Chapter 2

I went into fight mode, “Cherie, go out the back door. Stay somewhere outside of the city; don’t use your credit cards for a few days.”

I stood and headed to the bedroom closet I removed a panel and pulled out two go-bags tossing one to Cherie. She managed to catch it. Next came out my Glock 21 and holster that got clipped to my belt and my handy-dandy 12 gauge. Finally, I reached in and pulled out the detonator that was attached to core charge in each of the loadbearing walls.

I turned back and saw her standing still frozen, “Cherie. You need to run.”

She shook her head, “I’m staying with you.”

“I’m going out in a blaze of glory to keep you out of this. Run!”

I heard the front door splinter and cursed, “Fuck ... too late. Stay quiet. When you get the chance to run, Run!”

I slung the pack on and raised the shotgun with the stock braced against my shoulder keeping the detonator in my left hand. I stepped into the living room sweeping and saw seven of the nine with pistols drawn and aimed at me. I announced, “My left hand had a detonator in it. Every loadbearing wall is rigged to go boom. If you don’t want to be in here when that happens you’ll let the hooker leave and trust me you don’t want to be in here when that happens.”

They were remarkably silenced. The family always bought the best. My sister stepped through my now splintered door, “She isn’t a hooker. Her name is Cherie Dubois. She’s an oncologist and you’ve been dating her for almost two years.”

I realized that they hadn’t just found me, “How long have you known where I am?”

Jenny smiled, “Me? A month. Dad always knew.”

“Knew? Not knows?”

“He’s dead, Jimmy ... that’s why I’m here.”

“Talk.”

“Put the gun down and the detonator.”

“They can just shoot me. I’m not going back and if you think I’d hesitate to shoot you then you need to remember why Junior only has three fingers on his right hand.”

Cherie popped up behind me, “Can everyone put the guns down? Can we just talk.”

I faked a southern accent, “I don’t negotiate with terrorists.”

Jenny ordered, “Everyone weapons down. All but one of you go back to the vehicles.”

One by one the suits filed out leaving just one with silver hair who I assumed was the leader. I saw a glint of light out of the corner of my eye and shifted focus. There was a tiny bit of movement on the roof of the house next door.

I stepped forward and sat on the couch keeping the detonator in hand, but letting the Mossberg sit on my coffee table. Cherie quickly moved and sat beside me.

Jenny shook her head, “Can we dispense with the detonator? We both know you’re not going to blow the place with your girl sitting on your lap.”

“Worse ways to go. Talk.”

“Dad’s dead. He and mom were in a helicopter crash.”

“Bullshit. I have alerts set to notify me of every bit of news regarding you bastards.”

She sat on an easy chair. One thing about the family is you’re trained from an early age to never show anything but confidence and poise.

“We’ve managed to keep it quiet so far at vast personal expense. Either way they’re dead and the family is in limbo until the will is read.”

“And that made you come to me?”