Vendetta: Prequel Novella (The Xander King Series)

by Bradley Wright

  Contents

  Team X

  Title Page

  Xander King Series

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Quote

  Vendetta

  So Much for Christmas Dinner

  Covering All the Angles

  Allison Freeman's Only Chance

  Party Crashers

  You Can't Save the Entire World

  Only One Way to Find Out

  Amateur Hour

  Amateur Hour

  Time to Make a Move

  Something Isn't Adding Up

  Clarity in the Chaos

  You Break It, You Buy It

  Closing In

  On the Run

  Help is On the Way

  Not So Merry Christmas

  Xander Claus

  Team X

  Letter From the Author

  About the Author

  VENDETTA

  THE XANDER KING SERIES

  Prequel Novella

  by

  BRADLEY WRIGHT

  The Xander King Series

  by Bradley Wright

  WHISKEY & ROSES

  VANQUISH

  VENDETTA

  Copyright © 2017 by Bradley Wright

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means,

  without prior written permission.

  Bradley Wright/King’s Ransom Books

  www.bradleywrightauthor.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination.

  Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead,

  or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Vendetta/ Bradley Wright. -- 1st ed.

  For all the Xander King fans out there, old and new.

  Thank you for reading.

  “You mess with the bull, you get the horns.”

  -T.W. Wright

  VENDETTA

  So Much for Christmas Dinner

  The snow had begun to fall over Lexington, Kentucky. Little white crystals floating down like feathers from the night sky coming together to form a fluffy, semifrozen carpet over mile after mile of gently rolling hills. As Xander King walked back from the stables situated just a half mile from his mansion on his thousand-acre horse farm, smoke billowed into the night from the chimney that protruded from the roof over his living room. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. The thought of his niece, Kaley, drinking hot chocolate by the fire. Seeing her face glowing with the color of the lights from the twelve-foot Christmas tree had given him a warm feeling, even though he now walked back to the mansion in the cold, shivering from the snow.

  His sister, Helen, was in the kitchen preparing dinner. A dinner like his mother used to make before she and Xander’s father were murdered more than a decade ago. He pushed that thought aside and instead focused on how happy it made him to have his family and friends with him on Christmas Eve. His best friend, Kyle, was probably inside texting some woman he just met, probably trying to convince her to spend this holiday evening with him. Sam, Xander’s partner, and probably the only other person in the world who really knew him, was probably looking over Kyle’s shoulder, rolling her eyes as he tried to convince this random woman to abandon her family for a night of “passion” with him. Sam and Kyle had a very love/hate relationship, with most of the dislike coming from Sam’s end. They fought like brother and sister. And that is how Xander thought of the two of them. They were that close. Sam was an unlikely addition to Xander’s odd little family. The way they had met, it was a miracle they didn’t hate each other—her being with MI6 in London and Xander, a US Special Ops legend. They had crossed paths in a murderous way, but somehow the fact that they shared similar backgrounds helped meld them together. Their relationship only grew closer as they both grew dissatisfied with their own governments’ ways. That’s why, when Xander left the US military, Sam quickly followed his lead. They have been an unstoppable team ever since, ridding the world of humans that most wouldn’t even call people. Sam was incredible at putting together these vigilante missions, and Xander was maybe the greatest human weapon on the planet. Ever since the day that Xander saved Sam’s life all those years ago, his goal had become hers. That is, to find the monster who murdered Xander’s parents and hold them accountable for what they had done. Xander had been obsessed with this since the day they were taken from him, and Sam had taken it upon herself to find them, as if it were her very own parents who had been killed.

  Xander blew hot air into his hands. Kaley wanted to go out to the stables with him, but Helen wouldn’t let her. She didn’t want Kaley catching cold on Christmas. Xander couldn’t blame her. Being sick on Christmas was the worst. Xander didn’t want to leave the game of Chutes and Ladders he was playing with her, but he wanted to make sure that his high-dollar Thoroughbred racehorses were doing okay in the cold. Especially King’s Ransom, his two-year-old colt. The horse was amongst the fastest that anyone had ever seen, and he was generating quite a bit of buzz for the upcoming Kentucky Derby. Some said he was already a lock to win it. Everything was fine in the stables, and the couple of extra apples he handed out to the horses were well received. It was Christmas after all.

  When Xander opened the door to his mansion, the heat welcomed him, and Kaley ran up and jumped into his arms. Her blonde hair twirled about as she giggled and begged him to continue their game. Sam and Kyle were arguing whether or not Irish coffee actually originated in Ireland, and the scent of a baking turkey mixed with Christmas tree pine needles flooded his senses. God, he loved Christmas. For as long as he could remember, his family had always made a major deal of it. As he gave his niece a squeeze, his heart was full.

  Kyle turned toward Xander. “X, finally. Will you tell her that Irish coffee isn’t actually an Irish thing?” Kyle had on one of those tacky Christmas sweaters, red with little white reindeer dancing across the front. It was too small on his muscular frame, which made it all the more hilarious.

  “Kyle, Sam is British. You know, pretty much next door neighbors with Ireland. I think she would have a better idea of what originated there than you and I would.”

  “Gee, thanks for having my back.” Kyle pulled out his phone. “I don’t know why we are even arguing over this, Sam. Google knows everything.”

  “We aren’t arguing. You are.” Her accent seemed thicker than normal. Maybe she felt it lent expertise to her argument. She looked different tonight. It was rare that Sam let her hair down—literally and figuratively—but tonight her long dark hair fell below her shoulders and she actually looked like a normal woman, instead of the badass bitch she usually was by day.

