Chapter 44

The black armored van drove up onto the lawn, blocking any other gunfire towards the two brothers and Special Agent Downs. Its sliding door opened. Two men jumped out and pulled the three into the van.

Outside, the sniper's car had been seen trying to get away. It didn't even make it to the end of the block before it was stopped. Two others were seen running from the area and a chase was on foot to grab them.

"Hell!" Antonio said as he ripped open his shirt, revealing an armored vest. "This thing probably saved my life."

One of the agents was applying a compress on Special Agent Downs arm.

"Damn this makes me mad," Downs said.

"Mad? That's it?" Antonio said.

"There was high possibility something would happen. That damned explosion caught my attention, just like it was designed to do. Yeah, I'm mad! They thought that out pretty well and the car, I wonder how long it's been sitting there. 'Course what they didn't know was that we were prepared." Downs turned his head and called up to the driver, "Did we get them?"

"Five of them are in custody now. Looks like two of them were the ones we IDed in the car, yesterday. They have a hell of a lot of explaining to do."

"So we were set up?" Antonio said.

Before Downs could respond, Antonio's brother did.

"We got to the house, I bet if we hadn't, there wouldn't be a house left. Think about it, those people are now out of the picture. Yeah, we were out there. We got shot at. Agent Downs set us up with the jackets and he's the one who took one. My guess is that this worked to our advantage."

The van jerked to a stop.

"Where are we?" Downs asked.

"The hospital. You need that arm looked at before we get you out of here."

The door was opened. A gurney was waiting. Downs pushed off any help and took a step out of the van, before he sagged. The attendants took hold of him and quickly got him on the gurney. Then wheeled him into the emergency entrance.

Jessica had never been in a plane before. The sound of the props was loud. Much louder than she'd ever heard in any movie she'd seen. Take off had been a mixture of feelings; scared half out of her mind as the plane ran down the runway, queasiness, as the plane left the ground, fascination, as she saw everything from a bird's eye view.

She looked up and down the aisle. She hadn't had much time to do anything but get her seat belt on, before the plane rolled onto the runway and took off.

Beside her were Agent Barnes' feet. The seats had been taken out and she was lying on something that looked like the gurneys they used at the hospital. Agent Ling was right behind Jessica, and then someone that looked like a nurse was in the seats next to Agent Barnes head. At least Jessica thought the person must be a nurse, it looked like that's what they were doing, although they weren't dressed as her mom was when she worked. Just in front of her, her mother was on one side, and her father was on the other. Jeanie and her husband were in the row ahead of that. Two older women, followed by two younger girls were in the next two rows.

'Fiona's mother, Aunt, and her sisters, ' Jessica thought.

Fiona sat in a row all by herself, and then two older boys were in the front of the plane. The pilot and co-pilot were in their respective seats.

Fiona caught Jessica's eye as she scanned the plane. Jessica gave a little wave and mouthed 'Hi, ' knowing over the noise her voice wouldn't be heard.

As Fiona waved back, Fiona's mother looked back to see Jessica. She turned to Fiona and rattled off something in Italian that Jessica heard, but couldn't understand.

Jessica knew it wasn't good, from the expression on her friend's face.

Jeanie heard and understood enough though, as she was just a seat back.

"Don't talk to your daughter like that," Jeanie said.

"I will say what I wish to my daughter and you can stay out of my business," came a cold reply.

"I will not. Fiona doesn't deserve a mother who is a total..."

Jeanie didn't get the last words out as her hands flew up to prevent a blow.

Jessica saw the blur of Agent Ling run up the isle way. The agent took hold of both ladies' hands and held onto them, then pushed them into their own areas.

"Now hear this," her voice boomed out of her small frame. "You will not talk. You will not touch. You will not even whisper. Now you two," Agent Ling said, pointing at Fiona's mother and Aunt. "Change places with Fiona."

"I will not!"

Agent Ling's hand was faster than a cobra as it made contact with the woman's throat. Her other hand deftly reached down and undid the woman's seat belt. Then she lifted the woman up and walked her into the seat across from Fiona.

Other than the planes noise, not a sound was heard. Everyone on board was shocked.

"Fiona! Move!"

Fiona quickly took her mother's vacated seat.

Agent Ling then turned to Fiona's Aunt. The woman was trembling as she was pulling at her seat belt. She got it undone and quickly moved to the seat across from her sister in law.

"We will be landing in about an hour. I am going back to sit with Agent Barnes. I would rather be there, making sure she is comfortable. If I have to come and sit between you I will. Let me tell you this, if I am forced to do that, I will not be pleased. Do ... I ... make ... my ... self... clear?"