Chapter 9

Gwen Hammer was outwardly calm as her incredible husband knelt before her, even as all the others in the Great Kremlin Palace struggled to regain their composure. Though there were very few journalists in the hall for such an auspicious occasion and fewer cameras, such was the power of the internet for spreading news that the entire world had just born witness to Steve Hammer killing three men, all of them senior Russian military officers, on live television! So many unbelievable things had happened and continued to happen, everyone in the hall as well as around the world, was having difficulty sorting out the meaning of it all.

As Gwen mentally prepared a short impromptu speech, she thought back to the day she met Steve Hammer, and the incredible ride it had been ever since. He had tirelessly worked to position her as the most powerful woman ... no, make that the most powerful person, in the world. She recalled her ascension to the Presidency of the United States, as well as her not unexpected but sudden removal from that office. The days following her impeachment had been some of the most challenging, yet rewarding, of her life.

She recalled the fear and anger that had filled her heart when Hanna Kiss had phoned and told her Lena, her 7-year-old daughter, had been abducted, as well as the tremendous pride she had experienced when Steve and Saint, Gwen’s own 7-year-old son, had together saved the precious child. The day of Lena’s abduction had been one of the most terrifying of Gwen’s life. She firmly believed the beautiful little blonde girl, along with Saint, had a date with destiny. The little girl was ordained to become Saint’s future Queen, and the world would badly need them both!

That fateful afternoon Sybil, as head of her security, had responded immediately when Gwen informed her Lena had been kidnapped in Sparta. Gwen and Steve, along with Sybil and Tyler, had been riding their motorcycles when Hanna Kiss, barely holding herself together in the crisis, had called to alert Gwen of Lena’s abduction. Sybil immediately began making calls. Steve was not far behind, as he quickly reached for his phone. Tyler briefly considered the situation before sharing a thought with Gwen.

“You’d better make certain your family and friends back home know what’s going on. That blonde girl wasn’t as routinely protected as your family and many other children in your circle, but nevertheless, they need to be advised to be extra careful.”

“I want security doubled everywhere,” barked Sybil, issuing directives on her phone. “We have a situation in Sparta. Unknown actors are threatening our Queen, her friends, family, and particularly the children. All areas within our security network need to go on high alert. In fact, double all security immediately. No exceptions!”

Even as she spoke, Sybil was checking her surroundings, concerned for Gwen’s immediate safety. Till now she had been enjoying her day, possibly to the detriment of her duty. Steve’s formidable capabilities were well known to Sybil, but it was her job to make certain Gwen and her extended family was safe at all times. She didn’t know exactly why Gwen felt so attached to the little blonde girl from Hungary, but she understood the situation well enough to realize the child was extremely important to the Hammers, which made her a high priority to Sybil.

Gwen was speaking with Lisa soon after Tyler made his suggestion. “Lena’s family’s in Sparta, and Lena’s been kidnapped! They’re demanding 50 million dollars, and they expect Hanna to get the money from us. Sybil is aware of the situation and is tightening security for everyone as we speak. You need to be extremely careful.”

“Mom told me a little while ago Saint woke up early this morning very agitated!” revealed Lisa. “She gave him a good breakfast and did her best to calm him down before he left for school, but he never seemed to relax. Do you think there could be a connection?”

“I don’t know, Sis. That old woman I’ve encountered on two continents left me with more questions than answers. That said, I have no doubt that Saint and Lena are supposed to be together for reasons unclear to us. I firmly believe they’ll eventually become very important to a great many people. We’ll be making arrangements to get home as soon as possible. Please keep a close eye on all the children.

“I’ve invited Hanna and Adam to Asgard, and they should be arriving shortly. Please see that security gives them access and takes them to our house. They’ll be staying with us.”

Sybil had listened to Gwen’s side of the conversation, and she decided to ask Gwen’s newly minted Road Warriors for any help they could offer. With that in mind, Sybil hurried over to the group as they watched and waited.

“Guys, Gwen and Steve need to return to Sparta in the shortest possible amount of time,” announced Sybil. “It’s a shot in the dark, but if any of you have an idea how to best accomplish that, please tell me. Otherwise, we’ll be spending valuable time just getting home.”

