Chapter 28

Three days passed, and not a word about young Lanchea. Allen walked around the mansion feeling caged. Three wouldn't let him even go to the bathroom without him. The day became afternoon, and he came up with a plan to get out of the house. Later that afternoon, he went to his bedroom and pulled out a baseball bat he had never used. He hid behind the door and yelled for Three. Three came running into the room. Allen put all of his strength into swinging the bat at Three's head. The first or second hit didn't take Three off his feet—but the multiple hits after that did. Allen kept swinging until there was blood and brains all over his bedroom. He stopped hitting Three, and giggled like a little girl. He thought, "Daddy is going to be awfully pissed," and that made him cackle. He ran to his closet and changed clothes. Still giggling and cackling, he climbed down a drainpipe. He made his way across the grounds, playing hide-and-go-seek with himself. He made it to the wall. Rather than climb over it, Allen followed it north until the wall became a fence. He followed the fence until he found a place to crawl under it. Allen almost escaped without being seen. A car nearly ran over him when he crawled under the fence. If the driver had not honked his horn, Allen Lanchea would have made his escape unseen. The recon team watching the mansion heard the horn. When they saw it was Allen, they immediately contacted Paul.

Paul called Nick and said, "It is time to go. He is by himself."

Nick asked, "Can you have that team follow him?"

"I am always one step ahead of you. I told them to keep you posted and gave them your number."

"Okay, I will alert everyone. Maybe, I will retire after this one."

"That is not likely. Besides, I would miss you."

Nick laughed, "I'll bet. Knowing you, you would have a party."

Paul laughed, "Be careful, and take care of my baby."

Nick replied, "Will co," and hung up the phone.

He called and alerted Father, Brother, Christina, and John. John walked out of his office. He handed a couple of pages to his secretary.

John said, "Get this out to the teams now."

John walked back into his office and watched his security screen. About the time John sat down, his secretary got on her cell phone. John hit tape and turned up the volume.

The secretary said, "Max you need to get out of there. They are going to attack the mansion in an hour. No, with everyone they have. The police department too. I told you, he was working for the President. I cannot meet you there. They have the whole city blocked off. No, Just Lanchea and his laboratory. Okay, I will meet you there in two hours. I love you."

The secretary hung up the phone. John called the two men waiting down the hall. The two men walked down the hallway.

The first man spoke, "Vicky Webb you need to come with us."

The secretary stood up and reached in her purse for her phone. The second man ripped the purse out of her hands.

The secretary screamed, "Give me back my purse!"

The first man said, "Sorry ma'am you are under arrest for aiding a known terrorist."

The secretary said, "I want my phone call now."

The first man said, "Sorry ma'am we are not allowed to give you a phone call. You signed a confidentiality contract with the organization. Your rights were suspended the minute you phoned the known terrorist, Max Newton."

The second man handed the first one her purse. He grabbed the secretary by the arm and pulled her from behind the desk. The secretary struggled, trying to kick him. John came out of his office. Vicky stopped struggling, looked at him and then looked at the floor.

John said, "I hope they hold you accountable for the death of Melissa Newton," and he walked away from her down the hall.

Max grabbed his kids and packed them in his pickup truck. Devlin saw him and ran outside.

Devlin, worried, said, "Where are you going?"

Max said, "I'm going over to William's house. The girls wanted to go play with his kids."

Devlin, now put at ease, said, "Okay, I thought maybe you were running out on me like One did."

Max said, "I know where my paycheck is coming from."

Devlin said, "Sorry, I will see you later tonight."

Max, half in a smirk, said, "Yeah sure, see you tonight."

Max got in the truck and drove away from the house. Devlin went back in the house. One of the Mongols met him at the door. The Mongol motioned him to follow. Devlin followed him upstairs to his son's bedroom. The Mongol pushed the door open. Devlin saw blood everywhere and Three's body on the floor.

Devlin started screaming, "Where is my son?"

The Mongol just shrugged his shoulders. Devlin ran out of the room and down the stairs screaming for Spider. Spike wandered into the foyer.

Devlin yelled, "Where is Spider?" Spike motioned toward the laboratory. Devlin ran out of the house to the Laboratory. Spider came out of the laboratory.

Devlin said, "I need you to go find my son."

Spider laughed, "I am not a babysitter Devlin. I kill people for a living."

Devlin said, "I will double your fee."

Spider said, "No, you won't. I am not a babysitter. If you want him dead, I will go kill him for you."

Devlin said, "I want him brought back alive. Can you have Spike go find him?"

Spider said, "Devlin, you aren't understanding me very well. Spike works for me. If you want your son so bad, you go find him." Devlin cussed up a storm. He ran back to the house. He ran to his office and called the front gate.

The guard answered, "Front gate?"

Devlin demanded, "Stop Max Newton from leaving."

The guard replied, "Sorry Mr. Lanchea, Mr. Newton has already left."

Devlin hung up the phone. He plopped down in his chair, overwrought with worry.

Nick moved quickly, getting the team geared up. He made Lilly dress in short shorts and a tight t-shirt. He gave her a book bag with a pistol and a thin foot-long dagger.

