Prologue

Thanks to an offhand comment by US Marshal Randy Pope, those who knew about Michael’s family had taken to calling it THE Harem. It should be noted, that because of the extreme competence of the women of the Harem, Michael’s had quickly dropped from the designation. Marshal Pope and Sam Matthews, the team’s two supervisors, became family friends and were referred to as Randy and Sam. Sam’s co-sponsors, the Ninja Twins, became even closer, and the family frequently used their fond ‘Papa Sam’ adapted from the Japanese Papa San.

Questions about the family sponsors’ CAP scores and ranks, if ever a factor, evaporated as the teammates combined and split as mission roles dictated. As the Sa’arm advanced, missions for the family’s team came with more frequency and danger, and with less prep time.

The mixture of sleet and steady rain made the night miserable. Hannah was mission leader, supported by Rachel and Michael in combat roles and Cathleen and Sunny as medical support. Patricia, Carole, and Billie and Birdie -- the two Nerds -- were in standby reserve, briefed, armed, and ready to transport on a second’s notice. The remainder of the family was either on home support or -- the more recent additions, not yet up to speed -- were in training.

Cynthia Forrester was a physicist with PhDs in both electrical engineering and plasma physics, and was high on the Office of Targeted Extraction’s priority list. Shortly after coming to the attention of the requisitioning research colony, she and her children had disappeared.

Today’s mission was to rescue Cynthia and her three young children. For a change, this wasn’t about a bunch of Earth Firsters. Four brothers had somehow learned that she was a high CAP woman and could bring along four concubines when she was extracted. They intended to be the four.

The Nerds and the family’s AI, Dora, put their research skills together, and learned that Cynthia used an Appalachian mountain cabin as her retreat when she needed to ‘get away.’ Typically, she took along Lucy, her thirteen-year-old cousin, to help with the children. The cabin wasn’t known to her employers, and the owner of record was the trust for her mother’s brother.

The drone sent to her cabin reported the presence of the four extras, and the fact that she was a prisoner. The four men had not yet harmed Cynthia or her family, but they were threatening. None of them were particularly bright, not having figured how to keep controlling her during a pick up. The extraction team was designated, equipped, and dispatched within the hour.

Michael took a prone position where he had the door in the sights of his M-14. He was dressed warmer than his two ladies, as they needed lighter, dripping wet clothing as part of their act. If he needed to fire, he didn’t want a shiver to make him miss.

Under their coats, both Hannah and Rachel carried a pistol, and each had stingers in their left hands. Hannah had also secreted a pair of her throwing knives.

They walked up the drive, and Hannah knocked, calling, “Aunt Cindy! Its Hannah and Rachel. Our car broke down and we had to walk. Hurry, we’re wet and freezing!”

The two were standing to either side of the door, shivering and dripping, when a tall blond man opened the door and demanded, “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?”

Hannah spoke in a rush, “I’m Hannah and she’s Rachel and we came to deliver Aunt Cindy’s groceries but the car broke down. Let us in. We’re freezing. Who are you?” and she pushed her way past the started man, Rachel following.

In the front room, Lucy in front of a roaring fireplace was playing Monopoly with the three children. There was no sign of the other three men or Cynthia. Lucy’s eyes widened as she saw the two strangers, but Rachel, out of sight of the man, was able to put her finger to her lips. Hannah, loosening her coat, spoke quickly, “Hi Lucy, where’s Aunt Cindy?”

Chapter 1 »