The Road Warriors looked at each other and slowly shook their heads. Sybil was turning away when one of the female nurses who had performed so admirably the previous day broke her silence.

“There’s another nurse in my ward, who’s always talking about her cousin. He’s a pilot. He lives someplace in Eastern Tennessee and has a plane he charters. He was a pilot in the Air Force. Should I call and ask her for his number?”

“Please do that right away!” replied Sybil. “If he can fly us back to Sparta post haste, we’ll make it worth his while.”

The nurse dug her phone from her pocket and scanned it for the number before placing a call. “Joanie! It’s Rita! You heard right, I’m with her right now. We’re in Eastern Tennessee. She and her Warrior need to return to Sparta ASAP. Could you give me your cousin’s number? You know the one I mean? He’s the pilot with a plane.”

Sybil punched the phone number into her phone as Rita recited it. It was ringing within seconds.

“Hello, this is Sybil Smith; I’m in charge of security for President Hammer’s family. She’s in Eastern Tennessee, and she needs to get to Sparta immediately. Are you and your aircraft available to transport her to Sparta as soon as we can reach your location? We’ll pay well above your usual rate.

“Let me check. Can anyone tell me how soon we can reach Blandon?” asked Sybil of the group around her. “The plane’s located there.”

After a few seconds of checking their phones, one of the riders responded. “I looked it up. Google says 45 minutes, but I think we can beat that.”

“Thanks!” responded Sybil before speaking into the phone again. “We’ll be there in about 40 minutes. Please be prepared to take off for Sparta as soon as we arrive. There’ll be two others traveling with President and Mr. Hammer. We’ll be in a hurry!

“Folks, you may want to find your way home now. Knowing Steve like I do, I can tell you the 40-minute ride won’t be for the faint of heart.”

“I practice law in this county. I’ll make some calls to see if the police can help facilitate the trip,” promised a tall man in the back of the group.

Steve was speaking on his phone when Sybil returned to his side. “Chip, find out what you can. Call in all favors and make wild-ass promises if necessary. Jason’s already making calls. We’ll get there as soon as we can.”

Sybil quickly explained what she had accomplished to Gwen and Steve. They nodded as they listened. Steve and Tyler started their bikes, and Gwen and Sybil swung on behind them. The man who’d mapped the route handed his phone to Steve, who studied the screen for less than a minute before returning it.

“You folks have been great, but we’re going to be exceeding all the speed limits, so you may want to drop out now,” warned Steve as Gwen secured her helmet.

Speed limits weren’t a concern as the county Sheriff’s office had cruisers blocking intersections. Steve and Tyler, closely followed by their newly minted Road Warriors, tore through them at speeds well in excess of any limits. Just 36 minutes later, Steve led the group onto the tarmac at a small airport, and came to a stop next to a Cessna 206 Stationair. A tall man with closely cropped gray hair stood at attention next to the plane. Gwen swung her leg over the rear of the bike and dismounted. The pilot saluted as she approached, but Gwen simply gave the man a quick hug.

“Thanks so much, Sir,” began Gwen. “We really appreciate your help today.”

“Ma’am, it’s my honor,” responded the man, as he helped her and Sybil into his aircraft. Less than 2½ hours later, the pilot had touched down on the private landing strip inside the walls of Asgard. Chip was waiting with an SUV to take the travelers home.

As soon as Gwen stepped through the door, Hanna Kiss flew into her arms. “I’m so sorry we involved you in this horrible situation, but we had no options. They have Lena!”

“I’m pleased and honored you called me first,” soothed Gwen. “We’re dedicating every resource we have to getting Lena back safely. Steve, Charlie, and my two brothers-in-law are very adept at handling this sort of thing.

“My Warrior will settle this matter and return Lena to you,” promised Gwen as she nodded toward her grim-faced husband. “It’s what he does. He protects our family and friends, and you’re family.”

A middle-aged man in a police uniform cleared his throat to get Gwen’s attention. “Madam President, we have our entire force searching for the girl. If you have any information that could lead us to the men responsible, I suggest you tell us, and let us do our job. We’ve only known about this abduction for a couple hours. I’ve placed a call to the FBI, and they’ll have agents in Sparta very soon. Please just wait as patiently as possible, while law enforcement handles this situation.”

