arrive, things went sideways. The husband was the dependent and an El Paso firefighter, while the wife was a Spec 4. When SFC Cain and SSG Hunley made themselves known, the husband opened fire on the both of them with a Tec-9; full auto. Hunley took two to the chest, one to throat and one to the head. He died on-site. Cain returned fire hitting the husband once in the shoulder and once in the head. It was clean shoot. The problem was First Lieutenant Sylvia Cutter.”

“She had a personal connection?” Lyssa asked.

Hunter picked up where he left off. “Negative. Cutter was looking at promotion. She needed a major case to show the higher-ups that she worthy of her railroad tracks. She had already been passed over once before. The bitch sent CID and MPI after SFC Cain. She went out of her way to destroy the man. MPI and CID cleared Cain of any wrongdoing on his part, but the Board of Inquiry felt that Cain and Hunley should have waited until they had proper backup before approaching the house. They also found that Cain used excessive force. Basically, the Board went along with Cutter’s honked up list of bullshit charges. SFC Cain was given the choice of a General Discharge or forced retirement. He took forced retirement, half pension.”

Lyssa could tell there was more to that story than that. Hunter confirmed this as he finished putting the rest of the details. “What's more, for the next eight months, every MP had an MPI or CID monkey-fuck stuck to our asses. As for Cain, he ended up eating the end of his gun two months after his retirement. Thanks to the little notation that Cutter got slapped onto his DD-214. The man had twenty-five years as an active Law Enforcement Officer. He was looking forward to joining a civilian PD, but that little notation ended any chance he had at fulfilling that dream. He couldn't get bonded.”

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what Hunter left unsaid. Only the civilian side of the OICA didn’t understand what could and couldn’t be put on a DD-214. Nor the ramifications of what certain notations could have on a person’s life after the military. Kimberly cleared her throat and brought everyone back on topic.

“Okay, so the team needs pickup. Lonestar and Rodrick can handle the pickup at Eglin Air Force Base. You should be able to get there in about eleven hours. That should easily give you enough time to reach the Eglin Air Force base. Go ahead and shutdown for now. Miss Anna will be in place for when Abrams steps out for his dirt nap and the sharks start to feed on the GWT corpse.” Anna giggled in the background at Kimberly’s description of what would happen on Wall Street. “If all goes to plan, by this time four days from now, GWT will be well under our control.”

“I have no doubt about that, my dear Kimberly. Give my love to Mindy.” With that Maria cut the connection.

Lyssa turned to Kimberly, Krystel and Anna. “Well, ladies. It looks like the island population is about to grow just a little more. Come on we need to inform the Major of this development before he finds out on his own. Kimberly go ahead and call up top to let the guys know they got a pickup. That and they’re to stop on their way back to pick up enough bagels, cream-cheese and lox to last Annette for the next few months.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about getting her the oysters, clams and hot sauce. The problem is going to come when she starts craving those ungodly creations from White Castle and Cincinnati style chili.” Anna said as she shivered at the memory of Maria eating those items.

Lyssa was looking at the main monitor. “That won’t be a problem. We acquired the recipes for both, this morning.”

“How?” Anna asked. “Maria couldn’t get the chili recipe?”

Kimberly replied. “There wasn’t a Bruce back then.”

Now Anna was confused. “Who is Bruce?”

“Bruce works for White Castle. In the Test Kitchen. He has access to all recipes.” Lyssa explained.

Krystel giggled. “Lyssa made a call.”

“Bruce has a very PARTICULAR interest. Miranda Kerr. Miss Kerr owed Lyssa a favor. Bruce gets a present from Miss Kerr. Miss Kerr gets her marker back. We get recipes for our personal use.” Kimberly said with a smirk.

Lyssa sighed. “And I have to walk Yves St. Laurent for the spring collection.”

“I see. That works apparently.” Anna said then stopped. “If Miss Kerr owed you, why do you HAVE to walk the show?”

Lyssa replied. “She didn't owe that much of a favor.”

Now Anna was confused. “What did she give as a present?”

“A pair of her Victoria's Secret panties!” Krystel giggled.

Anna held her hand up. “NO MORE! I believe I understand now. Good day ladies.”

Kimberly and Krystel were laughing as Anna walked out, shaking her head.

“Don’t worry Anna, we’ll make sure Maria and Annette know what it took to get her treats.” Lyssa called back. Her tone of amusement didn’t go missed.

-----tbc-----

Sorry for the delay on this story and Racing Angles. RA will be back to the normal posting schedule next week.

Kristine sat next to her sister working on her laptop as they drove the up to Eglin Air Force Base. Like everyone else in the four-truck convoy they had been switching out every few hours in the driver’s seat. While one drove, the other was working on gathering Intel on Sylvia Price’s Long Island home in Cutchogue Station. At one of the team’s rest stops Kasey spotted the first of their obstacles. Price’s home sat in a bend of the road.

Price’s home quite literally had a perfect natural defensive setup. The home was surrounded on all four sizes by heavy woods with one side backing up to the Long Island Sound. On two of the other sides were multi-million-dollar homes. The third side fronted by an open field. The driveway was the next problem she spotted. It was more than a quarter mile long and 50-feet wide with a high security wrought iron gate crossing it. The beach area was nightmare approach. This part of the beach was more than 250-ft wide and at least a half mile from the house.

Kasey put all this into a report for Stronghold and forwarded it to Command. When she turned their investigation over to Kristine, Kasey knew that they would need a major plan for attacking the property. Kristine was even now working on how to get around these five very distinctive obstacles even now.

“Kasey, I got a crazy idea that I want to run by you. Do you promise not to laugh at me when you hear it?” Kristine asked her.

“Kristine, I will never laugh at any idea you get. Well not always. There have been a few of your ideas that are truly too far off the wall to be taken seriously. Especially if it is a way for us to get inside that fortress of Price’s.” Kasey answered as she drove.

“Price is supposed to be this big-time connoisseur and philanthropist of the performing arts, right? What if we got Nonnina to pose as a concerned investor for some performing arts school? Maybe some small-time ballet company in need of financial support?” As Kristine was outlining her thoughts Kasey could already see where sister was going.

“Double check all of Nonnina’s investments. There may be a school that we can use for that kind of a cover.” Kasey ordered her sister. Then as if an afterthought put in one more search parameter. “While you’re looking; one of those really fancy boarding schools might fit our needs. See if there's one in the area. If there is, check the school’s citations. Find what they’re teaching at the school itself.”

“Gotcha, sis. What exactly am I looking for?” Kristine asked as she began digging through the Net for what Kasey asked.

“If there is a preforming arts school nearby, we may be able to use that to our advantage. Before you ask it's simple. Price will more than likely heard of the school and will be more than willing to invite Nonnina in for a sit down. If Nonnina can get us inside, without us having to go in after night, all the better. We can get a full recon done and her security will be none the wiser.” Kasey smirked as she thought about once again using their appearance to get the job done.

Kristine giggled as she figured out what Kasey was getting at. “Just like what we did in Japan after our mission there. Only this time when we go in, we’ll be letting our appearance work for us to bely any suspicions. We’ll be laying the groundwork for our assault. That’s sneaky as shit sis.”

“I do have my moments, Kris. Have you found anything we can use yet?” Kasey knew that Kristine had been working while they talked.

“I might have what we need. It’s not one of Nonnina’s though. It is a school for the preforming arts, but it belongs to a holding company. It's called Iron Butterfly LLC. I wonder who they are?” Kristine looked up from her laptop, when Kasey giggled. “Did I say something funny, Kasey?”

“Kristine there are times you really need to pull your head out of the Network. What do you want to bet that company belongs to Prima Lyssa? Or that if you go digging into the background for the company, you’ll end up going around in circles chasing your tail?” Kasey smirked.

“What should I do? Contact Stronghold?” Kristine asked in bewilderment.

“Open the connection to Stronghold and I’ll bet Command is already waiting for us.” Kasey ordered.

Sure, enough as soon as Kristine opened the connection Kimberly answered the teens. Kimberly got straight to the point. “We were wondering when you girls would come knocking. Care to explain why you two are digging around one of Lyssa’s shell companies?”

“We were looking into a performing arts school that is owned by that shell company Command. We have an idea for getting inside to run recon, but we need more information on the school.” Kristine explained.

“What is the name of the school Gemini?” Lyssa asked.

“Terpsichore school for the preforming arts. Wholly owned by Iron Butterfly LLC.” Kristine answered quickly. “Why didn’t you tell us you owned a preforming arts school Prima?”

“You didn't ask.” Lyssa replied. “It's one of many financial operations used to secure my legend.”

“Um… Prima Lyssa according to what we found that shell company is the sole owner for that school. We have been able to figure out that the school is solely a school for dancers. They teach everything; ballet, jazz, tap and ballroom.” Kristine point out for their mentor.

“I’m not mad at you girls. I'm guessing you want to use it.” Lyssa sighed. “Seeing as how I did something similar; I'll authorize it.”

“We need more information on the school itself Sergeant Major. As you guessed, I have an idea for getting us inside for recon, but we need more Intel on the school to pull it off.” Kristine went on to explain her idea. When she finished, the command staff were laughing their asses off. Once again, the teenagers had gone outside the box with their thinking. “Did I say something Funny Sergeant Major?”

“No Kristine you haven’t. It’s just that you two girls keeping thinking outside the box that we as your teachers are amused by it. Your plan is simple. Your chances of it working are high for success. I am impressed by your on-the-fly planning. What do you need for us on this end to complete the mission?” Lyssa really was amused with the way the girls were thinking and planning.

“Other than more solid intel on that school, just our old school uniforms. Miss Anna should be able to find them in our closet. We can swing everything else from what we have onboard the ALOC.” Kasey answered quickly.

“No short cuts here Gemini. Is there any specialized equipment that you need?” Lyssa said flatly. “This is no time for half-assing your equipment.”

“Understood, Sergeant Major. We’re not. Everything we need for the rest of this assignment is onboard the ALOC or the Tactical trucks. All we need are our old school uniforms. The Marshal and the Deputies have the needed undercover clothing for what we need. Our only problem is the Intel on that school. There is nothing on the Net other than a Facebook page.” Kristine explain what their problem was.

“Gemini, the school is a legitimate school. You won’t have any problems swinging the needed background for a cursory examination. Have you informed the Marshal of your plan yet?” Krystle asked from her station.

“Not yet, ma’am. We wanted to gather as much Intel as possible before broaching the subject first. We hit a wall when we started looking into that school. We also want to run the idea by you first to see if it was even possible.” Kristine answered honestly.

The three members of the OICA command staff chuckled hearing this. It was time Lyssa that answered for them. “We’ll get you the needed intel by the time you’re ready to implement your plan. Anything else?”

“Not at this time Stronghold. Anything you need for us to pass onto the Marshal?” Kasey asked them.

“Negative Gemini. Good hunting. Stronghold out.” With that the connection was cut. As the teenagers drove through the heart of Florida, they took in the surrounding natural beauty of one of the longest states in the Union.

Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Maria looked out at the C-17 as it pulled to a stop in front of the cargo hanger. It had taken her and the others the last 5 hours to finally convince Annette to head back to the Ram’s Rock. If it hadn’t been for Maria finally putting her foot down Annette would still be trying to stay on mission. Angelic was still having a small problem with understanding how her aunt and cousins could be so casual about hunting down a high-powered criminal like Sylvia Price or Charles Andrews.

Maria was the first to greet Pete as he stepped down the loading ramp. “Thank you for coming to pick us up Peter. Sorry for the delay. Traffic was heavier than expected. How was the flight over?”

“Good to see you too. As for the flight it wasn’t bad. Don’t worry about the delay. This is one time that we’re not holding up any civilian traffic. The only problem we face now is with the flight from here to New York. It may get a little bumpy, if we don’t get a move on. There’s a heavy front moving in from the Northwest. After we land, we’ll have around six to eight hours before the front moves in over New York.” Peter looked over to where the team’s trucks were waiting. “We figure about two hours of that will be taken up with the loading and unloading of your trucks.”

“I believe that we can get that time down Peter. We should be off-loaded and on our way in less than an hour.” Maria chuckled.

“What about making a run for Annette’s craving fixings? Have you figured that in? Lyssa basically gave us orders to not return without covering that problem. Is that going to be enough time?” Peter asked Maria bluntly. He wasn’t the only one worried about having a highly trained old-world assassin on the island going through carving withdrawals while pregnant.

Maria just smiled and pointed to where Bobby and Hunter were loading several large crates into the back of the Gray Ghost. “We stopped at a local Wally world super store before coming here. Annette should have four months’ worth of fixings for her current craving. We won’t need the Gray Ghost for the rest of the mission. Just have Annette drive it up to the house and unloaded it there. She’ll know where to put everything. Any word on Anna?”

“Miss Anna is already in Grand Cayman with Eddie still acting as her bodyguard. I was told to inform you that the contract for Abrams is underway. The Irish Rose has given her word that it will be done by COB, Friday. Miss Anna also said something about the trades will be handled through the shell companies for all members of the family. Whatever that means.” Peter groused as he didn’t know exactly what was going on.

Maria just smiled. “Good. I was a little worried about her being there on her own. Anna maybe be able to still teach us all a thing or two about handling a contract, but she is losing the war against time.”

“Madam Maria, I have to ask. Just how did you and Miss Anna ever meet? I mean from what I have gathered. People in your old profession don’t normally socialize. Isn’t it more or less a dog eat dog world?” Peter asked kindly.

“The world of the Hired Assassin is not always one of ducking and dodging the law, Peter. The truth is far from it. A truly successful assassin hides in plain sight. Sometimes going so far as to even court the eye of the press. It helps when one is looking for a trouble-free alibi. I know for a fact that Anna has had dinner with seven heads of state, twelve members of parliament, and close to twenty members of our legislative branch. That doesn’t take in to account the number of actors, sports stars, and other celebrities. Her ‘wall of fame’ rivals my own.” Maria smirked then turned slightly serious. “Did you bring the girls’ school uniforms as asked?”

“Yes Marshal. They’re packed in this suitcase.” Carl answered then pulled it from a rack.

“Excellent. Those shall be our pass through the very gates of our enemy.” Maria replied with a faint smile as she took the case and went back to the ALOC.

Lonestar came from the cockpit. “How long?”

“I'll find out, Sir.” Carl replied and went down the ramp.

Pete looked over to Lonestar. “Without Annette, how're they going to work this?”

“More than likely have Sam and the Nun acting as teachers, and Gemini acting as students. Maria is going to let her philanthropical actions do all the work for her.”

“Put that way, I can see how it would go down. Maria and the ladies work on the inside. While the guys take care of the goons outside.” Pete couldn’t believe how simple the plan could be. “That's sneaky.”

“Probably more to the plan, Pete, but that's a good synopsis of it. We just don’t know all of it. For now.” Lonestar pointed out to Pete. “Our job is to get them to New York.”

“Right. Get ‘em loaded and ready to fly. Oh, yeah. We’ll be taking the Gray Ghost home with us. It seems that the Marshal is cutting down on the number of vehicles for this op.” Pete did a fast headcount and realized what Maria was up to. “With Annette out of action they won’t need all their trucks. Maria can help drive the ALOC. While Sam and the good Sister drive Blue Big. That'll cutdown on their operational resources but make things more manageable for the whole team. It’ll still give them two of the full tactical trucks and the ALOC for C-n-C. Still gives them some pretty damned good odds. Even being down one member of the regular team. With that niece of the Madam’s filling in they got one hell of a team.” Pete chuckled. “My only question is who is going to take down that ass-hate in Rome?”

“From what Kimberly is thinking; that'll fall to the good Sister.” Lonestar commented behind his helmet. “Consensus is; she may have crossed a line that there's no coming back from.”

As the last of the Black Badge vehicles rolled up the loading ramps Pete and Carl moved to start securing them. Bobby and Hunter were already locking down Black Beauty and Big Blue. Pete started with the Gray Ghost at the rear, while Carl moved to start locking down the ALOC only to be stopped by Kasey and Kristine. He was stop by a smiling Kristine.

“We got this Carl. Go ahead and raise the ramps. The Marshal wants us airborne as soon as possible.” Kristine told the Californian.

Carl smirked. “Let's see it.”

Kasey looked over to Lonestar, the mysterious man behind the helmet that she had come to know as her uncle. “Um… I know that it is not my place, but shouldn’t you be doing a walk around?”

Lonestar patted her back. The two teenagers had come to know all about his obsessive nature for double checking his aircraft. With a wave and unseen smile Lonestar stepped outside to double check his aircraft. His also wanted to keep an eye on the refueling crew and their safety measures. He would still double check the cargo when he reboarded. He had made one mistake in his life and it cost him dearly. He refused to leave anything to chance again, not if he could help it.

Once the C-17 was refueled and Lonestar had double checked the cargo, he signaled for Carl to raise the ramp and close the cargo door. Fifteen minutes later the massive aircraft was taxiing out to the runway. After a ten-minute wait on the hammerhead the big plane was taking off headed for New York. Sylvia Price had a date with Death and the crew of the C-17 didn’t want to hold up that date any longer than possible.

The Hampton’s home of Sylvia Price, New York.

Sylvia price walked the ground floor of her stylish twelve-bedroom home, the flight from Heathrow had taken more out of her than she expected. “I think that I’m getting a little too old for all this world travel. The jetlag used to not affect me this way. At least the show went off no problems.”

As she entered her office her longtime personal secretary stood up from her desk. “Welcome back Mrs. Price. How was your flight home, ma’am?”

“Long and trying Carrie. I really must look into purchasing a private jet.” Looking over at the folders in Carrie’s hands. “Are those the Quarterly’s?”

“I just finished compiling the Quarterly reports for your examination, ma’am. I’ll sum them up for you. In the first and second Quarters the profit margins were as expected. There was a slight rise during the third quarter, with a full fifty percent rise during the fourth quarter. There is one matter that needs your immediate attention.” Carrie pointed out what was in the folders.

“What’s the problem, Carrie?” Sylvia asked she came to a stop just before her own desk. “Did something happen with Abrams?”

“Not Abrams, ma’am. According to the reports coming out of Miami. It seems that Vickers might have double-crossed some of our 'friends from down South'. They may have sent in a full cleaner team.” Carrie answered. “At last report; the Miami Police still haven’t found his body.”

“Hmm… that’s not good. Have you sent word to Abrams about our missing partner, dear?” Sylvia scratched her chin in thought. Trying to figure out how to turn this to her advantage.

“I haven’t ma’am, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t heard through other means.” Carrie corrected her boss. At Sylvia’s questioning looked Carrie explained. “The International News Networks ma’am. After all, he was an internationally known arms dealer and smuggler. Something like his death would make the net.”

“True; it would have an impact. Wonder how long it would take to reach the European Networks? Any idea on the time frame?” Sylvia asked Carrie.

“Sadly, the answer is no Mrs. Price.” Carrie really did wish she had the answer. “It will all depend on how fast the local networks can get their sources to work on the case. The guards currently have a pool on which network anchor breaks the story first.”

“Why am I not surprised? Tell me Carrie, where did you place my usual bet?” Sylvia chuckled at her secretary’s nervousness.

“The time ma’am. Twelve hours for the discovery of the body. Another two hours following that for the National News Networks and another hour after that for the International News Networks.” Carrie said with a smile.

“Very good. Thank you for taking care of the wager for me. I know that my bodyguards tend to sit you on edge. Just remember that their loyalty is unquestionable.” Sylvia sighed. “They are hard men, Carrie. They live hard lives. They take their responsibilities very seriously.”

“Oh, I know that ma’am. It’s just that Master Sergeant Stone is so harsh at times. Like this afternoon.” Carrie cringed as she remembered her conversation from earlier in the day.

“What happened Carrie?” Sylvia practically demanded.

“We received a phone call from a Madam Maria DeMarco. She requested a formal visit with you tomorrow evening. Master Sergeant Stone practically demanded that we run a background check on the Lady.” Carrie actually blushed clear down to her breasts over her embarrassment at the man’s demand.

“WAIT! Did you say that 'The Dove' has asked to visit my home? Are you sure? Maria DeMarco is coming here?” Sylvia asked in stunned amazement. The very idea that the one of the few living Primas of the Bolshoi would want to visit her was almost too much for Sylvia to grasp. “I hope that you agreed to her visit Carrie. As for Master Sergeant Stone, leave him to me.”

Carrie just stood there nodding her head yes for each one of her employer’s questions and orders. There was nothing else she could say or do at that point. Besides, Carrie knew of her employer’s need to be accepted among the rich and powerful members of high society. The fact was her employer’s need for acceptance among high society was more of a compulsion. Almost a borderline psychosis. One that Carrie just knew would drive her boss to desperate ends.

“Of course, ma’am. Should I contact Madam DeMarco for you?” Carrie asked.

“Yes please, Carrie. When you do forward the call to my private office. After that, you can head home for the day.” Sylvia ordered.

Carrie quickly returned to her desk to carry out her orders while Sylvia entered her private office. A few minutes later, Carrie contacted her through the intercom. “Ma’am, I was unable to contact Madam DeMarco directly. I was able to reach her voicemail though and left a message for her to contact you at her earliest convenience.”

“I see.” Sylvia sighed. “Very well, no help for it. You may go on home Carrie. I’ll see you in the morning. Oh, by the way. Did Madam DeMarco say why was trying to contact me?”

“Yes, ma’am. She was wanting to talk with you about a local Performing Arts School in the area. The Terpsichore school for the preforming arts. They have had some success with the less fortunate children for the inner city.” There was a pause before Carrie continued reading the report she had prepared for Sylvia on the school. “Ma’am, if I may speak freely?”

“What troubles you about the school Carrie? So far it sounds like a truly respectable establishment.” Sylvia always knew that Carrie held her best interests at the forefront of her responsibilities.

“Well ma’am, part of the school’s mission statement revolves around them taking in a certain number of what they call 'At-Risk' students. Put bluntly; many are juvenile delinquents. I know that Madam DeMarco is a well-respected member of the performing arts community. I just feel that your involvement in this matter would be detrimental to your current standing within the community.” Sylvia thought about what Carrie had just told her and cringed.

“No. Actually, I believe that this would be to my advantage. I need to take that meeting with Madam DeMarco.” Reverting back to her old military officer training Sylvia made her decision.

Sylvia gritted her teeth at the thought of helping a bunch of street scum and gutter trash. Yet she knew that this would play well with those she sought to impress. Those rich-assed old money bitches were always flaunting how they helped this poor unfortunate soul or that charity in front of her. Such was far from compassion. It was all for public image.

“Yes ma’am. I’ll try to contact her as soon as I come into the office tomorrow. What time do you need me ma’am?”

Sylvia thought about Carrie’s question. “No earlier than seven, Carrie. Enjoy your evening with Chris. Or is it Samuel these days?”

The giggle that came over the speaker got Sylvia’s attention. “Neither ma’am. It’s Rachel from the Human Resources department.”

Sylvia Price prided herself on knowing her staff. For her to not realize that her private secretary was bi-sexual struck at that pride deeply. But Sylvia recovered quickly. “Why Carrie I didn’t know you had it in you. When did you ask the lovely Rachel out?”

“Two weeks before you left for your last trip ma’am. We have tickets to that new Broadway show, Fire in the Night for this weekend. Rachel has made reservations at one of the downtown hotels for us.”

“I see. Well enjoy your evening Carrie. Goodnight.” Sylvia disconnected the intercom and turned her attention to the quarterly reports.

She knew that Carrie would already be getting ready to leave the estate for the night. As it was, the day must have been just as long for her. After spending the next 3 hours catching up on her business Sylvia finally shutoff her desk lamp and headed for a hot shower and bed. As she showered away the day, Sylvia thought about her unbelievable good luck. To have a chance to meet with one of the few living Bolshoi Primas was just too much to pass up on.

Biggs Reserve Air Force Base, New York 1630 local time

The six-man fulltime Security Team for the base watched as the unscheduled C-17 rolled to a stop in front of the main hanger. Chief Master Sergeant Dale Connors the NCOIC for the team was just short of retirement and had seen a few of the ‘Ghost Ships’. That’s what the Air Force Enlisted called these unmarked and ultra-top-secret birds. During his time as an active duty Airman he was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, in Nevada. He seen some of the highest cutting-edge tech to ever roll down the runway. Everything from U-2 spy planes to the first ever F-117 Stealth Fighter.

The same could be said for the men of his current Security Team. When he received the call to round up a select number of Security Officers for an off the books op at his base, he knew who to pick. All five of the men were deadly as hell and fast on the stick. Former PJ’s, every one of them, before reclassifying as SO’s. They had also all spent time in Dreamland. According to the CIA, the correct names for the facility are Homey Airport and Groom Lake. To the outside world it was known as Area 51.

After what all these six men had seen during their time there, something like this operation was the norm. They stood back until the C-17 shutdown its engines. When that happened the five-men swarmed around the big plane like a well-oiled machine. Each man taking up a point of a star. One fifty feet from the nose. One under each wing tip and two just off the side of the tail clear of the loading ramp. CMS Connors stood about twenty-five feet from the ramp. A fuel truck parked just forward of the wing and began refueling. He was slightly surprised at seeing the ass-end of an F-150 pickup inside.

He was even more surprised as the truck was swarmed by women unlocking it from its travel cradle. Once free, the dark blue pickup backed off the plane. While this was happening the two women moved forward into the belly of the plane. They began working on the next truck in line. A black F-350. They worked with the same proficiency and bearing as they had the first truck. Once again, the truck started its engine and the women moved forward into the plane as it backed out of the cargo hold.

As the black F-350 was coming down the ramp a tall well-muscled man ran pass it into the plane. The next truck to be off-loaded from the plane was a massive two-tone F-550 with a custom camper shell. The eyes of CMS Connors spotted the disguised high-gain side-band antenna, satellite Network dish and multi-function signal gathering antenna for what they were. To a civilian this mini-RV would appear to be exactly that, a mini-RV. He knew for a fact that this was the ALOC for an undercover tactical strike team.

He only had one question that he couldn’t figure out. Why was the team leaving one of the four trucks aboard the plane? He watched as the strike team disembarked the C-17. It had to be the strike team. The fact that the ‘team’ was made up of two men, four adult women and what appeared to be two teenage girls didn’t add up. Especially when it looked-liked the old lady appeared to be the one in charge. He watched as the old woman gave one of the two brunettes a hug, which was followed by the rest of the team doing the same just before they exited the plane.

As the ramp was raised the members of the team split-up to man the individual trucks. He watched as one man and one woman went to the two normal appearing pickups. While the old lady and two teenagers headed for the ALOC. I watched as the three trucks rolled out in a military style convoy. The F-150 led the way with the F-550 bring up the rear or ‘tail-end Charlie’. The fuel truck disconnected and stored the hose then drove away. Even as the trucks were disappearing into the evening, the C-17 was starting its engines.

Connors whistled then signaled for his team to pull back out of the way. The second his team cleared the aircraft, the C-17 began to turn for the hammerhead. By the time the three trucks cleared the gate the C-17 was lifting off taking flight once more. The whole operation had taken a total of thirty minutes. Now the area was silent again.

“You know something Master Chief. I’ve seen a lot of crazy shit during my time in the Air Force. Especially during my time at Nellis. But this was the first time I ever saw an honest to fucking God ‘Ghost Bird’.”

Chief Master Sergeant Connors looked over at the Tech-Sergeant that was his number one man on the detail. He knew exactly what the man was talking about.

“Don’t feel like the Lone Stranger here Stevens. This is my first time seeing one of those birds my damned self. You want to know something really fucked?” Connors asked Stevens bluntly, to which the man nodded his head yes. “That team that off-loaded. That was definitely a black ops strike team straight from hell. One that can operate inside CONUS.”

Stevens turned to his NCOIC in shock. “You have got to be shitting me Chief? No way in hell. That was no fucking strike team. They’re not allowed to operate inside of CONUS. Posse Commitatis. Everybody knows that shit.”

“Stevens use that fucking head of yours for more than a place for your fucking headgear.” Connors snapped. “There is a special strike team that has always operated inside of CONUS. One so black and off the books it’s scary. And sometimes, just sometimes, outside of CONUS. They go after the really fucked up cases. You know the ones that I’m talking about. Every fucking cop has heard of them, Stevens. The ones with those Black Badges.”

“Come on Chief. That is nothing more than an urban myth. Something every training officer tells the cherries to keep them in line.” Stevens countered with a half-smile that barely reached his eyes.

“Stevens you really need to stop and take a hard look at those old legends. And when you’ve spent enough time in the ranks as I have. You’ll learn that there is more than a little grain of truth to those old legends.” Connors growled out at his Sergeant. “There are far too many stories surrounding those people for them to just be simple tall-tales or urban myths.”

“Come on Chief. Do you really expect me to accept that those seven people were some type of Spec Ops strike team? I mean come on Chief two of those women couldn’t have been older than my kid sisters.” Steven pointed out bluntly.

“That may be true Stevens, but I’ve heard of crazier shit. Just spread the word to the rest of the team. No one says one fucking word about what went down here this evening. When I say nothing, I mean not even to Rosie Palm and her five sisters. Understood?” The glare that Connors gave Stevens said more than words ever could.

The cab of Big Blue Main Gate Road to Biggs RAFB

Angelic DeMarco had marveled at the way her aunt and her family unloaded the family’s trucks. “I take it that you and your family practice unloading and loading of your team trucks cousins?”

Samantha never took her eyes off the road as she smirked. “It's just one of the many exercises that we go through regularly. We have to be down and off in under thirty-minutes Angelic. Mainly because most of the airstrips that we use belong to military bases. We don’t like drawing too much attention to ourselves. It pays to be able to clear out fast.”

“But aren’t you allowed to use these military bases?” Angelic was confused.

“While we’re authorized to use military bases, like the one we just left. We try to keep as low a profile as possible. That is the number one reason we don’t stick around for long if we can avoid it. We have to operate in the shadows of the world.” Sam sighed before taking a quick look over at Angelic. “Angelic you have to remember that for all practical proposes to the rest of the world we don’t exist. It keeps us safe. Allows us to do our jobs. And above all else, allows us to bring justice to those who believe they are untouchable and above the Law.”

“We are but Shadows passing quietly in the night. Bringing justice to those who believe themselves above the law.” Angelic nodded in a knowing way. “You and your family truly practice the Way of the Wraiths of the Moonless Night.”

“Yes cousin. We do. In more ways than one.” Samantha told her.

“Sam, do you think this plan of your daughters’ will work?” Angelic asked.

“I have no doubt that it will work. I know that it sounds outside of the box Angelic. But trust me on this. Whenever those two daughters of mine and Annette get to thinking about how to solve a problem. They never seem to see the outer edge of the box. They just blow right pass the lines not thinking that what they’re doing, or planning shouldn’t work. We’ve been forced to just go with the flow as their parents at times. They learned this from one of their other teachers.” Samantha chuckled over the last part of her explanation. On more than one occasion Gemini had stumped not only her but all their parents.

This was just one more occasion when her teenage daughters went outside the box. It always amazed her how the teenage girls could out think most of the adults on Rams Rock Island. Even before they left the island for their vacation almost a year ago the girls were already outpacing their training. They had pushed the adults on the island to their limits to just stay ahead of them in their training. Though it seemed that Lyssa encouraged them to ignore what would be considered normal. In fact, the more outlandish something seemed, the more she liked it.

“Trust me Angelic. Those two girls are far more than they appear. Their young minds understand and can operate with multi-tier concepts that we as their parents can barely comprehend.” Samantha let the wonder over what Kasey and Kristine could do fill her voice. “They truly are our Twin Goddesses and took a mantra to heart.”

“I saw what they were doing with their laptops this morning, cousin. Is that why you call them Gemini? Because of what they can do with computers?” Angelic was doing her best to understand her place on the team.

Samantha just chuckled at hearing Angelic’s question. “That’s how it started out Angelic. The problems came about when they want to be trained in other interests. My daughters could give our ‘friends’ in the Iscariot Division unholy fits if they felt like. If your so-called superiors were to piss them off.” Samantha’s chuckle almost reached full blown giggle now. “They could turn the Vatican’s Mainframe, RUBUS, into a smoking slag pile of melted plastic and metal. And they would do it with a twinkle in their eyes and smile on their lips. All while humming the theme song to ‘Mr. Rogers’.”

A sudden chain of thought ran through Angelic’s mind. ‘My God! What all am I dealing with here? These are worse than the Sisters back in my old order or even the Iscariots. I wonder if I could have a place here.’

“If you’re wondering Angelic. The answer is yes. If it came to it. If you do need to disappear, we can make that happen. And, no. I’m not a psychic. Mom kind of pointed out the possibility that you may have to disappear once this mission was over.” Samantha sighed as she watched the traffic. “Look Angelic. None of us like the fact that we’re working on so little Intel. Especially because of the fact that this job was dropped in our laps by your fucking boss.”

“I went to my Confessor, Father Lawrence, first cousin. He was the one to take this case before Bishop Karl Ferdinand. Head of the Iscariot Division. If I had known that Father Lawrence was going to take this case to the Iscariot Division’s Archbishop. I would have kept my damned mouth shut and requested a vacation to bring this case to you here in the US. Most likely some place with a beach then just spent the next week working on my tan.” Angelic snarked as she turned to look out the window at the countryside. “Is all of New York state like this Sam?”

Sam chuckled at her cousin’s question. Like a good number of Europeans Angelic had never really traveled inside the United States. They had only heard or read about the US through books and TV. “Yes, and no, Angelic. There is still a lot of unspoiled countryside in the States. Like what you’re seeing now. Then there are whole sections where you can go from one city to the next and never realize that you have crossed city limits. Why do you ask? Are you thinking about ‘retiring’ from the life?”

“Not so much as retiring Sam. Just taking a break for a while. This case has already shown me a side of myself that I find disquieting.” Angelic sighed. “Until now, I never thought I could do something to another human like I did to that man Vickers. I always believed that I was above such violence.”

This time when Samantha sighed it was with more than a little regret for her cousin. “Angelic, take it from me. Nobody truly knows what they’re capable of until they are pushed. All of us here on this team and all of those back on the island understand this fact of life. We’ve all crossed that line at one time or another in our lives. Though, some were pushed, and others dove across.”

“When did you first cross the line Samantha?” Angelic asked as she looked out at the slowly fading evening light.

“When they murdered my family Angelic. I killed the two men that killed my mother, father and sisters that night. When that Judas Priest ordered me out of Saint Jadwiga and prove myself by killing all those involved with my family’s deaths; I did just that. I crossed into the darkest part of my soul. I never once thought about what it would do to me. I had only one goal. To bathe in the blood of my family’s killers.” Sam’s voice took on a harshness that held the cold of the far north, and the heat of the world’s greats deserts. Sam’s mind had returned to the darkest time in her life.

“I killed. I killed in cold blood. I used every method I knew. I slit throats. I sniped from rooftops. I shot them in the head from behind. I snapped necks with my bare hands. I planted bombs in cars. I set fires to whole homes with families inside. I showed my enemies no mercy. I was ordered to destroy the Great Lakes Mob by an outsider Angelic. A member of the Iscariot Division. I did as he ordered trying to gain the sanctuary of the Holy Cee. When I was done, he laughed as he thanked me for removing a problem for the Iscariot Division then still denied me sanctuary. I slit the man’s throat from ear to ear for daring to double-cross a Capizeo. I killed more than fifty men and women by the time I was done. And I felt nothing for what I did.” As Sam told her tale of revenge Angelic felt her blood turn cold. Never before had she ever heard of one person bringing so much bloody death and destruction. “I was only a teenager when I crossed the line.”

“What brought you back Samantha?” Angelic was shivering as she asked this stone-cold killer the question that could get her killed.

“The only thing that matters. Love and respect from people who thought that I was worth saving cousin.” Sam’s tone of voice softened as she thought about the five US Deputy Marshals that had been assigned to protect her during the trials for the surviving members of the Great Lakes Mob. “If not for them; I would have happily joined my family in death cousin.”

Angelic's voice was small and fearful as she asked. “How do you keep from returning to such darkness?”

“It is a struggle Angelic. I fight for Redemption and Salvation daily. As for how I keep away from the darkness Angelic. I don’t. I use it now to bring Justice to those who seek to flee or believe they are above the Law. Just as I always have since those dark and bloody days all those many years ago. The only difference now is I no longer kid myself about using it.” Samantha told her bluntly. There was no feeling in Sam’s voice now. Just pure logic. “If you choose to return to us after you dealt with Delicato you will find more than a few of us welling to help you deal with the darkness Angelic.”

“I will be honest Samantha. The thought of leaving the Orders has crossed my mind more than once today. No, I will be honest. I have been thinking about leaving the Orders since I first found this mess.” Angelic sighed.

“Why?” Sam’s one-word question made Angelic take a deep breath.

“There is a part of the report that I was ordered to keep to myself cousin. It concerns how the original painting came into the possession of that pig Borgatti.” Angelic never took her eyes off the darkening countryside. “That painting was used as payment to the Church by the NAZIs. Payment in helping to secure passage to South America for war criminals.”

“Holy shit! Just how far back does this mess go Angelic?” Samantha asked in unadulterated shock.

“Samantha, I have been working the case for the art recovering division for the last three years. There is a whole task force within Interpol devoted solely to recovering those looted art works of World War Two. So far, we’ve only recovered maybe a third. I was placed within that task force with the sole purpose of keeping the Interpol Investigators away from any connection to the Church’s involvement in those eighty-year-old crimes.” Angelic waited for her cousin’s explosion of anger. An explosion that never came.

“Damn. That is just fucked up. No wonder you’ve had such a crisis of faith.” Sam sighed. “I suggest that you talk with mama Maria when you get the chance. I have a feeling cousin that you have been played by the Iscariot Division for far longer than you think.”

T.O.C. Ram's Rock Island:

“Ready to send the briefing packet Lyssa.” Kimberly said from her terminal.

Lyssa was changing Alison's diaper. “Good. Send it. Then call Darcy at the school and find Marissa. She's supposed to be Sydney. I think.”

Just as she finished attaching the diaper’s tabs, Kimberly snapped her fingers. Lyssa picked up the phone on the desk.

“Darcy. It's Lyssa. Sorry it’s late, but I need something.” Lyssa said quickly.

Darcy Stronmeyer replied. “You always did keep whacky hours, nothing new. What's up?”

“Maria DeMarco cashed in a favor. She needs to borrow the school for a deal. Vouch for her.” Lyssa said then continued at Kimberly’s nod. “Check your email, details are there.”

Darcy was apparently doing that. “Right. That's all I need to do?”

“Yes. Also, I'm going to talk to Marissa Adams about taking my interest in the school. She has more time for side-projects than I do.” Lyssa said heavily.

Darc chuckled. “Babies do that to a girl. Even you. How are they?”

“Heavy as cinder blocks and into everything they can see. Strange. Their little arms aren’t even two feet long and I have to move everything four feet away. They’re finally walking now.” Lyssa griped.

Darcy laughed. “Before they’re born, you pray they have all their fingers and toes, but by the time they’re two; you want to break both their arms and legs!”

“Mhmm. Save me Darcy. Save me.” Lyssa gave her a mock plea.

“Nah… more fun to make you suffer. Later.” Darcy giggled and hung up.

Lyssa switched to the line Kimberly was indicating. “Marissa? Hey, I'm sending you an email. You need a hobby. Bye.”

Kimberly was laughing as Lyssa hung up. “Now that’s mean.”

“How much am I going to lose?” Lyssa asked picking up Alex too.

Kimberly shrugged. “Not even a hundred thousand per year. That’s off the Zurich list. Sure, you want to dump it?”

“Creating things to be exploited is one thing, exploiting something that was already real is another. Especially by somebody else. If I did it, I might have been able to keep it. Maria borrowing it means I have to give it up. It’s not a serious loss, financially. It looked good on paper though. I’ll find something else to take its place.” Lyssa sighed then started heading up to go home. “Speaking of other things, when this one is over and I get the bikes running right, you need to take a working vacation. Go to Japan. Take Mindy, she’ll love it.”

Kimberly sat back in her chair. “Will Joe?”

“You’ll be able to stay at the Jade so he should. They’ll give him privacy to relax.” Lyssa answered then went out.

In the hangar Lyssa stopped at the lockers. She set the twins down then opened her locker. Slowly thumbed the hidden dials and pulled the panel at the top to swing down. Inside were five slim black cases, like hard cases for eyeglasses. The twins babbled at her, drawing her attention.

“I know.” Lyssa said to them, as if they understood. “Only five; if I use them. And then I’m done.”

“Mama.” Alison said then patted Lyssa's leg.

Lyssa closed the compartment, the locker and picked them back up. “But Mama isn’t done yet. Let’s go find Daddy. Warlock, kommen.”

The tactical Belgian yipped and followed eagerly.

-----tbc-----

Hotel Pavillon de la Reine, Paris, France:

The five-foot six-inch-tall, redheaded, Ryne O’Leary walked steadily across the main entrance foray. The lopsided smile that played at her lips was one of someone visiting an old friend. It had been almost four years since the last time she set foot in this hotel. The smile slipped slightly as she spotted the clerk behind the Hotel Desk. She was not someone that she knew.

“May I help you ma’am?” The Clerk asked with a slight Parisian accent.

Ryne took in the young woman’s name tag. “I hope so; Paulette. I have a reservation under the name of O’Leary.”

“Ah. I have your reservation right here Mam'selle O’Leary. Your preferred suite, it says. Is this a business trip or purely pleasure?” Paulette asked with a smile.

“Strictly business, Paulette.” Ryne answered. “May I know what happened to Monsieur Salvador?”

The young woman chuckled. “My papa finally retired now that I have completed my education in Switzerland, Miss O’Leary. He and my mama have a small cottage outside of Dijon now.”

Ryne sighed. “It is truly a sad time. All the greats are slowly leaving us. I remember the first time I met your papa. I was just thirteen. He showed me a kind smile and toffees hidden behind the desk.”

Paulette smiled as she reached behind the counter and pulled out a crystal bowl. The bowl was filled with the aforementioned candies. “We still keep a bowl behind the desk in his honor. Is there anything else we can help you with during your stay? Tickets to a show or dinner reservations?”

“Not at this time Paulette. Due to business concerns I won’t have time for such things during this stay.” Ryne answered quickly. “I will need a taxi later on though. Please arrange for one in, oh. three hours.”

“Of course, mademoiselle. I’ll make the arrangements now. Enjoy your stay.” Paulette smiled as she handed over the key for Ryne’s room.

As Ryne rode the elevator to the fifth floor, she thought about what she was here to do. She had less than two days to put a bullet through the head of her target. Donald Abrams was a dead man. Already the moderate factions of the IRA were screaming for the man to face war crimes in the ICC. The radical factions wanted to do far more than just haul the man before the International Criminal Court at the Hague, Netherlands.

The Cross Guards Brigade and the Black Brigands had already placed a seven million Euro price tag on Donald Abrams’ head. And they were the least radical of the radicals wanting the man dead. A new faction, the Free Irish Brigade or FIB, had come to the forefront of the more radical factions. The FIB had placed a fifteen million Euro bounty on Abrams. Of the more radical factions, they were the only ones to send their own hitters after Abrams.

This last piece of information had come to Ryne through her mother’s connections within the ‘Old Guard’ of the IRA. Ryne knew that she had burned a lot of bridges in the old country when she left. Most of them with those more radical factions of the IRA. If it had not been for what had happened on that rooftop four years ago, Ryne would still be in the thick of the fight. As it were. She had always believed in the IRA’s cause of a totally free and independent Ireland. She just didn’t believe in the violent turn that some of the more radical factions had taken.

As Ryne entered the elevator she sighed. The flight from Boston to Paris had taken more out of her than she had thought. “God, I hate jetlag. Why is it affecting me like this? It didn’t used to.”

When the door opened to her floor, Ryne headed for her room. Once inside; she placed her bags on the bed and headed for the shower then laid down for a short nap. When she woke up, Ryne dressed in a causal evening outfit and headed down to the lobby. Outside a few taxies waited as usual. Taking the first one in line Ryne gave the driver the address.

“Deux-deux-trois Rue Morván s'il vous plaît conducteur?” The driver just smiled and put the taxi in gear. Twenty minutes later the taxi pulled to a stop at a storefront that could have been used for anything under the sun. Ryne paid the driver and exited the cab.

As she entered the store Ryne was greeted by the smell of fine leather, hardwoods, and gun metal. There were two young men standing behind the counter. The older of the two snapped his heels together and leaned forward slightly with his right hand just below heart level. “Guten Abend Fräulien. Willkommen im Müllers. Wie können wir von Derob sein?”

“Excuse me, sir. I’m afraid that my German is not up to snuff.” Ryne answered honestly with a slight blush. “The last time I was here. I dealt with your father. I was hoping that you and your brother could help me with a specialized need. Namely a concealable long rifle.”

“Ah! What caliber were you looking for Fräulien? Standard NATO or Soviet Block? Pre-World War Two or postmodern?” Then the young man asked something totally off the wall. “Suitcase or briefcase collapsible? Folding or complete breakdown? We will need to know your preferred specifications please?”

Ryne thought about her nest and her target. She knew the man would be traveling a great deal over the next few days. She also knew that she would have to move between several sniper nests if she was going to pull off this contract. The main problem though was going to be the actual caliber of the round. What she needed was a round that was neither conventional nor traceable under normal ballistics. She gave the young man a smile.

“Briefcase collapsible, complete breakdown, exotic caliber preferred. If possible, a Sabot round with a fin stabilized armor piercing round for the core. Maybe an eight-point seven-millimeter round. Is this possible?” Ryne asked of the young man.

The frown that graced the man’s face was one of true concentration. “It can be done. It will take time though. Maybe two to three days. The problem is the caliber that will be needed for the Sabot round.”

“Sorry, but that won’t be acceptable. I need the weapon in one day. What do you have that is off the shelf?” Ryne would have loved to have a custom-built rifle for the hit, but time was of essence.

“Hmmm… if that is the case, we can have your weapon in the requested time frame. However, we’ll need to go with a more unconventional caliber. Might I suggest a four-fifty-eight magnum round for the Sabot with a two-two-five caliber tungsten core penetrator. This round will match your requirements and is readily available.” The young man answered. Then took down a rifle in an AR-15 configuration. “This is the M-four four-fifty-eight SOCOM tactical rifle. The shorter barrel makes for easier concealment. The modular design makes for a fast break down and storage.”

“How small of a break down are we talking?” Ryne asked. “And what about accuracy and range?”

“Small enough to place inside your standard business attaché or a large laptop carrying case. As for accuracy and range, those are slightly reduced. Due mostly to the much shorter barrel of the M-four design.” Ryne could tell that the young man was upset by this fact. “You will have to be within three-hundred-fifty meters with the standard rounds. With the Sabot rounds your range will increase to another hundred meters for lethality. Another seventy-five for the Magnum load. These are conservative figures, of course.”

Ryne didn’t like being in that close but knew that the only other way was to go with another weapon. The problem was the requirements of the contract. She knew that she needed the round to be untraceable and most of all, exotic. “I’ll take it. How much for the rush?”

“Twenty percent over the usual free for the rush delivery. That will be a total of two-thousand-eight-hundred and ninety Euros. How do you wish to pay?” The second young man asked snidely. Much to Ryne’s annoyance.

Ryne really didn’t care for the man’s attitude, but she hadn’t been here in almost five years. She really didn’t have a lot of room to complain or to bitch. Besides that, she needed the rifle. And the price wasn’t as high as she was willing to go anyway. She pulled out the stack of Euros she had in her purse. It was close to five thousand Euros.

“You’ve stated a price that I am willing to pay.” Ryne watched as the man’s eyes bugged out of his head at the sight of the cash. She knew that his attitude would change majorly after this day when dealing with women. Then she added insult to injury by placing a medallion on the counter. It featured the Irish Rose in colored relief “Oh, and gentlemen, your father never assumed what you have. I will be by here in the morning to pick up my order. Please make sure it is ready no later than eight.”

With that Ryne turned and walked out of the shop. Leaving the two young men to wonder just who she was. The older of the two picked up the office phone and called a number from memory. “Papa, this is Hans. We just had a visit from a young woman. She left a medallion with a Rose on the counter. Do you know... really? That was her? Thought that she was retired from taking contracts in Europe? I hadn’t realized. So sorry to disturb you, we will see to her needs immediately. Goodnight Papa.”

After Hans had hung up the phone he turned to his brother. “Karl, get a move on. That rifle needs to be done before six am.”

“What is the rush? We have until eight, brother.” Karl countered.

“That was the Irish Rose, Karl. I don’t know about you. But I don’t want that crazy bitch coming after me. That is one assassin I don’t want to piss off. She’s crazy enough to take out her displeasure on us. She may not kill us, but I doubt we’ll be walking around without at the least, a limp.” Hans snapped.

Karl turned white at hearing who their last customer was. “But she has retired from taking European contracts. Everyone knows this. Last reports had her working solely in the United States.”

“That doesn’t appear to be the case brother.” Hans got a thoughtful look on his face. “Remember the new chatter about an IRA contract on the American businessman? I’ll give you even odds; she is here to collect on it.”

“Why would she care? She left the IRA behind years ago.” Karl couldn’t believe what his brother was telling him. The Irish Rose once more taking up a contract for the IRA was almost too frightening to comprehend, let alone face. The only thing more frightening would be the confirmation of the rumors of there being a still living Capizeo that was sending hushed shockwaves throughout the community.

“SHE may have left the IRA behind, Karl. That DOESN’T mean she left their cause. Something like this contract would be just the thing to bring her back to Europe. Especially if she felt that certain Countryman were making money off the blood of ‘honest Irishmen’.” Hans pointed out.

“Ja. That does sound about right. Now that I think about it. The Irish Rose always did have a nasty habit of making examples of those that she felt crossed a certain line. The rumors alone would fit the criteria for her.” Karl turned and headed for the back of their office into their shop. “I’ll get started on the upper receiver. You take care of the ammo.”

The two men set to work with a fanaticism that was beyond their normal meticulous nature. While both men were true artisans among gunsmiths, they were motivated to exceed their normal high standards. The very thought of displeasing the Irish Rose drove them to work through the night with diligence.

The Peninsula Hotel, New York, New York

After parking the team trucks in the freestanding parking garage, Maria led her team across the street. As they entered the elevator Maria reached into her purse and took out a credit card. “I had prayed that we would never need to use these places, but I still have the influence to not need a reservation here."

“Mom Maria, exactly what is this place?” Hunter asked her.

Only to have Sam answer for their team leader. “This is the Peninsula Hotel, New York, New York. One of the few actual places used by notable people like Maria 'The Dove' DeMarco.”

“And Lyssa?” Bobby asked her.

Maria chuckled. “No. Lyssa prefers smaller places and away from direct attention. Places she can come and go without being noticed so much. The only time she would stay somewhere like here, was if someone else was paying for it. She'd rather pay more for privacy. From our talks, she tends to acquire residences in places she frequents for that reason. We just have to follow certain rules instead.”

“What are the rules?” Kasey asked, curious now.

“No killing on hotel property, unless in self-defense.” Maria answered honestly. “That is one rule that must never be broken. The other rules carry a penalty that can be negotiated but not that one.”

“Why?” Kristine asked of her grandmother.

“Breaking the rules could get an open contract placed on your head. Something that no hitter wants.” Angelic answered as they entered the hotel lobby. Then she clarified her answer for the group. “An open contract is one that anyone can collect on. Anywhere, anytime, in the world.”

“Damn! Why haven’t we heard of this before?” Asked in Hunter in a hush.

“Better yet. Why haven’t we been told before now?” Bobby whispered.

“We are not in our own territory boys. New York is different. For now, just let me do all the talking.” Maria answered as they neared the hotel reservations desk. Looking at the gentleman behind the counter Maria smiled and handed over her card. “Good evening, Raymond. My usual suites. Please.”

“A good evening to you Madam DeMarco. It has been a few years since you visited. Is this a business or pleasure visit?” The elderly African American gentleman asked as he surveyed the group.

“Business, Raymond.” Maria answered politely. She held out her hand for her card as Raymond swiped her card.

After swiping the card Raymond nodded. “Welcome back, Madam DeMarco.”

“Thank you, Raymond. I will need to have a car for me at five. I need to take a drive out to the Hamptons this evening.” Maria instructed the desk clerk.

“With or without a driver? An escort?” Raymond asked.

“Without Raymond. I’m sure that my son-in-law and his partner can handle the duties of both. After all they are quite capable in their own right. They do have one minor problem. A sense of humor that is rather bizarre.” Maria smirked.

“I take it the other gentlemen is your son-in-law?” Raymond asked as he looked at Hunter. “He certainly looks like he can handle himself.”

“I'm afraid they do not play nicely with others. If they even play at all. They have a nasty tendency to break people for amusement.” Maria told the man honestly.

“I see.” Raymond chuckled. “I’ll be sure to pass the word along, Madam. I would hate to see either your son-in-law or his partner forced to satisfy someone’s stupidity.”

“Let us hope THAT doesn’t happen Raymond. Now, I’d like lunch from Carabella’s to be delivered. Is this possible?” Maria asked knowing full well that is was. It was only a formality.

“Of course. Please enjoy your stay here at the Peninsula.” Raymond just nodded and pointed toward the elevators.

Half an hour later, a knock at the door interrupted them. It was Raymond, with a large paper sack he handed to Hunter then and envelope held out to Maria.

“Thank you, Raymond.” Maria answered as she took the letter and read it.

“What is it Aunt Maria?” Angelic asked

When she turned to the others, Maria had a hard look in her eyes. “It is a formal request for a sit down.”

“Where are you going, mom?” Samantha whispered.

“I need to visit an old friend, dear. Now, finish getting cleaned up and fed. We still have to deal with Price this evening.” Maria said and headed for the elevator.

Maria left the hotel as an uneasy feeling settled in. All five of the adults knew that they were deep in enemy territory. For the teens it was the first time they realized just how different and dangerous their situation truly was.

Suite rooms for the DeMarco party

Inside their rooms, Samantha turned to the rest of the group. “Okay, people. Here’s the deal. Whoever mom is going to meet has to be big and for a damned good reason. Before you ask, we’re going to follow her last instructions. Kasey, Kristine, go take your showers first. There are two bathrooms in this suite. One on each side. Bobby, Hunter; while you’re waiting, go over our personal sidearms. I’m going to take Angelic downtown to see an old friend of the family. Jackson is one of the finest gunsmiths on the Northeast seaboard. If anyone can outfit her, it’s him. It’s time she was outfitted with her own firearms. No offense cousin, but it’s time. In fact, it's past time.”

“Thank you, Samantha. That borrowed forty-five doesn’t fit right in my hand. It just feels off for some reason.” Angelic sighed.

“Don’t worry, cousin. Jackson is one of the finest gunsmiths in the world. If anyone can find a proper fitting weapon for you it’ll be him.” Sam smirked.

“Get on it, Sam. We’ll cover for the girls while they clean up. Before you say it. Yes, we know all about the number one rule. I just don’t trust these people to not make a run at mama. Or you for that matter.” Bobby told her bluntly as he pulled out his tactical M1911A1 .45 APC.

Sam wanted to correct her first husband, but Hunter had also pulled out his own .45 APC. “You got business Sam. Get it done.”

Sam knew it was pointless to argue with the two men once they made up their minds. If they didn’t trust someone or something. They wouldn’t trust them or it. No matter how you phrase your argument it wouldn’t change their minds. She knew why they were on edge and it was up to her to explain.

Sighing she looked over at her two husbands. “Look guys, nobody is going to try something stupid with mama. This is nothing more than a formality.”

“What formality, Sam?” Hunter demanded.

“It has been a long-time since mama came to New York. Especially unannounced. For YEARS people have believed that she was retired. Then all of a sudden, she shows up with a full entourage. An entourage of three Capizeo’s and two DeMarco’s. One of those DeMarco’s being her son-in-law. So yeah, the local Commission is going to be a little antsy.” Sam answered sadly.

“Wait a fucking minute here Sam. Are you saying that just because we showed up with Mama Maria the locals are worried?” Bobby questioned.

“It’s more than just that Bobby. You got to remember that mama is a Donna. She is allowed to travel with some kind of entourage. In fact, she is kind of expected to have an entourage, because she is a Donna. Keep in mind though, that she is not your normal Donna. For her to just show up out of nowhere is going to throw all kinds of SHIT in the wind.” This time Sam’s smile was one of pure sarcasm.

“And by that you mean a shit storm for us. Right?” Bobby wanted to know.

“Not so much a shit storm for us. This is all politics for mama. They won’t push things with her. The Commission just wants to figure out why she’s even here. And exactly WHO should be worried.” Sam’s smile had gone from sarcastic to full-on smart-ass.

Hunter and Bobby nodded to each other and said in unison. “Good point.”

Hangman’s Bar and Grill

Maria stepped out of the taxi and went below street-level for the door and came face-to-face the bar’s bouncer. With a smile she greeted the woman with hug. “Sylvia, it has been too long.”

“Hello, Donna Maria. It’s good to see you again. I hear you have traveling companions these days.” The tall redhead said as she pulled back from the hug. “You never bothered before.”

Maria chuckled. She had more than enough time to think of how answer such questions during her ride over. “I’ve come to accept the fact that my age and time is starting to catch up with me. So, when my daughter got married along with introducing me to my granddaughter I decided to go along with their demands. After all I want to live long enough to spoil my granddaughter rotten. It’s what grandparents are supposed to do. Or so I'm told.”

This time it was Sylvia who chuckled. “That’s what I hear as well.”

“Yes, and it’s a full-time job. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I understand Malcom wants to see me for some reason. Any idea as to why?” Maria already had a good idea for the sudden call for a sit down.

Sylvia turned deadly serious as she talked with her old friend. “You, showing up with a full entourage of hitters. Not just any hitters either, Maria. Rumor has it; The Hemlock Rose, her husband, and a daughter are among them.”

It hit Maria like a Mack truck with a full load at highway speeds. “Shit. I hadn’t thought about that until now. Any idea of how the locals found out so quickly old friend? I don’t like people knowing so much of my business.”

“Chance. You were noticed walking across the street at The Penn.” Sylvia had thought about her answer to Maria’s statement. She had learned long ago that it was best to be honest with the Dons and Donnas. “The moment they learned of your presence, it spread through like an uncontrolled forest fire.”

“Then I think it’s best for me to just face Malcom down and get it over with. I swear, that man is going to be the death of me one of these days.” Maria sighed and headed inside. “His usual table?”

“Far back corner, next to the kitchen, last booth on the right. He had to change his table after a flood last year. You’ll see what I mean. We had to do a full remodel and replace most of the furniture along with the bar.” Sylvia said with smile. “I think you’ll enjoy the new look.”

As Maria entered the bar, she knew right away what Sylvia was talking about. Gone was the dated 70’s decor. It was now had a modern ambiance. One that was warm and welcoming. The bar-top was made from a slab of great red oak. The tables were now made of solid wood and all the chairs were top of the line. It would have fit in with any high-class speak-easy from the 1920’s. In many ways it was more along the lines of the idealized speak-easies of the era. Complete with stage and restaurant.

As she walked through the club Maria could feel the eyes of the other patrons on her. She knew that more than half wanted to kill her, and the other half feared her. The ones that wanted to kill her were looking to make a reputation for themselves. The ones that feared her, well, they knew the cost of trying to kill the Dove. None of them wanted to face the death sentence or the hell that would follow the assassination of Maria DeMarco. Especially with the rumor of a family of Capizeo’s guarding her now.

Maria smiled as she approached the black corner booth table. “Hello, Malcom. It is nice to see you again. How have you been?”

“Hello, Maria. I thought you had retired. You’re supposed to be out of the game. Your daughter had taken all active contracts for you.” Malcom started off without preamble as he tumbled a coin over his fingers of his left hand. “Why are you here? The last I heard; you had no open contracts. If you do, I would need to know, whom?”

“The last time I checked, Malcom, I am still a Donna. I do not answer to you so long as I stay within the treaties. Also, as a Donna, I am allowed a certain amount of leeway when conducting business negotiations within the city. According to those treaties. I am also allowed a certain number in my entourage, if I choose to have one. Which I can, and haven’t violated, might I remind you. I don’t have near the number of bodyguards that I am allowed by rule, Malcom. You know this.” Maria smirked at the man as she took a seat across from him.

“Not that it matters, Maria. You have two DeMarco’s and your son-in-law in your party. That DOESN’T even begin to cover the fact that the rest may be all Capizeo’s! ONE OF WHICH IS RUMORED TO BE THE HEMLOCK ROSE!” Malcom screamed the last. Regaining his composure Malcom glared over the table at Maria. Then whispered just load enough for her to hear. “You don’t need the full completement of bodyguards that you’re allowed. Even two teenagers of either family are enough to scare the crap out of any ten normal bodyguards. Just because of their last FUCKING names.”

Even Maria had to chuckle at Malcom’s discomfort over the thought of facing her granddaughters in a pissed off mood. And they hadn’t even earned their ‘names’ among the society yet. Maria thought about the day that may happen and smiled. Earning a name among these people wasn’t easy. It’ll be even harder for her granddaughters as everything they do will be done in the darkest of shadows and on moonless nights. Always far from the prying eyes of the world.

“Be thankful that my daughter is not among them Malcom. My two nieces are bad enough when they get angered. Throw Annette into the mix and you get a ticking time bomb.” Maria smirked.

“Speaking of the lovely Annette. I understand your son-in-law is here with you, but not her. Is it too personal ask where she is?” Malcom asked politely.

“Not at all Malcom. I sent home as she is, in the words of my father, in the family way. It has only just been confirmed.” Maria wanted to laugh at the look on Malcom’s face and watched as the color drained along with all the blood. “Yes, the White Tulip is pregnant. That is not for public knowledge.”

Malcom coughed into his hand and grabbed his glass downing a large amount of brandy. Looking hard in Maria’s eyes and praying that last part was a joke. “Maria, please tell me that you were joking about Annette being pregnant?”

“No, old friend, I’m not joking. Not only is there already an heir to her line, but that heir is soon to have siblings.” Maria was loving the effect that her news was having on her old friend.

“Where should I send the flowers, Maria?” Malcom asked with a smile.

“Don’t bother, you old cur. Where she is, you won’t find her.” Maria had seen through Malcom’s ploy right away. “As for my business here in New York. Don’t worry. This is purely a personal matter. No need to worry the Commission over it. I’m merely handling a favor for a friend of mine.”

“I see. I’ll stay out of your affairs then. I’ll also ensure that everyone else will stay out of your way as well.” Malcom could tell right away that for whatever reason Maria DeMarco had come out of retirement. It was very much a personal one. If there was one thing he had learned over the years, it was this. When Donna Maria ‘the Dove’ DeMarco sets out to handle a personal matter. Don’t, under any circumstances, get in her way. The last time someone did that, they ended up as part of a new overpass somewhere in middle Ohio.

“Thank you, Malcom. I and my group will not be in the area for longer than necessary. Just long enough to handle the matter. You have my word.” Maria smiled and stood up. As she turned to leave, she placed five hundred dollars on the table. “That is for any information you can get me on Sylvia Price.”

“I can have a full file on her to you within the hour.” Malcom picked up the money and placed it in his jacket pocket. “I only want to know why you want to know about Price. She’s nothing more than one of those uppity bitches that all the old money hate. If not for her connections down on the docks, no one would even consider her of note at all.”

“Thank you, for that Malcom. That was more than I knew. Get me all that you can anyway. I have a meeting with her later this evening.” With that Maria left the bar. As she walked through the bar Maria let her mind go to that place she needed to kill. While it may be against the rules to kill within the bar. That didn’t mean some asshole wouldn’t try.

Without meaning to, Maria DeMarco let the grace she learned as a young ballerina fill her steps. She moved as if made of smoke through the crowded bar area. Slipping between the light and only appearing within the shadows. As she passed one table she smiled at its occupants. The smile never reached her eyes and drove a shaft of fear down their spines. The two men and one woman never faced such a cold uncaring mask of death. With that simple act Maria knew that the idea of attacking her or her family would die. The unspoken challenge was more than enough to strike the fear of God into the most crazed of hitters.

There was a reason that the Wraiths of the Moonless Night Guild were so feared. The idea of facing off against a pair of families that breed and raise assassins was just too terrorizing for most to even believe. And Maria had just given those gather a quick lesson in manners without ever resorting to violence. All by just smiling at a trio of would be assassins.

Headquarters of the CIA, Langley, McLean, VA

In the office of Threat Assessment and Management; Analysis Specialist Dan Whitehall couldn’t believe the reports coming out of Europe. He had in his hands more than fifty confirmed reports of a targeted assassination on a former Ambassador for the US. Most of the chatter concerned the IRA. With each report he read, the sicker he felt in his gut. He knew that sooner or later he would have to kick this upstairs to his boss.

Frist though, he wanted to go outside the Agency for confirmation of over half this data. Reaching over for his cellphone, he dialed a number from memory. When it was answered he entered a digital reply and hung up. After putting his phone away Dan left his office. As he passed his secretary, he left her with instructions to hold all his calls for the afternoon.

As he left the building he knew exactly where he was going. There was a little-known restaurant in the heart of McLean, Virginia. One that was a favorite of Operatives, Agents and Assets alike. It didn’t take Dan long to reach JJ’s Bar-Bee-Q. To most people, the place was nothing more than a dive. To those in the know though, this place was considered to be neutral grounds. More high-level intelligence was passed around within the walls of this place than anywhere else within the US. Not even the Pentagon matched the amount of shared intel that was freely passed between agents here.

Dan parked his car and walked inside. He looked for the one person he knew that could help him with his current problem.

The hostess asked him. “Are you waiting for the rest of your party sir?”

“They should already be here, young lady. The Carson party.” Dan answered.

“Right this way, sir.” The young lady smiled and led the way over to a table with five other people sitting at it already. Dan knew each person at the table, also which agency they belonged to.

As Dan sat down, he smiled over at the person he called. “Thanks for spreading the word Jim. I was wondering how to get a hold of the others.”

“No problem, Dan. When you sent that nine-one-one, I knew it was bad.” Jim Carson of Army Intelligence answered honestly. “Now, what is it that has Air America pissing their pants at this time of day?”

Dan chuckled at the old joke for his agency left over from Vietnam. “I’m sure most of you here have been following the up-tick in chatter concerning an assassination on a certain former US Ambassador.”

“Hold on, Dan. What chatter? We haven’t heard shit over at Homeland.” Sally McManus asked him quickly. “There has been nothing on our end.”

“Same for over at the FBI. I mean it’s like the Western Front over there.” Mark Hall told them all.

“The only thing we’ve heard about is a contract taken out on that asshole Donald Abrams over at Interpol. He may be a war profiteering shitbag, but the only ones that have a problem with him is the IRA. Normally they don’t leave these kinds of things to outsiders.” Shamus O’Grady smirked. “I may be the only foreigner here, but I do have more than a few connections.”

“Well, I can tell you honestly that Navy Intel hasn’t found shit.” Joe White of Naval Intelligence bitched.

“Okay, that about sums up what I thought. It’s like this people. That fucking contract is the real deal. One way, or the other, Donald Abrams is a marked man. What most of you don’t realize is what would happen if that contract gets carried out.” Dan began to explain. “This is a real threat to our military supply chain if Global World Transit loses its current CEO.”

The other five agents stared at Dan in total shock. “If GWT goes into receivership; a solid twenty-five percent of our military munitions and dry goods seaborne cargo will become locked in an ongoing legal battle. That is IF the stockholders don’t just start dumping their shares on the open market. If that happens, all hell will break loose.”

“So, what do you suggest? You got a plan Dan?” Joe asked him.

“We have our friends in Interpol provide Abrams with an escort. For now, anyway. Then we invoke the Patriot Act and Federalize all the ships of GWT.” At the looks of utter dismay, Dan knew he had lost his chance at persuading his counterparts. “If we do nothing, we’re looking at a shit storm people.”

Shamus looked up at his US counterparts. “This is going to sound shitty, mate, but Interpol can’t get involved with what is essentially a US problem. We cannot intercede without a direct invitation from your supervisors.”

“We’re all in the same fucking boat, Dan. Not even Homeland can pull what you’re suggesting. Not even in a National Emergency.” Was all that Sally said.

“I say kick this shit up the ladder like you’re supposed to Dan. This is one time that you need to just walk away and wash your hands of the whole mess.” Mark told the man. Only he had a different reason for wanting Dan to kick the warning up the ladder. He never truly liked Dan and wanted his own name on that door over at the CIA.

“Look Dan, we all know that Abrams is a shitbag of the first order. We also know that he's a former US Ambassador. But that's the end of it. If he gets popped; all the better. None of us in the Military Intelligence community ever liked the idea of that man having so much control over our supply lines. He only got those fucking contracts BECAUSE of his connections to the former POTUS.” Jim said while looking over at his counterpart from the Navy, Joe White, who sat there nodding his head.

“Hate to say this partner, but you’re fucked if you want us to help you with this one. You got only one place to go with the Intel. Up the chain.” Mark told the man bluntly. “As for me. I've heard shit and I’m out of here.”

No sooner had the words left Mark Hall’s lips than a bullet passed through his forehead. The man was dead before he hit the floor. The other members of the impromptu lunch meeting died just as fast and grizzly as their friend. From the back of the restaurant five black clad figures emerged with guns drawn. Another seven came in from the front door. None of the weapons were of the same caliber or even make. It was a mixed bag of AK-47’s, AK-74’s, Tec-9’s and Mac-10’s. Even though these men were dressed in tactical gear, none of them worn any form of identifying badges. They killed everyone in the restaurant, without warning.

The team’s leader came out of the backroom slowly and looked over at the tactical team. “We’re ordered a full sweep and clear of the area, Lieutenant. By ‘full sweep and clear’; that means everyone.”

The man just nodded his head, walked out front and shot the hostess in the head, then keyed his mic. “All Clear.”

The leader of the team turned to the rest of the team. “Make sure this looks like a random heist gone wrong. Once done plug this fucking leak for good.”

The Special Activities Division Sweeper-Team team just nodded their heads and moved to carry out their orders. If Dan had done his duty this team wouldn’t have been dispatched and he would still be alive. Along with all of his friends. This was more than just the CIA covering up the mistakes of one low ranking Analyst. This was the CIA covering their connections to the Iscariot Division.

As the Sweeper-Team leader walked out the door, he sighed. “Well, at least we’ll finally be able to close the final chapter on this nasty file. We just need to sit back and let the IRA do the rest for us. With Abrams dead, we can close down our operations with Rome.”

“Sir, was it really necessary to kill everyone in there?” His assistant asked him bluntly. “Couldn’t we have spared the civilians?”

“I wish that we could have spared them Mary.” The man sighed. “The fact is; that place has been an information leak of critical proportions for years. This latest leak is just the straw that finally broke the camel’s back. The Director himself gave the order for a full sweep.”

“Holy Shit! Just what are we covering up here sir?” Mary asked the man.

“A long, dirty and nasty secret. One that our government has gone to great lengths to keep hidden from everybody at-large.” The man total her.

“Just how long has this secret been around sir?” Mary asked of her boss.

“Since nineteen-forty-seven. From the very founding of our organization. Some said; the secret goes back to the days of the OSS during World-War-Two. All I know is; the higher-ups want this dealt with and covered up, once and for all. Even if it comes down to killing a few civilians just to be dead-sure.” The man told her.

“I'm confused about us operating inside CONUS sir. We're not allowed, by charter.” Mary stated. “Why now? Why all this?”

“We’re trying to stop a major shit storm, Mary.” The man walked away. “A major shit storm.”

As he drove away the man thought about the phone call, he received earlier that morning. Whoever had called him had his personal number. The conversation had been one-sided. All they had done was warn him of the possible leek and who was the leek. He had done the rest.

“Whoever you are, I hope like hell you’re on the side of the angels.” The man sighed out. “Because if not then you’re too deadly to live.”

----tbc-----

Anna walked through the foyer of the Belvidere Imperial as if she owned the majestic hotel. More than a few heads turned as she strode across the marble floors in her Louis Vuitton business suite and Prada high heels. She portrayed the very image of a high-powered female business executive from the States. More than a few of the men wanted to know more about this elusive woman already. The one disconcerting fact about her was the rather intimidating presence of her bodyguard.

As much as Anna wanted to just walk into the hotel and handle her business alone. Lyssa and the rest of the Command staff back on Ram’s Rock put an end to that line of planning. It didn’t matter that she was old enough to be a mother to them all, they weren’t going to let her just go off on her own. Anna found it both endearing and infuriating at the same time. She was after all Anna ‘the Nightingale’ Fonticello, one of the most feared old-world assassins in the last forty years. Even other assassins feared her.

Eddie understood his orders to keep Anna safe. What he was having problems understanding why Anna of all people would need a bodyguard. Yet, like most of the single guys on the island, Anna held a special place in his heart for some crazy reason. She actually cared for him and the other guys. Then there that whole business in Boston. The way she had killed that one man still shocked Eddie when he thought about it. He knew that Lyssa and the other women of the OICA could kill in a ruthless manner, hell it was kind of expected. Yet here was this grandmotherly old lady snapping a man’s neck like it was nothing more than an everyday choir or baking cookies.

“Miss Anna, can I ask why you want to stay here?” Eddie wondered.

“Appearance, Edward. Our endeavors over the next day and a half must hold the absolute appearance of legitimacy.” Anna explain for the young man next to her. “For this to work, truly work, everything must be above broad.”

“I understand that part Miss Anna. What I don’t understand is why we’re staying at this hotel. It’s not secure.” He whispered.

“Oh, we’re very secure here Edward. There is more to this hotel’s reputation than as a trading center. No one would dare to harm us here. This is most likely on of the most secure places in the Caribbean other than Ram’s Rock.” Anna explained with a wistful smile. As they approached the desk Anna stopped him. “From here out let me do all the talking.”

“Yes ma’am.” Eddie didn’t know what was going on but knew to follow the old woman’s led. This was after all, her world.

“Good morning, ma’am. How may we be of service today?” The desk clerk asked.

“I have a reservation. I believe it should be under, Prima International Investments, Anna Fonticello.” Anna told the young woman.

“Yes, Mrs. Fonticello. I have it right here. We have been waiting for your arrival. Everything is just as you requested.” She turned and pulled two keys from the broad behind her. “This is your room key and the other is the key to the trading floor. Please be sure to keep track of the trading floor key. There is a five-hundred-dollar fee for losing one.”

Eddie noticed that the trading floor key was dark blue in color instead of brass. He wondered why the hotel was still using such outdate methods to secure the rooms as actual keys. There had to be more to it than that. His curiosity was about to be proven right.

“Please place your left eye against the scanner ma’am? I need your retinal scan for the security system to recognize your keys.” The desk clerk pointed towards the scanner and handed Eddie his own key. “I need yours as well sir.”

Anna just smiled and did as asked. When Eddie bulked Anna smiled. “No need to worry Edward. It’s merrily a security precaution.”

The wink Anna gave him put Eddie at ease. He followed her example and placed his eye to the scanner. “I must admit ma’am the security is a little higher tech than what I expected.”

The Desk clerk looked over at Eddie. “We here at the Belvidere Imperial have always prided ourselves on the security of our guests, sir. We are always looking for ways to upgrade our security while keeping our traditions. While the keys will unlock the room doors the door itself will not release the magnetic seal without your retinal scan id.”

“So, they can pick the door lock, but it won’t do them any good. Nice.” Eddie smiled. “Will I be granted access to the trading floor as Mrs. Fontecillo’s bodyguard? Or will I need to fill out some kind of paperwork?”

“That key and retinal scan will cover your presence wherever Mrs. Fontecillo is within the hotel proper. We never separate bodyguards from their protectee, sir. That is part of the services we offer here at the Belvidere.” The way that the desk clerk talked put Eddie at ease.

“Thank you, Lisa. Has my registration for the trading floor been placed?” Anna asked quickly. “If not, I’ll need that taken care of immediately.”

“Yes ma’am. It came through with your reservation. You are all set to begin trading the moment the markets open.” Lisa told Anna.

“For all markets? Both national and international.” Anna needed to know.

“Yes, ma’am. Prima International Investments is setup for all markets. You’ll have full access, Mrs. Fontecillo.” Lisa assured Anna.

“Thank you, Lisa. How long do we have until the markets open?” Anna asked.

“It depends on the market ma’am.” Lisa answered.

“Thank you, Lisa.” Anna turned to Eddie. “Let’s see to our luggage Edward. Then check up on the news.”

As they left lobby Eddie whispered. “Especially the World News.”

“You’re so right Edward. Too right indeed.” Anna told him.

Paris, France

Ryne stepped from her rental car on the fourth story of the six-story parking garage with a propose. The briefcase in her left hand could be mistaken for a high-end attaché. She had spent most of last night scouting for her sniper’s nest. She knew Abrams’ schedule like the back of her hand. In twenty minutes, the man would be leaving The Ministry of the Armies for the Republic of France. It had taken her almost all of her recon last night to find the one spot that no one would expect her to shoot from. The impossible shoot.

Ryne went over the stats for the shot. It was just under the maximum effect range of her rifle to where her target would be exiting the Ministry building. Even if she was using the .458 magnum sabot rounds. From the exit to where the car would be waiting is 45 meters. The walkway area is made of brick pavers. At this time of the day the sun would be behind her nest and wouldn’t come into play for her shoot. The wind would be out of the Northwest pushing between 3 to 4 knots to the Southeast something that wouldn’t affect her shoot. The downward angel of the shot is 39 degrees. This would affect her shoot as she would have to taken in the ark of her round.

Her window of opportunity to take the shoot was less than 3 minutes before her target was safely inside the armored executive limousine. Something that she had only found out about last night. Then there was her actual nest. It was the northeast corner stairwell through a window. A window that was covered by a sheet of 2-inch-thick plexiglass. She would have to drill a hole through the plexiglass before she could even take her shoot. She had a picked up the drill and drill bit she would use last night. Those she had in her purse. She had found the stairwell’s only blind spot during her physical recon of the parking garage last night. It was also the one spot in the entire structure that had an unobstructed view of the target area.

A view of no less than two feet and no more than three feet. Not the narrowest window for a shoot that Ryne ever took, but it was also one that ninety-nine percent of the world’s sniper won’t attempt. Even then that one percent would be having second thoughts about the attempt. There was only one sniper that she knew of for certain that would attempt what she was about to do. Even then that sniper hadn’t been heard of in almost twenty years. There had been rumors and whispered conversations in the backrooms of almost all the dockside bars, and other less than savory hangouts for Organized Criminals. Mostly about the occasional sniper assassinations attributed to the woman. Yet all of those had turned out to have been done by someone else. Normally those hits finally came back to belonging to HER, the Irish Rose. Even those that she never left her signature rose petal with shell casing.

Then again, most people had never heard of the Silver Bullet Ballerina. Even among world class snipers the woman was an enigma. No one knew who she was, where she came from, or where she disappeared to twenty years ago. The one thing that everyone knew was who her last hit was, Jacob Henshaw. The man was a known drug lord who had worked for the Great Lakes Organization. Jacob crossed the line when he intentionally started cutting heroin with cyanide. Jacob had crossed the line into serial killer, and it was the Silver Bullet Ballerina that ended the man’s life in broad daylight right in front of three beat cops. And a whole FBI undercover surveillance team.

Once Ryne was in the stairwell, she moved to the top floor first. Once there she secured the stairwell door from the inside. She moved from floor to floor securing each door for one simple reason. To cover her own ass. Once done Ryne moved back to the third-floor window. It took her less than two minutes to find the window and drill the needed hole. Double checking her watch and the time. The cold smile that crossed her lips was not one that most people see. Those that do, never live to see the sunset. Kneeling down and opening the attaché case Ryne assembled the rifle hidden inside. She knew that her time was running short as she screwed on the silencer. That one piece of kit would give her a few more minutes to escape.

With less than five minutes tell Abrams stepped from the Ministry Building had the rifle fully assembled and loaded. Taking a deep breath Ryne stood up and looked out through her scope. Just as she expected, the corporate limo pulled to a stop in front of the building’s main entrance. “Thirty-seconds to go and Donald Abrams steps out of that door.”

Placing the silencer through the hole she had drilled Ryne lined up for her shoot. Placing her right eye to the 3x70 Leopold rifle scope. With a flip of her thumb she clicked off the safety. At exactly the strike of noon, just as her information said, Donald Abrams stepped through the doors of The Ministry of the Armies. She watched as the six-man protection team surrounded her target. They used a four-two configuration. The two outriders were not her problem. It would be the four near guards that would be her biggest problem. They were right next to her target blocking the line of sight from the four-points-of-the-compass. Her biggest problem would be the man on the ‘North Point’. He was walking directly in front of her target.

She smiled as Abrams made the biggest mistake of his life. It would also be the last one he ever made. Abrams pushed his way passed the lead guard in a rush to reach his car. That was all that Ryne needed. With a steady squeeze of the trigger Ryne fired the shoot. The round left the end of the barrel at 1,900 ft per second. It was a 280 grain SABO round carried the 11-caliber needle core penetrator that would end Abrams life. At just over 150 feet from the end of the muzzle the SABO split into four separate parts. There was the three outer petals and one inner penetrator. When Ryne asked for an exotic round the Müller brothers had truly delivered. They had taken the idea of a tank’s main gun APFSDS and shrank it down to a usable rifle round.

At just over 400 yards the penetrator stroke home. The high-density fin stabilized needle punched through the forehead of Donald Abrams just above and between the man’s eyes. The downward angle path of the round carried on through until it exited out the base of Donald’s skull. While the round’s size wasn’t massive, its effects were far out of proportion to it. The kinetic shockwave of the round traveling through the man’s head was massive. Even if Abrams had survived the round’s destruction of his frontal cortex and severing of his spinal cord, he would never survive the total capillary destruction of his brain. Donald Abrams was dead before he hit the ground.

With a speed born of skill, and hours of practice, Ryne had her rifle broken down in seconds. Once she had the rifle broken down Ryne picked up the spent shell casing. She placed the casing and an Irish Rose on the window seal. After leaving her calling card behind Ryne head for the first-floor exit. Even as she was exiting the first-floor parking area she had no idea of just how far reaching her actions would have an impact. Once outside the garage Ryne waved at a passing taxicab. She smiled as the cab pulled over for her.

As the cab pulled away from curb the first alarms were being raised. Ryne smiled slightly to herself. Four blocks away the cab passed the first police car racing towards the Ministry building. The driver looked into the rearview mirror at his passenger. “I wonder what that is all about?”

“I don’t have any idea, sir.” Ryne feigned innocence then showed a thoughtful look for the man. “Excuse sir, but isn’t the Ministry of the Armies back that way? Could all this excitement be over something that happened there?”

The old man huffed. “I wouldn’t doubt it, young lady. I just hope that if it is that reason. Then one of those worthless warmongering generals is who got hurt and not some innocent civilian.”

“I’m sure that it is nothing like that sir. Mostly some person tripped and fell hurt themselves and the police are just acting to keep the area clear of nosey on-lookers.” Ryne downplayed what she knew to be the truth. No need to fuel the rumors just yet. Besides the news outlets will take care of that shortly. Then she smiled as an idea formed in her head. “Though from what I’ve heard at work there is an American war-profiteer visiting the Ministry.”

The chuckle that came from the driver let Ryne know that her joke would take root and spread among the conspiracy theorists. “Now where would a nice young lady like you work to hear such a vile thing? Though I wouldn’t put it pass an American to be trying to pad their pocket off the War on Terror. I can’t wait to tell my comrades down at the pub.”

It was just as Ryne thought. The old man would feed into the conspiracy theories that would soon run rampant. All thanks to a simple rumor placed in the ear of a veteran of the military.

State Department Headquarters, Washington D.C.

Department Head of the French Desk, Mark Sanders could not believe reports coming across his desk. Two hours ago, former Ambassador and current CEO of Global World Transit, Donald Abrams was assassinated. They had been receiving reports of death threats against the man for days, yet until now, there had been no credible intel behind them. Even the ones coming out of Ireland had had no real or true foundation behind them. That was what his top analysts had been telling him for the last few days.

But he was now forced to accept the fact they were wrong. Then there was the very nasty fact that GWT held a such a large portion of subcontracts for the transport of military supplies. There were reports of those transports being targeted by terrorists. As he sat there thinking about the implications of those threats, he was planning his response. There really was only one way to handle the situation and he was loth to use it.

“Um… sir. I have another set of reports that I think you need to read.” His aid told Mark as he walked through his office door. “Sir, they’re not good.”

“Save me the time and just tell me, Dave. Just how big a cluster fuck do we have on our hands?” Mark told the man bluntly.

“We got a Cat five shit hurricane with sustained winds of ‘Oh fuck me!’ with gusts of over ‘Where the fuck did that come from?’. If have of these reports are true, then more than half of the GWT fleet is headed for Davey Jones’ locker. Sir, if we don’t do something fast, we’re going to be the ones to catch hell in a major way.” Dave informed his boss.

“Shit! Can this day getting any fucking better?” Mark snarled.

“SIR! MISTER SANDERS TURN ON FFN!” One of his other aids screamed.

Mark didn’t even think twice and did as the aid screamed. “Ah, shit. We just jumped to fuck me sideways in a back alley with a steal dildo.”

The talking heads for FFN were already carrying the news of Abrams’ death. Even worse they were speculating Abrams’ involvement with International drug smugglers, illegal arms dealers, and white slavers. As the bubbleheaded bleach blonde ran her mouth a ticker scrolled across the bottom of the screen. With each passing recap the stock price for GWT fell a few more points. Within the ten minutes the stocks of GWT Had fallen from 39.50 a share to 26.30 and the price was still falling.

“No offence sir, but so what if the stock falls?” Dave asked his Supervisor.

“If that stock keeps falling the company will go bankrupt. It goes bankrupt we got a fucking mess on our hands. I should say our MILITARY will have a mess on their hands. Get me the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dave. We need to get ahead of this debacle now.” Mark ordered his aid.

“Yes sir. What should I tell him?” Dave asked.

“That I want a full meeting in two hours. The topic will be ‘I told you so.” Mark snarled as he started going over the rest of the reports.

Inner ring of the Pentagon, Washington D.C.

The Chief of the Navy, Admiral Chester More couldn’t believe what he was being ordered to do. He looked at his aid holding up the orders in his hands. “Please, tell me that this is a mother fucking joke Commander?”

“No sir. Those orders came through proper channels. Straight from the Secretary of the Defense. We are to use ALL available assets to secure any and all Global World Transit currently outside of US territorial waters.” Admiral More couldn’t believe his ears. Everything that his aid just told him while will within the purview of the Navy, left a bad taste in his mouth.

More just sighed. “Get me deployment status lists. No, strike that. Just pass on the order to the ships that we have currently deployed and get the rest of the surface fleet deployed.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” The aid turned and ran from the room.

“This is going to play worse than a bad sequel from the sixties on a late-night Saturday movie rerun.” Admiral More looked down at his desktop. “The press is going to have fucking field day with this. They’re going to spin it like Big Brother over stepping and interfering with free trade.”

“That maybe sir. But like that old saying goes. ‘Ours is not to reason way, but to do or die.’ We are soldiers, sailors, and marines, sir. We have a chain of command that we must follow. Even you, sir. Yes, we have the right to disobey an unlawful order, but those orders are well within the law. They may be distasteful, but their legal.” The young Commander said as he reentered the office.

“God damn it, Hopkins. Don’t you think I know that? It’s how this whole mess is going to play out in the eyes of the public that concerns me.” More snapped. “Don’t you get it? No matter how, or why we do this, the Navy will still come off as the bad guys.”

“I understand, sir. But it is the system that we serve.” Hopkins got a very faraway look in his eyes. “Sir, my father once told me something about our government and the military. Its something that I’ve carried with me to this very day. I think you could use it now.”

“Okay Hopkins. What is this great pearl of wisdom?” More asked his aid.

“The United States has been an experiment in Democracy for over two-hundred years. At its core it has been a government of the people by the people for the people. But during all that time it has been protected by a Dictatorship. We, the military are that Dictatorship. Today’s military man may be a volunteer sir, but we all surrender certain rights to protect the rights of others. We may not like some of our orders and how we get portrayed in the press at times, but that is what we ALL signed up for. Enlisted and Officer alike sir. To quote a favorite TV show of mine, sometimes the bad guys are the best good guys.”

