Chapter 80

I was rudely awakened at the crack of dawn by the phone ringing. Since there was a phone in almost every room, this made a helluva racket as you can imagine. Kat elbowed me and told me to get up and answer it. I laughed as I got out of bed and grabbed the one on the dresser.

"Hello?"

"Jon, this is Sid. I have some bad news!"

I came awake immediately, and asked him what was going on.

"One of the hit teams broke into the hospital where we had Verna and broke her out. There were six nurses as well as several other staff and a doctor killed. We have reason to think she might try to get to your guest and her son. Jon, I am on my way with several of the Secret Service armored vans as well as escorts. We are about fifteen out and will stay with you until you board your flight."

"Ok, Sid, I'll alert the gate and wake everyone up. Sid, be careful. I know Verna's crazy, and I don't know anything about these teams they are using."

"We do, and so does the French Government. Jon, they are already moving two ships to guard your home as well as extra men to make sure they don't set foot on the island. We are more worried about the trip from your house to Washington. We are just about there, so I will talk to you in a few minutes."

He hung up, so I hit the intercom for the cottage, and alerted them to what was going on. I told them to get dressed, grab their luggage and come to the house. Kat was already going out the door to wake Sally, so I called Maggie. I told her that her trip out here would have to wait and that I would leave the papers for Tiny in the nursery. She wanted to gab, but I had to cut her off because I could hear Sally in the shower and Kat was headed in that direction herself. I, as usual, spent five minutes puking my guts out before I could do the same. I got dressed, noticing that Kat had already taken her one bag and gone downstairs. I came out of the room in time to help Sally with the huge suitcase she was dragging. She took my small one, giving me a grin as she did. She headed down the steps, hollering over her shoulder for me to hurry up if I wanted coffee. I stuck my tongue out at her and got a laugh.

When I got to the bottom of the steps, all the luggage was already sitting there waiting to be loaded. I added Sally's suitcase to the rest and went to the kitchen. Everyone was sitting around the table looking wide awake and cheerful. I noticed Jubal and Farley had already helped themselves to the AKs which were sitting next to their chairs. Then it hit me what Sid had said on the phone.

"Kat, get the rest and some food and drink then go to the wine cellar, right now!"

She and Michelle looked at me for a second, and they all started grabbing bread and other stuff putting them in plastic bags. While they were doing that, I told Jubal to watch the front and Farley to rove around, keeping an eye on the rear of the house. In my haste, I almost punched the button on the intercom through its plate. I alerted the guard and had him hit the button for backup, as well as to vacate the guard house immediately. I took the women to the cellar and opened the door, telling them to stay there until one of us came for them and to not get drunk. I got a snort from Kat and a smile from Michelle and Sally. Timmy pulled on my pant leg and when I bent down he whispered in my ear.

"Don't worry, Gampa, I'll make sure they are safe. You just take care of Jubal and Farley and my doggies."

"I'll make sure they are ok, Timmy. You keep a special eye on Kat, because she might try to sneak out while you're not looking."

I got a smile and a sloppy kiss on the cheek and a hug from Michelle and Sally. Kat paused for a minute, giving me a kiss before speaking.

"Jon, you make sure you watch yourself. I know I can't talk you out of this, but remember I love you and our babies need their father. Don't do anything stupid, my love."

I kissed her back and closed the shelf door when she got to the bottom. I went back to the cupboard above the stove, and grabbed an AK and several magazines. I stuffed them in any empty pocket I could find before heading to the front of the house. Jubal was watching the front door and thus the gate. He asked what was going on, and I explained Sid's comment to me, telling him that Sid already knew we never used the Washington Airport because of me being armed so heavily all the time. I explained that I thought he was under duress and was warning me the only way he could.

"Jubal, you can rove with Farley or stay here, whatever you two feel comfortable doing. I am going to the office where I can watch the cameras as well as have access to my gun safe. I have silenced pistols I can give you and Farley if you want them. I suggest you grab a bunch of the magazines and give Farley some more of them. I don't know how long this is going to last, so we better be prepared for anything."

"You got it, Jon. I think we can do more damage roving than fighting from a dwelling. I will bring Farley to the office and pick up the pistols as well as the little radios and earphones so we can keep in touch. You can be the point man and let us know which way they are coming in. You watch yourself, Jon. These people are good from what I heard, and you have been out of this type of fighting for a while. Don't ask them to give up, just shoot because they will do the same to you."

He took off towards the kitchen and I started out the door. I had a sudden hunch and went to the kitchen. I wrote the note, putting it in the center of the table, telling Jubal to leave the door open and I would do the same at the front. I went back out, ran to the office and opened the gun safe. I dug out three of the pistols as well as ten mags for them. I kept three for myself, putting on my shoulder holsters with the matched forties. When Farley and Jubal came in, grabbing their pistols and silencers. I was getting the cameras up and running. I trained the two on the front gate and the rest on the back of the property where they had come in before. I saw two of the dogs, and then remembered the third one was still at the vet's. I looked for the guard and his dog, but he must have already left because the company car was gone also. I watched the cameras as Farley and Jubal split up. Each was accompanied by one of the dogs, and they were snarling as they looked around. I figured them seeing the guns immediately put them on alert. I dug in the gun safe and got out one of the noise suppressors for the AK and screwed it on the end of the barrel. The one I had was the only one I had been able to get my hands on, and I wished I could have gotten some more. They didn't kill all the sound, but muffled it enough to confuse the enemy if you were shooting from an enclosed position. I wasn't planning on using full auto if I could help it, but spotting and shooting targets of opportunity.

I was checking out the cameras at the rear, when motion at the gate caught my eye. The first of three of the armored Suburbans that the Secret Service used to transport VIPs pulled up to the gate and honked its horn. I let Farley and Jubal know, and then watched as the driver got out and looked in the guard shack. The surprise on his face was clear to be seen when he realized it was empty. I watched as he turned toward the other two vehicles and shrugged his shoulders at them. He reached into his vehicle and came out with what looked like a pump shotgun and hit the window with the butt of it. I almost laughed out loud when it bounced off and hit his stomach. He tried it again with no success and then the others started piling out. I counted and there were eight of them in three vehicles. Verna was with them, holding a pistol on Sid as he climbed out of the last car. I could tell she was shouting, but couldn't make out what she was saying. She motioned toward the first driver and he climbed back into his car and tried to push the gate open. I knew that wasn't going to work because when the guard left, he knew to push the button to have the steel bars slide into the ground at either side, just for this reason. The only way they could get in was to climb over. They would be open targets when they did that, and I knew all the 47s had been shot in at fifty yards, just for this type of shooting. I cautioned Farley and Jubal to wait until I gave the word before we opened up on them. I gave a quick glance at the rear cameras and it was clear, so I turned my attention towards the front again.

"Farley, what are your and Jubal's locations?"

"I'm at the corner of the house on the cottage side, and Jubal's in the tree line above me. We both have a clear line of fire, Jon."