“With all due respect, Chief Lansing, my husband will not be waiting here for any results. If you manage to find Lena I’ll be most grateful, but Steve is the one I depend on in situations like this, and he’s never failed me or our friends. Please do your best and know we appreciate it, but Steve and these other men will end this threat to our family, I’m certain of that.”

“Where’s Saint?” asked Steve as he turned to face Lisa and Paula.

“He’s in his room. He became very emotional as soon as Hanna and Adam arrived. Somehow, he seemed to sense that Lena’s in danger. I insisted he lie down and try to relax,” replied a worried Paula.

Steve nodded, strode to Saint’s room, entered and silently closed the door. Saint was sitting on his bed. His eyes were red, but no tears were falling.

“Dad! We’ve got to help Lena! I know she’s in trouble, and she’s scared,” managed Saint as he rushed into his father’s arms.

“Saint, we’ll bring her back safely, I promise. And I’ll need your help. Do you have any idea where she might be? Think hard.”

“It’s someplace cold, I know that. She’s got tape around her hands and ankles. She’s real scared, Dad!”

“Saint, I need you to calm down and think about Lena really hard. She’s trying to tell you where she is. Can you feel her inside your head?” asked Steve gently.

“Not right now, but I could a little while ago, when Aunt Lisa was driving us home from school,” responded Saint.

“I knew it! Come with me, and we’ll get her back,” said Steve as he took Saint’s hand and returned to the living room.

“Chip, Jason, Charlie! We’ll be leaving as soon as we get some supplies from Valhalla. Saint’s going to help us find Lena.”

“You’re not going anyplace without me!” declared Sybil forcefully. “I know damn well what kind of ‘supplies’ you’re getting and what you intend to do with them. Security is my job. I’ll be going with you.”

“My men are combing the area. You need to allow them time and understand that...” began Chief Lansing before being cut off.

“You need to understand there’s no time!” interrupted Gwen impatiently. “Steve and Saint will find Lena, and with the help of the others, they’ll return her to her parents.”

“But the FBI is on the way. We should wait to hear any new ransom demands,” reasoned the police chief. “We could follow them when they pick up the money.”

“There’ll be no money and no pretense of money,” stated Gwen flatly. “These animals will never give Lena back willingly. We don’t reward extortion, we end it. That little girl must be rescued, and soon.”

“Tyler, your wife’s going with us,” Steve told his friend. “If you have any objections, you need to convince her right now; we’re leaving.”

“Sybil, be careful, and bring that little girl back to her parents. I love you,” was all Tyler said, as Sybil flashed him a grim smile and followed Steve out the door. “How could you let your wife go with them?” demanded the police chief as the door closed. “Surely you know they’re hunting armed criminals! If they find those guys before we do, there could be shots fired and people killed. You must know that!”

“Chief, my wife is the head of security here. If I even suggested she stay behind, she’d lose all respect for me. Not only that, she’d think I didn’t have any faith in her. I can’t go with them because I’d be a liability, and I know that. I also know that Sybil is no stranger to battles and she could make all the difference for those men. She’s got more sand than anyone I’ve ever met, except possibly Steve.”

“But what about Saint?” worried Paula. “Why is Steve taking him? This is no place for a 7-year-old boy; what if he gets hurt?”

“Saint won’t be hurt,” replied Gwen more firmly than she felt. “Steve needs Saint to find Lena. Those two kids have a connection; the same one I have with Steve. He’s destined to become an even greater warrior than his father. Who better to learn from? I’m scared to death, but this is how it has to be, I just know it.”

“You believe that old lady’s prediction about Saint and Lena, as do I!” Hanna Kiss stated with certainty. “Our children will battle together as one, and someday lead us all out of darkness. I’ve seen this in my dreams.”

“I’ve had the same dreams,” nodded Gwen. “Steve and the others, with the help of my son, absolutely must bring Lena home safely.”

Once the four men, along with Saint and Sybil, arrived in Valhalla, they entered a locked room where Steve pressed a panel. It swung open to reveal an arsenal neatly stored in a square room 15 feet on a side. Steve motioned for Sybil to choose first.

“Saint, I want you to put on one of the smaller vests. You won’t have a gun and you won’t be near any shooting, but we need to be as careful as we can,” explained Steve.