More chuckled at Hopkins’ quote. He knew exactly what show Hopkins was referring to. Mostly because he too like the show and wished that it hadn’t been canceled. He also knew that Hopkins’ father was a student of history. Because that piece of advice was taken straight from a speech by one of America’s greatest social commentators.

“Thanks for reminding me of our place the bigger picture, Commander Hopkins. Let’s get those orders carried out.” More told the man.

“Aye, aye sir.” With that Commander Hopkins left Admiral More’s office.

Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management, Office of Homeland Security, Washington D.C.

At the same time that Admiral More was giving out his orders the current Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management, Samuel Case was just receiving his orders. Looking up at his aid holding the almost exact same orders. “Who the fuck sent down these orders Andy? Did you even think to verify the damned things?”

“Trust me sir. When those orders came in, I went downstairs and doubled checked them myself.” Andy held up his hands in defeat. “Shit, sir. I triple checked them. The Secretary of Homeland Security issued those orders personally sir. We are to use all assets to secure all Global World Transit property within the US on the grounds of National Security. The reason is for criminal and traitorous actions against the people of the United States.”

“Just how bad did our friends over at GWT fuck up?” Case demanded.

“All I know sir is what is on those orders. From what our buddies over at the Federal Bureau of Idiots will tell us. These charges are just the beginning. They’ve already secured GWT’s CEO’s wife and oldest child. What they found on the home computer was sickening. They’re saying this could be just as bad as that whole Vasco mess a few years ago.” Andy told his boss.

“Ah shit. Get the Coast Guard moving now. I don’t care where they are, they are broad, secure, and search each GWT ship currently in US waters. I don’t care if they are underway or docked. Next I want Secret Service and US Customs teams raiding each GWT office in every port-of-call that they operate. LOCK those places down Andy. If the press gets in the way throw whoever it is in a fucking cell and lose the damned keys. I don’t care what happens. Those assholes over at the Marshals don’t get their hands on this cookie. Understood?” Case ordered.

“Yes sir. I can have the strike teams rolling in half an hour. We’ll use the Patriot Act to cover for warrants.” Andy was already running as he left his boss’s office. It was time for some pay back.

Andy could see that the Vasco mess still pissed off his boss. Especially with the way that one Federal Marshal had thrown their people off the ship. Then the man turned around and claimed full jurisdiction. The way that all went down was still a black eye for a lot, agents in Homeland Security. The fact that they were operating directly under orders from the Secretary of Homeland Security no one was going to take this bust away from them. Today would be a major feather in his boss’s cap. It would also be a major feather in his own cap.

New York Stock Exchange, 11 Wall Street, New York City, New York

Dan Cutter had been a floor trader for more the twenty years. Never in all that time had he ever seen one stock plunge so rapidly. Especially a Blue-Chip stock like GWT. For 12 decades that company has been a rock in the stock market. Only out preformed by such giants as Hershey, McDonalds, Coke and a few other fortune-five hundred Blue-Chip stock companies. What he and the other traders were seeing shouldn’t be happening.

After five hours he along with the other traders expected the stock to start rebounding. They all expected the other members of GWT’s board of directors to start buying up the excess stocks as they became available. Yet that wasn’t happening. It was if everyone who had any ties to GWT was doing all they could to divest themselves of GWT stocks. Dan watched as the stock fell below 15 dollars a share and hold there for two hours before plunging once more. Only this time the stock kept dropping beyond reason. It wasn’t until the stocks reached 2 dollars a share that someone started buying.

At 5 minutes to closing bell Global World Transit was now mostly owned by a new company. No one knew who this Prima International Investments was, but they did have money. They were also willing to spend it. Every trader that any stocks in GWT were dumping them off on PII. The last registered trade was a 10 dollars per share. Will below what the stock had started the morning. Whoever these people were, they had snatched up 84 percent of all outstanding stocks in GWT. Only one original stockholder still held a majority in the company. Even that wasn’t enough for a seat on the board of directors anymore. Within eight hours the Abrams family no longer held sway or control over the company that been founded by their ancestor Ashley William Abrams in 1872 following the Civil War. A company that had been family owned for almost 150 years was now in the hands of new owners.

Dan turned to his friend and fellow trader, Steve Corns. “Son-of-a-bitch, have you ever seen such a feeding frenzy like this Steve?”

“Only once before, Dan. That whole mess last year with Vasco Inc. Even the way all that shit about dirty deals, white slavery, everything that has been popping up all over the net about Donald Abrams and GWT is the same. Have you seen what the press has been saying about GWT in their reports?” Steve shuddered as he thought about some of the reports.

“I know what you mean buddy. What I want to know is where all that info came from. I mean it’s like the Servers at GWT are dumping straight down to the press servers. Hell, even our guys over in IT are talking about some of the stuff we got dumped on our network.” Dan smirked. “What I can’t figure out is why did Abrams’ wife or son start buying up all those outstanding stocks.”

“If I had to guess Dan. I would say that the police, FBI, or Homeland has them in a secure location. One that doesn’t have access to the outside world in any format. Remember how the stocks started getting shaky a few days ago just because of the rumors that there was a price on Donald Abrams head.” Dan nodded his head yes at Steve’s question. “What nobody knows outside of the guys over in IT is where the rumors started. The real kicker is those rumors were leaked to the rest of the net. Despite everything our guys did to try and control the whole mess.”

“You’re not the only one who wants to know where all that dirt came from, Steve. Meet me in the breakroom in ten minutes.” Dan turned and walked away from his friend heading for the one place that they could talk in privacy.

Ten minutes later Steve found Dan sitting in one of the chairs in the traders’ breakroom. “Okay, Dan. What is so important that you won’t talk about out on the floor? You said something about other people wanting to know about the dirt on all these files showing up in the news.”

“You know that my brother works for the NYPD right?” Steve nodded yes to Dan’s question. “Well, he works in the Cybercrimes and Intelligence division. There have been more than seven events that match the same MO. A massive splash in the news following the death of a real scumbag. But those scumbags always had connections. Like really high-up connections. Connections making them almost untouchable. The real kicker is my brother and his buddies have never been able to find who is behind these leaks. Then there is the rumors that all of these take downs have been done by some kind of black bag operation team on the federal level.”

“Wait. Are you saying that there is a bunch of gun-toting federal agents walking around taking out prominent business figures? Because that is just too far out there in left field to be true.” Steve couldn’t believe what Dan was telling him. The idea was just too hard to wrap his head around.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been around enough cops to know that they are all suspicious as hell. AND more importantly, they have their own myths and legends. The crazy part about those law enforcement myths and legends. There is more than a little bit of fact behind them.” Dan told his friend.

“I hate to say this, but what you’re saying could explain a few things. Have you noticed that in the last three and half years that more and more companies have been having their dirty laundry aired in public? Bad enough that more than a few CEOs, and CFOs have been forced to stepdown.” Steve looked up from the coffee table at his friend. “It’s almost like, that TV show from a few years ago, you know the one I’m talking about. A small group of thieves, and Con artists taking down the rich and powerful.”

“Don’t even say that outload Steve. Even as a joke. Don’t you remember the panic that show cause amongst the big boys? And that was just a TV show. Just imagine what would happen if they found out that there was a real group of people bringing justice to the rich and powerful. The market would crash harder than what happened in nineteen-twenty-nine.” Dan gave Steve a harsh look. Then both men stood up and looked out at the trading floor.

Steve put their thoughts into words. “Ah, shit. Talk about mass panic.”

Parking garage across from the Peninsula Hotel, New York, New York

Ever sense Maria had returned from the meeting last night Kasey and Kristine had been going long and hard after the GWT mainframes. The only break they took was when Samantha forced them to shutdown their investigation at two in the morning. The girls had come back to the ALOC just after eight that morning. Sense then they have shown no mercy on the GWT mainframes. They were once again living up to their classification as the first ever Gemini Deity Class Cyberwarfare operator. By nine am they had slashed their way through the ICE of the GWT mainframes.

From the moment that the girls left the hotel room they had an adult watching over them. Their first guard was Samantha. Then came Hunter, and finally Bobby. The three parents knew the dangers that their adapted daughters faced when they entered the war of cyberspace. The biggest fear the parents faced when the girls went dancing among the electrons in the either of the Network was them becoming lost in their search. Krystle had been forced to reclassify Kasey over the last few months. Where the older teen had once been a regular hacker, her training with Kristine and Krystle had an unfortunate side effect. Krystle had been forced to place Kasey under a Diver Classification. Now, when the two teens worked together in the ALOC, or TOC they always had a minder. They could still work independently for short periods of time safely but that was no longer the case when they worked together.

They had originally gone to the ALOC to dig further into the background of Sylvia Price and update what they had learned from the woman’s file. When Kimberly informed them that Anna was heading for Grand Cayman in the morning the girls shifted their investigation to GWT. At first, they had problems getting and securing a solid connection to the network for the first three hours of their investigation. It wasn’t until they had moved the ALOC to the rooftop parking area that they finally got a solid network connection. Even then with all the computer power of the ALOC and its connection to Ram’s Rock they had problems getting passed the ICE of the GWT Mainframes.

The reason behind this was twofold. The first was that the GWT mainframe servers had some of the finest network security on the civilian market. While the second was one that is far more common. GWT employing top level computer programmers and hackers as Network Managers and Network Security Officers. It was the human element that had given the teens the hardest obstacle to overcome. Where a computer driven program could react to a cyberattack, they lacked the ability to outthink a human mind. This was where the programmers and hackers came into play. While not truly trained as Cyberwarfare Operators they were still highly qualified in their individual fields. It was these qualifications that had caused the teens grief at first.

Once they were in though there was nothing on the main, secondary, or tertiary servers that the girls couldn’t find. Not even the off-site home and privet servers were left unmolested by the girls. Every dirty nasty little secret was dragged out into the open. Once there those secrets where placed on the net and in the hands of every news organization in the world. It didn’t matter where that news organization was it got a download of files pointing to all the dirty laundry of GWT and its executives. Most especially Donald Abrams and the Abrams family. For Kasey and Kristine, it didn’t matter. They were on a mission to destroy GWT and the wealth that could be used to help that family. It was this need for vengeance against such families that often worried their parents and grandparents.

Even their mentor Krystle worried over the teens’ need for vengeance against families like the Abrams. The one time that Krystle took her concerns to Lyssa and Kimberly the Operations bosses confront the girls. More accurately it was Lyssa who confronted the girls. When Lyssa heard the reasons behind the girls’ need for vengeance, did she back off, but Lyssa did inform their parents and Krystle. It wasn’t long after that, that the new diver guidelines were put into place for both girls.

At just after three pm the they launched their final database attack on the GWT servers. In one massive dump the last off Donald Abrams’ dirty secrets played out on the world’s Network. Secrets that drove the board of directors for GWT to dump all of their holdings in the company. Some that the two teens had been watching for over the last four hours. Kasey reached over and picked up the ALOC’s phone. She dialed the number from memory.

“Now.” Was all Kasey said over the phone before hanging up after it was answered. This one word set in motion what would one of the fastest takeovers of any company in the history of the NYSE. Looking over at her younger sister Kasey smiled. “Well it’s all up to Miss Anna, now. Do you think she’ll pull it off Kris? I still have my doubts.”

“She’ll get most of the stocks here on the NYSE, and NASDAQ. AS for the TEG, Shanghai, and the Euronext markets it’s anybody’s guess. I’ve been double checking the listings for GWT stock. Except for those five no other exchange carries the GWT stock.” Kristine told her sister.

Kasey just smirked. “Kristine, my dear sister, have a little faith in the Nightingale. She has been playing this game far longer than any of us have been. Only Nonnina, has playing the game as long as her.”

“True. Hay sis, can I ask you a question?” Kristine asked quietly.

“Yes, I’m going to miss her when she retires, Kris.” Kasey answered already knowing what was going through Kristine’s mind. “It’ll be a sad day when Miss Anna finally retires. The person I feel bad for is Mindy. I think of us all Mindy worries the most about Miss Anna. I mean she is closer to Mindy than all us of in the Black Badges.”

“True. I think that is mostly because of the first few years back on the island. Mindy spent a lot of time in Miss Anna’s care. Especially when Miss Kimberly and Lone Star have training scheduled.” Kristine sighed.

“Time enough later to figure what WE’RE going to do for our cousin later, sis. Right now, we have to finish destroying GWT’s servers.” Kasey told her sister bluntly. As the two teens turned their attention back to the task at hand, they failed to notice that their conversation was overheard.

Setting at the table cleaning his 45 was their father Bobby. He waited until the girls’ attention was once more focused on destroying GWT on the net. Pulling out his phone Hunter sent a text to Sam and Hunter. As he waited Bobby reassembled his 45 and preformed a function check. After reloading his weapon Bobby went to the ALOC’s arms locker and pulled out one of the Tactical Shotguns. He had no sooner sat down than there was a knock on the ALOC’s camper door. Bobby looked up at the security monitor. Seeing the rest of the team Bobby hit the release for the door.

As the team filed in Maria gave Bobby a worried look before looking over at the teens. “What is wrong Robert?”

“Right now, nothing mom. We do have a problem though and it concerns the girls.” He answered her honestly. Making sure that the teens had their headsets on and had tuned out the world. “They’re worried about Mindy after Miss Anna retires. As much as I hate to say this, I believe they have a right to be worried over their little cousin.”

Maria sighed and looked at the rest of her family. “I was afraid of this. By the way they’re not the only ones worried over Anna’s retirement and how it will affect Mindy. Paul, Kimberly, and Lonestar have all asked me to talk with her about postponing her retirement for a few more years.”

“Do you think Miss Anna will be willing to postpone her retirement mom?” Hunter asked nicely.

“She told me that she would think about it, Hunter.” Maria sighed. “In some ways I hope that she doesn’t. She has after all been in the game for as long if not longer than me and Paul. We are not young people anymore. Both time and age are catching up to her. That stabbing she suffered in South Carolina hasn’t gotten any better. Then there is all the other signs of her age that are part of life. Her arthritis is getting to the point that she needs to take a mild pain killer in mornings.”

“Damn. Why hasn’t she said anything? I would never have let her get involved in this case to begin with.” Samantha just bitched. Only to have Maria give her the evil-eye. “What? We all know that you wanted to walk away from this case in the first place. If it hadn’t been for Angelic’s involvement, we would have dumped this shit cake in the FBI’s lap.”

For once Maria just chuckled over Sam’s choice of wording. “True. If it hadn’t been for your cousin’s involvement that is exactly what would have happened. I’m still trying to figure out the Iscariot angle in all this.”

Kasey and Kristine both took off their headsets as they turned in their chairs. Kasey smiled up at their grandmother. “Nonnina, we think that we’ve finally figured that part out.”

“Okay Gemini, report.” Maria told her oldest grandchild while reminding her who was in charge and this was an ongoing investigation.

“We know that Monsignor Delacorte, aka Alfonzo Delicato, is the man in charge of this investigation for the Church. We also know that he is the good Sister’s supervisor, so all intel goes back through him. By being the one in charge of the Church’s investigation the man can control what gets sent up the chain. And what gets lost in the shuffle. Just so he can keep his involvement in the crimes of Abrams, and the others a secret. His biggest secret though is between Delacorte and Abrams. It involves those Novices. Delacorte is the one who is supplying them. We also have the final connection to which Convents that are supplying the girls.”

“Very good Gemini. I only have one question. Did you release that information onto the net with the rest when you decided to destroy GWT this afternoon?” Maria asked them nicely.

“No ma’am. That intel has been withheld. We figured that this was one time that a tactical strike would be better than a full-blown nuking was best.” Kristine answer for them both. “We also kept the intel on Abrams connection to Charles Andrews out of the news dumps.”

“Very good girls. What can you tell us about Anna’s endeavors this afternoon?” Maria asked with a slightly knowing smile. Instead of answering this time both girls blushed. “I’ll take that as you don’t know.”

Bobby chuckled from where he was seated. “I think this time I’ll be the one to answer. After all, one of my jobs is to monitor the news networks. One of which is the Stock market reports. If I understand the reports correctly GWT is now totally under the control of Prima International Investments.”

Kasey and Kristine had not been idle while their father Bobby filled in the others what he knew or understood. Kristine was the one to find the exact percentage of stocks that were now owned by PII. With a smile she turned to her grandmother. “Marshal, if I am reading this correctly Miss Anna has been able to secure eighty-four percent of the outstanding stock for GWT.”

“HOLY SHIT!” Hunter blurted out. At the look from Maria he shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry mom, but even you have to agree that is crazy. There is no way that you could have dreamed of gain that much control.”

Maria gave her family a sly smile. “In a way I expected to grab a little bit more. Not that I will bitch about what we did snatch up. Someone must have picked up on what Anna was doing or the Abrams family wasn’t able to sell off as much of their personal stocks as they hoped.”

“Wait a minute mom. Wouldn’t the Abrams family want to buy up as much as stock as they could have been the way for them to go?” Samantha asked her.

“I have to agree with Samantha, Auntie. If anything, the rest of the family would have wanted to distance themselves from the company and Donald.” Angelic felt that she should voice her own opinion.

Looking around the ALOC at her family Maria could see that they failed to see the importance behind what she had told them. “Please remember that families like the Abrams perception and reputation is everything. If the world sees the head of the family as a criminal, then the rest of the family are criminals. This is the way that almost all those old money families see themselves. There very few that don’t, mostly because of the younger generations. Unlike the Abrams family. The only way they would not have divested themselves of those stocks would be the ones belonging to Abrams wife and son. For that to happen they would have to be somewhere totally cutoff from the world. Like a safehouse.”

Bobby, Hunter, and Samantha looked at each other and smiled. Hunter chuckled as he put their thoughts into words. “Homeland or DOJ. They snatched up the rest of the Abrams family and secured them within hours of Donald’s sudden departure from this world.”

“When did this happen?” Maria asked with a smile.

“About a half hour before the markets opened. After that it was a freefall for the GWT stocks. It wasn’t until an hour before closing that the freefall stopped and the stocks made a rebound.” Bobby told her smiling. “Look’s like Miss Anna timed her purchases just right.”

Maria chuckled. “She always had excellent timing when it came to financial matters. I’m just surprised that she let the stock price to fall so far. I wonder why? I mean in the past she always kept the price at more realistic price before stepping in like she did.”

“I think I know why, ma’am.” Kristine said quietly. At Maria’s nod Kristine continued. “I believe that she let it fall as far as she did for one reason. To drive off the rest of the board of directors.”

Maria started to chuckle. “I have the feeling that she didn’t want to deal with a bunch of crusty old farts at the next board meeting. You all know how she gets with us at times. Just think how she would feel about someone who thinks they know better just because they’ve been there for years. Knowing her as I do there would have been bloodshed from the start.”

“I don’t think so mom. I believe that Anna did what she did for another reason.” Hunter said looking her dead in the eyes. At her nod Hunter gave her his reason in one word. “Vengeance.”

“How so, Hunter?” Maria asked with some concern.

“We all know this whole mess goes back to something that went down after World War Two. Something that revolves around the Iscariot Division and the Nazis. It is something that Abrams got a hold of and used for his own designs. Namely his illegal activities. The biggest of which is the white slavery and those Convents. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that Miss Anna is out to deliver a message to the rest of the world and the Church.”

“And what message would that be Deputy Taugh?” Angelic snarled.

“That no one is above the law. Not even the Church.” Hunter told her bluntly.

-----tbc-----

Sylvia Price couldn’t believe the report her secretary had handed to her only just mere moment ago. “Are you positive about this Carrie?”

“Yes, ma’am. Donald Abrams was assassinated at nine A.M., this morning, local time. Since then; the stock price for GWT has fallen through the floor. As of the closing bell today, the Abrams family no longer owns or controls GWT.” Carrie explained for her employer. “Also, the following agencies have seized all of GWT’s assets: the Secret Service, Office of Homeland Security, FBI, and U.S. Customs. From what I have been able to gather; all warrants were issued under the Patriot Act.”

“Shit! Please tell me that you dumped any stocks that I held in GWT?” Sylvia demanded. Carrie just nodded her head yes. “Good. I don’t need any of Donald’s bullshit coming back to bite me in the ass. What about my connections to the less than legal operations between us?”

“I doubled checked that any connection between you and Mr. Abrams was wiped out. The only problem you might have is the shipment of girls already in your downtown residency. What do you want to do with them?” Carrie asked.

“Contact Mr. Andrews and inform him that he is to take immediate possession of his new ‘brides’. I would prefer that he arranges for their transportation today if at all possible. If not; he is to have them out of New York no later than midnight two days from now. Those girls need to be GONE, Carrie.” Sylvia ordered.

“If Mr. Andrews fails to do as requested ma’am?” Carrie asked quietly.

“If he can’t, then turn them out on the streets. Let the local pimps take care of our problem.” Sylvia stopped mid-sentence and gave Carrie a hard look. “No. On second thought; that won’t take of the problem, it could create larger ones. Have Master Sergeant Stone and his people handle disposal of the girls instead if Andrews can’t take possession.”

The cold unfeeling manner in which Sylvia discussed the killing of 16 teenage girls set Carrie on edge. She had always known that her employer could be ruthless in business, but this was totally new to her. She had never known Sylvia to be so callous towards another human being before. Carrie could only put it down to Sylvia’s time in the US Army.

“I’ll make the call to Mr. Andrews within the hour, ma’am. I know that he won’t be available until thirty minutes from now.” Carrie told Sylvia.

“Where is he now?” Sylvia demanded.

“According to his secretary, Robert, Mr. Andrews is currently at the Gorman Gun and Rod club outside of Carmen. It seems that Mr. Andrews has been working with a gentleman from the Vatican to move the ‘brides’.” Carrie’s look of total disgust was echoed by Sylvia.

“I never have liked this deal Abrams roped us into with those people.” Sylvia sighed. “Why couldn’t he have just stuck with picking up runaways like we started out. It would have been so much easier and far less expensive.”

“That maybe true ma’am, but nowhere near as profitable. We never got anywhere near the prices for the runaways that we get for those nuns. The current market demand is for virgins now.” Carrie felt she should point out the flaw in Sylvia’s reasoning. Even though Carrie wasn’t too hip on the idea of selling those girls into sexual slavery, she liked her cut of the money. Especially coveted were the sales of blond haired, blue eyed virgins. Of the 16 girls currently in the downtown residence, 7 of them fit that description. The other 8 were a mix of hair and eye color that could be found all across Europe.

“That or our less than conventional wares. By the way; what is the status of the new ‘girls’?” Sylvia asked with a smirk.

Carrie flipped through her clipboard to the second to last page. “As of today; we currently have nineteen at the training center. Of those nineteen, eight are ready for auction or direct sale. The other eleven are in various stages of development.”

“And the breakdown of those eleven?” Sylvia questioned Carrier.

“Three are just beginning stage one of their transitions. They’re still resisting the mental conditioning. Four are in second stage and have undergone the required body modifications. Bust development or enlargement, waist reductions, hormonal replacement therapy and facial reconstructions for total feminization. The last four have entered their final training as maids and other domestics.” Carrie told Sylvia cruelly.

Both women just smiled over this last report. For them, the idea of taking young boys off the streets and turning them into pretty little sex toys was simply too funny for them to pass up. The idea of getting into the market for this type of slave was first brought to them from a customer’s challenge to find him his perfect homosexual partner. One that would allow him to fulfill his sexual needs yet still give the appearance of have a heterosexual relationship for the world. It had taken some work, but Sylvia had delivered on the customer’s request. Ever since then they began fulfilling similar orders for 32 other customers.

“Carrie, tell me something. Between the mail-order brides and our sissies, which is the more profitable?” Sylvia questioned with her head titled.

Carrie had to think about the question before answering. It took her more than five minutes to come up with the answer. “As it stands right now, ma’am. I would have to say that the sissy program is by far the more profitable. While the mail-order brides are more numerous and somewhat convenient, they are nowhere near as profitable. It has only been recently that they have started to show a marked improvement in sales. The reason behind this is because we have more virgins available for sale. Why do you ask ma’am?”

“Before I answer that I need a little more information. How many sissies have we sold in total verse the total number of brides?”

“I need to access the server to answer that ma’am.” Sylvia moved back from her desk and waved for Carrie to use her terminal. It took Carrie ten minutes to access the needed files once she was logged into the estate’s home server. “Total number of brides; eighty-one, for a general total of two-million-twenty-five-thousand dollars. The total number of sissies is thirty-three; general total of eight-million-two-hundred-fifty-thousand dollars.”

Sylvia got a far off look in her eyes. “One more thing. That school Madam Maria wants to talk about, did you run a background check on what type of students enrolled there?”

“Yes ma’am. Again, why?” Carrie was lost now by her employer’s questions.

“I need to know exactly who, and what, I’ll be dealing with if I enter into this business deal of Madam Maria’s. That is why.” Sylvia snapped.

Carrie quickly flipped to the background report on the school and began to read. “Understood, ma’am. The Terpsichore school for the preforming arts is small but highly respected. Besides being a boarding school, the school is solely a school for dancers. They teach everything; ballet, jazz, tap and ballroom. They also cover the standard educational requirements. The school does take an unusually disproportional number of at risk or disadvantaged students. However, those students are offset by the number of more affluent students that have been enrolled. I hope this answers your needs?”

“Would those students be considered in the upper percentile of their regular schools Carrie?” Sylvia asked already forming a plan for those students that were the most at risk of kidnapping or becoming runaways.

“According to this report all of the students at Terpsichore would be in the top ten to fifteen percentiles of the regular public schools, ma’am.” Carrier quickly answered her employer not knowing where she was going.

“How many of the students are boys?” The smile Sylvia gave Carrie made the young woman grin. She was starting to see where her boss was going now.

“About a third of the student body are boys. Most between the ages of thirteen to eighteen. High schoolers mostly, though a few middle schoolers are in the mix. None in elementary grades at all.” Carrie outlined for Sylvia.

Sylvia stepped over to her office window smiling. The school was perfect for her needs as a new supply source. Both for girls and boys that could be customized as sex and domestic slaves. Especially the students that were already at risk or from poor neighborhoods. It would be the kids from the inner-city areas that would make up her new source for slave stocks.

“When is the Madam and her party due to arrive Carrie?” Sylvia asked smiling.

“Six this evening, ma’am.” Carrie answered briskly.

“Why so late?” Sylvia questioned.

“According to Madam Maria, it has to do with the two students and teachers accompanying her. It seems that the students and the teachers have late afternoon classes that let out at five P.M.” Carrie answered looking down at her ever-present clipboard.

“Inform Darcy to serve dinner at six-thirty then. Have Lisa and Tiffany ready three of the guest rooms for an overnight stay. Tell Master Sergeant Stone to give the rest of the security personnel the night off. I don’t want Madam Maria scared off by the sight of heavily armed security. He and Tomson can handle security for the night. It’s not like someone can just walk onto the estate and kidnap me. Let alone cause me harm.” Sylvia was already deciding how she was going to handle Maria DeMarco. She just needed to ensure that the older woman wasn’t spooked or angered. She needed DeMarco to be willing to talk with her on an even footing.

“Are you sure that you want to give most of the security force the night off ma’am? I mean, isn’t that kind of risky?” Carrie figured it was best to point out that Sylvia was placing herself at risk.

Sylvia thought about what Carrie was saying. “You’re right. I doubt that just Stone and Tomson can handle the full estate by themselves. Before you make the call to Andrews have Stone report to me.” Sylvia turned around to face Carrie. “That’ll be all for now Carrie. Unless you have something for me. If not, please carry out your orders.”

“No ma’am, nothing further. Except, do you wish for me to stay for the meeting with Madam DeMarco?” Carrie asked hopefully, wanting to be there to meet the famous Prima ballerina, Maria DeMarco.

Sylvia just chuckled. “Your motives are clear as glass my dear Carrie. Yes, you can stay and meet Madam Maria. After all, it might be the only time that you have the chance at meeting one of the few living Primas of the Bolshoi.”

“Thank you, ma’am. Can I ask a personal question?” Sylvia nodded her head. “How many Primas have you met in your life?”

“Madam Maria will be the second Prima I have met in my life. Though she will be the only Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Bolshoi School that I will ever get the chance to meet.” At Carrie’s unspoken question Sylvia explained. “There hasn’t been another Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Bolshoi since Maria DeMarco. She is also the last Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Bolshoi School in over seventy years to hold that position Saint Petersburg.”

“Oh wow! I knew that Madam Maria was one of the greats, but I didn’t know that she was that good. I mean to be a Prima Ballerina Assoluta must be one of the highest honors there is among ballerinas.” Carrie whispered.

“It is Carrie. I think only one in every five hundred ever get considered for the honor. Even fewer are actually awarded the honor. I think that number is somewhere around one in every two thousand Primas.” As Sylvia explained the odds to Carrie her mind was boggled by the sheer magnitude of the woman’s accomplishment. Even more so when she heard when Maria was awarded the honor. “And Carrie, Maria DeMarco was awarded the honor at twenty-one. One of the second youngest in the history of the Bolshoi. A Russian of the Moscow Academy claimed it before her. Olga something-or-other. I believe they were rivals for a while.”

Shaking her head Carrie just smiled at Sylvia. “I need to go carry out your orders, ma’am. Tonight, is definitely going to be a memorial one!”

“If Master Sergeant Stone asks why I want to see him, tell him you don’t know.” Sylvia smirked as the thought of tweaking the nose of the surly old mercenary’s nose made Carrie smile even wider. As the secretary left her office, Sylvia sat down at her desk to think. Not realizing that she was voicing her thoughts aloud. “With my financial backing I should be able to wrangle total control of that school within a few months. Once I have control, I’ll be able to cherry-pick my slaves from among the students without interference. All it will take is a few well-placed forgeries and a student has transferred to another school or dropped out. Those pampered little shits will break faster than the ones I have been targeting recently. It’s perfect. All I need is for DeMarco to get me on the inside.”

The knock at the door drew her attention. “Come.”

“You wanted to see me, Captain?” The tall African American asked as he entered the room. “Miss Steinway didn’t give me any particulars.”

“I told her not to say anything Master Sergeant. I need some information that only you can provide.” Sylvia started off with while waving for the man to take a seat across from her. “I need to know what is the minimum number of personnel that can be used to secure the estate grounds.”

“Before I answer that, Captain, I need to know why you’re asking.” Stone didn’t mix his words or tone with his employer. He still showed her the respect that he would an officer of the US Army. That was if he was still serving. If it hadn’t been for Sylvia Price, he would be in Fort Leavenworth. Wearing a prisoner’s number and jump suit.

“Our guests this evening are not my normal business associates. If fact; Maria DeMarco is so unlike my normal associates, that she would find the presence of our normal security detail disconcerting, if not out-right alarming.” Sylvia got a thoughtful look on her face before continuing. “How can I put this and not sound like a condescending bitch?”

“What do you mean Captain? I’ve never known you to be one to pussyfoot around the bush about things. Just who is this woman?” Stone questioned Sylvia.

“Maria DeMarco is a famous Prima Ballerina, long been retired from the stage. While she is famous for her time as a ballerina, she made her fortune being a very astute and crafty businesswoman. This is one woman that can be my golden ticket into the heart of the High Society of our nation, among others. Not to mention more than a few political powerhouses. Ones that I can turn to my use. While I wouldn’t normally ask this of you, I need to show her that I’m not a threat to her power and social standing or under any kind of threat other than other wealthy people she knows. At least not right now.” The look that she gave Stone was that of a shark on the hunt.

“Umm… If you’re trying not to spook the woman, I don’t know how many I can actually stand down and still keep the estate secure. Let me think about it for a few minutes.” Stone knew about Sylvia’s less than legal activities. He also understood her need for above board appearances to hide those activities and his own role in them. “Can this DeMarco woman really give you the needed clout that you’re talking about Captain?”

“With a wave of her hand as if she performed magic, Master Sergeant. Trust me; Maria DeMarco is the person to get us on the inside track to acceptance among the legitimate High Society assholes.” Sylvia then gave Stone the knockout punch that would seal the deal. “She is also my way into a school FULL of pansy-assed little shits that we can use as a new source for slaves. I just need to get the woman on my side. Therefore, what is the minimum number of security troops can we get away with?”

“Three. No, check that, four. One on the gate, one in the control room and two rovers for the grounds. Normally I won’t go that low, but everything in DeMarco’s background check points to her being a non-threat. I know that Miss Stein said not to run a background check, but it is still my job. Basically a waste of time really. What I would like to know is how can she help you get into a school for a bunch of privileged little shits.” Stone really wanted to know this last piece of information.

“There is a performing arts school that she is coming here to discuss with me. Most likely to raise operational funds. Those schools are always running low on funds and occasionally hit the red from time to time. Usually to a declining student body for a few years before bouncing back into the black within one to two years. Once I’m on the board of directors, with a sizeable donation that they can't say no to, I’ll slowly squeeze out the other directors until I have total control and ownership. With Abrams and Vickers out of the equation now, I will need to find a new supply source. And do so quickly. The current crop of slaves will only last for maybe five to six months at the most.” As Sylvia outlined the situation for Stone the man gave her a thoughtful look.

“Understood, Captain. This needs to be handled as a political hand grenade. I’ll drop the second rover and go with just a three-man security team. We won’t be totally secure but because of the delicate situation it would be best. The team will consist of me, Tomson and Walker. That is the best that I can offer, Captain.” Stone answered before standing up to leave. “Just to be safe I’ll have the rest of the security team offsite at one of the local motels. They can be here in ten minutes if they’re needed.”

Sylvia nodded her head in understanding. This was the best that she was going to get out the man. “Thank you, Master Sergeant. This will pay off, if all goes to plan.”

The Peninsula Hotel, New York, New York

Maria looked over her family gathered in her suite. Hunter and Bobby were dressed in three-piece suits, white starched shirts with matching ties, and square-toed cowboy boots from Durango. The jackets were custom fitted, to hide their sidearms. With their black suits, white shirts and black ties the two men gave the impression that they were extras for a Will Smith movie featuring little green men and giant cockroaches.

Samantha on the other hand was dressed in a dark blue pants-suit from 5th Avenue. Like the guys, she was also wearing cowboy boots only hers were FRYE women's Melissa Harness inside-zip knee-high boots with a two-inch heel in a dark blue to match her suit. Angelic was similarly dress to Samantha only instead of wearing blue, she had gone with a dark charcoal gray for her color. The two women looked like a pair of teachers from some high-end boarding school. That or a pair of high-class call-girls.

The teenagers were dressed in their old school uniforms from the island as befitting their role for this night’s operation. The only change to their outfit was their shoes. Instead of wearing pumps or flats, they had gone for dark brown FRYE women's Melissa Harness inside-zip over the calf boots with a two-inch heel.

Only Maria stood out from her team. Maria’s appearance was that of both wealth and power. Her powder blue Louis Vuitton business suit and Prada Nappa leather knee-high boots all but screamed CEO or CFO. Anyone seeing her could tell that she was the one in control of whatever situation she faced. Not even with the way her figure was accentuated by the clothing that she worn. On Maria, the thousand-dollar suit and twelve-hundred-dollar boots looked as if they were as comfortable as a pair of faded jeans and well-worn work shirt. As she walked around the room, Bobby and Hunter had problems keeping their thoughts from becoming less than pure about their mother-in-law. After all Maria still had the body of a Prima ballerina and the looks of a woman half her age.

“Bobby, please tell me that you have your hand-cannon with you?” Hunter muttered to his partner in crime.

“You better believe I do. With the way mom Maria looks right now, we might have to shoot more than one asshole tonight. I mean DAMN!” Bobby smirked. “I doubt that the Major would approve of someone hitting on his daughters and granddaughters, let alone his wife. Not that I would blame them. She is seriously HOT after all.”

“I DO hear you, boys.” Maria snarked as she turned to the two blushing men. “Thank you anyway though. It is nice to know that I do still have it.”

“Momma, if Annette was here, I would be worried that you were going overboard. As it is, I believe that you have achieved the look you were going for.” Samantha smiled at her adoptive mother as she gave her approval. “Just the right amount of sex appeal mixed in with business conservatism.”

“Nonnina is SO smexy.” Kristine giggled. Only to be jabbed in the ribs by Kasey.

“Knock it off Kris.” Kasey ordered, then started giggling herself.

“Okay you two, behave yourselves.” Bobby corrected the two before turning deadly serious. “Ready for the mission brief Marshal?”

“Yes, quite right Robert. Time to get down to business. Gemini, what can you tell us about the estate compound?” Maria turned to the business at hand.

“From what we were able to gather off the net and from the estates servers quite a lot. Kasey why don’t you start with what you found first.” Kristine told the adults of the team before turning the briefing over to Kasey.

“For starters; Price’s home sits in an apex of a bend of the road. That is just the beginning for what is literally a perfect natural defensive setup. The house is surrounded on all sides by heavy woods, with the backside forest backing right up to the beach and Long Island Sound. The beach is covered on each end by a guardhouse with interlocking fields of fire. On two of the other three sides are multi-million-dollar mansions. The one side that faces the front ends at a wide-open field. Those three sides are surround by a twelve-foot-tall wrought iron fence. The driveway is our next problem. It’s more than a quarter mile long, fifty-feet wide, with a high security wrought iron gate crossing it at the road. The gate itself has a guard shack with a direct field of fire for the whole gate area. As for the beach area, that is nothing more than a nightmare approach. According to NAOA and google maps, this part of the beach is around two-hundred-fifty-feet wide with little to no cover from the waterline to the forest and almost a half mile from the main house.” As Kasey described the house and the surrounding area the adults in the room grew deathly still. They could all tell that this assault was not going to be a fun time at the O-K corral.

Kristine picked up where Kasey left off. “According to the blueprints for the house that I was able to pull up from the County clerk’s office. The main house has six exterior doors at ground level. One on each end, three on the backside, and the main front door. There are fourteen windows on the second floor, and twelve on the ground floor. The second floor has twelve bedrooms in two wings. From what I have been able to interpret from the plans. The eight bedrooms in the west wing are the servants’ quarters. Mainly due to the size of the rooms and the fact that they all share a bathroom between each two rooms. The master bedroom and the three guest bedrooms are in the east wing of the house. The main floor of the house is typical; kitchen, dining room, living room, library, home office, lounge, and mudroom common among these types of McMansions. The laundry and utility room are part of the three-car garage on the western end of the house. There is one room that I am ninety-five percent sure is the control room for the guards along with the alarm and estate mainframe computer system. Both systems are independent of each other. Each with their own dedicated line to the outside world. The household main frame has a dedicated T1/T3 line.”

“Excuse me, Kristine, but what can you tell us about the alarm system?” Angelic asked politely.

“According to the blueprints the alarm system is an Aries nine-fifty built by Veritic Systems. Does this help Sister?” Kristine was just as polite with her answer as Angelic was with her question. The teen had learned from her time in Italy that her older cousin knew her stuff when it came to security systems and was a true professional.

Angelic sighed before cursing. “Shit! This is not good. Not good at all.”

“Okay Angelic. What has you so on edge about that system?” Maria demanded.

“The Aries nine-fifty by Veritic is the one of the hardest systems to crack. It may be one of the hardest civilian owned security systems to crack. There are only five other systems that outperform the nine-fifty. The main problem with this system is not the system itself but who has the monitoring contract.” Angelic explained for Maria. Turning back to Kristine. “Were you able to discover that information during your investigation, Kristine?”

“According to the server files, the monitoring company is Western Security. I don’t understand why they would be the company that monitors the system though. Shouldn’t Veritic be the ones to monitor the system? They built the system after all.” Kristine answered as she looked up from her notes.

“Most companies like Veritic design and build multiple types of security systems. They sell those systems to individual security companies. Companies like Western Security, ADT, and others. This, is where the real money lies in the security industry. With the monitoring.” Angelic explained. “Well that and with the insurance companies.”

“Um… I know this is going to sound like a stupid question, but why would the big money be with the monitoring and insurance companies?” Kasey asked.

“People pay a monthly or yearly fee for the services and never file a claim. We’re talking around fifteen-hundred Euros a year on average just for monitoring fees of the security systems. When you add in the insurance fees that reaches over four-thousand Euros per year. When times that by several thousand clients we’re talking millions of Euros spent yearly just for a small piece of mind hoping that you never need the services.” As Angelic explained the financial side of the security and insurance businesses a smirk came to her face. “I may be a thief, but those people are legally robbing their customers blind in my opinion.”

All the adults gathered in the room started to laugh at Angelic’s snide mark about insurance and security companies. Only Kasey and Kristine weren’t laughing. Not because they didn’t get the joke, but at the sheer amounts of money that people paid out for something they might never need. Spending the last three years on the island had given them a slightly false view of security for the world in which they now lived.

“So basically, the serious money is in just waiting for something not likely to happen. Wow.” Kristine remarked.

“How many guards are we looking at Gemini? And do you have any background on them?” Hunter asked once the adults stopped laughing.

Kasey looked down at her notes before answering. “This is where things get really crazy, Sergeant. Depending on the time and day of the week there are between four to nine guards on duty at any one time.”

“Okay, back up here kiddo.” Bobby stopped Kasey in her briefing. “That doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. There should always be the same number of guards. To have such a varying number of guards leaves the compound open to attack.”

“Trust me, Sergeant. We know. That is why I said this is where things get crazy. Maybe I should say stupid. Because neither Kristine nor I can figure out a reason for having such a system. I mean Monday through Friday from zero six to nineteen hundred the estate is guarded by just four guards. On Saturday, Sunday and after nineteen hundred the estate has nine guards. According to the estate’s server this pattern only changes when Price is traveling. During those times, the estate has a nine-man detail around the clock. As for the backgrounds on the guards those are varying in detail.” Kasey looked back down to her notes before continuing.

“The man in charge of the detail is a former US Army Master Sergeant named Jacob Stone. The man was thrown out under a General Discharge with less than honorable conditions. The charges and Courts Marshal proceedings are all sealed under orders from the NSA.” As Kasey talked about Stone, Hunter’s face turned grim and filled with hate.

“That sorry motherfucker should have gotten Life, in front of a firing squad, for drug running and murder.” Hunter snarled to the surprise of all those gathered. “He was the one in charge of that drug operation out at Fort Irwin, California in oh-two. You know the one I’m talking about Bobby.”

“Ah shit! If I’m not mistaken half the MP detachment was involved with that mess.” Hunter just nodded his head at Bobby’s statement. “Wasn’t it a CID investigation that finally took down the whole operation?”

“Oh yeah. Them and a team of DST undercover agents straight out of training. By the way girls, DST stands for Drug Suppression Taskforce. It was the military’s answer to the drug problems we’ve had on our installations. Most of the troops that work those taskforces were from non-law enforcement MOS’s originally but after AIT they were sent to Fort Rucker, Alabama to be trained as undercover agents. Anyway, the investigation at Irwin resulted in nineteen arrests. It should have been a slam dunk for the prosecutor, but Price got the whole case thrown out on a technicality. The Army had to drop the charges, but they were able to discharge the suspects on the grounds of conduct unbecoming of a soldier. The result was a total of nineteen discharges ranging from General to Bad Conduct. All with less than honorable condition notations.” Hunter explained.

“That would account for the total number of guards listed in the estates server. According to what Kristine and Schoolhouse were able to find all them were stationed at Fort Irwin just before their discharges.” Kristine said before flipping over to the back page of her notes. “According to Schoolhouse, they all have nothing more than the standard Basic and AIT Training for Military Police. Will this be a problem?”

Both Bobby and Hunter nodded their heads with Bobby explaining the reasons why. “These men are all highly trained in compound or base security. They would know where to look for infiltration points and security breaches. Question ladies. Of the other guards is there a Randal Tomson, or Johnathan Walker?”

“Yes sir, both. They are the number Two and Three men under Stone in the command structure of the guard force. Both with the same discharge as Stone.” Kasey answered quickly before bringing up one man in particular. “We do have one member of the guard force that is a major concern. A Malcom Wise, former British Special Boat Service, discharged under suspicious circumstances. Something about a bad shoot in Afghanistan. From what we have been able to deduce he is Price’s personal bodyguard and driver. Everywhere she goes, he's right behind her or next to her. We verified this by searching the Entertainment websites. In every photo of Price, Wise is there. The only time that Wise isn’t right on top of Price is when she is at her home in the Hamptons. It seems that once she is on the estate grounds, he turns over the security of Price to the estate guards. We do know that he has a small home in Cutchogue Station that he rents.”

“What about the rest of the guards? Do they stay on the estate grounds or do they also rent homes in Cutchogue Station?” Angelic asked Kasey.

“According to the records we recovered they all have rental homes or apartments off the estate grounds. Only the guards scheduled for duty stay in the control room or guardhouses. The guards work a standard eight-hour-day.” Kasey quickly answered with a grin. “The biggest weak point in the guards’ rotation is shift change between the individual shifts.”

“How so?” Angelic questioned her.

“From what we have been able to gather the guards come in one at a time for their relief. Instead relieving them all at once. This leaves a fifteen to twenty-minute window during which the individual postings are felt wide open. If we have to assault the compound this will be our best opening.” Kasey explained then pointed out the only catch in her analysis. “The only guard position that does not suffer from this problem is the control room.”

“Hopefully we won’t have to go that route Kasey.” Maria said speaking up for the first time during the briefing. As all eyes turned to her Maria began to lay out her plan for dealing with Sylvia Price. For the next twenty minutes Maria explained how they were going to take down Price this evening. Starting with Bobby and Hunter, Maria assigned each individual their tasks.

“Once we are inside the compound and parked; Robert, Hunter, you boys are to stay near the car. Whatever happens, do not move from there until you get my signal. Kasey; during dinner you’re to make some excuse to leave the table. Your job is to take out the guard in the control room. Kristine; when Kasey asks to leave, you will join her. Your job is to secure any servants that are wandering the main house. Angelic, you and I will take care of securing Price. Samantha, you will have the hardest job of us all. I need for you to find and kill, Stone. Once those three objectives have been achieved; we turn the boys lose on the rest of the guards.” As Maria laid out her plan more than Bobby and Hunter had problems with it.

“Nonnina, we need to make a few changes your plan.” Kasey said quickly to forestall her fathers from blowing their tops.

“Your reasons?” Maria asked giving her granddaughter an inquisitive look.

“If we wait for diner to act, we stand too great of a chance of discovery. Mainly, one of the guards recognizing either of our fathers. We need to act within the first twenty minutes of entering the compound. If we go with your plan as it stands right now.” Kasey pointed out. “If we stick to just recon, they can stay in the car and not run that chance.”

Maria thought about what her granddaughter was telling her. “As much as I want to end this tonight we’ll stick with the recon operation as it stands. At the first sign of problems, we switch to the assault plan. Understood?”

“Then might I make a suggestion?” Angelic asked her aunt. “Leave the control room to me. Kristine can still handle the servants. While you and Kasey handle Price and whoever she has with her. As for Samantha; she can still take down Stone. That will allow Bobby and Hunter to take out the guards outside. If that profile on Price is correct, I’m willing to wager that she will most likely give the majority of her guards the night off. All in the hopes of winning your favor. She has all the markers of your typical high society sycophant. That is something that both Hunter and Bobby pointed out. This can be exploited.”

Maria thought about the changes that Angelic was suggesting. As much as Maria wanted to deny them, they did make tactical sense to her. “We’ll go with the changes Angelic has suggested. Hopefully, we won’t need them and can get in and out with our recon safely.”

“Okay people. Rule number one is now in effect. ROE’s are simple. Anyone not in this room are Tangos. Down waste your time or rounds. Shoot to kill. Double taps for everyone. Don’t take any chances with these people. Especially the guards. They may have been MPs, but they are still trained to kill. Never forget that. Sam, if you have to take out Stone. Don’t play with the sick fuck. His preferred weapon is a K-Bar combat knife for close quarters. No matter what happens, don’t let him sucker you into a prolonged knife fight. I know that you’re one of the best Sam, but if he can tire you out, he’ll kill you. He is that good.” As Bobby was giving out the final orders for the mission, he noticed something about the way Samantha was staring off into space. There was something about his first wife that set him on edge, and he wasn’t the only one to notice the change.

“Remember Samantha, this is a recon mission first and foremost.” Maria ordered. “We only switch to the assault if the operation goes wrong.”

“I know mother.” Samantha told her but the look never left her eyes. “But I have this gut feeling that this is one time where all of our planning will be for nothing.”

“Talk to us here Samantha. What’s got you on edge?” Hunter asked quietly.

“I don’t know how to put it into words, Hunter. All I know is; the last time I felt this way, I came home to find all of my family dead in the living room of my home.” The words were barely above a whisper and held all the pain of that night from so long ago in Samantha’s past.

Of all those in the room only Maria knew of the pain and rage that still haunted Samantha over that dark and terrible night. She was also the only one who truly knew the full extent of Samantha’s revenge. The last time Maria had seen this look in Samantha’s eyes three quarters of a long standing and extremely powerful Mafia Crime Family ended up dead. Long ago Maria made a promise over the graves of Samantha’s family. Only in the last few years has she been able to keep that promise.

Maria knew what was going through Samantha’s mind just then. “It will not come to that Samantha. We have a plan in place plus a contingency plan should things go wrong. We all come home.”

“Like mom said, Sam. We all come home.” Bobby soothed her. “If things go tits up, we hit hard and heavy. Leaving nothing behind, but smoke and ash.”

“No Robert. That is where you are wrong. If we have to go with the contingency, we don’t even leave that behind.” Maria growled out. “This will be one time that we leave nothing in our passing but empty shadows.”

With that they Black Badges leave their hotel heading for their fate.

TOC, Ram’s Rock Island

Lyssa stepped into the TOC asking Kimberly and Krystel. “Has Bravo team left for Price’s estate yet?”

“Ten minutes ago, Lyssa. We have about an hour and a half before they begin their recon mission.” Kimberly answered for them both. “Have you been keeping up with what the news hounds have been reporting?”

“Yes. I knew that Maria’s plan would throw GWT stocks into turmoil, but I never saw this coming. How did the alphabets react?” Lyssa asked as she looked up at the main screen.

“They’re all over the place. So far; the Navy, Coast Guard and Customs reacted the way we expected. Both the Homeland and Customs have executed raids on GWT offices all across CONUS. They have hit every seaport office that GWT has with teams boarding any GWT that is currently in port. The only agency that hasn’t acted the way predicted is the FBI. For some reason the first thing they did was to snatch up Abrams’ wife and sons. After that the FBI hasn’t done shit. As far as the DOJ and SEC goes that is a total mystery. It’s almost as if they and the FBI wanted GWT to go into bankruptcy.” Kimberly explained.

“HOLD UP! Did you say that other than securing Abrams’ wife and kid, the FBI, DOJ and SEC are doing nothing? That doesn't add up. What the fuck is going on with them?” Lyssa practically snarled. “What about GWT’s stocks? Are they still dropping like a rock?”

“That is the one thing that has gone as planned. Miss Anna has secured eighty percent of the GWT stocks. Prima International Investments are now the majority owners of GWT. I don’t know how Miss Anna was able to snatch up that much stock, but she was able to restore it to a reasonable profit margin before closing bell.” Krystel answered. “I hate to say this but between her and Madam Maria they make an effective business team.”

Lyssa just chuckled at the cyberwarfare operator’s comment. “Those two have been in those games longer than any of us. Sure, they were assassins for hire, but they still had an effect on the world stage in a lot of areas. Everything from politics, and business, to organized crime. I believe only the Major truly has good idea of just how much their actions have affected the world’s socio-economics. This isn’t the first time that they have done something like this. Didn’t Anna say something about pulling the same operation, like, four times before she left for Grand Cayman?”

“She did say that she had done this, four other times herself. She did say that Madam Maria has also done the same thing, but wasn’t sure of how many times.” Kimberly pointed out for everyone in the room.

Lyssa nodded then turned back to business. “Did Gemini send in their op plan before leaving the hotel?”

“That is a roger. I have to say that those kids have really come a long way from when they first showed up on the island. They are really showing their training on this mission.” Krystel told Lyssa in a tone that was anything but humble. “This may be nothing more than a recon mission, but they did come up with four contingency plans if Murphy tags along. Even the assault plan they have come up with has multiple contingencies. I'd green-light them.”

“Let me see what they summited.” Lyssa ordered as she turned to the main screen. What Lyssa saw made her believe that the time for holding the teens back was coming to an end. Just as with the assault on Vickers’ estate Kasey and Kristine had looked at every possible avenue for assault. “Damn good job.”

“We thought the same thing. Those girls have truly taken all of their training to heart. It’s a good thing that they plan on following in their parents’ footsteps. Because they would drive their COs absolutely nuts if they were to join any branch of the military.” Kimberly smirked.

Lyssa just shook her head no. “That would never happen, Kimberly. The second they hit their first duty station their CO would send their happy asses straight to Officer's School. Or the Stockade.”

“Damn, Lyssa. Do you really think that Kasey and Kristine have that kind of potential?” Kimberly asked bluntly.

“Yeah.” Lyssa sighed as she thought about the two teenage members of the Black Badge Deputies. “If they are able to keep themselves in some check. Otherwise, they'll get thrown in a cell.”

“They would have to stay out of trouble.” Krystel giggled. Of the three women she knew how unlikely that happen. She knew that her two protégées were trouble magnets of epic proportions. If they get left on their own for too long, they always find something to get into. “For some reason I doubt that will ever happen. Those two can’t go ten days without finding some kind of trouble.”

Lyssa and Kimberly both nodded at Krystel apt description of the teenager members of the Black Badges.

Kimberly sighed. “You got that nailed. I know that they’re good kids and all. But there are times that we really need to keep a closer eye on what they’re up to.”

“No help for it, Kimberly. Those two are just too curious. They’ll always be on the hunt for the next challenge or target.” Lyssa told them while thinking about the two girls. “And to be honest. That isn’t always bad. Annoying as all hell from time to time though.”

The two Operators gave their friend and Ops-boss hard looks. They knew that she wasn’t to deploy unless absolutely necessary. Lyssa was now the weapon of last resort. The reason, or reasons, were not clear. All they did know, was that Lyssa was not to deploy without clearance. Tiffany and Shawna were to be recalled and deployed first.

“Let’s just hope that they have more time to hone their skills.” Lyssa told them as she turned for the door to the TOC. “Tell me when Bravo team are in place to commence their recon, please. I need to make a call.”

Krystel looked over at Kimberly once they were alone. “She is not thrilled.”

“No. This operation has entirely too many moving parts. Too much can go wrong. It’s eating at her.” Kimberly gave her friend a hard look. “Do me a favor, Krys. Never bring this up with Kasey and Kristine. They still believe that they’re invincible.”

“I hate to tell you this Kim, but that boat sailed already. They may be the youngest members of the group, but they know that they’re still very much human. They quit believing they were invincible in Italy.” Krystel sighed before continuing. “They may be training under some of the greatest assassins in the world, but they understand they can end up dead if they make a mistake.”

Kimberly sighed. “Well, at least they have that straight. Let’s get ready to supply what support we can when the Black Badges begin operations. Not they we’ll be able to provide much. They’re going without their normal bodycams and coms set up.”

“About that, did you see the equipment list Gemini sent in with their op plans? I didn’t even know they had half that stuff onboard the ALOC.” At Kimberly’s look of confusion Krystel nodded. “Bluetooth, earwigs and button cams. We’ll be getting our regular feeds thanks to those girls.”

“Oh?” Kimberly asked.

“They're linking the earwigs and button cams by Bluetooth to their individual phones. A simple tap of one an app on the teams’ phones and we’ll be seeing and hearing what they do. We’ll be able to give them up to date operational details as if they were wearing their normal assault gear.” Krystle explained.

Kimberly nodded in approval. “Slick. I like it.”

“Their ability for creative thinking and imaginative solutions has been their greatest tribute to the Deputies. They don’t see the box. Personally, I believe they never knew there was supposed to be one.” Krystel remarked. “That same out of the box thinking may just keep this operation from becoming a category seven shit hurricane. With sustained winds of ‘Oh hell’ with gusts up to ‘fuck me sideways’.”

“We’ve known this op was a ticking timebomb with a hair trigger from the start Krystel.” Kimberly groaned. “All we can do is provide the best support that we can and pray that they can keep ahead of the timer.”

“Then I better see what I can do to increase their odds of success.” With that Krystel turned to her workstation and began her attack on the estate’s server with a vengeance. The citizens of the United States may never know what the Black Badge Deputies and OICA do to keep them safe, but it didn’t matter to her. Tonight, she had only one duty. Making sure that her friends had the best chance at success she could provide.

The Hamptons, a quarter of a mile away from Sylvia Price's home

The vibrating phone was answered on the first buzz. “Go.”

“Status, Tiffany.”

Tiffany replied. “Quarter mile out, watching through my scope. Almost all of the guards left. One rover, a gate, back and whomever they have inside. Shawna is closer, on the opposite side. She's on.”

“I'm up. How do you want it?” Shawna asked.

“Invisible unless directed. I'll have you both on a separate channel. If their plan goes FUBAR, you'll be cleared. No slip-ups; no witnesses, no bodies, no buildings. Go until the dirt crackles from the fire.” Lyssa instructed.

Both replied. “Understood. Out.”

Lyssa disconnected and sighed. “Ok Major. Safety net in place, as ordered.”

-----tbc-----

Maria called in. “Stronghold, Bravo Actual.”

“Go Actual.” Lyssa replied.

Maria asked. “Have you penetrated Hard-site surveillance?”

Lyssa looked over to Krystel, who nodded, then replied. “Affirmative Actual. We own it.”

“How many personnel on grounds?” Maria asked.

Krystel answered. “Stronghold Three to Actual; three Hotel Charlies, five November Charlies, Tango Bravo and one undetermined are currently within the estate grounds.”

Kasey and Kristine both echoed. “Undetermined?”

“Price's secretary. In the kitchen is a chef and an assistant, various other household locations are housekeeping. Those are your November Charlies. Secretary is unknown.” Kimberly listed.

Maria mulled that over. In her mind, the secretary was in just as deep as the rest. “Stronghold, advise secretary is to be deemed a Hostile.”

“Noted. Concur. Subject is determined possible non-combatant, but Hostile. Secure Hotel November Charlie, value to be determined after.” Lyssa stated.

“Marshal, something fishy is going on. Too few on-site.” Hunter had turned to face Maria and the others in the back seat.

“What do you think Hunter?” Maria asked him with more than a little concern in her voice. “Do you think that Price is onto us?”

“Don’t know, Marshal. Whatever is going on, it ain’t good.” Bobby never took his eyes off the road but got a thoughtful look on his face. “You don’t think that Price is trying to suck up to her by pulling back her security?”

“That would fit with her sycophantic need to impress someone like Madam Maria ‘the Dove’ DeMarco. The idea of scaring off someone of the Marshal’s personage would be too great a fear. She needs the Marshal’s approval far too much to endanger scaring her off.” Angelic explained quickly as she took in the new information. “It would make sense. Too many security men would make her look endangered. Or worse, paranoid. No one wants to deal with either.”

“That would fit with the bitch’s need to suck up to the Marshal.” Bobby pointed out just as quickly. “I got a really bad feeling about this whole situation. One that reminds me too much of Fallujah on Friday night just before a firefight.”

“Stronghold be advised; Ground team shifting to Charlie now. Still Alpha. All elements; now in play. Over” Maria announced.

“Copy that.” Lyssa replied. “Eyes on hard-site. You are passing point X-ray, Go or No-Go?”

“Go, Stronghold. But according to Stalking Horse and Rumrunner something is off. What we don’t know. Over” Maria explained.

“Marshal, if you feel it, then it is, and it is already too late. Don’t get cocky Marshal. You’re are about to go into the wire. Over” Lyssa told her.

“That is why I’m shifting to Charlie plan now. Do you have our bodycam feeds? Over” Maria asked.

“We’re still missing the feed for the November Tango. Over” Kimberly answered the older woman with more than a little worry in her voice. Hearing this Kasey doubled checked Angelic’s camera and connection to her team phone. Kasey found the problem quickly and fixed it. “Got the feed now Bravo. Over”

Angelic realized it was she who was November Tango. She didn't understand why though and asked. “November Tango?”

Kimberly chuckled in response. “Nun, thief.”

“WHO CAME UP WITH THAT?” Angelic demand as the two teens erupted into laughter, followed by Hunter and Bobby, while Samantha giggled.

Lyssa answered blandly. “Me. You did need some designation on Operations. Meow.”

The meow set Maria off, finally, but only to chuckle. “And there is that warped sense of humor again. My dear, she has gotten you.”

“These people are not nice.” Angelic almost pouted.

“Stalking Horse, you may be able to neutralize the gate guard if he announces your arrival then receives confirmation.” Lyssa suggested.

Bobby grinned. “Copy that. Tag on confirmation.”

The limo pulled into the drive and drew even with the small shed.

“Looks like Tomson.” Hunter muttered. Both men were wearing dark sunglasses and clean-shaven. In short, they looked like ordinary VIP rented muscle.

Bobby lowered the window and barely turned his head to growl. “DeMarco party.”

“Just a minute.” The guard said then radioed in. “The DeMarco party have arrived, Sergeant.”

A response came back. “Roger that, send them through.”

Tomson called out to the driver. “Go on through. Don't stop, the gate closes.”

“Right.” Bobby called back as the gate began to swing open then brought up his silenced pistol and shot twice, putting two rounds through the man's face.

Hunter announced over the comms. “Gate secure.”

Bobby drove through before the gate swung back. Slowly he drove up the drive and slowed to stop in front of the front steps.

“Going hot now. All elements be ready to switch to Echo at a moment’s notice. Bravo-team. Out” Echo was the code for the total elimination of all personnel within the estate walls. That included the servants. Maria sighed and looked over at Sam, Angelic, Kasey, and Kristine. “When we get in there, if something feels off you know what to do. And girls, we leave no one alive. That includes any witnesses to our identities.”

“Are you sure about this mom?” Samantha asked her quickly. Samantha was already letting her mind go to that dark place when she killed.

“If we have to shift to Echo that means all personnel in that house are to be considered as hostile tangos. We cannot afford for our identities to get out. Understood?” Looking over at Kasey and Kristine. “Girls if you have a problem with this order let me know now.”

Both teens like at each other and then over at their grandmother. Kasey answered for them both. “We are Wraiths in the moonless night. Our passing must be unseen. We are but shadows and smoke. None shall ever see our faces.”

When Maria looked over at Angelic and the boys, they just nodded their heads. Hunter though was the one to put their feelings into words. “Sometimes collateral damage cannot be avoided. We do our best to keep the number of civilian casualties down, but this may be one time that we’ll get bloody.”

Hunter got out then opened the back door and assisted the ladies out.

“Then let’s get this done. And boys keep your eyes open for the ‘oh shit’ signal.” Maria turn and led the four females of the team to the front door of the main house. When she rang the doorbell, the door was answered by a young woman dressed in the formal black and white uniform for a maid. “Maria DeMarco and party. Ms. Price is expecting us.”

“Yes, ma’am. If you’ll follow me, please?” The smile that the maid gave Maria was lifeless, practically dead. When Bobby and Hunter went to follow the maid stopped them. “Ma’am your bodyguard and driver can wait in the control center or with your car. The mistress only allows her own personal bodyguard within the main house.”

“James, Robert, please wait with the car. I’ll call you when it is time to go.” Maria ordered the two men with just the right amount of snootiness. She started channeling her inner rich bitch the moment she stepped out of the car. “Oh, and gentlemen be sure to keep your phones on this time.”

“Yes ma’am.” Hunter replied with the bored tone of long-time bodyguards.

As Maria let the maid led them through the house to the main dining room Kasey and Kristine spotted the first sign that their cover may not have been blown. She made an obvious glance up to one of the cameras in the hallway. She wondered if those were still working.

The suspicion was confirmed by Kimberly. “All security systems are completely under our control. Some are already on loops. Hunter, Bobby; move to the opposite side of the car and start smoking. Face away from the front of the house. Good. Take another puff each. Standby. Standby. You're clear.”

That update put the whole team at ease. Maria knew that situation would soon change. Hunter’s mission was the elimination of the rover. She doubted the man would fail. She and the rest of the team had to handle the guard in the control center and secure Sylvia Price. As the maid showed them to the library, Angelic spotted something that shouldn’t be there.

Stepping over to the painting, Angelic kept the frown off her face. She knew that this was the real panting and not a forgery. Her background in art history gave her the needed training to spot the signs. Turning to Sylvia Price Angelic forced a smile. “This is a beautiful reproduction of the Just Judges by Jan van Eyck, Ms. Price.”

“Thank you, Miss. I know that the original was lost in nineteen-thirty-four, but this panting has always held a certain appeal for me. Ever sense I first saw it during a lecture on ethics in my first year of law school.” Sylvia smiled as she walked around the sofa to stand next to Angelic. “I take it that you’re one of the teachers for the school Miss?”

Maria chuckled. “Ms. Price allow me to introduce Doctor Catharine Martin. Professor of Art Appreciation and History. She is currently the head of the Fine Arts Department for the Terpsichore school for the preforming arts.”

“Thank you, Madam Maria. I must say that if Professor Martin is a member of the school’s teaching staff then they are extremely overqualified. I’ve never heard of a boarding school having a full professor on staff.” Sylvia gave Maria a questioning look as she gazed over at Samantha and the girls.

“Ah. Allow me to introduce the rest of my party then, Ms. Price. I believe that introductions will explain everything. The two students with us are Candice Vanderbilt and Margarite Castle. Both are students of my Toledo studio and teachers aids. The young woman standing next to them is Doctor Rachael Hill. Professor of Liberal arts. Terpsichore school for the preforming arts is not your normal boarding school. They carter to the elites of our nation.” Maria let just the right amount of arrogance fill her voice to sell the con. “They are also the reason for my visit today.”

“My assistant Carrie mention something about a school for the preforming arts. I take it that this Terpsichore is the school in question?” Sylvia asked as she rang a small silver bell. “Shall we discuss how I can be of help over tea? It’s a lovely Russian caravan blend.”

“That sounds lovely.” Maria took a seat across the coffee table from Sylvia in a Victorian high-backed chair while Angelic and Sam took the love seat. Kasey and Kristine moved to stand behind their grandmother. “As you know while I have retired from the stage, I am still active in the community.”

“I don’t think that there is anyone who doesn’t know you Madam Maria. You are one of but a handful of living Primas in the Bolshoi school of dance. Though I am a little surprised at your interest in such a small boarding school. May I know why you have approached me?” Maria could tell that Sylvia was trying to ferret out Maria’s motives behind being here. That and tried to figure out a hook to pull Maria in.

Before Maria could answer the maid from earlier stepped into the library with a silver tea service. Sylvia waved for the maid to serve Maria and the others first. “Black, with a twist of lemon.”

“Same for me, please.” Samantha told the maid.

“One sugar and milk, please?” Angelic asked.

When the maid looked to Kasey and Kristine, Samantha stopped her. “Sorry, but the girls aren’t allowed tea after three o’clock. They can have water, or lemonade. We try our best to watch our students’ intake of caffeine.”

“Of course, Doctor. Lisa, there should be some pink lemonade in the refrigerator. Please bring two glass for the girls.” Sylvia quickly ordered. The maid just curtsied and finished serving the tea. Once the tea was served and Lisa had gone to fetch the lemonade Sylvia got back to business. “Madam Maria I must say that I am slightly concerned with the background of some of the students at this school.”

“You did a background check on the school.” Maria sighed. “Yes, it is true that there a large number of students with criminal backgrounds. It is one of the reasons that the school was founded. To give those children a second chance in life. It has one of the highest success rates at rehabilitation in all of New York. However, most of the students are like the two here with me. Young ladies and gentlemen who come from wealthy families wishing to give their children a more rounded education.”

“Before we go further Madam Maria I would like to know more about the board of directors. Just who all is on the board? I don’t like doing business with faceless corporations.” Sylvia could already tell that she want this school. For no other reason that the at-risk students.

Maria had come prepared for this question and knew how to direct it. With a heavy put-upon sigh Maria looked down at her teacup. “I’m afraid that I am not at liberty to divulge the names of the other board members. What I can tell you is there are only three board members. All are each highly respected members of Manhattan Society. Not to mention personal friends of mine.”

“I see. So, you are here on behalf of your friends.” Sylvia could tell that Maria wanted a more privet setting for their conversation. “Doctor Martian I have several works of art throughout my home. Most are reproductions but I believe that your students would find them fascinating. Why don’t I have Lisa escort you through the house?”

Angelic turned to Maria who nodded her head. “Thank you, Ms. Price. That would be lovely. When we return you must tell me who your art forger is. They are a true master of their craft.”

“I use two forgers for my replicas Doctor Martian. Percival Aymond in Paris, Texas.” At Angelic’s questioning looks Sylvia chuckled. “Yes, I know. A Frenchman in Texas. It is the truth. My other forger is Malcom Stain John. A true born and raised New Orleans French Quarter native.” Sylvia pointed up at the painting on the wall that Angelic had examined. “You have already taken a close look at one of his pieces.”

“I must say that Mister Stain John is a fantastic artist. If I did not know that the Judges were stolen on April 10, 1934, possibly by the Belgian Arsène Goedertier and never recovered I would swear it was the original.” Angelic knew that the painting was real but played it off was a fake. “Are there other replicas such as this one in your beautiful home?”

“I have five other such replicas within my home. Two others on the ground floor, one in the master bedroom, and two in the upstairs hallway.” The maid walked back in at that point in time. “Lisa, show our guesses the rest of the household paintings.”

“Yes, ma’am. If you’ll follow me, please ladies?” Lisa said with a curtsy.

Angelic waved for Lisa to lead the way. AS she passed Kasey and Kristine. “Come along girls. Bring your purses. This is a good chance for you to learn about the deference between well-made forgeries and production run copies.”

“Yes, Professor Martian.” Both teens echoed.

Once Angelic, Kasey, and Kristine were out of the room Sylvia turned to Maria. “Now that it is just us Madam Maria. Let us get down to business. I know that ‘Doctor’ Hill is an alias. Just who is she really?”

Samantha sighed. “Very perceptive you Ms. Price. In truth I’m Doctor Jessica Howard. CFO for Terpsichore school for the preforming arts.”

“Thank you, Doctor. Just how deep in debt is the school?” Sylvia thought that she had the upper hand and now was the time to strike. “Please, don’t try to fool me again. I do have the financial background report for the school. I find that if I know all the facts before entering into a financial agreement that people are less likely to bullshit me.”

“Very well then I’ll get straight to the point. Our school is currently running in the red due to the Governor’s voucher program. While we have found a few very talented students the majority of them are nothing more than hip-hop street performers. No real talent in the lot of them. Sadly, we cannot legally just turn away the voucher program students.” Samantha spoon feed the cover story they had worked up at the hotel.

“What is it that you hope to gain from me? I don’t have any pull with the Governor’s Office. To be honest outside of local levels I have almost no political clout. While I’m not in favor of the voucher program there is no way around it that I can see. Other than getting the law changed.” Sylvia knew that she had her way in now. She just needed Maria or Samantha to suggest that she invest in the school.

“There is a way around that pesky law, Sylvia. I may call you Sylvia?” Maria asked sweetly with just the right amount of arrogance.

“Of course, Madam Maria. What is this work around and is it legal? As an authorized officer of the courts I won’t be party to something that is illegal.” Maria gave Sylvia a sideways look at this last statement. “I may have entered into the world of high fashion models and sports’ star management. But I am still a licensed and practicing lawyer in the States of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. As such I do have a legal obligation to obey the law.”

Maria chuckled as Sylvia Price had just been the one to give the code phrase to take her guards down. She knew that Bobby, Hunter, Kasey, and Kristine were even now moving to carry out prearranged orders. Samantha didn’t even think twice as she lunged across the coffee table striking Sylvia with the flat of her right-hand palm just above the diaphragm. Even as her eyes were rolling back in her head Sylvia Price had no idea of what just happened.

The T.O.C. forty minutes previously:

Lyssa clipped on her comm-set. “Update.”

“Bravo team en route; thirty-mikes out. Annette will be here in twenty mikes or so.” Kimberly stated.

Krystel spoke up. “I have the surveillance system and alarms now. I borrowed a satellite and have real-time imagery. Standard only.”

Lyssa was using a terminal. “Contingency list.”

“Alpha to Mike. The girls covered the bulk of Murphy factors to recover.” Kimberly remarked then asked. “Are you setting up a separate net? Shawna's on-site?”

“Shawna and Tiffany. Designation: Phantom.” Lyssa informed them called out. “Net up. Designation: Phantom.”

“Copy, Phantom 1” Tiffany answered, followed by Shawna. “Phantom 2, copy.”

Lyssa updated them all. “Codes are as follows. On Whiskey; long-range engagement of Hostiles. Yankee: penetrate perimeter and interior, full sweep and clear, secure all intel, secure Tango One and sanitize site. Zulu: penetrate, full sweep and clear, secure intel, sterilize site. Confirm.”

Both repeated the codes and instructions.

“Phantom 2 monitor and record all radio chatter. Bravo team, on-site and off, are to be unaware of Phantom's presence. They are to believe they are on their own. Only I will have the alternate net. Continue Operation prep.” Lyssa instructed

Thirty minutes later Annette came in. “Sorry for being late. I think I'm getting into a serious relationship with food. I can't stop eating. You know how it is.”

“No, we don't.” Kimberly replied.

Lyssa didn't take her eyes off the main monitor. “Tell us about it, Annette.”

Annette flushed in embarrassment. She'd forgotten none of them could bear children at all. Nor could they contribute, as they had all never saved samples. All previous existence had been shut down. Even their military DNA entries had been removed to prevent identification. The only children any of them could ever have, would have to be adopted.

“I'm so sorry! I....” Annette apologized, only to be stopped by Lyssa.

Lyssa took a moment longer then said. “You forgot. The twins, Mindy; our status quo is very convincing. It needs to be. We can't do one, we sacrificed the ability for the other. Enjoy what you have Annette, there are so many others that would give anything for it. We have an operation ongoing. Focus.”

“Yes, Sergeant-Major.” Annette responded.

“And if I think you are over-stressing, I will order you out. Doctor's orders. You no longer belong to yourself Deputy, the one inside you has priority. Take your station.” Lyssa instructed and turned back to the monitors.

Kimberly nodded in agreement. “We both are aware of your profile, she's the Ops-Boss and I'm the OIC. The Marshal and the Major are supporting our discretion to your participation. This is where you say Yes Ma'am.”

Annette sat down at Kasey's station. “I understand. Yes Ma'am. Sergeant-Major.”

“Bravo net coming up. Checkpoint X-ray.” Krystel announced.

“Stronghold, Bravo Actual.” Maria called in.

Lyssa answered. “Go, Actual.”

After the exchange, Lyssa switched to the Phantom Net and quietly said. “Bravo team inbound, maintain position.”

Minutes later she called back. “Phantom, maintain Hostile radio checks.”

“Roger.” Tiffany replied then went silent as Lyssa switched back.

“Operation clock: running.” Kimberly announced.

The T.O.C. watched and listened quietly. Annette suddenly swore much too the command staff’s surprise. “Shit! Price just gave the code to go Hot!”

The whole command staff groaned as the bodycams all began to move at once. The biggest shock came from Samantha’s feed. For the first time in recorded history an outsider would see one of the strikes for the Sleep of the beautiful death and be able to tell the tale. Lyssa could tell right away that the blow would not kill, at least this time. With a simple change from a palm strike to knuckle strike, the blow would be a kill strike. One moment Samantha was sitting on the other side of the coffee table, two seconds later she was delivering the incapacitating blow.

“Holy shit! Where the fuck did that come from?” Kimberly demanded as she looked to Annette, who was smirking.

“I believe that is the first time that move has ever been recorded.” Lyssa told her Operations Officer while never taking her eyes off the screens. “That wasn’t a killing blow though. She's down, but not permanently. Still viable.”

“You’re right it wasn’t a killing blow. Price will sleep for the next sixty to ninety minutes or so. Plenty of time to remove her from the house if we need to.” Annette looked up to Hunter’s feed just as he came up on the radio.

“Rumrunner; one down, backside of the house. Over” Hunter called in.

“Gemini two; one down, in the control room.” Annette looked to Kasey’s feed and watched as her oldest daughter pulled the throwing knife from the back of Stone’s neck. “Control room; secured. Over”

Lyssa called over the net. “Stalking Horse, Rumrunner. Proceed inside, secure kitchen.”

The Hampton’s Home of Sylvia Price, Cutchogue Station, New York

Once Kasey had secured the control room, she left to help secure the household servants. Kristine entered and went to work on securing all the data on the household computer and Sylvia’s business servers. Angelic had found Carrie in Sylvia’s home office. Angelic had been selected on subduing the woman for questioning as ordered. Carrie threw the books at her and charged Angelic. The angry Nun didn't hold back in bringing her down, it took little effort.

“November Tango; one secure, office.” Angelic announced.

In the library Maria looked over at the unconscious form of Sylvia Price and sighed. “Do tell me that she’ll wake up at some point Samantha.”

“She’ll wake up in about twenty-minutes Marshal. I did not go overboard. I know that we still need information. Information that only this bitch can provide.” Sam never looked up from Sylvia. “What do you want done with the servants? Do we let them live or eliminate them?”

Maria knew that Sam would kill the household servants and not think twice about to protect her family. Thinking quickly Maria called out. “Gemini Two, have you secured your November Charlies?”

Kasey was quick to answer her grandmother. “Affirmative, Actual. Two November Charlies secured in the kitchen with staff.”

“Bring them to the library instead, Gemini Two. Kitty bring yours and rejoin us. Gemini One, how are you coming with those computer servers?” Maria ordered.

“Still fighting with the encryption on the backdoor files, Actual. I think we need to turn the hack over to Stronghold.” Kristine answered back quickly.

“What is the hold up and why do you believe you need to turn the hack over to Stronghold, Gemini One?” Maria was concerned over this last piece of news.

“There is some wickedly nasty security on these files Actual. I’m talking CIA, KGB, MI6, Mossade, and DARPA combined Level security. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” When Maria heard Kristine’s description of the security, she made a snap decision.

“Stronghold have you monitored the last communication?” Maria needed to know before she dropped this problem on Krystel.

“Affirmative Actual. Taking over system penetration now. Gemini One; open the backdoor to main router. I need ports 625, 514 and 443.” Krystel instructed.

Kristine just smiled to herself. All three network portals that Krystel named off could only be accessed directly at the router. They were disabled in the firmware of every router and could only be enabled though a direct connection. With a few quickly typed commands Kristine opened the servers for her mentor.

“Open, Stronghold.” Kristine said gleefully.

Krystel answered. “Okay, Gemini One, get the hell out of there and rejoin Actual.”

T.O.C., Ram’s Rock Island

The second Krystel opened the server she spotted what Kristine was talking about. She didn't like what she was seeing either. “AW SHIT! How in the fucking hell did the bitch get her hands on this?!”

“Talk to us, Krystel. What has you going off?” Lyssa asked.

“Jörmungandr. Bastard creation of one ex-CIA cyber-operations officer, a former KGB field agent, a disgraced MI6 Network Officer, a Mossad counter-cyberwarfare operative, and financed with enough Black funds to sink the Bismarck. A security protocol that took five years of development, and around thirty-five million dollars to produce. You trip it and every last bit of data on those servers goes bye-bye.” Krystel informed Lyssa. “The real bitch is this program has three integrated backup attack programs. Fenrir, Shöll and Hati Hróðvitnisson. One mistake and we’re talking Ragnarök here. As much as I hate to say this Sergeant Major, we need Sylvia Price’s passwords.”

“Wait a minute here Krys. Are you telling me that not even you can crack that security protocol?” Kimberly asked in stunned disbelief.

“Well, sure, I could crack it. If I had nothing else on my plate, working solely on just this one problem, for the next five to seven days. Maybe, just maybe, if I could get some of the Titans in Tartarus on it; a day at my luckiest, two at the very least.” Krystel said. “This one's pretty nasty.”

“This is your AO.” Lyssa said. “Tell us what you need.”

“Like I said Sergeant Major. We need Sylvia Price’s codes to open those files and servers. One screw up and everything goes in the shitter.” Krystel answered with an honesty that brought no comfort.

Lyssa keyed her mike. “Marshal, we need critical information from Price. Specifically, the codes for the servers. Can you handle the Extraction? Over”

“We can handle the Extraction Stronghold. We'll contact you once we have the information. Bravo-Actual Out”

Lyssa turned to face Annette. “Annette do you really think that Maria can handle the information extraction on her own, without Anna and her 'chemistry'?”

“She is not alone, Lyssa. She has Samantha with her.” At the blank looks of the command staff Annette sighed. “There is much, much, more to the true art of the assassin than just killing. Remember that historically assassins were used as the first real spies in the old world. Of all the great assassination families, none were more feared then the Capizeos and their Hemlock Rose. And the last Hemlock Rose walks beside the Lithium Flower on this night. If Sylvia Price holds any secrets, the Rose will drag them into the light of moon. One way or another.”

Annette’s voice held a note of finality that none of the command staff had heard before. Only Lyssa could truly tell just how badly Annette wished to be beside her mother and sister-wife.

Library of Sylvia Price’s estate.

As Samantha was securing Sylvia Price to one of the chairs, Angelic dumped Carrie into another. Kasey pushed the three household maids into the room. Maria looked over at her niece and granddaughter. “Where is Gemini One?”

“On her way ma’am.” Kasey answered quickly.

“When Gemini One gets here take those three and secure them in their rooms.” Maria ordered Kasey. “Soft-paws, go boil me a cup of water.”

“Ma’am, before we take them away, I think we need to question the maids.” Kasey told Maria while glaring over at the three maids.

“What are you thinking Gemini Two?” Maria asked.

Kasey didn't answer her grandmother right away. Instead she stepped in front of the oldest girl. The maid that Price has been calling Lisa. “Name. Country of origin.” When the girl didn't answer, Kasey repeated herself. Only this time she used Russian. “Name. Country of origin.”

This time the girl smiled.

“Astankova Bella Ivanovna. Moscow Russia.” The tall girl answered brightly.

“And the others? What are their real names?” Kasey demanded.

“Steva Arsi she from Belgrade Serbia.” Astankova said as she pointed at the smallest of the girls. Then pointing at the only black haired girl. “Adelina Anghelescu. She comes from Bucharest, Romania. Two others work as kitchen staff. One is kitchen maid, her name Leysa Zelenki she from Kyiv Ukraine. Other, girl is cook she named Katarina Velky, she from somewhere in Latvia. She no can talk. Mistress took away her voice as punishment. Katarina tried to run away. Make Mistress very angry.”

“How did you girls come to America, Astankova?” Maria asked the teenager.

“We all come here together on ship in big metal box.” Astankova told Maria with a tremble in her voice. “We were all to go to convents here in America.”

Hearing this Angelic took over the questioning. She started off by pulling out her Rosary. The one marking her as a member of the Iscariot Division. Seeing this sign of office, all three of the scared girls quickly hugged the young nun rapidly talking all at once in Latin.

Raising her voice to just above their noise Angelic shouted in Latin. “Silence little ones! Behave yourselves as novices for the order of Saint Nicholas. My companions still need information.”

“WHOA! What did I just walk into?” Kristine gasped as she reached for her sidearm.

“Stand down Gemini One. Let the good Sister handle her charges.” Maria ordered her granddaughter with a nod to her professionalism.

Astankova looked at Maria, Samantha and the two teenagers she then quietly asked Angelic. “Solntsevskaya Bratva?”

All four of the Black Badges chuckled, but it was Maria who answered the girl’s question. “Da. We are all Solntsevskaya Bratva. You are not to tell anyone of this, understand?”

“Yes ma’am. We understand. We tell no one that the Bratva saved us.” Astankova answered for all five girls. “Not even our Mother Superior.”

“Good. Now what can you tell us about Ms. Price’s business associates?” Angelic asked of the five girls.

“There is book. Book is big.” Steva made motions with her hands to show how big the book was. “It has names. Many, many names. The Mistress keeps it in her office. Hidden behind the big picture of lighthouse.” Steva was pulling on Angelic’s shirt sleeve. “Come, I show.”

“Angelic go with her. Take the other girls with you. I have a feeling that your talents are going to be needed again.” Maria ordered.

“At once ma’am. Come along girls.” Angelic just turned and walked out the library with the three maids hot on her heels. Once they were alone Maria contacted the TOC. “Stronghold, we have a confirmed link to Abrams and Vickers. All five November Charlies are brides, I say again, all five are recovered ‘brides’. Over”

“Good to know Bravo-Actual. Over” Kimberly asked.

Lyssa spoke up. “We were listening. They know your faces, probably names too. Wondering how you intend to deal with them.”

“We are still Alpha. All three of those girls are old world. They know not to cross the Bratva. Those girls will go to their graves keeping our identities a secret from all but themselves and God. Any progress on those computer files? Over” Maria asked lightly.

“Fully downloaded to secure off-site server. Security protocols are still fully operational for all files. We’ll still need those passwords Marshal. How long until you can secure them? Over” Maria could tell that Kimberly was on edge for some reason.

“Stronghold, what is it about that security protocol that has you all on edge? Over” Maria demanded.

“Not over the net or in the field Marshal. Over” Maria knew that something was really screwed up if Kimberly was telling her that instead of answering her question. Before Maria could reply though Kimberly came back up on the net. “Shit. Marshal get to wherever the Kitty is now. Over”

“Is she in danger? Over” Maria demanded as she waved for Samantha to stay with Kasey, Kristine, and Sylvia.

“Oh, just another of those damn Harmon and Gary 45000 Heavy Security Safes again, with a digital lock this time.” Kimberly snapped.

T.O.C., Ram’s Rock Island

Kimberly was the first one to spot the make and model of the safe that was behind the painting. Even though she had no idea that the painting was real she did know that the safe presented a real threat.

Lyssa turned to Krystel who was already pounding on her keyboard. “These damned things are pissing me the fuck off Krystel. Find out about it.”

“I’m doing that as we speak. This is the second one of these cocksuckers in a week that the Black Badges have found. Both of which aren’t supposed to exist. What the hell is going on here Sergeant Major?” Krystel snarled.

“That does seem to be THE sixty-four-dollar question here. The Major has been kicking down every damned door he can think of over the last one they found. And still hasn’t found any answers. We’ve got safes and computer security programs that are Military and National Intelligence Service grade in the hands of civilians. Not to mention at least nine known stolen master pieces. Master pieces that are all presumed lost or destroyed in this one house alone. What all did we miss in Florida?” Lyssa asked.

“As far as stolen artwork goes, we’re good. There was nothing found in Vickers’ house.” Kimberly sighed. “So far the only good thing to come out of this op is the recovery of five of the missing novice nuns.”

“Sergeant Major I’ve found where that safe came from.” Krystel’s words could not have had a more profound impact. On those in the TOC and Maria DeMarco. “Some company by the name of Lithium Roses Construction installed the safe in Price’s office.”

Sylvia Price’s home office, Cutchogue Station, New York

“I’ll kill that son-of-bitch with my bare hands.” Maria snarled over the radio as she stormed into the home office of Sylvia Price. Angelic looked over at her very pissed off aunt. This was the second high-security safe that they had found on this case and knew that she would want answers. “Sister, what type of lock does that safe have?”

“Unlike the last one, this one is fitted with the digital lock option. Why?” Only the slight tremble in Angelic’s voice was the only sign that she was upset. She had already danced with one of these demon safes from the darkest depths of hell and had no desire to do so again. Not even for her aunt.

“How many digits?” Maria demanded. Angelic knew that her aunt was onto something and double checked the LED display.

“The lock has an eight-digit input, ma’am.” Angelic answered quickly.

Over her earwig Maria was the only one to hear Lyssa question. “What’s going on here Marshal? Do you know who installed that safe? Over”

“A moment, Stronghold. Over” Maria turned her attention back to the safe and Angelic. “Does that safe have a master installers' code?”