Nick said, "Remember how Raven told you to sashay down the street. Even when you hear him behind you, take your time. We don't want to lose him at all. Cal will be across the hall from you. If you have a problem, scream. Carry the bag, don't sling it over your shoulder."

Lilly nodded. Cal put a listening device deep in her ear.

Cal said, "Just talk normally. I want to test this thing."

Lilly said, "What do you want me to say?"

Cal said, "That is perfect. You don't have to scream. Just say help and I will come running."

Lilly nodded. Nick turned his attention to Christina.

"Christina, you're going to be out there by yourself. If you get in trouble, disappear. We won't be able to help you."

Christina said, "Brother has provided me with a couple of shadows."

Cal asked, "Really, anyone we know?"

Christina said, "Wei, he said you promised him some help with his training. The rest of them, I have never seen before."

Cal kind of chuckled, "Those shadows are pretty persistent."

Nick motioned Christina over to a corner of the room away from the others.

Christina said, "Yes Nick?"

Nick said, "Father informs me that William Chow is your uncle. Did he raise you?"

Christina, knowing her secret was out, now replied, "Yes he did."

Nick said, "This whole time we have had him under surveillance, you never said a word."

Christina tried to apologize.

Nick said, "Don't apologize. We all have some hidden secrets. The only one I know who doesn't is Lilly. She is too honest to have secrets."

Christina, relieved, smiled at him.

Nick asked, "Are you going to be able to do this without your heart getting in the way?"

Christina replied, "I think so. I have always loved him. But, he has done some very evil things."

Nick said, "Do your best to capture him. If you can't, let his fate catch up to him."

Christina said, "I didn't think you believed in fate."

Nick said, "I don't, except at our own deaths. The choices we make in life bring us to our fate, which will always be death. It has been God's will since Adam and Eve ate the apple."

Christina said, "Sometimes you sound like a prophet, Nick."

Nick said, "No, I am more like King Solomon. God gave him wisdom. He squandered his gift and I am as bad as or worse than he was. I know what is right and I still do wrong. Someday I will meet my end and it will not be a pretty sight. I know this already."

Christina said, "You make it sound like it is your time."

Nick said, "It might be. We don't know when it is our time to go. That is why I want you to be very careful tonight. Our friends the enemy will be at your back. When they start winning, they might start aiming at you."

Christina said, "Okay, I'll be careful. Any more advice father Nick?"

Nick chuckled, "Don't say that too loudly. I don't want everyone saying it."

Christina smiled.

Nick said, "You be careful. If you get in trouble, go find Father. He will take care of you."

Christina nodded.

Nick said, "Get going, I expect to hear that Max is on his way to your Uncle's any minute."

Christina nodded and grabbed her gear. She hugged Lilly and waved bye to Cal. She disappeared out the door.

Nick said, "Are we ready?"

Cal said, "As ready as we ever will."

Lilly acted nervous.

Nick said, "Calm down, everything will be fine."

Cal laughed, "Yeah, like a bunch of Irish showing up for a wake sober."

The three of them laughed heartily.

Allen made his way down the highway. A taxi, provided by Paul, pulled alongside of him.

The driver yelled at him, "Hey buddy do you need a lift?"

Allen, very happy at his good luck, said, "Yes I do."

Allen hopped in the back of the cab.

The driver asked, "Where to?"

Allen thought a minute. He decided he liked the college girls more.

Allen replied, "Broadway and Union Please."

The driver asked, "Are you in a hurry?"

Allen, knowing Daddy would probably ground him for months, said, "No, take your time. I like to look at the scenery."

The driver replied, "Okay."

The driver got on his radio and called his dispatch. Unfortunately, for Allen, his dispatch was Paul. Paul immediately called Nick.

Nick got off the phone and said, "It is time to go. Broadway and Union just as I suspected."

The three of them did not say another word. They grabbed their gear, jumped in the SUV, and headed downtown. Cal dropped Nick off at the October Building. He pulled down Broadway Street just north of Union Avenue. He put the vehicle in park.

He looked over at Lilly, "Now we just sit here and wait."

Lilly, still really nervous, just nodded her head. Lilly wrung her hands and started shaking all over. Cal slapped her in the arm. Lilly stopped shaking.

Cal said, "I found that, if I repeat over and over in my head what I am supposed to do. I ain't so nervous."

Lilly said, "My hands are sweating really badly."

Cal reached in the back and pulled out a rag from his equipment bag. He handed it to Lilly.

Cal said, "It is time you got your head in the game. Tell me what you are supposed to do?"

Lilly started telling him step by step.

Cal said, "You forgot one important thing."

Lilly said, "No I didn't."

Cal smiled at her, "You are forgetting to smile and act like you don't have a care in the world. The details will work themselves out."

Cal saw the taxi turn the corner.

Cal said, "Time to go to work. Smile, we won't get another chance at this."

Lilly tried to smile.

Cal said, "That is a little better. Oh, he is getting out. Remember to let him make the first move."