“Dad, Can I take one for Lena, too? She might need it.”

Steve nodded and then addressed the others. “I don’t know if the rest of you will agree or not, but I think Saint will help us find Lena. Right now, he’s our best chance.”

“Ever since that church thing in Hungary, I’m a believer,” asserted Jason. “No explanation is needed, not that you have one. It is what it is.”

Gwen, Lisa, Kate, Jordan and Tyler had watched in silence as the SUV carrying their spouses and Saint moved toward the exit from Asgard.

“Ted will be upset he missed this,” predicted Paula. “He’s in Chicago and couldn’t get back in time to help. He’d walk into hell to side with those men.”

“He already has, Mom,” pointed out Kate. “More than once.”

“I don’t understand why all of you think Steve will find those kidnappers. If you have any information, you need to pass it on to the police so we can do our job,” insisted Chief Lansing.

“All I know is that Saint will help them find Lena. Please have your men ready to move in the very moment you’re notified they’ve found the kidnappers,” replied Gwen.

Chief Lansing still looked dubious, but he nodded and excused himself from the room. Soon his cruiser was exiting through the heavily guarded gate.

Steve drove his team slowly toward Saint’s school, watching Saint closely as he made his way down the rural road. 10 minutes into the ride, Saint began to fidget.

“Dad! She’s in a big block building. Part of the roof is gone. There are junk cars in the grass around it.”

“That’s the old Wilson junkyard!” declared Charlie. “It’s half a mile up that dirt road on the right.”

Steve nodded as he pulled the car to the side of the road. “I’m going to drive halfway up the road and park behind that old hay barn. Saint, you stay in the car, do you understand me?”

“Yeah, Dad, but Lena’s really scared. You need to help her as soon as you can. There are men with guns all around. They’re being mean to her!”

“Leave that to us, Saint. We’ll get her back,” promised his father.

Once Steve parked, Sybil stepped out of the car and checked her weapons. When she’d finished, she looked around to see the others doing the same.

She felt tremendous pride that these battle-hardened warriors considered her worthy of their trust. She briefly thought about the pain she’d felt when she took the bullet that nearly crippled her for life. That memory caused her to make certain her vest was properly secured before joining the others on their trek to the Wilson property.

Lena was locked in a small room made of masonry blocks. There was a small hole in an exterior wall, which animals had been using to enter the abandoned building for years. The bad men had placed a sturdy piece of plywood over it from the outside. When no one was looking, Lena had tried to push the board away, but she was unable to budge it. The only light in the room came from a large hole in the roof, almost 15 feet above her head.

The doorknob rattled, and the scary man that always stared at Lena entered the room. “We’ll be calling your mother again, you little bitch. Once she agrees to pay the ransom, I’m going to show you how much fun it is to be loved by a man. We’ll never let you go, but don’t tell your mom.”

The man laughed as he finished his vile threat. He turned and left the room when someone called his name. Lena heard the click as the door was again locked. She had been cowering in a corner, desperate to keep as much space between herself and the horrible man as possible.

Suddenly, Lena knew! The Warrior was near! She had no doubt he would rescue her. She felt Saint’s nearby presence and through him, knew his father was coming for her! She desperately needed to escape from the room! Her captors had positioned a device on a high shelf in her room, and from their comments and the care they had displayed while placing the box, Lena knew it was a bomb.

The men had even joked about what would happen if anyone tried to rescue her. Lena stared up at the box, wondering if there was anything she could do to save herself. If the bad men discovered The Warrior was coming for her, they would set off the explosive. Young as she was, Lena was still able understand the gravity of the situation, but she could think of no solution.

Sensing Lena’s urgency, Saint was unable to remain in the safety of the SUV. Every part of his being demanded he grab the extra flak jacket and go for Lena; if he didn’t, she would die! So he began trotting toward the old junkyard. Once he got closer, he knew exactly where to look for his blonde friend.

Once the old block building was in sight, Saint carefully crept to an abandoned truck parked far from the building. From there, he managed to work his way closer to the building while remaining concealed behind the decaying car bodies, old pieces of machinery, and the tall grass growing wild around the junk automobiles.