“Damn Marshal that’s brilliant. If you give me a few seconds I can get you that code. Over” Krystel told her over the net.

“Yes, ma’am. All of these digital locks have to have a master installer’s code. One that cannot be deleted for law enforcement reasons by law. Only the installation company has the code on file. The customer never knows the master installer’s code. Now because each company has a different code, sometimes multiple codes, there is almost no way of knowing the master code. Why?” Angelic was no longer scared but was extremely curious as to why Maria was asking her such questions.

“Stronghold, how sure are you of the installation company’s name?” Maria was praying that Krystle was wrong.

“Absolute.” Krystle almost snapped. The thought that Maria was questioning her data mining skills was almost enough to piss her off, but considering the safe they were dealing with, Krystel understood.

Maria didn’t answer Krystel or anyone else in the TOC she just walked over to the safe and began to enter a set of eight numbers. Zero, four, two, six, one, nine, six, six. Grabbing a hold of the locking handle Maria gave it a sharp twist and pulled. To the disbelieving eyes of Angelic it was as if her aunt Maria had just performed a feat of high-end magical theft. Even those in the TOC were stunned by this simple act.

Lyssa asked. “How did you know that override code? Shall I guess?”

“No need. Yes, I own the company that installed this safe. One of the requirements that I put in place for all security systems is the use of an eight-digit code. One that I have used with all my construction companies that specialize in that type of work. Lithium Roses is one such company.” Maria sighed. “The company is based in Hackensack, New Jersey and definitely NOT supposed to be doing this type of work. For anyone, not even me.”

Angelic looked over at her aunt not believing what she was hearing. It couldn’t be the person that she was thinking about. “Not cousin Nicholi?”

“I’m afraid so, Sister.” Maria snarled. “Time to pay a late-night visit to your cousin after we have finished here.”

Lyssa switched nets. “Phantom, as they leave; move in and bring it down. To the foundation and shatter that. Burn the dirt.”

“Roger.” Both replied.

“Give me Stalking horse only.” Lyssa looked over to Kimberly then keyed her mic at the nod. “Stalking Horse.”

“Go Stronghold.” Bobby answered.

Lyssa instructed him. “You and Rumrunner police up the two bodies outside. Gate and Rover. Deposit them and the Control room body in a downstairs closet.”

“Copy that, Stronghold.” Bobby answered.

Back on full net, Lyssa called out. “Gemini 2.”

“Gemini 2, go ahead.” Kasey replied.

“Gemini, were any faces seen by the kitchen staff?” Lyssa asked.

Kasey answered. “Negative Stronghold. I struck both from behind. They never saw me.”

“What are you thinking Stronghold?” Maria asked.

Lyssa said flatly. “That if they didn't know your names, they can be removed. If they do know your names, they will have to remain.”

“Yes. There is that. We will verify and update you to that.” Maria sighed. “I take it, you have the boys cleaning up?”

“Affirmative. All the trash in one place. Finish up. Take all untraceable cash, bonds, jewelry, some of the clean art and all the black-market art. Make it look like a simple no frills straight up B-n-E gone bad. Price and the secretary disappears.” Lyssa explained.

Samantha had been listening, as they had. “So, this is to look amateur hour.”

“Lucky amateurs that finally got something right.” Lyssa remarked.

Maria shook her head at Samantha. “She has far too reasons to be angry. Too many things are happening that shouldn't.”

“True.” Kasey agreed.

Maria looked to Kasey. “Secure the contents of the safe. Angelic, get those girls changed into something that will help them be unnoticeable. Kristine search the rest of the house. You find anything, secure it and then contact me. Samantha, we will see to our business. I want those passcodes before we turn this place into nothing more than a foot note in the long and sordid history of the Hamptons and Long Island Sound.”

.....tbc.....

Once Bobby and Hunter had taken care of the bodies of the security guards, Maria sent them to secure something to transport the stolen artwork in. With nine masterpieces, the smallest of which being three by four feet, they needed something with a big cargo space. Bobby and Hunter started with the estate equipment garage. There they found a ’98 Dodge cargo van that would hold all nine with space to spare, no problem. The heavy white cargo van would be no more noticeable than any other work van in the streets of New York.

Following Maria’s orders; Kasey went through the contents of the office safe. What she found was a lot more than she expected. First were the millions of dollars in bearer bonds. This was just the start of what she would find in that safe. Next up; a black velvet pull string bag. When Kasey opened the bag and emptied the contents into her hand, she damned near pissed her panties. In her hand was close to fifty, two to three carat diamonds. Possibly 2 million dollars’ worth. In her hand was more money than the eight bundles of hundred-dollar bills. But the real find was the two ledger books and four passports. Kasey quickly opened the first ledger.

Kasey didn’t even think twice and keyed her mike. She knew that the TOC needed to know about what she had in her hands. “Gemini Two to Stronghold. We have hit pay dirt. Can you see what I’m looking at through the button cam?”

“Roger, Gemini Two. Flip to the back page, please. We need to see a final balance. If there is one.” Lyssa ordered. Doing as ordered Kasey flipped to the back page. “Call out that number to verify.”

“The last entry reads: 10.75 million, Stronghold. There is a second ledger here that has a list of numbers in it, but it none of the numbers make sense. They all start off with two letters followed by seven numbers and end with two letters. In the next column is what appears to be an address.” Kasey explained as she held the second ledge up for her button cam.

“Roger. We’ll have to get back to that Gemini Two. Finish securing that safe please.” Lyssa instructed.

“Already finished Stronghold. By the way, do you know how much clean diamonds are going for on the market?” Kasey giggled.

“What diamonds?” Lyssa asked. "I must have been watching another feed."

Kasey dumped the diamonds back into her hand and pointed her button cam at them. “These diamonds. There are close to fifty of them and they’re clean.”

“Not necessarily. Those could be from anywhere, if you don't see any documents for them. Secure them anyway, we’ll get them verified once you’re back at base Gemini Two. Though I would hazard a guess that you have close to three quarters of a million dollars in your hand if not more.” Kimberly told the teenager with a little surprise. “Head upstairs to the master bedroom. Gemini One is going to need a hand with the safe there. Don’t worry it's a standard home security safe.”

“Copy that Stronghold. Moving now. Out” Kasey answered back and headed upstairs to give her sister a hand.

“Gemini Two can stand down Stronghold.” Kristine had been listening in on the conversation between Kasey and the TOC. “Nothing up here but the family jewels, a few handfuls of cash and a stack of old Army personnel files Stronghold. Already secured everything and getting ready to roll out. Over”

“Gemini One can you see the names on those files and how many are there.” Kimberly asked.

“Uh....fifteen files, Stronghold. Give me a minute and I can sent you the top page of each file. Over” With that Kristine was pulling out her phone and using the camera. Within a couple of minutes Kristine had taken all fifteen photos and sent them into the TOC. “All DD-214s sent Stronghold.”

“Good work Gemini One. We’ll go over what you sent once we have a chance. Regroup with Gemini Two. I got a feeling that the Marshal has an additional mission for you two tonight. Over” Lyssa told her.

Down the hall in the servants wing Angelic was helping the five newly freed slaves to dress in less conspicuous clothing. The problem she was having was, none of the girls had everyday street clothes and none of Sylvia’s clothing would fit them.

Angelic called over the comms. “Stronghold; in the words of that famous movie. Houston, we have a problem. None of the clothes in this house will fit these girls. Only their uniforms. Any suggestions? Over”

“If that's all you have, use them, November Tango. Just leave off the aprons, wear their hair down and loose.” Lyssa answered quickly. At first, she was stumped by what Angelic had told them, but her military mind cut straight to the heart of the matter for an answer. “Go with that. Your goal is for them to not be definitive. They'll look like a myriad of service, but not specific for anyplace or on duty.”

Off mic Lyssa quipped. “It's either that or modify some bed linens to look like togas and claim they were found at the Athena's place in Manhattan.”

The three others in the TOC laughed at that.

“Copy that Stronghold. Day uniforms, no aprons and not on the job. Can you get me directions to the Chapter House for the Order of Saint Nicholas in Brooklyn?” Angelic asked as an idea came to her for ridding themselves of the former slaves and still be able to keep the covers of her aunt and cousins.

“Standby. Sent to your phone, November Tango. What’s your plan?” Kimberly asked.

“I can deliver these five Novice Nuns to their Order. I'll use those bastards Iscariots for some good this time. I use the limo and drive them downtown and use my status as a member of the Division to secure their silence on the matter of our covers. All I have to do is show my badge of office. Over” Angelic explain for the extremely harsh women on the other end of the line.

“Sounds feasible. Get with the Marshal before going further though, November Tango. Do nothing without her permission understand? Over” Lyssa ordered.

Angelic didn’t even think twice with her answer. “Understood Stronghold. November Tango, out.”

The library of Sylvia Price’s home.

Maria and Samantha pulled Carrie into the library with Sylvia. After securing the two women in identical chairs Maria turned to Samantha. “Get me what I need to pry open those files. I don’t care how you do it.”

With measure and professional movements Samantha pulled a rolled-up bundle from her purse. Using the coffee table, she unrolled the cloth bundle revealing two rows of needles. Each needle was five inches in length with a one-inch wooden handle on one end. These needles were older than they appeared. Far older than anyone in the TOC would ever guess. To their eyes the needles had the appearance of extra-large acupuncture needles. Only these needles had never been used for healing. These fifty needles were nothing more than a tool in the trade of information extraction. Samantha had been trained in their use by her father when she was just ten years old.

Marko Di Stefano may have married into the Capizeo family and been more of an engineer, but the Di Stefano family had been known for centuries as true spymasters. Not just any spymasters, but spymasters for the kings and queens of Europe, nine Popes and countless members of the European Nobility. When the time came when their unique talents were no longer hunted for by those august individuals, they turned to the Mafia families of Sicily. During the Second World War and the Cold War more than a few of the Allies looked to the ‘sometimes questionable’ talents of the Di Stefano family in interrogating captured Nazi and Communist spies.

This set of needles that Samantha was now set to use had belonged to her grandfather. Maria knew what Samantha was about to do and wasn’t surprised to see the needles. The only thing that surprised her was who those needles had belonged to. “I thought those lost to time, Dear.”

Samantha chuckled. “I hid more than just my family memories in that trunk Donna DeMarco. I hid my family’s history there as well.”

“I knew that you had your mother’s journals but not your father’s.” Maria never took her eyes off the needles as Samantha drew out the first one. “Have you mastered the needed skill to use those needles child? I need information from this woman more than her death just now.”

“Do not worry my Donna. She will not die until I am ready to send her to her heavenly reward. Oh, she will scream in anguish. Never doubt that.” For the first time Samantha sense pulling out the needles she looked over at Maria. “Send the girls to return the paintings mother.”

Maria just smiled and left Samantha to her work. Maria knew that Samantha would be turning off her bodycam as she worked. There secrets of the trade held only by the Capizeo family. As she closed the door to the library Maria saw Samantha waking up to Carrie first. Then driving the first needle into a point just above the woman’s left ring finger joint.

Maria smiled to herself. “Your family’s secrets are still alive Marko. I know that your daughter shall do you proud.”

Turning around she was greeted by the four of members of her family that she had given certain tasks to earlier. “Robert, have you and Hunter secured transportation for the art work?”

“Yes ma’am. All paintings have been loaded and the van is out front.” He quickly answered his mother-in-law and boss.

“Kasey were you able to find anything of value in the safe that can be used in our investigation?” She asked of her oldest granddaughter.

“I found plenty evidence of black-market art and antiquities dealing. Not to mention Price’s slave trade. These two ledgers are enough proof to send the worthless bitch to the chair.” The snarl in her voice grabbed all three adults’ attention. “I hope like hell that she dies screaming, pissing, and shitting herself. That woman deserves no mercy.”

“Calm yourself child. That woman is in the hands of your Hemlock Rose. The last daughter of Marko Di Stephon and heiress of all their dark secrets. Trust me when I say that Sylvia Price will not hold back any secrets from her.” Maria was doing her level best to calm her granddaughter. “Other than those ledgers what else did you find?”

Kasey held out the bag of cash, bonds, and passports. Bobby, and Hunter took a look at the four passports. Hunter knew exactly what he was looking at without any prompting. “Whoever did these forgeries is a class act. They’re good enough to get Price into any country in the world without tripping the alerts before she was onto the next country.”

“Yeah, these were all done by a master forger. Someone that knows the system. They’ve had to work for one of the big four alphabets: CIA, NSA, FBI or our own shop. WITSEC.” Bobby said as he ran his hand over the surface of one passport. “They even have the mag strips and watermarks in the right places.”

“There are just as many private forgers that can produce the same results boys. I myself know of at least five such people.” Maria pointed out. “Why do you say this work was done by a former agent for one of these agencies?”

“The watermark and paper, mom. These are the real things. Only someone with access to those types of materials could produce passports this real. Especially four US passports. If there were other countries, then I would say we were looking at one of your civilian contractors. Nope, these were done by somebody in the big four.” Bobby explained.

Kristine spoke up next. “I think I have a lead on who might be Price’s connection for those passports.”

“What did you find Kristine?” Maria asked her politely.

Kristine held out the fifteen files that she recovered from the master bedroom safe. Bobby and Hunter began to look over the names on the files only to have six names jump out to the two former US Army Rangers and MPs. Dan Whitehall, Jim Carson, Sally McManus, Mark Hall, Joe White, and Shamus O’Grady, all one-time members of a disgraced MP detachment. The two military men shared a hard look of recognition over the rest of the names.

Bobby keyed his mike. “Stronghold, if you haven't begun tracking down the names on these files yet, do so now. Over”

“We’re working on that now Stalking Horse. We can tell you that Whitehall, Carson, McManus, Hall, Wickham, and O’Grady are currently in an Arlington morgue. Any idea of where we should start looking for the other eleven?” Kimberly asked.

“Stone, Tomson, and Walker are chilling in a downstairs closet. As for the other eight, I would start your search with Charles Andrews. I figure that he has most of them under contract as mercs. None of them are hardcore shooters, but they won’t think twice about pulling the trigger in self-defense. Over” Bobby and Hunter both knew who these three women and five men were.

“Copy that, Stalking Horse.” Krystel answered. “Searching.”

Maria looked over at the library door as a scream came from the room behind it. Looking back over at Kasey and Kristine. “Girls do you think you can break into the Metropolitan Museum of Art?”

“With some help from Stronghold, no problem. What do you want from there Marshal?” Kasey quickly asked in confusion.

“You are not taking anything, girls. You are returning. Namely those nine masterpieces. I figure that if you leave now you should be in place within the next few hours to penetrate the museum security. It is past time for those pieces of art to be returned to the one place they truly belong.” Maria ordered the teens. “Where would be the best place to leave them?”

“That would the rear reception dock, my Donna.” Angelic said as she joined the deputies. “Easier to secure new arrivals and less chance of the security at spotting the drop off. Actually, if you had the correct paperwork you could just pull right up to the dock acting as a late-night delivery.”

“Would the security guards give the drivers a second look? By that I mean would they double check the girls if we sent them in like that.” Maria questioned her niece.

“Not if they had the correct paperwork. Most delivery companies that make late-night runs use college students for this type of work.” Looking over at her two second cousins. “I believe that with a little work and the right clothing, that they could pull it off with ease.”

“How long?” Maria questioned.

“Half-hour at the most.” Angelic answered. “Do the girls have jeans, t-shirts, light-weight jackets and matching ballcaps?”

“We got them, but they’re at the ALOC. A twenty-minute stop back at the hotel parking garage, for a quick change, fake the paperwork up and we’re good to go. After that thirty to forty minutes for traffic. Then we’re in position to deliver the artwork.” Kasey laid out for them.

“Stronghold; access the ALOC and have the needed paperwork waiting for them. I don’t want to take the chance that the van might be spotted by accident. The more they are in one spot, the easier they’re to spot with that van. Over” Like the true mastermind of crime Maria had already spotted the one weak point in the plan and was moving to handle it.

“On it Actual. I’ll have a full delivery listing printed and waiting on Gemini. I just need a list of the stolen artwork. Can November Tango provide the list?” Krystel asked.

“Can do Stronghold. The following pieces are currently in our possession.” Angelic quickly started naming off the artwork. Each of the names was greeted by a low whistle from the Command Staff. “That’s all of them. Though I would make a suggestion concerning the Judges. Over”

“What do you have November Tango?” Lyssa asked quickly.

“We keep the Just Judges. For no other reason than political reasons. Over” at Maria’s questioning glance she explained. “The Just Judges have been a political hot point for more than ninety years. Going all the way back to The Treaty of Versailles and the end of World War One. If this piece were to show up out of nowhere at a US museum all hell will break loose.”

“Sounds right Marshal. That one piece could be a political hand grenade of the first order. Personally, I see it more as a political nuke waiting to blow.” Hunter grumbled as he scratched the back of his head. “The question is what do we do with the damned thing?”

“Screw it. Let the church handle the fallout.” Kristine smirked. When her grandmother gave her the glare of ‘you shall pay for that comment’ Kasey quickly explained while pointing at Angelic. “The good Sister here is going to be delivering five Novices to their newest Order right? She just has to drop the Judges in the lap of the Mother Superior.”

Angelic immediately saw where Kasey was going and giggled. “That is perfect. As a member of the Saint Nicholas Order the current Mother Superior will be forced to hand over the lost painting to her Superiors in the Church. The Church has immunity in such matters in the return of such artworks. They can bring the Just Judges back to the eyes of the world and none of the governments involved will be able to question from where the artwork came. It is the perfect solution.”

“Boys, move the Judges to the limo. We have twenty minutes before we need to be out of here. Have you secured us alternate transportation?” Maria’s question was answered with a nod from Hunter. “I take it that we’ll be using the cars of the former security guards?”

“We’ll be using Stone’s. It is large enough to hold us all and still not draw attention. It’s an older model with four doors. It won’t stand out it is perfect for surveillance. It was likely picked up at a police auction. It has all the markings of a former unmarked patrol car. They’re cheap and well maintained. Good for secondhand cars.” Hunter explained his reasons for picking Stone’s car. “It also has the power for a chase, even without the interceptor package.”

Another scream came from the library. One that raised the hairs on the back of the necks for each member of the team. All except Maria’s. She knew exactly what was going on behind that door. And had no problems with the outcome of those screams. Like all Dons and Donnas of the Mafia, she knew that if you wanted accurate information drawn out of a person there was only one place to go. More like only one family to go to, the Di Stephanos.

TOC Ram’s Rock Island

Lyssa didn't even turn around the moment Sam’s camera went off line. “Why did Deputy Justice just kill her camera feed?”

Annette just sighed. She knew that she should have expected this moment to come. “There are family secrets that are handed down within each family. One of those secrets is the method of interrogation that Stephany Capizeo is now using to get you those codes. You wondered how my mother would be able to extract the information from Price. There are ways of Information Extraction that have been known only to her father’s family for generations.”

Annette looked down at her hands. “Ones that do not require the use of chemicals. Just exact points on the body. Similar to what an acupuncturist would use. Only these points produce only one thing. Unbearable pain and hallucinations. Hallucinations that force people to face their deepest darkest nightmares and secrets. Like the Sleep of the Beautiful Death, only Stephany knows those techniques now.”

Lyssa glanced to Krystel. “Override. Restore the feed.”

“It will do you no good, Sergeant-Major. Stephany will have covered the camera. She will not let her family’s secrets be revealed to anyone who is not family. Before you ask, I don’t even know the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. When the time comes to pass on those deadly secrets, only Kristine will learn them. Maybe Kasey, if Stephany sees her as a worthy heiress. I will have no say in this matter.” Annette’s blunt admission made Lyssa give her a cold hard appraising look. “You have my word of honor.”

“Stronghold to All. Freeze. Hold.” Lyssa called over the channel.

All of the Black Badges around Maria did so and looked alarmed.

Maria keyed her mic. “What is it Stronghold?”

“Go to the Library. No one is to move until you are there.” Lyssa instructed.

Annette keyed her own mic. “Samantha turned her camera off and somebody doesn't like it.”

“I trust her to do this, Stronghold.” Maria replied.

Lyssa's tone stayed the same. “Go to the Library. No one is to move until you are there.”

“Just as you have techniques that you cannot or will not teach to your team or to us, Sergeant-Major. Some things are best left in the hands of only a select and secretive few.” Annette sighed. “Lyssa, please understand that within the world of the assassin the most feared family of them all is the Capizeo’s. Just for that one reason alone. It is also the only reason she is still alive.”

“No one wants to try her because no one believes that they will survive the attempt. Is that what you’re getting at?” Kimberly asked.

“No. Everyone KNOWS that they won’t survive the attempt. When she first went into protective custody, she left everything behind. Unlike my mother and Anna, I know exactly how many bodies she piled up before crossing the front entrance to the Toledo federal building. She was not the half-trained child that the Iscariot Division Priest believed. At fourteen Joseph Capizeo was already fully trained in the ways of his father’s, and mother’s families. And in the arts of assassination and spy craft. The only thing he truly lacked was the secret to the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. Which Samantha has spent the last three years perfecting.” Annette took a deep breath and gave them all a hard look. “If and only if Samantha wants to share those secrets with you will she. Not until then.”

Lyssa finally turned around keying her mic. “It seems I am here for decoration.”

“FAR from it.” Dannigan's voice broke in. “Black Badges, extract. Now. Other means will be implemented.”

Lyssa looked at Annette and said over the channel. “I am issued orders, just as I issue orders. Those orders will be carried out. By those I issue them to, or as I am ordered to. Operations or Assault, Major?”

Maria's feed showed her arriving at the library and going in. “I am sorry Samantha. I must stop you or restore your feed.”

“I won't reveal this.” Samantha glared.

Dannigan growled. “Personally, I don't care how you accomplish your objective, but your results will be on record. Unless you want to be the one in front of the inquiry and getting the terminal finding, though you won't be alone as I likely will be.”

“Major…” Maria began, only to be cut off.

“Yes, yes, this is where you want to mention the other side going off. They had their ‘dark moment’. So, have you and yours. You made an agreement Maria. You and yours. Uphold it or shut down.” Dannigan said flatly.

Maria reached over and turned Samantha's camera back on. “Find a way to do your work.”

Samantha took out the phone and focused the camera on Sylvia and Carrie, from the shoulders up. “Will this satisfy you?”

“I believe so.” Dannigan said then asked. “Sergeant-Major?”

“Yes. However, I would suggest angling Price more towards the other. She should see the FULL effect of the Deputy's process. It would be a shame for her to miss any of it. Yes, Deputy?” Lyssa commented.

This was an aspect Samantha fully agreed with. “Absolutely!”

Lyssa wasn't done though. “Just one thing. Keep her alive, Deputy. Keep them BOTH alive. I have an idea that you may like. Consider it a balm to sooth the heavy-handedness. Actually, you might even be thoroughly amused by it.”

“Really? You think so?” Samantha growled, she was still angry.

Lyssa's voice was casual. “It involves much destruction and immeasurable pain to a slow death. Can we say 'thermite'? Sure, I knew you could.”

“Alright. You have me interested now.” Samantha relented. “Must be good. You're sounding creative. Like back in Venice.”

Maria shook her head. “I think she is going out of her way this time. She’s offering you an olive branch, to savage miss Price and her companion with.”

“Very well.” Samantha agreed. “May I continue now?”

Lyssa replied. “Certainly, but please do pace yourself. It would be a pity for all your efforts to be spent too quickly. Miss Price has earned the FULL treatment after all.”

“Carry on then.” Dannigan said.

Samantha double checked the camera's view then went back to her work as Maria left.

“I need to know something Annette. I want a straight answer this time. You, Anna, and Maria have all said that Samantha is the deadliest assassin among the four of you. Yet I have seen Maria take her in hand-to-hand training more than once. Did she let Maria take her?” Kimberly asked bluntly.

“Samantha never cut lose or tried her hardest in training. Mostly out of respect for my mother.” At the confused looks of the command staff Annette sighed. “Our daughters were watching. Maria is still their primary Dance Mistress. Sam would never disrespect her position by showing her up during training. No matter how great the need.”

Lyssa mulled that over. “Once a student of the dance always a student of the dance. Even when one becomes the Mistress. That explains a little about Samantha’s attitude. Her self-discipline is still work in progress. She's still under the impression that she is working for herself. Or that only she will ever pay the price for her actions.”

Annette sighed in understanding. “Dad would be the one to pay.”

Lyssa turned to hold a steady look. The message was beyond clear; if Dannigan was forced to burn, he would do so knowing he wouldn't be able to save the rest from following after.

“Sam knew that she could never go back to her old life as US Deputy Marshal Lyssa. She had already made the decision to return to her roots before she ever stepped one foot off that plane. You can stand there and say that you would have set her up with a whole new life or whatever all you want. Only for Samantha Justice that would never have happened. Not once she had made up her mind.” Annette had the command staff’s undivided attention. “To her the path of the assassin was all that lay before her. She was going to leave here the moment she had the chance. Samantha Justice was going to hunt down the scum of the world and bring the bloody Right-hand of Lady Justice to them all on the darkest of nights. She would have hunted down the man responsible for ordering the deaths of her family and killed him without remorse. Once her vengeance was achieved, she would have stepped forever into the darkest of the night’s shadows never to return.”

“Does she even know who this man is?” Kimberly asked bluntly. “It’s not like Samantha to just go killing someone without proof or evidence.”

“That is where you are wrong, Kimberly. Samantha Justice may not kill without proof or evidence, but Stephany Capizeo can.” There was a cold harshness in Annette’s voice that would book no argument. Lyssa and the other two operators also knew that the subject of Samantha Justice’s past and her training was now closed. “Now, that she knows that Monsignor Johnathan Delacorte is in truth Alfonzo Delicato the man is a walking corpse.”

“So, she’s going to go after Delicato once they’ve finished up there.” Lyssa snarled she knew that Samantha would go off the reservation. Again. Revenge was too engrained in Samantha Justice for her to just let Delicato walk. “She does understand it's not so simple as that?”

“You want the truth or a lie?” Annette answered bluntly. “You have to remember that she swore to bring justice to every last person involved in the deaths of her family. And like all Sicilians she’ll get it one way or another.”

“That can be dealt with once we get them out of the field and cleared. She may have to wait for the smoke to finally clear. Personally, I don't care if she goes after him. Operations come first.” Lyssa turned to Krystel. “The personnel files?”

“Got the last of the information coming up now. It seems that Bobby and Hunter were right. All eight are working for Andrews. The good news is all but one is overseas right now. The news gets even better. The one that is still in CONUS is the least trained of them all. Terresa Sullivan, 31B, Military Police. She had a standard four-year contract until given a BCD. It comes mostly from a good bust turned shitty, thanks to Sylvia Price. Andrews gave her the contract two years later.” The more that Krystel read, the more she came to think that there was more going with Sullivan than she first thought. “Something about this Terresa Sullivan’s Discharge stinks.”

“Keep digging. Get everything you can find on Charles Andrews.” Lyssa ordered. Then looked over at the monitors. “How long before Gemini and our thief are ready to exfiltrate?”

“They’re almost ready now.” Annette answered. “There, they’re leaving now.”

“Good.” Lyssa replied. “Annette, I need an estimate on how much longer until the rest of the Bravo team moves out?”

“Lyssa, what are Bobby and Hunter doing?” Annette asked as she pointed up at the two monitors showing their bodycam feeds.

The Hampton’s home of Sylvia Price.

Maria turned to Kasey, Kristine, and Angelic. “You three have other duties to carry out. Kasey, give the bearer bonds to Angelic. I’m sure that the Chapter House will be able to find a good use for that money.”

Kasey didn’t even think twice and pulled the bundle of bonds out of the oversized purse from Sylvia's closet she had used to secure the contents of the safe. At least the monetary contents. The diamonds she kept in her jacket pocket.

When Angelic went to refuse, Maria gave her niece a glare. “Use that money to do some good, Sister.”

Angelic knew that this was not an order from her aunt, but the Donna of her family. Something that she would never refuse. “Of course, my Donna.”

With this final piece of business taken care of Maria watched the three leave the house.

“Stronghold, what mayhem do you have for us now?” Maria asked.

Lyssa answered. “Find aluminum that can be made into fine powder, magnesium and rusty iron and copper. Try to make as much as possible. I'll give the mixture when you have that. Small plastic bags and cellophane tape as well.”

Maria turned to Hunter and Bobby. “Boys, we now have a scavenger hunt for a diabolical purpose. Let us be at it.”

“We can get the job done now Marshal. During our sweep we located the guards’ illegal armory and ammo dump. When I say illegal, I mean they have everything under the sun. We’re talking C-4, Semtex, and thermite on one hand. To AK-47s, M-4s, M-240s, and MP-9s. You name it they most likely have it. When it comes to explosive detonators there are fuses of every type. Not to mention timers, of both types, and radio. We can set the burn to go down however you want it to and be long gone. We can make it look like a simple reloading accident gone horribly wrong in more ways than one. What amazes me is the fact that they haven’t had one yet. Then again Stone always was a real hard ass when it can to safety concerns.” The screaming that had been coming from the library had only stopped nine times sense it had resumed.

“They have so much of what we need already prepared then. Did you copy, Stronghold.” Maria smiled and turned to face the door.

Lyssa confirmed. “Affirmative. That saves some time. Actual, the thermite needs your delicate attention. Gentlemen, let's make some rather interesting demolition charges.”

Bobby asked bluntly. “How much longer on the Intel?”

“We will have the information shortly. The Hemlock Rose has her ‘guesses’ almost where she needs them now.” Maria knew that her comment was lost on the two men and those in the TOC.

Inside the library

Samantha smiled as Maria pulled the door shut behind her leaving Samantha alone with the two women and turned the camera off. She never took her eyes of the needle in her hand. Letting her mind go back to a time just after her tenth birthday. A time spent with her father in the basement of their old home and her first lesson in the ancient art of torture and information extraction.

Stepping over to Carrie, Samantha drove the first of what would be many needles into the last knuckle of the left-hand ring finger. Carry woke with a scream that would wake the dead and the sleeping Sylvia Price. Samantha let the predatory smile come easily to her face as she looked over at Price.

“I see that you have decided to join us, Sylvia.” Samantha’s smile never reached her eyes as she spoke. “I have questions and you have answers.”

The door opened and Maria came in. “I am sorry Samantha. I must stop you or restore your feed.”

“I won't reveal this.” Samantha glared.

Dannigan growled. “Personally, I don't care how you accomplish your objective, but your results will be on record. Unless you want to be the one in front of the inquiry and getting the terminal finding, though you won't be alone as I likely will be.”

“Major…” Maria began, only to be cut off.

“Yes, yes, this is where you want to mention the other side going off. They had their 'dark moment'. So, have you and yours. You made an agreement Maria. You and yours. Uphold it or shut down.” Dannigan said flatly.

Maria reached over and turned Samantha's camera back on. “Find a way to do your work.”

Samantha took out the phone and focused the camera on Sylvia and Carrie, from the shoulders up. “Will this satisfy you?”

“I believe so.” Dannigan said then asked. “Sergeant-Major?”

“Yes. However, I would suggest angling Price more towards the other. She should see the FULL effect of the Deputy's process. It would be a shame for her to miss any of it. Yes, Deputy?” Lyssa commented.

This was an aspect Samantha fully agreed with. “Absolutely!”

Lyssa wasn't done though. “Just one thing. Keep her alive, Deputy. Keep them BOTH alive. I have an idea that you may like. Consider it a balm to sooth the heavy-handedness. Actually, you might even be thoroughly amused by it.”

“Really? You think so?” Samantha growled, she was still angry.

Lyssa's voice was casual. “It involves much destruction and immeasurable pain to a slow death. Can we say 'thermite'? Sure, I knew you could.”

“Alright. You have me interested now.” Samantha relented. “Must be good. You're sounding creative. Like back in Venice.”

Maria shook her head. “I think she is going out of her way this time. She's offering you an olive branch, to savage miss Price and her companion with.”

“Very well.” Samantha agreed. “May I continue now?”

Lyssa replied. “Certainly, but please do pace yourself. It would be a pity for all your efforts to be spent too quickly. Miss Price has earned the FULL treatment after all.”

“Carry on then.” Dannigan said.

Samantha double checked the camera's view then went back to her work as Maria left. “Where were we?”

“FUCK YOU BITCH! UNTIE ME NOW OR YOU’RE DEAD!” Sylvia screamed as she struggled in her bonds. When Samantha didn’t move to do as Sylvia demanded she screamed again. “DID YOU HEAR ME?”

“Oh, I heard you. I just decided to ignore your happy ass. You see, you will answer my questions or pay the price with pain. Just to give you an example of what to look forward to, a little demonstration is in order.” Samantha took a second needle out of her cloth roll. With a skill born of long hours of practice Samantha inserted it between the bones of Carrie’s left wrest directly into the nerve bundle. Once again Carry’s screams of pain reached new heights. “You see there are numerous points all around the body that contain these fascinating bundles of nerves. Each bundle reacts in different ways to stimuli. They can bring pain, heat, even uncontrollable pleasure.”

Samantha pick up a third needle and inserted it into a point just above Carrie’s navel. This time she moaned out, as if experiencing the most unbelievable sexual orgasm. Sylvia looked on with disbelieving eyes. Then her disbelief turned to utter shock as the crazy woman took a fourth needle and inserted it into the right nipple of the secretary. Her moans of pleasure turned to screams of unbearable and undeniable pain. Sylvia looked up at Samantha with horror filled eyes as Samantha approached her with a needle.

“Now that the demonstration has concluded we can move on to the main event, Sylvia. Let me be perfectly clear on this matter; my dear Sylvia. If you lie. I will know. You will not withhold your secrets from me. All it could gain you is more pain. We will now begin.” Without preamble Samantha inserted the first needle into the last join of her left-hand pinky.

Sylvia screamed as expected. The pain was excruciating. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. As the pain slowly faded away Samantha was looking her in the eyes. “Ready for the first question, dearie?”

“FUCK YOU BITCH! YOU’LL GET NOTHING FROM ME!” Sylvia squealed.

“Oh goodie! I get to play some more. Let’s see if I can get you to piss your panties. Shall we?” Samantha didn't wait for Sylvia to answer and inserted the needle she held into Sylvia’s left hip. Sylvia screamed and promptly pissed her panties. “Oh, would you look at that! I got it on the first go. Bet I can get you to shit yourself with the next needle. Let's try!”

Samantha didn’t bother to ask a question and inserted the needle in Sylvia’s right hip. The woman’s screaming never stopped even as she lost control over her bowls and shit herself uncontrollably. Samantha started to giggle. Everything she had done so far was happening exactly as her father said it would during her training.

The next needle was going to be real fun for Samantha. “I think it time for a little pleasure. Let’s see if I can make you have an intense orgasm. One so wet, you'll squirt! Shall we? Oh, and before I start, I think I should let you know now. I can make the orgasm last for as long as I want. Hours and hours, maybe days even. It will only stop when I remove the needle. Even through all the additional pain that I will inflict on you, you will continue to orgasm. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Pain and pleasure mingling to become one great experience.”

“Please, no! Ask your questions! I’ll talk” Sylvia whimpered at the thought of having her sexual pleasure and uncontrolled pain turned against her. The pain and embarrassment were almost too much for Sylvia to handle any more. She knew that she could no longer hold out against this crazed woman’s attack on her senses and body.

“Aaawww!” Samantha pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“You’re insane! Ask your questions already.” Sylvia grounded out through clenched teeth. She knew that she couldn’t handle the pain much more.

“Oh, very well, spoil sport. Ruin all my fun. What are your passcodes to your secure files? The ones protected by that oh so nasty security program. You know the one that I’m talking about.” Samantha’s playfulness was driving Sylvia crazy. The woman had to be insane.

“Please; not those? Anything else, but not those.” Sylvia begged. “I give you those and they’ll kill me.”

Samantha just smiled and inserted the needle she had been holding into Sylvia’s clitoris while twisting. The pain and pleasure slammed into Sylvia’s mind like a freight train. She screamed and moaned as if the world was coming to an end. For her it was, only she didn’t know it. To her there was only the here and now, the pain and pleasure.

“Who will kill you Sylvia? Who are you protecting in those files? Just give me the passcodes and we can protect you from them. I promise. No one will ever know that you gave them up. Now what are the passcodes?” Samantha asked sweetly as she continued to twist the needle and pinch Sylvia’s clitoris. Samantha Justice had taken a vacation and Stephany Capizeo was happily using the skills taught to her by her father.

Sylvia finally caved to both the pleasure and pain provided by this woman. “There are a set of files in my bedroom safe. Each one has a JAG case file attached on the inside. The passcode is the actual case number. The JAG case that made my military career. Please stop?”

Samantha twisted the needle one more time. “You’re not lying to me dearie? If I find out that you are then I’ll be very displeased with you.”

“No, no, I’m not lying! Please stop! Oh god, PLEASE STOP!” Sylvia had squeezed her eyes tight against the unrelenting attack on her senses. “The passcode is that case number.”

Samantha stood up and waked to the other side of the library. “Stronghold, this is Whiskey Sierra. I have the passcode. Over”

“Send it, Whiskey Sierra. How sure are you of this intel? One mistake and it's over.” Krystel answered. She didn’t want to take any chances with those files or that security protocol. She knew what would happen to those files or the server they were stored on if they had the wrong passcodes.

“She gave them to me with a smile Stronghold. The passcode is a JAG case file attached to some personnel files in her bedroom safe. Over” Samantha answered quickly.

“We'll get with the Marshal then. She has those files in her possession. Are they empty or have more? Your call.” Lyssa said.

“They have more I believe. Stand by.” Samantha didn’t wait for a reply and turned back to Sylvia and Carrie. “Let see who should I play with now? Dear little Carrie or sweet Sylvia? Such choices to make.”

Both women looked at Samantha with eyes filled with true horror for what was to come. They had both already endured the crazy woman’s sense of play enough to be half insane themselves. When Samantha picked up the three needles from the cloth roll and began to play with them both women began to shake in fear. They knew that torture was sure to come and the only way to avoid it was to give this demon dressed as a woman their very souls. Carrie was the first to break under the imagined torture.

“No more! Please no more! I’ll talk!” Carrie screamed.

“Who would want you dead for talking?” Samantha got straight to the point.

“Donald Abrams, Charles Andrews and Alfonzo Delicato.” Carrie whimpered. She knew that her life as it was, was over.

“What does Alfonzo Delicato have to do with your operations?” Samantha snarled as Carrie’s admission continued to be transmitted to the TOC.

“He supplied us with the girls for our mail-order bride scam.” Sylvia answered for them both trying to buy Samantha’s mercy. “Charles Andrews is the one who moves them from my safe houses to their new owners.”

“Where are your safe houses?” Samantha snarled out as she screwed the first of the three needles, she had been holding into Sylvia’s right shoulder joint. Sylvia screamed before she slumped in the chair out cold. This brought Samantha’s anger to the front. Using a second needle Samantha woke Sylvia by driving it deep into the woman’s left shoulder joint. Samantha had to fight her need for petty vengeance. “Where are your safe houses, Sylvia? Tell me, the pain stops. Keep quiet and the pain stays!”

“There is a ledger in my office safe. It has a listing for all my properties. The safe houses are all marked with a triple six at the end.” Sylvia told Samantha honestly as the pain drove her to confess her darkest secrets.

Samantha stood up smiling down at Sylvia as she stepped back. “Do we have that ledger Stronghold?”

“Affirmative White Swan. Actual has that ledger. But now I suddenly have a new concern. Do they currently have any being held?” Lyssa growled out.

“That is a concern. Standby.” Samantha answered coldly and turned back to the two women. “Where was I? Oh yes. I remember now. You ladies were going to tell me the rest of your naughty little secrets. Who wants to start? I know, let’s start with Carrie.”

As Samantha approached the ruined woman Carrie whimpered. “There is a warehouse, downtown Manhattan, that is where we take the runaways.”

“Runaways? What do you do with these runaways, Carrie?” Samantha asked sweetly as she slowly dragged the needle down Carrie’s left cheek. “Tell me Carrie or you’ll suffer even more pain.”

“We turn them into customized sex slaves and sell them to the highest bidder. There are thirty-five of them at the warehouse right now. Unless Andrews picks them up in the next twenty-four hours along with.” Carrie answered in a whisper knowing that her life was now over. Andrews would have her killed.

“And the nuns for your bridal scam?” Samantha asked.

Carrie shook her head, crying. “We haven't gotten any new ones recently.”

Samantha could tell that Carrie was done. Running her hand down the woman’s neck Samantha paused at Carrie’s temple.

“Is she empty?” Lyssa asked over the comm.

Samantha withdrew and began removing the needles from Carrie. “Yes. Still alive.”

“Copy that.” Lyssa replied.

Samantha turned to Sylvia with cold blooded intent in her eyes. “You have one chance to tell me how you got involved with Andrews and Delicato bitch. Start talking.”

Sylvia Price didn’t even think twice. She vomited up the whole sorry tale. “Delicato, approached me shortly after my husband died.”

For the next hour Sylvia poured out her darkest secrets to Samantha. How she got into the custom slave market by using runaway teens. How she blackmailed certain politicians to look the other way. Sylvia gave Samantha everything all the time hoping that Samantha would let her live. When she finished Samantha was fighting to keep from choking the bitch to death. “That’s it. That’s all there is. I got nothing more to tell you. You said that you would protect me from them. Please you got to protect me now.”

“You’re right. I did promise that I would protect you from them, bitch.” Samantha growled then said. “Ok Stronghold. She's empty. What now?”

Lyssa answered. “They need to be taken outside. That's where you'll get your satisfaction.”

Samantha secured her needles returning them to her cloth roll. Looking over at the two women, Samantha snarled. “There is a special place in hell for monsters like you two bitches. When you finally get there; tell the head demon that Stephany Capizeo paid your passage.”

As Samantha exited the library, she found only Maria waiting for her. “Where are the others mother?”

“The girls are on their way to return the stolen artwork. Angelic is taking those poor young girls to their new Order. Were you able to gain the needed information Samantha?” Maria answered her.

“I got the info and passed it on to Stronghold.” Samantha turned harsh. “I want Alfredo Delicato. He belongs to the Hemlock Roses and will pay for his crimes against us.”

Maria was stopped from commenting on Samantha’s blunt declaration of revenge by the return of Bobby and Hunter.

Hunter spoke up first. “Let's go ladies. We've got demolition charges on radio detonators and burn packs placed all-round the house. This place will burn down into the foundation after it shatters. We don’t want to be anywhere near this place when the fire hits that massively illegal armory and ammo dump.”

“Oh shit! Please tell that those yahoos weren’t reloading.” Samantha pegged.

“I cannot tell a lie. There’s at least seventy-five cans of powder in that room. I won’t even go into the number of loose rounds and shell casings. Then there are the ten Claymore mines. Just sitting there waiting for their detonators or the full case of M-61 fragmentation grenades. These people were ready for a war.” Bobby demanded.

“Robert if there is all that in that room would the explosion be large enough to cover up what all we’ve done here? I mean if we place the bodies in the correct places. Would the fire investigators right their deaths off as victims of the blast?” Maria asked him.

“It would, but it seems Stronghold has other plans.” Hunter called out.

“Let’s get it done.” Maria ordered her family.

Hunter and Bobby carried Sylvia and Carrie out, still secured to the chairs and arranged them in outside, with Sylvia facing the open front door. Carrie was positioned between Sylvia and the entryway, facing her. Bobby and Hunter returned upstairs.

“Maria, start with the secretary. Secure the small bags of thermite to her legs, torso and head. Have the bags overlap and attach the ignitors to the bags on her feet.” Lyssa instructed.

Maria's shook her head. “And here I thought you were wanting something else. This is indeed vicious.”

“Oh, we're not done. Sam, do the same to Price, except stop when you get to her pelvis. She'll die, as you want, but not gently or quickly.” Lyssa announced.

Samantha smirked at Price. “Ok. I do like it.”

Just as Maria and Samantha finished their preparations, Bobby and Hunter returned.

“What in the hell are you two doing?” Samantha asked, pointing at the large white bundle Bobby was dragging.

Bobby growled. “I have no idea. She just said to grab all this in her closet and bring them down here.”

Lyssa's voice came over the comms. “Open it up so she can see it, Bobby. Hunter, douse it all with the alcohol and nail polish remover. Set that one pair of shoes on top, Bobby.”

“Are those her entire collection? My dear, vicious doesn't begin to touch this!” Maria laughed.

Hunter shook his head. “I will never understand the thing about females and shoes.”

Samantha nodded to the pair of white pumps Bobby set at the top of the pile. “Why those?”

“They're Cholo Blankdicks or something.” Bobby shrugged.

Maria shook her head as she chuckled. “Manolo Blahnik, dear boy. Apparently, the prize of her collection.”

“Whatever.” Bobby commented then draped an evening gown across the base of the pile. “I guess this is special too. Chanel, I think she said.”

Samantha nodded. “Yes, it's special. Look Sylvia, we've brought down your favorite things!”

Price was openly crying. “You said you'd protect me!”

“I said we'd protect you from them, and we are. 'They' won't kill you Sylvia." Samantha now clarified. “We are.”

Lyssa's voice instructed. “Use Price's cellphone and start streaming to the Major then initiate sequence and exfiltrate.”

“Roger Stronghold.” Maria replied.

Quickly they did so then activated the charges and burn packs. As the car pulled away, fire could be seen in the front door and consuming Carrie amid her horrifying screams. Shortly thereafter an explosion was heard, the house fell in on itself and erupted into flames, followed by Sylvia Price as she screamed in terrified agony. Five minutes after; the phone's stream went dead.

TOC Ram’s Rock Island.

“That was a new one.” Kimberly commented.

Lyssa quietly said over the other channel. “Kill the stream and exfiltrate, Phantom. You're done for now.”

“Why didn't you just let Sam kill them, her way?” Annette asked. “You pissed her off.”

Lyssa turned around. “Oh? You mean it did hurt Price to see everything she loved go up in flames and her lapdog burned to a crisp in front of her then have the same happen to her? Forced to watch as everything she had was taken or destroyed then an agonizing death. If Sam has more than two brain cells, which she does, she got more out of that than what she wanted to do originally.”

“Lyssa pissed her off then gave her something better.” Kimberly said blandly.

“Samantha. What of her?” Lyssa questioned. “She seems to have a serious mad-on for Delicato. Just how strong is your sister-wife’s need is for revenge?”

“She tore apart the Great Lake Organization at fourteen to avenge the deaths of her family. She left ninety-one bodies in her wake doing just that. I was there the day they buried Marko, Mary, Catherine, Caitlin, and Josephina Capizeo. I could do nothing as Joseph Capizeo hunted down the men who were responsible for his family’s deaths. The day that I thought he was killed on those courthouse steps I was sure that Joseph had finally found peace. My mother and I spent the next fourteen years working towards bring the last of them to justice. One way or the other. You know the rest of the story from there. Yet there was just one man that has eluded our justice and Samantha’s unyielding vengeance. Now that we know that Alfonzo Delicato is alive Stephany Capizeo will not be stopped. She will either get her vengeance for her family or die in the act.” Annette said.

“Do you think she’ll go off the reservation and leave the team hanging? I need to know.” Lyssa demanded.

“I doubt it Sergeant-Major. Samantha Justice has far too much to keep her on track now. She has people who hold her accountable for her actions.” Annette answered honestly then turned thoughtful. “The only reason she would go off the reservation as you put is if someone was a threat to Kristine.”

“She already sees this Delicato as a verifiable threat to her new family.” Kimberly remarked. “Will she have to be pulled?”

“I doubt it. Besides, if Samantha wants to kill Delicato. No one can stop her or change her mind.” Annette told them all bluntly. “You all need to understand something ladies. The Hemlock Rose knows her duty. She will perform her duties faithfully. She will never let personal business interfere with an operation. Her pride and honor will never let that happen.”

“What about after? How far will she go to take down a target?” Kimberly edged. “It’s not just her ass on the line.”

“That is another story. There is a legend told in my family of a time long ago. Back to a time when our two families were not so closely tied. Before you ask, the legend is very real. It concerns the first time that the Iscariot Division double crossed the Capizeo family.” Annette pushed her chair back. Standing up she walked over to a cabinet and took out a First Strike bar. She was hungry again.

Annette turned to face the Command Staff. “Sorry guys but like I said earlier I crave food. How much time do we have before Gemini reaches the museum?”

“With the stop to change. Two hours at the minimum. Why?” Kimberly asked as she typed.

“Then we have the time for you to hear the legend of how the Hemlock Rose came into the world.” Annette sat back down at her station and looked at the three Operators in the room. “This is one time where the actual history is truly stranger than the fiction.”

-----tbc-----

Kimberly and Krystel watched as Annette leaned back in her chair with her sandwich eating as a faraway look came to her eyes. “You all have to understand that what I am about to tell you not even my mother or Anna knows. I only know because Samantha told me when we were still kids, running the streets of Toledo. Back when she was still wearing the disguise of Joseph Capizeo, only son of Marko and Mary Capizeo.”

“Okay. No one else will know, unless Samantha tells them.” Kimberly said.

Lyssa was standing in front of the monitors, talking quietly with Maria and Dannigan, watching the tracks of the girls and Angelic on a map.

“The feud between the Capizeo family and the Iscariot Division goes back for as long as our two families have been related. It goes back to the very first Hemlock Rose and the original betrayal by the Iscariot Division. To a time between when Leonardo di Vinci painted the Last Supper and to before Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Sometime around the beginning of the fifteen-hundreds.” Annette took another bite of the bar before continuing.

“For starters, understand that until the fifteen-hundreds the Capizeo family were nothing more than silk-road traders going clear back to the seventh century. If not even further back. No one truly knows how long the Capizeo’s were silk traders. They would most likely have stayed that way until Rinaldo Capizeo, at the tender age of seventeen; made his first and only journey with his father to the Far East.” Annette took another bite of the bar, not savoring the taste. “I know these are made to keep you going, but they leave a lot for taste.”

“We've had worse.” Krystel remarked, she hadn't stopped sifting through the unlocked data, but listened.

“Somewhere during the long return journey home, their caravan was attacked. His father was killed, and he was taken hostage by a local warlord. Nobody knows exactly where he was taken, just that he was taken and held for a rather short period of time. He was then traded to a monastery high in the Himalaya mountains as a slave. He was held there for the next ten years. No one knows exactly what all he did during that time. All that we do know is that when he finally returned, in fourteen-ninety-seven, he was a changed man. He also returned with the secrets for one of the truly deadliest martial arts of them all. The Sleep of the Beautiful Death.” The others were being pulled into the story told by Annette. Of all the Deputies on the Black Badge team Samantha Justice was the biggest mystery for them.

Their attention was drawn back to the screens by a flash on one screen showing the phone's feed. Kimberly was the only one to comment. “DAMN! That was noteworthy. Think the neighbors felt it?”

“No. It was directed inward and down with two delays. Similar to imploding a building.” Lyssa and the others watched the feed. “Aww, poor Sylvia. Everything that mattered to her, gone in milliseconds before her very eyes and now goes screaming.”

Moments later, Sylvia slumped forward as her lower body still incinerated and the feed went to static. Lyssa resumed talking quietly over the comms.

“I’ve always known that my mother has a twisted sense of humor. As for Samantha’s humor, I’ll take whatever we can get out of her. She has too much of her ancestors in her. This is where her unrelenting thirst for revenge comes from. There are times that I worry over what she will do to satisfy it. The legends that surround the Hemlock Roses all tell of their unquenchable wrath and almost godlike skills at killing. I don’t know if Anna told you or not but there are secrets of assassination that only the Capizeo family and their Hemlock Roses hold. Secrets that more than a few say should never see the light day and were best left to the cloak of history’s darkest nights. Even amongst my own family.” Annette’s voice held a barely audible tremble that could heard clear as a bell. They could tell that something scared the fuck out of Annette about Samantha’s hidden talents. “And now that she has the final key to the mystery of who had her family killed; nothing, not even God himself, shall stop the deadliest of the Moonless Night Wraiths from her revenge and fulfilling a long-held blood oath.”

“Annette, where did the title of the Hemlock Rose come from?” Kimberly asked. She could also tell that she needed to get the young woman to think about something else other than what Samantha will do once this operation was over.

“I’ll come to that. Where was I? Oh yeah; Samantha’s ancestor Renaldo Capizeo’s return to San Marino, Italy. Yeah that’s right ladies, the Capizeo’s were originally from Italy not Sicily. To be exact, they were from San Marino in the Papal States during the Renaissance. Until Renaldo’s father’s failed expedition, the Capizeo family were the exclusive dealers in silk to some of the most powerful families in all of Europe. Even the Popes of Rome were their customers. The problem developed when the Pope at that time demanded repayment of the money he had supposedly loaned Renaldo’s dead father for the expedition. Money that Rinaldo did not have on hand.” Annette chewed as she thought about how to explain the next part of the tale. She knew that these hard women, though not Catholic were probably spiritual in some way, would have problems understanding the politics of the Holy Rome Catholic Church and the surrounding Princedoms at the time.

“What does his father owing the Pope at the time have to do with the betrayal of the Capizeo family and this feud of theirs with the Iscariot Division?” Kimberly questioned Annette in confusion. “And why haven’t you explained where the title of the Hemlock Rose came from?”

“Please be patient, I am coming to that, Kimberly. It all revolves around what happened to Rinaldo Capizeo in the days following his return to Italy, his failure to repay the Pope, the original betrayal that resulted in in the death of his father and his capture on the silk-road.” Annette sighed as she could tell that the operators were lost. “Please remember that before and during the Renaissance not even the Nobles defied the Popes. Kings and Queens lived in fear of Excommunication by the Church. For a lowly merchant to defy him was unheard of at the time. Not even the most powerful Venetian merchant families dared to defy the Roman Papacy.”

“Damn. Talk about your Totalitarian Dictatorships.” Krystel remarked.

“The Renaissance period was more than just a rebirth of the arts and science Krystel. It also marked the beginning of the end for much of the Church’s control over a great deal of Europe. However, that power had yet to show the first crack at that time and the Pope was still rightly to be feared. An example of this power was the punishment that was handed down for Rinaldo’s failure in being able to repay the debt of his father. The Iscariot Division, who were an even bigger secret back then, seized the family home, all warehouses and assets, then arrested all of their servants, him and what was left of his family. The Church sold off the family home and business to the highest bidder. As for Rinaldo’s family servants, they were sold off right along with the rest of the family’s assets. The servants were treated as nothing more than chattel.” Annette stopped to take another bite and drink her water.

“The family members themselves were never given a trial. They were just simply thrown into the deepest, darkest and harshest of prisons. For another four years Renaldo languished in captivity with his family. One by one he was forced to watch his family die around him. When he was at last finally able to escape only his youngest sister Elisabeth was still alive. The rest of his family died in those dungeons to torture. During those four years he taught the first steps in learning the Sleep of the Beautiful Death to his sister Elisabeth. The Way of the Dancing Blade.” Annette smirked at the looks of astonishment on the faces of the two Operators. “That’s right ladies. The DeMarco family learned the Way of the Dancing Blade from a Capizeo.”

“Ok, didn't see that coming. So, in short, your whole family owes its whole way of combat to what could only be considered an outlaw of the times. I take it that the Hemlock Rose title came about due to the escape?” Krystel asked Annette.

“You’re close in some ways. The title of Hemlock Rose came about because of the massive tattoo that covered Rinaldo’s back. During his time in the monastery where he learned the secrets of both the Dancing Blade and Beautiful Death. Each step of his training was painstakingly tattooed across his back. The first time this tattoo was ever seen by Western eyes was in the very dungeons that killed his family as the torturers ripped the shirt form his back. According to legend the men were so taken by the beauty of the tattoo that they refused to deface it, even at the orders of the Captain of the Guard. Instead they used Rinaldo’s chest as the target of their torturous pleasures.” Annette knew that she was now getting deep into DeMarco family history as well as Capizeo family history.

“Following their escape from the dungeon, Rinaldo and Elisabeth, spent the next five months slowly working their way south down the length of the peninsula to the island of Sicily. It was there in a small fishing village, that has now disappeared to the annuls of time; that the Capizeo family first met the DeMarcos. We were nothing more than a simple family of fishermen back then, not the feared family of assassins that we would become over the next five-hundred years. It was two years after their escape that Elisabeth married her first and only love; Donavan DeMarco. As for Rinaldo he never taught his sister the second part of the Beautiful Death. He feared what the knowledge could be used for in the wrong hands. Rinaldo had always been a deeply spiritual man. He never lost his faith, even during his time as a slave, as a Martial Arts Disciple and then finally as a prisoner in own country. My ancestors were the ones to give him the title of the Hemlock Rose. A title that has been passed down to the only to the most worthy of members for each generation. No matter the sex.” Annette took a drink from her water.

“By the time Rinaldo had turned thirty-seven, he married the only woman he would ever love. She was a common village girl. She gave him four boys and two girls. He taught the secrets of the Sleep of the Beautiful Death to all of his children. Along with a personal code of honor that has been passed down through the generation.” Annette could tell that the two operators wanted to know more about the betrayal by the looks in their eyes. “Before Rinaldo married the young woman. Word reached him that the Priest who had accompanied him and his father to the Orient had survived.”

“Lemme guess; a member of the Iscariot Division, right?” Kimberly asked, scrolling her screen.

“Give the lady a cigar! The Priest was Father Dominic Fortunato and a member of the Iscariot Division unbeknownst to the Renaldo’s father. The Priest was the Pope’s representative for the expedition. Back then, the Roman Catholic Church practically demanded that all silk-road caravans have at least one Priest among the party. Most of these men were members of the regular clergy, but a few of them were spies of the Iscariot Division. Most of the time their only reason for going on these expeditions was to gather new information on the Orient. For a few of these men their missions were far more sinister. Betrayal of the expedition leaders. This betrayal normally happened on the return journey when the merchants had the most goods, which would be confiscated.” Annette sighed and took a drink of her water. “With the Priests holding the position of the Pope’s personal representative, ownership of those caravans reverted to the Holy Roman Catholic Church should the leaders be captured or die.” Annette took another drink of her water before continuing.

“This was the original betrayal of the Capizeo family and would lead to what we have come to the call the First Great Reckoning. Ten days following his wedding Rinaldo left Sicily with one thing on his mind. Revenge. It took him three months of hard traveling before reaching Rome. Over the next two weeks Rinaldo scouted every route in and out of the Vatican. Most especially the routes for the area that held the Iscariot Division. Back alleys, side streets, roof tops, even the sewers. Rinaldo made hand drawn maps of the whole area. Those maps are still held somewhere within the very walls of the ancestral home of the Capizeo’s in Sicily. I believe there is only one person alive who truly knows where those maps are, that’s Samantha.” Annette giggled as she thought about those ancient maps and where they were. “Let me correct that last statement. Those maps are ‘ON’ the ‘WALLS’ of the Capizeo ancestral home. I think that only Samantha can read those maps though.”

“Wait a minute! You mean to tell me that Rinaldo left maps of how to infiltrate the Iscariot Division Head Quarters on the walls of Samantha’s ancestral home?!” Kimberly couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“That is exactly what I’m saying. I’ve seen pictures of those walls when I was a child. I know that Samantha would know the secret in how to read the maps. To most people, the maps would look like ordinary designs in the plaster covering the walls. But like I said only Sam knows the secret to reading them. I’ve tried to figure them out from the pictures that Samantha showed me as a kid. I failed. I know that there must be a different map key for each wall. The problem is in finding the key for each wall.” Annette’s bitterness over not being able to crack the secret of the map walls was apparent to the others. “And the only person who knows where those keys are is Samantha.”

“Do you believe that Samantha will go after Delicato once she has the chance?” Kimberly asked her again.

“I know that she will, Captain. As sure as I’m sitting here on the sidelines. There will be nothing that we can do to stop her. All that we can do is help her or get out of the way. Samantha is like all Capizeos. I think that no one truly knows just how hard she keeps her need for revenge under control.” Annette’s words were not comforting to Kimberly or the others.

“Annette, you were telling us about how Rinaldo went after this Iscariot Priest. What happened when he was finally able to enter their Head Quarters? I assume that he was able to do so.” Krystel asked to get Annette’s mind off what would happen after this operation was over.

“All we know, or anyone does, is that Rinaldo was able to enter and leave the Head Quarters of the Iscariot Division totally unseen. How he did that, again no one knows. We do know that he did on a moonless night. According to legend; this is where the Wraith of the Moonless Night Guild got our name. When he returned to Sicily the man who had betrayed his family lay dead on the altar of Iscariot Division’s private church. I do mean on the alter.” Annette let a small smile come to her face as she thought of the description of how the guards found the body. “If you take the legend as purely truth. The Swiss guards found the body; arms crossed, eyes closed with gold coins on their lids and a single white rose clasped in his hands.”

“And no one saw him enter or leave the area?” Krystel asked in total disbelief not knowing how to approach the subject. “You say he did it but are you sure that none of the Swiss guards saw?”

“All the guards ever found, or saw, was the body and message left by Renaldo.” Annette chuckled as she thought about that very message and the part it has played in her family history. “I have never really thought about what that message has meant to our two families or its part in our history.”

“What was the message?” Krystel asked her.

“Part of that ceremony for Kasey and Kristine, in Italy. The words that Maria spoke as she inducted Kasey and Kristine into the Guild of Moonless Wraith.” Lyssa spoke up, apparently she had been following the conversation while still focusing on other things. “The smallest half of that deadly guild yet the most feared gave birth to all of your traditions.”

“Your mind is sharp as ever Sergeant-Major. Very few outsiders have ever witnessed our blooding ceremony and grasped the significance of those words.” Annette nodded to Lyssa as she acknowledged the Operator's quick mind. “As for how our guild was birthed there is more to it than just what Rinaldo and Elisabeth brought to us.”

“You’ll have to forgive us Annette, but we never saw the ceremony. What does the message have to do with your induction ceremony?” Krystel asked.

“Rinaldo’s message was written in the blood of the 'good' father. I often find that when I question my calling I think about those words.” Annette closed her eyes and began to recite that long-ago message from memory. “I find that they give me a great deal of comfort and conviction. ‘I am a shadow that passes unseen through the night. I have become the wraith of Justice. In my hands I hold the blades of both justice and vengeance. I take no pleasure in the taking a life. Mine is a sacred honor and duty that shall be passed down generation to generation. Only the most dangerous, most vile, most hated, most unjust, need fear our blades. The innocent, pure of heart, and oppressed shall be avenged by our blades. We shall become the unseen Right Hand of Lady Justice. Fear our passing as we are the Wraiths of the Moonless Night.’” When Annette finished, she slowly opened her eyes to find Lyssa looking at her with a pinpoint glacial glare.

“Those are very close to the words Maria spoke during the ceremony. I remember them as if I was still there. Let me see if I got this correct. ‘Let your passing be as the shadows in the night. In our hands lays justice and vengeance. We take no pleasure in the taking a life. Ours is a sacred honor passed down generation to generation. Only the most dangerous, most vile, most hated, most unjust, need fear our blades. The innocent, pure of heart, and oppressed are avenged by our blades. We are the Right Hand of Lady Justice. We are the Wraiths of the Moonless Night.’” Lyssa could tell by the look in Annette’s eyes that she right on the money.

“Word for word Sergeant-Major. Can you grasp the meaning behind the kiss and marks in blood?” Annette questioned her.

“I can only guess at those, but I figure they have something to do with the next part of the story.” Lyssa stated. She like the rest of the command staff had become fascinated by the history of the two most dynamic parts of the Black Badge Deputies. Namely the highly trained old-world assassins that were four members of that team. They had helped to train Kasey and Kristine, more academically than other, but the majority of their training came from within the family.

“Just a moment.” Kimberly said then answered a call. “Ram Air Charter… oh. Hello. Yes. One moment please. Lyssa, Adonis is on the line. Transferring to you only.”

“Yes?” Lyssa answered then waved Annette to continue while she went over to a terminal. “I'm not even going to bother ask what the hell you're doing in Portugal. Standby, you goof.”

Annette was nodding her head as she returned to the story and the first years of the Wraith of the Moonless Nights. “When Rinaldo returned, he found his sister teaching her husband and his family the Way of the Dancing Blade. At first, he was furious with his sister for breaking her word. She had promised to never teach what he had taught her to anyone else.”

“Why would he make such a demand of her?” Krystel asked.

“It all goes back to that mountain monastery. Nobody knows exactly what all happened during his time there, just that he learned the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. The story goes, part of the conditions for his release was that he would never teach what he had learned to people outside of his family. This was the other reason that Rinaldo never taught Elisabeth the rest of the Sleeping Death. Rinaldo, besides being a man of deep spiritual convictions, was also a man of extreme honor.” Annette explain the problem that Rinaldo was faced with thanks to his sister.

“So why'd his sister teach her husband and the rest of the DeMarco family?” Kimberly knew that the key to understanding these two mysterious families lie in the answer to her question.

“Elisabeth began teaching her husband and family out of fear of what the Church would do if Rinaldo failed. She knew she would need an army to face the Church’s wrath. To this end she turned to her husband’s family. They had all known of Rinaldo’s mission of revenge and were more than happy to help the newest member of their family.” Annette giggled. “Not to mention the fact that none of my family wanted to piss off Rinaldo by letting her down.”

“So he was truly that terrifying to them?” Kimberly mused.

“OH; THAT WAS SMART!” Lyssa snarled into her mic, noticed the others look over and shook her head for them to ignore her.

“That is definite disapproval. Oh yes, the story. I highly doubt that the legends of his anger carry only half the truth. They say that tempers are not a hereditary trait. Obviously, none of those foolish scientists ever dealt with a Capizeo. When they get mad, they never take prisoners, and never spare lives. You asked what the blood and kiss were about during the ceremony. They are to be reminders for the members of the Moonless Night Wraiths of two very important parts of our profession.” Annette took a drink of her water and collected her thoughts. What she was about to tell these women had never been shared with anyone not a member of the families. Yet she knew that she couldn’t end the story now.

“First reminder is what is known to our families as the Five-point-kiss. It is also considered a blessing among our two families. One that is given to the newest members of the Moonless Wraith Guild. It was Elisabeth Capizeo who first performed the kiss. She told us that it is to always remind us to use all of our senses, not just our sight. Our hearing, smell, taste, and touch as well. That we interact with the world through all of our senses, not just sight. It is the way we train our children to do more than just survive, but to truly live.” Annette explained the first of the ceremonial reminders. Then moved onto the next.

“The second reminder is the blood. This is done for two reasons. When the Master or Mistress of the Guild welcomes a new member, they cut the palm of their hands and mix their blood. This is done to show that all are a part of a greater whole. That is the first reason. But it is not the most important of reasons. The second reason is to remind us all they we shall always be cursed by the blood of our victims.” Annette used the first two fingers of her right hand to draw a set of lines down each of her cheeks.

“The four lines of blood represent the four most important kills in our lives. Our blood kill, this is the one that earns us our place within the guild. The first kill for profit, the price doesn’t matter just that they are paid for the kill. Next is the first kill done solely for vengeance. And our last kill. The order in which these kills happen doesn’t matter. The reasons behind them doesn’t matter. We just know that they always happen.” Annette took a deep breath. She knew what she was about to say would touch a sore spot with these women. “Kasey and Kristine have already earned three of those four blood lines. Their first kill, their vengeance kill, and their profit kill. I doubt that I shall live to see their final kill.”

“Let’s get back to the history lesson. You were talking about how Elisabeth had begun to train the DeMarco clan. How did your ancestors become what come only be called the boogeymen of the old world?” Kimberly asked. This was more information on the DeMarco and Capizeo crime families than anyone had been able to collect in history.

“I was wondering when you get to that Captain.” Annette smiled as she looked up at the screen showing her daughters’ progress. “Before I get into that. Krystel, how much more time until the girls will be in position for making their late-night delivery?”

“An hour or so. If they hit traffic, plus twenty minutes. They need to change and pick up the paperwork for the artwork.” Krystel was typing on her computer. “The rest of the team should arrive at their location after they leave. With the exception of the good sister. She is twenty-five minutes out on her destination. Say Annette can you answer a question for me? If there is such animosity between your two families and the Church how did any of them ever end up joining the Church as priests and nuns?”

“Our faith has always been one of the cornerstones to the foundations of our two families, Krystel. We do not hate the Catholic Church as a whole. Our fight is with just one sect of the Church, the Iscariot Division. We know that the Iscariot Division will double cross us the second they get the chance. And they know that we will come for them in the fullness of the night if they dare. The few of us who have joined the Church have done so because they felt the call to serve God. The Guild of the Moonless Night Wraiths never accepts the unwilling under any circumstances. Even during our first days there were always three choices for us. The assassin, the thief and the clergy.” Annette stood up and went to get another water.

“I can tell that most of you have problems understanding this, but it is the truth. The funny part is that there have only been two Orders that would take in the white sheep of our families.” Annette chuckled as she thought about those two orders. “The Order of Saint Nicholas and Saint George.”

Kimberly chuckled. “There couldn’t be two different orders if there were. Yet both dedicated to the reforming of sinners. I take it that the Church cut some kind of deal with your families?”

“If you by that you mean, did we make them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Then yes, we cut them a deal. It all goes back to what happened to the three companies of Swiss guards they sent after Rinaldo. It took the Iscariot bastards four years to learn that he was the one to killed that worthless priest out of revenge. I will save time and tell you right now that none of those men lived to tell of what they found in that fishing village. Our families slaughtered them to the last to drive the point home, that we did not fear the Iscariot Division or the Church. We sent the heads of those men back to the Cardinal of the Iscariot Division with our first ever friendly warning.” Annette could tell that Kimberly and Krystel wanted to laugh at the friendly warning crack. They had witnessed the DeMarco idea of a ‘friendly warning’ before.

“That was the true beginning of the Moonless Night Wraiths Guild. It was Elisabeth Capizeo y’ DeMarco who founded the guild, not her brother. He may have taught us how to kill, but it was Elisabeth who organized the families. It was Elisabeth who turned the two families into the feared assassins we have become. She was our first Donna or Don. The woman was as cunning as she was beautiful. Her planning and foresight turned what was nothing more than a ragtag band of fishermen and their families into what became two of the most powerful old-world criminal organizations. The tales of how the Rome Church would not cross us are true. Even now the Church will only double cross one of the families if it is worth the risk of facing our anger.” Annette smiled as she talked about her family’s history. “People talk about how the Church fears no one. That is true; to a point. What they fear is not a person, but a Wraith bent on revenge.”

“So jus where did the title Lithium Flower come from?” Krystel asked.

“According to legend Rinaldo bestowed that title on Elisabeth. He did this just before her marriage. Part of the legend says he even tattooed her back with each step of her training. Just as his had been tattooed. Only he changed the tattoo somewhat. Namely the center piece. Instead of a hemlock rose in the center he placed a lithium flower. Nobody knows if this last part is true. It is just a part of the legend. I think the only proof of Rinaldo doing something like that would be in the Capizeo family journals.” Annette let her mind wonder for a bit. “Yes, I’m sure of it. Only the Capizeo family journals would hold any proof of Elisabeth ever being tattooed.”

“Annette, why did your families ever turn to assassination? Wait, that didn’t come out the way it should.” Kimberly asked of Annette.

“I understood what you were getting at Kimberly. The answer is simple. Money. In truth; Rinaldo sucked as a fisherman. But he excelled as an assassin. At first it was only a way to feed his growing family. He would take out the odd outlaw here and there for the local lord. Soon his name was being spread across Europe and most of Western Asia. Whispered in the dark halls of power. They say he was the ghost that killed in the night with dark and terrifying ways known only to him. No one ever saw him come or go. He was nothing but the vengeful Wraith that came to kill those that dared to break the covenant between the lord of the land and the people who worked those lands. All they ever found was a body with coins on the eye lids and a white rose in the hands. He was so in demand that Elisabeth had to start sending DeMarco family members to handle some of the jobs.” Annette thought about how her family had grown to be both respected and feared.

“Did they ‘sign’ their kills the same way?” Kimberly questioned Annette.

“Not exactly. They all ‘signed’ their kills yes, but each member had their own mark. One would use just a single rose petal, another a copper coin between the teeth, still another would use a melted candle. There were so many, to be honest; I've forgotten most of them. One stands out for my family though. Elisabeth always signed her kills with a bloody feather. A tradition that has been handed down to the Lithium Flower for each generation. When my mother goes to her heavenly reward or finally retires. I’ll pick up the mantel of the Lithium Flower. With it the ‘Blood Red Feather.” Annette’s voice held a tone of sadness as she spoke of the future. “And Kasey shall take my place becoming the next White Tulip.”

“Who takes over as the Mistress for the Guild?” Kimberly asked.

“As the Hemlock Rose has finally stepped forward and claimed her rightful place, Samantha will become the next Mistress for the Guild.” Both Operators gave Annette questioning looks. “The Hemlock Rose has traditionally held the position as the Head for our Guild.”

“Okay let me get this straight. The Capizeo family has traditionally been the Masters, or Mistresses, of the Guild. And your nickname of ‘the Tulip’ is some kind of rite passed down through the generations. Just as ‘the Lithium Flower’ is passed down. Right along with the way you sign your kills.” Annette nodded her head to all of Kimberly’s statements. “Will Samantha change her ‘signature’ as well?”

“That will be her decision. If a Hemlock Rose decides to follow their own path, instead of tradition, that is their right. Not even the current Mistress of the Moonless Wraiths can stand in their way. Though I doubt that Samantha will go against tradition. The time for the Silver Bullet Ballerina to pass on her signature has come. I fully expect that the next time she signs a kill as an assassin it will be with two coins and a white rose.” The note of honest pride that filled Annette’s voice grabbed all their attention.

“Then the legends are true. There is an honest to god ghost that haunts the Iscariot Division in a way. I’ve heard most of the stories concerning the Iscariot Division in my travels Annette. I’ll be honest here. I never really put much stock in them.” Lyssa remarked then went back to the call. “No, Adonis, go past that and turn right. The blue building. Right. His name is Jason. Two thousand, well two-thousand for me. You're a guy, he might charge you an extra five hundred!”

All four women laughed at that statement.

“Whatever stories you’ve heard concerning a ghost that haunts those pigs, believe them.” Annette snarled as the other two Operators chuckled.

Annette continued her story. “For as long as the Moonless Wraiths have existed, the Capizeo family have kept the Iscariots in line by being a thorn in their side. A good example of how they have done this is the assassination of Cardinal Rupert Von Geist. I think it was in seventeen-oh-one. The man took out a contract on a merchant in Venice. The man lied to the Hemlock Rose for the reason of the contract. According to the contract the merchant was stealing from the warehouses of his competitors. The truth of the matter was; the Cardinal was in business with one of the merchant’s competitors. When the Capizeo who was sent to carry out that contract learned the truth, it was too late. He had already assassinated the merchant. An innocent man. It took thirty days to figure out the truth, but Rupert Von Geist was a member of the Iscariot Division. He had been working towards cornering the market on spice trade and was targeting the spice merchants for take over. On the thirty-first day Cardinal Rupert Von Geist was found dead in his bed. His throat was slit from ear to ear, with two coins on the eyes, a white rose in his hands and a sprig of edelweiss from Von Geist’s homeland lay next to the body.”

“Holy shit! That's driving a point home. Lied to by a contract holder. I thought your families were pretty much in it for the money.” Kimberly said.

“One of the four things we never do is kill an innocent. Vets, children, women and innocent bystanders are hands-off. ‘Wrong-place, wrong-time’ doesn't wash with us. Average people that happen across something, we don't touch, no matter the price. It has been this way from the very founding of our Guild. You take out a contract on an innocent with us and we find out; you pay the fucking price with your life. Our Guild does not suffer the folly of fools lightly. There are no bigger fools than those within the Iscariot Division. More than a few of them have found the bottom of a shallow grave at our hands.” The growl never left Annette’s voice. She looked at the Operators with eyes cold as the frozen North Pole.

“Yes, the DeMarco and Capizeo families have been hired killers for the last five-hundred years. But our targets have been the hardest to find, the vilest, disgusting, worthless, pieces of human shit. The people we have hunted down through history only deserved to feel our blades as we drew them across their necks. If just one of our number should ever stray from the Path of the true assassin. We are the ones to hunt them down and end them. That is our duty.” There was no doubt in the two Operators minds about what Annette meant by this last statement. If a DeMarco or Capizeo would ever turn serial killer, they would take out a contract on their own family member to be carried out by their own family.

“Like Lyssa? You would kill one of your own if they crossed the line?” Kimberly questioned Annette. “Serious ethics.”

“Not only will we hunt them down, Kimberly. We will do so before the authorities ever know that one of our number crossed that line.” Annette let her eyes and voice stay cold and hard. “We put down our rabid dogs ourselves. The Wraiths do not tolerate serial killers. We do not train or raise serial killers. Our targets will always be the worst of the worst, including serial killers. No matter who they are.”

“I’ve sat on this question since Italy. You say that you become Wraiths in the Night; there seems more to it. The mindset that you train your kids to achieve when killing. More specifically, how do you achieve it and why?” Lyssa spoke up, muting her mic.

It was straight to the point, this heart of the training behind the Moonless Wraiths, the Sleep of the Beautiful Death and Sam’s split personalities. The personality aspect was the part that didn't sit well with her.

Annette let the frigid edge leave her eyes and voice. “There is a place deep in everyone’s soul that is a black as a starless sky, and moonless night. A place colder than the far reaches of the Polar icecaps. It is a place that allows one to kill and never feel remorse. Part of the training during the first steps of training for the Way of the Dancing Blade is in how to reach that place. We call this black corner in our souls the Wraith. This is what is needed to master first the Way of the Dancing Blade then finally the Sleep of the Beautiful Death if you’re a Capizeo.”

“I know that you use ballet in the training of the girls. What about the boys?” Kimberly questioned Annette.

Annette chuckled. “Who says we do anything different for the boys?”

“Wait a minute. You’re telling us that you use ballet to train the boys the same way?” Krystel was confused as Kimberly now.

Annette just giggled at the reactions of Kimberly and Krystel. “No, we don’t use ballet to help train the boys in the Way of the Dancing Blade. For the boys we use a harsher approach in their training for first steps in the Way of the Dancing Blade. It is actually the way that Rinaldo was trained. Though there are exceptions to this rule for some of the Capizeo boys. Boys like Joseph. I know that you have all noticed how small Samantha is. Well she wasn’t the only male like that in her family. There have been others; the most feared of the Capizeos. Their speed, their balance, their reflexes, their senses were always greater than a normal person’s. This is not known outside of our two families, so please never bring this up again. There is a rare form of Klinfelters disorder that runs in the Capizeo family blood line. This disorder affects one out of every two hundred males of the Capizeo family blood line.”

Annette sighed as she gave the women another part of the mystery. “The majority of the Capizeo men look similar to my father, the Major. The ones that are affected by this disorder wind up looking almost Elf-like in appearance and all are very petite. Even if Joey hadn't gone the route that he had, he would never have been really respected as a man. Because of his size and natural feminine beauty. Then there is the curse.”

“Okay what is this curse you’re talking about?” Kimberly asked.

“You’ve all seen the shift in Samantha and mine’s personalities when it comes time to kill. This is more than just us tapping into the Wraith. This is the curse. When the curse over takes one of us, our speed, strength, agility, senses, are all increased tenfold. Not as much as Lyssa or those men that came here, those men frightened us. The older ones especially. We do gain though. Our emotional responses decrease some as well.” Seeing the looks of confusion, Annette sighed. “Maybe I should rephrase the part about a curse. Let me see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. You see there is a genetic quirk that runs in both the Capizeo and DeMarco family blood lines. It was first spotted about five-hundred years ago in the DeMarco family. I’m not sure when it was first spotted in the Capizeo family.” Annette’s voice held a tone of sadness.

“I think that only my mother knows how far back it goes with the Capizeo family. Anyway as I was saying. This quirk was tied to certain members of Capizeo family, namely the males, ones similar to Samantha. In the DeMarco family the trait has never been as prominent, but it has always been there among the females of my family. Ones like me. Our two families started arranging the marriages of these males and females. My ancestors tried to breed us for this trait like we were hunting dogs. It didn’t always show up. After a while they just called it the Curse. It’s not a well know part of our family histories. And me and Samantha are just the latest members of the family to have the curse land on our heads.” Annette let the smile play at the corner of her lips as she rubbed her hand over her stomach. “When I look at Kasey and Kristine, I almost see that same curse. I only pray that this one isn’t touched by either of the curses and that they’re healthy. Which is possible.”

“Hold up Annette. The girls are at the ALOC.” Lyssa said from her position. “Girls? You ready for instruction?”

Kasey answered. “We're in the ALOC now. Go ahead.”

“Go through the undercover bags. Kasey, find Sam's and get a social dress. Kristine, get into Hunter's. I think he has a silk t-shirt.” Lyssa instructed.

A moment later Kristine called back. “I found a red one. What do I do with it?”

“Put on one of Sam's bras and leave off a strap.” Lyssa said.

Kristine replied. “Ok, you know she has more than me, right?”

“Yes. You're going to pad yourself up though. Do that then put on the shirt but do it so your shoulder without the strap is out. Tuck the sleeve in under your arm. Turn it into a one-shoulder mini-dress.” Lyssa instructed.

Kristine understood the directions. “Oh, ok. Anything else?”

“Yes. Cinch the waist with a black wide belt. This needs to barely, and I mean BARELY, cover your ass. Then get the highest heels you can wear.” Lyssa smiled.

Kasey called over. “The blue rayon or the black Lurex?”

All four women answered. “The black!”

“Take off your bra before you put it on, then borrow Annette's red heels if they fit.” Lyssa instructed.

Annette's eyebrows went up. “MY red heels? What are you having them go for?”

“I'm initiating the Glitz and Ditz protocol for mission success.” Lyssa quipped. “They're going to have a blast with this.”

Suddenly Kristine laughed over the comms. “We look like a pair of party babes!”

“Good. Now cover up with the cover-alls for Annette and Sam, but tie the upper part around your waist. Over-do your make-up as you go. Pay attention; when you get there, you two need to channel your inner bimbo.” Lyssa said with a grin.

Annette smiled as she groaned. “Oh God! Not that!”

“We are DEFINITELY recording this!” Kimberly laughed as Krystel asked. “Can they sell it?”

“It’ll work Krystle. The first rule to any good con is knowing the mark.” Annette told the cyberwarfare operative. “And right now, my daughters have the perfect marks for this con. Third shift security guards.”

“Okay, what makes you say that?” Kimberly smirked at the assassin.

“Third Shift is the one shift that they place the most stress on at museums. They also have the highest turnover rate. Gemini will be dealing with six overstressed, underqualified, and way underpaid men. They’ll have no clue how to deal with two girls like this. All they have to show is the ‘proper paperwork’ at most.” Annette raised her hands and made air quotes. “And those men will help them unload the paintings. Just to break up the monotony of their nights. You’ve all walked a standing guard shift, right?”

Lyssa chuckled as Kimberly and Krystel had the good graces to say nothing. “Let’s just say that they understand the concept.”

“Then you know how mind numbing, boring the night gets between zero-one and zero-five. Just sit back and watch as my daughters turn on the charm. I’ll even give you seven to twelve odds that within ten minutes they have those guards unloading the van. With an over/under of five minutes. Let’s say for a c-note? You ladies game?” Annette was giving them all a loan shark smile.

“No way in Hell.” Krystel shook her head.

“Sorry Annette, not even if you throw in one of Anna’s triple decker chocolate-chip and peanut butter cookie cakes for Mindy.” Kimberly grinned.

“This'll be an all-time classic, I promise.” Lyssa smiled. Sometime later, when the girls’ location was shown to be at the museum, they called in.

“Stronghold. Gemini One here. Are we cleared to go for infiltration? Over” Kristine’s voice brought them all back on mission.

“Gemini you are a Go for infiltration. Do it to the max. Go full airhead for these guys.” Lyssa called out to the teens.

Rear loading dock for the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kasey climbed out the van first and walked up to the rear door to hit the nighttime buzzer for the guard station.

“Yes.” The sound of a bored guards voice answered the buzz.

“Random Air Charter Delivery. Like; we've got a drop off.” Kasey answered with a slight peppy tone in her voice.

“We don’t have anything scheduled for tonight.”

“Check your list-thingie, Sir. We've got like, eight crates in the back of our van. Our boss can't hold it and there's no way in hell that me or my roommate can keep them in our dorm room. Don’t even tell me to take them back to the airport. That plane already left, like before we even closed the door, they were rolling.” Kasey almost whined, then pouted. “Look, either send someone down here to get the boxes or we leave them here. We don’t care. Like; our job ended the second you answered the buzzer!”

“Hold on. Someone will be there in a minute.”

Kristine walked up beside Kasey. “It's working?”

“Like Prima Lyssa said, play airhead until we get him suckered, then let 'em have it.” Kasey said as she looked over at her younger sister. “Look this is just like back on the island. We can do this. Nonnina trusts us, or she wouldn’t have sent us and Prima Lyssa gave us a plan that we can pull off. Now the guard should be here shortly. Get your game face on and your phone out, camera ready.”

When the guard opened the door, he was greeted by a pair of pretty smiling faces. Kasey spoke and reacted faster than the guard was ready. “OOH! CUTE GUY! SELFIE!”

In a flash both posed on either side of the confused guard as Kristine snapped a picture.

“Um… can I see your paperwork?” The poor guy didn’t know what to say.

Kasey smiled brightly and angled inward as she handed the man a clipboard with 27 pages of paperwork and a pen. “You sign at the bottom of each page. We get the first page, the shippers get the second and you, like, keep every third page.”

Kristine just stood there fighting the giggle fit that threatened to overwhelm her as his eyes went straight to Kasey's cleavage. She knew what her sister was doing to the poor man and had to fight to keep looking clueless. Between the two girls Kasey was the first to master her lessons in the con. Mostly because she had a lot of experience as a con artist before being found by Annette.

“Hold up here kid. For starters aren’t you two girls awfully young to be working for a delivery company?” The guard demanded.

“Not when our family, like, OWNS the damned thing. We go anywhere and everywhere. Deliver whatever needs to be delivered. That's the family motto.” Kasey snarked.

“Right.” The guard drawled, slowly starting to think the two girls were working for their family due to being a bit fluff-brained.

“One of our grandfathers was an Army Air guy. You know, that war with those German guys? So like, he came home, right? And founded our company. Been making special air freight deliveries ever since.” When Kristine heard Kasey’s description of what the family business was, she really had to fight her giggle fit. “As far as our ages go. We do this in our spare time. Most of the time we’re students at the University.”

As the guard finished signing the forms Kasey took them back and began removing every third page. Kristine had already opened the rear doors of the van and pointed to the first crate. “All yours, guy.”

“Hold on there, young lady. Just what's in those crates?” The guard asked of Kristine.

Kristine and Kasey answered in unison. “Stuff.”

The guard asked with some heat. “What 'stuff'?”

“Like, art stuff. Right?” Kasey replied.

The guard was flexing his fingers as he asked. “What KIND of art stuff?!”

Kristine was truly struggling to maintain herself but answered as she looked at the crate. “The really heavy kind. It took both of us just to slide it out of the plane into the truck!”

At that moment Kasey strategically made her cover-alls come loose and fall down, revealing the too-tight mini dress. The action drew the guard's eyes, making him gawk.

“Damn it!” Kasey swore then stepped out of the cover-alls. “Oh forget it; these just won't cooperate!”

The red stiletto heels tapped sharply on the concrete, drawing more attention.

Lyssa's voice went over the comms. “Ok One, you are go for tantrum. Let 'em have it, like I told you.”

Kristine did, ditching her own cover-alls and stomping out onto the dock. “WELL IF YOU'RE NOT WEARING 'EM, NEITHER AM I! We're gonna be late and Todd promised to get us into the VIP room!”

The guard now gawked at Kristine's improvised dress, thinking if she sneezed, the world would see all. Meanwhile the two continued to squabble as four more guards came out.

“What the hell's going on?” The apparent senior guard demanded.

Kasey and Kristine shifted gears in an instant and pointed, blaming the first guard. “These boxes are heavy! Yeah and he won't help!”