Saint scanned the building, finally seeing the plywood he was looking for pressed against the wall of the building. It was held in place by a broken board jammed into the ground and wedged against the plywood. He bent low and sprinted to the board. It was an easy matter to angle the end of the board away from the plywood, which then fell quietly to the ground at his feet.

Saint dropped to the ground and crawled through the small hole to find Lena nodding to him in silence, but her eyes screaming at him desperately! She held her hands up for Saint to see. He immediately began unwrapping the duct tape binding her wrists together. Once her hands were free, the two friends turned their attention to the tape binding Lena’s ankles. A sudden burst of nearby gunfire frightened the kids badly. They redoubled their efforts to remove the duct tape.

Steve had sent Chip, Charlie and Jason around to cover the rear of the building while he and Sybil remained in front, concealed behind an old Jeep. Charlie had taken a position next to a derelict John Deere tractor, which appeared to be sinking into the earth. He had a line of sight to Steve and Sybil. Jason took cover behind an old shed. Chip had worked his way around to the back of the building and dropped down, shielded from sight by a tree.

A man suddenly charged out of the rambling old building, looking intently in Charlie’s direction and firing an automatic rifle as he ran. Bullets bounced off the old tractor Charlie was using for cover. Chip brought his rifle around just as a second man appeared, also carrying an automatic weapon. Chip squeezed off two rounds, and the second man fell over backwards. He was lining his rifle up on the man shooting toward Charlie, when he heard Jason’s rifle bark. Chip watched as the first man pitched forward into some old farm machinery and became motionless.

As soon as Steve heard the gunfire, he stood and began racing for the front door of the building. While not caught totally by surprise, Sybil was unable to keep up with him, but she did her best. Steve was within 50 feet of the open door, when two heavily armed men came running out to meet him. Steve never hesitated as he brought up his handguns and began firing.

Sybil saw both men drop. She then noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. A man was steadying a rifle over the back of an old pickup as he took aim at Steve! Sybil growled deep in her throat as she brought her handgun to bear on the man and began firing. The man jerked each time a bullet struck him as Sybil emptied her weapon.

Steve turned to see the man slide to the ground and nodded to Sybil, just as an explosion rocked the inside of the building. Dust and smoke billowed through the open door. Both Steve and Sybil instinctively dropped to the ground.

As they cautiously regained their feet, a man’s heavily accented voice came from inside the building. “I give up! I am unarmed! I am coming out!”

Steve held a gun on the man, his empty hands raised, as he appeared through the smoke and haze. Sybil took that moment to slide a fresh magazine into her weapon.

“Where’s the girl?” demanded Steve angrily as he strode up to the strangely behaving man.

“You must know what happens when you don’t pay the ransom,” replied the man as he wiped some blood from a gash on his head. “I blew up the room she was in. You’ll be lucky to find any pieces of the little bitch!”

Without hesitation, Steve pointed his gun at the man’s head and fired. By this time, Sybil was next to Steve and saw him jerk at the man’s words. She anticipated what would come next. She quickly swept her arm up and pushed Steve’s gun to the side, just enough to prevent the bullet from striking the man.

“Don’t kill him, Steve! You don’t need the trouble it would cause. We have to look for Lena!” urged Sybil as she watched Steve wage an internal battle. She had no hope of preventing Steve from killing the man if he decided to do so. Steve suddenly brought his handgun around and cracked the man on the head, knocking him over backwards. The man remained motionless as Charlie, Chip, and Jason hurried up to them.

“Jesus! That guy’s lucky Sybil was here,” remarked Chip. “What did he say to piss you off so badly?”

“He told Steve that he just blew up Lena!” answered Sybil. “We need to watch for more kidnappers while we search for her. She may not be dead, but there’s no time to waste!”

Steve simply nodded as he stepped over the unconscious man and entered the smoky building. He quickly indentified the area when the blast had occurred. Thirty feet of the wall was missing, as well as the entire roof.

Almost blinded by tears, he began lifting debris in search of Lena. Soon Jason, Chip and Charlie were assisting him in his search as Sybil stood nearby, on the lookout for any remaining kidnappers.

“Steve! Look over by that junk car!”