Kristine glared up at the guard. “Look; he, like, already signed for the damned things. Now, you can do whatever the hell you want with them, but we're done.”

“Chill Jodie. Let me handle this will you.” Kasey had turned to face Kristine as if to glare at her. Instead she just winked at Kristine.

“Everybody just take their damned chill pills here.” The senior guard waved everybody down. “I have enough guards down here. We’ll get you unloaded. That fair?”

Kristine looked down at her phone. “Fine! Ten minutes. We got proof we came to deliver.”

“Sounds good to me Jodie.” Kasey folded the paperwork and picked up her cover-alls. “The clock is ticking. Like, have at it.”

The guard just sighed and waved the other guards to the van. It didn’t take the five men long to unload the van. When the last painting was carried through the rear door of the museum, Kasey slammed the van’s rear cargo doors.

Kristine was already climbing into the passenger seat. “Later!”

“You girls take care and be safe. The streets in this city aren’t as dangerous as they once were, they still aren’t safe.” The guard’s final words had Kasey turning to wave.

Kasey climbed into the driver’s seat and drove away. Leaving the guards to wonder just who they had accepted a delivery from on this cold dark night and what club they were going to. Kasey and Kristine though, were both laughing hysterically. Learning a new tactic was fun.

Back in the TOC:

Annette was howling with laughter. “They were so good at that one!”

“I don't know how Kristine managed to keep up her act. I know she wanted to lose it.” Kimberly giggled.

Lyssa smiled with pride. “I knew they could pull it off. They've been itching for something like that for awhile now.

“Stronghold, what is the status of Gemini?” Maria called in from the ALOC.

Lyssa answered. “Mission successful, en route to ALOC now.”

“Why are the undercover bags open? Wait, where's my black dress?” Samantha's voice could be heard.

Annette resumed laughing and simply laid her head down on the desk.

Hunter's voice could be heard as well. “My bag's open too. I thought I had a nice red shirt in here.”

“Stronghold, just what have the girls done?” Maria asked.

Kimberly began sending the video. “Oh, you'll love this one Actual! They utilized the Glitz and Ditz protocol.”

Four voices came back. “The what?”

....tbc....

Angelic pull the limo to the private rear entrance of the convent. Angelic wasn’t worried about someone seeing her as she parked the big car behind the convent. She knew that the school was empty at this time of the evening. Then again, what child wanted to be near any school when they didn’t have to be. She turned and looked at the five girls in the backseat.

“Stay here until I tell you to get out. Understand?” All five girls nodded the head yes in fear. They knew that this woman had taken them from their mistress’ home was not one to be disobeyed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

After giving her charges their instructions, Angelic exited the car. As she walked across the parking area, the girls spoke to each other for the first time in their long journey through the night.

“What do you think will happen now?” Lysa asked.

“If the Sister was telling the truth. She will be turning us over to a Mother Superior.” Astankova answered truthful. “At least, I hope that’s what happens. What I want to know is; what happens when we are turned over to a Convent?”

“Da, you speak truth, Astankova. How do we explain those people who saved us? They were Bratva. Why would they help the Church?” Asked a very frightened Steva. “You know that the Bratva kill those who talk?”

“We say nothing. We take our rescue to the grave. We owe this to the Brigadier and her Bratok.” Astankova explained their situation for the other girls. Then she looked out the window at the back of the strange Nun. “I believe that we say nothing of the Sister also. She is not regular Nun.”

Adelina spoke up for the first time with a voice barely above a whisper. “My momma told me of a shadow Order within the Church. One whose power reaches far beyond the Church. Momma told me that they were the Church’s Shadows. She walks as if one of these shadows. She must be one of them.”

The other four girls knew that Adelina was not one to makeup fanciful stories. If she was talking about this Shadow Order as if it was real. Then it was real, and they weren’t about to argue with her. Astankova made up their minds for them all with her next words. “We say nothing to anyone about tonight. Especially to the Mother Superior. Not even to a Father Confessor. I fear that we have entered a world where talking can get us all dead.”

“Very good, Astankova.” Angelic’s voice startled the girls. They had been so concerned with their talk that they all failed to notice the Nun’s return. “Let this be your first lesson in the Order of Saint Nicholas. Silence is not golden. Silence is expected for all. Now, come along. The Mother Superior is waiting for you. Oh, and bring the painting.”

Angelic returned to the rear entrance where the Mother Superior stood waiting. Drawing near, the Mother Superior gave her a harsh glare. “Care to explain why you have seen to awaken me and my Order at such time of the night, young lady?”

Angelic smiled and pulled out her ID for the Gendarmerie Corps for Vatican City. The Mother Superior took the offered ID and looked it over hard. Handing it back she asked Angelic bluntly. “What is it you desire, Sister?”

“I seek Sanctuary for five lost souls and a master’s work, Mother Superior.” Angelic pointed at the five young girls who were carrying the heavy painting. When the Mother Superior didn’t answer right away Angelic sighed. “I am a Shadow that seeks Redemption by bringing Retribution to those who would profit from ill-gotten gains.”

Reverend Mother Mary Robert had been a member of the Order for Saint Nicholas for over 40 years. In all her time, she had never met one of the Redeemed Ones; until now. For this young nun to actually use the strongest held secret of her order was more than enough. She would grant all that this young nun requested. “Then enter Shadow and lay down your burden. Stay for the night and rest your soul, while you seek Redemption.”

“I cannot stay, Mother. I must go. I still have far to travel on this night of Redemption. Be at peace and sleep well knowing that you have served our Order and Lord to the fullest.” As Angelic turned to head for the door she stopped as a thought came to her. “Mother is the phone for your office unlisted?”

“I have a number that can be rendered untraceable. Why?” The older woman asked with more than a little confusion. Not that she would deny this young Nun anything within her power to provide.

“A moment with your office phone is all I need Reverend Mother.” Angelic answered. Then waved for the Mother Superior to lead the way. Once in the office and she was alone, Angelic pulled out the phone that Kasey had given her. She hit the app that would allow her to talk with those mysterious women back on the island. “Stronghold this is November Tango.”

“Go ahead November Tango. What can we do for you?” The woman on the other end answered back quickly.

“Has the Marshal been able to locate the other missing Novices?”

“We have several possible locations for them Tango November. Why?” the woman asked.

“I have an idea for handling the problem of their rescue, but I need some guidance from the Marshal.” Angelic answered quickly. “One that won’t trace back to our operations.”

The voice that answered back wasn’t the one from before, but familiar and had the note of command. “What do you propose November Tango?”

“The Mother Superior has a hard line that can be rendered untraceable. I can make a call to the Queens SVU and leave an anonymous tip to their locations. We let them do the takedown and handle the cleanup. Our hands are clean. We’re Scott free and rolling to our next target.” Angelic laid out her idea for the hard women in Command.

TOC, Ram’s Rock Island

Lyssa muted her mike and turned to Annette. “The cellphone she is on is untraceable, why the hardline?”

“I don’t know a whole lot about the inner workings of Convents, but I do know that ALL Churches, Monasteries, and Convents have such a line. It is rarely, if ever, used. Usually the line's sole purpose is used for informing Rome of sensitive things. Such as someone with a political agenda or problem has requested Sanctuary, or a threat. The line is so secure that I believe it falls under a provision of the Geneva Convention or the like for some reason.” Annette answered as she thought about that phone line. Then to the amazement of the others Annette giggled. “Let her do it. If they NYPD traces the call. It’ll come back to an embassy phone line. One that originates in the Vatican.”

“Okay we can see that. What has gotten your funny bone?” Kimberly questioned.

“Let’s just say that it will be a nice change for the NYPD to be the ones to catch the heat with the Church. Also, if the NYPD’s SVU are the ones to hit all of Sylvia’s save houses we don’t have to involve the Marshals.” Annette was liking the way Angelic had planned out the solution to the safe houses. There was only one problem getting those kids the help they would need to recover. Currently there was only one place in the United States that was setup to handle such cases. Her mother’s school in Maryland. Before keying her mike, Annette looked over at Kimberly. “We still need to bring in the Marshal before we give the go ahead.”

The main screen lite up showing the inside of the ALOC and Maria’s face. “The Captain has me following the conversation with your cousin. Her plan has merits. The only change we need to make is to tie in that US Supervisory Deputy Marshal William Chandler. I have been following the young man and his team. He and his people are, without doubt, absolutely perfectly suited for these types of cases.”

“Billy.” Lyssa commented. “The former Nemesis Operator now working directly under Rose. Do it.”

“I’ll make the call Marshal.” Kimberly told Maria with a smile. She wasn’t surprised that Maria had been following his career as a Deputy Marshal. “I doubt that we’ll make ourselves popular by calling him at this time of the night though.”

“I’ll send him a fruit-basket as an apology for him doing his job.” Maria chuckled. “I doubt that he enjoys being woken at any time. Tell the Kitty that she is cleared to make her phone call then get the hell out of there. I don’t want the Mother Superior asking too many questions. ALOC out”

With that the screen went dead. Lyssa turned back to Annette. “Time to let your cousin have some fun, Deputy.”

Annette keyed her mike. “November Tango, Stronghold Four; you are cleared to make your call. Be sure to give no more information than needed. Here are the addresses for the safe houses.” Annette rattled off the list of addresses one at a time. When Annette finished, she heard a sigh on the other end. “We’re doing our best here Kitty. I know that is a lot of safe houses, but the SVU has the world’s second largest police force to back them up. They’ll get those kids out safety and deal with the scumbags holding them.”

“What about getting the help they’ll need afterward?”

“Let’s just say that the US Marshals will be handling that problem for us. Time to hand off the ball, Kitty.” Annette told her cousin.

“Copy that, Stronghold Four.”

Annette succumbed to an urge of humor. “Stronghold Four; mee-yowt.”

The women all chuckled as Angelic groaned, switching off.

Saint Nicholas Convent and School, Queens, New York, New York

Angelic disconnected from the TOC. They were all getting better at teasing her in a way to make her laugh too. She picked up the Mother Superior’s phone and entered the number to engage the embassy protocols. She dialed the number for the Queens' Special Victims Unit. She had heard the Special Victims Unit detectives handled specialized cases involving sexual assault crimes, such as rape, child pornography and the sexual and physical exploitation of children. Like all DeMarco’s who had joined Law Enforcement, Angelic respect the police who handled these very disturbing cases. Angelic knew that she could never work in an SVU division, she just didn’t have the constitution for it.

As she waited for the phone to be answered by the on-duty detective. Angelic thought about how she was going to phrase her tip. When the detective answered in a gruff no-nonsense voice Angelic almost chuckled.

“SVU, Captain Tutuola.”

“I apologize for interrupting you Captain but I must inform you that there are a number of places holding teenagers against their will. They are being trained as sex slaves. They are also holding several runaways there as well. Runaways that are undergoing radical surgery and mind-altering processes. Captain; this is neither a prank, nor is it meant to mislead you down a false trail. The situation that I have just described is very real and you do not have time to waste. This will be the last time I contact you directly. Please, take down those people and save the children. Here are the addresses.” Annette rattled off the addresses that Annette had given her. “Go do something good, Captain. Do not worry, you will have help.”

Angelic left the Mother Superior’s office and headed for the rear exit. She was met by the Mother Superior. “Sister, before you step back into the shadows of the night, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What would you ask of me, Mother Superior?” Angelic asked, not liking where this going already.

“That painting you arrived here with. Tell me how it came to be in your possession?” The older woman demanded.

“By my vows, I cannot, Reverend Mother. As one of the Redeemed; all that I do, is done in the shadows. Just know that the one who had that painting, shall never again do evil in this world.” Angelic answered bluntly.

“Then go with God’s blessing child. But know this, you are to never again darken this doorway again seeking Sanctuary.” The Mother Superior snarled.

“I can neither make that promise Reverend Mother, nor can you give that order. You know me for what I am. A Sister of your Order. Nothing more, nothing less. I go where the Lord commands. Most times I walk in His Heavenly grace by the light of day. He forgives the times when I and the others of our order who must step once more into the Shadows of Night to bring about true Justice.” Angelic snapped. “If you were a true member of our Order you would know this. I can tell you are one of the Blessed. Goodnight Reverend Mother.”

Reverend Mother Mary Robert stood stock-still as the young nun disappeared into the night. Looking to where the limo was pulling away, Mary Robert began to wonder if the tales of the Redeemed Ones were more than just legends. The secret Order of Thieves within her own Holy Order. In particular, one small group of thieves and a family of assassins from which some came. In a voice barely above of a whisper she asked of the one who could answer her question.

“Dear Lord, in Heaven, could I really have just faced one of the infamous DeMarcos?” Mary Robert’s question to the empty night air would be one that would haunt her for the rest of her days. It would also be one that she would never receive an answer.

ALOC, New York, New York.

Maria and the rest of the team had regrouped at the ALOC and were getting ready to updated the TOC on the mission. Only Maria seemed upset with the outcome of the mission. Mostly because it brought to light one more suspect in their operation. One that needed to be dealt with first, Nicholai Rossie. Her oldest nephew. The question was how she would deal with him.

Stepping outside the ALOC Maria pulled out her phone and contacted the TOC. “Actual to Stronghold.”

“Go Actual.” Lyssa replied.

She got straight to the point. “Stronghold, I need a direct and private connection to the Major. We, no, I have a direct connection to those safes. I need advice that only the Major can provide. Understood?” Maria ordered Lyssa.

“Understood Actual. Standby for the Major.” Lyssa answered.

Maria stood still as the grave as she waited for the connection to her husband. This was one decision that Maria didn’t want to make without some guidance.

Lyssa voice returned. “Affirmative. You have the Major, Actual.”

“Marshal I understand you need some advice. What does this concern?” The voice of Paul Dannigan brought some comfort to Maria.

“We’ve found out WHERE those safes came from. The real problem is WHO installed those safes.” Maria took a deep breath. “It was one of my companies Paul. And the manager of that company is my nephew.”

“Ouch! That's not good. Especially for him. I get that he is your nephew, Ria, but he violated national security directives. Those safes were NEVER meant to be in the hands of civilians. How did he even get his hands on those safes?”

Maria sighed. “Are we alone?”

“Yes, the TOC gave us a separate channel. It’s just us Ria. You have my word on that.” Paul told her politely.

“I believe it all came about from a set of government contracts that LFC, Lithium Flower Construction, picked up fifteen years ago. That was the first time LFC had such a contract come in without using certain connections. Nicholas was doing everything in his power to make a legitimate go of the company for me. When he approached me about those contracts, I gave the go ahead. It was all above board. The first six were for the local offices of the FBI, DOJ, ATF, DEA, IRS, and ICE.” Maria took a deep breath. She didn’t know how to explain the rest.

“Paul those six contracts led to one massive contract for the installation of several safes. All on each military post along the eastern seaboard. LFC shifted from construction to security system installation shortly thereafter. That has been their main source of revenue sense. Their specialty is high security safes and security systems of all types.” Maria took another deep breath. “Paul those safes are my fault. I should never have given the go ahead for those contracts. If I hadn't LFC would still just be a local construction company.”

“Maybe. Maybe it would have gone under. Remind me, Ria, do you run the day-to-day operations for any of your companies?” Paul asked, then answered his own question. “No; you don’t. You have always trusted in your managers for that. I doubt that your nephew actively sought out these customers. I have been pursuing my own investigation into those safes. Each one was authorized through the State Department on the grounds of National Security, due to connections within Government Agencies.”

“So, this might be nothing more than a comedy of errors?” Maria questioned. “At least on the part of LFC.”

“According to my investigation. Yes. By the way there are three other companies that specialize in the installation of those safes. My sources were not too happy about giving up that information. It seems that the two you have found plus the one found in Vickers’ home office are just the tip of the iceberg. There are another fifteen of those safes out there in the hands of civilians. I’ve already got with the DOJ on warrants for fourteen of those safes. All on the grounds of National Security. The last one belongs to your team. Charles Andrews is in possession of that safe, Ria.” Maria almost lost her shit over this last piece of information.

“Damn it! Can this mess get any more screwed up?! It feels like we’re fighting a hydra here. For every head we cutoff, two more are taking its place.” Maria sighed. “Paul, I’m going to release Samantha from the rest of the mission here in the States. It is time that we cut the head of this problem.”

“Maria, I have an idea of where you want to go with this. I just want to know, are you sure you are ready to unleash that kind of a nightmare, at this point in time?”

“No, I’m not. I just don’t see any other way to end this Paul. I either turn her loose now, or at the end of our operation here. As it is, I’m already looking at having to split my team up to handle the remaining two problems here stateside.” Maria took a deep breath. “Paul this is a situation that we have never discussed before accepting this operation.”

“How do you want to break them down, Marshal?” Paul asked her. “This is still your operation. You still have the option to pull out and dump this mess the laps of the regular authorities.”

“No, we’ll finish this operation, Paul. I was the one to decide to take it. As for dumping this in the laps of the civilians, that is not really an option. Andrews has similar connections as Abrams. The man will use to them to protect himself and his organization. How is that end of the operation going? Any word on where his family disappeared to?” Maria asked.

“That is something I’m still looking into, Ria. From what we have been able to gather the FBI has stepped in, along with Homeland and DOJ, to secure the Abrams family. From what we can see so far everybody and their brother-in-law with a badge is going after the Abrams family. Anna will have a totally clear path for her takeover in the morning.” Paul was chuckling towards the end of his fast briefing of the situation with GWT. “Tell me something Ria. Did you expect this kind of fallout?”

“Paulo, I cannot tell a lie. This is one time I expected the fallout to be much, much, worse. So far I’ve had the girls keeping a lid on the majority of the information they recovered from the GWT main servers.” Paul could hear the smirk in Maria’s voice.

He knew that his wife would wait to drop the really juicy intel when the time was right. “Have your fun, Maria. Just don’t put your team in danger of getting burned. I want to keep your team operating for as long as possible.”

“We’re doing all that we can to keep that from happening, Paul. This case has hit a little too close to home in some areas already.” Maria sighed. “Paul, I, no, we have held onto Samantha’s leash as tight as we can.”

“What is going on with her, Ria? I’ve never seen her act like this before. We know that she went off the reservation before coming to the island. She willingly turned off her bodycam this evening. I understand that there are certain family secrets that she doesn’t want to share. Do I like it? Not particularly, but I can make some allowances. Do I understand her reasoning? Yes, but she should know that she can at least trust us. That brings us back to those allowances. I can make some, but she has to give as well. Use her techniques, but I must have her results.” Paul figured he should point out the military side of the OICA could be trusted.

“Paulo, the secrets of her father’s family have to be the most guarded of all of Samantha’s family secrets. Not even I know the Secret of the Needles. Hell, Paulo, I don’t even know the first step in training my granddaughters in the Sleep of the Beautiful Death.” Maria sighed. “I warned you all that Samantha Justice, no let me correct that, Stephany Capizeo was the deadliest of us all when we first arrived on the island. And Paul, her Blood Oath will be upheld even if it costs her, her life.”

“Yes, you did, I just didn’t believe you. I just don’t like having an unknown factor under my command. And Stephany Capizeo is the biggest unknown of all the Black Badges. I was under the impression YOU could control her.” Paul reminded. “I may not understand how she has able to hide these abilities of hers from everyone else on the island, but from you is a different thing.”

“She does not always practice with the rest of the team. And when she does, she holds back in front of the girls. She does this out of respect for me.” Maria sighed again as she thought about her granddaughters. “Paul, I will be honest with you. The only person that now stands a chance against Samantha in a straight up fight is Lyssa. Tiffany may be a match for her, but I won't bet on it. Not now that Samantha has finally Mastered the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. Of course, those old associates of Lyssa's are quite unnerving. To be honest, I've never dreamed such men existed.”

“Are you sure about this Maria?” Paul hedged. He knew exactly how deadly the other two women were. “Has Samantha truly mastered the Beautiful Death?”

“Paul, there is no doubt in Samantha’s mastery of the art. She truly is the Hemlock Rose. The deadliest assassin of the old-world families. I witnessed her disable a target with but a signal strike. One that is not part of the Dancing Blade. One that I have only seen used by her mother.” Paul could feel the conviction in Maria’s voice. “Paul, Samantha has to have been continuing her instruction in the art on her own since resuming work.”

“Damn. Then she really is as deadly as you say. I watched the footage of that strike here in my office. I thought it was part of the Dancing Blade. But if what you’re saying is true, it would be prudent to evaluate her in some fashion. Do you think she’d accommodate?” Paul was thinking as a military commander now. He needed a baseline for an operative.

“I doubt it. She’ll tell us to go to hell. Then wait to disappear into the night. Samantha may love her family, but she will not share her family secrets with those she still considers outsiders. That includes all of the military members of the OICA. She may respect them, but she doesn’t see them as family. Samantha sees them only as allies, nothing more.” Maria confessed. “Starting to have second thoughts about bringing her into your fold?”

“No Ria, I’m not. If I had been, none of you would be operational. I’m just not sure about how to handle our current problem. Namely do we keep your team whole or split it up?” Paul answered her.

Taking a deep breath Maria made up her mind. “I’ll be keeping the team together. There is still too much that can go wrong. If, and this is a big if, I break up the team it will only to be to send Samantha and Angelic to Rome. Even then it will only happen after we have finished operations here stateside. I have a feeling that any operation that takes place inside the Vatican will have to be done by them.”

“I’ve been monitoring the talk in the TOC, Ria. I believe that you’re correct. I do have one question. Those maps in the Capizeo ancestral home. Is it true that only Samantha knows how to read them?” The big Spook had heard Annette’s story, Kimberly left her mic open on his channel for other updates.

“How did you find out about those maps Paul?” Maria snapped.

“Kimberly was sending me updates while Annette was talking to her and Krystel. To be honest I have more than a little interest in the history for the Moonless Night Wraiths. To think; that your family owes its very way of combat to an outlaw, Capizeo.” Paul let his respect for Rinaldo Capizeo fill his voice. He would love to have met the man. “Was he really as deadly as Annette was saying?”

Maria chuckled. “The legends of the first Hemlock Rose fall short of the truth, Paul. By a wide margin. I believe that the only Hemlock Rose to ever come close to matching the man was Mary Capizeo. Samantha’s mother.”

“Oh? Are you telling me that Samantha’s mother was deadlier than you my love?” Paul couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“I’m not joking, Paul. As good as I am, Mary Capizeo put me to shame.” Maria thought about that terrible night so long ago. “She and Marko had only one weakness. Their children. If Joseph had not killed those men and destroyed the Great Lakes Organization. I would have.”

“We all have a weakness when it comes to our children, love. I sacrificed being with you and Annette to keep you both safe as she grew up. Now, I have two beautiful granddaughters and a third grandchild on the way.” Paul sighed. “I just pray that Samantha is as good as she believes.”

“She is better than she believes Paul. When she finally faces Delicato a new legend for the Hemlock Rose will be born. You have my word on this, love.” There was a note of finality and conviction in Maria’s voice now. One that Paul had only heard once before when David Earp was murdered. “I have to go Paul. I still need to send in my report to the TOC.”

“Tell Samantha to mind her manners. Good behavior merits favor. Bad warrants imposition. We have enough problems as it is, don't need her adding or becoming one herself.” Paul reminded then ordered her. “Be careful Maria. Bring your team home.”

“First rule is in effect, Major. Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.” With that Maria hung up her phone and headed inside the ALOC. “Where are Gemini and the Kitty?”

“Gemini just entered the south stairwell and should be here any moment. Kitty-Soft-Paws is almost at the hotel.” Samantha answered form her position at the com-set. “We heading over?”

“Have you sent in your AAR’S?” Maria asked.

“All sent and cleared.” Bobby answered her then looked concerned. “Mom we really need to have a talk with the girls when they get back.”

“Why? What have they done; this time?” Maria sighed. She knew that her granddaughters had to have done something to worry their fathers by the tone of Bobby’s voice and the look on Hunter’s face.

“They ditched that van in a part of town that is known for club girls being attacked. With the way they’re dressed right now. They're just asking for trouble. We not too happy with this Glitz and Ditz protocol.” Hunter pointed out the problem for Maria. “You need to watch the video replay again to understand.”

Maria just sighed. Then chuckled as she knew what the problem was without having to see the replay of her granddaughters’ mission. OPD, better known to the rest of the world as Over Protective Daddy syndrome.

“Boys, this is one those times that you need to put your shotguns, rifles, pistols, and knives away. They were given a viable plan that would target their mark’s greatest weakness. Their libido. I highly approve. The girls used their wits to accomplish their goal. Instead of brute force.” Maria chuckled. “Besides they were able to have some fun while doing their job.”

“Mom! That is not the point. Have you seen the way they’re dressed?” Bobby question his mother-in-law. “They look like a pair of party-babes on the prowl! OR HOOKERS!”

“Oh please, Bobby. You and Hunter have seen me in far more risqué outfits than those club outfits they wearing on stakeouts.” Samantha bitched. “Besides, they’re hardly the shrinking violets you think they are. They’re both highly trained old-world assassins now and learning how ninety percent of the female population act.”

“Your wife has a point here, boys.” Maria chuckled as a nasty thought crossed her mind. “Just think of what would happen if a pair of boys pressured those two into Prom night sex? Just imagine the paperwork we would have to fill out when they were done with those boys!”

Both fathers had the good grace to cringe at the images that ran through their minds. Right before they broke out laughing at Samantha’s comment on the topic. “I know that mom wasn’t too happy with what Catherine did to her Prom date. I think Carmine Cascara spent the next two months in a full-body cast for a pair of broken hips. If not more. I know he got off easy.”

“How can spending two months in a full-body cast be getting off easy?” Hunter want to know. “Those things are nothing but pain and misery.”

“He was still able to father children.” Maria told him bluntly. Both men reflexively winced as they crossed their legs.

The adults’ conversation was put on hold as the object of that conversation entered the ALOC. Kasey was the first to say anything. “Oh man! My feet are killing me. This is the last time I walk more than a mile in high-heels.”

“Next time you'd better have your own heels for an operation like this.” Samantha told her with a glare. “By the way, did you ask permission of mother Annette to borrow her good heels?”

“Yes ma’am.” Kasey blanched. “She kind of ordered me to use them. Well it was the Sergeant Major who gave the order, but momma Annette was listening. She gave her 'OK', between giggles. This Glitz and Ditz thing sure does work really good. It's kind of fun too.”

“Then I won’t bitch too much.” Samantha smiled at her daughters while the two men were having problems with swallowing. “Kristine you do need to apologize for using your father’s shirt without his permission though. The same goes for you Kasey. You used my good Lurex without asking. We don’t care if you raided our undercover bags for your mission. Just ask next time.”

“That will not be a problem for the next time, Samantha. It is time the girls had the needed clothing for a wider range of undercover work.” Maria corrected them all. “They’re old enough now.”

All three parents just sighed. They knew that Maria was right. Samantha looked at her two daughters. “Tomorrow morning we’re going on a shopping trip.”

“Do we have time?” Kasey asked her mother.

“We do. It won't take long. Both of you girls will need a higher-end wardrobe for tomorrow night’s operation.” Maria explained for the teenagers. “You will be with operating with your parents in an exclusive country-club setting.”

The knock on the door proceeded Angelic’s entrance.

“Did you have any problems with the drop off Angelic?” Maria asked.

“None that I wasn’t able to handle. I was also able to get the Queens SVU to handle the problem with the safe houses. They should be raiding them within the next thirty minutes to an hour.” Angelic answered honestly. “From what Stronghold told me, there is a US Deputy Marshal that will be coming in to help with the survivors.”

“Willian Chandler. He’s a good man, and a hell of a deputy. He and his team are death on these types of cases. They’ll make sure those kids will get the help that they need.” Maria told her. “For now, let’s all head for the hotel and our rooms. We all could use some sleep.”

With that Maria shutdown operations for the night. The adults stepped outside while Kasey and Kristine changed back into what they were wearing earlier. It didn’t take them long before they were all walking through the entrance of The Peninsula Hotel heading for the elevators. No one saw them except for the Night Time desk clerk.

The home of William Chandler, Arlington Virginia

The bedside phone rang waking William. “Chandler, this better be fucking important. As in Def-Con five.”

“Sorry, for waking you Bill. But we need to get our team to New York in two hours. We have a Code Black Star on our hands.” The voice on the other end of the line was his second in command, Bridgit Stevens. His team’s resident Profiler and psychologist. Her words brought two very distinct reactions from William Chandler. The first wiped the last of the sleep of fog from his mind. The second was to bring about his highly honed combat reflexes.

“Round up the team Bridgit. We’ll brief them on the plane. This is a full rollout. Combat footing.” William ordered. “Oh and Bridgit, why wasn’t I contacted directly? Why did the duty officer contact you?”

“I was here working on a profile for an open serial killer case in North Carolina for a friend in the FBI. He needed a fresh opinion on the killer and their methods.” Bridge answered her boss honestly. “I do this from time to time, boss. It pays to have friends in the BAU. Favor-trading.”

“Just so long as you don’t let it interfere with our own case load, Bridgit.” By now William had sat up. “See you on the plane.”

With that William hung up the phone and headed for the bathroom. “One of these days I’m going to get the guys in Tech Support to do an analysis of phone calls in the middle of the night and their relevance to the ‘Oh shit’ factor. There has to be some connection between the two.”

As William grumbled, he took care of the Call of Nature and grabbed a quick shower. After drying off he dressed and grabbed his go-bag. As he was leaving his home William pulled out his phone. After hitting the speed dial for his next-door neighbor, he waited for Sherry to answer. When the call was answered by a groggy voice he got straight to the point.

“Sherry, it’s me Billy. I need to go out of town for a few days. Yes, it’s a case. My team caught a nasty one. No, I don’t know how long it’ll take. Sure. I’ll get you one of those crazy tourist t-shirts. Thanks. Just bring in the mail for me. See you when I get back.” William disconnected the call and chuckled. “I swear that girl is crazy as they come.”

As he pulled out of his driveway William thought about his next-door neighbor Sherril King. At twenty-seven the young widow of a Virginia Highway State trooper was raising their son on her own. He had come to like the feisty blonde and her six-year old son. He even liked how she wasn’t sitting back and just living off her widow’s pension.

She was taking courses in forensic sciences. She had told him how she wanted to become a Crime Scene tech one night shortly after he moved into his house. He talked with his team’s Forensic Specialist to tutor her in her studies. Jimbo Hall was one of the best Forensic Specialists with the US Marshals. Sherry cooked Jimbo and William dinner every night that Jimbo came over to tutor her in her studies. For the two bachelors those nights were some of the best cook meals they had in a long while.

“I hope like hell I come home from this one.” He said to the empty air of his SUV. “I don’t want to disappoint that little lady and her kid.”

Special Victims Unit, Queens, New York

Captain Odafin Tutuola, Fin to his friends, looked at the phone on his desk. “If that phone call was a joke, it is a royally fucked up joke.” He stepped out of his office into the ‘bullpen.’ He called for his whole team. “Okay people. We just got a tip on seven white slavery safe houses.”

The youngest detective on his team looked at him with questioning eyes. “You can’t be serious Captain. Nobody just calls in a tip on something like that. It has to be a joke of some kind.”

“Holister I don’t joke about tips on sex crimes. You should know that by now.” He looked around at the rest of his team. “As I was saying people, we have seven possible white slavery safe houses. We’ll need to coordinate with the other Special Victims units and SWAT. That means seven possible pooch screws. I want warrants for all seven locations. Call in every favor you got. We do this by the numbers.”

“Captain, you have a call on line three. It’s some US Deputy Marshal, sir.” The Desk Sergeant called out.

Tutuola grabbed the nearest phone. “Captain Tutuola.”

“Captain, we have a SOG team on their way to assist you in taking down a possible extreme white slavery trafficking ring. The Deputy Marshal in charge of the SOG team is one of the best. He and his people go to the ends of the earth. They never stop, they never let up, and they always get their man. You let him and his people help and you’ll be bringing home a lot of missing and abused kids.”

“When and where are they due in?” Was all Tutuola asked.

“JFK, around zero-three-hundred. Can you arrange for someone to meet them?”

Tutuola thought about what was bring asked and knew who to get ahold of. “I got a fellow Captain who can meet the flight. Captain John Munch with the Manhattan SVU. I take it by the sound of your voice that your team will be assuming control over this investigation?”

“Negative Captain. Deputy Marshal Chandelier and his team will only be taking over the care of the victims. All perps are yours to do with as you please. Personally, when it comes to the members of that team. They’ll turn a blind eye if you want to them ‘committing suicide’ in their cells.”

Captain Odafin had been a cop long enough to know when someone wasn’t joking about a prisoner having an ‘arranged suicide’ when in custody. “Damn. That team must be some real hardcore SOB’s.”

“Let’s just say, that Supervisory Deputy William Chandler makes normal SOG team leaders look like Choir Boys on his worse day. I won’t even talk about what and his team are like on their good days or when they’re pissed off. Let’s just say that Hell’s hounds, run from them.”

“I look forward to meeting Deputy Chandler. Thanks for the help. Have a good night.” With that Tutuola hung up the phone. “Looks like we got the Marshals coming to help out on this one people. Let’s get a move on those warrants and start coordinating with SWAT.”

He turned and head for his office. “I got a call to make.”

Company dispatch office, Phantom Lines.

“Gypsy Moth; report to Dispatch for load information.” Lacey's voice came over the speakers.

“Where am I going and who’s paying?” Silvia Petrescu, better known to her friends and co-workers as Gypsy Moth, as she left her office.

“You pick up in New York. This is a no restrictions run.” Silvia couldn’t believe what Troy Montaine her employer was telling her. “Hook up to your dry-box and load in two personnel modules. This is a WITSEC run. You’ll be meet by a US Supervisory Deputy Marshal William Chandler at the Queens NYPD SVU. You’ll be carrying an as now unknown number of personnel. You’ll be headed for a secure location; Garret County, Maryland. Anyone tries to stop you between New York and your final destination you’re cleared for lethal force. Understood?”

“Gotcha boss. The load goes through.” Silvia knew what her job was, and she was damned good at it. She retrieved her duster, helmet and gun rig walking to the garage for her bay, Silvia thought about this load. She had made other high security runs before with other drivers, but this would be her first solo run of this nature. As she neared her truck, she ran her hand over the fender of the light grey Western Star tractor. “Time to saddle up baby girl.”

Monkey came around the side of the truck. "Ya ready?"

"Yeah. Dry-box, two personnel modules, Monkey." Silvia replied.

He nodded and went over to the overhead hoist. Slowly a rack of seats came into view then lowered. It looked like a type of roll-cage. The mechanic quickly loaded it then brought over a second module and did the same. Almost fifteen minutes were spent doing that while Gypsy Moth hooked onto the trailer and connected the lines and cable then rolled up the landing gear. In the cab she went through the load pack. The doors were closed loudly, and the lights went on, signaling they were closed and latched. The actual locks for those doors were controlled by two switches on her dash, which she flipped. The locks engaged and the green lights went to red.

Ten minutes later Silvia was upshifting, coming off the cloverleaf, headed north to New York city. A place that she had always wanted to see as a kid. Now she was getting that chance and being paid to do it. She topped 95 mph in no time and began moving through the traffic. When the traffic thinned out enough, the main lights went off and sped up to 105 mph. Others noticed the truck coming and moved to make way.

Silvia would make four stops that night, fuel and to use the restroom. It would be just before seven in the morning when Silvia crossed the Gorge Washington Bridge on I-95. It would take her another hour to work her way over to the Queens SVU due to traffic, if she was lucky.

John F. Kennedy International Airport

William Chandler and his team cleared the arrival terminal just after three in the morning. “Doug, Ricky; secure transport. Two SUV’s big enough to hold the whole team. A long with our gear. Jimbo, when we hookup with the Queens SVU I want a full breakdown of the situation by the numbers. Bridgit, I want you to get with the local headshrinkers and medical corps. Round up as many of them as you can and have them on standby. We don’t know how many victims will be recovered, but they will need immediate attention. Deb, I want you to work your magic and find me our first target.”

“Excuse me, boss, but we got a problem. Some clown with the NYPD SVU teams is supposed to meet us here.” Bridgit stopped William.

“Damn! What’s this guy’s name?” William sighed at having to deal with a bunch of Civilians. There were times when he missed the Army way of handling things. “Any idea of WHERE we were supposed to meet up, Bridgit?”

“Boss, we were supposed to be met by a Captain John Munch from the Manhattan SVU office. Well, they should have met us at the plane.” Bridgit told him.

A man approach them as William and Bridgit were talking. William took one look at the well-dressed man and placed him in his mid to late fifties. The man also had the air of a long-term cop. “Welcome to New York, Deputy Marshal. Captain John Munch, Manhattan SVU.”

“Nice to meet you Captain. I understand that you have a white slavery operation in your fair city. Care for some help?” William smirked.

“You bet your ass we can use some help. For starters, do you have any idea where that tip came from?” Munch stated bluntly.

“We have an idea. Captain, have you ever heard of the Black Badges?” William asked him.

“I doubt there is a cop that has more than three years on the job that hasn’t heard of that tall tale. Why?” Munch wanted to know where the Deputy was going with his question.

“Those tall tales are true. And if you go tracing that phone call, you’ll end up with a location somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, the Great Lakes or a damned desert.” William chuckled. “Trust me, whatever intel you got from those people. Take it to the fucking bank. Because it is better than gold.”

“Do these people have access to Vatican and embassy phone lines?” William just chuckled at Munch’s question. “Well, that certainly explains Captain Tutuola’s beef with Tec-support.”

“Let me guess what happened. Your Tec-support people traced the tip back to a Vatican phone line, which has diplomatic immunity. And now you have the Holy See, via the local Diocese, climbing up One PD’s ass over it. How'd I do?” Chuckled William.

“Dead on the money. What I want to know is just how far reaching is this organization? Maybe you can fill me in on the way to Queens SVU?” Munch’s usual nose for conspiracy was showing.

William cringed slightly. He knew that he was getting close to a top-secret matter. One that everyone else in the Marshal Service was ordered never to talk about. “Captain I can only give you what I know, practically nothing. Compartmentalized above my pay-grade. All I know is these people operate so far in the dark that light stands a better chance at escaping a blackhole than anyone ever finding those people or how far they’ll go to accomplish their missions. I suggest that you and your people let the matter drop. You don’t want a visit from the people they answer to. They are not as polite as I am.”

Captain John Munch got the hint and knew to drop the matter. Somewhere out there in the night was an SOG team of Marshals that answered only to Lady Justice. And the justice they brought was at the point of a gun.

-----tbc----

To all of my fans. As of midnight, last night all of the Black Badges books that have already been completed are now on Amazon in ebook format. I will be taking down books 1 through 5 starting tomorrow.

As always, authors live on comments.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anna stopped and looked back over her shoulder then chuckled.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“How does it work?” Lyssa asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What shopping trip?” Anna questioned Annette.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anna tried to call her down. “Annette.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-----tbc-----

Maria led her family from store to store on her five hour power shopping spree. She smiled as her granddaughters were treated like royalty in more than one of the stores they entered. It seems that after these years, the name of Maria DeMarco still commanded the full VIP treatment. More than one store manager bent over backwards for the old Granddame of the ballet world. Even more now that she was bringing her family to them. At Tiffany’s, Rinaldo Dannell the store manager, waited on them personally. Not that Maria was surprised by this reaction. She was known for spending more than a hundred-thousand at any one visit to Tiffany’s. The last time she had graced the store, Maria spent fifteen-thousand dollars on a diamond tennis bracelet.

When Hunter and Bobby commented on the amount of money, she was spending on them Maria chuckled. “Boys, this is nothing. The family has the money. Let me spoil them on their first real shopping spree. I know that you’re worried about it going to their heads, but think about it. How often will they get the chance to wear even half of these purchases? I’ll answer that for you. Only when they’re on assignment. The rest of the time they wear shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops or their swimsuits back on the island.”

“What about the suits, slacks, dress shirts, ties and shoes that you’ve been buying for me and Hunter, mom?” Bobby challenged her. “We've got undercover clothes. We don’t need them. Care to explain that?”

“What you have is good enough for dealing with day to day business men boys. But you’ll fail if you try to pass yourselves off as La Costa Nostra. Or any other type of white color criminal. Such as the man we are going after next. You must be able to pass among the high-society of this country. With one look; any Host, or Hostess, at any country club in the United States will make you for undercover police. Just by the cut of your normal suits. While they are good enough to help you pass yourselves off as hired bodyguards, you’ll never pass as say high-powered attorneys or international arms dealers.” Maria told them with a smile. “Besides; I’m having fun! I can’t wait until my accountant gets the receipts from this trip. Jacob is going to blow his top.”

Both men felt their eyes bug-out at this admission. Hunter was the first to regain his power of speech. “Mom, you’ve got to be kidding us. You’re doing all this just so you can tweak your bean-counter’s nose.”

Maria chuckled then nodded her head. “Boys you have to remember that before all of this started, three years ago, the DeMarco family fortune was very close to the three-hundred-million mark. Now, it has grown closer to the four-hundred-million mark. As an International businesswoman, I can claim all of this shopping trip as a business expense. I have to have some kind of write-offs. Just to keep the Infernal Screw Patrol honest.”

Just then her phone beeped letting her know that she received an update from the Command Team back at the TOC. Taking out her phone she used her email app to view the update. The frown that came to Maria’s face was one that Bobby and Hunter knew did not bode well for someone’s future. Maria’s next words just confirmed this suspicion. “I much as I wish we could spend more time shopping people, we need to cut it short. Finish up with your purchases girls. We need to get back to work.”

As one the team paid for their individual items, gathered up their bags and followed the oldest member of their team out the door. The sales clerks were stunned by the sudden change in Maria, but knew better than to question the Granddame. VIPs of Maria DeMarco’s caliber were few and far between, therefore they were always granted a certain amount of grace. After all, very few people could actually afford to spend more than five-hundred-thousand dollars in a single day, and not worry about it.

A half hour later the team was back at the hotel and checking out. As Maria was paying the bill, Bobby had the rest of the team packing up their gear in the team’s trucks. Even the daytime desk clerk could tell that Maria was extremely pissed off over something. The young man knew better than to question a Donna about her business. He simply asked if she enjoyed her stay and wished her a good day.

As Maria walked across the street to the parking garage, she thought over her options. The biggest of which was how to handle three operations at once. As she neared the ALOC she noticed that none of her team was visible. Placing her hand on her sidearm, she approached the ALOC with all the skill of a true professional hunter. Bobby must have seen her as he opened the side door and waved for her to join them.

As she entered the camper area of the ALOC she noticed that all of the team’s purchases were put away and her granddaughters were already booting up the computer systems. Samantha and Angelic were at the table with the team’s sidearms set in front of them on top of a cleaning cloth. Hunter was perched on the countertop next to the gun safe with the team’s sniper rifles and a cleaning kit. Wherever Maria looked, her team was readying themselves for a night of death and mayhem.

“Girls have you opened the latest update from Stronghold yet?” Maria asked.

“Not yet, Marshal. We’ve just gotten through the bootup sequence and security protocols. Give us a few more seconds.” Kasey answered honestly.

“Once you’re ready, I want you to open this file first. Show it only to me. Understood?” Maria ordered in a whisper and handed Kasey her phone.

Kasey just nodded her head to Maria’s order. The teenager knew that whatever was in that file had pissed off her grandmother something fierce. When Kasey had the file opened Maria looked over her shoulder. What Maria saw she didn’t like. This new information forced her hand in splitting up her team.

Maria turned to the adult members of the team. “Angelic, Samantha, once you’ve finished with the sidearms you need to get going. You have a job to pull. ‘Precision Holding’ has information that we need. This matter is one to be handled by thieves.”

Samantha looked up from her Sig-Sauer M1911A1 45 APC Scorpion and cocked her head. “Where have I heard the name ‘Precision Holding’? Something we missed?”

“It seems that ‘Precision Holding’ is connected to this case in some twisted way. The Command team has found more than thirty entries in those ledgers for that company. They were all at the bottom of the last page in the fifth column. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that company was the laundry point for all four of our targets.” Maria explained.

“Marshal do you believe that Abrams, Price, Andrews and Delicato have something to do with this ‘Precision Holding’?” Bobby asked Maria.

“Yes, I do, Robert. I’m not the only one either. Anna and the Command team also feel that they and this company have something in common. If they have concerns along those lines, then we have concerns along those lines.” Maria told the team. “We follow any and all leads in the case, people. No matter where those leads take us. Am I understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Hunter answered for the team. “Though are you sure that you want to break down the team?”

“As much as I want to keep the team together Hunter circumstances have forced me to this decision. We need three teams for tonight’s operations.” Maria let them all know exactly what was needed for the operations. “What we need for tonight are thieves, grifters and lastly, a hitter.”

“Okay wait a minute here mom. I can see the thieves. That’s me and Angelic.” Samantha felt that she would explain everybody’s confusion. “But grifters and a hitter? I don’t follow.”

“As I told the boys earlier. Tonight, they must pass themselves off as International Criminals. Preferably illegal arms dealers. Sadly; it may be better, considering their law enforcement backgrounds, for them to take a few steps down the rungs of lowlifes. They could be better off playing the parts of a pair of high priced defense attorneys.” Maria’s joke of placing illegal arms dealers above lawyers had the team chuckling.

“Please mother Maria! Anything, but that!” Hunter hammed it up while placing his right hand over his heart.

“Alright, Hunter, enough. The only question I have is; what cover ids do we have that you can use for tonight? Kasey?” Maria asked of the teenager.

“Currently Deputies Taugh and Everbright do not have ids for either defense attorneys or illegal arms dealers. They do have ids for a pair of Capos with the Galliano family of Sicily. Will that work?” Kasey asked of her grandmother. “I know it’s not what you wanted but it is the best we have right now, Marshal. Sorry.”

“It’ll have to do, I guess. I just wish they had cover ids for a pair of oil or cattle men out of Texas.” Maria sighed, only to hear the two teens giggle. “Okay you two, what do you have up your sleeves?”

Kristine just stood up and opened the ALOC’s safe. Reaching inside, she pulled out two packets with her fathers’ names on them. Handing one to Bobby and the other to Hunter. “Marshal allow me to introduce you to James Hicham and David Bowman; Wildcatters from the great state of Wyoming.”

“Very good girls. These are perfect. Do you have matching cover ids?” Maria questioned her youngest granddaughter.

“Yes, ma’am.” Kristine reached back into the safe and pulled out two more packets. “This are the ids for Lisa Hicham, and Alexis Bowman. Two of Cheyenne Wyoming’s most eligible teenage bachelorettes.”

“Perfect. You four are will be headed for the Gorman Rod and Gun Country club outside of Carmen. It seems that Mr. Andrews has been working out of the gun club’s hotel.” At the confused looks of Hunter and Bobby Maria went on to explained how the Gorman Rod and Gun Country club was setup. “The Gorman is a true one of a kind throwback to the Gentlemen Explorer clubs of the late Victorian era, boys. The club is one half hotel and restaurant, and one half country club as it were.”

Bobby got a thoughtful look on his face. “Hunter, do you remember that sting operation the DEA ran a few years ago? You know the where agents went in as members of some explores’ group in Manhattan?”

“You’re talking about Operation Nellie Bly back in two-thousand-thirteen. It was the ATF who ran that sting and not one of their finest moments. When the bust went down seven suspects escaped, four were wounded, and one lay dead. Along with both of their undercover agents being caught in the crossfire and wounded. One of which was forced to take a medical retirement after only three years on the job.” Hunter sighed as he shook his head. “We got the arrest warrants for the seven escaped suspects three days later.”

“Yup that's the one I’m talking about. Do you think those cover ids are still active?” Bobby asked with a sly smile.

This time Hunter just chuckled. “Won’t do us any good brother. Those undercover ids are for a pair of African Americans. Oh, and those agents were women. So; unless you want to go in drag, those ids are out. Not that I wouldn’t want to see you in a nice cocktail dress and heels.”

Hunter’s crack about going undercover in drag had most the gathered deputies laughing. Kristine though had a very thoughtful expression on her face. She turned back to her workstation and started typing. It didn’t take her long to find what she needed thanks to the backdoor into the US Marshal database. With a smile she turned to face her parents.

“If you want to use two undercover ids for Operation Nellie Bly, we have more than enough options.” Kristine told them.

“What did you find sweet pea? I thought all those ids were burned.” Bobby told her in confusion. He wasn’t the only one who was confused by her find.

“The ATF setup twenty-eight total ids with full backstopped covers. Well, they shifted those ids over to the Wit-Sec files at the end of the operation. There are four that we can use for you and papa Hunter.” As Kristine was explaining about the ids Kasey was already digging through the rest of those undercover ids.

“Why were you digging around the Wit-Sec cover id files Kristine?” Samantha asked her youngest daughter knowingly.

“When we setup our burn cover ids I noticed that the Wit-Sec servers had all of these pre-made cover ids. I wondered where all those ids came from and backtracked them to other agencies.” Kristine had the good graces to blush at the looks of disapproval by her parents when she admitted to hacking into several other agency servers. “I thought that we might be able to use those cover ids in our own investigations sometime.”

“I have four other cover ids that we can modify to match up with the ones that Kristine found for our use Marshal.” Kasey told Maria with a smile.

“How long do you girls need to make the needed changes?” Maria asked.

Kristine looked over at Kasey. “Maybe what, two hours sis?”

“Let’s do the job right, Kris.” Kasey told her sister then looked back up at Maria. “Three hours, from start to finish, Marshal.”

“What does all that entail Deputy?” questioned Samantha.

“With three hours we can have drivers' license, passports, credit cards and for Kristine and myself, school ids, Deputy Justice.” Kasey answered with a smile as she patted the ALOCs multifunction printer. “The cover ids will pass even the most stringent of background checks thanks to the Wit-Sec program. We can be Ghosts in the machine or the most wanted escaped mass murderer in America. The choice is yours.”

Bobby took charge of the cover ids for his team. “Go with international arms dealers Gemini. Make us as attractive as possible to Andrews as you can. The more the man wants to contact us the better. If we look like a legitimate outlet for his illegal arms all the better.”

Maria had been thinking about what Bobby was suggesting and shook her head no. “Bobby that might make you look more attractive to someone like Andrews, but all it will get you is killed. He’ll see you more as competition than an ally. We go with the original undercover ids.”

“You’re the Mastermind when it comes to the underworld mom Maria. We’ll follow your lead on this operation.” Hunter answer for the four of them.

“Good. This is what I want you four to do when you leave here. You’re to use the ALOC. No questions. Gemini, you’re to make reservations with the hotel of the Gorman Rod and Gun Country Club. Are those Wildcatter ids linked to the same oil company?” Kasey nodded yes to Maria’s question. “Even better. The country club will be less likely to question the presence of the ALOC this way. Do we have some kind of signage for the side of the ALOC?”

Kristine smiled and went to the storage close. She pulled out a stack of magnetic signs. After rifling through them she stopped halfway through. When the adults saw the name on the sign, they all chuckled at the inside joke. Once again Kasey and Kristine were showing their sense of humor.

“Not bad kids. I doubt that anyone will get the double meaning behind that name.” Samantha snarked.

“Now, that we have the Alpha Team’s cover sorted out. Hunter, Bobby, you are to play up the idea that the four of you are looking for property in New York State for drilling. If anyone asks you, tell them you’re looking for Natural Gas. This simple cover story will make you just as attractive to Andrews without making you competitors. Should anyone question the reason that you’re traveling in the ALOC, just tell them that it is a mobile testing lab. With the company signs on the side of the ALOC it will be a very believable lie. You four will be our grifters.” Maria chuckled.

“Um… excuse me Nonnina, but what about us? How do we explain a pair of teenagers being with our fathers?” Kristine asked with more than a little confusion. She was the only one who was confused.

“Ah you my little ballerinas will be the hook that snares our big fish. Your fathers are the bait and sinker. You being there with them lends credibility to their cover.” Maria explained for her granddaughters.

“Um… how?” Kristine questioned.

“Think child. Use that all too inquisitive mind of yours. What do you and sister have that they do not?” Maria gave Kristine a sly smile. “I’ll answer that for dear. A truly innocent countenance.”

“OH! I get it! We play up the part of being a pair of real daddies’ girls. We want to be just like them. Only we’ve grown up enough to be out of our tomboy phase of life. Andrews will see our daddies as a way to launder his money while ignoring the real threat to his sorry ass. US.” Kasey giggled.

“Bravo my dear. Your reasoning is close to perfect. You only missed one very important point.” Maria knew that Kasey and Kristine were still working things out in their heads and let them think it all the way through.

“Not only are we the real threat to Andrews but we are a distraction. No, wait a minute, let me correct that. We’re more than just a distraction. We are the way into the country club for our fathers. As a pair of Wildcatters, by trade, that have made it rich and they’ll want to treat their daughters to the good life whenever they can. So, us having reservations at the Gorman Rod and Gun Club would be the natural thing for them to do when traveling.” Kristine was the first to spot what Kasey missed.

“Very good Kristine. When you girls get there, you are to play up as much as you can to the parts you that have outlined. You must be the hook that lands our catch.” Maria gave the girls a nasty smile. “And once you have him in our net, my little ballerinas, I want you to gut him like a yellow fin tuna.”

The teens just nodded their heads as their fathers cracked their knuckles. “I see that the rest of my threat has been implied. Good.”

Maria turned to Samantha and Angelic to give them their orders. “Samantha, Angelic, the offices of ‘Precision Holding’ are yours. You two are our Bravo team. I want you to go through those offices with a fine tooth comb. If there are security guards, you know what to do. No witnesses, understood?”

Both women nodded their heads. They knew exactly what Maria was ordering. When she said no witnesses, she meant no witnesses. Samantha only had one question. “Do we contact Stronghold for operations support?”

“Yes. Gemini will have their hands full with helping Alpha team during the sting on Andrews.” Maria turned to the teenagers at the sounds of typing. “Okay girls what can you tell us about ‘Precession Holding’?”

Kasey spoke up first. “For starters it is a wholly owned subsidiary of some massive umbrella corporation out of Italy. Miss Krystle is still working on the actual owner of that company.”

“Kasey do we at least know the name of this umbrella company?” Angelic asked in a tone of voice that let everyone know the young Nun was expecting an answer that would piss off His Holiness, the Pope.

“According to the report Sister Magdalena the company is named Importazioni esotiche della Santa Grazia Italiana.” Kasey answered her only to receive a very rude reaction from the Nun. Everyone waited quietly for Sister Magdalena to vent her anger over this news. Only Maria gave the young woman a disapproving look over her very colorful use of language. When she finished Kasey quirked her lips. “Are you done Sister?”

“Sorry about that Kasey. It is just that ‘Exotic Imports of the Italian Holy Grace’ is the front company for the Order of Saint Nicolas.” At the looks of confusion from the rest of the team Angelic explained. “The EIHG was setup for the use of the Sisters and Brothers, much like me, within the Order of Saint Nicolas. Often during our assignments, we come across extremely large amounts of cash, bearer bonds, rare jewels and jewelry, even gold and silver in some cases, that needs to be laundered. EIGH takes those funds, cleans them and then uses them to fund orphanages, schools, free medical centers, soup kitchens, food banks, homeless shelters and more all over the world.”

“Angelic, who actually controls that company?” Samantha asked her.

“I honestly do not know. All I know is that the EIHG has been around since the mid-eighteen-hundreds and was formed by Bishop Richard Gregory.” Angelic got a thoughtful look on her face. “I know that I’ve used their subsidiary offices seventeen times in fifteen countries.”

“Damn just how many companies are under this ‘Exotic Imports of the Italian Holy Grace’?” Kristine asked in astonishment.

“More than a hundred-and-fifty, in just as many countries, Kristine.” Angelic told the youngest member of the ground team with a sad smile. “You have to remember that the Order of Saint Nicolas, like Interpol, operates all around the world. There is a secret order of thieves within the Order of Saint Nicolas known only to us. Our order calls us The Redeemed Ones. Our main mission is the recovery of looted Church artifacts and holy relics. The Church also uses us to recover stolen masterpieces of artwork and authenticate those same masterpieces when they come up for legitimate sale or auction. Then there are the times, like that abandoned church in Switzerland last year, where we go in to insure that no Holy items are sold with a property that the Church has up for sale.”

“Damn. I knew that your duties within your old order covered a lot of shit Angelic, but I never knew how much.” Hunter grunted. “What about your duties with Interpol? How do they play in?”

Angelic chuckled. “I know that this is going to sound disrespectful, but I use the honest agents of Interpol as a cover for my more Churchly operations.”

Maria saw what the others did not and chuckled. “Nothing like having a legal search warrant to case a location from the inside.”

“It does help when dealing with the less savory populace members of the world’s populace at times.” Angelic just nodded her head as she pointed to her nose and chuckled. “Sadly, too often I have to lie to the very people that I depend on at times to complete my Order’s sacred duty.”

“There are times when we all must walk within the shadows, Angelic.” Maria told her niece sadly. “It is the curse that follows all members of Law Enforcement. For our family though it is a greater fight to walk within the light of justice than it is to dance in the shadows of the night.”

“I understand that all too well Aunt Maria. Within the Order of Saint Nicholas there is more than a few of us who walk that tightrope.” Angelic’s face turned dark. “I know that I have crossed the line between thief and assassin. I also know that I can only pray and hope for redemption for what I have done these last few days.”

“I don’t know about redemption, Angelic. What I do know is that there are times when you can either walk with death or let evil triumph.” Hunter told her with knowing eyes. “We’ve all killed in the pursuit of justice or to save a life. I’m sure that the Big Man upstairs will forgive you.”

Samantha felt that she needed to change the topic of discussion. “While we’re breaking into ‘Precision Holding’s offices and invading the Gorman mother. What will you be doing?”

“That is where the hitter will come in. I need to have a face-to-face talk with your cousin Nicolas. LFC supplied those safes that we’ve found. I will have answers.” Maria snarled. “One way or the other.”

Hunter coughed. “Okay, we got three targets. Three strike teams. The only one I have problems with is the last.”

“I must handle Nicolas myself, children. This is one time that I have to act not as a Marshal, but as a Donna. Nicolas will only see me if I come alone.” At the looks of disagreement Maria sighed. “Do not worry. Nicholas is too much of a good soldier to double cross his Donna. He will not be so stupid as to try and kill me, children. I doubt he wants to face his cousins.”

Samantha and Angelic chuckled as Kristine and Kasey giggled. The four of them knew what Maria was getting at. The unsaid but very real threat to the man’s life was there for all to understand. If Maria’s nephew harmed her during their talk. Then Samantha and Annette would end the man’s life.

“Alright mom, we’ll play things your way.” Bobby grunted then snarled as Hunter just nodded his head and popped his knuckles. “But if that fuck stick even lays a hand on you. They’ll never find the body.”

Maria just smiled and gave the two men a kiss on the cheeks. “Don’t worry boys I’ll be fine. Nicolas will understand his situation when he faces me.”

“Okay people. We have our assignments. Time to get to work. Gemini see if you can dig up the building blueprints for Precision Holding and the Gorman. Marshal what do you need before we spilt up?” Hunter ordered.

“The only thing I need is in my luggage Hunter and Black Beauty.” Maria looked down at her wristwatch. “It’s now just after three pm. That gives us just over five hours to reach our individual targets. More than enough time. I would prefer that we don’t waste it making assumptions.”

“I couldn’t agree more Marshal. Where do we regroup once we’ve completed our individual assignments.” Bobby wasn’t the only one who wanted to know this minor little detail.

“We regroup at the Gorman, Bobby. What better place to end this miss than at the one place in all of New York that has a bigger reputation for keeping out the authorities.” Maria smirked.

As the team chuckled at Maria's joke Kasey and Kristine set to work trying to find all they could on the two target locations. What they found was more than enough to cause concern for the adults. Kasey turned to Hunter and Bobby. “Um… papa Hunter, can you and papa Bobby come over here and look at something. Something is off with these blueprints for the bar area.”

“What ya’ got kiddo?” Bobby asked of her as he looked over her shoulder. It took him a few minutes to see what Kasey had found. Chuckling Bobby traced the area that was only outlined on the blueprints. “I see what the problem is kiddo. Once again you have run into something that wasn’t covered in your history classes. Something that you would have to know about from the Prohibition Period of the US.”

“OH. That’s an old Speakeasy. Why isn’t it marked as such? Wouldn’t the Gorman get a pass because of historical significance?” Kasey asked.

“Nope. Hate to tell you this kiddo, but Speakeasies are still illegal in the United States. Sure, the club has a legal bar area now. But that old Speakeasy falls under certain laws and tax regulations that prohibit their use.” Hunter explained for his oldest daughter. “Just ask any ATF or IRS officer. Those shmucks are the biggest bean counting, regulation following, assholes in the alphabets. I think the only agency that they get along with is Homeland.”

“They don’t even get along with them, Hunter.” Samantha chuckled. “The only agency those assholes get along with is each other.”

“What about the DEA? Wouldn’t the ATF want to work alongside them?” Kristine questioned her parents.

“That is another kettle of fish entirely sweet pea. The Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agency go out of their way to avoid working other agencies. The main reason is they have to deal with way too many laws and regulations for any sane person to handle.” Samantha told Kasey and Kristine with an evil grin. “If you really want to meet the crazies in law enforcement talk to someone in the ATF.”

“Samantha as much as I would want to agree with you, in good consensus I have to disagree.” Angelic sighed as she reassembled her new Sig-Sauer M1911.

“Oh? Who would you say is the craziest of the crazies?” Samantha questioned her with a lopsided grin.

Angelic put on a snooty attitude and sniffed the air. “I have had the pleasure of dealing with more than twenty nations in my travels cousin. Sadly, the American’s do not have the craziest Law Enforcement Agency. That Honor belongs to your rivals in the Germens’ Bundespolizei. Why they make the fine upstanding officers of my papa’s unit look like choirboys.”

The Black Badge ground team looked at Angelic for a few seconds before busting out in laughter. The idea of Rinaldo DeMarco and his sons looking like choirboys was too funny to comprehend. Even Maria found the idea of her brother being a straight as an arrow cop funny. The DeMarco family back in the old world may have gone legit, but that didn’t mean they forgot how to bend the law and get away with it.

“You’re not right Angelic. Not right at all.” Hunter chuckled. “But Bobby and me can understand how you could come by that attitude.”

“We have work to do children; time to get to it. Samantha, a moment alone outside, please?” Maria ordered and exited the ALOC. Samantha knew that something was up and followed Maria outside. Maria turned to Samantha. “Samantha, I need to know right now. Are we going to have a problem with you going rogue on us?”

Samantha knew what Maria was getting at and sighed. “No ma’am. I will not go off on my own. Not unless I absolutely have to, then only to protect the family. My fight with Delicato is a private one. The Iscariots may be hiding that worthless slug, but he will not escape my blade. I will have vengeance for my family. But only I will be the one to place their life on the line. Just as it has always been in our war with the Iscariots.”

“That is a problem dear, but not our most pressing concern. It seems that our brethren within the military side of the OICA have some concerns.” Maria knew that she had to broach the topic carefully or everything would blowup in her face. “The Major and the rest of the Operations Command Team back on the island are worry about you 'going off the reservation' again.”

Maria quickly held up her hand to stop Samantha’s automatic denial. “They have their reasons, Stephany. You are the last Hemlock Rose for starters. Secondly, you have skills that unsettles them. They don’t like having an unknown among their numbers. Your mastery of the Beautiful Death has them wondering if you can still be trusted.”

“I will not be the Capizeo that breaks our family’s honor bound word to the Monks. We have kept our word to those monks for five centuries. It was the word of Rinaldo Capizeo that earned him his freedom.” Samantha kept her voice just barely above a whisper. This was not a topic that she wanted to discuss. Not even with the woman whom she had always seen as a second mother.

Maria could tell that Samantha wasn’t going to budge on the topic. The problem Maria had was she needed Samantha to give in on this matter. Maria knew that she would have to explain the situation for Samantha in a way that would get her to allow the rest of the OICA to evaluate her skills. Then a thought came to Maria. One that she would have never thought of before.

“Stephany, with the exception of Kristine, you are the LAST of the Capizeo line. Have you begun to teach your daughter the Sleep of the Beautiful Death?” Maria knew she was on the right track when she saw Samantha wince. “I thought not. Do you believe that she is an unworthy successor?” Again, Samantha winced. “What of Kasey? Will she be your successor?” Again, Samantha winced. “Have you perfected the Sleep of the Beautiful Death yet?” This time gave Maria a glare that spoke volumes. “I see. What is your plan?”

“The time is not right for either of them mother. They still have a long way to go in their training of for the Way of the Dancing Blade. They have yet to master the basics. Also, the girls still need to learn the roots of our families greatest of secrets.” Samantha argued as Maria just chuckled.

“Samantha, I can teach them no more. They have mastered their lessons in the Way of the Dancing Blade. It is time for our young ballerinas to move on to a new Dance Mistress. That Mistress is you.” Maria smirked.

Samantha thought about what Maria was telling her. Samantha had to fight to keep the snarl out of her voice and anger under control. “And just who would you have watch over their training mother?”

“Just a few people Samantha.” Maria chuckled at being caught out so easily.

“WHO?” This time Samantha didn’t even bother with civility.

“Only those that you would allow Samantha.” Maria countered.

“How many?” Samantha knew that she wasn’t going to get out of this evaluation.

“No more than four Samantha. I give my word of honor on it, as the Lithium Flower, Mistress of the Moonless Wraiths and a DeMarco.” Maria knew that this was the only way that Samantha would agree.

“You, the Major, the girls that’s it. No cameras, no mikes, no surveillance of any kind.” Samantha told her. “Anyone else and the deal is off. Anyone else and I disappear into the night.”

“Lyssa must also be included, Samantha.” Maria held up her hand. “I know that you have less reason to trust the military side of the OICA then any of us. I also understand your reasons for hold to that ancient oath. Far more than any other. It has been that oath that has held your family apart from my own for five centuries. One that was sworn in the Blood of Rinaldo.”

“And one that I will keep until my dying days. Just as my daughters will be required to keep it. My family owes far too much to those long dead and forgotten monks. The only people who know of their secrets is my family. All of their work. All of their knowledge. All of their charities. Gone. Not even their temple still stands. Destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party during their Religious purge of Tibet in fifty-nine. All that remains of them is that Blood Oath and what has been handed down over the generations of my family.” Samantha sighed over the loss of all that ancient knowledge.

Maria sighed. The whole situation boiled down to Samantha’s desire to keep the memory of those dead monks and their temple alive. If only among her family. Here and now Maria finally had the one chance to learn the name of the Temple that had saved Rinaldo Capizeo’s life. “As the last Capizeo, Samantha maybe you’ll finally tell me the origin for the Way of the Dancing Blade and Sleep of the Beautiful Death. The monks can live on in more than just the Capizeo family memories. Perhaps it is time for one more than one family secret to come to light.”

Samantha thought about what Maria was suggesting. With a sigh Samantha nodded her head. “They were a small Buddhist Temple. They were high enough in the Himalayas to give pause to just about every type of assault. They weren’t like most Buddhists. They didn’t seek eternal enlightenment. They lived for the joy of learning and storing knowledge. They were more scholars, teachers, poets, and warriors than holy men. They came from all over ancient Tibet, China, and more than a few of the other ancient far eastern countries. Each brother brought their own nation’s martial art to the temple. They took all those deferent forms of the martial arts combined them all together.”

“Wait. All of those martial arts were combine into the one or was it both?” Maria was amazed to realize just how much when into just the Dancing Blade.

“Both. But before you can step beyond the Dancing Blade you need to understand the basic truth of the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. Once you set your foot upon the path of learning Mahana jñana it is for life.” Samantha smiled as she looked over at Maria. Samantha started to chuckle over the 500 year old joke her ancestor pulled. “Oh, and one other thing. The real translation is the Great Enlightenment. Great grandpa Rinaldo always found it was funny how his little sister messed up the translation for the DeMarco family.”

“Who was it that gave the mistranslation? Surely it was not Rinaldo.” Maria questioned Samantha with a knowing smile.

“Your own ancestor was the one to make the mistake. She thought that Mahana jñana meant Sleep of the Beautiful Death. Not the Great Enlightenment.” Samantha chuckled. “You see the art takes its name from the Temple and the monks. That small temple was known for its pursuit of knowledge. All types of knowledge. Those monks believed that the pathway to true Enlightenment was through as much knowledge as you could gather.”

“And the martial arts. Where did they come into play? From all that I have been able to understand Buddhist monks are non-violent by nature.” Maria asked Samantha in confusion.

“Most are Maria. But like all things in life there are contradictions. The Temple of Greater Enlightenment was just one such contradictions. Sadly, all that knowledge those monks gathered is now nothing more than dust.” Samantha turned and looked across the top of the parking garage. “Mamma would often sit and read too us from the family journals. The one that I was always fond of the most was the tales of Rinaldo Capizeo and his time at the Temple.”

“Can you answer a question for me Samantha. Was Elisabeth really tattooed? Or is that just a piece of fantasy?” Maria smirked.

“Elisabeth Capizeo y’ DeMarco really was tattooed as legend says. Yes, Rinaldo was the one who did the tattoo. Only she was the one who demanded the tattoo. Rinaldo actually refused the first nine times that Elisabeth requested the tattoo. It was only when Elisabeth showed Rinaldo that she had truly master the final steps for the Way of the Dancing Blade and just before her wedding that Rinaldo relented. According to the journals the last member of either family to still carry the tattoos was my great, great, grandfather, Antonino Capizeo one-hundred years ago in Sicily.” Samantha smiled sadly. “That is one of our costumes that I am happy went out of style.”

“You’re not the only one child. Though I do wish we had a picture of those tattoos. It was said that they were some of the most beautiful artwork known to man. To have something of that magnitude lost to history is a shame.” Maria let her feelings over the loss of those designs be heard in her voice.

“They’re not lost, mama Maria. Just hidden away. In a place known only to one person. Me.” Samantha reassured her with a smile.

“Let me guess. The designs are somewhere within the Capizeo journals.” Maria returned Samantha’s smile with one of her own. Samantha just nodded her head yes. “Why? Why hide them away?”

“The part of the legend that tells of how each step of the Great Enlightenment and the Way of the Dancing Blade are shown is true. It would not take much for an enterprising mind to figure out the order of each step.” Samantha smirked once more. “I should know. It was the design for the Hemlock Rose that helped me to master the Great Enlightenment. And I’m not the brightest member of our little band of misfits. How long do you think it will take the girls to figure out the secret?”

“Do you in your heart of hearts, truly believe that Kasey and Kristine are that far beyond our control?”

“Why do you think I have kept my training to the far side of the island and out of their sight? All it would take is for one of them to see me training and they’ll figure out how I learned. All they would need is twenty, no ten minutes with a hand scanner. And they would have all the knowledge of both artforms at their total disposal.” Samantha explained. “They have respected my wishes to stay out of the journals. For now.”

Maria sighed and push on with her plan. “Stephany Capizeo, it is time for you to step center stage as your daughters newest teacher. It is time to guide them in the ways of your family. The secrets must be passed on to the next generation of Capizeo’s. Your heirs await their newest and deadliest of Dance Mistresses. You can no longer hold them back.”

Samantha sighed. “Then so be it, Maria DeMarco. Upon my return from Rome I shall take them under my wing and teach the final steps. They shall learn to dance the Dance of Death that can only be found in the Great Enlightenment.”

“Thank you, Samantha for seeing reason. Will you allow Lyssa, the Major and myself to witness your first lesson?” Maria hoped that Samantha would say yes and not turn away once again.

Samantha sighed but nodded her head. “Only you three mother. And only for the one demonstration.”

“Thank you, Samantha. One more thing and I’ll leave you to prepare for this evening’s operations. Never again turn off your bodycam feed. Accountability must be maintained. Not just by you but by all of us. That includes the military side of the OICA. That was the deal we all made, Samantha.” Maria reminded Samantha as she turned back towards the ALOC. “I don’t make the rules Samantha. Do I like them all? No. But I will enforce them.”

“Understood, Donna Maria. I shall follow the rules. Do not worry. I will not go off the reservation again. I promised you and the Major three years ago that I would only act on orders.” Samantha gave Maria a slight bow before continuing. “But I will end the war between the Iscariots and Capizeo’s. Once and for all. My daughters will not have to fight a war that should have ended more than four centuries ago. The Iscariots have double crossed this family for the last motherfucking time.”

“Very well then child. I will not stand in your way. For now, though you still have a contract to fulfill. See to your preparations.” Samantha turned and walked away as Maria stood there wondering. Wondering if even the vaunted Personal Vatican Guards of the Iscariot Division can stand against the unstoppable force of nature that is Stephany Capizeo. Little did she realize in her musing that her thoughts mirrored her old friend Yoshi Tanaka more than a year ago. “I truly fear that our sweet little Samantha has become like the hurricanes that batter our shores every season. All we can do as mere mortals; is get out of her way.”

Maria turned and looked toward the east. “Alfonzo, I hope like hell that you have made your peace with God. Because for as certain as I’m standing here, Stephany Capizeo will surely deliver your soul up to him and your sorry assed head on a silver platter. She is the Valkyrie that will bring down the destruction of the Iscariot Division. She shall build a funeral pyre of your most valued principles and offer your organization up to the Gods of Death.”

-----tbc-----

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-----

Chapter 19
Lithium Flower Construction, Yonkers, New York

Maria DeMarco stepped through the doors of Lithium Construction as if she owned the place. Then again, she did. The receptionist at the entrance just looked up at Maria as if she didn’t matter. Needless to say, the woman’s attitude pissed Maria off.

With barely a glance up and a bored tone she asked. “How can I help you ma’am?”

“First you can call upstairs and inform my nephew that I’m here to review the books. Secondly, you can call down to Human Resources and inform them that they need to send up your replacement.” Maria snarled.

“I don’t know who you think you are, old lady, but you just don’t come in here giving orders. You can either leave under your own power, or I can have Security escort you out.” The woman snapped.

To answer the woman’s question Maria smirked and pointed to the painting behind the reception desk. “I know that it is out of date but not that far of date. I happen to be THE owner of Lithium Flower Construction.”

The woman turned to the portrait then slowly turned back to the woman before her. It took her doing a double take to realize just how bad she had just screwed up.

Swallowing hard the receptionist looked back at the very intimidating woman before her. “Please forgive my poor manners ma’am.”

“Shut up, girl. Do as you’re told, and you just might have a job when I leave here.” Maria snapped.

The receptionist knew that Maria’s words were not a threat but a promise and carried out her instructions. Once the woman had called up stairs to Nicholai Rossi’s office Maria turned and walked towards the elevator. She knew that the receptionist would be replaced before she came back down. She may not be fired, but she would never work the reception desk ever again.

As Maria stepped off the elevator on the third floor she was greeted by her nephew. “Aunt Maria what a pleasant surprise. I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting you for another year. What can I do for you?”

“Can it, Nicholai!” Maria snapped then ordered. “Your office now!”

Nicholai Rossi was many things, but dumb wasn’t one of them. He could tell that his aunt was very pissed off. About what he had no idea. LFC has been a growing concern for his aunt over the last seventeen years. He had busted his ass to make the company as legal as possible.

He had gone out of his way to get the more larcenous members of his union under control and succeeded to a point. The days of union bosses running the show with LFC were a thing of the past. Even if he had to ‘take care of’ a few them the old fashioned way. There were more than a few building footers in the greater New York area that had specialty reinforcements.

Once inside his office and the door was closed Maria walked straight to his desk and took his seat. When Nicholai saw this, he knew that he wasn’t dealing with the CEO and President of LFC, but Donna Maria DeMarco. Bowing deeply from the waist Nicholai swallowed hard. “How may I or Lithium Flower be of service Donna Maria?”

“You can start by explaining to me a few unsettling facts, Nicholai.” Maria placed her elbows on the desk top and her hands together with her fingers steepled. “Besides those first six high security safes for the local offices of the FBI, DOJ, ATF, DEA, IRS, and ICE how many more have you installed?”

“Of the Harmon and Gray forty-five-hundreds; we have installed a total of eight, my Donna. Six for the authorities that you listed off. Two were done for civilians with ties to the State Department with International Businesses. I have all the paperwork authorizing their install.” Nicholai knew that it was no use in lying to his aunt.

Besides those installs were all legally approved by the US State Department and had netted LFC a tidy profit. Those first six contracts had brought in more business for the security industry side of the firm.

“I see. So those additional installs were done on behalf of the State Department. Are the high security safes a specialty order, Nicholai?” Maria asked with her eyes closed.

“Yes, ma’am. There is normally a nine to ten months waiting period for one of the forty-five-hundreds. Then another year before we begin construction. Each of those safes are a custom order. Once construction actually starts, it takes anywhere between nine to sixteen days to install them. Does that answer a few questions for you Donna?” Nicholai wondered where his aunt's questions were going. Something was up.

“It most certainly does Nicholai.” Maria sighed. “Please understand that I am not mad you, but the situation those safes have placed me in.”

Taking one of the seats in front of his Nicholai sighed. “Can you please tell me how those safes have cause you any problems? They were installed legally by our company. We have all the paperwork covering the construction and installation for every high security safe we have done for the last fifteen years. We even have paperwork for the new Hitchner-and-Cocks ninety-one-hundreds that we just got approved for installation.”

“Hitchner-and-Cocks ninety-one-hundred? What the hell are those, Nicholai?” Maria almost snarled. “Please tell me that they’re not another type of high security safe like the Harmon and Grays.”

“They are my Donna, only much bigger and nastier. The Hitchner-and-Cocks ninety-one-hundred are an Embassy grade safe. So far LFC has installed forty-three of them for our Embassies overseas. We have also done nine here stateside for the Catholic Church and a few of our ally country Embassies.” Nicholai was proud of what he had accomplished over the last few years; though he crossed himself, mentioning the Catholic church.

“Tell me something Nicholai. Was the installation of these new safes also at the request of the State Department?” Maria knew that she was on the right track with her questions and suspicions.

“Yes, ma’am. Especially the ones for the Catholic Church properties. I know that the State Department was really pushing the time frame on the ones we did for the Church.” Placing his hand on his chin Nicholai frowned. “I hesitate to say this, but there was something wrong about the man who oversaw those installations my Donna.”

“If there was something off with the man why did you take the deal? Why in the name of the good Lord didn’t you turn him down, Nicholai? These are the types of decisions I pay you to make.” Maria almost snarled.

“That’s just it, my Donna. The man had all the proper paperwork. Everything was in order from start to finish. Here; take a look at the paperwork for yourself. You’ll see what I mean.” Nicholai went over to his office storage cabinets. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out the contracts for the HG-9100s and the HG-4500s. “I had no actual reason to turn the man down, nor to distrust him at the same time. Just because I may not like them, doesn't mean they aren't on the level.”

As he handed the file to Maria, Nicholai sighed. “I have always done as you suggested Aunt Maria. When it comes to business, the philosophy around here is a simple one. In God we trust, all others we run background checks.”

Maria chuckled. As she looked through the file concerning the HG-9100s and the next file for the HG-4500s she spotted something and used her phone to take pictures of the papers. “Nicholai, half of these contracts were brought to you by two different contacts. Does this happen often with your government contracts?”

Nicholai could once again tell he was dealing with his Donna and not his Aunt. “Si, my Donna. It is not unusual for us to deal with more than one contact within the Department of Interior or State Department for these types of construction contracts. It all revolves around the area of operation.”

“Explain to me how that works please?” Maria asked as his Donna.

“Each State within the United States is assigned to an individual area. Each area is assigned to a different controller for the Department of the Interior and every country is assigned a different Department Head. When a contract for a high security safe comes up for bid in a certain area it is only offered by that control officer.” As Nicholai explained the process for gaining those contracts Maria could see how her company got involved in this mess. “I have to admit that if it had not been for that original contract. Our high security division would not be anywhere near as profitable.”

“How so?” Maria had to fight to keep the anger out of her voice.

“That one contract lead to Lithium Flower becoming one of the top companies for handling high security systems. Especially for our Embassies overseas.” Nicholai explained with a crooked smile.

“Tell me something Nicholai. Just how many companies specialize in these types of safes?” Maria wondered.

“At present there are only nine companies that actually specialize in the work, but there’s about eighteen to twenty generalists in the field. Why?” Nicholai was really lost now. His aunt had never shown this much interest in the running of Lithium Flower in the past.

Aria thought about what her nephew was telling her as she read over the contracts in each folder. “Wouldn't they have to go through the same process?”

“Yes ma’am. The only acceptation to the rule is if a company’s Headquarters is in a certain area. They automatically get first refusal.” At Maria’s confused look Nicholai went on to explain. “For example. If a contract for a high security safe were to come open in the New England area Lithium Flower is the first in line. Outside of the New England area, if a contract comes open on the east coast it is up for bids. Those bids are sealed, and the lowest bidder wins. Just like all government contracts.”

Nicholai chuckled. “I have always compared the high security systems business to that of the early NASA contracts. It’s like what John Glenn said about the Apollo rockets. ‘I’m sitting on millions of lowest-bidder parts.’”

“Aw shit.” Maria snarled much to her nephew’s shock.

“Okay truth time here Aunt Maria. What's going on with those safe contracts that has you so pissed off? I know it’s not because we installed them. We’re legally covered as far as that goes.” Nicholai knew that his aunt was extremely upset when she used shit.

Maria looked up at her nephew and sighed. “A dear friend of mine with the DOJ informed me that several of the forty-five-hundreds have been found in the hands of known criminals. None of them were mafia, but all with connections to a very high powered political figure that was just recently assassinated in France. The DOJ is investigating those individuals and who installed those safes. This is attention that I do not like.”

Nicholai understood immediately what his aunt was getting at. If the DOJ was snooping around LFC, that meant they were snooping around Donna Maria ‘the Dove’ DeMarco. That meant it was his head and ass on the chopping block. Both figuratively and literally.

“Understood, my Donna. I’ll take steps to shut down the specialty and high security section by end of business today.” Nicholai knew what was being asked of him without it being said. “It will take a few months to complete.”

“No Nicholai. That division is far too profitable to just be shut down. My interest in this matter is keeping Lithium Flower out of the courts.” Tapping the folders in front of her Maria smiled. “These are more than enough to make sure that happens. Though I do have to wonder how you were able to win so many contracts. You haven’t been ‘greasing the wheels’ have you Nicholai.”

Nicholai snorted with more than a little indignation at the comment. “Aunt Maria if you question my business policies again, I’ll be more than willing to meet you on the sands.”

“You may be very good against your soldiers, my Capo.” Maria chuckled then turned cold as ice. “But you are still no match for the likes of me.”

Nicholai knew that he could not back down now. “You’ve gotten old, my Donna. While I have only gotten better and still have youth on my side.”

“Then I pray you make my exit from this life a clean one. Because yours will not be.” Maria knew it was just a dance between Donna and Capo. Nicholai was just blustering. “Just remember one thing. Let me correct that. Two things. Annette DeMarco, my heir, and the LAST Capizeo.”

At the very thought of facing not one, but two Mistresses of the Way of the Dancing Blade made Nicholai piss his pants. Then Maria went for the jugular. “Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the Hemlock Rose has mastered the Sleep of the Beautiful Death.”

As the blood drained from Nicholai’s face Maria gave the metaphorical coup-de-grace. “Understand something nephew. Your cousins are never ones to be trifled with. You try them and you end up dead. If you’re lucky, someone will find your body.”

For one of the very first times in his life Nicholai Rossie truly faced the dark side of his aunt. It was as if the Shadow of Death fell across his desk as she sat just sat there quietly. There before him was the true embodiment of the Wraiths of the Moonless Night. This woman may be his aunt, but he had no illusions that she couldn't or wouldn’t kill him.

Nicholai swallowed as hard as he could to remove the sudden taste of ash that filled his mouth. “Understood, Donna Maria.”

Maria stood up from his chair giving her nephew a cold ruthless smile. “I see that you finally understand your position, Nicholai. But if you don’t, let me be perfectly clear in this matter. KEEP LITHIUM FLOWER CONSTRUCTION LEGAL; IF IT IS THE LAST THING YOU DO!”

Nicholai Rossie didn’t need a building dropped on him to know his position. If he failed to follow Maria’s orders. He was dead. Nicholai watched as Maria picked up her purse and headed for the door with nothing more than a casual glance over her shoulder. The cold dread feeling of someone walking across his grave ran down his spine. When Maria closed the door behind her Nicholai let out the breath that he had been holding.

“Papa, and Uncle Renaldo warned me never to try Aunt Maria. Now I know why they warned me.” Nicholai looked over at the closed door. “Death truly walks among us poor humans in the guise of Maria DeMarco.”

The door to his office opened and a very frustrated twenty-something secretary rushed in. “um… sir are you alright?”

“I’m fine Maggie. I just had to deal with a minor problem for my aunt is all.” Nicholai sighed. “Don’t worry she’s not pissed off at you. Just me.”

“May I know what has angered Mrs. DeMarco?” Maggie asked as she moved to the cabinet that held her boss’s private liquor stock. “One or two fingers sir?”

“Four and forget the ice, Maggie. Use the Black label.” Nicholai looked over at the door. “Maggie have you ever heard the tell of how death was released into the world?”

“If you’re talking about the toad, the frog, and the jar. Yes, sir, I do. Is there another story?” Maggie asked her.

“The one you suggested will do Maggie, but there is another one that fits this situation. One that is handed down in my family.” Taking the rocks glass from Maggie Nicholai sat down in his chair. “I used to laugh at that story when I was a child Maggie.”

“And now sir?” Maggie asked quietly already knowing the answer.

“I now know that the story falls short of the truth.” Nicholai whispered. “As feared and as deadly as I am, I’m nothing compared to my aunt and cousins. Especially my cousin within the Capizeos.”

Gorman Rod and Gun Club, Carman, New York 2000hrs

The massive Earth Roamer pulled to a stop under the entrance canopy for the Rod and Gun Club. As the parking attendant stood there staring at the black and gray RV, two men exited the cab area. Both were dressed in the height of high business fashion for men of wealth. The young man could also tell that they were a pair of oilmen from out west. From the $900.00 Tony Lama cowboy boots, and $4000.00 western style cut Armani suites, to the $1200.00 Stetson Presidential they placed on their heads. He had seen their type before.

A pair of Wildcatters that hit a big strike and made it rich. Only unlike the others he’d seen, these two men were still hunting for the next strike. The name of their company on the side of the truck was the other give away. The young read the name out loud as the passenger open the door for the camper of the truck. “‘BOHICA’ Oil and Gas, deep well explorations? Wonder what that means. Must be one of those Native American owned companies.”

When the two beautiful teenage girls stepped down out of the truck the young man felt his jaw drop. He could not believe what was there before his eyes. These two young ladies had to be runaway supermodels or a pair of extremely high-priced New York Call-girls. The young ladies were dressed in identical Alexander McQueen Lace-Inset Tuxedo Dresses and Paris Texas knee-high black croc print high-heeled boots. The two young ladies were wearing close to six months of his salary in clothes alone. When he added in the jewelry, they were wearing close to two years, if not more. When the girls put on a pair of matching Stetson cowgirl hats the attendant changed his evaluation of them.

“Welcome to the Gorman, gentlemen. Would either you or your escorts have a reservation?” the attendant asked of Hunter.

Before Hunter could take the boy’s head off, Bobby handed him a fifty. “The reservation is under BOHICA Oil and Gas. And son, if I was you, I'd get your eyes off our daughters. My partner has a habit of ripping the heads off of assholes. Un'erstand boy?”

“Daddy, you and Uncle David promised our mammas that you would behave. No, scalping the hired help.” Kristine said as she raised up on her tiptoes as she kissed Bobby on the cheek.

“I know sweet-pea. We’ll behave.” Bobby told her as he gave the parking attendant a look that could kill.

“Um… sirs; may I have your keys?” The young man asked as he held out his hand.

“Sorry son, but there’s proprietary equipment on that there horse. I’ll corral it up myself. You just tell me where I can put it bed.” Hunter told him. “Go on with the girls, partner.”

“We’ll be waiting for ya at the check-in desk, Dave.” Bobby held out his arms to the girls. “Lisa, Alexis, shall we?”

The teens just giggled and took Bobby by the elbow. In unison the two girls smiled brightly. “After you, sir.”

As Bobby led the two girls inside Gorman the parking lot attendant just shook his head in amazement. Turning back to Hunter he gulped to see the look on the father’s face. “Sorry sir. I meant no disrespect.”

Hunter just grunted then gave the young man a smile. “That’s alright son. Me and my partner know the effect our girls have on male population. Now where can I put our lab on wheels?”

“Um… sir, can I ask you what you mean by ‘lab on wheels’? The reason why I’m asking is for security reasons.” The attendant explained.

“Because that is exactly what it is young man. That there RV is a rolling Geological Survey laboratory.” Hunter chuckled. “It’s how we found leads for more than three quarters of our newest strikes. It’s just one of the newest ideas our lil’ girls come up with for our company.”

“Sir, please don’t take this the wrong way, but your daughters don’t look old enough to understand that type of advanced science.” The attendant hooked his thumb over his shoulder towards the bar area. “If you really want to talk with a real Geologist. Professor Harry Martin is in the bar area.”

Hunter chuckled and laid it on thick. “Young man, those two young ladies that just walked inside have master’s degrees in Geology and Enhanced Oil Recovery from the University of Wyoming. They may be young, but they’re two of the field’s brightest up an’ coming. Don’t let their looks fool ya.”

“Wow. I’ve never a real prodigy before. Let alone two of them.” Hunter just chuckled at the young man. “Oh. Sorry my bad sir. You can park your truck over on the far end of the lot. Sadly, that is the only area we have that is big enough to hold your rig.”

“Thanks. I know it’s rather large. We really do need the Beast for our work. It’s a real bitch to get from one place to another in the world. It’s not too bad here stateside. We just drive her to wherever we’re going.” Hunter told the young man as he walked around the front of the Earth Romer. As he climbed in behind the wheel he called out. “You said over there by the fence, right?”

“Yes sir.” Hunter just nodded his head and started up the big truck. The attendant watched as the massive truck pulled out and headed for the far side of the parking lot. He watched as the oilman pulled the truck into a nearest parking space backwards. From the way the man handled the truck the attendant could tell that he wasn’t used to driving the truck.

Hunter knew by the look on the attendant’s face that he spotted something by the way he drove the truck. As he walked by the young man Hunter handed him a fifty dollar bill. “Do me a favor partner. Don’t let my daughter know how bad I screwed up while parking her truck?”

The attendant blinked twice. “Wait, your daughter drives that monster?”

Hunter smiled. The attendant bought the lie. Dropping his voice to just above a whisper. “Me and my partner rarely drive the damned thing. Our wives talked us into letting the girls buy that beast and set it up as a rolling lab. Our daughters are the ones that normally drive it around. The two of us rarely if ever get behind the wheel of the beast.”

The attendant started chuckling. “Okay sir. No offense, but that explains why you were having so much trouble handling her.”

“Thanks. Just keep this between us.” Hunter said and headed inside. If he had stayed outside for just a few more seconds. He would have heard the attendant chuckling to himself.

“I guess the old saying is true. You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the man.” The attendant just looked over his shoulder at two oilmen and their daughters at the desk. “It takes all kinds to make the world go around.”

Inside at the hotel desk, the head clerk was practically pissing herself. She couldn’t believe that these two men were multi-millionaires. The fact they were able to get a reservation with no notice spoke to the level of their wealth. And the two teenagers that were with them did everything they could to draw attention and not scream high maintenance. The fact that the two girls were wearing clothes that were worth six months of her salary made her green with envy. She wasn’t even counting the jewelry the girls worn.

“Yes sir, Mister Bowman. We have your reservation right here. Four rooms for the next three nights.” Looking over at the teens. “Will your wives be joining you later on?”

“Yes, our wives should be here after midnight. Sometime around two in the morning. Our mother-in-law should be here before midnight.” Bobby told the young lady as he handed over the credit card for BOHICA Oil and Gas.

When the clerk ran the credit card it was approved the second, she hit enter. Then again most corporate platinum credit cards almost never came back declined. She handed Bobby the receipt for him to sign then gathered three keys. “When your mother-in-law arrives, all she’ll have to do is give her name to receive her key. Do you wish to be paged when your wives arrive?”

“Yes, please. We’re not sure when their flight gets in at Albany.” Hunter told the clerk. That was the cover story they were using for the regrouping at the Gorman. Bobby and Hunter just hoped like hell that the cover story they gave was the one to be used.

The desk clerk smiled and began to type something out on her computer. “Do you know what flight they’re sir?”

Kasey saw the problem before her fathers did. “They’re coming in on a private charter out of England ma’am. Do you have the private terminal listings?”

The desk clerk frowned. “Sorry, but we don’t have access to the private terminal listings, Miss Hichman.”

“Not your fault ma’am. We understand. It’s not like our mothers to travel so late, but they were held up by a business meeting in Belarus.” Kristine told the woman out of nowhere.

“What in the world are your mothers doing in Belarus?” The clerk blurted.

Hunter and Bobby chuckled, as Kasey answered the woman snidely. “We do business in all fifty states, and thirty-nine countries worldwide. Our fathers know how to drill, we tell them where, and our mothers make sure that we get paid for it all.”

“Just ignore my cousin, ma’am. She can be a real bitch at certain times of the month. Like now.” Kristine glared up at Kasey. “Apologize to the woman.”

“Sorry ma’am.” Kasey ground out as she returned Kristine’s glare with one of her own. The ‘fight’ that was about to start was stopped by Hunter.

“Enough, you two. We didn’t send you two to Saint Michael’s to learn how to be a pair of roughnecks. Now behave.” He told them as he place a hand each girls shoulder from behind. Looking up at the desk clerk Hunter just shrugged his shoulders as if to say. ‘Teenagers; can't live with them, can’t live without them.’ The desk clerk just smiled and nodded her head. “What time does your restaurant close for the evening ma’am?”

“The Dining Room closes at ten, with full room service until three am. It reopens at seven for breakfast and stays open until ten. They have full range of dishes. Be sure to check the daily menu posted in your rooms before ordering from room service as the dishes do change according to the kitchen staff on duty. Each Chef has a specialty style of cooking.” As the desk clerk explained about the menu Kasey’s stomach rumbled.

“Sorry about that.” The blush that came to her face was not faked. “Um… daddy can go get something to eat now? Those Beltway Whatta-burgers, double-deckers and fries wore off about an hour ago.”

“Sure darling. Come on partner. Time to rustle us up some grub.” Hunter said to Bobby. “We can fetch our bags after dinner.”

“Sir I can arrange for one of the hotel staff to retrieve your luggage from your car. If you like?” The clerk suggested.

“Sorry, but there is proprietary equipment on board our truck Miss. We’ll take care of our luggage after dinner.” Bobby quickly told her.

“Understood sir. We often have guests that stay with us who have the same problem. Not to worry though. Your rooms have the latest security measures.” The clerk informed the small family group.

“Thank you, miss. You have a good evening.” Bobby said with a smile. “Come on girls, let’s get some food you. May be a nice T-bone steak, baked potato, beans, cornbread, and a tall glass of sweat-tea.”

Both teens just rolled their eyes and took their fathers by the arm. The desk clerk could tell by the way that the two girls walked and their nature physical fitness they spent hours upon hours in the ballet studio. There was no way in hell those two girls would ever let red meat cross their lips. Not with those runway model bodies.

As Ground team One entered the restaurant for the country club area of the Gorman, Kasey spotted their target. Switching to Dakota so that only she and her family would understand. “Tango Bravo, three o’clock, fifteen meters. Two trained suit monkeys packing sidearms.”

“Two train apes more over by the patio door. Both packing.” Kristine had stayed with Dakota as she pointed out Andrews second pair of bodyguards. “Last one, over near the bar. He’s carrying a Tech-9. Most likely full-auto.”

“Are you sure about that Dancing Star?” Hunter asked her in Dakota.

“He let it flash when he adjusted his seat. The outline was that of a Tech-9. I’m only guessing at it being modified for full auto, Sky Warrior.” Kristine explained her reasoning.

“Not bad, and Dancing Coyote, your assessment of the two next to our target is dead on. Have you girls figured how you’re going to make your approach?” Bobby asked them.

“That is the sixty-four dollar question, Spotted Pony. But I think it’ll be best if we let him come to us. Word will surely get around to the White eyes about who we are shortly.” Kasey told her father.

“How do you figure that, Dancing Coyote?” Hunter asked.

“The desk clerk, and parking lot attendant, have to be on the man’s payroll. The same can be said for the majority of the staff. According to the intel that we we’re able to gather on Tango Bravo, he pays extremely well to be kept informed of every little thing that goes on around him.” Kasey answered.

“Just how accurate is that intel?” Bobby questioned.

“Internal Affairs reports, word of mouth and informant street cred is the best that you’ll get, Spotted Pony. But it would definitely fit with the man’s MO. He hasn’t stayed out of prison on blind luck alone.” Kasey told him with a smile as the restaurant hostess approached them.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Gorman country club. Would you like a table for four or separate tables this evening?” The young woman asked with a smile.

“Table for four please. Near the patio and away from the bar, please.” Hunter ordered the young woman.

“Right this way sir.” After showing the four to their table and handing them their menus the hostess smiled. “Would you gentlemen like something from the bar while you wait?”

“Two beers for us and ice-tea for the girls, sweet if you have it.” Bobby ordered for them. The hostess just smile and left to get their beer and tea. “What do you girls want to eat?”

Kasey and Kristine just giggled and looked over their menus. When the waitress returned with their drinks, she was not alone. With her was a man dressed in a nice but conservative business suit. “Greetings ladies and gentlemen. I’m the Gorman’s manger, Miles Sweeny. I understand this is your first time enjoying our establishment.”

“Ya’ll might say that, Mister Sweeny. We normally don’t get up this way.” Bobby told the man politely.

“I see. Might I inquire as to what brings you gentlemen to our far part of the country?” Sweeny asked with the same amount of politeness.

“We understand that there are a few untapped natural gas fields around this area. So, our daughters tell us.” Hunter said smiling over at Kasey and Kristine. “Or at least, that’s what their hocus-pocus tells us.”

“Daddy, how many times do we have to tell you! It’s science damn it! Not hocus-pocus, voodoo or any other black magic bull.” Kristine huffed. Only to get a laugh out of the manager and her parents.

“I must say gentlemen. Your daughters are quite the pair. I’m sure they brighten whatever room they enter. With more than just their beauty. Their wit is on par with some of our more illustrious lady members.” Sweeny soothed.

“Their tongues are as sharp as their mammas’ at times.” Bobby chuckled as he got a pair of ‘death glares’ from the girls. “I have a question for you sir. What brings you to our table? Pretty sure a pair of Wildcatters is nothing new to your establishment.”

Sweeny chuckled. “That may have been true twenty or thirty years ago, sir. But the last Wildcatter to grace the Gorman was Gibson Bliss. Back in sixty-four or was sixty-six. I know it was before the Tet Offensive of sixty-six and after the Gulf of Tonkin.”

“Are you talking about Gabby Bliss sir?” Kasey asked with excitement.

“I believe so, Miss. Do you know of the man?” Sweeny asked in surprise.

“Who doesn’t know of Gabby Bliss is the question you should be asking, sir. The man is a legend in the Gas and Oil business. Why that crazy Texan brought in more new oil or natural gas fields and technology for our business than any other Wildcatter in recent history. With the exception of his niece, Darla Ann.” Kristine jumped in with the same amount of excitement.

Hunter and Bobby chuckled at Sweeny’s discomfort over the girls faked reaction to his question. “Mr. Sweeny, you have to understand what the Bliss family has done for our industry. They set standards for exploratory drilling operations that were so far ahead of their time that it was pathetic. Even now the EPA is just catching up.”

“I see. If you gentlemen should need anything during your stay. Just talk with the front desk.” With that Sweeny walked away.

“Keep an eye on where that man goes, Sky Warrior.” Kasey whispered in Dakota. “Something tells me that he is Andrews’ main inside man.”

“Way ahead of you Dancing Coyote.” Hunter smiled. “Yup he just checked in with our target. Looks like he is making his rounds to check up on his guests, but he is definitely passing on our cover story to Andrews.”

Bobby just nodded his head as he watched the exchange between the two men. “You girls called. It looks like Andrews has his hooks into the staff.”

“It was nothing more than SWAG, Spotted Pony. We’ve been studying the intel packet that Stronghold forwarded to us just before we left New York. According to that packet the guards with him are Dale Spiecer, Steve Lancer, the two over by the doors are Mike Spears, William Green and the ape with the Tech-9 is Jimbo Peters.” Kristine told her fathers.

“Not fucking good, they’re all known mercs. Spiecer, Lancer, and Green are all former British Special Air Service. Spears and Peters are former LA SWAT. In short we’re looking at five Close Quarters Combat experts.” Bobby’s unspoken warning had the teenagers full attention.

When Kristine’s phone rang, she quickly answered. With a smile she answered in Italian. “Good evening grandmother. How are you doing?”

“I take it that you’re in public, child?”

“Yes ma’am. We’re checked in and are having dinner now. We’ve yet to make contact with our target. Though we have drawn his attention.” Kristine answered her grandmother.

“I doubt he’ll make contact until much later tonight or early tomorrow morning. Remember, the man is not to be underestimated at all costs.”

“Understood, ma’am. Andrews is a rattlesnake of the first order.” Kristine smiled even though she wanted to frown. “Do you have an ETA for us?”

“I should be there in twenty minutes child. Why?”

“Do you want us to hold dinner for you?” Kristine asked sweetly.

“Please order me a nice clams and fettuccini alfredo with a decent Chardonnay, piccolo. I have had a very trying evening. Arrivederci cuore di sudore.”

“Yes, ma’am. See you when you get here. Arrivederci.” Kristine hung up her phone and put it away. “Grandma should be here in twenty minutes. Should we let the front desk know, papa?”

“I believe that would be best. We’ll let the waitress know when she takes our order. Did she ask for anything special to eat?” Hunter asked.

“Yes sir.” Kristine got a thoughtful look on her face. “From the way that she ordered I think that she might have eaten here before.”

“She might have, sis. Remember she used to come to places like this all the time when she was still dancing.” Kasey pointed out. “Remember how those store managers were falling all over themselves. She is still very famous in certain circles.”

“Let’s hope that doesn’t become a problem here.” Hunter pointed out as he looked toward Andrews and his bodyguards.

“I don’t think that will be that big of a problem partner. Remember that Andrews doesn’t run in the same circles as our mother-in-law.” Bobby matched Kristine’s thoughtful look. “The only problem will be the staff. If any of them have been here for more than fifteen years we could have a problem.”

“We checked that papa. Currently there is only two staff members that has been here for more than ten years. They’re the Chief Grounds Keeper for the golf course and Head Caddy.” Kasey informed her fathers.

“Then we should be safe for now. Your grandma is not one for golf. Ballet is more her style.” Hunter chuckled. “Did she say how the interview went?”

“No sir. She only said that it was trying. Whatever that meant.” Kristine answered. “From the sounds of her voice, she was rather tired.”

About that time their waitress showed to take their order. Once the waitress had their order she smiled and left them. While they waited, the four deputies turned their talk towards how they would spend their time. When their order was delivered the Hostess also approached their table. She wasn’t alone. An immaculately dressed Maria DeMarco accompanied her.

All four members of the small family had seen Maria dressed to the nines before. But they have never seen her dressed to impress the way she was now. This was not the normal high powered business woman they had expected. As Maria walked through the dining area men’s heads of all ages turned. Only two men weren’t taken in by her runway model walk and professional dancer looks. It took all of Hunter’s and Bobby’s considerable self-control to keep their jaws from slamming through the table top.

“Damn. Nonnina looks like she just stepped off the cover of Vogue.” Kasey whispered. Kristine just nodded her head.

“Good evening children.” Maria greeted them with a smile. She knew what kind of affect her appearance was having on those around her. She had seen it happen before. Even though she was over fifty Maria still looked to be in mid to late thirties thanks her daily ballet practice. Turning to the Hostess. “Thank you dear. Could you bring me a Cabernet Blanc, Mill Creek please?”

“Of course, ma’am.” The Hostess was impressed with her selection and smiled as she left to get Maria’s wine.

Once they were alone and Maria had taken her seat, Bobby switched to Dakota. “You normally look very beautiful mother Maria, but tonight you have taken it to a whole new level.”

“I have to agree mom Maria. You are absolutely ravishing tonight.” Hunter could only voice his own appreciation of Maria’s appearance.

Maria like all the members of her family had worked hard to learn Bobby’s native language. While not as fluent as her family, Maria still had a working knowledge of Dakota. “Thank you, boys. You make this old woman feel young again. How has your operation gone so far?”

“So far, so good. We’ve set the cover story everyone. Now it’s all down to waiting. We’re pretty sure that most of the staff are on Andrews’ payroll.” Kasey quickly answered Maria’s question.

“How so?” Maria asked.

“Back in New York the way you were talking about the Gorman, was like you had been here before. We double checked and two members of the staff have been here for more than ten years.” Maria watched as Kasey blushed. “Our greatest worry is your fame as a Prima.”

That was all Maria needed to hear to understand the problem. “There is no need to worry then. Until recently only men could walk through the doors of the Gorman. Twenty years, even just ten years ago, the Gorman didn’t allow women to even stay in their hotel. As much as I would have LOVED to visit, they wouldn’t have allowed me through the doors. Even as a resident Prima for one of the New York ballet companies.”

“Then it is highly doubtful that anyone for the staff would know you.” Hunter pointed out then turned thoughtful. “What about guests?”

“Doubtful that anyone here would recognize me, Hunter. I have been out of the spotlight for too long. Only the very learned or devout followers of ballet would recognized me in my old age.” Maria chuckled. “I know that the years have taken their toll on this old lady.”

As one the small family started to chuckle, then laugh at Maria’s comment about her age and beauty. Though Maria was in her fifties she was still a very beautiful woman. No one in their right mind could dispute this fact. And if they ever asked her husband, he would merely say that Maria DeMarco was as beautiful today as she was the day, she stole his heart. About that time the Hostess returned Maria’s drink.

“Your dinners will be out in a moment, ladies and gentlemen.” As she placed Maria’s wine in front of her. “Do you need a menu, ma’am?”

“No thank you, young lady. My family has already placed my order.” Maria turned a hard glare on her family. “Or they should have.”

Hunter waved Maria down. “Don’t worry mom. Your clams and fettuccini alfredo with a Chardonnay should be coming out with our orders.”

“Then everything should be out in a few minutes, sir. I’ll double check to ensure that the order is complete.” With that the Hostess hurried off.

Once they were alone again Maria turned to Kasey and Kristine. “Any updates on the New York situation my little Swans?”

“Yes ma’am. The entire SVU division for New York PD plus all of their SWAT and Special Response teams raided all of Silvia Price’s safehouses. All the teens that were held there were safely recovered. Senior Deputy Inspector Chandler and his team were instrumental in the recovering of those teens. A large number of the teens are currently in route to the school in Garret County, Maryland. The majority of them though are being turned over to the Saint Nicholas Convent and School in Queens. We don’t know who he arranged to cover the transport of the rest, but we can tell you that the company is the best.” Kasey smiled as she answer Maria’s question, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “One of the NYPD officers did put in his report that a light gray big-rig was at the pickup point. Sound familiar?”

All three adults just nodded their head. This wasn’t the first time that they had crossed paths with these ‘phantom truckers’. About that time their meals arrived. As was their custom all business was put on hold while they eat diner. Even though they talked while they ate, it was in Dakota. Their conversation had drawn the attention of the surrounding diners for one simple reason. None of them had ever heard the Native American language. To have a family of five using it off of a reservation was unheard of.

Most of these men and few women spoke another language such as French or Italian. But none had ever heard one of the original languages of America. More than a few of them had visited the casinos on the local Native American reservation sure, but in this day and age most of the staff at those casinos were not Native Americans. Making the language spoken there English. There was one man though that had a far different reason for trying to figure out what the family of five were talking about.

Charles Irwin Andrews spotted the two men and two teenagers when they first walked into the dining room of the Gorman. As a long term resident of the Gorman’s hotel, he paid top-dollar for information on any new guests. He knew the moment that the reservation was made for BOHICA Oil and Gas. For the last three years Andrews had been looking for ways to launder his money. He had been using Abrams and Price, but now those avenues were gone. His last connection for cleaning up his money was through Precision Holding.

The one connection that he hated using the most, the Holy Roman Catholic Church’s Iscariot Division. If it hadn’t been for his old friend Alfonso Delacorte, Charles wouldn’t even think of using those people. There was just something about dealing with an Intelligence Agency that was not only the oldest in the history of the world, but also had more secrets than the CIA that bothered Charles to a point. Charles didn’t mind selling guns, anti-tank missiles and other munitions to anybody and their brother-in-law. What he didn’t like was being told who had to sell those items to. He believed in ‘free enterprise’. He only one had one problem. He didn’t care who was killed by the weapons that he sold. Something that the government looked down on.

When Taliya at the front desk told him about a pair of Wildcatters staying at the Gorman, he knew that his newest ‘investment’ had just walked through the door. Now he just had to figure out how to approach the men. At first, he thought it would just be the two men, but when they arrived with the teenagers, he thought that he had his way in and the perfect blackmail. That was until Sweeny blew that idea out of the water. How the hell could he know that the men would be traveling with their daughters. Or that their wives and mother-in-law would be showing up later in the night.

He kept watching the small family group after Sweeny left. When the mother-in-law showed, he knew that he would have to really up his game. He already knew that he would have to put on his best behavior when approaching the men by the way that they were addressed. Their daughters just drove that point home. But when the woman who was without a doubt their mother-in-law walked in, he knew that he was in trouble. This woman just exuded upper-class High Society. If the wives were even half of what he was already seeing, Charles knew that he was going to need more than his A-game. He would have to be the perfect gentleman to pull these people into his shadowy world.

Something he had done more than once. Sylvia Price and Donald Abrams were just two of his victims. He had been researching BOHICA Oil and Gas from the second he heard about them. Sadly, for Andrews, BOHICA was on solid financial footing. Unlike with Price and Abrams he couldn’t use the carrot of financial bail-out as a way in. This company wasn’t like most Wildcatter operations. Whatever they were doing was bringing in solid gas or oil fields. The real kick in Charles’s plans was these people were able to get the rights to drill on Native American lands. Andrews couldn’t figure how they had been able to achieve this accomplishment. That was until his waitress brought him his evening meal. He found out from the young woman that they were talking in a strange language. That put things together. They were Native Americans. At least the fathers were, and their daughters were raised on the Native American reservations. It all made sense now.

BOHICA had casino money backing their operations. Millions upon millions of dollars at their beck and call. Native American owned companies were always backed by their tribes. Something that he couldn’t match. Not even in his wildest dreams. He just had to figure out a different way to approach them. The problem for Andrews was how.

“Boss, I think I know how to get you in with those Wildcatters.” His bodyguard said from behind him. Of all his personal bodyguards, Dale Spiecer was the only one that thought the same way.

“Talk to me Dale. What are you thinking?” Andrews asked.

“The parking lot attendant said they came in with some kind of supercharged rolling lab. Me and the boys make it disappear, you offer to help find it. That’s your way in.” Spiecer explained.

That was all Andrews needed to hear. “Do it.”

-----tbc-----
*PS... Comments and kudos are the life of all authors*

Steven Lancer worked his way slowly along the fence of the parking lot towards his target. The black and gray mini-RV stood out among the luxury SUV’s, sedans and sports cars. He still didn’t know why his boss wanted him to snatch the fucking thing. Just that Dale gave him the order to snatch it. As he inspected the outside of the heavily modified F-750 Ford pickup, Steve spotted something that set the hairs on the back of his neck on end.

He keyed his radio. “Boss, we got a problem.”

A few seconds later Dale Spiecer answered his radio call. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know who these people are, but they sure as fuck aren’t your everyday rich assholes.” Lancer knew that if he made one mistake with trying to jack this truck, it could be his last. “They have some massive and deadly security on this rig. I’m talking about military grade security.”

“How big of a mess are we talking about if you screw up?”

“A car bomb from the Medellín Cartel led by Pablo Escobar big, boss.” Lancer knew that the reference was more than enough for Dale. The two of them had seen firsthand the kind of damage what those kinds of car bombs could do. They had even helped plant a few of them before Escobar was taken down.

“SHIT! Get away from that thing now! Our boss doesn’t need that kind of exposure. Just who the fuck are these people?”

“I don’t know Dale, but you need to get with Spears and Peters. Their old friends in the LAPD might be able to get us a lead on this jokers.” Lancer hadn’t been a mercenary for as long as Spiecer, but they both knew when they needed another pro to handle a problem.

“Copy that, Steve. Now get the fuck out of there.” The radio went dead as Spiecer turned off his radio.

Steven Lancer backed away from the truck with a deep sigh of relief. He knew that he could get around the security on the truck. He just needed two hours and all the luck he could get his hands on. “Whoever these people are, they’re definitely not your everyday Wildcatters. Not with that type of security.”

Bar of the Gorman R-n-G Club

Dale Spiecer waved for Spears to join him. Once the two men of them were off to one side, Dale got down to business. “Spears, I need you to get me all the Intel you can on BOHICA Oil and Gas. I don’t care what resources you have to use; just get me what you can.”

“Sure boss. Just give me a few hours. I think that you might want to bring Peters in on this as well. He knows a few of the guys over with the CBI.” Spears told his boss as he scratched his head. “Come to think of it. There was a guy in the Cybercrimes unit that transferred to the FBI back in oh-nine that I know. I’ll give him a call.”

Spiecer nodded his head. “Get it done, Spears. I got a really bad feeling about these people. I don’t think the boss is looking too far ahead right now. Those lost contacts have really put a hurt on his usual money laundering points. If he doesn’t find a new outlet soon. We’re going to be the ones looking for ways to clean that money. Not in the fun way, amigo.”

“Whoa there boss. Are you saying we’re going to have to find our own damned cleaners?” When Spiecer nodded his head, Spears wanted to raise hell. “I don’t need to tell you this, boss, but we got into this gig to have some kind of half-assed legit way to earn a decent living. None of the others will standby you if we were to have to start using our old contacts for our pay.”

“Damn it! Don’t you think I know that, Spears? Get a clue already. We’re nothing more than mercs. We get paid to fight. And right now, Andrews is the only game in town for us.” Spiecer snarled.

“Sure boss. I know that, and so do the others. But you need to remember that we don’t owe Andrews any loyalty. Like the old Chinese saying goes. No tecky no shirty. He can’t pay, we don’t play.” Spears told Spiecer as he turned and walked away. Leaving Spiecer to his thoughts.

“Shit. Andrews you better find a way to clean your money fast.” Spiecer said to the empty air of the bar. “Because if you don’t. I don’t know how much longer I can keep control of these guys.”

Dining room, Gorman R-n-G Club

Kasey looked down at her phone at the warning beep. With a smile she looked over at her grandmother, then in Dakota. “Looks like our bunny sent one of his apes to check out the Earth roamer.”

“Is the Roamer still secure, Coyote?” Hunter asked.

“Yes, sir. He didn’t even try to by-pass the security. He just stopped after his inspection and walked away.” Kristine giggled. “I’m sure the idea of disarming a massive car bomb didn’t sit too well with him.”

“Something like that does have a habit of unsettling person, Star. Things that even threaten to go boom have that effect on the unsuspecting.” Maria chuckled. It took the rest of the small family to join her in their laughter. After all it had been Maria’s idea to place the very realistic looking, yet fake, high explosives where they could be seen.

The ALOC did have such a real-life self-destruct security measure in place but could only be activated by Krystel or someone in the TOC back on Ram’s Rock. If someone were to find the real explosives and try to disarm them, they would be in for a very rude experience. While this was a measure of last resort, to keep the very valuable AND potentially deadly ALOC out of criminal hands, it did have far less lethal means of security and self-defense should it be compromised by a car thief. None of which could be seen until they were activated by an app on Kasey’s and Kristine’s phones or someone in the TOC back on Ram’s Rock.

Maria who had the best view of Charles Andrews table smiled. “It seems that goon number one, has just informed his boss that their plan is no good. What do you think his next move will be children?”

Hunter and Bobby both chuckled as Kristine answered. “It all depends on if he follows the profile. If he does, then his next move will be to confront us directly. Most likely he’ll come over here on behalf of the hotel staff.”

“You actually think that he’ll confront us directly Star?” Hunter questioned his youngest daughter.

“He should sir. If he follows the profile sent to us by Stronghold. According to the profile, Andrews shows all the markers of an obsessive egomaniacal, high functioning sociopathic, homicidal, micro-manager whose need to control those around them is all consuming. In short, the man can’t stand not getting his way. And nothing will stop him once he has set his sights on something or someone.” Kristine explained her reasons.

As if summoned by her words Charles Andrews stood up and started walking towards their table. Maria spotted the way the man walked and grinned. “Our twin Goddesses are right on the money, Sky Warrior. Here he comes. Time to dance children. Remember we need for him to invite us into his confidence.”

The team just nodded their heads slightly. Maria looked as if she wasn’t paying attention to Andrews, but she never let the man drop from her gaze. The way he walked, his body language, everything about him, screamed pissed off. ‘The girls are correct. He hates not being the one in control.’ She thought. ‘I doubt that what happens next will endear us to the poor man.’

“Good evening, ladies, gentlemen.” Andrews started off with while smiling. “I’m Charles Andrews; the majority shareholder of the Gorman.”

Maria dabbed her lips with her napkin and returned his smile with one of her own. “Good evening Mr. Andrews. How may we be of service?”

“Ah. Straight to the point I see.” Andrews was slightly taken aback by the old woman’s response. “Would you care to explain why your truck is a rolling explosion waiting to happen?”

Maria didn’t skip a beat with her reply. “That is none of your concern sir. That truck is property of BOHICA Oil and Gas. As such it carries an unusually large amount of proprietary equipment. It doesn’t go anywhere without full security measures at all times. By that I mean full video and audio streaming surveillance. We will take whatever precautions we see fit to secure that equipment. So, if someone wants to steal that equipment; then we destroy it. And them.”

“Does that include turning it into a rolling bomb? Sorry, but I don’t buy that. Try again lady. My personnel are trained to spot these things. There is no way that setup is something a bunch of hayseeds can put together.” Andrews was done with playing ‘nice’ guy. “Who is your supplier and rigger?”

Bobby and Hunter looked at each other then over at their family and began to chuckle. Maria and the girls just giggled. Bobby set his fork down and gave Andrews a less than friendly smile. “Buddy boy, if I were you? I’d watch who you decide to go insulting.”

“Look redneck. I’m the one who’s in charge here. One word from me and my boys will escort you and your partner off the grounds. As they give you an education in the way things are done around here.” Andrews snarled.

Bobby and Hunter both leaned back and coat-flashed Andrews. Hunter decided to not even play at being polite. “My partner told you to watch yer words partner. Now this may not be Sheridan, Wyoming, but I’ll tell you now. Your five monkey nuts don’t stand a chance in hell. Before that butthead over at the bar can clear his Tech-nine; my daughter will put two in his chest and one in his head. My niece will take out yer two goons over by the patio door just as fast. My partner and I will drop the two shitheads over by your table before they even know they’re targeted. All while our mother-in-law cuts yer balls off with the butter knife. Do you understand yer situation now?”

Andrews started to chuckle. “I see that we have already reached an impasse. I must say well played gentlemen. Though I doubt your quick draw claims.”

“Look down bonehead.” As if to underscore their skills, Kristine nudged Andrews crotch with the barrel of her 1911. “If we wanted to take out you and your little goon squad, you would be the first to die.”

“Alexis please behave yourself. You as well, Lisa.” Maria sighed. Then looking over at Bobby and Hunter. “I swear, David, between you and James you two are ruining the girls’ education with your rough and ready attitudes.”

Charles Andrews had turned white with fear when he felt the business end of Kristine’s 1911 nudging his family jewels. He hadn’t even seen the teenager draw the weapon nor where she drew it from. As he watched her slowly put her pistol away, he noticed the other teen’s right arm moving in such a way that drew his attention to her hand and weapon. A very real and terrifying thought ran through his mind. These five people could have killed him and his men before any of them could have reacted.

“Mister Andrews why don’t you take a seat?” Maria said smile a polite if not so innocent smile. “I believe that we have made our point. Don’t you?”

“Agreed. You and your family have made your point.” With great care Charles took a seat in the chair between Bobby and Hunter. “May I know how you knew it was one of my men near your truck?”

“Lisa, please show the gentleman the feed from the truck’s camera’s please?” Maria said with a smirk.

Kasey smiled as she pulled out her phone and brought up the app on her phone. Once the video feed was playing, she turned the phone to Andrews. “As you can see Mister Andrews. We have full coverage of the area surrounding our lab. Oh, and the motion sensors have quite the detection radius. Any movement within that area sets off an alert.”

“I must say young lady. I wish that I had someone like you on my staff.” Charles couldn’t believe that this teenager was able to not only spot his man but had done it a way that went unnoticed.

“Surveillance technology is just the first step in the protection of our survey equipment sir. We take what we do extremely seriously. I would rather blow that rig to Kingdom come than let some street thug strip it down in some back alley chop-shop somewhere.” Kasey snarled.

“Which brings me back to my original question. Who setup your explosive security measures? According to my head of security; it is a professional job. Military level even.” Andrews figured he could get the truth out of the family now that they were willing to talk to him.

Hunter and Bobby both chuckled. “BOHICA Oil and Gas does more than just exploratory drilling Mr. Andrews. We're also Hellfighters; oil and gas well fires. The easiest way to put out those fires is with explosives.”

“Are you saying that you rigged up those explosives?” Andrews asked bluntly.

“Yup, sure did. Putting something like that together is child’s play for us.” Hunter chuckled then looked Andrews dead in the eye. “You know why we have the security in place. What I want to know is why you even asked?”

“Your company was brought to my attention as a possible investing opportunity. My investigation in to your company tells me that you all have an almost supernatural ability to find new gas or oil fields. Something that in these troubling times is a sure investment. One which any shrewd businessmen would be a fool to pass up on.” Andrews saw no need to hide his intentions. “I want in on your little deal. This is not a polite suggestion.”

Maria just sighed. Picking up her wine glass and taking a drink Maria thought about how to she was going to answer Andrews’ bluntness. She had expected him to approach them at some point but not in this manner. If it had been her, Maria would have tried to at least use diplomacy. This man before her was nothing more than a heavy handed business thug. She had dealt with such men before in her life. And Andrews would meet the same end as those thugs.

With a heavy put upon sigh Maria set her glass down. “I must say Mr. Andrews. For a hotel owner, you come off like a common street thug.”

“Watch who you’re calling thug lady. You may have me at a disadvantage here, but one word from me, you’re all dead before sunrise. Got it?” Andrews threat fell on uncowed ears. He could tell. “One phone call from me. And I can have three organized Mob families here in two hours. What that means is that no matter how fast you are, you’ll still be dead.”

Maria wanted to chuckled at the man’s bluster. The idea that this man would call in the Mob on her, Donna Maria DeMarco was too funny. Then again, she was not here as Maria DeMarco but Mary Two Stars, CEO and CFO of BOHICA Oil and Gas. Thanks to her Southern Mediterranean looks, Maria was able to pass herself off as Native American somewhat.

“Have you ever faced a Native American Tribal Council, Mr. Andrews?” Maria asked politely. “Obviously not. Let me explain a few things for you. First you get to deal with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Now, those agents may be a pain in our ass at times, but they do make dealing with white-eye assholes enjoyable. Then if they feel like there is a case, they can turn those assholes over to the complaining Tribe to face their justice.”

Charles Andrews was many things. He was greedy, manipulative, egocentric, paranoid and above all else; a crook of the first order. But the one thing he wasn’t, was stupid. The threat that this woman just gave was not one he could afford to ignore. On any scale.

“May I know with whom I’m dealing with Madam?”

“Mary Two Stars, CEO of BOHICA Oil and Gas exploration. As we finally have the preliminary bullshit out of the way. I can tell right now. We are not at this time looking for investors. To be blunt. We don’t need you or your money for our operations.” Maria smiled sweetly though the smile never really reached her eyes. The smile she gave Andrews had sent more than one mob boss running for the hills while shitting their pants.

“I take it that you’re rejecting my offer?” Andrews almost snarled. “Don’t you even want to listen to my proposal?”

Maria took a drink of her wine as she thought about how to respond to Andrews’ question. “I detest discussing business during a meal. It tends to upset one’s digestion, Mr. Andrews. However, if you are willing to wait until tomorrow morning. I will sit down with you and discuss your proposals. Is this acceptable? If it is, I would ask that you leave us to our meal.”

Andrews knew that if he wanted to use these people to launder his money he would have to play by their rules. For now, anyway. Once he was on the inside that would all change. Just like he had done so many times before. He just had to bide his time and wait for his opportunity to strike. To do that he had to play this old woman’s game. For now.

“Very well, Mrs. Two Stars. Might I suggest the Gatsby room at ten?” Andrews suggested as he stood up.

“Sounds delightful, Mr. Andrews. We’ll see you then.” Maria and the rest of the Deputies watched as Andrews walked away. Once they were alone Maria switched to Dakota again. “How are we set for a midnight snatch and grab?”

“We have everything we need to pull one off, Marshal. Only problem we face, is a secured place for interrogation.” Bobby answered then turned to face Kristine as she giggled. “Okay half-pint, what are you thinking?”

“We could use the old speakeasy. After all, it is a secured location. Not to mention it is nearby and easily accessed. From what we were able to gather off the blueprints, the room is heavily sound proofed. Once we have him inside the room we close and seal it.” Kristine chuckled.

“We need to double check the security before we even go that route child. Is there any way to get into that room without being spotted?” Maria questioned.

“Not until later this evening. Once the dining room staff have left for the evening, Star and I were planning on making a preliminary scout of the facility. Just in case this scenario should arise.” Kasey explained for them. “We just weren’t expecting this to happen so quickly.”

“Fog of war, sweet-pea. Any ideas on how to insure the success of your recon?” Bobby questioned his daughter. Both girls shook their heads no.

“We have another problem that we need to address first. Do we even know HOW to access the old speakeasy?” Maria pointed out. At the blank looks of her granddaughters Maria sighed. “Those old speakeasies may be well known, but they’re not so easily accessed. The doors were often disguised so well, that they were never found. For example; the Old Barn in New York, has a speakeasy in the basement that wasn’t found until the Hudson River flood in twenty-twelve. Even then, it wasn’t until after the flooding receded that they actually found the old speakeasy.”

“Oh. I never thought about that. We actually don’t know where the door is or how to actually access the room.” Kasey admitted as Kristine nodded her head.

“That is WHY you always take in the total picture girls. Remember this for when you go out on your own. While there maybe be an area that meets your needs it maybe more of a hassle to access than it is worth. That being said this is one time that we may be better off taking the interrogation somewhere off-site. Any ideas along those lines?” Maria’s question had the teens accessing the ALOC through their phones.

Kasey was the one to find their new interrogation site. “There’s an abandoned farm about five miles from here, Marshal. According to the listing it has been empty for the last five years. Will that do?”

Maria smiled. “That would do nicely. Though I would prefer a longer lead time for this type of contract, we need to move quickly.”

Bobby picked up on the worry in Maria’s voice. “Okay mom. What’s got you on edge? You’ve only once before thought about doing something like this.”

Maria looked down at her Rolex Pearlmaster Mother of Pearl Diamond Dial Women's Watch. “In about five hours Samantha will be showing up.”

“Okay mom. Why would Samantha showing up in five hours have you on edge?” Hunter questioned her again.

“I will not lie here boys. Samantha is on the edge of going rogue. I have the feeling that if I don’t let her and Angelic leave for Rome shortly. She’ll take the first flight out she can on her own. There is something that you four don’t know about in Samantha’s past.” Maria sighed.

“Talk to us here mom. What’s so damned important in Sam’s past that we need to worry?” Hunter almost snarled.

“Sixteen years ago, Samantha stood over the graves of her family and swore a Blood Oath to kill the man responsible for their deaths. She now has that man’s name. Nothing and no one will stop her now. Now that she is so close.” Maria told them all. “Only our dear Lyssa will be able to stand in Samantha’s way.”

“Is that why she spent all that time off training on her own grandma?” Kristine asked her politely.

“Please understand Kristine. This is a very touchy subject for your mother, girls. There is a part of your family history that you girls don’t know. And I think that now is the time for you to learn.” Maria sighed and looked around the dining room. “Though this is not the place for the tale. We’ll finish this discussion in our rooms.”

Once Maria had paid for their meals, they retrieved their luggage from the trucks. After placing their bags in their individual rooms, the team gathered in Maria’s room. Maria had room service deliver a pot of coffee and tea to her room. With the team gathered in her room, Maria had Kasey and Kristine sweep the room for bugs. Once the teens signaled that the room was secure, she sat down at the coffee table. Waving for her family to join her Maria, fixed herself a cup of tea.

“Please understand that I only know part of the story. The part known only to the DeMarco family.” Maria began. “Long ago, the Capizeo family was betrayed by a member of the Iscariot Division. That started the war between the Capizeo family and the Iscariot Division. A war that has been waged in the shadows for more than five centuries. One that has come close to wiping out the Capizeo family more than once. Until just a few years ago, I believed that the Iscariots had finally succeeded. If Annette had not found Samantha, I would have continued to believe that the Capizeo’s were no more.”

“Mom, earlier in the dining room you said something about a Blood Oath. What was that about?” Hunter asked politely.

With a heavy sigh Maria knew that she would have to go back to that terrible time. “It has been a little over sixteen years now. Back when a young woman hid from the world in the disguise of a Joseph Capizeo. Even back then Stephanie Capizeo was the finest student of both dance and assassination. Even in the studio she showed a grace that none of mine or Mary’s students could dream of matching. Even if she danced as a boy most of the time.”

“Hold up here grandma. Are you saying that mamma Samantha would sometimes dance as a girl? I mean, when she was our age.” Kasey asked.

Maria chuckled. “Younger. It is not common, but there are few young men can perform was well, if not better, than some of the great Primas. Joseph Capizeo was one such young man. There was not one male or female lead he couldn’t perform. Usually better than any of our female students. He drove himself to greater lengths in his training than any of our students. He would spend hours upon hours in the studio driving himself to master the lessons of the day. His self-discipline was without compare. I have only seen one other who matches him. That person is Lyssa. In all my years of dancing I have only seen six others perform the candle dance. Of those only Joseph ever showed the skill and dedication to perform the dance at such a young age.”

“Wasn't that the dance that Prima Lyssa was doing the night after those men visited, grandma?” Kristine asked.

“Yes, my dear it was.” Maria affirmed.

Kasey interrupted. “You said it was Olga's doing. That she had been a rival.”

“Yes dear. Olga is known as the Iron Doll. She was absolutely relentless in our youth. Friendly rivals, back then. She is the Elite Mistress at the Bolshoi Academy in Moscow. She completed Lyssa's advanced training.” Maria said.

“And now Tiffany's?” Kristine asked

“Yes. I'd call her a sadist for her ways, but that wouldn't be true. She would never even think of letting anyone without the right skill and determination try. Still, she didn't let that method die. Damn her. It is something despicable and I never want to see or even find out that you are doing. It is far too dangerous. Now, where was I?” Maria asked as she thought about where she had been in her story.

“You were telling us about the Blood Oath that Joseph Capizeo swore over the graves of his family.” Hunter answered. “That and about his self-discipline.”

“Which I find to be funny as all hell, mom. I know for a fact that Samantha Justice is about the most undisciplined person I know.” Bobby snarked. “It also goes so far against her reputation as a Maverick Deputy that it isn’t even funny. Sorry, but I just don’t see it.”

“Robert, Hunter, what I have told you is true. As for Samantha’s reputation as being a Maverick. I can only put it down to one thing. Her lifetime of training to hide in plain sight. You have to remember that at her core, Samantha is the culmination of generations of assassins and spies.” Maria smiled as she corrected her sons-in-law. “Though she drives the military mind side of our merry band of outlaws and misfits crazy. She is far more of an operator than they would ever believe or admit. The problem lies in the fact that Samantha was trained to operate on her own from the time she could walk. Secrecy was pounded into her from the time she took her first steps.”

“The code of Silence.” Bobby grumped. “I take it that her family took things to a whole another level?”

“You could say that Bobby. The Capizeo family were more than just mafia. Where the DeMarco’s have always been the ‘enforcers of the code’ the Capizeo’s have been the ‘boogie men’ of the mafia.” Maria explained for the two men and her granddaughters. “More than one of the Organizations wanted to control the most feared family of assassins. But there was one man that let his desires get the better of his common sense.”

“That would be Alfonzo Delicato. Former Under-boss and missing Consigliere for the Calabrese family out of Detroit, Michigan. Am I correct mom?” Hunter asked her with more than a little worry in his voice.

Maria just nodded her head yes as she continued. “When all of his attempts to gain some kind of leverage over Marko and Mary Capizeo failed; he used his connections within the Iscariot Division to place a contract on their heads. The man is totally without honor. When Joseph unleashed his vengeance on the Great Lakes Organization it was both violent and bloody.”

“I know most of what is in the official report mom. So does Hunter.” Bobby told Maria. Mostly to keep that dark secret of Samantha’s past from being shared with the teens.

Maria got the hint. “Girls, never go digging into your mother Sam’s official Wit-Sec records. Understood?”

The two teens just nodded their heads. They didn’t need a building to drop on their heads to understand that order. They had always respected their mother Sam’s past was off limits. To them for a reason. They knew that it had to do with her violent and deadly training as a child. And what she had done during that very dark time in her life, sixteen years ago.

“When Joseph finally walked into the Federal building in Toledo, he had gained as much vengeance as he was able to on the streets. After that he turned State’s Evidence and helped the US DA destroy the rest of the Great Lakes Organization. During the trials we buried his family. That day he stood over their four graves and cut the palm of his right hand. I can still remember his words.” Maria’s eye turned sad.

Her voice and face took on a faraway feel. It was as if she had stepped back through time. To a dark and rainy day sixteen years in the past. To a place where all people are made equal in the eyes of God and Life. The grave side of a family cut down for greed.

“He was such a beautiful boy back then. But that day, there was nothing beautiful left in that child’s face. There was nothing there in that beautiful face. Nothing but hate filled Joseph’s face that day.” Maria’s face took on a harshness that none of them had ever seen before. “I can still hear those hate filled words.”

“What did she say?” Hunter asked her.

“By this blood; I will tear the heart out of the Iscariots. Let those Judas Priests fear the night. For I shall be more than the Wraith that hunts them in the night. I shall become their Grim Reaper.” Maria looked up from her tea cup. “Those words still haunt me to this day. I feared that Joseph would lose himself in trying to carry out that oath.”

“And we're not out of the woods yet. Not now that Samantha knows who it was that ordered the death of her family. Nothing will stop her. Is that where we are?” Bobby questioned.

“Very much so. And gentlemen, make no mistake. When we return to Ram’s Rock Island, Lyssa and Samantha will be going head to head. It seems that Command doesn’t like the idea of there being an unknown in our little family.” Maria sighed. “And our biggest unknown is Samantha Justice.”

“Don’t you mean Stephaney Capizeo mom?” Hunter asked.

“No Hunter. I mean Samantha Justice. I know Stephaney Capizeo as well as I would know any daughter of mine. Samantha Justice is truly the unknown factor here. Sadly, I have no way of knowing how she’ll react now.” Maria’s regret over not being able to keep control over Samantha was heard in her voice. "I do understand the other side has rules and they abide by those rules. We have rules as well. The problem Samantha has is, not being the one to determine those rules."

“I hate to tell you this Nonnina, but mamma Sam has always been distrustful of those around her. I think I know why.” Kasey told her grandmother. Maria waved for her to continue. “It’s simple Nonnina. Mamma Sam has been hurt one too many times in her life.”

“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience there kiddo. Care to fill us in on how you came to this conclusion?” Hunter asked their oldest daughter. Not that he needed her insight. He too had spent his younger years in the system. If it hadn’t been for a caring set of foster parents, he would not have gone into the Army let alone graduate from high school.

“From the time that I was put into foster care I learned the hard way not to trust people. For mamma Sam it had to be worse. She was dumped into the Wit-Sec program with no one to rely on. No one, but a bunch of Deputies. Deputies that were more handlers than foster parents or any type of family.” Kasey’s voice turn sad and soft. “And for someone who family is everything, it had to really screw with the way she looks at the world.”

“I never really thought about, but you’re most likely correct, Kasey. I know that Sam had trust problems with every partner she had until I came along. Not that I have much room to talk.” Bobby turned to Hunter. “How about it Hunter? That jive with what you’ve heard about her?”

“Damned near on the head. And that mess down in Texas sure as fuck didn’t help with her trust issues. Especially with those in charge. I have a feeling that there is more to it than that though. When Bat and I got the order to link up with you guys in Toledo, I naturally wanted to know more about the legendary Samantha Justice. The only woman who has more individual arrests than my old partner.” Hunter chuckled. “I looked up her record. Or at least the official one that any Deputy can get a hold of.”

“What did that august report have to say about our dear Samantha?” Maria smirked. “Other than, that she’s a handful.”

“Almost every last Supervisor has at one time put her on disciplinary leave. Usually in response to a complaint about unnecessary use of force. I think the last one was from some dirt bag drug dealer who had been on the run for five years. It seems that she broke the fuck-stick’s arm in five places during the arrest. Not that the complaint held any water. The man had over eighty pounds and seven inches on her. Needless to say, the complaint got thrown out the window by IA Investigators.” Hunter chuckled.

Bobby joined in with his own chuckle. “I remember that complaint. We had just left cold case when we busted that chucklehead. The dumbass made the mistake of grabbing her ass during his arrest. It was in a convenience store so there was a camera. The dumbass.”

Kasey, Kristine started to giggle then laugh outright at hearing about the complaint. Maria just shook her head. “That does sound like what Samantha would do in that situation. She always had a short temper.”

“About what you said earlier mom. About how there is a war going on between the Capizeo’s and the Iscariot Division. Just how far would Sam take things?” Bobby wanted to know.

“Ever since she made that Blood Oath; to the ends of time.” Maria sighed then looked back down into her teacup. “She’ll either kill Alfonzo Delicato or die in the process. Thankfully Samantha has finally mastered the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. If anything, that will be the deciding factor.”

Before any of them could ask another question, Maria’s phone beeped. “Go ahead Stronghold.”

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

“Talk to me, Stronghold.” Maria demanded. Maria’s commanding tone grabbed everyone’s attention.

“The safe listed is not the one Ground two is dealing with. November Tango classified it as a Hitchner-and-Coch 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?” Was Maria’s next question.

“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 abort now.”

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

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

When Lyssa came back Maria wasn’t expecting the answer she got. “Actual it looks like Ground two has time to crack the safe. It seems that the guards are more interested in watching the NBA game of the week than doing their job. Are they a Go?”

Maria’s years as a Criminal Master mind helped her in a way that she never expected. Maria made up her mind in a spilt second. “They are a Go Stronghold. We need the information that safe might be holding. Bravo Actual Out”

With that Maria disconnected. “Looks like our second ground team has hit a major snag. One that will delay their arrival.”

“How bad are we talking about here, mom?” Hunter asked.

“According to Stronghold at least twenty minutes. Why?” Maria asked him.

Hunter and Bobby got a sour look on their faces. Bobby was the one to put their feelings into words. “We’re used to winging shit and doing things on the fly. But this mission has been one continuous fly by the seat of our pants operation. This is one more situation where nothing has gone to plan.”

Maria’s attention was once more pulled to her phone. Pulling it out she read the notice that Samantha’s mission had gone horribly wrong. “Shit. Girls get us an uplink with the TOC’s monitors now.”

Kasey and Kristine ran to their rooms and returned with their lap tops. It took the two teenagers less than ten seconds to establish the uplink. They all watched as Samantha walked out of the main server room.

“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 cut through the quiet of the room and 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 evaluate 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.”

Hunter, Bobby, Kasey, and Kristine sat watching in silence Stephany Capizeo killed the first five men as if they nothing more than ants. Of the five members of the Black Badges gathered in Maria’s room only one of them truly understood what they were seeing.

“She dances as gracefully as her mother.” Maria whispered. “I swear by all that is holy, Mary, Stephany truly is your Heir.”

As they all watched Samantha cleared the five floors in a matter of a few minutes. Hunter spotted something that set his nerves on edge. “Mom is Samantha using the Sleep of the Beautiful Death?”

“Yes. I want you all to watch closely. Especially you, girls. This is your family’s heritage. What you are seeing is without a doubt the deadliest of martial art forms.” Maria ordered her granddaughters.

“Grandmother why is she only use her blades?” Kasey asked in a hushed voice.

“Wouldn’t it be better for her to use her pistol, Grandmother?” Kristine wondered as she stared at the monitor.

“Her pistols would only slow her down child. The Sleep of the Beautiful Death was developed long ago in ages past. During a time when firearms were only the stuff of dreams and nightmares. During a time when man’s only true protection was that of a keen blade, a sharp mind and fast reflexes.” Maria sat back and took a drink of her tea. “Robert, you once asked me why I always told you Samantha was the deadliest of us all.”

“Yeah and you never gave me an honest answer. Is this why you didn’t answer me back then?” The big man said as he pointed at the monitor.

“Yes Robert. This is exactly why. I’ve known for some time that Samantha had surpassed the teachings of her youth.” Maria sighed. “I could tell when I first laid eyes on her in Toledo almost three years ago, now.”

“Did you believe that Samantha had learned the secrets of this Sleep of the Beautiful Death already mom?” Hunter asked.

“No, but I knew that she had fully mastered the Way of the Dancing Blade. That alone made her deadly, but when she showed me those journals, I knew that it wouldn’t be long before she mastered the Beautiful Death.” Maria took another sip of her tea. “I’m just surprised she was able to reach mastery so quickly. I know it took her mother ten years to reach Samantha’s skill.”

“Grandma are you saying that mamma Sam is just as skilled as her mother?” Kasey asked in awe.

“No child. Samantha has done in three years what took her mother ten years. Your mother Samantha is just beginning her mastery. I see her surpassing her mother in ways that will leave us all behind in her shadow.” Maria looked down into her now empty teacup. “I fully expect that the only person who shall ever match her skill. The original Hemlock Rose, Renaldo Capizeo.”

Maria sighed as she watched Samantha kill the last guard for Precision Holdings. “We need to change the timing of our plans for Andrews.”

“You’re going to take the meeting with the man?” Hunter asked quickly.

“This is one time that we need to play to our target’s time table. We have set ourselves up as bate. Our target has taken that bate. Now we need to reel the man in and play him along for a time. He is our key to the link within the Iscariot Division.” Maria snarled. “I will have that connection to Delicato. One way or the other. Even if I have to beat the answers from Andrews with my bare hands in broad fucking day light.”

-----tbc-----

PS sorry fr the delay. Been sick and haven't been able to really write lately

The light gray Western Star eighteen wheeler rumbled through the cut in Big Savage Mountain at just over 100 mph. The truck was moving at a speed that was almost unheard of for big rigs in the mountains of Maryland. It was also more than fast enough to trip State Trooper Martin Elise’ radar gun. Once the big grey truck was past his position on the side of the Interstate, Martin pulled out and chased him down. As he pulled in behind the big rig, Martin spotted the truck’s plate.

When he ran the number, it came back with the Federal warning. Martin Elise had heard that there was a group of trucks that haul government loads and had license plates that tell you to back off. The warning for the one he was tailing told him to do exactly that. It told him that the driver was not to be detained. He knew that whatever the truck was hauling, he wanted no part of. Martin knew that badges meant shit when it came to such trucks. Instead of pulling the big rig over, he backed off the accelerator.

Reaching over he grabbed his auxiliary radio. The one that was used to monitor civilian radio traffic. Flipping over to the one channel that was monitored by only one station in the area he called out. “Super Star base this is Wildcard four. Come in Super Star base. Over”

“This is Super Star base, Wildcard. Send your traffic. Over”

“Super Star are you expecting a delivery? Over” Martin asked.

“That’s a roger Wildcard. Why? Over”

“Just needed confirmation Super Star. I’ll be escorting them to the Number four exit. I don’t need any trouble on my Interstate. Over” Martin snarled.

A member of the Maryland State Highway Troopers he may be, but he was also a proud Elise son of Garret County. There was no way in Hell that he was going to have a rolling firefight in his county. He knew the moment he read the truck number that this rig was one of the elusive Ghost trucks. A high security load. He also knew that it had only one destination if it was in this part of the country. There was only one extreme high security location anywhere near this section of I-68.

“No problem Wildcard. Our people will take over at sixty-eight and route forty-two. How copy? Over”

“Good copy Super Star. Wildcard out.” Martin sighed and returned the mike to its hold. “Let’s just hope that nobody fucks with this truck between here and exit four. I really don’t feel like doing a shit load of paperwork at the end of this shift.”

More than 5 miles ahead of the HP SUV, the driver of Western Star just smirked as she up-shifted. “That’s one smart smokey. I really didn’t want to put him into the ditch for trying to stop me.”

Silvia Petrescu smiled as she passed the blue/green information sign. “Just sixteen more miles. I hope those kids get a chance to use the ski slopes during the winter. Hell, I wouldn’t mind going down the slopes, once or twice. Think I’ll come back this way next season on vacation.”

As she passed exit 14, she marked on her GPS. “Sure, is some pretty country through here. Wonder what it looks like in the daylight?”

Ten miles and ten minutes later Silvia spotted her exit and started to down-shift, making the jake-brakes roar. With a smile she looked one last time in her review mirror. “Looks like Full-Grown couldn’t keep up. Too bad. I was kind of looking forward to a nice highspeed pursuit to break up the monotony.”

Even as she was pulling off the Interstate and making the turn onto route 42 south, Silvia hadn’t spotted the Trooper. It wasn’t long before she spotted the two all black Chargers that belonged to Garret County Sheriff’s department. “Looks like point X-ray got the County Mounties doing their dirty work for them now. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that the good old boys were in control of the local PDs.”

As Silvia went under the overpass the first Sheriff’s deputy pulled in front of her and flashed his lights once, while the second fell in behind. The two Deputies escorted the big rig over the roads of Garret County while Martin Elise was turning around just over the West Virginia state line. As much as Silvia wanted to open up the big engine of her tractor trailer, one of the vaunted Black-Cat Caterpillars, she couldn’t. Not on these mountainous roads that had more twists and turns than a drunken snake. The wild engine would have to stay reined in.

As the Deputies pulled to a stop on the side of the road, Silvia saw the gates to the school open. Silvia didn’t stop, just rolled on through the gate as the stacks roared from the jake-brakes slowing it down. She finally pulled to a spot in front of the main administration building. After shutting down her rig, Silvia patted the sidearm strapped to her leg before climbing down from the cab and flared the duster clear of the pistol. She was met at the rear of the trailer by two men and one woman.

“Gypsy Moth?” the woman asked in greeting. Silvia just nodded her head. “We were expecting you four hours ago. What happened?”

“Got held up in New York. Ended up with a few more passengers than expected.” Silvia knew that the Supervisory Deputy wasn’t going to be happy hearing this. Hell, she wasn’t happy when that Inspector added in the additional passengers at the last minute. “I had to leave half of the security detail behind. Now you want to sign for the load?”

“No problem Gypsy Moth. We were just worried when you didn’t show at your original ETA. How many more passengers are you carrying over the original number? I only need to know so I can warn our Medical team of what to expect.” The SDIC answered has she held out her hand for the clipboard.

“You got a total of thirty-eight, Deputy. Ten more than what was on the original transport order.” Silvia looked around the school’s campus as she handed over her clipboard. This wasn’t the first time she had made a run to this location, but it was her first solo run to the school. “I don’t like last minute changes to loads, Deputy. Neither does the boss.”

“Don’t worry Gypsy Moth. I’ll make sure that it is noted in my report. I’ll also make sure that you get paid for the additional passengers. Did you have any problems during the trip?” The SDIC asked as she signed then handed back the clipboard. “Need to know for my report.”

Silvia checked her paperwork smiled and walked over to the trailer doors. “Quiet as a cemetery. Not even a twitch on the weird-o-meter. Why?”

“Just some talk on the Dark net. That’s all.” The SDIC looked up as Silvia swung the trailer doors open. She smiled as the escort Deputies pushed down the steps. “Deputy Larson. Where the hell have you been?”

“How’s it going Shells? Been a long time.” Larson looked around at the school’s campus. “So, this is where the bosses parked your ass. Who else is here? Besides you and Harris.”

“Just me Larson. Harris was forced out on a medical retirement. How many you got with you?” Shells asked bluntly.

“Thirty-eight protectees, two shrinks, four nurses, and four SOG Deputies besides myself.” Larson held up his left to stop Shells before she had a chance to chew him out. “Don’t even start bitching me out Kelly. There wasn’t room for the full team with all the protectees and the medical staff.”

“Why the hell is the medical staff even escorting those protectees?” Shells wanted to know why there was a departure from SOP. “We got a perfectly good medical staff on site here.”

“Don’t ask me. I’m just following Chief Inspector Chandler’s orders. I’ll tell you now; you don’t want to cross that man. He has the full backing for his operations. He only answers to Director Rose.” Larson told her grimly then smirked. “Oh and if you ever run into him, do yourself a favor.”

“What’s that Larson?” Shells questioned him with a knowing smile. She had already had the pleasure of meeting SDI Inspector William Chandler.

“Shut the fuck up and follow his lead. He is ten kinds of scary-assed mean and doesn’t play games. I think the only Deputies I know that put him to shame are Justice, Everbright and Taugh.” Larson smiled before adding. “In that order.”

Shells just laughed as she nodded her head. “I know what you mean Larson. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the man already. You’re right about Sam, Bobby and Hunter being the only ones that are meaner.”

Looking up at the scared teenagers who were still in the module seats and looking out fearfully. Shells changed her attitude. “It’s alright kids. You’re safe here. No one here will hurt you. We’ll do everything we can to help you.”

The first teenager took a tentative step down the ramp. The boy turned shemale hooker wasn’t too sure of trusting these people. She’d been betrayed one too many times in the past. In her mind, she was positive that she’d just been sold to another pimp. Not even the ‘US Deputy Marshals’ had changed her mind on that view. When they loaded her and the others into the big truck back in New York she was sure they would never see or hear another English speaking person in their lives. This point of view was reinforced by the five heavily armed men who got into the truck with them.

Shells had seen the looks of the new students before. In fact, she had seen these very same looks of distrust nine times over the past year and a half. Each time she saw those looks, she wanted to hunt down the assholes that had hurt these children. They may be runaways, abductees, or abandoned; it didn’t matter in her mind. The predators who hurt these kids should never see the inside of a courtroom. Like all good officers of the law, Tonya Shells felt that ‘street justice’ was the only way to handle certain criminals. She believed in the Constitution and all that it stood for, but there are just some crimes that crossed the line into being unforgiveable.

Holding out her left hand to the first girl, Shells smiled. “Come on sweetheart. You’re safe here. You’re all safe here. I promise.”

Silvia looked up at the teenager and smiled. “Go on. You can trust these people. They’ll protect and take care of you all. I promise.”

The teenagers all give Silvia a final look before allowing themselves to be led off towards the medical building. Once the last of them were off her truck Silvia closed and locked the trailer doors. Turning to Shells. “You got an area where I can park for a few hours? I need to get some shut eye before I pull out and head for home.”

“You can park over by the school’s garage. There is a four acre empty lot there, so you don’t have to worry about turning around.” Shells told her. Then she smiled. “Or you can just pull your rig over to the far end of the faculty parking lot. As for sleeping in your rig forget about it. You can use the ready room in the squad bay. We got everything you need there. You can get a shower and crash on a real bed for a few hours or all day. The choice is yours, Gypsy.”

Silvia thought about the offer for only a few minutes. “I’ll take the shower, but I stay with my rig. Them's the rules.”

Shells and Larson both nodded their heads. With Larson adding. “Don’t worry Gypsy, me and my guys will watch over your rig while you get something to eat, cleaned up, and grab some Z’s. We owe you that much for the delay.”

Silvia didn’t think twice about it. She climbed into her rig and pulled it over to the far end of the faculty parking lot. Grabbing a fresh pair of underwear, socks, t-shirt, and jeans, along with her toiletry kit, Silvia headed inside. After showering, changing her clothes, grabbing some hot chow, Silvia was ready for some well-earned sleep.

Little did she know that the Deputies station at the school had a hidden reason for keeping her there for the twelve hours. It was no malice in their reason. They had found that the new students always felt more at easy by seeing the truck or whatever that had brought them to the school when they woke up at the school for the first time. When She did wake up, she was surprised to see a girl obviously looking for something.

Since she needed to perform a walk-around and purge her air tanks, she got out.

“Looking for something?” Gypsy asked.

The girl was holding something in her hands and walked over, still looking around then showed what she held.

“Oh.” Gypsy looked down at the gold coin with an ornate F stamped on it. “Faust.”

The girl nodded, then looked up hopefully.

“He didn’t come. Just me. I’m Gypsy Moth.” Silvia greeted her.

“ANGEL, there you are.” One of the staff came out, apparently looking for the girl. “Oh, sorry Driver.”

“It’s okay. Guess she thought Faust was with me.” Silvia explained.

The staff nodded her head. “Yes. Anytime she hears a truck, she looks for him. There had been a misunderstanding when she was found. A new therapist. He didn’t seem to understand she couldn’t stay at the hospital in California. Not sure what exactly happened, but she latched onto Faust and wouldn’t let go. Didn’t bother him, he even put her up front in the cab with him. She absolutely will not let go of that coin.”

“Yeah. He does have an effect on people. I’ve only seen one of his gold coins. The boss has one. All I know about them is, never take a silver.” Silvia remarked.

The staffer sighed. “I’ve met him twice, which is two times too many. But Angel, she always looks for him. Angel is one of those unfortunate girls that were silenced. Come on, she has to get going. Would you like her to tell him 'Hi' for you?”

Angel nodded.

“Will do. Angel, right?” Silvia confirmed.

The staffer nodded. “He'll know. He named her and told her that because she was an angel, she couldn’t go with him.”

“Right. Well, I'll tell him.” Silvia finished her walk around then climbed back into her truck and pulled out.

It struck her strange, a savage girl like that taking to Faust. Herself, Silvia wasn't a fan of his and didn't particularly like being around him. Faust exuded evil, in her opinion. The only one that unsettled her more, was Trip. Trip was like an insane driver she'd heard about in Iraq.

Section 21, Iscariot Headquarters, Vatican City, Rome

Monsignor Delacorte sat still as one of the marble statues that surrounded the Vatican. He could not believe his ears. There should have been no way for someone to kill every member of the detail at Precision Holding in Albany, New York. He knew every man that had been stationed in that office building. The most unsettling revelation in the report by his secretary was the fact that all of the security video records had been wiped. Not just erased, but totally wiped from all records. There was nothing. Not even a screen grab of what or who had killed all of his men. Like the building had dropped into a black hole then came back full of dead men.

“Father Daniel, are our people positive that nothing remains of the security feeds?” The younger priest just nodded his head yes. “I thought that all security feeds were automatically rerouted here to our main servers?”

“That’s what they’re supposed to do, Monsignor. For some reason they were never uploaded. It was as if the Precision Holding’s main servers were offline for six hours. But we know this is supposed to be impossible.” Father Daniel told him in all honesty.

“Why is it impossible for the servers to be offline? I know that we routinely take our servers offline for updates and servicing. Could it have just been rotten timing that their servers were offline during the break in?” Delacorte wanted to believe this in more ways than one. He didn’t even want to think of what it would mean if those servers went down on propose.

“Sir. As much as I would love to tell you that, I can’t. The server that controls all of the security systems is a standalone. It has to be taken offline manually. Even then, there are procedures in place for taking one of those offline. Namely another off-site server is used to cover the time that server is offline. This is done so that there is never a gap in coverage.” Daniel explained for his superior. “I’m sorry sir, but this was done on propose.”

“DAMNATION! How could this have happened Father Daniel? Do our people in America even have a clue as to who attacked our Embassy?” Delacorte demanded.

Father Daniel was dreading that question. Swallowing hard Daniel removed a printed photo from the report file. “The only clue left behind was this, Monsignor.”

When Delacorte saw the photo, he wanted to shit his pants. As it was, he would still need to change his underwear from the piss that leaked out. There, before him in 1080 HD was all the proof he needed to confirm the legend of the Vatican’s Unholy Wraith. Placed in the center of the reception desk was a white rose and two silver half-dollars. Though the rose may have not been a true Hemlock Rose and the coins may not be pure silver; the meaning was clear as daylight. The Hemlock Rose had returned from the mists of time to seek revenge for the Capizeo dead. And this was just the first strike.

“Daniel, send word to all of our installations. They are to double, no; triple, their standing guards on all shifts. Each shift is to have K-9 support, issued H & K MP5s and VP9 tactical pistols. Full tactical loadout for all security forces is authorized. Understood?” Delacorte ordered. He knew that these measures wouldn’t be enough in the long run. Not when it came to dealing with the Hemlock Rose.

Daniel just wrote out Delacorte’s orders on his ever-present notepad. All while nodding his head. He wasn’t about to tell the Monsignor that all of these measures were already in place. He had sent out these orders already when he ordered the upgrade in security at Precision Holding. Unlike Delacorte, Father Daniel knew and believed in the legends surrounding the Hemlock Rose and the Iscariot Division. Daniel also had no desire to face those deadly assassins one dark and lonely night.

“Daniel, I want full restitution paid out to our peoples' families. If they don’t have any, then make a donation in their name to the nearest Homeless Shelter. I don’t care how you do it but put some kind of positive spin on that screw up in Albany. Make sure that you keep the local PD from investigating. I know that we can’t keep those assholes in the FBI out, but we can curtail their investigations. I don’t want them anywhere near the servers and security safe. If our people have to let the FBI near those, then they are ordered to blow the building. They can blame the FBI for violating our Embassy’s security by attempting to open an extreme high security vault.” Delacorte was grinning as he thought about several FBI agents dying while opening the vault at Precision Holding.

“Sir, is that wise? I mean it could cause blowback for the Church. We know that the Americans don’t take kindly to their Federal Police being killed.” Daniel felt he should point out the big problem with Delacorte’s plan.

“It will be their fault for violating the Vienna Conventions.” Delacorte chuckled. “They’ll be the ones to cause the International Incident, not us.”

“I hope you’re right sir. Because if this doesn’t go as you plan, it’ll be us that faces the Hague.” As Daniel turned to leave Delacorte’s office he stopped at the door. “And sir. I’ve heard that the Archbishop isn’t too happy right now. From what I understand he’s talking about someone’s ass being staked out to dry in the noon-day sun.”

Delacorte sat there fuming. As much as he want to take Daniel to task for daring to speak to him that way, he couldn’t. He knew that everything he had done over two decades was coming apart at the seams. And it was all his fault. He knew that he should never have gotten involved with Anders. The problem was he needed the man’s connections. Especially the ones that he used for the money laundering of his less than legal activities. More than a few of those were drying up fast.

“Damn! Why couldn’t those damned Capizeo bastards just die off.” Picking the photo of the rose and coins up one more time Delacorte felt a shiver run down his back. “After all this time, their Wraith is finally coming for me. I wonder. Will it just be me or will the Hemlock Rose finally destroy the Iscariot Division once and for all.”

Out in Father Daniel’s office, the young priest sat quietly at his desk contemplating his loyalties. Where did they truly lay? That was the real question facing him. Was it to the Holy Roman Church that raised him from a babe? Was it to the Order that first showed an interest in his desire to become a priest? Was it to the Iscariot Division who took him in after they saved him from being murdered in the Congo?

Reaching into the file that held the report from Albany, Daniel took out the copy of the photo. Like most orphans who grew up in the Church run orphanages he knew the legends of the Wraith. Only unlike the rest, Daniel knew that the legends were true. He had grown up on the island of Sicily, in the Saint Michael’s Orphanage. He had heard the legends told of the Hemlock Rose over and over again, as he sat at the knee of the groundskeeper. Here, before him, as all the proof he needed to know that the legends were true.

“When the Faithful fall from Grace, the Wraith shall rise up and deliver them unto the Hosts of Hell.” As Daniel quoted the words, he had heard so many times as a young boy, a shiver of ice cold fear ran down his back. Even now he as he questioned his faith. He wondered if he should go to the Archbishop. But he had always been a loyal member of the Iscariot Division and his training stressed loyalty to his superiors second only to God. Yet where does his loyal lie; with first the Monsignor or the Archbishop? There must be a way out of this situation for him.

“What troubles you Father?” Looking up at the young nun who entered his office Daniel was surprised that he hadn’t heard her enter. “You look as if you’re pondering one of the great riddles of Faith.”

Daniel chuckled at Sister Mary’s statement. “No Sister, just wondering how to answer a question of loyalty.”

“A question of loyalty, Father? Why in the world would you have such a problem? Our loyalty is to the Heavenly Father first, then to our Lord and Savior, The Holy Ghost, the Pope, down through the Cardinals, to the Bishops, and finally to our immediate superior. This is the way it has always been Father.” Sister Mary smiled at her answer. “Does that help Father?”

Father Daniel looked the young nun in the eyes and smiled. “Thank you, Sister Mary. Your insight has been of a great help. Can I help you with something in return? Maybe that paperwork in your hand?”

The young nun chuckled then handed over the file. “The Miami office’s field report sir. It came in the overnight Diplomatic pouch.”

“The Diplomatic pouch? Why on earth would they use a Diplomatic Courier?” Daniel questioned the young nun only to get a shrug of the shoulders. Opening the file folder Father Daniel thought the world had come to an end. “Have you seen the contents of this file, Sister?”

“No sir. I was handed that this morning and told to bring it to you.” Mary leaned in close. “Sir, I was ordered to give it to you and only you.”

“Understood Sister Mary. You can leave now. I would suggest that when you get back to your Section ask for a leave of absence for the next two months.” No sooner had the words left his mouth than Daniel reached into his desk. After pulling out a form he filled it out then signed and stamped it. Once done he handed the form to the young nun. “Forget going back to your Section. Just return to your cell and pack. Then head for the airport. This will take care of your tickets and clear you through all Customs agents worldwide.”

“Father, what is going on? Why are you sending me out of the country?” the young nun was worried now. She wasn’t prepared for this kind of business.

“You must do as I have instructed you, Sister Mary. You will find refuge on the island of Grand Bahama in the city of Freeport. Ask for Father Clancy. He is well known on the island so you shouldn’t have any problems finding him. Now get going and whatever happens in the next two months. DO NOT COME BACK. I don’t care who orders you to return. DO NOT COME BACK UNTIL YOU HEAR FROM ME OR THE ARCHBISHOP.” After stressing his last orders to Sister Mary, Daniel gently but firmly, pushed her from his office and locked the door behind her.

Returning to his desk Daniel picked up the file once more. There in front of him, in living color, was his worst nightmare. “How can this girl still be alive after all this time? Where the hell could she have hidden from our spies? We know that the whole family was killed in Toledo. There was confirmation of all of them. Even that bastard Joey Capizeo died on the courthouse steps in front of the whole world on national television.”

The photo showed a young woman in her early thirties. She had all the markings of a Capizeo. Her size, her hair, her eyes, even her mouth. All of it screamed to the world that this woman was the daughter of Marko and Mary Capizeo. Between the photo from the Albany office and this photo from the Miami office, Father Daniel had all the proof he needed. The legends concerning the Capizeo family and the Hemlock Rose were true.

Daniel stood there for ten minutes doing nothing, but thinking over his next move. Then with a clarity that he rarely felt, Daniel made his decision to act. Grabbing the satellite phone out of the top drawer in his desk, he left his office for the day. He took both files with him as he walked out of Section 21’s offices. Once outside, he headed for a small out of the way bistro that he often went to for lunch.

Once there he contacted the Field Operative in Miami. “Markus, it’s me, Daniel. We got a problem. This is a Code Judas.”

“Shit are you sure Daniel? I won’t burn one of my own without cause.”

“I’m sure brother. Now listen closely because I need to know who sent that report with the picture of the Capizeo woman.” Daniel demanded.

“What do mean? Nobody from my office took or sent in any photos of a Capizeo.”

“It came by Diplomatic pouch and carrier Markus. Now who took that picture and sent it to my office?”

“Fuck! That stupid little shit! I knew I shouldn’t have trusted that little rat fucker, Hamilton. How deep in the shit are we, Daniel?”

“Do you remember the stories that old man Giuseppe used to tell us as children?” Daniel asked. Then he clarified for his old friend from his days as an orphan. “The ones about the Hemlock Rose and the Capizeo’s?”

“Oh shit! Please tell that they are just stories brother?”

“I wish that I could. But I can’t. Giuseppe’s stories are true. The Wraith has come once more for our fallen brothers and sisters.” As Daniel told his oldest and closest friend the news, he pulled back the sleeve of left arm. Looking down at the tattoo of the rose there on the inside of his arm he knew that Markus was doing the same. “Did you hear me brother?”

“I heard you. The question is do we keep our vow? They have never come to us. They have always stayed away from the Rose Society. We don’t owe them anything after all.”

“That is where you’re wrong my brother. I’ve done some digging the over the last few days. Our orphanage is not sponsored by the Church. We owe our very lives to the Capizeo family. As does our old home. Do you understand brother?” Daniel demanded of the man that was as close to a brother than anyone else.

“I’ll clear my end brother. You take care of your end. I’ll make sure that there are no references to the Capizeo family anywhere in my office records.”

“There should only be a photo and report copy on your end at most Markus. But the Priest that took that picture needs to be dealt with.” Daniel ordered.

“He is no Priest Daniel. The man is a contracted informant over at the airport. Is the photo in color or black and white?”

“Color. Why?” Daniel asked.

“Son of bitch! The little rat fucker is using an illegal pin-cam. That’s why. If he gets caught using something like that my whole operation can get blown to Hell in a tissue paper basket.”

“Markus this is worse than I expected. Make that man go away. No trace. Understood? Or do I need to make that an order?” Daniel asked with real worry in his voice. He didn’t like using contract informants. “Why would he even be taking pictures of people if we’re not looking for them?”

“DO you have the report with that photo with you?”

Daniel open the file and flipped to the report. As he read the report his ass cheeks puckered. “Oh FUCK! This stupid shit sent in a report about US Deputies Marshals coming and going from the private terminal, Markus. There are more pictures in this file.”

“Aw fuck! This just keeps getting better and better.”

Daniel had been flipping through the photos while his friend bitched. After seeing the photos of the two men and two teenage girls he came to a dead stop. “Oh shit! Sweet mother of God. Fuck me, sideways. This whole mess just went fucking nuclear on our asses.”

“What? Who did that shithead take pictures of Daniel?” Markus demanded.

“Whoever that fuckhead is; kill him. Do it in public, and make it bloody. That is a motherfucking order Father Markus.” Daniel was done playing.

“It shall be as you ordered, sir. May I know who the man had the stupidity of photographing to earn such a sentence?”

“Maria and Annette DeMarco. That’s who! The other five pictures can only be Donna Maria’s adopted daughter, her sons-in-law, and her two granddaughters. Do you have any idea of the Hell that woman would bring down on our Order if she found out that we were spying on her and her family? My God! We would be facing a Holy war against the most feared Guild of assassins in history.” Daniel couldn’t believe the situation that this man Hamilton had put the Iscariot Division, let alone the Church.

“Aw fuck! I'll take care of this myself Daniel. Destroy that damned file now. We don’t need anyone else finding about it or those photos. I don’t care if there is a naked photo of the last Capizeo in there. Just destroy that file.”

“Consider it done brother. I’ll send you a bottle of wine for the trouble.” Daniel chuckled.

“Don’t bother, I’m the one who owes you the bottle. You saved my ass before things got dicey. I really didn’t want to burn another office so soon after what happened in Albany. A whole team wiped out with no witnesses, and nothing to go on for who attacked. This is not good brother.”

“We know who attacked Precision Holding, Markus. They signed their work.” Daniel lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “They left a white rose and two silver half-dollars on the reception desk.”

The other end of the call remained silent for a few minutes before Markus finally said something. “They have truly returned from the mists of time. We have wondered how long it would be before the Hemlock Rose came for their revenge. Does the Monsignor know of their return yet?”

“Yes, and he is going to run brother. I can tell by the way he is acting. The man has no honor. He’ll leave our brothers and sisters in the Iscariot Division to face the Rose’s bloody wrath and not care.” Daniel laid out his thoughts to the one man he knew he could trust. “Brother, this is one time that I feel I should go to the Archbishop. I have records on all of the Monsignor’s illegal activities.”

Markus didn’t even think twice. “Go! Monsignor Delacorte does not deserve our loyalty. He has betrayed our trust one too many times brother. You know this, sure as I know you will do the right thing.”

“I guess it is time for the Iscariot Division to pay for our past sins. All of them. Starting with the sins against the Capizeo family.” Daniel sighed.

“Go with God, my brother.” Markus intoned.

“And peace be unto you, my brother.” Daniel answered back before hanging up.

Daniel ordered a sandwich and tea as he planned his next move. While he waited Daniel studied the photo that started his journey of reflection. The woman was petite and beautiful in an extremely exotic way. He could see that she had the body of a Ballet dancer. One that had spent decades at the barre. The most striking feature about the woman was her eyes. There was a harshness and unrelenting dedication hidden behind layers of sorrow to those eyes.

“This woman has to be the child of Mary and Marko Capizeo. God help us, if she has come for the Iscariots seeking vengeance.” Daniel sighed. “Because if she has; then not even the Good Lord Almighty can stop her.”

Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida

Father Markus Coleman knew that he had to handle the problem of John Hamilton today. After the phone call with his oldest friend, and boss, he knew that Hamilton had to go. Or it would be his head on the chopping block. The driver of the van was one of his most trusted agents. Two agents in the back of van manned a very unusual and deadly firearm. The sheer firepower of the weapon insured that Hamilton’s death would be both bloody and public.

Not turning to face the gun, Markus asked. “You understand your orders?”

“Yes sir. John Hamilton dies today. We just need a clear field of fire.” The gunner answered quickly. “Though why are we eliminating such a valuable asset, sir? Especially one that has been so useful in the past.”

Markus sighed. He knew that he had to give his agents a reasonable excuse for killing Hamilton. “As much as I want to keep the man around and continue to use him, we can’t. Hamilton has been compromised.”

“What the hell? How did that happen? He’s always followed protocol sir. Even his last report was by the numbers. Sealed envelope and all. He’s never once gone outside of procedures.” The gunner told Markus.

“The fool went around official channels with his last report, James. He broke with protocols and now he’s exposed. And if we don’t clean up his mess today, we’ll be exposed right along with him.” Markus turned to face the two men. “And we all know the standing orders for burned agents of the Iscariots.”

“No offence boss, but where is this little rat fucker?” The second man asked harshly. “I don’t know about James and David, but I really have no desire to spend the rest of my life on the run. Especially with a price on my head.”

“It’ll be ten times worse than that this time, Peter. We’ll have an International Death Warrant on our heads because of the fool.” Markus lied.

“HOLY MOTHER OF GOD! What did he do? Expose the Archbishop?!” Peter exclaimed.

“Worse. The stupid fool took pictures of Donna Maria DeMarco and her family then sent them to Section twenty-one.” Markus explained honestly while watching the employee exit of the airport. “I don’t know about you fools, but I have no desire to face that woman or her family. Even in broad daylight. That doesn’t even take into account the sheer number of Hitters that woman can draw on.”

“What does that have to do with anything? It’s not like the woman can command an army of professional Hitters.” Peter chuckled.

This time Markus sighed at his men’s ignorance. “Will you fools use your heads for once! That woman is owed more favors by Hitters than any other Don or Donna in the world. And those that don’t owe her, she can hire with just a word. That doesn’t even take in account the ones that would flock to her for just the chance to work for her. Just doing a job for Donna DeMarco would make any Hitter’s name in the world. So, the answer is yes; she can raise an army of Hitters. And it wouldn’t take her any effort at all.”

None of his agents said anything after that. They just concentrated on their jobs. They had all heard of Donna Maria ‘the Dove’ DeMarco. The most feared assassin in all the Organized Crime Families. None of them wanted that woman or the forces she could bring to bear hunting them down. If they had to turn one man into a bloody past to insure their survival, then so be it. John H. Hamilton had put them all in danger. The only way to remove that threat was with the man’s death. James double-checked the sights of the M-134 Minigun. Peter made sure that the ammo feed was clear of obstructions. And David made sure that he had a clear path to their target’s car.

Markus was the first to spot Hamilton as he exiting the employee parking lot. “Shit, change of plans people. Our target is already in his car and driving away. Damn it!”

David started the engine and pulled out into traffic. “Don’t worry boss. This just makes things easier. We get ahead of him, then Peter and James can blast his ass on the move. We just open the rear doors and they fire out the back, on the move. It’s perfect. Best of all, no innocent bystanders or collateral damage. We get the job done; nice and neat. Best of all it’ll still be bloody and public.”

Markus was many things, but dumb wasn’t one of them. David’s plan would work, and it removed a great number of outside factors. “Peter, James, get that gun turned around. David get us in front of that traitor as fast as you can.”

His agents did as ordered. They knew their jobs and had more than enough reasons to follow orders. None of them wanted to spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders. The idea of being burned by the Iscariot Division wasn’t something that any operator want to face. All four men had heard stories of fellow operators who had been burned. And what they had to face on the outside world. No money, no home, no country, no name, no friends and above all, little to no prospects of changing that.

As they followed Hamilton out onto I-75, known to the locals as Alligator Alley, Markus smiled for the first time since talking to Daniel. It didn’t take long for David to get in front of their target once they were on the Interstate. As David pulled in front of Hamilton’s Jeep Wrangler Peter threw open the rear cargo doors of their van. The gunner for the M-134, James, wasted no time in opening fire. At over 4000 rounds a minute John J. Hamilton never knew what hit him. The massive rate of fire turned both him and his Jeep into a holed, burning and bloody mess in under ten seconds.

As the van sped away into the early morning, Markus pulled out his sat-phone. He dialed the number from memory. The other end was answered on the second rang. “Talk to me.”

“Hamilton is dead, Daniel. Public and bloody just like you wanted. We square?” Markus told his old friend.

“We’re square, Markus. Now, close down your operations in Miami. Clean sweep of everything. Get you and your people out of town. Full slash and burn. There’s a cargo ship called the Flower of the South docked in Port Everglades. The captain will get you and your people out of the country no questions asked. The ship sails in five hours.” Daniel paused before continuing. “And Markus, lay low for the foreseeable future. Six to eight months. Head for Freeport in the Bahama’s. Ask for Father Clancy. Don’t worry, everybody knows the good Father. He’ll keep you safe. Understood?”

“Understood, Daniel. Peace of the Lord be with you.” Markus intoned and hung up. “Okay people. Time to clear out. We have four hours for a sweep and clear of the office then our quarters.”

“Damn boss. Where we going to go now? Are we burned?” Peter asked.

“We’re not burned Peter. You can thank a good friend of mine for that small favor. We just need to lay low for six to eight months.” Markus chuckled. “How do you all feel about rum drinks, ice cold beer and suntan lotion?”

Gatsby room, Gorman Rod & Gun Club: 10:30

As the MCV Flower of the South was exiting Port Everglades. Maria sat quietly waiting for the man she knew wasn’t going to be meeting her. She was just there to provide an alibi for her team. Kristine had sent her a text that her plan had gone off without a hitch. Even now Sam and Angelic were transporting Andrews to the old abandoned farm twenty miles from the Gorman.

When Andrews’ main security guard showed up in the Gatsby room alone. Maria smiled to herself. Everything was happening just as she had foreseen. Picking up her teacup Maria took a drink as the man approached her. After placing the cup back on the table, Maria looked up at the goon.

“Where is your employer, sir? I don’t have all day?” Maria snapped.

“Um… ma’am, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I was hoping you could tell me that.” At Maria’s glaring eyes, Dale Spiecer swallowed. “Ma’am; please understand that he left his rooms over forty-five minutes ago. He should have been here already.”