Steve glanced at Sybil to see what had her so excited. His eyes followed her pointed finger, and he immediately saw some platinum hair. He jumped over a piece of masonry wall still standing and sprinted towards the blonde girl. Fear for her survival created a knot in Steve’s stomach.

Dreading what he would find, he couldn’t get to the girl fast enough. Stunned, Steve found Lena collapsed on top of Saint! It had been her hair draped across his shoulder they had seen from the ruins of the building.

Steve quickly found both kids had strong pulses. There were chunks of debris from the building scattered all around them, and a few smaller pieces lying on top of them. Lena had a glazed look, while Saint’s eyes were closed and blood covered his head.

“I’ll get the car and we’ll get these kids to the hospital!” offered Jason as he took off running.

Sybil studied her surroundings carefully as she pulled her phone from her pocket. “Gwen, we have her, we’re at the old Wilson junkyard; there was gunfire and an explosion. I can’t tell how badly Lena was hurt, or even if she was hurt at all. She seems dazed, at the very least.

“Gwen, I’m sorry, but Saint’s been hurt as well. He’s unconscious and bleeding from his scalp. I don’t know what other injuries he may have. We’re going to load them up and run for the hospital. It would take an ambulance some time to get way out here and frankly, I don’t think Steve would wait for it.”

Gwen felt her heart turn to ice at Sybil’s words. Saint was hurt and unconscious! She managed to hold it together as she responded to Sybil.

“Thanks, Sybil. We’ll send the police to the junkyard and head for the hospital right now. Take care of them, please!”

Everyone began firing questions at Gwen as she disconnected the phone. “Was someone hurt? Did they rescue Lena? What happened, Gwen?” demanded Lisa.

“Sybil never mentioned if the men were hurt,” replied Gwen as she faced her family. “They have Lena, but Sybil said she’s dazed, and she didn’t know if she’d been badly hurt. Saint is bleeding from his head and is unconscious! I need to get to the hospital!”

“I don’t know why Steve took Saint!” exclaimed an overwrought Paula. “I knew it was a mistake!”

Gwen stopped so suddenly the others stumbled into her. “Mother, If I ever hear you blame Steve for Saint getting hurt, I’ll make certain you never see my kids again. I don’t expect you to fully understand the importance of both Saint and Lena growing up and prospering, but know this!

“I believe Saint and Lena are the future of mankind. He’ll be in constant danger as he grows up and will likely be badly hurt a few times, much like Steve has been. There’s a price to be paid to become a Warrior. And there’s no one better equipped to teach Saint what he needs to learn in the next ten or twelve years than Steve! You’ll either respect Steve’s and my decisions regarding Saint, or even though it will break my heart, I’ll have to insist you remove yourself from our family!”

Stunned silence fell over the room. Gwen had never spoken to a family member so sharply, and especially not her mother!

“I apologize, Gwen. I was wrong,” sobbed Paula. “I don’t understand, but I know I need to trust you and Steve. Will you forgive me?”

“Ride with me to the hospital, Mom. I love you! You’re already forgiven. We have to get moving. Hanna and Adam will ride with us. We need to leave right now.”

As Jason came racing back with the SUV, Steve carefully cradled Saint in his arms and stood. “Charlie, would you bring Lena? Sybil, please drive us to the hospital. Chip, would you and Jason keep an eye on everything, watch for any more trouble and explain everything to the police when they arrive?

Sybil concentrated on driving as fast as she safely could. She was aware many people became involved in accidents while rushing to the hospital and was determined not to cause any further harm to her precious cargo.

She pulled up near the unloading dock for the emergency room and simply slammed the car into park. Someone else could move it if necessary. She had more pressing issues to worry about.

Steve and Charlie had stepped out of the car as soon as it came to a stop and gently carried the kids toward the ER, only to be confronted by a young police officer. He was new to the job, but two heavily armed and bloody men were exactly what he was tasked to protect against.

“Stop!” demanded the officer as he pulled his gun. “You can’t come in here carrying weapons. I need you to disarm immediately!”

Sybil rushed past Steve and shoved her ID into the man’s face. “Stand down, officer! These men are Federal Agents in the service of President Hammer!”

By this time, some of the hospital staff had responded to the ruckus outside, recognized Steve and Charlie and pushed two gurneys right past the young officer, ignoring his lack of comprehension.