Maria looked over at her watch. “I will give your employer another fifteen minutes. After that, any chances at a deal; will be gone. I suggest that you quit wasting my time and go find him. Now! Before my patience runs out.”

Spiecer nodded his head and left Maria to her tea. Maria chuckled as the man practically ran from the room. “Once a thug, always a thug.”

As she sat there Hunter, Bobby and the girls joined her.

Bobby was the first to say anything. “Sam and Angelic have secured our bunny, mom.”

“Any chance the snatch was recorded girls?” Maria asked her granddaughters with a sly smile.

“None, grandma. Mamma Sam and Aunt Angelic are ghosts in the machine. All traces of them have been wiped from the hotel security server.” Kasey explained smiling then turned thoughtful. “Nonnina, how did you know about the basement exit? It’s not on the blue prints.”

“Simple, logic dear. I noticed that the elevator had a button for the basement. That meant there had to be a basement entrance of some kind. Just so that the hotel stays within Fire Codes. Which for the State of New York means there is also two emergency exits by code.” Maria explained. “Knowing this; all it would take is five, maybe ten, minutes between your mother and aunt to find the regular entrance and those emergency exits.”

“What I want to know is where mamma Sam learned all those fancy strikes and kicks?” Kristine asked Maria.

Maria chuckled. “Kristine you and Kasey both need to understand one thing. In the hands of your mother Samantha any object becomes as lethal as she needs it be. Between what you saw last night and this morning you’re just now seeing your mother Samantha in her true element.”

Hunter coughed into his hand. “Excuse me, mom, but what do you mean?”

“Samantha, no let me correct that, Stephany has embraced her heritage. She is the Hemlock Rose, last Mistress of the Sleep of the Beautiful Death.” Maria sighed then took another drink of her tea. “As all of you have now seen with your own eyes. Stephany is just as deadly with her bare hands as she is with her family blades.”

“Will she ever train us to follow in her footsteps Nonnina?” Kristine asked quietly.

Maria took a drink of her tea before answering her granddaughter. She could see the hope in both of their eyes. “Maybe in time. Though I fear that time is not too far in the future.”

“Why do you say that mom?” Bobby asked fearing the answer.

“Because your daughters have already mastered the Way of the Dancing Blade. They have outstripped everything that could ever hope to teach them.” Maria answered honestly. “The only thing that is holding your daughters back is I refuse to push any dancer beyond their skill level. Ever”

“So, the only thing standing in our way of learning the Sleep of the Beautiful Death is mamma Sam?” Kasey asked Maria.

“You have hit upon the rub dear child. I fear that unless your mother Samantha returns from Rome. That you will be left to discover your heritage on your own. Just as she has. I pray that your mother Samantha will be able to rip the needed information from Andrews’ sorry hide.” Maria told them all.

“Do you think she can do it Nonnina?” Kristine want to know.

“I believe that she will, Kristine.” Maria hid her smile in her teacup’s rim. “I believe that she will. In more ways than one.”

-----tbc-----

Kudos and comments are always welcome.

The barn was perfect for Sam’s needs. The farm looked to have been abandoned for a few years now, but there was still plenty around to work with. The pliers for drawing nails out of horseshoes were antique. The hammer was just as, if not older. The coal forge that was used to heat iron horseshoes for shaping had to be a hundred years old. Even the rocking chair in which she sat waiting for Anderson to wake up was an antique. Only three things were not antiques. Her, the laptop and the camera she had setup to record and broadcast Anderson’s interrogation. Sam had taken care in setting up the camera. At first, she only focused on Anderson’s face, but after a few seconds changed her mind and pulled back so his whole body could be seen.

All Sam had to do now was wait. Everything was ready for her use. The fire in the forge was orange hot. Having been started forty minutes ago. The pliers were a nice glowing orange. The hammer had been setting in the bucket of ice for so long that it would freeze and peel skin. On the bale of hay sitting next her chair were her family needles. Next to those was her laptop. All was in readiness. All she needed was for Anderson to wake up.

For the first time in two years, an open pack of Winston cigarettes and lighter sat within easy reach. Sam sat quietly rocking back and forth smoking her fifth cigarette since arriving at the farm. Sam always hated waiting. Especially when she had her target in her sights. It had taken her father to break her of her impatience behavior. Oh, she was still known for her Maverick ways, but that was nothing more than an act. An act she had carried out for almost twenty years now. Even though she was here to extract information from Anderson, Sam was in no hurry.

She was using this time to think. The last few days she knew that she had pushed the boundaries. Her obsession with getting revenge for her family had fogged her judgment. Made her reckless. It had made her angry and distrustful of those who had become as to her as family. Not to mention her new family.

In a voice barely above a whisper Sam berated herself. “By the gods I’ve got a lot to apologize for. Three years down the fucking tubes, because I couldn’t keep my need for revenge in check. I guess I’ve spent too many years looking over my shoulder on the run from my past.”

Rolling up the sleeve of her left arm Sam looked down at the marks that she herself had cut into her own flesh. Each scar was one inch long. Each scar represented one life. They reached from the crook of her inner elbow down to the inside of her wrist. A hundred-and-four total in all. She had more to add to that count thanks to her actions of last night. This was her Blood Count. One mark for each life she taken in her pursuit of the man who had given the order for her family to be murdered.

Sam had always suspected that it was someone within the Iscariot Division. Unlike the rest of the world, Sam had never given up on trying to find the man behind her pain. The DOJ, FBI and Marshals may have relegated the murders of Capizeo family to the ‘dead case files’ but she hadn’t, not by a long shot. Samantha Justice could never really let the case go. It haunted her sleep. It occupied her thoughts during the few hours of relaxation she allowed herself. Sam’s only escape from those tortuous thoughts were during her time in the dance studio.

“You sure you want smoke around all that hay?” Lyssa’s voice coming from the laptop caused Samantha to jump. “Relax, we’re alone. Angelic is still out in the truck and the rest of the command are upstairs. It’s just you and me.”

“To what do I owe this unprecedented private ass chewing, Lyssa?” Sam snarked as she took a heavy drag off her cigarette. “By the way aren’t we breaking about half our Opsec rules.”

“No. I'll get to the point. Why you don’t trust the military side of the house?” Lyssa then asked her bluntly. “Is it because we’re not part of your big three?”

“It is not that Lyssa.” Samantha sighed then took a drag of her cigarette. “I doubt that you would understand my reasons. But I’ll try to explain.”

“I’ll listen, so long as you’re honest with me. I'll even trust you to not hold nothing back. I know about the Blood Oath.” At Samantha’s glare Lyssa sighed. “They told me. Let's hear it.”

“Fine. Water under the bridge. But before I get started, let me check on my guest. Don’t want him waking up on me too soon.” Samantha walked over to Anderson’s hanging form and placed her fingers on his neck. She then lifted one eyelid. “Yup. Still out. We got about twenty minutes before he even comes close to waking up. Damn. I really need to watch how hard I hit with that move. Then again it is a bitch trying to control the results for the Waking Death. I think only my great, great grandpa ever had any real control with that strike. Or was it my great, grandma? Never mind, we got time.”

“I saw that strike. I could tell that it was nonlethal but with the right amount of force it would turn deadly. I also know that it is not part of the Way of the Dancing Blade. Why don't you start by explaining why you’ve been withholding vital information about your skills, since it seems so important.”

“For starters it’s not called the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. That is a mistranslation by my ancestor Elisabeth DeMarco y Capizeo. The actual translation is the Great Enlightenment. Five centuries ago, a man give his word to a small band of Buddhist monks that he would never reveal what he learned as an outsider. In return; they challenged him that if he could master each step of the Great Enlightenment, in under ten years, they would let him go. Rinaldo Capizeo that earned his freedom in five years.” Sam ground out her current cigarette and lit another.

“Better to toss those butts into that forge, no DNA. And your family has kept that promise ever sense.” Lyssa now understood the problem. “You don’t want to be the Capizeo that breaks that promise or tradition. I can understand that to a degree.”

“It’s more than just that Lyssa. You see that small Buddhist Temple was high within the Himalayas. High enough to give pause to just about every type of assault. They weren’t like most Buddhists though. They didn’t seek eternal enlightenment. They lived for the joy of learning and storing knowledge. They were more scholars, teachers, poets, and warriors than holy men. They came from all over the ancient far eastern countries. Most were warriors who wanted to spent their days in peace. Each of these warriors brought their home nation’s martial art to the temple. Over time the monks took all those different forms of the martial art forms and combined them all together.” Samantha explained.

“Like what I did with Evolution. Only they did it five hundred years before I was born.” Lyssa chuckled. “Not the first time a great idea trans versed time.”

“You could say that. Only the Great Enlightenment was never meant for combat. Unlike the Way of the Dancing Blade. It was a way for the monks to hone their minds and strengthen their bodies. It took my ancestor, Rinaldo Capizeo, to turn into the deadly art form it is now.” Sam paused long enough for a drag off her cigarette. As she exhaled Sam gave Lyssa a thoughtful look. “All that’s left of those monks is the Great Enlightenment. They were totally destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party during their Religious purge of Tibet in fifty-nine. All of their work. All of their knowledge. All of their charities. Gone. Not even their temple still stands.”

“I heard that happened to many such installations, damn shame, losing all that history. So, all that remains of the sect and their works is your family. The only people in all the world who know their secrets; is your family.” Lyssa finally grasped why Samantha was so secretive about her training. It was not out of distrust, but out of a tradition that was driven bone deep in the assassin turned deputy. “I get why you’ve been so distrusting about that. I'll give on it. However, you could've given on the results without being difficult. You know that.”

“Yes. I was belligerent and admit that. I know that when we face off it’ll come down to luck and timing.” Sam said as she finally looked over at the laptop. “We both know it, Lyssa. So, don’t go kidding yourself. You’re one of the best. You could take Annette with little or no problems, but you would know that you’ve been in a fight. Anna or Maria would leave you bloody, because of their experience but you would still win because you have youth on your side.”

“If you say so.” Lyssa said blandly.

Samantha snorted. “You still believe that you’re better than me. After all that you’ve seen. Is your arrogance that great Lyssa? Is it too much for you to grasp that for once in your life there is someone out there that is just as good or better than you and your old unit? Your Evolution is barely a tick on the clock of history. You forget I sat and watched your little sparring match on the beach. I’ve also watched your operational recordings. Your Evolution holds no mystery for me.”

Samantha took a drag off her cigarette. “With the exceptions of certain strikes there is little difference between our two martial arts.”

“You’re good. I give you that. I'll even say you’re one of the best I've seen, but I still have the edge. One problem you have is you let your emotions get the better of you. You lack discipline, but you know it. It's understandable, your training started young and was interrupted. You can overcome it.” Lyssa remarked.

“Like I said, I watched your little sparring match with your old platoon.” Samantha smirked. “I will give you the fact that you have more control at times over your emotions under certain circumstances, but you’re still effected by your emotions as any other woman. You’re not a robot.”

Lyssa's expression remained unchanged. “You got a glimpse, that's all. Something for you to keep in mind; those monks only collected what was brought to them. The world did not come to them. I searched the world, not just Asia. The hashmarks, are they what I think they are?”

“That is my Blood Debt.” Samantha sighed. At Lyssa’s questioning look she explained. “Those are the number of dead I have to answer for.”

“How many?” Lyssa asked without compassion.

Lyssa had her own body count that she had never discussed. Like all Demon Wraiths, the blood she had spilled was deep enough to float a naval vessel. The only number that truly mattered to her, were the lives she ended out of pity because there was nothing else to do for them. Now that she finally had a chance to get Samantha to actually open up, she was going to understand the woman as much as could be. There were far too many holes in Samantha’s background leading to confusion.

“Enough to be a reminder of what I can become.” Was all Sam answered as she pulled her sleeve down. “There are thirty-four that need to be added to this count. I don’t know how many more before the count is done.”

“You plan on going after Delacorte on your own?” Lyssa asked bluntly.

“This is a private matter, Sergeant Major. One that is outside of the OICA’s preview. You and the others cannot get involved. I truly wish that you and the others would understand that.” Samantha took a drag off her cigarette. “This war has been waged in the shadows for longer than our nation has existed. The Iscariot Division left the Capizeo family alone for more than two-hundred years. Then, eighteen years ago; one man’s greed ended that peace. He’s the last one, Lyssa. Then I’m done.”

“Do you really believe that Samantha? Truly believe that killing Delacorte will bring you peace?” Lyssa asked.

“Oh, I know that it won’t bring me peace, or my family back, Lyssa.” Samantha sighed and took one final drag off her cigarette. “Before you say it. I know that all revenge gets you is a lonely grave in Potter’s Field.”

“No. Going in without backup and a fucking plan gets you a lonely grave, Samantha. If you're lucky.” Lyssa snarled. “You’re neither stupid nor crazy. So, why are you cutting down your chances for success by wanting to go this alone? It seems so important to you that I even offered my help, personally. I know what it's like to lose. I understand that from you. You said that's why you want him, okay, have him. I'll even help you.”

“Like I said before. This is a private war. This is also a private matter of honor.” Samantha could already tell that Lyssa was going to overrule her or at least try to. “You had your own private war long ago Lyssa. No one stood in your way. Nor did you allow anyone to help you. All I’m asking is for you and the rest of the command staff to stay out of the way.”

“No idea how you came to that conclusion, because you're wrong. Plenty stood in my way. I got one little piece of intel. There was no one to ask for help.” Lyssa stated. “The girls couldn't have told you any details, you'd have gotten it right if they had.”

“They haven’t gone anywhere they weren’t authorized Lyssa. You’re files and records are safe.” Snapped Sam. “Besides, it doesn’t take a super spy to figure out that you have a past. Nor does it take a genius to figure out that you did something about that past. I was wrong, sorry.”

“Everybody has a past. Tell me something, the maverick act. It is just that, correct?” Lyssa snarked.

“Yup! Like my mamma used to always tell us. ‘Hide in plain sight children. Wait until it is time to strike. Then fadeaway into the masses.’ Like all my lessons. I took them to heart and never forgot them.” Samantha sighed then looked up at Anderson. “Those lessons have kept me alive for the eighteen years. They’re all I have left of my parents.”

“That and your desire for revenge, Samantha.” Lyssa never took her eyes off of the assassin from her position in the TOC. “How many bodies did you pile up in those first few days?”

“One-oh-four before I walked through the doors of the James M. Ashley & Thomas W.L. Ashley U.S. Courthouse.” Samantha grabbed another cigarette and lite up. After taking a deep drag and exhaling Samantha looked down at her lap. “I got really sloppy back then. I went after a few people that didn’t deserve my rage. But then again I was foolish enough to believe that the Church would accept someone like me.”

“You were what thirteen, fourteen at the most? For fuck’s sake Sam. You were a damned kid. They betrayed you! Not the other way around. I don’t know how many kids who could have done what you did. Let alone survive on the streets with every thug and his drug buddy hunting your ass. How many days were you on the run? I want the truth. Not that bullshit you feed the Feds.” Lyssa demanded as harshly as she could.

“Ten days. I was on the run and killing Wise guys for ten days. I used everything I was ever taught by my parents to kill. I killed without remorse. I left more than a few single parent homes in my wake. Right along with wiping out a few families.” Samantha chuckled as she bared her soul to this harsh woman. “The Mob still calls that time the Reckoning. The funny part is, I could have claimed my rightful place as the Head of the Moonless Wraith Guild back then. I had the body count to back my claim already.”

“Why didn’t you? What stopped your rampage?” Lyssa knew there had to be a story behind why Stephany Capizeo stopped her bloody rampage.

“It was just after I slit the throat of Peter ‘Two Toes’ Davion in the middle of the Southern States Mall food court. I was seen by this little girl. She was maybe five or six and carrying a ragdoll. I had a choice to make. Kill an innocent or walk away.” Samantha took a deep drag. “I couldn’t kill that little girl, so I walked away. Straight into the waiting arms of the DOJ.”

A groan from Andrews drew Samantha’s attention. “Look’s like we’ll have to finish this chat later. My playmate is waking up. Time to get to work.”

TOC, Ram’s Rock Island 10:30

Lyssa, Kimberly, and Krystle had been in the TOC since 0930. They had watched the snatch of Charles Anderson their monitors. They were surprised by the smooth and almost clinical way Samantha and Angelic had pulled off the kidnapping. They would have asked Anna and Annette about the professionalism of the two women. But they were on their way to Freeport to see an OBGYN on orders from the Major. The snatch had taken place 45 minutes ago. All they were waiting for now was the uplink from Sam’s laptop.

Looking up at the mission clock Lyssa spoke up. “Krystel, is Sam’s laptop up and ready to transmit?”

“According to the signal from her phone; she’s all set. Why?” Krystle asked from her position.

“Bring up the laptop’s camera without tipping her off.” Lyssa said then put on her headset.

Krystle typed in a fast command. Three seconds later the main monitor lit up showing Sam sitting there in the barn smoking. Lyssa could tell the young woman was thinking long and hard about something. Lyssa had seen that look on more than a few faces during her life. She also knew that this might be the only chance to get the enigmatic US Deputy Marshal Samantha Justice to open up.

“Give me the room.” Lyssa ordered. The two operators gave Lyssa a strange look. “I'm going to talk with her but offer her some privacy during it.”

“Maybe that'll settle her down.” Kimberly put down her headset as Krystel did the same. “Good luck, maybe you can get through to her.”

As Lyssa waited for Kim and Krystel to leave the TOC, she watched Samantha roll up the sleeve of her left arm. There was something there that Lyssa had seen before but never asked about. She had always wanted to ask about the scars that lined Samantha’s left forearm. Once her two fellow operators were out of the room Lyssa opened the link.

“You sure you want smoke around all that hay?” Lyssa’s voice coming from the laptop caused Samantha to jump. “Relax, we’re alone. Angelic is still out in the truck and the rest of the command are upstairs. It’s just you and me.”

“To what do I owe this unprecedented private ass chewing, Lyssa?” Sam snarked as she took a heavy drag off her cigarette. “By the way aren’t we breaking about half our Opsec rules.”

Lyssa stood there talking with the one member of the Black Badges that was the biggest mystery. The more they talked the more Lyssa realized that there were more ghosts haunting Samantha than just about everyone else on the island. Lyssa could also tell that if Samantha had been allowed into the military instead of law enforcement, she still would have been denied an elite status. Despite the recent admission of two women into the Ranger program, SpecOps at large was still segregated by gender.

Lyssa nodded at Samantha’s comment when Andrews groaned. “Looks like we’ll have to finish this chat later. My newest playmate is waking up. Time to get to work.”

“Before you start playing Samantha. Are you sure you want to give us the full Monty there? We can work with just the head shot.” Lyssa asked her.

“You want full disclosure you get full disclosure. No more secrets. No more hidden agendas.” Samantha took one last drag off her cigarette. “But remember one thing Lyssa. This is a two way street. Maria maybe the Marshal, but I’m the final answer for my team.”

“Wrong Samantha. If shit goes wrong, you get pulled and we go in. You’re not the final solution. I am.” Lyssa snapped.

“You think that I haven’t felt their eyes on the back of my neck.” Samantha chuckled. “I know that you and the Major have had Tiffany and Shawna in overwatch on this mission from the start. I won’t even go into how many times the military side of the house as stepped in on our operations.”

“We always have backup in place. For everybody.” Lyssa grunted.

“BULLSHIT! You bitch about us not trusting you and the military side of the house. Well sister that is a two way fucking street. Because until you start trusting this team, Lyssa. There will always be a level of distrust between the two sides of the house.” Samantha snapped.

Samantha gave Lyssa a hard cold look as she sighed. “You still don’t get it after all this time. Law Enforcement is messy at the best of times. The only way to get the job done and stay off the radar is the way we operate. No set plan, only a general outline. Because no matter how many variables we consider, there is always something that we miss. Which is something that drives you fucking batshit crazy. Because you can’t control everything. Not in this type of operation. The only member of your team that does understand this is maybe Shawna because of her background in Law Enforcement. We don’t operate like a normal investigative team, Lyssa. We’re Manhunters with Dead or Alive warrants. That means body counts. Never forget that.”

“Number One: We're not babysitters. The Colorado Op? We were here or other places, not sitting you. You know EXACTLY where we were and what we were doing. The Ohio Op, only Shawna was with you and you needed her to run interference with the multiple agencies. The Carolina Op: Shawna was only there to get Anna and the girls in for their cover. And in case you forgot, one of you almost didn't come back from that one. Bobby and Hunter would have gotten over the loss quickly, but not Maria, Annette, you or the girls. The five of you would have been devastated. The Styx? No way any of you could have pulled that off. You had NO training for it and don't pretend for a second you could've managed.” Lyssa reminded her. “Number Two; Body counts. Even Krystel's confirmed count outnumbers your confirmed and unconfirmed put together. Don't ever bring that up again, we'll bring up reports and you'll be humiliated. We've extended so much trust in you all. When I was asked about returning you to the field as the black badges; I was all for it. I said it was a chance to show that you weren't just renegades, malcontents and murderers for hire.”

This was new to Samantha. “You said that?”

“You bet your ass I did! Why the hell do you want to prove me wrong? Hardheaded or just an uppity snot wanting to justify a chip on your shoulder? The reason I'm all over your asses now; is so you ALL come back and come back ALIVE! Not for the Major, not for my kids, not for Mindy. FOR EVERYBODY!” Lyssa growled.

Samantha was surprised. She had never imagined Lyssa felt that way. “I see now.”

“Answer a question for me Sam and before you answer know, that I’ve looked at your Marshals Service record. Back when you worked Cold Case. How many of those outstanding Dead or Alive warrants did you close with a bullet? Give me an honest answer. I’ve read enough AAR’s to know when a report has been sanitized.” Lyssa almost demanded.

Samantha’s answer was as clear as it was cryptic. “Not all were closed by my hand, Lyssa. More than a few bounty hunters and random people defending themselves collected on those warrants. All I did was file the paperwork and pay the bounty.”

Sam’s finale comment left Lyssa with more than a little to think about. She had heard about civilians taking down known felons but had doubted receiving the bounties. Lyssa could read through the lines. Sam might not have been the one to collect the bounties, but she made sure that the warrants were carried out.

“Before I get started, I will give you one piece of advice Sergeant Major. I suggest you listen closely. You got one major blind spot. One that will get you killed.” At Lyssa’s blank look Samantha sighed. “You believe that military training is the end all be all. Hate to tell you this, but I can gather a force of civilians that are just as deadly if not more so, with one phone call. You constantly underestimate the professional civilian. Keeping doing that and sooner or later it’ll get you dead.”

Sam sighed once more as she looked back over Anderson. “Unlike you, I’ve never made that mistake. I treat every target as the last one. That’s all I got Lyssa. Take it or leave it but it’s all up to you.”

“Hope they'd be all criminals. I'd make one call and have them all wiped off the face of the planet. It's not that I underestimate civilians. I don't underestimate you. You're forgetting why I am the way I am. I am because that's the way I am supposed to be. I had only one choice. This way, or no way. You're going back to trying to prove me wrong again. I had high hopes for you. Are you going to throw it all away just to be obnoxious or go to work and be who I think you can be; a person who works for the sake of a better world?”

Samantha reached over and turned on the camera. “Call the others back in Stronghold. I got work to do and time is running short.”

Farm of Yohan Strouse, New York

Samantha double checked that most of Anderson’s body was in the shoot. The first thing she did was to tighten the ropes that held Andrews suspended spread eagle. Reaching down she grabbed the pliers from the forge. She let the cruelest of smiles cross her face. Stepping around in front, but slightly off to the side. Sam reached up and slapped the piss out of Anderson.

“Wake up fuck stick!” Sam slapped him a second. “Look cocksucker. I don’t have time to play around with your ignorant ass. I know you’re wake. Now open your fucking eyes, before I peel them open with these pliers.”

When Andrews just kept his eyes shut and hung there, Samantha let out a put upon sigh. Grumbling to no one in particular. “God save me from boneheaded, pea brained, money grubbing, narrow minded, shortsighted, jackasses.”

Samantha grabbed the end of Anderson’s penis with the red hot pliers. Naturally Charles howled as his foreskin blistered and peeled. “Now that I have your attention, Charley. Let’s dispense with the bullshit posturing. You can either tell me what I want to know and be honest about it. Or I can rip the information from you. Either way I’m going to get the information I want and need. How that happens; is all up to you.”

“FUCK YOU! BITCH! DO YOU REALIZE WHO I AM?” Andrews screamed as Sam squeezed the foreskin of his penis.

“Oh, let’s see.” Samantha pulled out a flip-page note pad. “Ah, here you are Charles Irwin Anderson, arms dealer, art and drug smuggler, white slaver, money launder for the Cartels and basic all around, scum-sucking-douche bag. I miss anything?”

Tossing the pliers into the forge Samantha grinned evilly. “And right now. My latest fucking playmate.”

Stepping around behind Anderson, she picked up the hammer that she had hidden from his view. Leaning close to his ear Sam staged whispered. “You know what? I’ve always wondered about something. They say that after heating metal to certain point, it no longer feels hot to the touch. Instead, they say, that it feels like your being hit with ice. You see according to the docs, all that extreme heat fries the nerve ends before the pain signals reach your brain. Be sure to let me know.”

With that Sam jammed the hammer’s iron head between Anderson’s butt cheeks. The icy cold metal had the desired effect on Anderson’s mind. The man screamed for all he was worth. Even as he bucked against the ropes that held him suspended in the air. Samantha never let the head of the hammer get too far from his skin. After a few seconds Sam returned the hammer to the ice bucket trying not to laugh at tricking him.

Samantha never let the cruelty leave the insane smile that she wore. She remembered the lessons at her father’s side. The first of which is never let the subject of your interrogation realize you’re actually sane or human. Running her hand down Charles’s chest Samantha whispered into his chest.

“I’m going to have so much fun with you. Please don’t disappoint me. I want you to hold out for as long as possible. My last playmates broke in under fifteen minutes. You might know them; Sylvia Price and Ronald Vickers?” Samantha let her words drip from her tongue as if they were honey in the August sun. “Sadly, Sylvia’s poor little Carrie succumbed to the pleasures of my needles before I was able to have any real fun. I hope you last longer than she did. I think she died from a sexual overload to the brain.”

Turning to the hay bale Sam picked up the first of many needles. “You know something. I’ve always wanted to try and break my grandfather’s record. He was able to use forty-two needles before his subject died.”

Sam looked up at Andrews and licked the first needle. “You look strong enough that I might actually be able to reach forty. If I’m nice about it.”

TOC Ram’s Rock Island.

“I know that Sam has a mean streak, but this is a whole new level of cruelty.” Kimberly commented as she watched play with Anderson’s mind.

“Remember that Samantha Justice is the product of centuries old training.” Lyssa admitted to the other two operators. “Her and Annette. Unlike us they were raised in a world filled by a tradition of spy craft and assassination. It came with the name. The DeMarco, and Capizeo families are the most feared of the Old World Mafia families for more than one reason. I'm surprised she didn't wet herself laughing over the ice hammer bit.”

“What the hell is she doing with that needle? Oh, I hope she sanitized it after using it last time.” Krystel asked as she watched the video feed. “By the way, what did you say to get her to show everything?”

“Nothing. She did set this all up on her own.” Lyssa answered without turning around. “She also tried to pull the trust is a two-way street card.”

“Is she still hung up on that bullshit excuse?” Kimberly sighed.

“She thought it was valid.” Lyssa sighed. “She has her reasons for thinking that way. I guess it is my fault. Maybe I should have given her the no-shit briefing and pep-talk.”

“Oh, come on Lyssa. That girl has had a chip on her shoulder from the day she got here. Personally, I think that you should have just kicked her ass on day one and been done with it.” Krystel grumbled. “She has to be the biggest loose cannon in the Black Badges. We’ve had proof of her going off the reservation before they ever set foot on the island.”

“She did and didn’t, Krystel. Yes, she went after a target on her own. Yes, she handed out her own form of Justice. Yes, she broke about ten Federal statutes. Only one problem with that whole scenario.” Lyssa grunted. “Samantha Justice was, and still is a US Deputy Marshal. The woman was a legalized manhunter. She was and still is one of the best. All she has ever done is her duty. She did what she had to do to protect her Witness. Granted, the only argument might be her creative manner. I saw no problem with it myself.”

“Nothing more than what we would do.” Kimberly said quietly. “What else was said that brought about this change, Lyssa?”

“She thought she needed to remind me the military way of doing things isn’t the only way of reaching the top. That there are civilians out there that are just as deadly if not more so.” Lyssa finally turned to look at the rest of the command staff.

Kimberly asked. “Really? Like we don't know that? Terrorists, cartels, serial killers, rogue mercenaries; yeah we're totally clueless.”

“Said she watched our operational videos. Guess she didn't pay attention as much as she implied. Hopefully I reminded her of what she's supposed to be doing.” Lyssa remarked, watching the monitor.

Krystel asked. “Not being a criminal?”

“Yep.” Lyssa replied then turned to head up. “Maybe I can get some coffee before she breaks him. She's on a roll with him, he won't last long.”

Kim called. “I'll call if she gets there before you get back.”

Farm of Yohan Strouse, New York

Sam slowly inserted her first needle between Anderson’s L4 and L5 vertebrae. As Andrews tried to pull way screaming, Sam chuckled. “Now, now, Charley. Don't go doing that. You’ll ruin my fun.”

“When I get loose, I’m going to pluck out your eyes and skull fuck you to death, bitch.” Andrews ground out.

Sam forced the giggle as she took the next needle and slowly inserted it into the space between Anderson’s L3 and L4. This time Sam wasn’t gentle. She twisted the needle as she pushed. With each millimeter and twist Sam increased the pain. Once the needle was halfway through Anderson’s spine Sam stopped. “There; now I can really fuck with your lower body.”

“What do you want? Money? I can pay you a ten times whatever it is you’re being paid now. Just name your price.” Andrews offered. He knew that he could buy this mad woman off. Not that he would. Once he was free, he would have his men rape the bitch until she bled to death.

“Oh, Charley, you poor deluded fool.” Sam picked up the next needle then inserted it through Anderson’s left nipple. “You couldn’t pay me enough to turn you lose now. Don’t you see? Now that I have you. I just have to rip everything you know out into the open.”

Inserting the next needle through his right nipple Sam grinned evilly into his eyes. “You see. I’m your confessor, and executioner. I can't let you go.”

For the next half hour Sam slowly inserted needle after needle into Anderson. She kept the man on the edge of sanity through pain and pleasure. Never once asking him one question. She waited until she was on needle thirty-two before she asked her first question. “Now, that you’re good and primed. Where are your offshore accounts and what are your passwords?”

“Switzerland, the British Virgin, Cayman, Cook Islands and Cyprus. Those are the only ones. I swear. Please stop.” Andrews was so close to losing his mind. “You can have it all. Just please stop.”

“I need your passwords, Charles. Without those, I can’t stop.” Samantha grinned. Then inserted the thirty-third needle through the base of his penis. Charles Irwin Andrews finally broke. As the involuntary orgasm gripped his mind, he knew that his time among the living was nearing its end.

“Redemption nine-twenty-one. My passwords are always redemption nine-twenty-one.” As Charles shuttered in release, Samantha sighed.

Something on the laptop caught Sam's attention. She could see Lyssa make the money sign and a thumb's up. Samantha nodded back. The accounts were being drained to an operational account.

“Very good Charley, very good. Now I want you to tell me exactly who your contact is in the State Department. I need to know how you and your friends got your hands on those high-security safes.” Samantha asked sweetly as she drew the needle down the length of his still erect penis. “Tell me that and I won’t use this next needle.”

“Donald Abrams!” Charles practically screamed. “He’s our connection.”

“Oh Charley, you were doing so well.” Samantha sighed as she shoved the needle through the middle of Anderson’s penis. “I know that was a lie. Donald Abrams is dead. For too easy for you to go blaming him. Now who is your real contact? Tell me and I’ll let you feel pleasure again.”

“I don’t know anyone else! I swear! I was introduced to Abrams by one of my other contacts. I got proof. It’s in my safe.” Andrews breathed out through the pain. He knew that there was no hiding the truth from this demonic woman.

“Where is the safe? What’s the combination?” Sam asked quickly.

“It’s in my main office on Maple drive. The combination is fifty-nine, seventeen, thirty-one, eleven, twenty-three.” Screamed out the combination as Sam ruthlessly inserted her next needle into a nerve bundle just below the left arm pit.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me about that safe or how you were able to get ahold of it?” Sam questioned him almost politely.

“The connection that put me into contact with Abrams is a member of the Catholic Church’s Iscariot Division. A Monsignor Jonathan Delacorte. He used to be a member of the Great Lakes Organized Crime Families.” Charles Irwin Andrews proceeded to tell Samantha everything.

He confessed every crime he had ever committed. He told her how he worked his way up through the shadowy world of organized crime. How he got his start as a low level gunrunner for the CIA. How he first met Delacorte during one of his smuggling operations into the Balkans during the latest uprisings. For every crime he confessed Samantha inserted a new needle.

By the time he was done with his confession Samantha had reached forty-three needles. She may have broken her grandfather’s record, but she also realized that Andrews had reached his limit. One more needle and the man would die.

“I have one more question Charles. Did you know about Sylvia Price’s little sex slave business? Be honest now. You know that you can’t lie to me.” Sam told the man sweetly as she ran the point of her next needle down his sweaty and bloody torso. “If I use this next needle. You will die. Tell me what I want to know, and you get to live.”

“Yes, I knew all about her sex slave racket. I even moved her completed product for her. I used my smuggling contacts to deliver her slaves to their owners. There’s a ledger book in my safe. It has the names of all the buyers.” Andrews panted out between shivering breaths. “That’s it. I swear.”

“How much were you paid for your smuggling operations?” Sam snapped.

“Half a million for every slave. It’s all in the ledger.”

“The code. What is the code for reading the ledger Charley?” Sam squeezed his bloody scrotum as she asked the man. “You’re too smart to not use a code.”

“It’s a transposition cypher. The key is a second edition of ‘Starship Troopers’ by Robert Heinlein. Page 43, paragraph 2.” Charles whimpered.

“Thank you, Charles. You’ve been very helpful.” Sam smiled as she turned to the camera and laptop. “Did you get all that Stronghold?”

“Got it all White Swan. Accounts diverting as we speak.” Lyssa answered. “Do you think he has anything more to add or is he empty?”

“He’s done, Stronghold. This wenny is cooked. He’s got nothing left to give.” Samantha answered truthfully. She knew that Andrews was empty.

“You’re cleared for disposal.” Lyssa ordered.

“Whelp, it looks like we’re done here, Charley.” Samantha sighed as she picked up the last needle. “Sorry I can’t keep you around. I have really enjoyed my time with you. Sadly, like all good things. This too must come to an end. When you get to Hell, say hello to Sylvia for me.”

With that final jab at the man’s sanity. Samantha slid the last needle between his ribs and into his ascending aorta. With a sudden twist and yank she severed the artery ending the man’s life. It didn’t take Charles long to bleed out. It took only minutes.

Sam looked back at the laptop and camera. “He’s done Stronghold. Contact the Marshal and Major. Inform them that with the exception of Tango Bravo’s safe. All lose ends stateside have been tied up.”

“Copy that White Swan. What are your plans for the body and safe?” Lyssa asked her.

“Handing off to the safe to the boys in blue. As for the body.” Sam looked around at the decades old barn. “I figure that the rats and other vermin will take of it. By the time anyone finds Andrews he’ll be nothing more than a pile of bones. Why? You got a better idea?”

“There should be an incendiary grenade in your Load-out. Cover the body in a few bales of hay then pull the pin and set it on top.” Lyssa offered. “What I want to know is why you let him off so easily?”

“He was dead already, Sergeant Major.” Samantha answered as she started removing the needles from the corpse of Charles Anderson. “His body just didn’t know it yet. He started dying after I inserted the needle through the base of his penis. He had maybe ten to fifteen minutes left. All I did was shut down the heart.”

As she removed a needle Sam wiped it down with an alcohol soaked cloth before returning it the leather bundle. She treated each one with extreme care. “I really need to run these babies through an autoclave when I get back to the island. Don’t remember the last they were thoroughly cleaned.”

“How old are those needles Sam? Can they handle an acid dip?” Kimberly asked.

“My great grandfather used them during World War One. So, they’ve been in my father’s family for at least a hundred years.” Sam smiled as she pulled the needles out of Anderson’s spine. “Why?”

“Just wondering where your family learned how to extract information like that is all.” Kimberly answered. “This is the second time we’ve seen the results of you using them to extract Intel.”

“Maria said something about your father teaching you how to use those needles to gain information. Where did your father’s family learn how to use them?” Lyssa questioned her. “The technique is a cross between acupuncture and chakra. Is it Chinese, Hindu or a blend?”

“It was taught to one of my ancestors on my father’s side in the eighteenth century.” Samantha chuckled. “Unlike my mother’s family the DiStefano family were rather progressive for the times. Unlike most Italian families of wealth. They didn’t suffer from the normal racism of the day. A good example of this was the family cook at the time. A kindly old gentleman from what is now known as the Shanxi Provence.”

“Holy Shit! Just how far back does your family’s connection to the Ancient Far East go, Samantha?” Kimberly demanded. “And I don’t mean just the Capizeo side of the family. I mean both sides.”

This time Samantha just chuckled. “The Capizeo and DiStefano families have ties going back to the time of the silken road. To before the Great Betrayal. Before Leonardo di Vinci even dreamt of painting the Last Supper. If that gives you any idea of how far back our ties go in history to China.”

Samantha removed and cleaned the last needle with a chuckle. “You’ve wondered why the Capizeo family are feared above all the other assassins in the world. Well the simple truth of the matter isn’t because of the Great Enlightenment. It’s because we always find the truth. That is our greatest and deadliest weapon. A weapon that we hone to a razor’s edge.”

“Your family learn the greatest fundamental truth about combat that the military took centuries to learn.” Lyssa said as she nodded her head. “Hard provable Intel is the greatest asset any Army can possess.”

“Are you trying to say that knowing is half the battle, Lyssa?” Kimberly groaned as the Operations Boss just nodded her head.

Sam just chuckled as she cut the ropes holding Anderson suspended. Stepping over to the laptop and camera Sam smiled. “In the words of my grandmother, Captain. If it’s corny but true, then it isn’t corny. I’ll contact you once I’m clear. When you contact the rest of the ground team inform them that we’re clear and they can head for the pickup point.”

“What about you and the November Tango. What are your plans?” Lyssa demanded.

“Drop what I have in the laps of the State boys. Then bug the fuck out.” Samantha sighed. “After that, I plan on rendezvousing with the rest of the team at Biggs Reserve Air Force Base.”

“You planning on coming home before heading for Rome?” Lyssa asked her.

“Nope. I plan on getting a rental car on my way. After I turn over Big Blue to the rest of the team me and Angelic will be snagging the first thing smoking out of Albany.” Samantha gave Lyssa a friendly smile. “I have to do this on my own Lyssa. Don’t worry. I won’t be going off the reservation this time. Not this time anyway.”

“How do you figure that?” Lyssa asked.

“The Marshal has already talked with the Major about this contingency. And has received full approval. Monsignor Johnathan Delacorte, a.k.a. Alfonzo Delicato, former Under-boss and missing Consigliere for the Calabrese family out of Detroit Michigan, is under a Lethal Finding.” Samantha snarled. “One that I plan on carrying out, personally.”

“We know that he’s under a Lethal Finding Samantha. Why won’t you let us help? I did offer.” Lyssa reminded. “And don’t give that bullshit about it being a personal matter of honor. That's One-Way-Ticket talk.”

“This is about more than revenge Lyssa. This is one time that your fame as a Prima will be a bigger handicap than ever before.” Samantha held up her hand to stop Lyssa from countering. “There isn’t a man, woman, or child in all of Italy that doesn’t know your face. You’ve reached the same level as Maria the Dove DeMarco. I can go where you cannot.”

“And just where is that?” Lyssa sighed.

“I can walk the very halls of the Vatican unseen in broad daylight.” Sam chuckled. “Nobody will notice one more nun among the faithful.”

Lyssa arched an eyebrow. “Wouldn't that be a blasphemy? Come now; aren’t you a good catholic girl?”

“I could swear you were teasing me.” Sam stated.

Slowly Lyssa smirked.

Sam finally rolled her eyes. “You were!”

“Come in with the others. We'll get you two into Italy with no problems. Promise.” Lyssa stated.

Samantha sighed. “Fine. I'll hold you to that.”

Lyssa nodded. “And hope returns. Stronghold, out.”

-----tbc-----

As always kudos and comments are welcome. They are after all the life's blood of all authors. They feed our muses.

“Don’t worry cousin. This is nothing that I haven’t done before.” The younger woman said with a crooked smile. “Only this time I won’t have to break into the police station. It’s quite the change for me.”

“I don’t even want to know.” Samantha groaned. “Just remember that you’re a paid courier there to drop off a package for the Organized Crime Division.”

“I know, I know. We’ve gone over it seven times, Samantha. I walk in, report to the Desk Sergeant, tell him I have a package for Lieutenant Jackson More, Organized Crime Division. Have him sign, then walk away.” Angelic picked up the plain brown paper wrapped package. Its size belied its weight. “Damn. I didn’t realize how heavy this was until now. I hope that this Lieutenant More doesn’t ignore the importance of this package.”

“Don’t worry Angelic. Notice the return address?” Samantha asked smirking. “That is the address for the FBI’s central evidence lockup. Trust me. Lieutenant Jackson More will rip that paper off just to make sure there’s no evidence tags on those files, ledgers, flash drives and recordings. That is a potential political timebomb. One that he wants nothing to do with. But he’ll still have to verify that none of that is stolen or lost evidence. Once he does that, he’ll be banging down the door of a every last ADA from the Big Apple to Buffalo to get the needed warrants.”

“If you say so.” Placing the red baseball cap on her head Angelic took a deep breath. “Here I go. Wish me luck, cousin.”

“You don’t need it, Angelic. Just work the shirt and jeans. Trust me. Those boys and gals will be too busy scoping out your bod to pay attention to your face.” Samantha giggled as Angelic threw her a dirty look as she closed the door to the truck.

As Angelic walked through the entrance Sam’s team phone rang. “White Swan here. Go head Stronghold.”

“Where’s the November Tango, White Swan?” Kimberly asked.

“Just walking through the door of the State Police HQ. Why? Something go wrong with the rest of the Ground Team?” The worry was clear for all to hear in Samantha’s voice.

“Nothing’s wrong White Swan. We just have a question for her.” Kimberly said.

“May be I can help?” Samantha offered.

“This is one time that we need your expert on the Church. Something went down in Miami. An execution on the Interstate. It was public, extremely violent, and bloody. Looks like your standard Drug Cartel execution but without collateral. No innocent by standers.” Kimberly explained.

“Let me guess. You want to know if the Iscariot Division would pull something like this and blame the cartels. I can tell you now that the answer is yes. Especially if the person executed had somehow got a local strike team burned.” Samantha told them. “Hell. They would do something like that if there was even a hint of a strike team being even slightly singed or well done on the grill.”

“You sound awfully sure of that White Swan.” Kimberly stated.

“Dealt with the cleanup for one of their burned teams before Stronghold. A sure sign of that being the case would be the weapon they used.” Samantha stated as she thought back to that six years ago.

“What did they use?” Kimberly asked quickly and fearing the answer.

“A M-134 minigun, Stronghold. Remember that café in London Texas six years ago? That was in retaliation for an informant getting an Iscariot Strike team burned in Dallas two months earlier.” Samantha growled. “The only good thing that came out of that mess was the misidentification of the weapon.”

“How the hell could that be a good thing, White Swan?” Krystel demanded.

“It proved the point that ALL automatic weapons are AK-47’s or AR-15’s in the eyes of the average person on the street.” Samantha’s snarky reply confused the three seasoned operators, so they didn’t comment. To them there was no way to confuse a crew served heavy weapon with an assault rifle.

Kimberly though had to get back on track with her questioning. “Are you sure they used an M-134? Those are heavily controlled. You sure it wasn’t a M-60 or M-240? All three are the same caliber after all.”

“The sheer volume of fire ruled out the M60s or M240s. Not even if you set them up in twin or quad mounts do you get the same result. Not with the short firing time of the attack. There was way too many spent casings lying around for it to have been anything other than a minigun.” Samantha answered emphatically. “There are four other open cases along those same lines. Though you would have to dig through Interpol files to find them.”

“Sounds like you’ve been doing a little more than keeping track of the Iscariot Division, White Swan. Care to save us the time of hunting down those case files?” Kimberly asked.

Samantha chuckled. “Alright Stronghold. The cases you want to look for are May 21st, 1996 in Warsaw, June 9th, 2001, Prague, August 15th,2009 Athens, the last one will be a bitch to find because it is unsubstantiated December 10th ,2010 Munich. The first three are confirmed through local contacts.”

“Interesting. Sounds like you've been spending a lot of time tracking the Iscariot strike teams? I wonder how much this intel has cost you and how you managed to pay, White Swan?” Kimberly bluntly asked.

“I’ve spent the last eighteen years of my life tracking those strike teams as for the money spent to get that intel. Who knows, it’s only money. Money well spent in my mind, Captain.” Samantha was telling the Command Staff the honest truth. She really had spent 18 years and more money than she could keep track of hunting for those strike teams. She had her reasons for knowing where every team was in the world. The main reason was simple. One day she would kill them all, every last one of them, herself.

“Hold one Stronghold. Here comes our thief.” The passenger door opened and closed faster than the Command Staff was expecting. “Did you get it delivered? Did the Desk Sergeant give you any grief?”

“Delivered straight into the hands of the Lieutenant. The Desk Sergeant just paged the Lieutenant, had him come down and sign for the package. No muss, no fuss. Now get us out of here before you’re spotted.” Angelic ordered.

As Samantha was backing out Kimberly talked with Angelic. “Is there a problem for White Swan, November Tango?”

“I don’t know, Stronghold. But there are ten US Deputy Marshals waiting around the entrance of the Head Quarters. One of them was named Chandler.” Angelic almost panted.

“Are you sure about that Inspector’s ID November Tango?” Kimberly snapped.

“I was close enough to see the man’s badge and they called him by name, Stronghold. So yeah I’m sure.” Angelic snapped. “He had a nice pistol and seems to like it a lot.”

“How can you tell that?” Krystel asked.

“Let’s just say that most pistol handles don’t shine like that without a good deal of cleaning and leave it at that, Stronghold.” Angelic giggled. The sexual innuendo was not lost on the Command Staff.

“Go on and get out of there Bravo team. Alpha team is an hour ahead of you. No need to rush your ride home will wait.” Kimberly said through her chuckling. “November Tango you wouldn’t happen to have any idea on the number of Iscariot Strike teams working in the US?”

“Sorry, but no, Stronghold. That is one of the most closely guarded secrets in the Iscariot Division. Outside of the actual number of their members.” Angelic answered as she turned thoughtful. “If I had to guess; I would say at least one regular Strike team per region, and four independent operatives posing as parish priests within the major cities.”

“Is it an informed guess or just plain gut feeling?” Kimberly asked.

“Gut feeling backed up by solid intel and personal experience, Stronghold.” Angelic answered honestly. “I hate to say this, but with those parish priests the Iscariot Division can pull from a massive pool of local assets.”

“Okay you said this guess was backed by solid intel and personal experience. What do you mean?” Kimberly asked this time.

“Certain members of the Saint Nicholas Order.” Angelic started off with.

“The ones with criminal backgrounds. Such as your own.” Only to be interrupted by Kimberly.

“Yes. Members like me. Thieves, grifters, hackers and hitters every last one of us. A member of the Redeemed Ones. There are you happy?” Angelic snapped.

“If you think I'll apologize; your wrong, Sister. Own what you are or do something about it.” Kimberly answered bluntly.

“Yes. You are correct, Captain. I know that most of us within the Redeemed Ones have more to atone for than most. Please understand that we are all extremely devout in our Faith.” Angelic said as she bowed her head. “Where was I?”

“You were talking about how certain members of your old order had knowledge of the Iscariot Divisions operations.” Krystel answered.

“I remember now. As I was saying, whenever we leave Rome or our home Convent, we’re given a list of numbers to call in case of emergencies. Most are numbers for local parish churches. A few of them, were for small businesses. Ones that would not stand out. Places like corner stores, local liquor stores, or the neighborhood news stand.” Angelic explained. “Then there was always a number of last resort. An unlisted number.”

“Were you given a list like that for this operation by chance?” Kimberly asked quickly.

“Not this time, Stronghold. I was told by the Archbishop that I wouldn’t need anything other than my travel bag and working kit.” Angelic left the rest of what she was told unsaid. It was implied. “He told me that everything I would need would be provided on this end. Why?”

“Just wondering.” Kimberly answered.

“Just how massive of an operation are we talking about here?” Krystel commented on without realizing her mike was open.

“Like your US Marshals, the Iscariot Division has a LONG ARM and further REACH. They are everywhere and nowhere. Seen and unseen. They are the shadows of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.” The more that Angelic described the Iscariot Division the more her hate and fear of them could be heard.

“Well, their time is coming to an end, cousin.” Samantha snarled. “At least for one section.”

“Have you figured out how you’re going to get in, White Swan?” Kimberly asked.

“I believe that is where I come in Stronghold.” Angelic chuckled. “The sheer number of nuns in the world will be to our advantage. And the only Order that is just as secretive about their members as the Iscariot Division is my old Order. I have more than enough spare habits. The White Swan and I are close enough in size she can use one. The only problem will be a letter of introduction. We’ll need one of those to get us past the guards.”

“I believe that the good Father in Freeport will be able to help us with that Stronghold.” Samantha chuckled. “I believe that he would be more than willing to write the letter. Just to satisfy his funny bone.”

“Are you talking about Father Clancy?” Angelic asked with a grin.

Kimberly asked. “You're familiar with that name, November Tango?”

“I was told that if I was ordered to stand down by the Marshal. I was to head for Freeport and report to Father Clancy.” Angelic giggled as she remembered the last of her instructions should she as have been ordered to stand down by her aunt. “I was actually ordered to enjoy the sun, buy a bikini and work on my tan until I was contacted by my Order.”

“That sounds like your Superior wanted you out of the way if things should get dicey.” Krystel surmised.

“Knowing the Archbishop, that would be in line with his MO for protecting the Clergy under him.” Angelic surmised. “At least the ones he feels deserving of his protection. He won’t think twice about leaving someone to swing if they failed to keep their vows or work towards redemption.”

“Can you give us an example of who he would let get burned?” Kimberly asked.

“Every last member of Section twenty-one in the Iscariots.” Angelic answered. She didn’t even have to think about who the Archbishop wanted gone. No matter how bloody that removal could get.

“Any particular reason why?” Kimberly asked.

“Section Twenty-one holds the worst members of the Iscariots. Burned spies, terrorists, former mercenaries and soldiers wanted for war crimes, murders of every stripe, you name it, Section Twenty-one has someone who fits the bill. There’s not one member that doesn’t have a death sentence hanging over their head somewhere in the world.” Angelic answered honestly with more than a little disgust. “I know that all are supposed to be redeemable in the eyes of our Lord, but some people don’t deserve the opportunity.”

“November Tango, if a Strike Team in the States was burned. What would be their extraction orders?” Kimberly asked quickly. “And if they weren’t burned. What kind of reason would they needed to perform an execution and then extract as if they were burned?”

Angelic thought fast about what would force an Iscariot Strike team to act in the manner described. “I can only think of one thing. The Judas Protocols. One of their informants must have endangered the team in such a way that they would take lethal action, then burn their base of operations before extracting. It has only happened four times in the last twenty years.”

That surprised Kimberly. “How do you know about this? You weren’t part of the Iscariots until recently. Shouldn’t that intel be classified to a degree?”

“Oh, it is Stronghold. But like all clandestine operations, something always gets out. The only way to make sure something remains a secret is to tell only one person then kill that person in front of God and everybody.” Angelic chuckled. “There isn’t a member of the Order of Saint Nicholas that hasn’t heard about the Judas Protocols. Why I doubt that there’s any member of the clergy that doesn’t know about them. Except for the novices.”

“Are you really saying that these Judas Protocols are the worst keep secret within the Church?” Kimberly snarked.

“Pretty much. I think that the only one that is even more out there are the DaVinci Codes and the Rose Line.” Angelic grunted.

“Wait that’s not fiction? It’s actually true.” Krystel asked bluntly.

“Save it for later.” Kimberly ordered.

Angelic chuckled. “We’ll get together one night in Freeport. I’ll tell you the truth behind the stories that inspired both the book and the movie. Say over a few of those umbrella drinks.”

“Maybe.” Krystel replied.

“Let’s get back on topic.” Kimberly stated. “If a Strike Team operating in Miami were burned or instituted Judas Protocols. Where would they extract to?”

“They would head for the nearest Sanctuary Church.” Angelic said just before turning thoughtful. “You said they were operating in Miami.”

“That’s correct. Does that have any meaning?” Kimberly asked.

“They’ll most likely head for Freeport. If they are burned, as you think they are, then that’s where they would go. It’s a good bet that they burned their office and all connections to their operations before leaving. If, and this is a big if, they ever get reactivated it won’t be for a year, or more. They’ll spend their time on the beach, blend in with the local population, work odd jobs or open a small business of some type. Plus, work around the church and orphanage. There is something you should know about most of these Strike Teams. Most of the Strike Team members, outside of those in Section Twenty-one, were raised in Church run orphanages. They’re like small families. They never number less than six or more than ten and always have at least two female members. At the bare minimum each team consists of the following master mind, grifter, hacker, thief, forger, and at least one military trained hitter for security reasons. All of whom have been trained by the best in the business. Before you ask, yes I’ve worked with a few of these teams in the past.” Angelic told them as a smile came to her face as she remembered her favorite team. “The best team I ever worked with was out of Boston. About four years ago on a high end art forgery case.”

“These people don’t sound like your everyday SpecOps team. More like a high end heist or con crew.” Kimberly surmised.

“Don’t underestimate them Stronghold. They can turn deadly at the drop of a hat. The best bet is to just leave them alone. They’ll fade into the population until the heat is off them or Head Quarters calls them home. If the Church doesn’t call them home, they’ll accept the fact that they’re burned and try to rebuild their lives as best they can. Using their skills to help people where and when they can. Turning over what money they receive to the local Sanctuary Church. Most of the Strikes Teams are nothing like the thugs of Section Twenty-one. Those teams never work with anyone else.” Angelic told the Command Staff honestly.

“Do you have any idea of how many Strike Teams this Section Twenty-one has in its organization?” Kimberly asked.

“Your guess is as good as any, Stronghold. The only people who know the exact number of Strike Teams for any one section is the Archbishop and his personal staff.” Angelic once again turned thoughtful. “If I had to hazard a guess. I would say that there are at least ten per section. Most likely more for Section Twenty-one. Simply because they handle most of the off the books and black bag operations for the Iscariots.”

Kimberly groaned. “Damn it. Looks like we need a more in-depth briefing on Section Twenty-one’s capabilities. One that will have to wait until you’re back at base.”

“Understood, Stronghold. We’ll workup a report of what we know during the flight home.” Samantha snarled as she hated paperwork. “And for the record. I don’t like the idea of these people pissing in our backyard either.”

Kimberly admitted. “Everybody is always up to something.”

“Wouldn't that be something the Sergeant Major would say?” Samantha remarked.

“Probably; if she were here.” Kimberly replied.

That got Samantha's attention. “She's not there? What do you mean, she's not there?”

“Exactly that. She is not here. The world doesn't patiently await a free moment. There are other things that demand attention besides who you deal with.” Kimberly reminded.

“So, where did she go?” Angelic asked.

“Good question.” Kimberly and Krystel said in unison and Kimberly added. “We don't know. Orders were Eyes Only. Eglin is all we know. That and whatever it is has to be serious. Nobody else was allowed to go.”

“So much for everybody gets backup.” Samantha growled.

Kimberly said flatly. “They do, unless the people that give us orders say, 'go alone'. You know, the assholes that get elected and pretend they don't have anything to do with us. They can decide if you go alone, on a one-way ticket into Hell. Naturally, they don't expect you to come back.”

“I thought she was retired and not deployable?” Samantha asked, confused.

Kimberly answered. “She is retired. Nobody said she wasn't deployable. See you when you get here. Out.”

With that the call disconnected.

Sam looked over at Angelic. “Cousin I hope you’re ready to have a scope shoved up your ass. Because I won’t be the only one that wants to know everything you do about those Strike Teams.”

“I am confused. Why is this Sergeant Major going somewhere disturbing?” Angelic asked.

Samantha shook her head. “I'm confused too. Annette told me directly she was supposed to be recovering from injuries. Unless she wasn't telling Annette the truth about that.”

Offices of Organized Crime Division.

Billy Chandler and his Deputies stood quietly off to one side as Lieutenant Jackson More opened the mysterious package. Only Chandler and his team had any idea of what could be going on. They had seen it happen before.

Billy’s second in command, Bridgit Stevens, whispered. “How much you want to bet that is a package from our friends, Boss?”

“Not even a dime, Bridgit. I know that package is a fucking timebomb waiting to blow. We’ve seen one too many times.” Billy answered barely above a whisper. “Besides, we’re only here to hand off that mess in New York.”

“About that Boss. Why are we making the hand off here? Shouldn’t the jokers in New York be handling the prosecution of those scumbags?” Asked one of Billy’s two generalists on the team, Doug Hurtz.

“All I know is that the State DA wanted this case tried up here. He said something about protecting those novice nuns and avoiding a political nightmare.” Billy answered the man and chuckled. “Personally, I think the guys in New York knew a shit storm when they saw it and passed the buck up the chain. Not that I blame those guys. If I could pass this shit storm off to someone else right now; I would.”

“Why in the world would you do that boss? Of all the SOG teams; we’ve got the best track record for handling these types of cases.” Asked Deputy Debra Couzins, his team’s Computer Crimes Specialist.

“Because no matter what happens. Sooner or later the Holy Roman Catholic Church is going to get involved. By that I mean, the guys in the red robes and pointy fucking hats Catholic Church, Deb. Remember almost half of those kids we rescued were from Eastern European Convents. NYPD is still trying to get enough translators together to take their statements, let alone trying to figure out which country we have to send them back to or even if we can send them home.” Billy grumbled.

“What do you mean if we can send them home boss? They’re here illegally.” Bridgit said quickly not grasping the situation.

“Those girls were all novice nuns, Bridgit. They may have entered illegally, but they’re still members of the Clergy. Very young members of the Clergy, but still members none the less. They are therefore granted a certain amount of diplomatic immunity.” Billy told his team. He pointed over at More. “And there is the face I’ve been waiting to see.”

“Son of a bitch! Where’s that courier? Get that woman back in here, now!” Jackson More yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Time for me to step in before things get out of hand.” Billy sighed. Holding out his hand Billy walked up to the man. “Lieutenant Jackson, Supervisory Deputy William Chandler, I believe that I can give you a little help with that package you just received.”

“I hope like hell you can Deputy. Because this package supposedly came from the FBI’s central evidence lockup. With all the proper stamps and seals.” More snapped, then sighed at the look Chandler gave him. “Sorry about that, Deputy or is it Inspector?”

“William or Billy will do Lieutenant. I don’t stand on formality and neither does my team.” Billy answered smiling as he point over at the pile of evidence on the Lieutenant’s desk. “I will give you one piece of advice. If that pile of evidence came from the people that I think it did, it’s solid.”

“We don’t go for black bag operations in this State, Supervisory Deputy Chandler.” More almost snarled. “If you know who gathered that evidence then you’re required by law to turn them over to me. Especially if they’re Law Enforcement. I don't care which branch.”

Hearing this Chandler’s team all started laughing. “Do I sound like I’m joking here Deputies? Who gathered that evidence?”

“They’re not laughing at you Lieutenant. They’re laughing at the situation.” Billy said as he chuckled. “Before you go making demands to know who gathered that intel, I suggest you call US Marshal Dorothy Rose. My boss.”

“Just why would I want to do that? Especially when I can just have your asses arrested for impeding justice, interference with an investigation, and just about everything else I can fucking think of?” The Lieutenant snarled.

This time 'Bad' Billy Chandler, former NEMESIS operator, didn’t even bother with trying to be civil. “Go right the fuck ahead and try, cockbite. I won’t even need my team to tear you and your fuck nuggets a new ass. If I let them get involved. Your commander will be attending your funerals.”

More and his officer took one look at the gathered US Deputy Marshals. For some reason the State Police Investigators decided that discretion was the better part of valor for once. It might have to do with the fact that even the smallest of them, Debra Couzins, was wearing an evil nasty grin. It was almost as if the team of SOG Deputies wanted more than just a small piece of these State cops. One of the reasons that Billy Chandler’s team had become so good at their jobs was because of his training. Each and every one of them could now go toe-to-toe with just about any prep they went after. The SOG team under Billy Chandler's command were now one of the meanest and the best out of all the SOG teams in the US Marshals.

“Fine. Have it your way Deputy. What can you tell me about the people who gather this evidence?” More demanded.

“That it's solid and any leads you develop from it will lead you to one massive case making career.” Billy turned to his team. “Oh, and Lieutenant. Take a piece of advice. Don’t go looking for the people who gave you that evidence. All it’ll get you is ulcers and a drinking problem.”

Looking over at his team. “Let’s go people. We got a case to hand off, and a flight to catch. Hopefully we’ll be home in time for dinner.”

With that the Deputies went in search of the Captain and DA that would be taking over for the New York case. As they were walking down the hallway a young State Trooper handed Chandler a note as he passed the team. Chandler waited until they were out More’s sight before reading the note.

‘Captain Chandler it has been a pleasure to work with you and your team. The evidence that was delivered to Lieutenant More will lead to a Harmon & Gary 45000 Heavy Security Safe at the offices for Charles Andrews. Be advised that this safe is a ‘dead man’ security safe. No matter what happens, keep your team out of his investigation. Your friends in dark and scary places.’

Chandler spun around and called out. “Excuse me Officer. Where did this message come from?”

“Don’t know Inspector. It came across the teletype at the Patrol Desk. I was just told to find and give it you. The header might tell you where it came from. It’s at the top of the page.” The Trooper said and headed for the exit.

Chandler looked to the top of the page. He started to laugh at the origin address. Handing the note over to Bridgit at her questioning look he just shook his head and continued to laugh. Bridgit started to laugh then passed the note around to the rest of the team. “You know something boss. One of these days we’re really need to find out how they are able to bypass the security on our com-lines.”

“I doubt that we ever will, Bridgit. They’re just too damn good.” Debby put in between chuckles. “Though I highly doubt the boss will be happy.”

“Why do you say that, Deb?” Jimbo Hall asked. “So, what if they used our Headquarters fax number.”

“Jimbo, that is Marshal Rose’s personal fax line. Not the normal BOLO number.” Debby chuckled as the rest of the team got the inside joke.

“Oh man! The big boss is going to be all kinds of pissed off this time.” Rick Martian said as he stumbled at hearing who the fax line belonged to.

“At least they didn’t use my own.” Billy told his team with a smile. “That would just be adding insult to injury.”

The SOG team just laughed even harder. The State Police officers that passed them in the hall just looked on at the strange SOG team. Most thought that they were just like every other Fed. Glory hounds and batshit crazy.

Grand Bahama International Airport, Freeport, Grand Bahama: 1745

Sister Mary Clarence stepped away from the terminal into the sweltering heat and humidity of the Bahamas. She was ill prepared for the for the oppressive heat of the islands. She had left Rome dressed in her usual all black habit and heavy wool tights. Not even the knee length slit lent her any relief from the island’s heat. She knew that she would need to obtain more island friendly habits and light weight tights. She knew the second that she left the offices of Father Daniel and Monsignor Delacorte she would not be returning to Rome in the near future. Most likely not for two or three years.

The signed and sealed orders in her purse that allowed her to pass through the Customs lines unmolested were a double-edge sword. They allowed her to travel the world with ease until she reached Grand Bahama. Once there though she would need a matching set of orders to leave the island. This was a one way trip that Sister Mary didn’t realize until it was too late.

“Sister! Sister! You need a cab?” One of the taxi drivers called out to her.

“Yes, please. I need to find a Father Clancy. You wouldn’t happen to know where he is would you?” Sister Mary asked happily.

“You must be newly come from Rome, Sister.” The driver laughed. “Everybody knows the good Father. And every cabbie knows where to find him at this time of the day. Though I believe you would rather go to the convent so you can change first. The other Sisters will be able to help you better right now.”

Taking her luggage, the cabdriver put it in the trunk of his car after opening the rear passenger door for Mary. Once they were on the way Sister Mary approached the subject of Father Clancy again. “Um… excuse me driver. But you hinted that Father Clancy won’t be at his Church. Why’s that?”

When the cabdriver chuckled Sister Mary began to wonder about the man Father Daniel had sent her to. “Do not worry Sister. Father Clancy isn’t in some dive or bar. He is just out working with his sports teams.”

“Oh, I see! The good Father is working with some kind of youth organization. Does he do that often?” Mary breathed a sigh of relief. She had heard stories of some priests and nuns succumbing to the ways of the island life style.

“Father Clancy spends most afternoons working with the young men of the local sports clubs, Sister.” The driver chuckled. “He is not the only one. Many of the Sisters that care for the orphanage also work with local youth programs. The Church and Convent of Our Blessed Mother is a source of great pride these days. Even the Roseline orphanage has become a source of pride.”

The comment about the orphanage caught the young nun’s attention. “Sir, does the orphanage have some kind of seal on the doors? Like maybe a Rose?”

“Oh yes. A great big one in the center of each door. All of them are hand carved and brought over from the old world.” The more the driver bragged about the Church, Convent, and Orphanage the better Sister Mary felt.

As they drove through the streets Sister Mary thought back to her youth. Back to the one place she had ever called home. To the small village on the island of Sicily, in the Saint Michael’s Orphanage. She knew that Father Daniel had also grown up in the same orphanage. She had always looked up to him when they were children. She even followed him into the Clergy just so she might be near him. Sadly, he never once looked at her as anything other than a big brother would a young sister. A much younger sister as there was almost ten years between the two of them. And now it looked like she would never see her big brother again.

Looking out the window of the cab. Sister Mary spotted a group of four men and two women walking towards the Church. They were all dressed in a similar manner. Blue jeans, t-shirts, and hiking sandals. Each was also carrying a full backpack. For some reason, something about these six people felt off to her. Especially the two women. Before she could ask the driver about them, they were driving into the parking lot for the Convent.

“Here you go, Sister. I’ll just put it on the Church’s bill.” He handed her his clipboard with trip sheet. “Just sign on the last completed line.”

“Are you sure about this. I do have money to pay my own expenses.” Sister Mary asked giving the driver the hairy eye.

“Don’t worry Sister. It’s all above board. The Church has an account with all the taxi companies on the island.” At the nun’s suspicious glare, the cabbie chuckled and explained. “The Church does not have a car, van or truck, Sister. The taxicabs all cover the Church’s transportation needs.”

“Okay. But if I find out that you have tricked me sir. I shall be very cross with you.” Sister Mary said as signed the trip sheet. “Remember sir, I may be a nun, but I’m also a Sicilian. We don’t take kind to people making fools of us or those we care about. Remember this, Al Capone was polite.”

After getting her luggage from the trunk Sister Mary headed inside the Convent to find the Mother Superior. She was slightly surprised to find that the Mother Superior was in her mid-fifties at best, and there were only three other nuns. None of whom could be older than their late twenties to early thirties. She also wasn’t ready to see that their habit was nothing more than a grey cotton skirt, and white cotton blouse. Their veils were barely shoulder length and of the same grey cotton as their skirts. All four women wore sheer white tights and closed toe leather sandals. Sister Mary knew she would have to make some major adjustments if she was going to fit in with these island dwelling nuns.

“Hello Sister, from what Cloister did they send you?” The Mother Superior asked with arms crossed and a harsh look in her eyes. At first Sister Mary was thrown by the woman’s Russian accent. “Well, who did you piss off? Come, come, I don’t have all day.”

“I’m sorry Mother Superior, but I don’t understand. As far as I know I haven’t angered anyone.” Sister Mary was truly confused by the Mother Superior’s reaction to her arrival. “My superior in Rome sent me here without any explanation or orders. Other than that, I was to spend the next few months here in contemplation and await my recall to Rome.”

“Do you have a letter of introduction, Sister?” The Mother Superior asked holding out hand with a confused look on her face. She wasn’t used to having non-problem Sisters sent to her Convent.

Sister Mary pulled out the paperwork that Father Daniel had given her back in Rome. The Mother Superior spent a few minutes going over the paperwork. It was just as the young nun had told her. “It seems that Father Daniel is worried over your health and commitment to your calling.”

“I have been concerned over a few of the things I have seen the last few months Mother Superior.” Mary stated honestly. “I will be honest. Some of what I’ve seen has made me question my faith.”

“Understandable. Working for the Iscariots is never an easy task. To only look for the evil in the heart of your fellow man is never an easy calling.” The Mother Superior sighed. “Well, lay down your burden at these doors, child. Here you can refresh your mind, and body, while you let your soul heal. You will find that your new Sisters understand your troubles.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Sister Mary said with a smile. Thankful that she didn’t have to explain her sudden transfer to this hard woman.

Before they could say or do anything more the doors to the Convent opened again. The six backpackers walked inside and stopped just a few feet away from the Mother Superior and Sister Mary. Almost as one the six reached inside their shirts and pulled out the solid black rosery of the Iscariot Division. The Mother Superior took in the way they were dressed and the backpacks. She sighed then crossed her arms.

“Where were you before you got burned?” Was all the Mother Superior demanded.

“We were the Miami office, Mother Superior Sophia.” The leader of the group said as he stepped forward. “I’m Father Markus Coleman, team leader. With me are Fathers David Hall, Peter Marks and James Hillman. The Sisters of our team are Elisabeth Cahill and Jessica Worth.”

“Which Section?” Mother Sophia demanded next.

“Section twenty-one under Father Daniel.” Markus answered only to get a dirty look from both Sophia and Mary.

“Don’t you mean Monsignor Delacorte?” Mary sneered. At the looks from both Mother Superior Sophia and the Strike Team, Mary sighed. “My last assignment was to Section Twenty-one in Rome. Until sixteen hours ago I worked directly under Father Daniel in Rome.”

“So, I have not six, but seven former Iscariot agents come to my door seeking Sanctuary.” Mother Sophia sighed. “We will take in the Sisters, but the four priests will have to look elsewhere for their lodging. I’m sorry Fathers, but we just don’t have the facilities for so many men.”

“Understandable, Mother Superior. All we ask is you take care of our sisters. We brothers can take care of ourselves.” Markus answered with a smile. The two nuns of his team didn’t seem too happy with this development. “I know you don’t want to split up the team girls, but it is for the best. Besides, we know this might happen when we left Miami.”

“Doesn’t mean we have to like it, Markus.” Sister Elisabeth bitched. “We’re family damn it.”

“And family doesn’t abandon each other.” The voice was warm and rich from years of public speaking. The man who entered the Convent was in his late fifties, with graying hair. He was in excellent shape, with very little fat on his five-ten lanky frame. “Reverend Mother, you haven’t been telling these young travelers they can’t stay here. Have you?”

“Father Clancy they are not travelers.” Sophia sighed as she waved her hand at the seven new comers to her Convent and Church. “They’re all burned Iscariot agents of one stripe or another.”

“Just as you and I once were, Reverend Mother.” Father Clancy sighed. “Or have you forgotten how we came to be on this lovely island? Does the Berlin National Museum, nineteen-ninety-two ring any bells?”

“No need to go there Father.” Sophia snapped as she absent mindedly rubbed her left butt cheek. “Damned, Doberman Pinchers.”

“Good, now that that’s settled. Gentlemen, if you’ll follow me. I’ll show you to the rooms you can use while you stay with us.” Looking over at Mother Superior Sophia. “Reverend Mother, why don’t you show your new Sisters to their rooms and get them a change of clothes.”

“Of course, Father.” Mother Superior Sophia sighed. “This way ladies. Oh, and while you’re with us. Please remember to comport yourselves as members of this Convent. By that I mean dress accordingly.”

All three of the young nuns answered at the same time in the same way. Humbly with a slight smirk. “Yes, Reverend Mother.”

After a quick shower and change of clothes the three new Sisters for the Convent gathered in the courtyard outside. Mary was the first to broach the topic. “What got your team burned Sister Jessica?”

“One of our informants made the mistake of photographing a group of people they shouldn’t have. Then sent those photos to our Headquarters in Rome in the Diplomatic pouch. It really pissed off the brass and we had enact our Judas Protocols.” Jessica bitched. “And I had just put down a deposit on a new apartment.”

“Oh shit! I think I know why I got transferred the way I did. I saw those photos. Who were they of anyway?” Mary asked in a hushed voice.

“If what Father Markus told us is true. Those pictures were of Maria DeMarco and her immediate family.” At Mary’s look of confusion Jessica and Elisabeth sighed in resignation. Jessica looked Mary dead in the eyes. “Maria DeMarco is the Donna of the DeMarco crime family, and Head of second most feared family of assassins in the world. A woman who with but a single phone call could raise an army of Professionally trained assassins the likes of which have never been seen by man.”

“Oh, bloody hell! Please tell me that you made an example of the fool before bugging out?” Mary practically begged.

“The men of our team made sure he went to his heavenly or hellish reward in a very public and bloody way.” Elisabeth chuckled. “Spread him over half a mile of Alligator Alley.”

“Good.” Mary blushed as she looked down at her hands. “I haven’t always believed in the need for the Strike Teams, Sisters.”

“Save it, Sister Mary. We know what most of our fellow Clergy think of us.” Jessica smiled. “But like our motto goes. ‘Sometimes the Faithful must walk in the shadows of night to protect those who live in the Light of the Lord.’ We know who and what we are Sister Mary. And we’re not ashamed of it.”

“Nor should you be Sister Jessica.” All three of the young nuns turned to find the Mother Superior standing just a few feet away. “Be at peace children.” She reassured them as she approached. “Within these walls all are forgiven. The good Lord knows and understands what needs to happen at times to fight the evil of this world.”

“I hope that you’re right Reverend Mother. I knew that I’ve done more than my fair share of breaking the laws of man.” Elisabeth told her honestly.

“Don’t worry child. He does. If you should doubt that, just wait until this Friday and Sunday.” Sophia chuckled. “I shall introduce you to three very remarkable women who understand where you have been.”

“I doubt that Reverend Mother. I doubt that there are many women who understand what it means to have done what we have.” Jessica sighed as she crossed herself. She wasn’t alone in preforming that act of contrition. Elisabeth and Mary had done so as well.

“Oh, I do believe that you shall be surprised by what the world holds children.” Mother Superior Sophia gave her three newest charges a friendly smile. Then she turned and walked away. “Take your time and the rest of today to relax. Our day starts at five am. We hold morning exercises for the children at six, ladies. Don’t be late.”

As the woman once known to the world as once known to the world by Kitayna Ireyna Tatanya Kerenska Alisoff walked away. She reached down and rubbed her left butt cheek as she hummed the theme song to an old 60’s TV show. “I wonder if my old nighttime working outfit still fits?”

-----tbc-----

“Welcome home Madam Maria.” Kimberly said.

“Give me an update, Captain.” Maria looked to the monitors on the wall then answered coldly in response to Kimberly’s greeting.

Kimberly could tell that Maria was less than happy with the completion of the mission.

“You seem upset still, why?” Kimberly asked.

“The last scumbag in our net.” Maria breathed out through clenched teeth. “That man has too many assets to draw on for my liking.”

Kimberly pointed to the flash drive in Maria’s hand. “Is that Angelic’s report on what she knows?”

“Yes, it is, and the Major is not going to be happy.” Maria snarled. “Let me correct that. I am not happy.”

Krystel had barely taken the flash drive from Maria. “How bad is it, Madam Maria?”

“I’ll give you the short version. Section twenty-one, of the Iscariot Division, has at least one operational Strike Team in every State. More in some of the States with larger cities. Ones like California, New York, Florida, but you get my drift.” Maria growled. “That doesn’t even count what the other Sections might have operating within our borders.”

“So, areas with high Catholic populace. Not good. Not good at all.” Kimberly grunted. “What about other countries around the world? Is their presence just as strong?”

“If what my niece and Samantha have been able to piece together is even halfway accurate; I’m forced to say stronger.” Maria sighed. “Especially in some of the Eastern-Bloc nations.”

“Holy shit! I knew they had their claws into the European and Latin Nations, but nothing like what you’re describing.” Krystel commented.

“It’s worse than that Krystel. Just open the file marked ‘Last Crusade’.” Maria ordered with a heavy heart. “We should have ended the Iscariots in forty-eighty when we had the chance. Damn mine and Samantha’s grandparents, parents, and all of our family their short sightedness. Just hundred-thirty-seven bodies and we won’t have this problem.”

“Damn Madam Maria. That’s harsh. Probably true, but still harsh.” Kimberly commented.

“No, Kimberly. Just a statement of truthful facts. If mine and Samantha’s ancestors had just wiped out the Iscariots five hundred years ago. We wouldn’t have the problems we’re now facing. We have been foolish in believing that the Iscariots and our two families could live in peace.” Maria sighed. “An attitude of live and live has led to what is now a tipping point to an international incident with a prelude to all-out war with the Vatican.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Kimberly asked.

“Kimberly, think about what would happen if word of this should get out? Currently, there is a small army of enemy agents currently working in inside our Nation’s borders. Before you say that is nothing new don’t. I know that every nation has their spies, and we’re no better, i.e. our CIA and other counter Intelligence Agencies. Why even our own family would fall into that very category.” Maria told the two operators as she waved her hand to indicate their current circumstances. “Now consider the current attitude towards the Vatican and Organized Religion currently in our country and others.”

“Point taken, Maria. But what can we do about it? We can’t very well hand out Lethal Findings on these people indiscriminately.” Krystel reminded. “And don’t even think about using your old mob contacts. The Major won’t stand for it.”

“Trust me, Krystel. I know. As much as I would love to end this with a simple blood bath of Mafia Justice. All that would get us would be an unwinnable war. As much as I hate to say this, I will not place innocent men and women in jeopardy on a hunch either. Which is what burning those possible Strike Teams will get us.” Maria grunted. “No, as much as it pisses me off, this is one time where we have to use political pressure to remove this threat from our borders. At least curtail it to an acceptable point.”

“Not the best of solutions.” Kimberly sighed then breathed out. “But one of the few that doesn’t end in an international crisis.”

“What have you been able to gather from the ledgers that were sent in?” Maria asked wanting to change the topic.

“Speaking of that, and Mob Justice. We had a problem with Annette and Anna, Marshal.” Krystel wasn’t shy in her rebuke of the two women as she placed the aforementioned ledgers on the briefing table. “They were, or still are, thinking of taking out over sixty contracts on the people named in those ledgers of Price’s.”

Maria just sighed and shook her head. “I don’t doubt it.”

At Kimberly and Krystel’s blank looks of confusion Maria knew that she would have to explain her answer. “For Anna, something like this case alone would be grounds for an all-out mob war. One that she would happily carry out on her own. For Anna, it was people like these that profited from the occupation of Italy by Mussolini and his Black Shirts. Her family suffered under the rule of that man and his thugs. For Annette, the reason is far more personal. It was a man like those named in the ledgers that destroyed her childhood. It took her almost fifteen years to extract her vengeance.”

“Damn. If she waited that long to kill just one man. How long will she wait to kill this many people?” Krystel demanded politely.

“For as long as it takes her to have my grandchild.” At Maria’s blunt comment both women just sighed. “She sees these men and women as a direct threat to her child. Not to mention what she has fought so hard to regain.”

“What do you mean, Maria?” Kimberly asked giving her a blank look.

“Family.” Maria’s one word answer spoke volumes.

“Shit. Not good. Any idea on how to keep that from happening?” Kimberly questioned Maria with real worry.

“Just one. We hand all of this off to the CIA.” Once again Maria was letting her devious mind shine through.

“Okay, this I got to hear. How would turning this over to our ‘favorite’ agency keep Annette from going on a killing spree?” Krystel wondered.

Maria placed her hand on the ledgers that sat on the table. “We decode these ledgers, in certain a way. One that our friends with the Central Institute of Assholes will be forced to act. Just to protect themselves from a possible media fallout of epic proportions.”

“There’s only one problem with that, Maria. The CIA will just cover up any possible media leak as the ramblings of conspiracy-theorist nutcases.” Kimberly pointed bluntly. Then Kimberly saw the glint in Maria’s eyes. “Okay, what have we missed here?”

“What would happen if fifteen or twenty news media blogs were to all drop the same story at the same time? Think of the media feeding frenzy that would result.” Maria giggled. She actually at the looks of disbelief on the two operators’ faces. “It would be like chumming the waters off the Great Barrier Reef for Great White sharks.”

“Okay. So, every last alphabet agency would have to react to the media shit storm. Just to prove they’re trying to stop the corruption.” Krystel sat back in total amazement at the old woman’s uncanny grasp of the situation. “Hell, the threat alone from that kind of exposure would guaranty a rapid response from the CIA’s cleaner teams.”

Maria just smiled and held out her hands palms up. “And the light of wisdom doth shine down upon the unwashed masses.”

Both women rolled their eyes at the older woman’s antics. But they could tell by the way Maria laid out her plan she had done something like this before.

Krystel but their thoughts into words. “How many times have you pulled something like this Maria?”

“My dear ladies, the best form of Blackmail is not of the physical kind.” Maria gave the two operators a nasty grin. “The BEST Blackmail is the implied threat of the intangible’s exposure.”

“Wait I know that I can speak for Krystel when I say. What the fuck are you talking about?” Kimberly stated bluntly despite the disapproving glare from Maria over her use of foul language.

“I see that my granddaughters aren’t the only ones that benefit from Robert and Hunter’s classes in law.” Maria sighed at the two operators’ looks of confusion. “There are two parts of every crime. The first part of a crime is Actus Reus. Actus Reus is the act or omission that make up the elements of the offense. This is important because it's the physical act that the person committed. Men’s rea is the state of mind that indicates criminal intent. Also known as the guilty mind.”

“I get it. If a person thinks they’re guilty of something they act accordingly. The threat of exposing someone’s dirty laundry is enough to get them to falter.” Kimberly chuckled. “Now that is just nasty.”

“And that is why all the truly great Blackmail artists never see the inside of a courtroom. Let alone a jail cell.” Maria pointed out. “It is also why most of them usually fall victim to even better con artists.”

“I got to say Maria. I really do like this plan of yours.” Krystel said with real respect and admiration for the Criminal Master. “I would love to know where you learned how to pull something like this off. Hell, just half of the sneaky shit you know could fill novels.”

“My Uncle Christoff was my teacher for the art of the con and the deal.” Maria chuckled. “He wasn’t too bad of a fellow for a Lawyer. Sneaky, underhanded, and would stab you in the back over a lira just as fast or faster as any other lawyer I know. But, he was still good people at heart.”

“How did a DeMarco every become a lawyer? I thought your family were hitters?” Krystel asked in bewilderment.

“Who do you think make some of the best hitters in the world?” Maria chuckled. “Rule number one for all hitters. There is more than one way to take out a target. Besides, a multimillion dollar law suit is just as effective as a bullet to the head sometimes, not to mention much cleaner. No less lethal, just cleaner at times.”

“That sounds a lot like something Miss Anna said while you were gone.” Kimberly remarked then turned thoughtful. “It was something about high finance deals and a bullet.”

“That sounds like something Anna would say. And sadly, it’s very true. There are more corporate hitters nowadays than fifteen to twenty years ago.” Maria commented. “It’s has become a very competitive field.”

“Yeah, what she said was a real eye opener.” Kimberly said soberly. She decided to get back on topic. “How do you want to deliver the package? Electronic or hardcopy over the fax?”

“Both. Only we’ll be expanding the list of recipients. For the CIA we should use an electronic delivery, you would know best how to go about that. For the others we’ll use hardcopies delivered by certified courier. Preferably through the slowest form of snail mail possible.” Maria smirked at the looks of confusion of Kimberly and Krystle. “I never said that we weren’t going to release the information to the rest of the world.”

“So, who are the lucky recipients of our generosity?” Kimberly smiled.

“One full copy to each of the different Major News Media outlets. That way the vultures have to work for us for once.” Maria snarled.

“Damn Maria. You really do hate the newshounds. Care to explain?” Kimberly asked the older woman politely.

“July twenty-seventh, nineteen-ninety-six, Summer Olympics, Atlanta, Georgia a bomb went off in Centennial Olympic Park. A good man by the name of Richard Jewell, an honest security guard, was tried in the court of public opinion because of an overzealous reporter. A reporter whose very actions almost allowed the real bomber to escape. Because of her interference the FBI never looked beyond Jewell in their investigation.” Maria anger was enough for her to spit nails at this point. “Any chance that I get to fuck them over as a whole I will take. Just to get some form of justice for that poor man.”

“Damn. You take that family oath of yours to the heart. In more ways than one.” Kimberly said only to get a very dirty look from Maria.

“The oath of the Moonless Night Wraiths are not meaningless words, ladies. To my family and those who enter the Wraiths it means more than any oath sworn to any nation. Only two oaths hold any greater meaning for us. Our wedding vows and one other.” Maria told both women sternly.

“What other oath would be held in such regard?” Krystel wondered.

“A Blood Oath.” Maria’s three word answer drew the desired reaction. Both Kimberly and Krystle now knew what was pushing Samantha. “Which brings us to our current problem child.”

“What are your plans for US Deputy Marshal Samantha Justice? Or do we say Stephany Capizeo?” Krystel asked bluntly.

“She and Sister Magdalena will be leaving our island in the morning. Sister Magdalena will be escorting a fellow Sister of Saint Nicholas back to Rome. The reason is for an interview with the Archbishop for the Iscariot Division. Once in Rome Stephany will finally end her family’s private war with them.” Maria laid it out as simply as possible for the two operators.

“Okay, hold there. It can’t be that simple. Sorry, but no deal here Marshal. We do not deploy any Operator without a more comprehensive plan or detailed intelligence of any fortified installation.” Kimberly told Maria bluntly. “Especially one in a foreign enemy held territory.”

Maria chuckled. “This is one time where the hidebound traditionalist ways of the Vatican works to our favor. For the last nine-hundred years the Iscariot Division headquarters have stood in the same building. The very building that Rinaldo Capizeo reeked his own vengeance in just over four-hundred years ago. There are ways into that building known only to the Capizeo family. Ways that have been lost to time, but still known only to them.”

“Those Wall Maps in the Capizeo ancestral home. Maps that only Samantha knows how to read.” Krystel said as she and Kimberly nodded their heads in understanding. To them the idea of centuries old intelligence being hidden in plain sight was amusing.

“Exactly, ladies. In less than forty-eight hours after landing in Rome. Jonathan Delacorte will be found dead. Where exactly his body will be found is totally up to her twisted sense of humor and history at the time.” Maria told them both with a wicked smile.

“Why do I have this feeling that the Monsignor’s death will be a message to the rest of the Iscariot Division to get the hell out of our country?” Krystel asked.

“I certainly hope so, dear. One that will do more than drive them from our borders.” Maria snarled. “But make them understand that there will always be a Wraith waiting to rip their still beating hearts from their chests.”

“What will Samantha need from us Maria?” Kimberly asked in a businesslike manner that she did not feel.

“This is one time, that we must go outside of our normal resources.” Maria sighed as she looked towards the door and airstrip. “Can Lonestar provide us with a ride to Freeport in the morning?”

“Sure, Maria. No problem. Who are you going to see?” Kimberly asked more than a little confused.

“Father Clancy is more than a simple Priest, ladies.” Maria told them with a smile. “There is a reason he is the only one who can hear our confessions.”

“And it’s one that you won’t share with us.” Krystel grumbled at having another intelligence source that only Maria had access to. “I don't appreciate having my hands tied.”

“This is one time that it isn’t 'won’t' Krystel, but truly 'can’t'.” Maria held up her hand to forestall any more questions or complaints. “How do you say it? Oh yes, compartmentalized for their safety.”

“Just what does that mean?” Kimberly snapped. “We’re cleared for a whole hell of a lot more than you are Maria.”

“Exactly what it sounds like, Captain. This is a situation where I’m the one who has to enforce Opsec. Trust me. There are far, far, too many innocent lives at stake for me to divulge information on Father Clancy.” Maria told them both bluntly. “Not even the Major knows what I do about the good Father.”

“Okay Maria, but sooner or later you’ll need to fill the Major in on Father Clancy. All Informants are to be vetted by us. Those are the rules.” Kimberly explained as she turned to Krystel. “Looks like we got a late night ahead of us, Krys. Let’s get to work on those hardcopy packets.”

“Kimberly, before you go ratting me out to my husband for having Informants outside of the OCIA don’t bother. Only Paul and Anna have played the game for as long as I have. He knows that I have a good number of snitches and back alley contacts around the world. More than just lowly owners of ballet studios. I pay extremely well to be kept informed of what goes on in the underworld of countries where I have businesses.” Maria told the operator. “My network of informants is what most Law Enforcement Intelligence agencies can only dream of having. One that has taken me thirty-five years to build.”

“And not one that you’re just going to blithely endanger.” Kimberly sighed. “Okay, I can see that. But what does that have to do with Father Clancy?”

The look Maria gave Kimberly would have made most hardened Mob Basses think twice. It wasn't enough to make the younger woman think twice about challenging Maria on Father Clancy. The man was too close to them all. Even Mindy joined the DeMarcos on Sunday services from time to time. She needed that information. Maria could tell that she was going to have to tell part of the story concerning Clancy.

“Father Clancy O’Brian was at one time a numbers runner and mid-level boss for the Winter Hill Gang. He was also one of Whitey Bulgar's crew in his late teens and early twenties. Back in ninety-two he did me a solid. One that I repaid in two-thousand-one. I got him out of the country. Part of the deal; was he joined the Order of Saint George and become a Priest.” Maria gave the two women a wistful smile. “He kept his word. When he got the chance to be posted in Freeport he took it. Knowing full and well that the Roseline Orphanage was part of the deal.”

“Maria, I have to ask you a question. What is the connection between your family, the Capizeo’s and the Roseline Orphanages?” Krystel wanted to know.

“It is one that has spanned a hundred years. Going all the way back to the First World War and the Depression years the followed.” Maria sighed. “The connection is really to the Capizeo family. Not so much the DeMarco family. They have always been more active in the Philanthropical aspects of the criminal life. At the end of the Great War Jocko Capizeo and his brother Roberto returned from the Italian front to find their village in ruin.”

“Wait I thought the Capizeo family were based out of Sicily?” Kimberly asked.

“Over time some of them had returned to their ancestral home in Italy. Not uncommon during the eighteenth and nineteen centuries. A few of them though headed further north. Into the region along the Austrian and Italian boarder. That area suffered as greatly as many of the areas in France and Belgium. At one point one out of every four families were wiped out due to hunger, decease, indiscriminate shelling and bombing from both sides.” Maria sighed as she thought about that dark time in history. “They were the ones to set up the first of the Roseline orphanages.”

“Why would they actively work with the Catholic Church?” Krystel asked in total confusion.

“During that time there was no government support for orphanages. Only the philanthropically inclined rich, or the Church, would support a true orphanage. After what Jocko and Roberto had seen in the frozen trenches of the Alpine front. The carnage heaped upon the civilians. They needed something to ease their nightmares. They saw a need and moved the heavens to fulfill that need. To that end, they started Roseline orphanages. They were also the ones to start the tradition of giving last names to orphans. Names of common men that died in the frozen hell of the Alpine front’s trenches at first. Following the Second World War, they used the last names of men who had died on all the fronts. Just so that those names would not be forgotten to history.” Maria explained. “That is why the unofficial name for the orphanages is the Bloodline orphanage.”

“So those orphanages have nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code and the whole Merovingian kings of France BS.” Krystel wise cracked.

“Nothing at all. But don’t mention the Da Vinci code, the Merovingian kings of France, Templar Knights, or the Holy Grail, around my niece.” Maria chuckled as she thought about what Angelic’s reaction would be. At the questioning look from Krystel, Maria knew that the young woman had already made the mistake. “Oh, my dear, poor woman. I hope you’re ready for an earful of conspiracy theory and contradiction of official Catholic Church Doctrine.”

“She did make a comment about it being the worse kept secret of the Church.” Krystel grumbled. “I take it that she is a believer in the conspiracy?”

“She is not the only member of the clergy who actually believes the theory. Believe it or not, a good number of them support it. Not openly of course.” Maria chuckled. “Before you ask, no I don’t support the theory. Kimberly, what just caused that frown to appear?”

“Nothing important.” Kimberly replied then added. “Among Lyssa's jewelry inventory is a ring. She said it was templaric, handed down through family. Her actual family. She never wears it though. I only saw it once. She said not to pay it any mind.”

Looking around the room and piles of evidence Maria sighed. “The rest of this can wait until morning, ladies. I know that you want to get started on setting up the packets for our ‘friends’ but I want to go over what we send them first. With a fine toothed comb.”

“What don’t you want them to find?” Kimberly asked with the keen mind of an operations officer.

“It’s not what or who but a when, Kimberly.” Kimberly gave Maria a skeptical look. “If there are connections to Delacorte. The CIA may overreact and place Samantha’s operation in danger with their response.”

“I get it. It’s not that you don’t care that the CIA knows about Delacorte. You just don’t want them infringing on Samantha.” Krystel guessed.

“No. I don’t want them placing her in a situation where she must kill someone needlessly. She has a target and one target only. Jonathan Delacorte, aka Alfonzo Delicato, the man who set all of this in motion eighteen years ago.” Maria almost snarled the last words. “Hopefully she’ll finally lay to rest her family’s ghosts once and for all.”

“Um… Maria, we’ve done a little digging into the original case file on the murder of Sam’s family. Is it true that she was the one to find the bodies?” Krystle asked the older woman with real concern.

“Yes. But there was more to it than what went into the report.” Maria cringed as she thought about that investigation by the Toledo PD. “The Defective assigned to the case didn’t put much effort into his investigation. The man was of the mindset that one mobster taking out another mobster wasn’t worth the taxpayers' money. Even if the other dead family members were innocents.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Kimberly sighed.

“They were more concerned with counting their payoffs. You have to remember that in those days a good number of the Toledo PD were on the payroll of at least one of the local crime families.” Maria sighed. “And like I said; to them, it was an open and shut case of mobster justice.”

“And when the local PD didn’t go looking for Sam or the killers of her family. She went on a one woman crusade of blood soaked violence and revenge.” Krystel grunted. “I still cannot believe she did all that and was only a half trained kid at the time.”

“Whoever said she was half trained?” Maria chuckled. “Joseph Capizeo had already mastered the Way of the Dancing Blade by his twelfth birthday. By the time he was fourteen he had mastered the first steps of the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. Make no mistakes ladies. Joseph Capizeo was a child prodigy in the art of assassination and martial arts. I believe wholeheartedly that if his earlier training hadn’t been interrupted. He would have become the most feared assassin in the world by the time he turned seventeen. Not to mention the most wanted, by both law enforcement and organized crime.”

“You’re placing a lot of faith in a major ‘what if’ there Maria. We know that Sam is good. We’ll give you that, but you make it sound as if she would become some kind of unstoppable and unkillable nightmare. Nobody is that good. Not even Lyssa. She knows she has limits and lives by them.” Krystel told Maria.

“When it comes to killers of the professional variety Krystel, I do not joke. Nor do I exaggerate their potentials. I would not have lived for as long as I have if I had ever made those two mistakes.” Maria looked in the direction of her home. “Mark my words ladies. As deadly as our dear Lyssa and her old friends are, they will find their match in Stephany Capizeo.”

“We’ve seen what she can do on her own when pinch comes to shove Maria.” Kimberly stated. “But Tiffany is a match. Lyssa is something else. She can be horrifying.”

“Believe what you will, Kimberly. But I’ve seen the video of her solo run. What you ladies, Lyssa, Annette, and Anna saw was nothing but a warmup for Stephany.” Maria grunted with more than a little certainty. “She is as deadly as they come. Her only problem is she suffers from the same one as ALL good Law Enforcement officers do. Suspect fixation. She get’s tunnel vision when she has her suspect within reach.”

“And finally, after what, eighteen years, she has the man behind all that pain in her sights. She’ll be pulling out all the stops and going full bore after Delicato. Damned be anyone who gets in her way.” Krystle surmised.

“That is why we will be using all outside sources for everything that Samantha needs. At least for this operation.” Maria held up her hand. “Ladies this is one time that the OICA must be totally hands off. Strictly for political fallout reasons between us and the Iscariots.”

“Wait. I’m kind of lost here Maria.” Kimberly said stopping Maria.

“She’s not the only one here Maria.” Krystel growled. “Instead of making progress, we seem to be getting more and more complicated.”

“We took on this operation as a personal favor for the Major. I’ve known of the political ramifications from day one. Just as he has. There is only one man within the Vatican that has the kind of pull to call in the OCIA for an outside investigation. Bishop Karl Ferdinand, head of the Iscariot Division.” Maria grunted then sighed. “I believe that when, not if, the Bishop is notified of who the rats are within his house. He will take extreme measures to exterminate them himself. But the delivery of that notification needs to timed and done with a certain amount of modesty.”

“You want Samantha or Angelic to be the one who makes that delivery?” Kimberly spotted where Maria was going. “He’ll pull all those Strike Teams on his own. We don’t need to burn them.”

“Very astute, Kimberly. Though not quite on the money, you’re close. Very close.” Maia gave her a smirk. “What is the worst thing to happen for a spy?”

“They get burned by a rival nation or organization.” Krystel stated.

“Wrong Krys. Past experience says, the worst thing that can happen to any spy is to be deliberately burned by their own people.” Kimberly answered with honest anger. “And to be left with no way out or back. A kite. Set on fire and cut loose.”

“True. And this is exactly what our dear sweet Maria DeMarco here wants to happen.” Krystel pieced together with the speed of thought that allowed her to dance among the glittering world of the Internet. “She’s going to force the Bishop Karl Ferdinand to either recall or burn his own operatives.”

“Exactly, my dear. It is also one of the reasons why Samantha must use only her outside contacts in the underworld to handle this problem.” Maria answered the younger woman with a sad smile.

“What’s the other reason Maria? The truth.” Kimberly asked quietly.

“It is time for me to pass the torch as it were. Kasey and Kristine have reached the point where there is nothing more that I can teach them.” Maria told the two young woman she had come to see as part of her family. “While you can still teach them much in the ways of Clandestine Operations, I have nothing left to give except the love of ballet and a grandmother.”

“I doubt that Maria. I highly doubt that. You still have a great deal to offer them and this team.” Kimberly corrected Maria with a chuckle. “Gemini still has a lot to learn from you. We all do, when it comes to organized crime. Not that we deal with it much.”

“Oh, I can still teach you all a few things about the criminal mind.” Maria chuckled. “No what I was talking about is the ways of assassination. Samantha has Mastered the Sleep of the Beautiful Death. The last of Gemini’s training now falls to her and her family’s secrets.”

“What does that have to do with Samantha’s mission to Rome and her only using underworld assets? It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not like she has to prove anything to your granddaughters. Or you for that matter.” Kimberly pointed out with a grin. “We know that Sam is capable of mongoose operations.”

“It is the last task that she faces in her ascension to the Mistress of the Moonless Night Wraiths Guild.” Maria sighed. “When she returns, I shall step aside and finally give Stephany Capizeo her rightful place as the Head of our guild. One that she earned eighteen years ago.”

“Do you really believe that she can pull it off on her own Maria?” Krystel asked her with a good deal of doubt. “We know she’s good. But I mean come on. She’s facing one of the most secretive organizations not to mention one of the heaviest guarded installations in the world.”

“No joke here Maria. We’re talking about trying to infiltrate the fucking Vatican’s biggest secrets, here.” Kimberly jumped in. “Even if Sam can find her way in with those wall maps. How long do you think she’ll have before the Swiss Guard are all over her ass? Every major nation has agreed the Swiss Guard of the Vatican are hands-off. The U.S. Intel services agreed never to exploit clergy in general due to it making all vulnerable.”

“As I said before, the hidebound traditionalist ways of the Vatican works to our favor. Each eight hour shift has a fifty-fifty mix of standing and roving guards with one exception. The midnight watch. Their mix is sixty-forty with double the number of guards. The majority of them working as rovers. The hole in this setup is the sheer area that the guards must cover. With their priority being the protection of the historical treasures.” Maria chuckled. “Not so much for the office and living areas.”

“Why? Shouldn’t the barracks be a higher priority? You know protect the Clergy and all that jazz.” Kimberly asked as she cocked her head.

“Only the Cardinals and up get that kind of attention from the Svizzera Pontificia, ladies. The rest are left to the tender mercies of the Gendarmerie Corps of the Vatican City for their safety.” Maria snarked. “A respectable branch of Law Enforcement to be sure, but not up to the standards of the US Federal Marshal Service. Maybe the NYPD or LAPD at best.”

The two operators couldn’t help themselves as they chuckled over Maria’s slight of the NYPD and LAPD. “I must say Maria. I never really saw you as being partial to Law Enforcement.”

“Oh, I’m not too awfully fond of most peace officers at the federal level, Kimberly. But there is law enforcement, then there’s Law Enforcement. I have always respected the Marshal Service, local PDs, and the officers that carry those particular badges. It is the members of the IRS, FBI, and other alphabet agencies that I do not care for. Thugs with guns and badges.” Maria snorted. “The biggest thugs of them all are Interpol.”

“And this coming from the woman with a brother and three nephews in Interpol. Not to mention two son-in-laws, two daughters, and two granddaughters who all carry a US Deputy Marshal badge.” The two operators chuckled as Maria come back to Kimberly’s joke. “Not to mention she carries one herself.”

“It is so much worse than that I’m afraid. I had Gemini run a search on my extended family. I currently have at least one family member work in or with each of the European national police forces. It is truly a sad day.” Maria threw her head back and placed the back of left hand striking a classical pose only to cry out dramatically. “Oh, the inhumanity of it all! Oh, how low the great and powerful DeMarco Crime family has fallen. From such grand and lofty heights, only to become honest citizens with badges.”

By the time Maria was done hamming it up. Both Kimberly and Krystel were having a hard time. Both women were laughing so hard that they were close to losing control over their bladders. The old woman’s overacting and spontaneous comedy were rare, but were always welcomed. Just as were her little lessons in law and crime. Both actions were part and principal for one of the granddames of the island. To the younger members of the island population they looked forward to the times when they let their mischievous sides come out. More than one prank had been pulled by the wily old ladies. Much to the amusement the other members of the island’s population.

“It is late enough ladies. Those copies, both hard and electronic can wait until the morning. As for the Major’s update, I’ll take care of it at home. Both of you. Go home and get some sleep. I doubt that Lyssa will need you tonight. Before you ask. I had already figured out that she and Rodrick had deployed. I take it that Anna and Annette are taking care of the twins?” Maria asked as she turned towards the door. “Besides I need to make my preparations for what I will ask of Father Clancy.”

Kimberly's reply stopped her cold. “The twins are at home with Rodrick.”

Maria spun immediately. “WHAT? Why, what is going on that she deployed alone?”

“About that.” Kimberly nodded to Krystel, who left them alone. “This is what I've been able to find out and it goes absolutely NO further.”

Maria's eyes narrowed. “Tell me she hasn't gone to Rome.”

“She hasn't. We wish she had. She should be making her HAHO jump somewhere over western Africa right now. Exactly where, we don't know. Everybody is locked out.” Kimberly said. “All reports for West Africa are restricted. If we go in, it'll cause serious problems. We can't even piggy-back a satellite on-station there. In fact, any satellite that tracks over is now locked. Only the NRO and two other agencies are on access.”

Maria was now confused. “What does all that mean?”

“It means, Lyssa is on a one-way trip. If she does what needs to be done, good. If she does what she needs to do and comes back, better. If she fails, she is required to not leave much of her body behind.” Kimberly explained.

“But why can't you find out more?” Maria asked.

Kimberly shook her head. “This came down from three different Congressional Committees, State and DOD. Whatever is going on, is so bad they don't want anybody to know if it gets worse. I talked to Whisper, even their unit is locked down. Nobody knows, and anybody that does, won't say anything. In short; this is as bad as it gets. It's as bad as our own nukes being used against us.”

Maria crossed herself. “Holy Mary, let her come back from this.”

“Oh, before I forget. One of Mindy’s school friends’ father sent you a message.” Kimberly gave Maria a hard look. “I don’t like her being used as a drop courier, Maria.”

“Neither do I, Kimberly. ALL of my informants in Freeport know to speak to Lonestar or Edward if they must. Preferably they wait until Friday and Sunday, when they can come directly to me or the boys down at the Southern Cross. Do you know which father made the mistake of going to Mindy?” Maria’s eyes flashed with true anger though her voice barely rose above a calm level tone. This was a sure sign of the old woman’s rage. Somebody was going to pay for breaking her rules. Especially the big one. Never to endanger her granddaughter Mindy.

“It wasn’t the father himself, but his son. The father is one of the cabdrivers that works the seaport and airport. When he picked his son up from school, he spotted Lonestar and Mindy. He sent his son over with the message.” Kimberly cut in before Maria had Lonestar fly her over to Freeport that night. She could tell that Maria would happily gut the father for using Mindy as a drop courier that night.

“What was the message Kimberly?” Maria asked as she breathed out her anger. “But you can rest assured that I’ll be having a long talk with Jefferson.”

“How did you know which driver it was that screwed up?” Kimberly asked her in surprise. “I never mentioned his name.”

“I only have three cabbies on my payroll that work both the seaport and airport. Of the three, there is only one with a son that is Mindy’s age. Jefferson Morgan, his son’s name is Michael.” Then Maria snickered because what she was about to say would throw the fox in the henhouse for Kimberly. “Young Mike is rather sweet on our little Mindy. She is turning into quite the stunner after all. She takes after her mother in many ways.”

“WHAT?!” Kimberly screeched at the top of her lungs. “Oh, that’s it! I'll take her to school personally!”

Krystel had come back in to that and just sat back, quietly laughing her ass off at Kimberly’s reaction to Mindy being someone's crush. Then she remembered something that really amused her. All of Mindy’s family were Operators, Combat pilots, Sailors, Assassins and US Deputy Marshals. Two of which were only a few years older then Mindy.

“Oh god! I almost pity the poor boys that try to date your daughter, Kim.” Krystel roared with laughter even harder.

“Why do you say that?” Kimberly growled.

“Think about it. All, and I mean ALL, of Mindy’s family are either Special Operations, an Operative, Old World Assassin, SOG Deputy Marshal or some combination thereof. And those are just her parents, aunts and uncles. When we throw in her two cousins, and grandparents things get totally fucking nuts.” Krystel crowed.

“Ah but you missed one important fact, Krystel.” Maria chuckled at Kimberly’s look of consternation. “Half of Mindy’s family are old world Mafia.”

“OH MY GOD! I can just see the shotgun cleaning party when she brings home her first boyfriend to meet the parents.” At this point Krystel had to run from the room. Her bladder couldn’t take any more.

Maria gave Kimberly a loving smile while chuckling. “I’m done making fun at your expense Kimberly. What was the message Mindy’s little friend sent?”

Kimberly pulled out the folded piece of notebook paper and began to read. “Madam Maria; the Rose has seven new blooms. Three penguins and four stiff shirts. They have the stink of the catacombs.’ Does any of that make sense?”

“Well, now we know where that burned Strike Team from Miami ended up. At least six of those new people over at Our Blessed Mother are that Strike Team. The last one, it’s a good bet, that someone is trying to protect someone with information on the Monsignor. This all smells of the Rose Society.” Once again Maria was showing that her mind was still quicker than a steel trap.

“How do you figure that, Maria?” Kimberly asked in confusion.

“The last line of that message. It’s old mob slang for a member of the Clergy that is on the run. I just took what you asked of Angelic and Samantha earlier then what I know about the situation with Delacorte. Then I took in the total of the message. The number of new people, minus the number of Strike Team members, plus the comment about someone on the run. It all equals someone within Section Twenty-one protecting members of the Roseline family.” Maria summed up for Kimberly.

“Who the hell are the Rose Society and the Roseline family?” Krystel asked as she reentered the room.

“The Roseline family are the orphans that grow up in the Roseline orphanages and join the Church. As for the Rose society, they are more than likely some of those same orphans working to change the Iscariots. Sadly, I have no proof of their existence other than rumors and half-truths.” Maria explained. “Well there’s nothing I can do tonight. I’ll just have to verify that message in the morning when I talk with Father Clancy.”

“Damn. This op is like the Clap. The gift that keeps on giving.” Kimberly grumbled. “Maria, I have got to ask. Why the fuck would the Major even think of taking on something like this?”

“I can only guess, Kimberly. You know how I feel about making those.” Maria told her honestly. “This is one time that I have a feeling that this goes back to a time in Paul’s past. Back when he still wore the uniform of a line officer and the men he served with. And as much as he loves me there are certain things that we do not discus. That is one of them.”

“But doesn’t he know all about what you’ve done?” Kimberly jumped to call Maria on what she thought was a sure thing.

“There are a great many things that I’ve done in my past that Paul has no hint of. Take some advice girls. Every woman should have a small air of mystery about them. No man should know everything about the woman he loves.” Maria winked at them both. “It helps keep the spice in the bedroom.”

Kimberly gave a look of 'oh, right'.

“Goodnight ladies.” Maria said and went out.

Krystel looked over. “You want the room?”

“Yes.” Kimberly answered.

Krystel got up and left. Kimberly typed at her terminal and the room's lights flickered as a sound came from the door. The TOC was now sealed. She put on her headset and typed again. All the monitors changed, and a room of people was displayed on the main screen.

“Captain.” The man at the head of the conference table greeted.

Kimberly saluted. “Sir. Ready to engage here.”

“Very good, Captain. Seize all information coming out of Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory coast, Ghana, Benin and Togo. Nothing is to go international. Intercept EVERYTHING! If Steel Butterfly fails, Burn all traces. It has to be this way. Not just for our own country.” He ordered.

“Understood, Mister Chairman. Engaging; now!” Kimberly said as she sat down and began to type, her mic off. “Please, let this work out her way.”

Even though he hadn't heard, the Chairman sighed. “God help us all.”

“Indeed.” A man with a British accent seconded.

-----tbc------

As always comments are welcome. They feed the muses and muses are ravenous little things.

Father Clancy smiled as he tended his small garden. The four new Priests were already working to make themselves part of his island flock. The four young men had taken a walk around the church, orphanage, and residents yesterday after dinner. Then this morning shortly after breakfast with the children, the four of them headed for the Do it Center hardware store. When he asked them what they were going there for the youngest pointed to the Orphanage’s roof. Then said, “strong backs, and hands, can move more mountains than faith can Father. That roof needs replacing.”

“And were shall the money for this new roof come from, Father Peter? This is not the Vatican or Notre Dame.” Clancy countered.

The young man just smiled and held out a corporate card for the Iscariot Division smiling, while the others chuckled. They knew that their Strike team funds had yet to be cutoff.

“The good Lord shall provide, Father.” Peter smiled.

They knew that it would take the accountants for Section 21 at least 48 hours to cutoff their operational accounts. With this in mind, they were off to do as much damage as they could before the bean counters could act. They knew that their personal accounts should be left alone. But the few thousand dollars in those accounts wouldn’t last long.

The three new nuns were also engraining themselves to the orphanage. He was surprised to learn that all three held teaching credentials. He had to chuckle at the complaints that some of the children had about the new arrivals. All three of the new sisters were up before the crack of dawn, at six in the morning they were dressed and ready for the day. The children were not happy that the new nuns roused them all from their warm beds at a quarter after six. Nor were the children happy with having to perform exercises at that time of the day. Lead by those three extremely fit young women.

“Excuse me, Father Clancy.” Clancy turned to see Mother Superior Sophia standing a few feet away. The look on her face told far more of the story than her words. “Madam Maria DeMarco is here to see you sir.”

“Did she say why?” He asked as he stood up.

“All she said was that it was time for payback.” Sophia told him with a look of displeasure on her face. “Father Clancy, I overheard Sister Mary talking with Sisters Elisabeth and Jessica yesterday. After their arrival.”

“What did you overhear, Sophia?” Clancy asked with some concern.

“If what they were saying is true.” Sophia began only to drop her volume to barely above a whisper as she looking around to make sure they were alone. “The Vatican’s Wraith has returned, Danny boy.”

“Aw shit. This is not good Kitayna. If the Wraith has indeed returned, then our newest family members were burned to protect Delacorte’s section.” Clancy whispered. “Are you sure they said the Wraith had returned?”

“If I didn’t know how serious the situation was, Danny, I would swear you were questioning my loyalty. Yes, I’m sure.” Sophia snapped. “How do you want to proceed Father Clancy?”

The sixty-seven year old ex-mobster turned Priest reached into his pants pocket. Fingering the coin that he always kept there as a reminder of his past, Father Clancy O’Brian made up his mind. If it had not been for Maria and her contacts, he would have died in the streets of South Boston decades ago. Sure, she saved his life to repay a favor, but he had incurred a greater debt to her. One that he could never repay.

“We give her whatever help we can. We use every connection, every back alley and underworld resource, we have. We call in favors, markers, and every blackmail deal we ever made or collected.” Clancy told Sophia bluntly.

“Are you sure you want to get involved with this Danny boy?” Sophia whispered.

“Kitayna we owe, we pay. It’s that simple.” Clancy told his old friend. “What is your problem Kitayna? We both knew the price for her help when we took it all those years ago.”

“I know and remember the deal, damn it. It’s just, well, I don’t know how to say this. But Maria DeMarco scares the crap out of me. What I want to know is why aren’t you afraid of getting involved in her business?” Sophia demanded of her old friend. “We both know that woman and her family are the most ruthless and deadliest killers alive.”

“As deadly as Maria and her family are, they paled in comparison to the last Hemlock Rose and the Capizeo family. The deadliest of them all was Mary Capizeo.” Clancy breathed out quietly. “They say that when the Fates whispered in her ear. ‘You cannot stand against the storm.’ Mary Capizeo answered back. ‘I am the storm.’ If this new Vatican Wraith is truly a Capizeo then they are ten times deadlier than Maria DeMarco and her family.”

“Sweet Mother Mary, you make it sound as if the Capizeo family are some kind of blood soaked demons birthed in unholy violence.” Sophia shivered.

“No Mother Sophia. They are far worse than that. The Capizeo family were the bastard children of Archangels and thrice damned human souls. Born not of unholy violence, but bloody betrayal. A family cursed by the hand of Papal greed. Cursed to forever be our unholy vengeful conscience. All because of the actions of a few Iscariot Priests and a greed filled Pope over five-hundred years ago.” Both Sophia and Clancy jumped at the sound of Sister Mary’s voice. They spun around to find her stand just a few feet away. Neither of them had noticed the young nun’s arrival. “The Vatican’s Wraith of Vengeance has returned.”

“What do you know of the Wraith Sister?” Sophia asked her in hushed tones.

“Only what the legends tell us. That when the Faithful fall from Grace; the Wraith shall rise up and deliver them unto the Hosts of Hell.” Sister Mary walked up until she was standing just inches from her two superiors. In a voice barely above a whisper. “And the last Capizeo is why I was sent here. I have seen a photo of the woman. She was with Maria DeMarco.”

“Are you sure Sister Mary? Absolutely positive.” Clancy questioned the young nun harshly. Only to have the nun nod her head yes. “By the Seal of the Confessional; you’re never to repeat what you know to anyone. Trust us Sister. What you know can get all us killed. Understood?”

“Yes, Father, I understand. I just have one question? Is the woman waiting in the Narthex really Maria DeMarco?” When Father Clancy nodded his head yes, Mary crossed herself. “I swear by all that’s sacred; none shall hear of what I know or suspect. Have a good day father.”

Sophia and Clancy watched their younger counterpart walk away. Sophia quickly asked in a whisper. “Do you think she suspects us?”

“She does but won’t talk. She fears breaking the covenant of the confessional more than Maria’s blades.” Clancy chuckled. “That girl has a real, honest, bone deep, faith. One that is far greater than my own.”

“She is just like the rest of our new congregants. I’m sad to say.” Sophia chuckled. “Those young men and women were born and raised in a faith we only used to hide behind.”

“True. All too true, Mother Superior. What better place for a former mobster and cat-burglar to hide when on the run.” Father Clancy chuckled. “I better go find Maria. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting. Hopefully she is still waiting for me in Narthex.”

As Father Clancy turned to walk away Mother Sophia chuckled. “It’s hard to believe that Danelle ‘Danny boy’ McFeeters is afraid of an old woman.”

“You can bet your ass I am. Especially when that old woman has more confirmed kills than any hitter you can find in the world.” Father Clancy chuckled.

It didn’t take the good Father long to find Maria. Thankfully she was still waiting for him just inside of the Narthex. “Good morning Maria. To what do we owe this early morning visit?”

“Walk with me, Father Clancy.” Maria ordered the man. Clancy could tell that Maria was angered over something and had a good idea over what. Once they were well away from the Church, Convent, and orphanage Maria asked her first question. “Tell me about the new additions Clancy.”

“Six of them are a burned Strike Team for the Iscariot Division. Section Twenty-one personnel. All are members of the Roseline family and Rose Society. They all carry the tattoo. Even the two Sisters.” Clancy answered her quickly hoping that would be enough to assuage Maria’s anger.

“And the last one? The nun from Rome. Who is she? What Order or Section?” Maria demanded. She knew that Father Clancy was trying to hide something from her about the young woman. “I know that she has the stench of the catacombs about her. And Clancy. Don’t lie to me again.”

“Sister Mary is part of Section Twenty-one as well. Only she worked directly for Monsignor Delacorte’s secretary. A Father Daniel. I have it on good authority the young man is also a member of the Rose Society.” Clancy already figured out that Maria was beyond pissed. He saw no use in withholding what he knew from the formidable old world Donna. “They’re not a threat to you or your family Donna Maria. I swear before God.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise Danny boy. If I even smell a threat towards my family. I’ll turn the girls loose on your ass.” Maria snarled. “And you know that is no idle threat. My granddaughters would leave those Iscariot fools laying in a pool of their own blood. All without ever waking them from their slumber.”

Father Clancy swallowed hard at hearing this. He had known that the DeMarco family was deadly. But the idea of Maria’s two teenage granddaughters slaughtering seven people in their beds terrified him. “Understood Donna.”

“Good. We will not have this conversation again, Father.” Maria breathed out her anger then smiled. “Now, I have need of your less than savory contacts. Preferably a decent forger.”

“What in the world do you need a forger for, Maria? Your whole family could most likely do a better job than anyone I know.” Clancy stated bluntly.

“True, but what I need is three Vatican diplomatic passports. Ones with all the correct seals and stamps.” Maria told him with a crooked smile.

“I don’t need to go to a forger. We have all you need right here in the Church. I’m sure that we can provide you with the needed passports no later than eleven am. Will that suffice?” Clancy chuckled at the quizzical look Maria was giving him. “Maria, we have seven priests, one Mother Superior, six nuns, and eight novices. All with the needed passports. A little steam, a few pictures, and some glue. A wave of the hand and presto! Three perfectly untraceable diplomatic passports with all the needed seals and stamps. I only need to know who they are for and what sexes.”

“One full sister, and two novices.” Maria handed Clancy a manilla envelope. “Here are the needed pictures. And Father; no one is to know who those passports are for, understood?”

Clancy nodded as he opened the envelope to look at the pictures inside. What he saw made his eyes bug out, but he knew what Maria wanted. He waved the pictures asking. “Are you sure about this Maria?”

“Ask me no questions Clancy. Just get it done.” Maria told him honestly.

“Come back at eleven Donna Maria. I’ll have your passports for you.” With that Clancy turned back to the church.

The Southern Cross Bar and Grill: 0945

Bobby and Hunter looked up from their beers as Maria entered their favorite island haunt. Hunter looked over at the bartender and waved for the man to bring Maria her tea. The bartender just nodded and fixed Maria her drink. He was used to the old woman who would often came into his bar to chew out the two former American soldiers for drinking so early in the day.

As Maria took her seat, she gave Bobby and Hunter a cross look as she pointed to the beers. “A little early in the day boys.”

“In the words of that great philosopher Jimmy Buffet. It’s five o’clock somewhere.” Hunter smirked. Then pointing at the label. “Besides, these are nonalcoholic mom. Don’t worry we know were still not home.”

“Thank you, boys. I know that you enjoy your occasional six or twelve pack.” About that time the bartender arrived with Maria’s tea. “Thank you, James. How are the girls and Susan?”

“My daughters are giving me grief over their upcoming dance and Susan is ready to gut me for not helping her out with the garden.” The bartender James answered with a chuckle. “Thank you for asking, Mrs. Maria.”

“Quite alright, James. Now what can you tell me about the local smugglers?” Maria asked as she placed a twenty on his servers' tray.

“Depends on what you want. Most are trust worthy men. Stay away from the Washington brothers. Not worth the copper to send them to hell. Unless you’re smuggling illegal drugs.” James told her chuckling.

“I have several packages that need to be delivered to multiple points along the US southeastern seaboard. Who would you suggest?”

“Coconut Telegraph shipping. Let me make a phone call. I know the owner.” James returned to behind the bar where he made the phone call. After a short ten minute conversation James hung up and returned to Maria. “Morgan will be here shortly Mrs. Maria. I’ll send him over when he arrives.”

“Thank you, James. I only have one question. Do you trust this Morgan?”

James chuckled. “With my life, just not at the poker table, ma’am.”

“My type of scoundrel.” Bobby wise cracked. “Good man in a fight, and just larcenous enough to get the job done?”

“Exactly, Mister Bobby. Morgan is much like his namesake, the pirate.” James told the trio. “He is also a master of the sea.”

“That’ll be all for now, James. How much do we owe for the introduction?” Maria asked the bartender politely.

“This one is on the house ma’am. Repayment for what you did for the school.” James said with smile as he returned to his bar.

“Damn. I was hoping that no one knew about that.” Maria grumbled.

“Mother Maria, the people always find out. No matter how hard you try to hide your good deeds. Someone always sees, and invariably they talk.” Bobby told his mother-in-law with a half-smile and a wink. “It’s why I have always hoped to die while still a hero.”

“That is a rather gruesome attitude Robert.” Maria said before taking a sip of her tea. “It sounds like part of a quote.”

“There is an old saying among the military minded of the world, mom. It goes like this. Die a hero or live long enough to become the villain. It’s a salute to the Black Knights of the dark ages.” Bobby explained before taking a drink of his beer.

Hunter quickly picked up where he had left off. “Historically, Black Knights were usually someone who conceals their identity as well as any crests or other heraldry that would reveal their allegiance to any king or country. They did this so they can carry out dark and notorious deeds without consequence. Mercenaries and other Free-lances were known for burning their armor to turn it black. Over time black armor became synonymous with villainy. Mostly because of various stories, myths, and legends, most notably in the Arthurian Legends, where the Black Knight symbolized the villain, darkness, and/or death. Usually these Black Knights opposed the famous Knight-errant or White Knight.”

“The truth though doesn’t have anything to do with villainy. It was done more out of practicality. Back then polished armor cost a lot of money and the lack of a steady paycheck meant that those men had to think about practical matters first. Namely not going hungry, keeping their armor and weapons in good repair, and taking care of their horses. Even though throughout history there have been several standup people who earned the title of Black Knight. These include such heroic figures as Edward of Woodstock the Prince of Wales, James Stewart the Black Knight of Lorn, and Zawisza the Black of Garbow. The Knights Hospitaller, an order withing the Templars, were also referred to as Black Knights. There are even unconfirmed reports during the Second and Third Crusades of a fourth Templar Order of nothing but Black Knights. That's only a rumor though. Nobody knows if they were real or what their purpose was.” Bobby told Maria after picking up where Hunter had stopped.

“I never really thought of how history has been twisted by the view points of the different writers and story tellers. I guess the old saying is true. That history is written by the victors, and the losers are vilified.” Maria nodded her head at the stark truth of the saying. Her own family’s history was a good example of this. Depending on who you talked to, the DeMarco’s were either heroes or villains. It was even more so with the Capizeo family. After all they were still the most feared family of assassins in the world. Before Maria could say something more on the topic Hunter nodded towards the door. “Thank you for the warning Hunter.”

Both men stood up as a well-dressed businessman approached their table. He stopped about ten feet from them and slowly opened his jacket.

“I’m unarmed gentlemen. I understand that the lady wishes to discuss a business deal. My name is Morgan.” The man introduced himself.

Maria never looked up at the man or Bobby and Hunter. Instead she just took a sip of her tea. After setting her cup down Maria waved to the seat across from her. “Please take a seat Mister Morgan. My time is short, and I have much to discuss with you. Boys. Insure our privacy.”

Bobby and Hunter just nodded their heads and took up positions to cover the conversation between the two. Morgan watched as the two ex-military men placed themselves in positions to cover not just the table, but the whole room. From their positions they could easily handle any potential threat.

“I must say, Madam. Your men are extremely professional. I’ve rarely seen such here on the island.” As Morgan was taking his seat across from Maria. “James, my usual please?”

Maria eyed the man up and down. Everything about the man screamed success. From the lightweight Caribbean cut business suit, and ivory handled cane sword. “Do I have the pleasure of dealing with Donna Maria the Dove DeMarco?”

“You do, Mister Morgan. Though I must admit I’m not use to dealing with such well-dressed smugglers.” Maria chuckled before taking a sip of her tea. Setting her cup down Maria turned serious. “Shall we get down to business? I abhor small talk, sir.”

“I had heard that about you Donna.” Morgan said as James set a bottle of white wine and glass in front of him. Once they were alone, he again he got down to business. “James informs me that you have need of my irregular business practices. May I know as to what you wish to have imported?”

“This is an export situation sir. One that requires the use of means that are more or less untraceable.” Maria took a sip of her tea before continuing. “There will also be numerous destinations. With additional instructions for delivery on the other end. Will this be a problem?”

“Depends. I will say honestly that I will have no part in the smuggling of narcotics. I may be a man of loose morals, but I and my crews want no part in the poisoning of our young. Alcohol, refugees, and luxury items are one thing. But guns and drugs; I will have no part of.” Morgan told Maria with a smile. “I’m an honest crook Donna.”

“I must say sir. I find your brand of larceny quite to my liking.” Maria chuckled. “I can guarantee that there will be no guns or drugs. None of that. What I need is twenty packages delivered to US postal offices in several ports along the southeastern coastline. Can you handle the job?”

“Depends. Do the packages have to arrive at the same time?” Morgan asked.

“Preferably. If not, then at least all within the same day.” Maria told him.

“In that case my crews can handle the job. Just have the packages delivered to my office down at the docks. My people will take it from there.” Morgan took a drink of his wine smiling over the rim of his glass. “All we need to do now is to discuss price.”

“Normally I’d never negotiate on price Mister Morgan. I’m willing to pay a far wage for your service and not one penny more. I suggest you quote your price accordingly.” Maria told him bluntly with more than a little steel in her voice.

“Two grand per package for delivery, another two secures your privacy. Do we have an accord?” Morgan knew that he was pushing things but figured it was worth it. He had heard on the street that Maria DeMarco was loaded.

“Two grand total for delivery and secrecy. No more. I told you that I would only pay a fair wage, Mister Morgan.” Maria snarled. Then let her Mobster side show. “Do not try my generosity again. You do and you’ll wake up with a horse’s head. You do not want me as your enemy. Understood?”

Morgan quickly realized that he had overplayed his hand. All of his resources had confirmed the rumors concerning this woman and her connections to the mob were well founded. He could tell that the woman wasn’t one to be played with. Clearing his throat. “I believe that we may have gotten off to the wrong foot, Madam. Might I make a counter offer? Say three grand per package for everything? It will cover my costs for fuel and pay for my crews’ time.”

Maria thought over Morgan’s counter offer. She had already decided to use the man and his crews for the delivery of the ledger packets. She may have said that she wouldn’t haggle, but that was just a bluff. It was all part of doing business in the islands. If this was Toledo or any of the other major cities with a Mob influence, she wouldn’t have haggled. “We have an accord sir.”

Morgan sighed and held out his hand. “Done. When can my office expect your packages, Madam?”

“My men will drop them off later this afternoon.” Maria stood up and placed a ten dollar bill on the table. “And Mister Morgan. Don’t even think of double crossing me. The last man to do so ended up missing.”

Morgan felt a shiver run down his spine at the ice in this woman’s voice. As he watched her leave the bar with her two men Morgan waved James over. “Tell me something Jim. Did I really just work a deal with the Dove?”

“Yeah you did, and Jack, don’t fucking double cross her. I do not want to attend a funeral with my sister.” James warned his brother-in-law. “If she doesn’t kill you herself, those two men with her will. Just to keep Donna DeMarco’s daughters from getting involved.”

John, ‘Jack’ to his family and friends, Morgan stood up and placed a twenty dollar bill next to Maria’s ten spot. “That is one piece of advice I didn’t need Jim. That woman’s mere presence scares the crap out of me.”

“Be thankful that you weren’t dealing with her daughters. Those two men with her are just her sons-in-law. And THEY scare the crap out of most of my customers.” James shivered as he thought about the two women that normally picked up the two men on Sundays. “Her daughters make them look tame.”

“Why do I feel as if I just made a deal with the Devil herself?” Morgan commented as he looked to the bar’s front door.

Conference room, Ram Air Charters: 1030

Anna and Krystel had gathered in the conference room shortly after Maria left for Freeport with Bobby and Hunter. They had, had their work cut out for them. With the other members of the Black Badges having their assignments given to them by Maria. Annette, Kasey and Kristine were finishing their team’s final AAR for the Major on their operations in the States. Samantha and Angelic were busy taking care of the teams equipment and firearms. Krystel looked up from the last ledger and sighed.

“Finished. I still can’t believe all the shit that’s in these books.” Krystel bitched only to get a chuckle from Anna. “Not funny Miss Anna.”

“I’m not laughing at you. Just at the situation.” Placing her hands on the stack of ledger books Anna smiled. “The next time you’re in our nation’s capital take time to visit the Organized Crime Wing of the J. Edgar Hoover Museum. Everyone believes that it was just one ledger like these that broke the back of Al Capone. The truth of the matter is there are over twenty of these such ledgers. Not to the mention hundreds of reels of tape from the wire taps and bugs that were planted. The sheer amount of evidence that was compiled against the man is staggering. Sadly, none of that hard evidence was ever used in a court of law. Only his failure to pay his taxes was ever successfully levied against the man. Damned IRS pigs. Let that be a lesson. Don’t steal, the Government hates competition.”

Both women chuckled at Anna’s joke about Taxes, the IRS and the Government. Krystel just smirked. “Damn. I just might have to take some Leave Time just to go visit the place. Hard to imagine the FBI was doing that kind of data mining in the twenties.”

“That is one of the reasons many Organized Crime Syndicates have gone back to hardcopy ledgers and cyphers such as these. It is also why our vaunted Federal Law Enforcement agencies have taken to paroling and hiring convicted thieves.” Anna chuckled. “Especially, the second story variety. Such as the Madam’s niece and the one gentleman that visited with Lyssa’s old unit.”

“You have got to be kidding me. Doesn’t that break several civil rights laws?” Krystel asked in amazement.

“It does and it doesn’t. While the actual physical evidence cannot be used against the Organization, it can be used to point the agency in the right direction for useable evidence. It is an extremely gray area of the law. One that has come about because of the First Amendment protections given to the media. Especially the news hounds and the protection of their confidential informants.” Anna explained with an evil smile.

“Okay let me see if I got this right. So long as the actual agency doesn’t perform the break in. They can use whatever evidence their contractor gathers to find actual evidence they can use in court. Is that what you’re saying?” Krystel questioned Anna.

“That is exactly correct. It falls under the laws that cover the use of Undercover Informants and criminals that have turned State’s Evidence. All of which are rather gray.” Anna chuckled.

“Gray she says.” Krystel commented as she rolled her eyes. “I’ve read over those laws. I swear I’ve never seen so much legal innuendoes and double talk in my life.”

“Krystel why on earth would you be reading up on the law like that?” Carl questioned the Cyberwarfare operator knowing that it had nothing to do with her field of expertise.

“Think about Gemini and their normal operations. They needed to know how to hack for a legal investigation. Where everything had to be done in broad daylight. I needed to know what could be done legally and in the gray. Just so their evidence wouldn’t get thrown out because of a legal technicality. Like not having a proper warrant.” Krystel said. “Now I wonder why I even bothered. All that effort has been for nothing. I spend most of the time now obliterating their digital footprints.”

“Say no more. I forget that they don’t always do things on the up and up.” The Californian remarked.

“Quite. Now, where were we?” Anna asked with a crooked smile.

“Trying to figure out how much we want to send to the news hounds?” Krystel growled and gave the books a dirty look.

“Oh, we’re done already. Now, we just have to figure out which bunch of vultures we want to use. I still say that my way is better.” Anna let her distaste for the media fill her voice. “And a whole lot cheaper in the long run of things.”

“Miss Anna, we’ve gone over this already. We cannot just issue sixty some lethal findings like that. No matter who the scumbag is.” Krystel sighed. “The same goes for taking out contracts. We’re not a branch of the mafia or some other Criminal Organization.”

“I know, I know. The Madam explained her displeasure with me and Annette quite thoroughly last night.” Anna grumbled. “In excruciating detail.”

Krystel had the good graces to not comment at Anna’s discomfort over that confrontation. “I’ve got the list of news outlets that Madam Maria wanted these to go to. How do we package them, and to who do we address them to?”

“To the senior editors. As for packaging, plain brown wrapping paper. We do have that, yes?” Anna asked quickly. Only to receive a nod for an answer. “Good, that will do nicely. Let’s get to work. We have an hour to get the packages ready for Lonestar’s return flight.”

With just ten minutes left to spare, the twenty packages were wrapped and addressed. Krystel had Eddie and Carl help load them into the Bell 222. Anna stood back as the helicopter took off for Freeport. “There goes part one of the Madam’s plan. I hope this works as she plans.”

DeMarco home, Ram’s Rock: 1000

Samantha looked up from the 1911 that she had finished reassembling. “Well, that is the last one. Good work on those rifles Angelic.”

“Thank you, it was kind of fun to work with an actual firearm again. Haven’t done this since I took my first vows.” Angelic sighed in thoughtful memory. “I used to do this with my papa all the time back in Sicily.”

“I really do envy you at times Angelic.” Sam admitted sadly as the childhood memories of doing this same thing her father came flooding back from the recesses of her mind. She was quick to wipe away the errant tear that formed in the corner of her eye. “Damn allergies.”

“Sorry for bring up painful memories, Samantha.” Angelic said quickly as she wrapped her cousin in a warm hug. “What are you going to do next?”

“Get my daughters ready for their next operation. It’s that simple.” Sam said as she went to find Kasey and Kristine. “Their close quarters knife fighting skills can use some improvement.”

Angelic watched as her cousin walked out of the room. There was an almost definitive air of death surrounding the last true Capizeo. “If anyone should doubt that Samantha Justice is the rightful Hemlock Rose. They’ll be in for a very rude and bloody awakening.”

“She earned her right to that title eighteen years ago, cousin.” Annette told Angelic as she entered the room. “Stephany Capizeo is deadlier than just about everyone on this island. Save for one. Even then I’m not going to take any bets. Because if those two should ever go head to head with true deadly intent luck will be the only deciding factor.”

“Is Samantha really that good?” Angelic asked.

“She was that good two years ago. Now, well let’s just say that I won’t want to face her in a straight up fight. Even cheating it won’t be easy.” Annette told her cousin honestly. “No matter what name you use, that woman is just flat out deadly. It doesn’t matter the weapon. Knife, firearm, bare handed, it doesn’t matter. My sister-wife has become the pinnacle of assassins.”

The sounds of Richard Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries came from the dance studio. Annette turned and looked towards the studio with a smile on her face. “It sounds like Samantha is about to give a few harsh lessons to our daughters. You can bet they’ll be ready for Rome.”

“Are you sure that it’s a good idea to involve them in Samantha’s revenge?” Angelic asked her cousin with real worry showing in her face.

“They’ve worked in support roles before, Angelic. They’re more than ready for something like what they’ll be doing in Rome.” Annette assured Angelic. “Those girls are true cyberwarfare specialists.”

“Then they’re not actually going in with Samantha when she kills Delacorte. That’s good. At least they’ll be safe out of her way.” Angelic looked down at her hands. “Do you really think Samantha can get in and out without being noticed? We’re talking about the Headquarters of the Iscariot Division here.”

“What is the one thing that has held true for the Vatican throughout history?” Annette asked her cousin with a knowing grin.

“Nothing ever changes. Even the newest building is over five-hundred years old. Even the Iscariot Division Headquarters hasn’t moved to newer offices. They’ve been in the same building sense the time of the Great Betrayal.” As Angelic pointed out the greatest fundamental flaw in the Vatican she realized what Annette was saying. “The Secrets of the Capizeo. Samantha is the last one and she holds those secrets.”

“Exactly. Samantha knows how and where to get in without anyone noticing. With our daughters keeping the guards and video surveillance occupied. Even with all that modern equipment at their disposal the Papal Guard are still no match for a pissed off Capizeo hell bent on revenge.” Annette almost giggled at the look of surprise on Angelic’s face. “The time of the Moonless Wraith has come once more for the Iscariots and their Masters.”

“Do you think that Samantha will be showing your daughters any of the Sleep of the Beautiful Death?” Angelic asked wanting to change the topic.

“I doubt it. Not with that music. She’ll be going over the basics of the Dancing Blade with the girls.” Annette smiled evilly. “Only she won’t be showing the girls any mercy.”

“Can we watch?” Angelic asked hopefully.

“I don’t see why not.” With that Annette led Angelic towards the dance studio with a mile wide smile. “This is going to be good.”

True to form as Annette and Angelic entered the studio Samantha was facing off against the two teens. Only Samantha was bare handed, while the girls had their knives out. Sam stood in the center of the room letting the teens slowly circle her. The teens never took their eyes off Samantha. The girls moved as one coming in from each side at the same time. Then in the flash of an eye both girls were flat on their backs and Samantha held their knives to their throats snarling.

“Pathetic! You’ve grown weak! Gotten slow! Where are your heads?! You’ve been relying on your pistols too much! Get up and come at me again!” Samantha snapped at the girls. “And this time act like you fucking mean to cut me!”

“Samantha!” Angelic called out hoping to get Samantha to back down.

Only to receive a glare of death from the petite woman. “Shut the fuck up Angelic. This is between me and my students. If they’re not good enough to face me armed only with knives. Then I can’t begin to teach them the Sleep of the Beautiful Death.”

“Time to take the gloves off sis.” Kasey said as she tossed her knife to the side. Kristine just smiled and flowed her older sister’s example. With all three participants now on equal footing Samantha just smiled.

The two teenagers went at their mother with everything they had. Kicks, punches, flat handed knife strikes, backhanded thrusts, sweep kicks, all to no avail. Samantha just danced between the two as if she was preforming a delicate dance of death for the Kings and Queens of the world. Only Annette knew that Samantha was still holding back. Samantha took her time and wore the teenagers out before ending the practice with two well placed strikes at the end of the song.

“Very good girls. You’ve improved.” Samantha told them smiling. “Your actual knife skills still need more work.”

Both girls stood and bowed to Samantha. “Yes ma’am.”

“Mom you said that we’ve become too reliant on our sidearms.” Kasey said looking down at her feet. “What did you mean? We’ve been working more with our knives lately than our guns.”

“You have both fallen into the same trap that all modern people do. Like all modern people you believe that a gun is the great equalizer in a fight. Thanks in part to Sam Colt and his peacemaker pistols.” At the confused looks of her daughters Samantha sighed. “You’ve both heard the old saying of never bring a knife to a gun fight. Well there is a falsehood in that statement.”

“What do you mean there is a falsehood in that statement, Samantha?” Angelic asked with the same amount of confusion as the teenagers. “You point a gun and pull the trigger. Boom. End of fight.”

“Inside of twenty-one feet a gun is nothing more than a paperweight in the wrong hands. Fast reflexes and a sharp knife will win every time.” Samantha saw the doubt in Angelic’s eyes and chuckled. “I can see that a demonstration is in order. Annette get one of our inner pants holsters and one of the dummies.”

Annette just nodded head and did as Samantha asked. When she was ready Annette stepped the center of the room. “Okay Sam. All set. Let’s do this.”

“Okay girls, watch closely.” Samantha placed one of the practice knives in the waist of her sweatpants. Then walk to the far side of the room. “Now I’m just over twenty feet from your mother Annette. On three.”

“One, two, THREE.” Annette called as she started drawing the practice pistol. Meanwhile Samantha was also moving. By the time Annette had her weapon clear of her holster Samantha was on top of her plunging with the fake knife. There was no clear winner but both teens and Angelic were surprised by the result.

Samantha stepped back smiling. “As you can see. Even between two equally skilled opponents such Annette and me. A gun doesn’t win when there is less than twenty feet between them. Now understand that the odds will change with the change in distances. The closer we get the more the odds favor the knife. The further apart we get the more the odds favor the gun. Can you tell the reason girls?”

“Timing. That is the deciding factor. It takes time to draw and aim a firearm. It doesn’t matter the range, you still have to aim the weapon. Whereas with the knife it is deadly by its very nature. You pull it and use all in one motion.” Kasey answered her mother Samantha.

“Very good, Kasey. You’ve learned the most fundamental lesson that every good assassin learns early on. Under twenty-one feet a knife is a better choice than a gun.” Samantha told the three of them with a deadly smile. “Forget it, and you end up paying the price. Usually with your life.”

“Yes ma’am.” Both teenagers sang out. “We’ll never forget.”

Samantha smiled with pride as Annette just winked at them both. “Good. Now, let’s go again. And this time Kasey watch your damned inside core spacing. Kristine if you leave your off-hand side wide open like that again, I’ll leave you with a truly nasty scar as a reminder. The same goes for you Kasey. The time for play is over.”

“Yes ma’am.” The girls answered back. They could tell that their mother Samantha had changed. She was taking their training to a whole new and deadly levels. If she was talking about handing out scars, then they had better step up their game to match those new levels.

While Samantha had been giving out her advice Annette walked over to the stereo and started the music again. Once the music was playing Annette stepped behind Angelic. With a none too gentle push Angelic found herself in the middle of the sparring session. Finding herself in the unexpected situation Angelic did the only thing she could. She joined in the fight against the very deadly Samantha.

Even though Angelic had mastered the Way of the Dancing Blade before joining the Church. Angelic found herself at a major disadvantage against the petite woman. Even with three to one odds Samantha was wiping the floor with them. Nothing they tried worked. Samantha was just on a whole other level. Once again only Annette could tell that Samantha was still holding back as always.

“Enough Samantha. Quite holding back and finish this already. I’m getting hungry for one of my bagels.” Annette called out.

Samantha cleared the sweeping leg kicks of her daughters and rolled under the cross chest knife strike by Angelic. “Go ahead and get your bagel Annette. We’ll be out after two more songs. If these three can land one hit.”

“Damn it, Samantha! They’re not up to going one, two, or even three on one with you. You’ll be in here all day waiting for one them to land a single hit.” Annette bitched as she kicked off her sandals. She could see that Sam was having too much fun. “Time for you to get serious sister dear.”

With that Annette launched her own attack on the unsuspecting Samantha. At least that’s what she thought. Samantha spun and caught Annette’s leg and redirected her into the waiting teenagers.

“Oh Boy! Four to one! It’s finally getting to be fun.” Samantha giggled. The change was as lightning fast as it was subtle. Sliding to the far side of the room Samantha settled down in a fighting stance that none of them had ever seen her use before. Slowing down her breathing and bring her arms through wide swing arcs to be held in front of her. With her elbows bent, hands open and palms facing outward. Her legs were bent slightly at the knees with her left leg a half step in front of her right. “Shall we dance, ladies?”

The four DeMarco women all pulled up short. They could tell by Samantha’s stance that she was no longer using the Dancing Blade. All four could tell this was something totally new, deferent, and extremely deadly. Samantha’s whole demeanor changed as she settled into her fighting stance. Then with the blink of the eye Samantha was among them before they had a chance to react. Gone was the petite and feisty Deputy Marshal.

In her place was a whirl wind of flying feet and open hand strikes. The only one that Samantha took it easy on was Annette, because of the pregnancy. Samantha still put her sister on her ass with an off leg back sweeping kick that took Annette’s legs out from under her at the knees.

Standing over her four downed opponents Samantha took a deep breath before relaxing. Leaning down she slapped the faces of Kasey and Kristine. “Yeah, you two still alive?”

The groans of pain and humiliation were accompanied by burn in hell and drop dead looks from the two teenagers. The looks she got from Annette and Angelic weren’t much better. Nor was the rather vindictive words that accompanied those looks. Suffice to say, Samantha wasn’t a very welcomed person just then. If looks could have killed. Samantha would have been burning in hell or signing with the angels. She wasn’t sure of which just then.

“And that is why! You’ll do exactly what the fuck I tell you when we reach Rome. Especially while we are within the Vatican, girls. Make no mistake. We will be deep in the asshole of the enemy.” Samantha glared down at Kasey and Kristine. “Hit the showers girls. We’re done for the day. Annette go get something to eat. Your hunger slowed you down. Angelic, put some ice on those bruises and wrap your ankle.”

After handing out her orders Samantha left the house. Annette just got up off the floor then with Kasey’s help got Angelic to the kitchen. Kristine had headed up stairs to find an ace wrap for Angelic. Only once Angelic was seated in a chair at the kitchen table did anyone say something.

“We’ve always known that momma Sam was deadly as hell. But what the fuck is going on here momma Annette. She’s never handed me or Kristine our asses so easily before. What was up with that crazy assed bare handed shit she used back there?” Kasey demanded.

“That was just a small sample of your next step in training.” Annette told her oldest daughter honestly as she began to fix her bagel. “She took it easy on us today. I was expecting her to come at us full throttle with afterburns at max. Instead she only came at us at cursing speed.”

“Wait! That wasn’t her at full speed or power?” Angelic asked as she pulled her jaw up off the floor. “Then what the hell was it? Playing tag?”

“In a nutshell. That was exactly what Samantha was doing with us.” Annette smirked as she sat down in her own chair. A freshly toasted bagel with all the fixings in her left hand and a cup of hot coffee in her right. “Trust me. If she hadn’t been playing around with us there would have been broken bones, blood, and organs on the studio floor.”

“If that was her playing around. I don’t want to see her pissed off.” Kasey whispered. About that time Kristine returned with the ace bandage. “About damned time Kris. Where did you go for this thing? The main land?”

“Oh, bite me, Kasey. I had to dig through the emergency first aid closet for one that would fit cousin Angelic. I don’t remember the last time we needed a small ace wrap.” Kristine bitched. “The only person who uses them are mamma Sam and me. Mine are all in the wash and she hasn’t used one in ten months.”

“That’s because she hasn’t need too. Cousin Angelic got careless and paid the price.” Annette snapped and took a bite of her bagel. After chewing and washing it down with coffee Annette continued the ass chewing of her daughters. “Take a good look at all of your teachers. Do you see them taking chances with their training? Do you see them only giving a half-assed attempt at it? I’ll answer that for you. NO! Even Kimberly and Krystel give it their all when it comes to their training. You two girls have been slacking in your training. Part of that is our fault. The rest is all on you.”

“How can you say that Annette? It’s not their fault they’re not up to Samantha’s standards. That is all on Samantha for not taking the time to train them properly.” Angelic huffed in the defense of the girls. Then cringed in pain as Annette thumped her big toe. “HAY! What was that for?”

“To remind you that it is not your place to correct us on how we raise or train our daughters. What do you think your mother would have said or done if she had seen that little training practice of ours?” Annette snarled and took another bit of her bagel. “I know that I can tell you what would have happened. And she’s isn’t here to correct me.”

“She wouldn’t have said jack shit. She would have waited until after Samantha was out of sight and ear shoot. Then promptly beat me about the head and shoulders. All while chewing my ass out for not keeping up with my own training in privet. If she didn’t snatch my head bare for such a piss poor performance in front of God and everyone.” Angelic chuckled.

“You’re damned right she would have. There were four us in there all trained in the Way of the Dancing Blade. Two Masters and two well trained Disciples. Not one of us was able to lay a hand on her. I was the only one to even get close to landing a hit and I failed in spectacular fashion even with having the advantage of surprise on my side. I doubt that even my mother could have landed a solid or clean blow.” Annette surmised with a smile.

“Has Samantha really reached that level of Mastery?” Angelic asked wide eyed.

All three of the Black Badge Deputies gave the same one word answer. “YES.”

“WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Maria demanded.

All four looked at each other in confusion.

Maria went over and stood directly in front of Annette. “Were YOU sparring?”

“Yes.” Annette replied and immediately had her head turned from the slap.

Maria's rage was evident. “NEVER DO IT AGAIN, UNTIL I SAY YOU CAN!”

As Maria stormed from the kitchen, swearing in Italian, comprehension hit Annette. “I'm pregnant. I was so damned stupid. Oh shit, Sam is about to get a beating she has no right but to accept. I just got incredibly lucky. I could have miscarried.”

Not even ten minutes later, Samantha walked in and found them all in the kitchen. The very red mark on her cheek was obvious.

“I apologize. I swear I will never spar with you again until you have a doctor's permission. I'm very sorry Annette.” Samantha said then turned to walk out. “That was stupid of me.”

-----tbc-----

Maria stood off to one side with most of her family. They stood there watching as Samantha went over the equipment laid out on the table before her. There was the normal undercover laps, cellphone, and family knives. The same ones she would normally carry for a team operation. Samantha would have to secure new firearms and anything else she would need in Rome.

Angelic was pissed that she wasn’t going in with Samantha. Then she remembered that her second cousin was more than just a trained and blooded old world assassins. Samantha was the Hemlock Rose. Angelic knew that as deadly as Samantha is, she was worried about her going in alone.

The deadliest member of the DeMarco wasn’t taking one of her firearms. All of her weapons were all of the bladed type. Knives, throwing knives, spikes, and darts. The traditional weapons of the assassin. The only weapon missing was poison. Not that Samantha wanted it. Not for what she was going to do. She wasn’t going to let her target die a peaceful death. Not if she could fucking help it.

“If I can have your attention.” Krystel started off with. “I'll begin your briefing now.”

“Stow it, Krystel. I know that you’re not happy with me going in alone. Neither is the rest of my team.” Samantha sighed. “But We have to face facts here. First, none of you know enough about the Vatican to not get in the way. Even Annette and Angelic don’t know what I do. Sure, they both have the training and skills to act as infiltration specialists. But Annette is beached for medical reason. Angelic maybe one of the best thieves in the fucking world, but she is not an operator or assassin. Sure, Gemini can be considered as both, despite their ages. But I don’t have time to run them up to standard for this type of operation.”

“Oh, I'm sorry to take you away from beating up a pregnant friendly.” Krystel said sarcastically then ordered. “You WILL give me your attention and only raise relevant points. You want this operation, it's yours, but you will focus and set stupidity aside. It would be preferred that you have back-up. It is advised you reconsider.”

“I have damn it! Why can’t you see the truth for what it is?” Samantha snapped. “If it was up to me, I wouldn’t be leaving this island!”

“Samantha! Control your temper! Behave like the professional that I know you are!” Maria called out from where she stood. “We don’t have time for this arguing. The situation is what it is. We work with what we have. Annette is off field operations until after the pregnancy. Krystel, as skilled as you are; you can’t pass for a devout catholic. The same can be said for Tiffany and Shawna. I’m too old to be traipsing across rooftops or through sewers. The same goes for Anna. I would endorse Lyssa, but she is not available due to the powers that be. We are down to facing the truth. It is an uncomfortable truth and painful one but the truth none the less. Wishing that it wasn’t so, isn’t going to change the facts.”

“The Major conditionally approved this plan.” Krystel reminded. “Strong emphasis on 'conditionally'.”

“The Major did approve the personnel. I know that you don’t like it. You have voiced your disapproval and had it put on the record. Now, carry on the briefing.” Maria was done arguing with the cyber-warfare Operator. “Or should I take over for you?”

“I'll resume.” Krystel replied, turning back to Samantha. “I've replaced your standard laptop. When you’ve completed your operation bring up the command line, enter Hellfire666. When the program opens; hit run. Ten minutes later it’ll fry the cpu, and motherboard after wiping all traces from the recoverable memory. This will happen if the laptop is open or closed. Even underwater. It’s a onetime use. No matter what happens it does not come home. Like all of this equipment. You come home, but none of this equipment does. Understood?”

“Yes. The final part of my exfiltration route is through the Cloaca Maxima. It dumps into the Tiber River. I’ll get rid of everything there. Don’t worry, I’ll be well out in the middle of the river when I dump it. I’ll make the arrangements for the boat once I’m in Rome. I still have more than a few contacts in that part of the world. Ones that I can count on to keep their fucking mouths shut.” Samantha chuckled. “If they want to live that is.”

“Is it always a death threat?” Krystel asked.

“Who said anything about threats?” Angelic asked bluntly. “Krystel, the Capizeo family doesn’t make threats or empty promises. They state facts. You cross them, you pray that they give you a quick death.”

Krystel looked over at Maria, who nodded. “My niece has only stated the truth. Not even the DeMarco’s would dare to cross or think of crossing the Capizeo family. Just look at what just one of their number did eighteen years ago in Toledo, Ohio. They have very long knives and even longer memories.”

“We don’t ever tell someone that has double crossed us that we’re going to kill them, Krystel. We make them wish that we just killed them.” Samantha told the seasoned operator. “We wipe out their whole family first. Then when they are at their lowest, do we think about killing them.”

“And anyone with more than two functional braincells knows and understands this fact.” Bobby told the Operator. “Krystel, trust me when I say that my first wife has a nasty streak to her that you have yet to see.”

“This is where somebody would say they're impressed.” Krystel said to Bobby and turned back to Samantha. “I can honestly say, I'm repulsed. If you run such a high risk of betrayal that you require terrorist-mentality measures, it is beyond obvious you need to reevaluate your position. Carrying those badges as well. That mentality is unacceptable. You will NOT engage non-combatants, Deputy. This is where you say 'Aye, Ma'am'.”

“Aye, Ma'am.” Samantha grumbled then pointed at the table. “What’s with the glasses?”

“Glad you asked. Those have micro cameras in them that uplink with your phone. It took some work, but thanks to Gemini, and some hard work by the guys. We now have a way to see and track your moves without alerting everyone and their brother. Make sure you give them due appreciation for their diligent efforts.” Krystel nodded with approval. Then she gave Samantha a harsh look. “Whatever happens don’t lose them. Between your phone and the glasses, we can track your position down to two meters remotely. On-site, half a meter.”

“Don’t ditch them unless absolutely necessary.” Maria ordered Samantha. “That is an order. Not from Operations, not your mother but from your family.”

“One last thing. These emergency passports are good for two novices and two full sisters. They can get you into and out of Rome. That is the good news and bad news. The good is that unless they get flagged, you won't be stopped.” Krystel told Samantha. “However, if you do use them, you're done. Completely. Shut down. All four of you. Period. Full-stop.”

Angelic finally asked the question. “Why? What is not being said?”

“United States policy, Angelic. Using the cover of clergy, media and Peace Corps is forbidden. To do so is blatant violation and punishable." Bobby answered.

Kasey nodded. “It was in our classes; those three are never to be used. It endangers the real ones. They go out without any kind of protection.”

“If you do it and nothing bad happens, you can be disavowed and even go to prison. If things go bad, you go to prison for life if you're lucky. If it goes really bad; you get a lethal finding.” Kristine finished.

“If this operation goes south Krystel; I won’t be leaving by plane, train, bus, or any form of public transportation.” Samantha answered honestly as she packed up the laptop and other equipment. “Let’s pray it doesn’t come to that, Krystel. Is Lonestar ready to drop me off in Key West?”

“The Lear is on one-minute launch prep. One question. Why are you flying out the way you are? We can fly you all in directly.” Krystel asked.

“Let’s just say that the Monsignor is going to pay in more than one way.” Samantha chuckled at her gallows' humor as she turned and led her group to the Lear.

The implication wasn't lost on the Cyber-Operator. “I see. So, Samantha is charging the flights to the Iscariot Division accounts. Slightly amusing.”

Maria looked over. “I guess being a bit heavy-handed with Samantha can't be helped.”

“She wants to pretend that we're all morons to her genius. I'm not putting up with it. Yes; I come from a nobody family, not a criminal one. I had to work my way through college and earn my commission in the Navy. I'm not a Capezio or a DeMarco, so I don't have the option of saying a name that makes criminals piss themselves. Nobody just gives me anything.” Krystel said to the remaining Black Badges. “Just like everybody else on the military side, I have to earn for myself. At least I didn't have to start over as much as Lyssa did, get napalmed like Kimberly, back-shot like the skipper or hung out like Pete but I don't take it for granted.”

Maria shook her head as Krystel left. “All of you. This must stop. Paul did ask Lyssa and the others to take us in then gave us the opportunity to redeem ourselves of our blatant crimes. They have encouraged us and educated the girls alongside of Mindy, especially Kristine. Krystel devoted so much time with her and Kasey. They are different from us, yes, but that does not mean they are less than. They go where we won't and do what we can't. Bobby and Hunter are familiar with that, but the rest of us are not. No more disrespect to them.”

“Yes Ma'am.” Bobby, Hunter and Annette said.

Coconut Telegraph Shipping, Freeport, Grand Bahama: 1500

The eight fishing trawlers would have not been out of place in any seaport. It was the inboard engines that set these forty-foot fishing boats apart. The high performance high output engines were better suited for offshore racing speedboats than use aboard fishing boats. These were the pride and joy of John Morgan’s smuggling business. As the last package was carried aboard his flagship smuggler, John turned to the tall American who had delivered the box that originally held the packages. John Morgan had seen the man on several occasions over the years and knew his name but had never dealt with him. Nor had he dealt with the man's boss, the notorious Rodrick Mason.

“That’s the last of them.” John told the man. “My crews will be leaving within the next hour. Sorry, but we need to wait for the rest of the fishing fleet to leave. Don’t want to raise suspicions with the rest of the fleet. Too many boats going out this soon will have the whole fleet chasing them down. It’s tuna season, and the blues are running.”

“I was asked to find out the ETA’s for those packages to reach their destination.” Carl told John.

“Forty-eight to seventy-two hours. The trips could be made faster, but that’ll raise too much attention. They also need to put something in their hauls. Just to avoid suspicion if they get boarded or stopped by the US Coast Guard.” John explained for the man. “Fishing boats not fishing draws attention. Attention that my crews don’t need.”

“Not trying to tell you how to do your job sir. Just following orders.” The American said as he held up his hands. “She needs the information to plan accordingly. She is very meticulous.”

“I see. Understandable and I should have expected it from the Donna.” John got the impression that asking too many questions of this man about Donna Maria’s business would be dangerous for his health. “Well you can assure the Donna that her packages will be delivered no later than tomorrow.”

“Here’s the payment.” The man said handing over a thick envelop. The American turned to leave. “Have a good day.”

“You as well sir.” John stood there and watched as the American left his warehouse. A cold shiver ran down his spine. “I do not know where Donna Maria finds these people. But I hope that I never find out. Because it must be one step from the very depths of Hell’s deepest pit. Nobody wants to cross those pirates out on Ram's Rock.”

Church Our Blessed Mother, Freeport, Grand Bahama: 1530

Sister Mary smiled as the last of the children returned from school. The smiles on the children’s faces was worth being exiled from Rome. It was the twelve teenagers though that made her want to do more. The five teenage boys hurried inside and changed out of their uniforms. They were already climbing the ladders to help the new Priests with the roof repairs. She could tell that the boys wanted to do more than just get jobs down at the harbor after graduation. She was surprised that overnight almost none of them wanted to join the priesthood. In any of its Orders.

All thanks to those four new priests and their tales of adventure in their younger years while serving in the militaries of the world. She had heard the boys talk of wanting to join the Royal Bahamaian Defense Force over breakfast. Most especially the Commando Squadron. A more elite unit of Special Marine Commandos you would be hard pressed to find. Their training is conducted with U.S. Special Operations Forces with British Special Air and Boat Services in special operations and maritime warfare.

Another surprise for her was one of the after school activities for the girls of the orphanage. She watched as the seven teenage girls gathered up their younger female siblings. The thirty-nine girls all carried a small duffle bag filled with a white leotard, pink tights and Bloch leather full-sole ballet slippers. The older girls, those that were fourteen and up also carried a pair of Russian Pointe adult Muse Pointe Shoes. Each girl carried close to three-hundred dollars’ worth of ballet shoes, attire, and accessories. Whoever was paying for the girls to take ballet didn’t spare any expense for the girls. They were even paying for the lessons.

As the girls left the orphanage Mary sighed over the sad state of adoptions. Of the sixty-seven children staying at the orphanage only twenty-eight were boys. The rest were all girls between the ages of five to seventeen. The fact that boys were more preferable to girls in families in the Caribbean was a depressing thought. The main reason is boys could get jobs down at the docks and at the airport that paid a hell of lot more than the hotel housekeeping, waitressing and bartending jobs that waited for girls. She knew that very few of children of the Bahamas ever went to university or college.

“Thinking of their possible futures Sister Mary?” The heavy Russian accent in the voice let Mary know that the Mother Superior was behind her.

“Yes ma’am.” Mary sighed. “I feel so helpless. Most of these children will never be adopted because of their mixed heritage. Even then, the boys stand a better chance at being adopted than the girls.”

“It has been this way for as long as there have been orphanages, child. All we poor nuns can do is prepare the girls as best we can for the hard life that is ahead of them. The boys just have more choices ahead of them.” Mother Sophia told the younger nun. “What brought about such thoughts, child?”

“That woman who was here earlier this morning, Maria DeMarco. Why did Father Clancy just do as she asked? What reason could someone like her want with those Vatican passports?” Mary asked honestly.

“Sister Mary, while you are here, you will see many things that are out of the norm. Especially when it comes to Maria DeMarco and her family. They are not your normal parishioners. That family walks in the shadows of the world doing the bloody work of the Angels, Saints and Lady Justice.” Sophia told Mary honestly. “What we do for Maria DeMarco is never to be discussed outside of these walls. Especially with those in the Iscariots. Understood?”

“Yes, Mother Superior. Just one more question. Who pays for the girls to take ballet? I know that those lessons cost a good deal of money.” Mary asked with a sly and knowing smile.

“We do not know for sure child, but more than one world Prima has made her home here in the islands. What I do know is Madam Corvallis showed up two years ago offering to give free classes for all the children here. She even said that she would take the boys as students. The Dance Mistress provides all their needed supplies and attire for the classes. For both the boys and the girls.” The mother Superior looked over at where a group of boys was now gathering. “Ah. Here come the boys class now.”

Sure, enough a group of ten boys were gathering in the courtyard. Sister Mary noticed that the average age was around twelve with the youngest being ten and the oldest around fourteen. The boys all had one thing in common. They were all in excellent physical shape.

“I’m surprised that none of them are bullied for taking ballet.” Mary said.

“Not with the older boys looking out for the younger brothers. The last person who tried to bully one of those boys ended up with some missing teeth. Father Clancy was called down to the school over the fight.” Sophia chuckled. “Tomas is extremely proactive of his younger siblings. He will make a remarkable Commando. I look forward to the day he earns his first stripes.”

“Mother Superior, how many of the children from here join the Iscariots?” Mary asked in a whisper.

“We actively do our best to steer the ones who would join the Orders away from the Iscariot Division.” Sophia told her hotly. “Father Clancy and I have no use for that order. Yes, you and the other new arrivals or former Iscariots. Yes, we took you in. Yes, we will provide what guidance we can for the seven of you as you continue down the path your faith takes you. But understand something Sister Mary. This would not be the case if you hadn’t been burned and were still active members of the Order. Make no mistake. We would have no problems with handing you over to the Hemlock Rose or the Wraiths of the Moonless Night.”

As Sophia turned to walk away, she gave Mary one final warning. “Do not endanger this Church, or Orphanage. You do and I’ll be the one to end the threat that you present.”

Special Activities Division, CIA, Langley, McLean, VA: 1430

Chief of Operations Dale Roberts looked down at the report Mary handed him. “Is this Intel accurate Mary?”

“It came from the same source for the tip on that bunch at JJ’s Bar-Bee-Q.” Mary told him bluntly. “Looks like solid intel, sir.”

“Damn. If half of this gets out. We’ll all be in deep shit.” Dale stood up and turned to look out his office window. “Mary, how many Sweeper teams do we have available? I mean full teams. Not solo cleaners.”

“We have only seven full teams available. If I hit the ‘oh shit’ button. I can have eight more here in forty-eight hours. Might I make a suggestion sir?” Mary asked of her boss. Dale nodded his head. “This might be one time that we intentionally leak our movements to the OpFor.”

“Okay Mary, I've got to hear this one.” Dale chuckled. Some of his most devious plans had come from the mind of his assistant.

“Sir, we know that we have at least one more leak to the Vatican and those cocksuckers in the Iscariots. Let's use the asshole to do some good for once. We let him know that we’re gathering our Sweeper teams. That their little Strike Teams have been burned.” Mary chuckled as she laid out her idea for her boss. “But we let them know that it’ll take us seventy-eight hours to gather the number of teams that we need.”

“Damn! That’s just wrong. The simple threat will be enough for the problem to solve itself. They pop the alarm and pull their own people.” Dale chuckled. “We still need to pull our Sweeper teams in to make it look good.”

“That’s only part one of the plan, sir. As for these sixty-eight scumbags. That’s another story.” Mary snarled. “We use the solo cleaners to handle the situation in one shot.”

“You’re right about that. I’m just worried about using our people inside of CONUS. This could get messy.” Dale told her.

“It’s either that or let the newshounds jump all over the connections between us, State, Price, Vickers and Abrams. It’s bad enough that the New York State Police have figured out the connection with Anderson.” Mary told her boss. “I hate to say this sir. We need the Cleaners for this situation.”

“I’ll make the calls Mary. We’re going with your idea. I kind of like the idea of mind fucking those assholes in the Iscariots for change.” Dale picked up his phone. “And Mary. This time once we’re done with that leak. Fucking plug it for good.”

“With coffin nails and six feet of dirt sir. That is one promise you can take to the bank.” Mary told him with a nasty snarl. “I’m getting tired of playing little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike.”

As Mary closed the door behind her Dale chuckled. He was still chuckling as he began to dial the numbers of his counterparts on the Sweeper teams. “That gal is one nasty piece of work when she gets pissed off.”

Section 21 Iscariot Division Headquarters: 2200 local time

Monsignor Jonathan Delacorte walked through the empty halls of the building. He knew that sleep would not come easy this night. His thoughts were in turmoil brought on by the latest reports coming out of the United States. To say that they were disturbing was an understatement. It was as if someone was deliberately targeting his operations within the country.

The Miami Police had finally found what was left of Ronald Vickers. All indications pointed to a South American Hit Squad having taken out Vickers. Delacorte couldn’t care less for the man, it was his connections as an illegal arms, stolen art and antiquities dealer that would be missed. The same could be said for Sylvia Price. Her connections to the modeling world, high finance, Sports stars, and political figures were his main outlet for the novice nuns he had been smuggling into the US to be mail order brides. The biggest blow was the loss of Global World Transit.

With Donald Abrams dead and the company under new ownership that valuable smuggling outlet was now cutoff. The new owners were a total mystery to him. His most experienced operatives had been unable to find anything on this Prima International Investments. They had just appeared out of nowhere and scooped up the failing GWT as if it was nothing. Whoever these people were, they had money and access to real power.

But the most disturbing report concerned Charles Anderson and his operations. The New York State Police had raided Anderson’s main offices. The records found there implicated half of his personal operatives within the US. Those same recovered records pointed to his personal connection a good deal of Anderson’s illegal activities within the US. The illegal arms and drug smuggling, the selling of stolen or looted artwork and antiquities were just the tip of the iceberg. The real mystery was the disappearance of Anderson. The last anyone had seen of the man was at the Gorman Rod and Gun Club. Even that was circumspect as it was the man’s personal bodyguards.

Though it was the latest report out of Miami that had him really worried. The one brought to him just two hours ago by Father Lennard who was in charge of the Section Twenty-one Strike Teams. One of their longest operating Strike Teams had been burned. Normally the loss of one team was of no consequences. But this was the Miami team. A Strike Team that has been in operation longer than any other. Founded in the days of the Cuban missile crisis. For more than fifty years the team had operated with impunity. Then in one moment of ignorance the whole cell was burned by an informant.

That wasn’t the only cell that was now endangered thanks to the raid on Anderson’s office. He was being forced to recall or burn the teams that had been exposed. Most of them he would be forced to burn. The Bishop was already demanding answers that he did not have. Delacorte knew that his practice of working from the shadows of the Iscariots was now in danger.

“Damn it. What the hell is going on? It doesn’t make any sense. How could everything come a part like this?” Delacorte said into the empty air of the lonely hallway. “Just when I was finally getting ready to make my move.”

Delacorte looked out the nearest window towards the residence of the Bishops. “So close. Yet so far. Could that old bastard have figured out my plans?”

As he thought about what little he really knew of Bishop Karl Ferdinand, Delacorte realized that he had made a monumental mistake. One that could very well cost him his life. “I think it’s time to make arrangements for my departure from the priesthood. I wonder what the skiing is like in the Swiss Alps at this time of the year?”

With his mind made up Delacorte headed for his private quarters. He knew that it would take to time to arrange things for his escape. The first of which was burning certain Strike Teams in the US. That alone was going to take more work than he wanted, but it had to be done just to protect himself from the fallout. He also knew that he couldn’t just blindly cut ties with those teams. It would have to be done in a way that doesn’t bring unwanted attention to the teams that won’t be exposed.

“I need to handle this with kit gloves. The problem is which teams will be exposed by those clowns in the New York State Police. I just hope like hell that the CIA doesn’t get involved in this mess.” Delacorte mumbled to himself as he walked towards his quarters.

“Monsignor! Monsignor!” Delacorte stopped and turned to face the young priest that was rushing towards him waving a folder. “Sir! We have a major problem! This just came in from the office in Virginia.”

Delacorte took the folder and began to read the report inside. The more that he read, the whiter his face turned. His worse fears had come true. The CIA was already moving to take out his Strike Teams. “DAMNATION! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WHO EXPOSED OUR PEOPLE LIKE THIS? JUST DON’T STAND THERE MAN! I WANT FUCKING ANSWERS NOW!”

“But sir. We already know who and how our Strike Teams were exposed.” The young man began only to get a dirty look from Delacorte. “Well not so much who, but we know how. It was a direct leak into the hands of the CIA and US State Department. Don’t worry sir. We’ve already began to work on updated Judas Protocols for those teams.”

“What about the who? Damn it! Who could have exposed our Strike Teams directly to the CIA and US State Department? I need details man.” Delacorte demanded.

“Sir we’re still working on who leaked the information on our Strike teams. All our operative in the CIA was able to gather is the leak came in through the Internet. Whoever did this used multiple ISPs, International Nodes, and Server Farms in fifteen different countries around the world. According to our operative in DARPA there are maybe fifteen or sixteen people in the whole world who could have pulled off this type of cyberattack.” The young man told Delacorte before swallowing hard. “Sir, not even with all of our people in the cyber division working together, they couldn’t have pulled this off.”

“Is there any chance at our people getting out of the country undetected?” Delacorte asked. Even though he already knew the answer.

“Our people in Intentions say one out of ten can escape. At the outside twenty percent of the team members will be able to escape the dragnet.” The young priest wasn’t looking forward to the next part. “Intentions say those projections are best case scenarios. Realistically, they predict that only five percent of all our Strike Team personnel will escape capture.”

“FIVE PERCENT! How the hell could that happen? Our people are some the best trained in the world.” Delacorte was beside himself with rage.

“The Americans may not have photo ids of our people, but that doesn’t mean they won’t know what to look for, sir.” The young man answered honestly. “If we don’t cut our compromised Section twenty-one teams lose sir. They could compromise all of the Iscariot Division operations within the US boarders.”

“Damnation. How much time does Intentions give us before the Section twenty-one teams are fully compromised?” Delacorte wasn’t liking where this was going. He really didn’t want to lose such valuable assets.

“If each team member can initiate their individual Judas Protocols within the next five to ten hours. They can clear the US boarders with little or no problems. The problem will be if they have a chance to fully initiate those protocols. The ones for the offices will happen automatically as we can set them off remotely.” The priest told Delacorte. The young man took a deep breath. “Our teams only have one saving grace. It will take time for the CIA to gather the needed Sweeper teams. According to our asset in the CIA somewhere around seventy-eight hours for full recall. That is time our teams cannot waste in their escape.”

“Send the current Judas Protocols for all of the Section Twenty-one teams. They are to burn everything. They are to go totally off the grid and head for the nearest exfiltration points. I want them all back here in the next forty-eight hours. If they’re not out of the US in twenty-four hours cut them lose. They can take the full forty-eight to return to Rome, but they have to be outside of the US in the next twenty-four.” Delacorte ordered. He was already thinking of how he was going to reinsert those teams at some time in the future. He knew that he couldn’t just send them back to where they had been. There was too great a chance of them being burned again.

“Yes, sir. Twenty-four hour recall burn. Forty-eight for full return to Vatican City.” The young priest was interrupted by Delacorte.

“No. Not within the Vatican. They are not to come anywhere near the Holy City. Rome yes. Anywhere within Italy, yes.” With a sweep of his hand Delacorte took in the full of Vatican City. “But not here.”

“But sir. Standard procedure is for all recalled members of the Iscariot Division to report directly to Vatican City.” The priest contradicted.

“They are to avoid all contact with the Iscariot Division. Am I understood? They are to go to ground and off the gird totally. Drop point contacts only from here on out. Make no mistake. These teams are to have absolutely no contact with the Iscariots.” Delacorte almost snarled. “Sadly, they have become our Barabbas.”

The meaning of the Monsignor’s words were clear as a bell for the young priest. The men and women of the Strike Teams were on their own. They would succeed or fail by their own hard work.

Federico Fellini International airport, Rimini, Italy: 0030

Delta Airlines flight 504 from Miami was the last flight in from the United States. As the passengers began to unload, they paid little or no attention to the petite woman in the gray business power suite as she made her way to the exit. Not even the woman’s glasses could take away from her strikingly beautiful Mediterranean features. Despite her looks nothing was enough to break most of the passengers’ jetlagged fog.

No one remembered when the quiet and extremely well dressed woman joined flight 504. Not the passengers. Not the flight attendants. Not even the drunken fool who made the pass at her in the inside aisle seat in the business class on the upper deck. It was as if she appeared out of nowhere somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Which is what really happened.

Halfway through the flight from Atlanta International to Leonardo da Vinci Samantha used the Attendant’s lounge for a fast change of appearance. All it took was fifty-dollars to the First Class Attendant and reasonable excuse. Basically, Samantha told the attendant that she would be heading directly for a board meeting from the airport. At first the attendant was skeptical of Samantha’s story. That was until Samantha told her that she was the US representative for GWT did the attendant change her mind. Like most people in the US the flight crew for 504 had heard of the massive takeover of Global World Transit. And the following chaos that followed on the trading floors of the world’s stock exchanges.

Samantha was one of the first to reach luggage claim and recover her bag before heading for the customs lanes. Samantha knew that she needed to exit the airport in a reasonable time frame. She couldn’t afford to be held up. Time was not on her side, and she knew it. First though she had to get through customs. Samantha smiled as she pulled out her UC id for this mission.

“Good evening ma’am.” Samantha easily slipped into Italian as she greeted the female agent behind the counter.

“Good evening young lady. I must say your Italian is quite good. Where did you learn? I mean was it in a primary school or university.” The woman asked in surprise at Samantha’s fluency.

“I grew up speaking Italian at home, ma’am. Mamma was from San Marino and papa’s family was from Florence.” Samantha explained with the same smile as when she first appeared at the counter.

“That explains the slight mix of accents. Well down to business. By the way you’re dressed, I would say that you’re here on business?” The agent said as she opened Samantha’s UC passport. “Is that correct Miss Adler?”

“Only partially ma’am. This is really a holiday in the disguise of a business trip. That way I can write the trip off on my income taxes at the end of the year.” Samantha placed her hand over her mouth to hid the fake giggle. “Girl’s got to stick it to the Infernal Rectum Screw Patrol somehow.”

The agent couldn’t help yourself and chuckled as she stamped Samantha’s passport. As the agent handed it back, she gave Samantha a parting piece of advice. “Be sure to stay in one of those really fancy hotels down by the sea for at least one night. That way you can claim the complimentary room service as part of your bill.”

“I hadn’t thought of doing that. Free meals while getting a writing off my taxes. That’s sneaky.” Samantha chuckled as she recovered her passport. “Is there a car rental here in the airport, or do I have to go outside the port?”

“After you have your bag searched there’s a car rental counter just before the exit, Miss Adler. Enjoy your stay and welcome to the home land.” The agent said as she waved for the next person in line.

As Samantha neared the final customs check point, she knew that her bag would clear without any problems. Her only worry was the laptop case. She knew that a custom agent could get nasty about certain electronics entering a foreign country. Samantha handed over her customs forms and passport.

The agent read over the declaration forms and doubled checked her passport. Samantha waited for the man to open her bag. “You are Miss Irene Adler of 221B Baker Street, London, Ohio, United States of America?”

“Yes sir. I have nothing to declare.” Samantha told the man in perfect Italian. She could tell by the change in his attitude it was the right move.

He just handed her back her paperwork and passport. “Enjoy your stay.”

“Once I’ve taken care of business I plan to sir. As my grandfather was fond of saying. One must work before they can play.” Samantha tossed over her shoulder as she headed for the car rental counter.

Once she had the keys to her rental in her hand Samantha left the concourse. She smiled as she settled in behind the wheel of the dark blue Alfa Romeo Spider. Before starting the engine, Samantha pulled out her phone. After opening the secure app that linked her glasses Bluetooth. There was one feature that Samantha wasn’t ready for, the built in two-way. “I know it is not my norm, but fuck it. You only live once. Besides I can finally scratch something off the bucket list.”

“What driving a fast car? I thought you would have done that during your Marshal training, White Swan?” Krystel said over the earpiece.

“What the hell? I thought you were locked out of the TOC?” Jumped in surprise.

“The TOC is locked down.” Krystel replied. “But not the ALOC, and I can access the uplink from my house or the hangar office.”

“Damn I forgot about you being able to use that beast like that.” Samantha said as she shifted into gear and pulled out. “You’re right about being trained for highspeed interceptions. But that is not on my bucket list. I’ve had plenty of wheel time at high speeds. No. My bucket list is to drive a real Italian sports car, in Italy.”

Samantha didn’t waste any time. She hit the Italian Highway and opened up the powerful sports car’s engine. She hit all of her shift points dead on the money. “So, how’s the feed from the glasses coming through?”

“Crystal clear, Swan. I got to say, they did good. The problem was all the features they WANTED to install. Thermo, x-ray, HUD. If they'd have tried to do all that, you'd be wearing a stormtrooper helmet. They guys nixed the x-ray, on ethical protest. The girls griped and the guys shut them down with a demand to wear them as well. Killed that argument fast. Might make them standard issue though.”

“I don't know if that'll work, Dolphin. Once I start my run through the Vatican, they’ll be a hindrance. They’re not exactly action friendly. If you catch my meaning?” Samantha told Krystel with a chuckle. “Maybe with some training time and a few modifications they’d work, but not as they’re now.”

“What kinds of modifications?”

“Wire arms to hook around the ears. Stronger frames across the face and around the eyes. The lens could use a ‘blue-blocker’ coating.” As Samantha list the requirements in her head for the ‘tactical version’ of the glasses she was wearing she had a flash of insight. “If I had to give you a full list of specs for the type of glasses for a base. I would say use a high quality set of ‘shooters' glasses’.”

“You’re talking about ballistic and tactical eyewear. The tricky part will be integrating the earwig and spy-cams. Not a whole lot of room in most standard frames. Can’t modify something off the shelf like we did for the pair you’re using now. Any ideas?”

“Nope. Not a one. Get with Stalking horse and Rumrunner. They’re pretty good at fabricating what they need on the fly. Give them enough time and the right equipment those two nutjobs can work magic.” Samantha chuckled as she thought about her husbands then her daughters. “If you get Gemini in the mix stand back and let them give you your heart’s desire.”

“And we'd be wearing helmets, Swan.”

“I know that you don’t want to believe this, Dolphin. But yeah. I’m better than what you’ve seen. I know that you find that hard to believe. That good. Sure, Sierra Bravo is deadly as fuck. She's flat out terrorizing when she cuts lose. The problem is I have yet to cut loose. There are far too many strikes in the Sleep of the Beautiful Death that kill.” Samantha didn’t want to let how she felt about cutting loose fill her voice. “Remember the Beautiful Death is the true art of the assassin.”

Krystel said flatly. “Bottom line it.”

“Exactly what it sounds like. The Sleep of Beautiful Death was created for one reason. Kill without trace. It takes a mindset that few can reach. Even fewer can truly master.” Samantha chuckled. “I’ll be honest. The last true Master of the art was my mother. Yes, I’ve spent the eighteen years working out the next steps in the art. Once I had my mother’s journals, I was able to piece together the rest. I’ve busted my ass to perfect them.”

“Ok, noted. Go on.”

“I started learning when I turned seven. Mastered the Way of the Dancing Blade by twelve and had Mastered the first ten steps of the Sleeping Death by fourteen. As for my father’s side of the house I had those techniques down by the time I was eleven. By the time I was thirteen I could put four out of five inside a dime at five-hundred yards with my custom built three-oh-eight AR-ten.” Samantha sighed as she thought about that weapon from so long ago. “I really fucking hated having to destroy that baby.”

“Why destroy it?”

“I used it during my Toledo rampage. I wasn’t about to let it fall into the wrong hands. So, I found a nice hot furnace and dropped it in. That furnace melted down my rifle in about twenty minutes.” Samantha let her disappointment over losing that rifle fill her voice. “It took me five weeks to build that rifle. Not to mention another three days and four hundred rounds to get her sighted in correctly.”

“Too bad.”

“Yeah.” Samantha told Krystel as she drove through the countryside. “Just ten more kilometers and five-hundred years to go.”

“What do mean by five-hundred years?”

“I may know the key to reading those ancient wall maps, but I’ve never had the chance to actually read them. The last time those maps were actually used was sometime in the late seventeenth to early eighteenth century. I really do have to go back five-hundred years. Back to when my ancestors built our home and most of the Vatican was still being built.” Samantha explained.

“Oh, seriously entrenched in the history of Italy.”

“Clear back to the eleventh century as far as I know. Some would say even further back than that. Sadly, I have no real way of proving that. Just those wall maps. According to my mom’s journals; the keys to the Vatican lay upon our walls.” Samantha chuckled again. “Just one more puzzle to the past.”

“Why do you say it like that? You make it sound like you’ve lost everything.”

“On that night eighteen years ago, I did.” Samantha snarled. “And by all that’s holy and damned the man who took that all away from me shall pay.”

Krystel sat quiet for a moment then asked. “So, you ran around Toledo, killing a shitload of people which turned out not to help you at all, even kill the priest that rejected you, which didn't help you either, then you strolled in to the Marshals. Went into Protected custody then rejected it to become a Marshal and now you're using the badge to make your kills legal. Remind me, those three Marshals that bought it on the courthouse steps, what did they die for; a kid that needed help, or a murderer that only needed breathing room? Funny thing about Dead or Alive Warrants, they aren't Execution Warrants or Lethal Findings. Those Black Badges aren't licenses to Kill. That should be plenty to think about on the way back. If you can make it back.”

Samantha gawked then felt anger. “Bitch! I didn't use those Marshals as...as....as.”

“Oh no. Let's keep things in perspective. Might be a challenge, but let's give it a shot. You didn't actually have to go to the Marshals and turn state's witness. You could've simply gone down the street to Maria's house and in less than four hours, she'd have had you safely out of the country. You and Annette would've been safely tucked away and free to grow up as you pleased. You didn't do that, did you? No, you spent all that time trying to come up with a way to get a badge to provide an excuse to indulge your criminal inclinations. The Major had obligations to Maria and Annette, so he asked a favor. Lyssa respected Maria as a dancer and thought retiring here would give you all a chance at a clean slate. Kim thought that all of you taking on Black Badges would let you go after the untouchables and bring them down." Krystel listed.

Samantha was riveted by the words and was trying to find a protest.

Krystel didn't let up. “Bring them down. Not Take Them Out. Since you all got those Black Badges, you haven't made a single arrest. You made others do it. By the way, the four arrests in Colorado? Mistrials, due to technicalities. Nice going, you got criminals off the streets for a day. The arrests in South Carolina? Sherriff's Deputies. No Marshals. No arrests in Toledo, D.C. or anywhere else. You just kill. Hell, we can do that. Well, we carry out Lethal Findings. You know, Threats to National Security. We don't carry badges, we don't arrest people. Shawna does that. She carries badges and arrests people, when she has to. She even files reports to the agencies she hides in. You all bitch, gripe and WHINE about filing reports and debriefings to the Major. So, what if we aren't hereditary criminals, doesn't make you smarter or better. Kim and I have multiple college degrees. You have one. Bobby, Hunter and Annette do not. Don't ever speak to any of us like we're morons. We don't do it to you.”

Samantha beat on the steering wheel. “BITCH!”

“Of course, there's always this Rainy-Day file I have, courtesy of the Major. Samantha Justice, Stephani Capezio, make up your mind who you are. You are certainly MORE than welcome to directly call Dorothy Rose and tell her you think she's an idiot and you played her like a birthday kazoo on the last day of kindergarten. A means to an end, nothing more, to get a Marshal's badge to make murdering legal. I kill, yes. But I do it on orders of the United States or because lives around me are in immediate threat. Not to satisfy an urge. Definitely not to prove worthy of my name. Yeah, I'm nothing like you. Out.”

***tbc****

Maria quietly stepped into the ALOC. Her granddaughters and Krystel were hard at work in the mobile command center. “Update, please.”

Krystel turned to face Maria. “Marshal. All times listed are CET. As of zero-one-hundred White Swan has been in play. At zero-two-thirty she secured the map intel from the ancestral home of the Capizeo family. Afterward White Swan moved onto the Area of Operation, Rome. She made two more stops while in route. One at a bakery and a coffeeshop. Also, two fuel stops. She checked into the Hotel Apollo at zero-seven-forty hours.”

“Did you say that she checked into the Apollo?” Maria asked with a smile.

“Yes ma’am, Marshal. Under the name of Leonarda Cianciulli.” Kasey told her grandmother before she turned to face her. “Ma’am, that is not one of the UC IDs that we worked up for the White or Black Swans.”

“That’s because that ID belongs to your grandmother Mary, girls.” Maria sighed then chuckled. “The last time that ID saw daylight was almost thirty years ago. When Bloody Mary Capizeo ended the life of a Communist spy in Rome. It is fitting that Leonarda Cianciulli should be the one to end a second traitor’s reign of uncontrolled greed.”

“Where did, exactly, she get her hands on that id? I know that it wasn’t in the ones she left here with.” Krystel asked. “I personally checked, as ordered.”

Maria sighed. “The bakery, was its name Confessioni dolci amare?”

“Yes ma’am. Why?” Krystel asked as she translated the name in her head to Bitter Sweet Confession.

“It’s good to see that Dominic is still open after all these years. Either that or his girls have taken over for him.” Maria chuckled.

“Okay, what’s the joke, Marshal?” Krystel asked as she cocked her head.

“Confessioni dolci amare has been a drop and security point for every intelligence Agency since the fifties. The best money can buy. You leave something with them and unless you know the correct pass phrase you can’t pick it up.” Maria explained with a sly smile. “All our dear Samantha had to do was walk in at opening, give the pass phrase and pay the back due storage fees. And presto. She has access to all of her mother’s old cover ids, keys to safehouses in Italy, everything she would need for this operation. One-stop shopping.”

“Oh, good Christ! These places free-lance to just anybody now?” Krystel was disturbed at what she had just learned.

“Krystel they say that politics, and prostitution are the two oldest professions. This is only partially true. But the oldest profession is assassination. Over the centuries those that practiced the profession found that they needed the services of other professionals. Forgers, money changers, weapons experts, chemists, apothecaries, a whole slew of white collar and tradesman criminals. To answer that need places and businesses like the Apollo, and Peninsula Hotels in the late seventies opened up. But those hotels have to rely on the support of the smaller more established business like Confessioni dolci amare to fully function.” Maria could tell that the younger woman was have a problems with grasping the fact that there could be a civilian organization like she was describing. One that was apparently neutral grounds for assassins.

Krystel regarded Maria intently. “Subcontractors and vendor services, I get that. So, we aren't the only ones.”

“Yes. In fact, we may even share some of those. Now, where were we?” Maria asked.

“White Swan checked in at the Apollo at zero-seven-forty hours. She reported in that she was secure. At zero-nine-thirty she stated that she was going dormant for the next eight hours to recover and launch-prep for this night’s operations. At which time I shutdown the ALOC and did the same. At seventeen-hundred White Swan went active. She made four purchases through hotel concierge services. All on a credit card for the Silver Ballet Company. Between eighteen-hundred and twenty-one-thirty she left the hotel to make four stops around Rome before returning to the Apollo. At zero-zero-thirty, White Swan left the hotel. This was the last contact we had with her. Her next check is due in ten minutes.” Krystel looked up from her notes into Maria’s eyes. “Marshal, since you seem to know, I have to ask. What did she buy at those shops and what is the Silver Ballet Company?”

“What are the names of the shops?” Was all Maria asked.

“San Diego’s Fine leathers, Carmon Outerwear and Millinery, Selina’s Exquisite Footwear and Kyle’s Antiquities and Fine Art.” Krystel read off.

“She picked up a new bodysuit from San Diego leather. A trench coat and head covering from Carmon’s. Those will have ballistic rating. Boots from Selina’s. She went to Kyle’s for information and firearms. The Silver Ballet is the front-company for Mary Capizeo’s contracts. A company that has not been active for twenty years.” Maria answered quickly with a chuckle. “Good girl, Stephany. Good girl. Keep them guessing.”

“So, the battle suite and weapons she took won't be used?” Krystel asked with her head cocked.

“Everything she has bought in the last few hours is untraceable. She is following her childhood training perfectly.” Maria gave Krystel a sly smile. “Stephany Capizeo always did like to play four to five moves ahead.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a call from Samantha. “Stronghold, this is Whiskey Serra.”

“Gemini two, here Swan. We’ve got your route up and are ready to track. How are things on your end?” Kasey answered quickly.

Rooftop somewhere in Vatican City, Rome, Italy: 0100

Samantha smiled as the ballistic trench coat and wide brimmed fedora cut the wind that whipped coldly around her body. The multilayer leather and ballistic cloth tactical body fit her like a second skin. It was just as good as the battle suite she'd been issued but with a little stiffness as it was leather instead of synthetic materials. Even the new knee high flat soled boots were a warm embrace for her feet and lower legs. Sam flexed her fingers inside the kit-leather gloves. Every inch of her clothing was custom made, new and extremely expensive.

Just like the twin .45 APC semi-automatic pistols with built in suppressor and compensator that were hidden under her coat on her hips. The second .45 wasn’t for show. Unlike most people, Samantha never trusted her luck with just one gun. She remembered her lessons at her mother’s side and always carried a backup weapon. Even as an active Marshal she carried a spare gun for extreme emergencies. The practice had saved her life more than once.

Those little numbers had set her back $4000.00 a piece at Kyle’s Antiques. The woman may be getting old, but she still employed the best weapons smiths in Italy. Within one hour of placing her order, Katrina Kyle’s weaponsmiths had them ready and waiting for her. The best part. There was not one serial number anywhere on the weapons. Never had been, never even considered. Like all the weapons from Kyle’s they were untraceable from the start.

Samantha took out the new redesigned tactical spy-glasses she had discussed with Krystel. They had also been secured through Kyle’s at a hefty price. When Katrina asked about the glasses Samantha lied. Saying that she used them for verification of death. After putting them on Samantha activated the Bluetooth for her phone. Making sure that the connection was solid, Samantha activated the earwig and contacted Ram’s Rock. She may not like it, but this was part of the deal she struck with the Major to go after Delacorte alone. “Stronghold, this is Whiskey Serra. Over”

“Gemini two, here Swan. We’ve got your route up and are ready to track. How are things on your end?” Kasey answered quickly.

Samantha knew right away something was wrong. They should’ve been back in the TOC by now. “Gemini Two, what is your location?”

“Gemini One, White Swan. We’re operating out of the ALOC.” Kristine told her mother trying to relax Sam.

“Copy, Gemini One. Is Iron Dolphin or Bravo Actual on site?” Samantha asked and relaxed as she realized that her daughters would be working as her electronic overwatch for her little party.

“Affirmative, White Swan, we’re both here. You're right on time.” Krystel answered much to Samantha’s relief.

“Comm-check Schoolhouse. Tac one for audio, tac two for video.” Samantha told them turning cold and harsh as she let her mind go to that dark place deep in her soul. Hunting for the Wraith.

“Lima Charlie Swan, where did the PPOV come from? You using the glasses for this op?” Krystel asked her over the earwig. “I thought they were a no-go for operational feeds.”

“New and improved tactical gear, Dolphin. Like the old saying goes. The good Lord shall provide. I gave our ideas to some friends and they provided the needed gear. At a hefty cost for short notice delivery, of course.” Samantha told the cyberwarfare operator coldly.

“Copy that White Swan, we have a solid feed on tac two. Good resolution on the micro-camera. Starlight, infrared and standard optics. If you have time after this, would you mind going back?" Krystel asked.

“I did place an order they should be ready in two weeks. How’s the audio feed?” Samantha asked.

“Couldn’t be better. Please go back and cancel that order.” Krystel told Samantha.

Samantha asked. “Is there a problem?”

“If they get lost in the field, there could be. If you can secure the schematics and specs, we can fabricate ourselves. Including specific component chemistry. We'd be able to disguise their origin. Consider it a courtesy to your vendor. I'll transfer an amount from a black-account.” Krystel explained.

“I think I get it now. If analyzed, they would be identified where they come from, but we could fake their composition. I believe that's possible.” The sounds of a church bell tolling the end of the second watch drew Samantha’s attention. “And that’s my cue. Time to go to work, Schoolhouse.”

“We’re up and ready, White Swan. Have a lock on your location now. Um… Swan where are you exactly?” Kasey asked her.

“Exactly where that map shows me. On a rooftop six blocks from Saint Peter’s.” Samantha chuckled coldly. “I feel like I should make a snarky comment like one of those old cartoon cat thieves.”

“Get on point here, White Swan. You’re hip deep in enemy territory with no backup and all alone. This is not the time for being a wise-ass.” Maria snapped of the connection.

“Understood Actual. Schoolhouse have you cracked the security server yet?” Samantha asked as she began working her way across the roof tops.

She had to reach the last rooftop before someone street side saw her. Between here and that building she was at her most vulnerable. She had to dump her plans for using the sewer system for infiltration due to the heavy rains earlier. She had already nixed the straight on approach from the street thanks to the extra number of Swiss Guards and Gendarmerie Corps. With all of her ground and underground level approaches cut off, Samantha was forced to the rooftops and the most dangerous of approaches.

ALOC, Ram’s Rock Island

Krystel looked down at her two protegees as they worked the ALOC’s systems. “Kasey, there will be a Hawkeye in orbit over Rome in five minutes. Acquire that bird’s Realtime feed. Patch it to monitor two. Kristine, how much longer on the security server?”

“We’ve had control over RUMBUS for the last fifteen minutes, Lieutenant Commander. We can run the camera feeds that are recorded on a fifteen minute loop. That covers approximately forty percent of the cameras within the Vatican. We can redirect or shutdown the other sixty percent, but only one at a time. Those cameras are monitored while the ones being recorded are stand-alone connected to motion activated alarms, ma’am.” Kristine answered.

“Outstanding Gemini. What can you tell me about the rest of the system?” Krystel asked the teenagers hoping to trip them up yet still be there to keep them from over reaching and leaving their mother in a dangerous situation.

“Multilayered sensor system setup. Motion, heat, laser and sound are the primary sensors. Some areas are covered by a new type of sensor. An interlocking multifaceted pressure plate system.” Kristine looked up at Krystel. “We need a thief. Not just any thief either. We need the best.”

Maria leaned out the side door of the ALOC. “Angelic get in here.”

Like the rest of the Black Badge team Angelic had gathered outside of the ALOC. They all knew that there wasn’t room enough for them all inside the converted RV, but still wanted to be close for the teens if things went south. Especially if things went south. As Angelic entered the mobile command center for her aunt’s family she felt a stab of jealousy once more. The feeling didn’t last long as she ruthlessly crushed it by reminding herself that her cousin was operating on her own.

“You have need of my skills, Marshal?”

“How do you bypass, disable or get around an IMPPS floor?” Krystel asked.

“You don’t. You can only go over them or find another route.” Angelic answered without thinking twice. “Those things are pinpoint controlled. It’s a dual keypad system. One to disarm, one to arm. The keypads are never in the same room as the IMPPS. They have one weakness and only one.”

“What?” Krystel asked the thief.

“They eat power the way a French cartoon pastry chef eats macaroons. Take out the power. IMPPS floors drain batteries way too fast and the backup generators can’t met the demand. They have to be shut down until the power is returned.” Angelic looked over at the monitors. “How many sectors have the IMPPS floors Gemini?”

“We’ve identified forty-four sectors with IMPPS flooring. Eighteen are in the museum sections of the Vatican.” Kasey answered without looking over.

“That is both good and bad. Good in the fact that none of the Iscariot offices are near the museum. Bad in the fact that we don’t know where those other twenty-six IMPPS floors are. We might cut the power to the wrong section and Samantha will walk straight into a trap.” Angelic outlined quickly. “That is the nasty thing about an IMPPS. You don’t know they’re there until it’s too late.”

“I have the Hawkeye, Ma'am. Feed now on monitor three. I’ve got the zoom at one-thousand. The red dot is our asset.” Kasey said interrupting Angelic. “Shifting over to penetration and surveillance.”

“Concentrate your searches for those IMPPS floors, Two. One; keep on those cameras.” Krystel told them as she opened the server cabinet. She quickly jacked in a Bluetooth receiver for a mouse and keyboard. Opening the duffle bag, she had with her, Krystel took out the mouse and keyboard. “Glad I thought to bring these. Gemini, I’m taking over monitor five and the Hawkeye feed. I don’t know where our asset is going, but she’s going there fast. Damn, what the hell is she thinking?”

“She’s is improvising to suit the situation, Lieutenant Commander.” Angelic commented as she moved to see the monitors. “Like any decent thief would.”

“Elaborate. Improvising can get her killed.” Krystel stated. “She's deviating from Op-Plan, Marshal.”

“It seems the rains have cut off the underground routes until she gets closer to the catacombs. The streets are likely flooded as well. Only with the Swiss Guard and Gendarmerie Corps patrols. She has taken to the rooftops. The empty streetways of the skies.” Angelic smirked. “Like a true thief in the night. My mother and grandmother on both sides of the family, would be proud of her change in in plans. She can approach Vatican City unseen until the final yards. Not that it will matter. She can enter the catacombs at that point.”

“We'll discuss that later. I'm not going to ask about the fedora.” Krystel commented. “Looks good on her though.”

“Even as a child Stephany always did have a flare for fashion.” Maria chuckled. “And for making a statement.”

“Well, red is definitely her color.” Angelic giggled.

Rome, Italy

Samantha reached the last rooftop that she could use to travel unseen through the night. Dropping over the edge she used the window ledges to the ground. She was fifty yards from the grated entrance to the catacombs beneath the Vatican. Four hundred yards from the ancient building that held the Iscariot Division Headquarters and housing.

“Schoolhouse this is White Swan. I’m ready for penetration. You may lose my signal once I’m in the catacombs.” Samantha reported.

“Copy that White Swan. We’re ready to compensate for loss of sat-coms.” Kasey answered back with confidence. “The heavy saturation of Wi-Fi and Cell tower signal should reach the lower caverns.”

“Copy, Schoolhouse. Hope you’re right. If not, see you when I get back above ground. White Swan, Out.” With that Samantha moved through the surrounding shadows to the gate that led to the very pits of Rome’s violent History.

ALOC, Ram’s Rock Island

Kasey let her younger sister handle monitoring the security server known as RUMBUS. Once they were in it hadn’t taken the two teenagers long to corrupt the data steams and hijack the powerful mainframe. Kasey had one mission in life at that moment in time. Finding and tracking her mother Samantha’s signal. She was so lost in her task that she failed to notice her mother Annette’s arms wrapping her in a hug from behind.

Annette has stepped inside the ALOC when Angelic exited the vehicle. Annette could tell that her oldest daughter was fighting with trying to keep track of her sister-wife. Annette did the one thing that only a mother could do. She whispered into her daughter’s ear the words she need to hear just then. “Don’t fight the flow, baby girl. Feel the music. Let it guide you. You can hear it, can’t you? Here let me help you.”

Taking a breath Annette began to sign the one song that she knew would fit the situation. “This world doesn't need no opera, we need it for the operation. We don't need a bigga knife. 'Cause we got guns, we got guns, we got guns. We got guns, you betta run. We're killin' strangers, we're killin' strangers. We're killin' strangers, so we don't kill the ones that we love. We're killin' strangers, we're killin' strangers. We're killin' strangers, so we don't kill the ones that we love.”

As the words from one of Kasey’s favorite movies filled her ears, she finally relaxed. With that relaxation came the clarity she needed to find and lock onto her mother Samantha’s signal. Soon those gathered in the ALOC were treated to something people rarely ever see. To the sight of some of the world’s most ancient catacombs those below the very heart of Rome.

“Have they been working without their music?” Krystel asked of Annette.

“From the looks of things. I would say yes. Should I start it for them?” Annette asked of the cyber operations officer.

“Yes. We need them focused. As long as I’m working as Operations officer, I can work without mine. They don’t need any distractions right now.” Krystel ordered and relaxed as Annette started Gemini’s dance music. She along with the other adults watched as the two teens seemed to drop away and the only Gemini Class cyber operator of its kind emerge. With that one simple change Krystel found that she was now able to keep up with the teens. “The way those two work together makes seasoned teams look pathetic. This is who they are and what they do. Now go get 'em, girls.”

“Thank you for looking out for and training them Krystel. I know that neither Sam nor I have said it often enough. If not for you our daughters would have been in severe trouble by now.” Annette told the woman humbly.

“I wanted them to have a life of their choosing. My teachings are supposed to give them options they didn't have. It's what we all want for the kids. The option to not be like us. You, on the other hand, shouldn’t you be resting? Minimum stress, minimum excitement.” Krystel said without looking up but did smirk. “Pregnant lady things.”

“I know, I know. I just wanted to check up on Samantha and the girls.” Annette answered back hotly. Then she sighed at the look Maria gave. “I’m just worried about her.”

This time Krystel looked up at her. “We all are Annette, but you have the baby to worry about. That child is more than just yours and the guys. It is the girls' baby brother or sister too. But most importantly. That child you carry is Samantha’s hope and dreams. Now get!”

“I’m going.” Annette pouted before heading for the door but not before making a parting comment. “Bring my sister home, Lieutenant Commander.”

“I’m doing everything in my power and I'm not alone.” With that Krystel returned to her work. “Right?”

Kasey and Kristine didn't drop their attention but did answer with smiles. “Right, Ma'am.”

Krystel nodded. “We're all over it here.”

Catacombs beneath Vatican City, Italy

Samantha has spent the last hour working her way through the labyrinth that were the catacombs of ancient Rome and the Vatican. She had downloaded the ancient map onto her phone before leaving the Apollo. Samantha was the only one that wasn’t amazed by the ancient maps accuracy. She just had to find the entrance to the passageway that lead up into the Iscariot Division Headquarters now.

It didn’t take her long, thanks to that map. As Samantha pushed open the concealed door a nasty smile crossed her lips. “Bless you Rinaldo. Bless you for all that you have given to us.”

Following the spiral staircase to the end, Samantha stopped and placed her hand on the inside wall. “Schoolhouse are you there? Over”

“Never lost you White Swan.” Krystel answered quickly. “We have you on the top floor of the Iscariot Headquarters. Wait, this doesn’t make sense?”

“Your readout isn’t wrong, Schoolhouse. I’m inside of the walls.” Samantha knew what Krystel had to be seeing on her monitor. “Have you located Tango Delta’s exact location?”

“We got good news, bad news, and shitty news. He’s in one of the private rooms off the chapel. The one at end of the eastern wing of the building, the first floor. There’s five roving teams between you and him. Plus, four standing watches. That’s the good news White Swan.”

“What’s the bad news Schoolhouse?” Samantha wasn’t liking what she was hearing. If there were that many guards then she had her work cut out.

“We only have partial control over the cameras in that building. At present we can only take over one floor at a time. Even then we have to be fast about it. These cameras are all monitored. You’re not going to have much time on each floor White Swan. Five minutes at most. Any way you can work your way back down to the ground floor for a straight run?” Krystel asked

“I wish there was, Schoolhouse. This passageway only has the one exit.” Samantha knew what Krystel was asking.

“On to the shitty news then. You’re on the top floor of a ten story building with at least one to four IMPPS floors between you and your target. With only one way to shut them down on our end. Which I’m currently working on. The problem is the rat’s nest that is the Vatican power grid. I don’t know which substation to attack without dropping them all. I would prefer to not leave all of Rome without power for the next forty-eight hours. Unless we absolutely have to here White Swan. From what I can tell the stairwells are laid out in such a way that you have to cross those. In short White Swan, you need one of those roving patrol’s keycard.” Krystel informed her.

“What about the floor that I’m on? Is it clear?” Samantha asked as she made her final preparations for her run. First, she secured her phone inside her tactical suit and pulled the zipper the rest of the way up to her neck.

She reached down and drew the .45 at her right hip. Working the slide to seat the first round in the chamber Sam thumbed off the safety. She double checked her spare magazine count. The twelve sixteen-round double stacked extended magazines were worth the extra money. Just as it was worth the money to have the pistols made for the heavier .45 caliber rounds.

“The floor is clear for the next ten minutes White Swan. On my mark; get ready to move.” Krystel said.

“Ready and set.” Samantha whispered over the earwig as she slowly pushed the door to the secret passageway open.

“Three, two, one. MARK! GO! GO! GO!” Krystel ordered over Samantha’s earwig.

ALOC, Ram’s Rock Island

Krystel had been able to expand on what Kasey and Kristine had done with the security cameras, but only slightly. She had been able to acquire the feeds from the 24/7 monitored cameras and reroute them through an off-site server she controlled. The time it took the feeds to reach the server and return to the station monitors gave Samantha a five minute window in each area. It wasn’t much of an edge, but it was more than what Samantha had going in.

“Where is the nearest set of roamers, Lieutenant Command?” Maria asked as she looked up at the number 4 monitor. The split-screen layout showed all five roaming teams and one empty floor.

“Upper right hand corner of the monitor, Marshal. Eighth floor working their way upward. They’ll run right into White Swan on the next floor. Shit.” Krystel was doing all that she could to hide Samantha from the world. “Two; take over those cameras. One; keep RUMBUS tied down. Give it a Riddle.”

Kristine replied. “Yes, Ma'am.”

The teen smiled. A riddle was an encrypted series of commands that would draw the system's counter-measures and engage them. All it would do is waste time, which was all that was needed.

“Damn it! Where the hell is, she going?” Maria cursed.

They all watched as Samantha went down the hallway towards a small alcove. Once there, Samantha reached up and pulled on the candle sconce there. With a push on the back wall of the alcove, a doorway was revealed. One that Samantha was quick to enter.

Maria remarked. “And another secret of the legend is exposed.”

“Marshal what are you talking about?” Krystel asked.

She sat staring in wonder at what Samantha’s camera feed was showing. First there were the catacombs, then the hidden stairway and now this. Real honest to god hidden passageways with the walls of a Vatican building.

“The legends of the Vatican Wraith said the Hemlock Rose could walk through the Vatican walls. I believe that there are more than just the one hidden passage within those ancient walls.” Maria chuckled. “Not that it would surprise me. After all Alonzo Capizeo did help to build a good part of Vatican City during the early part of the Renaissance.”

“I thought that the Capizeo family were silk road traders?” Krystel asked as she watched the feed from Samantha’s glasses switch over to infrared. What they all saw was a short hallway ending in a stairwell.

“They were many things Krystel. Architecture, smiths, artisans, only Rinaldo and his father’s direct ancestors were merchants. It was Rinaldo’s oldest Uncle, Alonzo, that built the family compound. He was an architect on par with the great Maestros of the day.” Maria explained with a wisp of a smile. “Sadly, he never received the recognition that was due. I believe that is why he built all those hidden passageways. As a form of revenge on the Church and those in power at the time. Out of spite, you could say.”

“It would make sense. DeMarco’s and Capizeo’s are like junkyard dogs with a bone when it comes to revenge. Once you set your mind on it, you never give, even if it takes you centuries to get that revenge.” Krystel snarked. “Sorry but that’s the way I'm seeing it, Maria.”

“Oh, you’re not wrong Krystel. Our two families have always been revenge driven when we’re wronged. Though the DeMarco’s have never been the Masters of the Long Game that the Capizeo’s have been. Those hidden passages are just one example of their planning and forethought. Perhaps even a bit of healthy paranoia thrown in, as well.” Maria told Krystel as she watched Samantha's feed and monitor 4. As she compared the two, Maria spotted something. “Stop her!”

“HOLD SWAN!” Krystel ordered and watched as Samantha pulled her hand back from the doorway. Krystel looked up at Maria. “What did you spot Maria?”

“The last two guard teams have skipped this floor. Where is she?” Maria asked as she checked monitors and guards.

Krystel verified. “Seventh floor, east wing, midway of the far end and the stairwell. Why?”

Maria didn’t answer right away. Reaching over she secured a headset. After putting it on she keyed the mike. “White Swan, can you move further down that stairwell? Over”

“Negative, Actual. All passages are one way in and one way out. What's wrong? Why the hold?”

“Wait one.” Maria opened the ALOC’s door. “Angelic. Inside.”

Angelic didn’t need to be told twice. “What happened?”

Maria pointed to the hallway outside of where Samantha waited. “Is that floor what I think it is?”

Angelic studied it and snarled. “Damn! An IMPPS. A nasty one at that. We either kill the power to the Iscariot Headquarters or order Samantha out now. Those are our only two options, sorry.”

Maria didn’t think twice. “Crash the fucking power grid.”

“Hold on here Marshal. That is not your call. We can pull White Swan and get Delacorte some other time.” Krystel told her.

“Let me be perfectly clear on this matter Lieutenant Commander. Either kill the power to that building or crash the whole fucking grid. But make no mistake. Stephany Capizeo is too close to be pulled now. Understand?” Maria snarled.

“Marshal we come get her out without having to crash the grid. There is still time to get Delacorte.” Krystel argued.

“Let me explain this so you will understand. You order Stephany Capizeo to pull out now; she’ll go rogue. After that she kill everyone between her and Delacorte. Then she’ll become a ghost with no one to control her.” Maria told the younger woman. “Now. KILL. THE. POWER. TO. THAT. BUILDING.”

“Well shit! I may need ten minutes and I’ll see what I can work up. Girls stay on mission. Swan, standby.” Krystel ordered.

Maria had warned them about how Samantha would get once she had the man within her reach. She just didn’t expect that it would affect her judgement. Even as she started to shift attack Kristine called out.

“Grid, four, section, nine, subsection b, substation four-D, Ma'am. Shut down that one substation and only Vatican City will be affected.” Kristine’s voice was flat and almost emotionless as she gave Krystel the needed intel to bring down the power.

“Killing the power now. White Swan standby to move on my mark.” The second that Kristine gave her the intel on the substation Krystel launched her attack. Within seconds somewhere in the city of Rome a power substation overloaded and exploded. “MARK! You got thirty minutes before the backup takes over Swan. Do not waste one second of it!”

Even as the lights and power went out in all of the Vatican City in a cascading effect. Samantha was already moving and hunting for her target.

Krystel looked over at the teens. “When did you find the substation, One?”

“Shortly after you looped the camera feed. You created some sort of feedback loop in RUMBUS’s memory blades. I know this wasn’t done on purpose. The coding is gibberish. I can only put it down a preexisting line of code that was supposed to have been deleted before operation. A ‘ghost line’, Ma'am. They probably forgot all about it.” Kristine explained while never taking her eyes off her work. “Sorry it took so long ma’am. I was still trying to figure out what I was looking at in the code ma’am.”

“Next you find something like that, Gemini, pass on the information. Other than that, good work on finding the correct substation.” Krystel knew that she would have spotted the memory feedback loop if she had been working her normal duties instead of doing Kimberly’s job.

The fact that Kasey and Kristine had not only found the feedback but taken advantage of it, just showed how far the two girls had come. Sure, they still made the occasional mistake, but they were young and still learning. Despite they’re age and skill the teenagers lacked the needed experience to her own considerable skills. In a few more years the two teenagers would become a pair of avenging angels in the world of cyberspace. With few equals.

Headquarters for the Iscariot Division, Vatican City, Italy

The second Samantha heard what Krystel was doing she abandoned her original plan of using the hidden passageways. Now, she moved through the darkened hallways as the Wraith that she was. At the end of the hallway she was in, was a roving patrol. Four shots later, there were four dead guards. Samantha moved close and doubled checked the guards. Her gut reaction was proven correct. These guards were not Swiss Guards, but Iscariot Priests.

“Schoolhouse, do you still have visuals? Over” Samantha asked. Hoping that the cameras had a battery backup.

“That is a negative White Swan. The whole electronic surveillance system is down. All of Vatican City has returned to the dark ages.” Krystel chuckled. “You’re on equal footing as your ancestor White Swan. We're just angels and devils on your shoulder.”

They could see only what she could due to the phone's satellite uplink now. This new intel brought a cold and deadly smile to Samantha’s face. One that matched her cold dead eyes. “And Fate did whisper in my ear. You cannot stand against the Storm. I did smile and kiss Fate upon her lips. Before whispering in her shell-shaped ear. I am the Storm.”

Samantha didn’t realize that her mike was open as she recited the lines from the play ‘Valkyries’ by Johannes Block. The little known German play write of the late fifteen and early sixteen hundreds. Known for his plays concerning the Norse mythology of the ancient Norns of Scandinavia.

ALOC, Ram’s Rock Island

Krystel looked at Maria as the older woman crossed herself and folded her hands then asked. “Care to fill me in?”

“Just something that I had thought I would never hear again. The last time was twenty-one years ago. Just before Mary Capizeo killed Herman Carter and his crew for dealing drugs to her oldest daughter.” Maria answered. “That night ‘Bloody Mary’ lived up to her deadly reputation.”

“How many?” Krystel asked out of curiosity.

“Of the thirty-one member crew, only two survived. Simply because they weren’t at the flophouse. The rest were left with their throats slit and Mary earned a new nickname that night.” Looking at the monitor that showed Samantha’s tactical camera feed Maria smiled. “I now know what the red trench coat and fedora are for. She plans to leave more than just a message.”

“What is she planning then?” Krystel asked as she too looked to Samantha’s feed as she downed four more guards. “GOOD! She’s not wasting any time or ammo. Nothing but head shots. What kind of rounds are those? I’ve never seen that kind of impact before.”

“Hyperion Drill points. They’ll punch through standard body armor with trauma plates. Explode on contact with soft tissue.” Maria answered without thinking. “One of Kyle’s best designs. Expensive as all hell. And only sold in batches of fifty.”

“Did she just reload?” Krystel asked as Samantha headed down to the floor.

“Yes. Very good Stephany. Watch closely girls. This is what your mother can do when she wishes to unleash her Wraith.” Maria told her granddaughters. “A Crimson Ghost has come seeking vengeance for the Vatican Wraith.”

Iscariot Division Headquarters, Vatican City, Italy

“Damn! Even with taking only head shots I’m going through rounds like crazy. Where the hell did all of these guards come from? Katrina’s intel has never been this off before. Could they have been expecting and laid a trap.” Samantha said to no one. Then thought about the blackout.

“Aw shit! The blackout! An SOP response to a loss of power. Double the guards and cover the offices and artifacts. Why didn’t we see this coming?” Samantha commented to herself, forgetting her mic was hot.

Samantha stopped and fired four more times, dropping four more guards. As she passed the cooling bodies Samantha voiced the thoughts running through her head. “But that still doesn't explain the response time. I should have at least another fifteen to twenty minutes before this level of response.”

It wasn’t until Samantha had reached the ground floor and sixteen more bodies that she found the answer to her question. The firefight was fast, vicious and deadly. Samantha had piled up another twenty-two bodies by the time the firefight was over. Bodies that she didn’t bother to hide. But she found the answer to why all of these men and women were walking the halls of the Iscariot Headquarters. All of them were members of Strike Teams.

Strike Teams that had made it out after receiving the recall and burn notices the day before. Her delay in leaving Ram’s Rock had allowed more than enough time for members of the Iscariot Strike Teams to flee the United States. Time for a good number of them to clear the customs of first the US, then Italy, and finally the Vatican City. Where they would have been untouchable by US authorities. But not to her. Not to the Bloody Vatican Wraith.

“Are you seeing this shit Schoolhouse?” Samantha asked as she held the passport for the downed Iscariot Operative.

“We see it, Swan. It also explains the additional patrols. With this many new faces hanging around, the bosses would need to explain their presence somehow. Simplest explanation; additional guards for the Headquarters.” Krystel explained over the radio.

“Have you got a finally count on the additional personnel yet?” all these additional guards could mean trouble for Samantha.

“Still working on it, Swan. They’re like drunk-diarrhea; all over the place. At present count we have an additional fifty-eight priests and nuns walking the grounds. That doesn’t count the thirty-two that you’ve already dropped. Figure you might have twenty to thirty minutes before the other guards start wondering where their buddies are.”

“Won’t need that long. I got a good idea of which room the primary scumbag is staying.” Samantha was already moving. “Time for the Right hand of Lady Justice to visit Jonathan. This time you will not escape me.”

Samantha put down four more Strike Team members before she stood at Delacorte’s bedroom door. “Time to pay the price for your betrayal of my family Alfonzo Delicato. You will pay in the currency of blood and pain.”

Samantha picked the locks to the door and slipped inside. It was not US Deputy Marshal Samantha Justice who entered that room, but the living ghost of a young woman long believed to be dead, Stephany Capizeo. This was not the business of the OICA. This was personal. This wasn’t justice and she knew it. They knew it. Everybody knew it. This was nothing more than revenge. After relocking the door Samantha wanted to reach up and kill her video feed but didn’t. She knew that she still answered to someone back home. They were thousands of miles away, and she was here alone. That didn’t mean she won’t get her revenge.

Revenge for her dead father. A man who may have been a mobster, but still an honorable man with a code. Revenge for her mother. A woman who was more than her family heritage of assassination. Revenge for her dead sisters. Two girls, not even into womanhood, whose only love and dream was for ballet. Revenge for the life Joseph would have had. A life with his family. A life away from his assassination heritage as a danseur noble dancing across the stages of the world with his sisters.

After insuring they were alone and would remain that way, Samantha holstered her pistol. Slowly she drew her family knife from its sheath on her thigh. Placing the blade against Delicato’s throat, she hissed in his ear. “Time to reap what you have sown. I have returned from the grave Delicato. This time you won’t escape me, or my revenge.”

Alfonzo Delicato’s eyes flew up at a name he had not heard in decades, only to feel the cold hard edge of steel against his skin. With wide fear filled eyes Alfonzo looked up into a face that should not exist. He had seen the boy die on the courthouse steps eighteen years ago. He along with more than a quarter of the world’s population.

“You’re not here. You’re dead. I saw you die.” Delicato choked out through a suddenly dry and clenching throat. “You’re just the fragment of a dream.”

“No Alonzo. I am very real. I am your past returned, seeking vengeance for those you have wronged.” With a flick of her wrist Samantha sliced the nerves that controlled Alfonzo’s right arm. Before the man could scream though Samantha struck again on the left hand side. The pain Delicato felt was blinding. It was so great, he could barely breath, let alone scream. Samantha grabbed the pillow next to his head.

Quickly cutting away a strip of the casing she stuffed it into Delicato’s mouth. “Can’t have you yelling out for help now can we. This should do the trick nicely.”

ALOC, Ram’s Rock Island

“Holy shit! What did she just do?” Krystel asked. “Why the hell didn’t he scream?”

“The pain, Lieutenant Commander. She severed the voluntary nerve clusters that control his arms. The pain alone would making screaming impossible.” Maria explained.

“Is this part of the Sleep of the Beautiful Death?” Krystel asked.

“Most likely. It is a combination of the Beautiful Death and the Secret of the Needles. From the looks of things. I would say that Stephany Capizeo’s sadistic side has come out to play.” Maria hummed.

“Okay, I can sit through this. Though, are you sure you want Gemini to see this?” Krystel asked looking over at the teenagers.

“Unless you know someone else can who run this equipment and act as Operations officer?” Maria asked, to which Krystel shook her head no. “Then we have no other choice.”

“Damn. I really do wish Kimberly was free right now.” Krystel lamented.

“You’re not the only one, Krystel.” Maria admitted then dropped her voice to just above a whisper. “Come home to us Lyssa. Alive.”

Headquarter Iscariot Division, Vatican City, Italy

Samantha ruthlessly stripped away Delicato’s bedcoverings. After cutting the sheets into strips, she tied him spread eagle to the bed. Leaning down over the terrified man, Samantha drew the tip of her family knife down his torso. Even with no pressure the blade sliced easily through the man’s skin. Leaving behind a gash deep into his sternum. With an ease that was frightening, Samantha reversed the direction. Once she had made the two cuts Samantha flipped the blade in her hand and peeled a two inch wide strip of skin from his chest. She repeated this four more times on Delicato’s body. Once for each arm and each leg. Only with Delicato’s limbs she extended the cuts to reach the wrist and ankle joints.

“Oh, how I would love to spend the next few hours just slicing piece after piece from your hide. Sadly, I can only do so much as time is pressing. Though I do need to leave a message behind for your minions and boss. So, this, will have to do.” Samantha stood over the bloody and tortured body of the man who had so much pain and misery in her life. “Just so you know. Before I send your ass to hell. I’m no ghost. Joseph Capizeo survived.”

Samantha stood up straight as she glared into the man’s eyes. Drawing back her right hand so it was just ten inches above Delicato’s chest she curled the pinky, ring and thumb inward. So that all three touched and her middle and index finger were pointed down at his sternum. Then with a short jab downward she drove her two fingers into the bones just above his heart. The first sign of trouble was the arching of Delicato’s back. With each beat of his heart Alfonzo Delicato reached a new and greater level of pain. The greater the pain the faster his heart beat. It would take Delicato fifteen minutes to die. All of it would be building in excruciating pain.

“The night you sent those men to kill Marco and Mary Capizeo, along with their family, they missed one. You should have made sure that I was dead that day on the courthouse steps. Now you get to pay for your arrogance. Give my regards to the Devil and his followers. Let them know that the Crimson Wraith of the Vatican is sending him some more play toys.” Samantha gave Delicato one last parting shot to the ego. “Just so you know. You’ll die tonight. And soon. But every last moment is going to be in unending and undeniable pain. I hope you enjoy your last moments on earth. I know I will.”

Picking one of the five bloody strips of skin Samantha began to write on the wall over his head. It took her using four of the five strips, but she was sure the message would be driven home. Just as it was with her ancestor Rinaldo. With that complete, Samantha pressed on the edge to one of the bookshelves.

When it swung outward Samantha looked back at the still dying man and chuckled. “Yes, Delicato, this has been here the whole time. Before even your predecessor’s predecessor. There is one in each of these rooms. How else would you expect the good Bishop to keep control over his subordinates. You get out of line and someone like me is shown where to enter. We come in and you die. Problem solved for the Iscariot Bishop.”

ALOC Ram’s Rock Island

“Maria, what is she writing on the walls?” Krystel asked.

“She is cementing the newest legend of the Vatican’s Wraith.” Maria chuckled. They watched as Samantha opened the hidden door. “Well, damn. I always wondered how Rinaldo was able to just vanish into the night. Just as every other Capizeo who has had to deal with a traitor within the Iscariots.”

“No joke. That place must be honeycombed with unseen and undocumented passageways. When you said that the Capizeo’s were Masters at playing the long game. You weren’t kidding.” Krystel said. “I wonder where this one is going to come out?”

“We only can wait and find out. Samantha is the only one who knows when or where she’ll reappear.” Maria sighed.

Only to have Kasey look up at her. “That stairwell only goes up, Marshal. She’ll come out on the roof. On the far side of the steeple from where she entered. She’ll have a clear pathway across the rooftops all the way back to the hotel Apollo. At least that is what it appears to be.”

“Show me.” Maria ordered her oldest granddaughter.

Kasey did as her grandmother ordered. Reaching up to the monitor and traced the route that she had just described. “All she has to do is cross over this powerline. The anchor points and tensile strength of the wire should be more than enough to hold the Hemlock Rose’s weight ma’am.”

“And what of the exterior cameras. The ones not controlled by RUMBUS, the Iscariots or the Swiss Guards are they operational?” Maria asked politely. Already knowing the answer.

“Too far away to pick up detail of Hemlock Rose’s face. All that’ll show up is a red figure running across the rooftops.” Kasey answered honestly

“No child they will record the first Crimson Wraith in history.” Then just as Maria had hoped Samantha appeared on the rooftop where Kasey had predicted. “Make sure the cameras across the road track her until she disappears over the edge of the next roof, dear.”

“Why in the hell are you ordering that Maria? We never leave video evidence of our operations. That is SOP. You know that.” Krystel was livid.

“This is one video that must be allowed to feed the social media. We want the legend to grow beyond the hallowed walls of the Vatican.” Maria told her as she turned to face the angered Operator. “This is psychological war, Krystel. We want every last Strike Team, and member of the Iscariot Division to know of the newest Wraith that haunts their home. One that can walk their halls with impunity. One that delivers the Justice of the blade to those who break their vows with the Lord above and the world around them.”

“You’re ending the war between your two families and the Iscariot Division by giving them a choice. Change their ways or pay the price.” Krystel realized what Maria was up to and could only stand there in stunned silence. The woman was a true Criminal Master mind using a cold blood blackmail plan to end a centuries long war waged in the shadows. “I've got to say, Maria. That’s nasty. I approve.”

“There are more ways to end a war than with body counts. I should know. I’ve used more than a few of them.” Looking down at her granddaughters. “Time to close up shop girls. Crush that server for good.”

Krystel glanced up to the monitors then nodded. “Concur. Kasey, drop a Hades sword. Kristine; set off Supernova.”

The teenagers never looked up. The finished their attack on RUMBUS with a few keystrokes. In a matter of minutes, the multimillion Euro server known as RUMBUS went into to overdrive and then overheated to the point of catching fire. By the time the Iscariot Division operators were able to get the fire suppression system online and working the massive server was a melted pile of silicon, gold, and plastic. The damage was so complete that it would the technicians years to fully catalog it all.

“Looks like your newest Hemlock Rose is taking a minute to pause and smell the roses, Marshal. Look.” Krystel said as she pointed to the Hawkeye feed.

There on a rooftop just over the line between Rome, and Vatican City stood the red clad figure. The wide brimmed fedora and calf length trench coat stood out like a flare on the screen thanks to the streetlights below. Maria chuckled as she thought back to what fourteen year old Stephany Capizeo once told her. “Le Fantôme Rouge a frappé à nouveau.”

Kimberly's voice broke over. “Status?”

“Exfiltration.” Krystel replied.

“Copy. Out.” Kimberly acknowledged.

Maria looked over. “Is she monitoring us as well?”

“Just message traffic indications. She can see that we stopped exchanging comms with her. Still no idea what she's doing, but she tied up the array to do it.” Krystel commented.

Kristine looked back. “So, what does that mean?”

“It means that whatever is going on, is really bad for a whole bunch of people.” Krystel answered. “Wrap it up girls, you need to eat.”

“Yes Ma'am.” Kasey and Kristine answered and went through their shut down procedures then went out.

Maria closed the door and locked it.

“You're ready to talk to me now.” Krystel said as she continued to type.

Maria sat down. “I am. I listened to your conversation to Samantha. I am not happy with you.”

Krystel set her keyboard aside. “I know you did. I allowed it.”

“You allowed?” Maria turned angry.

Krystel nodded. “You thank me for teaching the girls. You commend me for looking out for the girls. Yet you insult me by sending them behind my back in violation of protocols in place to protect those same girls and laugh about it. Thank you for working against and humiliating me.”

“That wasn't my intention.” Maria stated.

Krystel asked bluntly. “Where do Maria DeMarco, Annette DeMarco, Samantha Justice, Bobby Everbrite, Hunter Taugh, Kasey DeMarco, Kristine Justice and Anna Fonticello reside?”

“Here.” Maria answered, but was confused.

Krystel tilted her head and asked. “Not in a cemetary? All of us do. Except Rodrick, Pete, Carl and Eddie. You mean you didn't have to fake your deaths and get new identities before coming here?”

“No. We didn't.” Maria replied then was hit with comprehension. “I see. All of you forfeited your identities. You had to. You gave up everything you were to be what you are now. We didn't. Even Samantha still claims Capezio ties, even though she isn't supposed to. We simply moved.”

“My family would hate everything about me, they're phobic. I hate them in return. However, I don't hate them so much that I'd risk retaliation on them for my service. I can be me, still serve and not endanger them or anybody else from my past. It cost me my past. I can never go back. None of us can ever go back. It's part of the price we pay.” Krystel said and started putting her things away.

Maria nodded. “Yes. That is true.”

“I don't know exactly what is going on with Lyssa, but I do know for damn sure, it's part of a big and nasty picture. It's bad and it's pretty much a write off for her if it goes wrong. Otherwise she wouldn't be out there all alone.” Krystel sighed.

Maria nodded. “I'm concerned for her too.”

Krystel paused at the door. “I got really mad at all of you during the operation tonight, but I didn't get into it. The girls and I sat here damn-near clueless the whole time until it was almost too late to save her. I thought you all were on the same side, even if you're not on ours.”

“I understand your feeling of betrayal. I apologize for my part in it. I made a mistake and insulted you professionally and personally. Those will be rectified. Not with gifts. Money does not compensate the devotion and dedication, which you have given. You are the greatest of all the aunts for the girls. All three girls. The knife you feel in your back belongs to me, not them. I know you wouldn't lash out at the girls, but I must ask it. Please forgive them, it was my doing and they only wanted to please me.” Maria asked.

Krystel nodded. “The girls get a pass, again. You don't. You don't have my personal respect either, Maria. By the way. You can have this. It's just the overview, but you'll get the picture. He didn't lie, when he said he'd make sure all was taken care of.”

Maria took the file offered and opened it as Krystel left.

“This is our Reno Protocol?” Maria read and wanted to cry until her eyes bled. “Oh Daniel, you went to all of this? For us? All eight of us? Damn my father and his wretched scheming to keep us apart back then!”

-----tbc-----

Samantha looked at the tactical body suit and equipment that she had used last night for her final revenge. She stood there in the just her lingerie debating with herself. She had accomplished her goals in Rome. She no longer had need for the tactical body suite, gloves, two pairs of boots, and custom built pistols. She should get rid of everything now, but something was telling her it was not yet time.

She had already gotten rid of the laptop last night. Of all the issued electronic equipment only the cellphone and original glasses remained. Everything else was at the bottom of the Tiber River. With the exception of the additional guards, everything had gone as planned. Well not really. There had been several things that she hadn't planned on. There was still that nagging feeling that told her she wasn’t completely out of the woods.

Samantha hadn’t lived for as long as she had without listening to her gut feelings. It was a practice that made her one of the best manhunters in the Marshals. It had saved her life far too many times to just ignore it. With it being late winter and the different temperatures she would be traveling through today Samantha made up her mind. After slipping on the glossy long sleeved body stocking, she quickly dressed in the stylish tactical body suit.

She left the tactical harness and pistol belt off. Those she would pack in the false bottom of her suitcase. Along with one of the pistols. The other pistol she would continue to carry in the hip holster on her right side. Her trench coat would carry the five extra magazines. As she picked up one of the three knives, she had carried last night Samantha paused.

One she had carried out of tradition to honor the name of Capizeo. The knife she had earned the night she joined the Guild of the Moonless Night Wraiths. She was only thirteen when her mother, Mary Anne Capizeo, walked her through the ceremony. Samantha had used that blade to carry out her blood fueled revenge in Toledo following the death of her family. Then for fourteen years, it lay hidden in the church, along with the keys to her old house. Until three years ago it had not seen the light of day. It was the same knife she used to swear her Blood Oath over the graves of her dead family. Last night it was this knife that had drank the blood and pain of the architect for all of her misery.

Slowly pulling the blade from its sheath Samantha whispered. “Mama, papa, I’m done. I made the last one pay for what they did. I even followed the traditions of leaving a warning. I did everything exactly as you taught me. I left no witnesses. I used the catacombs and back passageways that the journals talk about. Up to the top floor then down through the floors one by one. I made sure to use bullets that couldn’t be traced. Kyle’s armorers have improved on the Hyperion Drill points. You actually have to use a smooth bore barrel for them now, papa. I used them to clear out a real rat’s nest. The Iscariots will be spending the next decade recovering from last night, mama. You’d both be proud of me. All of our traditions were upheld, and a new legend was born in my passing.”

Samantha returned the last true Capizeo knife to its sheath. “I can finally put the past in the grave. I no longer have need for you old friend. Your time to rest in peace has finally come.”

Samantha placed her Capizeo family knife in the false bottom of the suitcase. Picking up the knife Bobby had forged for her Samantha smiled. “You; on the other hand, still have work to do and miles to travel, my friend.”

This knife and the one that Maria had given her three years ago, she placed at the small of her back. The belt that surrounded her waist was more than just an accessory. It was thick enough and heavy enough to hold both of the sheaths and a belt holster for a pistol. With the last of her preparations done, Samantha pulled on the more stylish knee high boots with three inch heels. Samantha place the flat sole boots from last night in the suitcase before placing the rest of her UC wardrobe on top closing the bag.

After sweeping the room to make sure she was leaving no trace. Samantha pulled on the trench coat, fedora, shoulder bag and grabbed her suitcase then headed for the lobby. Twenty minutes later, Samantha was pulling out of her parking spot headed back the way she had come. Only her final stop wasn’t at Federico Fellini International airport, Rimini, Italy. She had a different final destination on this journey.

One that had nothing to do with what had happened last. Yet everything to do with those four very dangerous passports in her possession. She did understand why she couldn't use them and agreed with the reason. Temptation had been hard to resist, but she managed to do it. That didn't mean they wouldn't be able to serve a purpose though. A small thing that could be overlooked. A stop at the first Roseline orphanage in the town of San Lorenzo di Sebato. After what she had done last night, Samantha knew that it was time to get the last of the family out of Italy.

The private quarters of Bishop Karl Ferdinand, Iscariot Division HQ, Vatican: 0815

Father Daniel burst into the Bishop’s private quarters unannounced and frantic. “Your Eminence come quick! We have a problem in Monsignor Delacorte’s room.”

“Peace, Father Daniel, peace. We need a calm countenances in the face of adversity, not panicked overreaction. Remember the teachings of Hebrews thirteen: verses one through two.” At the younger man’s blank look Karl sighed. “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

“Yes, of course, your Eminence.” Daniel took a few deep breaths to calm himself before giving his urgent news. “Sir, the Monsignor Jonathan Delacorte has been assassinated in his own bed.”

“I see. Details are most critical now. When did this happen?” Karl asked as he stood up from his breakfast. “I need to know as close as possible Father Daniel.”

“It happened during the blackout. Sometime between zero-one-thirty-five and zero-two-thirty. The exact time is unknown, sir.” Like most of the priests in the Iscariots Daniel knew that the Bishop preferred a 24 hour time frame for making reports. “For reasons that the IT people are working to discover, URIEL and RUMBUS were rendered useless.”

“Understood. More than fifty percent of our automated security measure were also affected by the attack on our servers I take it?” Karl asked as he led the younger man towards the halls of the Iscariot Division Headquarters. “What of the extra patrols? Why didn’t they stop the intruder?”

“Um… sir, I don’t know how to say this, but thirty-eight members of the Section twenty-one Strike Teams now reside among the Heavenly Host.” This admission stopped Karl in his steps.

“Did I hear you correctly? Thirty-eight of our highest trained operatives killed in under sixty minutes.” Karl fumed. “And no one saw anything?”

“Yes sir. Though it was closer to twenty minutes.” Daniel swallowed hard at the look from the Bishop. Dropping his voice to barely above a whisper. “Sir, I believe that the way Monsignor Delacorte was killed will explain everything. A message was left behind.”

“Why?” Karl demanded of the young priest. “What do you know or believe?”

“Sir, the Moonless Wraith has returned once more.” Daniel choked out. “At least their newest bloody incarnation has returned.”

“Are you sure? I mean absolutely fucking positive Father Daniel?” Karl hissed in a voice that held more than a little shock. When the younger man nodded his Karl grabbed him by the upper arm. “Upon the Sacrament of the Confessional; you are not to share your thoughts with anyone, Father.”

“Why, Bishop? Word will spread no matter how hard we try to hide it from our fellow clergy. Wouldn’t it be better to admit the truth?” Daniel asked. Hoping that for once Section Twenty-one would have to face the world for their crimes. “We can get ahead of this and control the outcome.”

“We say nothing to no one, Daniel.” Karl ordered the young priest. “Not until I see this message left by our newest Wraith.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.” Daniel didn’t really understand but over the last few days of working directly for the Bishop the man would often keep things to myself. Like overriding the Judas orders concerning the recall of every Section twenty-one Strike team within the US. Certain teams the Bishop was actually leaving in place for the CIA to handle. The ones that he and his fellow Rose Society would happily slit the throats of during their sleep. That was just one of the many things the Bishop had done without Delacorte’s notice. In many ways the Bishop was doing more to change the Iscariot Division than the Rose Society.

It took the two men twenty minutes to cross over to the Iscariot Division Headquarters. When they arrived, Bishop Karl wasn’t surprised to find the two Swiss Guardsmen standing at the entrance. He wasn’t even surprised when the Captain of the Guard tried to stop them at the entrance to the wing that held the secure rooms for his Section Heads. He was however surprised to find the two Investigators from the Gendarmerie Corps standing inside of Delacorte’s room. None of his Division’s investigators were anywhere near the room.

This was not good. Not if he wanted to control the outcome of the investigation. He had to steer the investigation away from the Wraith, if he wanted to stay off that person’s very short and bloody list of enemies. He had the very distinct feeling that if he could not restructure the order away from the entity it had been for so long, his days would be numbered in the span of one hand. And not reach the third finger.

“Inspectors may I know what you are doing here. Besides interfering in what is very obviously an Iscariot Division matter.” Karl blustered.

“This is the crime scene of a murder, Bishop. As such, it is a matter for the Gendarmerie Corps not for the amateurs of the Iscariots. The Gendarmerie Corps will handle the investigation into the death of Monsignor Delacorte. Not that it matters.” The one Inspector grunted as he pointed towards the blood written message on the wall. “This is a politically or most likely personally motivated assassination. I doubt that we’ll find anything of forensic worth here anyway.”

This was good news to Bishop Karl’s ears. “Oh, why do you say that?”

“With the number of bodies found in the lobby and the lack of evidence already found. It all points to a team of five or more professional assassins. Fundamentalist religious radicals looking to make a political statement most likely.” The second Inspector summed up their working theory for Karl.

“May I know how you came by this theory Inspectors?” Karl asked.

“For starters, Your Eminence, the sheer number of well-armed guards would require at least three to four men to take down. Even with surprise on their side. Then there’s the shell casings. All of them are the same caliber. Forty-five ACP. A heavy round preferred by Special Operations teams for the knockdown power of the round. Usually it only takes one round to put down a target permanently. Not that it mattered with the rounds that whoever did used.” The first Inspector grumbled. “The closest thing to these rounds I have ever seen is a shotgun slug. The rounds have their own rifling. The pistols that fired these rounds had to be fitted with smooth bore barrels. Only extremely wealthy persons or Governments can afford such weapons, Bishop. The main reason is the time it takes to clean such a weapon after its use. That’s the downside. The upside is there is no ballistic evidence. For them. For investigators, it's a nightmare.”

“I see. So, you’re looking at highly trained team of people. Most likely a small group of former military trained operatives. Mercenaries most likely. That is your working theory, correct, Inspector?” Karl questioned the man.

“That is the only theory that fits all the facts, but one.” The second Inspector said as he pointed to the blood written message. “What can you tell us about; that?”

Karl couldn't help himself as he read aloud the message. “Blood for blood. The Great Betrayal has been repaid again. I am the Crimson Ghost that passes unseen through the night. I am the Wraith of Justice. In my hands I hold the blades of both justice and vengeance. I take no pleasure in the taking of a life. Mine is a sacred honor and duty that has be passed down generation to generation. Only the most dangerous, most vile, most hated, most unjust, need fear my blades. The innocent, pure of heart and oppressed shall be avenged by my family’s blades. I am the unseen Right Hand of Lady Justice. Tremble in fear at my passing. I am the Crimson Ghost of the Moonless Night.”

When he finished reading the bloody message, Karl looked down at the body of Delacorte. Everything was exactly as the legends of the Wraith described. Delacorte’s arms crossed upon his chest. The eyes were closed with gold coins on their lids. The final touch was a single white rose clasped in his hands. Not just any rose, but a white Hemlock Rose. One of the most expensive roses to raise, making them equally as expensive to sell or buy.

“Call off your investigation and search teams, Inspectors. You will not find the person who did this.” Karl ordered the two men as he turned to leave. “No reports. Nothing to anyone. This is an internal matter for the Papacy.”

“Excuse me, Eminence, but we’ll decide what is and isn’t a matter for the Papacy.” The first Inspector corrected Karl. “Not the Head of the Iscariots.”

Karl spun on his heel and stepped to within inches of the man’s face and hissed his displeasure with the two Inspectors. “The Iscariot Division does not answer to the watchdogs of the Gendarmerie Corps or Swiss Guards.”

“Bishop Ferdinand please understand, this is a matter that needs to be handled by professionals. We cannot just let these terrorists get away with attacking a member of the clergy.” The First Inspector countered.

“Let me explain to you two dunderheads exactly what THAT message means.” Karl said as he pointed towards the bloody words. “Monsignor Delacorte violated an unspoken truce and paid the price. He pissed off a force of nature that the Vatican has gone out of its way, for generations, to pacify.”

“Just who or what are you talking about Bishop? Do you know these criminals?” The second Inspector jumped.

“What do you fools know about the Moonless Night Wraith Guild?” Karl asked. Then sighed at their blank looks. “They have been the most feared guild of assassins in the history of Europe. A guild that was forged in the bloody treachery of the Holy Roman Catholic Church’s greed and hubris five hundred years ago to become our unholy vengeful conscience. The one who did this is long gone. Just as the legend tell us. They are vengeful shadows in the night.”

“Are you saying that there is nothing we can do to catch these criminals sir?” The first Inspector asked.

“There was but a small window of opportunity for when this could have happened. Between one-thirty and two-thirty. That was more than seven hours ago. The Vatican Wraith has a massive lead and has mostly changed identity twice by now.” Karl looked back up at the message one last time. “Or I should say, the newest incarnation of the Vatican Wraith; the Crimson Ghost.”

“I have phones calls to make gentlemen and you need to end this investigation now.” Karl turned to walk away but stopped. “And gentlemen. I suggest that you pray. Pray with all your faith that the Crimson Ghost has satisfied their need for vengeance.”

“And if this Crimson Ghost hasn’t satisfied their vengeance, Bishop?” The second Inspector ask of retreating back. “What then?”

“Hope they leave enough of the Church standing to hold Mass, so what's left of us can pray for a more agreeable appointment with Saint Peter.” Karl called out as he stormed down the hall.

San Lorenzo di Sebato, Italy: 1545

Sam pulled off the autostrada one exit before San Lorenzo. She had spent the last six hours going over what she was about to do. It had taken her eighteen months to track down her remaining family. They had gone into hiding during the mob war in Sicily six years ago. To the one place no one would ever look to find four of the best trained ballerinas in the world. The original Roseline orphanage in the Alpine mountains of Northern Italy. Unlike her or her mother, Samantha’s aunts and cousins only ever wanted to be dancers and teachers of dancers.

Even as she pulled off to the side of the road to stop in front of the orphanage, Samantha Justice was having second thoughts. Hell, she was on seventh and eighth thoughts by now. The problem was she knew that sooner or later the Iscariots might come for her cousins. Climbing out of the car, Samantha settled the fedora on her head at a cocky angle and tied the belt of the trench coat against the whipping cold of the mountain winds. She made sure that her weapons were well hidden. She may be entering an orphanage in the backcountry of Italy’s Alps, but she wasn’t home yet.

“Like mama always said; never turn your back on the Reaper.” Samantha said into the empty air as she approached the orphanage’s gate on foot. “At least they have off-street parking.”

As Samantha pushed the gate, the sounds of children laughing reached her ears. Looking through the bars of the iron gate she was greeted by the sight of children playing in the late afternoon sun and smiled. As she entered the courtyard a two legged missile struck her at hip height.

Samantha staggered back a little as she looked down at the five, maybe six, year old little boy. “Hey there little guy. Can you tell me where the Mother Superior is?”

“Wow. You’re pretty. Are you a movie star?” The little boy asked in wonder as he looked up at Samantha in awe.

“Why thank you, piccolo.” Samantha chuckled as she help the little boy stand back up. “That is very kind of you to say. But no, I’m not a movie star.”

“You sure do look like one.” The little boy countered then smile and pointed at her hat. “You look like the pretty thief from the cartoon Carmen Sandiego.”

“Sssshhh! Not so loud. You’ll give me away. I don’t want VILE to know I’m here.” Samantha had put her index finger to his lips. The little boy’s eye bulged as Samantha gave him conspiratorial smile and wink. “Can you tell me where I can find my contact, the Mother Superior?”

The little boy nodded his head and pointed towards the back of the orphanage. “She’s in the kitchen with Sister Mary Carmella and Sister Mary Catherine. If you hurry, you might catch them bring out the fresh bread!”

Samantha stood up straight and ruffled the boy’s hair as he giggled. “Thank you, piccolo. Remember, I’m not here. Now go play with your friends.”

Samantha gave the boy a playful swat on the butt and sent him off to play with the other orphans. Double checking that the passports and plane tickets were still inside her inner coat pocket, Samantha headed for the kitchen. As she neared the back of the orphanage where the kitchen would be, her nose was greeted by the heavenly sent of fresh baked bread. Her mouth started to water out of an automatic reaction to the smell. It also brought back childhood memories that were both painful and pleasant at the same time.

Shaking her head Samantha knocked on the backdoor of the orphanage. She had no sooner stepped back than the door was open by a woman in her late fifties to early sixties. The Mother Superior was already chewing someone out.

“Jason Allen; if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you.” She stopped midsentence of what had to be a well hashed ass chewing. “Oh, I’m sorry young lady. I was expecting someone else.”

“It’s quite alright Reverend Mother. I have a feeling that I was setup by one of the boys.” Samantha held her hand at about hip high with a smile. “Say one about this tall. Real ladies man.”

“Yes, you were, Miss. That was Jason. A rascal of the first order.” The woman chuckled. “I’m Sister Sara Mary Margaret. How can I be of help?”

Samantha placed the palms of her hands together horizontally at chest height and bowed her head slightly with a small curtsy. “I am, but a shadow wishing to stay the night, my passing will be quick for I have far to go in my journey to my destination. I’ll leave peacefully, fading into the depths of the Moonless night. I but seek warm company and a comfortable hearth with which to share the night. I am a shadow passing in the moonless night.”

The Mother Superior quickly aped Samantha’s actions. “May your journey in the night, be quiet and your passing, unseen; bringer of justice.”

The older smiled and looked around before waving for Samantha to hurry inside. “Come, come. Hurry inside before you catch your death of cold child. Are you a DeMarco?”

“Not out here where others can hear Reverend Mother. I promise to explain everything. Once we are somewhere no one else will overhear.” Samantha told her as she entered the kitchen. She was brought up short by the sight before her. She knew the two nuns that were baking the bread. In a voice barely above a whisper. “Aunt Susan, Aunt Carol.”

The Mother Superior grabbed Samantha by the arm and dragged her to her office. Once inside the orphanage’s main office, the old woman turned on Samantha. “Exactly who are you? How do you know the real names of those Sisters? Do not lie, Shadow.”

“I don’t have much time, so I’ll cut to the chase. I was born Joseph Capizeo. Most people know me as the Silver Bullet Ballerina. You can just call me the Hemlock Rose and I have come to escort my Aunts and cousins out of Italy. Or at least to give them the choice of leaving.” Samantha told her bluntly.

“Wait here. I’ll find your family, Shadow.” With that the old woman left Samantha alone in the office. Samantha knew that this was going to be hard, but she had to at least give her last remaining family a way out.

Twenty minutes later; the Mother Superior returned with the two nuns from the kitchen and two novice nuns all in tow. Samantha’s two aunts took one look at her and promptly fainted.

“That went well.” Samantha whispered to herself.

Her cousins were too busy tending to her aunts to notice her. Samantha knew that this wasn’t going to be easy. After all, as far as the rest of her family knew, Joey Capizeo was dead along with his family. The original Witness Protection plan had been changed with single bullet to the chest.

Her Aunt Susan was the first to recover. The old woman looked up at the person who should have been dead. Then asked a one word question. “Stephany?”

Both of her cousins looked up at her for the first time. Her cousins did a double take before her cousin Cathy said. “You’re dead.”

“We saw you killed. You died on those steps.” Her cousin Karen blurted.

“Quiet you two.” Her Aunt Carol, the oldest of her aunts, snapped as she opened her eyes looking up at a ghost. “Who are you?”

“Let’s just say that the reports of my death were not greatly exaggerated. Joseph Capizeo did die on those courthouse steps that day.” Samantha told her bluntly but smiled as she continued. “Stephany Capizeo on the other hand walked through the door of Witness Protection.”

Carol Capizeo stared at this ghost before her as her daughter helped her to her feet. With a shaking hand, the older woman reached and touched the left cheek of Samantha’s face. “You’re real.”

“Very real, Aunt Carol.” Samantha chuckled. “Only I am Samantha Justice now. I have an offer for all four of you.”

“Sister Mary Carmella, who is this woman?” Asked the Mother Superior.

“A vengeful Wraith from the past dressed in Crimson.” Samantha’s Aunt Carol answered with a wicked smile. “Come straight from the heart of Holy Rome by the looks of things.”

“Or Hell.” Samantha’s Aunt Susan put it with the same wicked smile. “Tell me honestly, my niece, is the nightmare finally over? Can we finally go home?”

Samantha just reached inside her trench coat, pulled out the four Vatican passports, plane tickets and Letters of Transfer. “You just need to replace the photos. There are open ended plane tickets in these names waiting for you at Linz International. From there you’ll go to London then on to JFK in New York. The choice is yours to make. Stay here or return home with two conditions.”

“What conditions?” Samantha’s Aunt Susan asked.

“One; this is a one-timer. Use these travel documents only once, then burn them. So, make sure, the place you go, is the place you want to stay. Two; you go back to dancing or teaching. Whatever, so long as you stay away from organized crime. You can be whatever you want, so long as it is legit.” Samantha told the four of them.

“When do we have to decide?” Karen asked, not liking the choices she was being given. She wanted to find the men that hand killed her brothers and father. She wanted her own revenge.

“Let me explain something for you cousin. You can stay here, as a humble nun. Which I have no problems with, or you leave here to live an honest life. Only ever killing in self-defense. Those are you choices. You go hunting vengeance against the men that killed your father and brother; I come hunting you.” Samantha turned cold as ice as she gave her cousin the ultimatum.

“You may have been the heir and the great protégée cousin, but we also know the Way of the Dancing Blade.” Karen snorted. “And our training wasn’t interrupted. Unlike yours.”

Samantha sighed and placed her righthand middle finger in the center of the office desk. The movement slight, barely even seen, the result wasn’t. The whole that appeared out of nowhere stopped all bragging on the part of her cousins. “But I have mastered the Great Enlightenment.”

Samantha picked up the passports and handed them to her Aunt Carol. “Remember Aunt Carol. You step out of the light, it will not be some stranger that comes for you. It’ll be me that hunts you down. The last Hemlock Rose.”

With that, Samantha walked out of the office and the lives of her aunts and cousins. The last of Samantha’s family rushed outside to watch the petite woman climb into the sports car. All four stood there watching as the last Hemlock Rose drove off into the growing evening light. Yet their encounter with their cousin and niece would be as nothing to the already growing legend in Rome. The legend of the Crimson Ghost.

Nondescript Office Building in Washington D.C. 0945 local time…

The desk phone had only rang once before the man seated behind the desk snatched it up. In a gruff manner he said. “Report.”

“I who offers Absolution, seeks Him, who brings Resolution.” The voice on the other end said gruffly.

“Has Resolution been found old friend?” Paul asked.

“And Absolution granted in return.” Bishop Karl Ferdinand Head of the Iscariot Division answered heavily. “Tell me old friend. Did you know the force of nature that you were unleashing?”

“I won't lie to you, Karl. No one was ready for the return of that particular Ghost.” Paul knew exactly who Karl was talking about, but not to the ends she would go to achieve her final revenge. Even his wife Maria DeMarco had no idea of just how lethal the woman had become.

“So, this Crimson Ghost is not one of the Black Badges?” Karl asked.

“No. The Black Badges ended their operations two days ago.” Paul answered honestly. “Should I say 'sorry about your Strike Teams getting burned'?”

“No. We both know you’re not. To tell you the truth, neither am I.” Karl answered with a chuckle. “I’ve never been a fan of that particular practice. With a little bit of luck, the CIA will scoop up our undesirables.”

“Karl, you better pray that the Black Badges never find out that you intentionally used them to burn your own people.” Paul snarled.

“I said I was never a fan, Paul, not stupid. You know that the Strike Teams were started long before I gained control over my Division.” Karl told Paul hotly. “I’ve spent the last ten years culling their numbers, to no effect. For every one that I was able to disband two more were put in place by my Superior.”

“Leaving you with no way of gaining any real control. I get it. Then this investigation comes along exposing far too many secrets for your Division to cover up. Secrets that all tie into one Section and one man.” Paul sighed before continuing. “Section Twenty-one and the now late Monsignor Delacorte. What did he have on you or your boss?”

“More than enough blackmail to cause multiple international crises. All of which is even now being purged by shredder and fire. His whole Section is burned and disbanded. Nothing will be left by the time my people get done. I'll put the house in order.”

“You'd better, Karl. End that private between the Iscariot Division and the Moonless Night Wraiths. Because I have a feeling that the next time they visit. It won’t be just one of them. They’ll hit you in numbers and a manner the likes of which have never been seen before in the long bloody history of Rome.” Paul told the man. “Take the advice and make it happen Karl.”

“What is it that you know that I don’t old friend?”

“Just that the newest Mistress of that deadly guild has absolutely no love for your organization, and above all, little to no desire to let you live. From what I understand, she left you a warning.” Paul grunted.

“You could say that. Here let me read you the transcript.” Karl quickly read the unofficial report on the message. “What's your take on that?”

“I’d say that can be taken one of two ways. The first; a peace treaty. The second; a declaration of war if you or your people cross a line.” Paul wanted to laugh at the misdirection Samantha had used. It was perfect.

“Thought as much, myself.” Karl sighed.

“Let me give you another piece of advice. Tell your boss to keep his fucking Strike Teams out of my backyard. This is the last warning, Karl. Next time won’t be so nice. Understood?” The big Spook snarled.

Karl replied. “In the words of Stephen Fry. ‘Compromise is a stalling between two fools.’ Those that I want are out and the rest have been left to face their actions.”

“So be it. That leaves just one last detail.” Dannigan prompted.

Karl Ferdinand thought for a moment then answered. “Ah, yes. The good Sister Magdalena. The position she found herself in unsettled her greatly.”

Dannigan remarked. “That one just won 'understatement of the year', Karl.”

“I suppose it does. I propose this; Sister Magdalena may return at any time and will be reassigned to any posting she believes suitable. I can at least do that much for her. However, should Angelic DeMarco choose to remain 'with family', that too is acceptable. She should follow her heart, with Blessing, for it has never led her astray so far. I'll send what she needs to you.” Karl answered. “Paul, I hope our paths won't have to cross in this manner again. I'd much prefer to share drinks and pleasant topics. May God, one day, rest your conscious before your soul.”

“Same here old friend.” Paul hung up the phone. “You better keep your damned people out of my country Karl. Because I know that next time Stephany Capizeo will use their bones to build an altar to Iscariot stupidity.”

Ram’s Rock Island:

Sam climbed out of the Bell. She had rode in with Lonestar and Mindy after her school let out.

“Welcome back.” Maria greeted and smiled to Mindy.

Samantha looked around. “What is the latest?”

“Lyssa still has not returned. Kimberly only comes out of that damned cave long enough to get Mindy ready for school, shower and go back.” Maria said.

Samantha asked. “She hasn't?”

Maria shook her head. “No. And no word about her either. The only thing Kimberly would say, is that she was sent to Africa. West Africa.”

“And she went alone?” Samantha was surprised.

Samantha was no world expert, but she knew that region of Africa stayed in constant upheaval. Conflicting rebel armies, roaming guerilla forces and criminal groups of various degrees of organization kept those countries unstable. Sporadic revolts, coups and frequent attempts of overthrows made the governments temporary.

Maria nodded. “Yes. We are all concerned whether or not she will return this time. It has been implied; the odds are definitely not in her favor.”

“Is that you trying not to say that they sent her out on a suicide mission?” Samantha asked in disgust.

Maria sighed. “Apparently, the powers that be are not concerned that she could fail. Only she does not leave much of her body behind if she does. I confess, I am certain I would be so willing to accept such disregard. Worse, that she cannot refuse them.”

The two began to walk toward the DeMarco house.

“I'm still pissed about having them standing over our shoulders. I'll do the evaluation, but I don't like it.” Samantha said hotly.

Maria nodded. “That is something I wanted to discuss with you privately. It seems that certain holes in our backgrounds gave them reason for that. It has always been in our nature to be deceptive and secretive. It does work against us though.”

“Us? Or them?” Samantha countered.

“Everyone.” Maria said. “For them, just about everything about them is already documented. Their talents and capabilities are known. Ours are not. That brings doubt. How does Paul know who to send, if he does not know if they can even attempt the task? Confidence is admirable. Confidence, unfounded, is wishful thinking. I now see from Paul's perspective. How can he have faith in us, when he doesn't know what we can do? The only way he can have hope we can perform, is if he knows we can.”

Samantha groaned. “You have a valid point. It sounds like somebody pointed it out though.”

“I will not lie. It was. I took Lonestar a meal, up in the tower. I did not tell him I was coming. Please do not do that. He had his helmet off, up there.” Maria warned then gave her a stern look. “No questions about him.”

Samantha quickly shook her head. She had been told once, by Mindy, that he had suffered burns. The fact that only those two knew what was hidden beneath the helmet and flight suit, made it obvious how bad it must be.

Maria went on. “You can't send a handyman to install a state-of-the-art electronics suite. His knowledge and skills only go so far. Do you send a traffic-officer after a terrorist leader? Certainly, he knows the Law, but he could never hope to arrest him.”

“Right. I understand.” Samantha admitted.

Maria nodded. “I'm glad. Now another thing. Krystel. You may think she went off without reason, but she had cause. Even I wanted to accuse her of not being professional. In truth, she has been more professional than we are. You gave her attitude without warrant. To be honest, had you done so to me, I would have slapped you for it. In truth, I did something I regret now. For that I have lost her trust and respect. Rightfully so. We, all of us, will make amends for that. Krystel has carried out her orders, though she objected, she carried them out.”

Samantha agreed. “True. She didn't like it, but she was doing it anyway. She even took in consideration about the glasses. It would be better for us to make them. I'll bury the hatchet with her and promise not in her back or anywhere else in her.”

“Thank you. Now, Anna made your favorite for dinner and it should be ready soon.” Maria smiled and guided Samantha toward their home.

Angelic wandered aimlessly. It had been four days since Samantha had returned, yet the other people on the island were still concerned over their Sergeant Major. She could understand why her cousins liked living on this island. It was beautiful and peaceful. A refuge from the tumultuous world around them. Looking up at the starry night sky made her smile. It was a place to both hide and heal. The sound of a helicopter drew her attention. It was getting closer and sounded like the one that took the little girl to and from Freeport daily. When she saw its lights, Angelic went toward the hangars to see.

Maria had gone out to see where her niece had wandered off to and heard the Bell approaching. Who could be flying at this late hour? She went to the hangars to find out. Just as she rounded the corner, she saw Angelic standing at the end of the alley between them. She was watching the helicopter land. Maria walked up behind her.

“So, this is where you are.” Maria commented.

Angelic looked to the landing area. “Who could be coming at this hour?”

“I don't.” Maria started then gasped. “Lyssa? What are they doing? Oh god. Oh god, they're carrying her!”

“In the Hangar. Get her in the hangar, Joe.” Rodrick said loudly.

Maria held Angelic back. “Not so quick.”

“But something is wrong.” Angelic protested.

Slowly they edged to the hangar doors and listened.

“Jesus! I can feel it through my damned gloves! What the hell is going on, she's burning up!”

“Oh my god!” a woman's voice almost shrieked.

“Kimberly.” Maria said softly. “Now you emerge.”

“Lay her down here.” Rodrick ordered. “Kim, grab her kit!”

“Kit?” Angelic whispered to Maria, who shook her head, not knowing of it.

“I'm getting it!” Kimberly called back.

Moments later they heard Kimberly again. “Oh god. Tell me she didn't...Lyssa didn't...”

Maria gasped and Angelic looked back fearfully. “Has she?”

They heard Rodrick say softly. “Please. Get out. The worst is coming. You don't want to be here. You don't want to know.”

Maria and Angelic both flinched as a woman's screams of anguish shattered the night and echoed within the hangar.

Angelic crossed herself. “Lord God, in Heaven, deliver that woman from whatever is being done to her. Surely, no sin could merit this. Spare this torment.”

“Dear niece, that is not what we should beg God for. Better that we beg this passes quickly.” Maria said then crossed herself.

After what seemed like an eternity, the screams softened, and they heard an angry man's voice from inside.

“This isn't illness, Mason. You don't pick this up in any goddamned jungle! It isn't even a condition! She's one of them! It's because, she's one of THEM! ISN'T IT? ISN'T IT? They push beyond every limit! They literally BURN themselves out to stay on the edge! THIS! THIS RIGHT HERE! This is the price they pay!”

“Yes.”

Angelic had to grab her aunt to steady her. Maria was stunned.

Maria looked at her niece and shook her head. “The house. We must go back to the house. We shouldn't be here. By all you hold Holy; never speak of this. That poor woman.”

Neither of them slept well that night. The next day, it was obvious, everybody understood Lyssa had returned. That wasn't all. She was unconscious. It lasted for three days. A select group of Demon Wraiths arrived, along with Dannigan. Whisper, Patch and the one called Quest. This visit was unlike the previous. They were not sociable at all. Only nodding to the other residents of the island. That evening they left without a word, just as they had come. The air about them was ominous.

----tbc----

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.