  Xander laughed. “Would the two of you give it a rest for just one night? It’s Christmas, we do enough fighting throughout the year. Let’s take just one break.”

  “Look, Uncle Xander, your favorite Christmas movie is on!” Kaley shouted with glee from in front of the television.

  Sam asked, “And why is this, over all the classic Christmas films, your favorite?”

  Kyle jumped at the chance to rib Xander a little.

  “I can answer that one. It’s because Natalie Rockwell is in this movie.” When Kyle said Natalie’s name, he gave it a little sing-songy, kissy-kissy tone. Kyle, ever the grown-up.

  Xander wanted to refute Kyle’s statement, but he couldn’t. It was true. There was just something about that actress he had always loved. Maybe because she
was simply the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen.

  Kaley laughed and danced in front of the movie, a little sing-song in her taunt as well. “Uncle Xander’s got a cruh-ush, Uncle Xander’s got a cruh-ush!”

  “Do not,” Xander replied. Mister Mature.

  “Dinner’s ready!” Helen shouted from the kitchen. Kyle bolted over the couch like an Olympic hurdler. Sam just rolled her eyes at him. Kaley already had a mouthful of candy cane, so she could care less about dinner. And just as Xander felt his stomach rumble, his cell phone began to ring.

  “Xander,” Helen shouted from the kitchen, “don’t you dare answer that!”

  Xander smiled; she sounded like his mother. Xander took the phone from his pocket and was surprised to see Allison’s name on his caller ID. Allison Freeman was the district attorney in Lexington, well known for being very good at putting away the bad guys. Xander knew her for a different reason entirely, and that is why he was surprised to see her calling. It had been a couple of months since he had seen her, and the last time he saw her she wasn’t wearing any clothes.

  With that magnificent image in his head, he answered the phone.

  “Looking for an early Christmas present?” Xander played.

  “Oh yes, my Christmas won’t be complete until I unwrap Xander King.” Allison played back. Her voice, though sarcastic, remained sultry.

  “What can I do for you, prosecutor? Scare your star witness into testifying?”

  “Do you have a minute?” Allison’s tone had changed from playful to serious.

  “I don’t like the sound of that. Everything okay,” he asked, concerned.

  “Have you seen the news today?”

  “No, it’s Christmas Eve and my niece is in town. Home Alone has been on repeat since seven-thirty this morning.”

  Xander tried to lighten the mood, but Allison skipped right over his words.

  “Do you remember Charles Bowker?”

  “How could I forget?” Xander motioned to his sister that he was sorry and that it would just be a minute, then walked back into the living room. “The guy murdered two families before they caught him. You got him convicted just a couple of months ago, right?”

  “Yep, that’s the guy.”

  “What happened? Did someone do us all a favor and take him out at the state penitentiary?”

  “He escaped the state penitentiary,” Allison said bluntly. “Killed two guards inside, then three of his armed men waiting for him outside gunned down five more before they drove away.”

  Xander took that in.

  “Xander?”

  “Jesus, that’s crazy. But—and I don’t mean to sound insensitive—what does that have to do with me?”

  “Well, directly? Nothing—”

  “You worried he’s going to come after you?” Xander jumped in.

  There was a silence on Allison’s end. Xander had hit on something.

  “Well, maybe, but I’m more worried about the people of Lexington, to be honest.”

  “The people of Lexington? I don’t get it.”

  “A half an hour ago, three people were shot dead at a gas station convenient store just outside of Richmond. Sheriff Thompson called me after he watched the surveillance tapes. I haven’t seen them, but if what he says is true, something big is going down.”

  “Okay…”

  “Do you remember Tony Brancati?” Allison asked him.

  “Xander!” Helen called from the kitchen.

  “Hang on, Allison.” Xander covered the phone and shouted back to Helen, “On my way!” Then back to Allison, he said, “Look, my sister prepared a huge Christmas dinner. I really have to go. I remember Brancati, mafia guy that came down from New York and started fixing horse races at Keeneland, so what? Sheriff Thompson can handle these goons. If you’re afraid Charles Bowker has it out for you, come over here for dinner. I’ll keep you safe. And if you’re sweet to me, I’ll even keep you warm. Otherwise, I really don’t see how this concerns me. I’m not the law around here.”

  “That’s sweet, Xander, you’re a real charmer. And I get it, I know you’re not the law, and I know that Sheriff Thompson isn’t exactly your favorite person, but I think this is way out of his league.”

  “Why? Just because a couple of sickos brought a few automatic rifles?”

  “No, Xander, they brought a small army. I don’t know what they are planning, but Jerry said there were three Humvees that met Bowker at the gas station in Richmond. Each one of them full of armed men. He said when they left the gas station, they were headed in this direction. Doesn’t that worry you at all?”

  “I don’t understand something. Why would the sheriff call you and tell you all of this?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Can you help?”

  “Doesn’t matter? Wait, are you seeing him?”

  Silence.

  “Allison?”

  “Yes, Xander. Okay? Jerry and I are seeing each other. All right? Happy?”

  “You and Jerry Thompson? Ali . . . Did I leave you that scarred? The guy’s a joke.”

  “Oh, get over yourself, Xander. And really, the two of you need to get over each other. So what, you didn’t get along in the Navy SEALs. Ooh, you were rivals . . . Who really gives a damn?”

  “We were not rivals. To have a rival, you have to compete against someone as good as you. Jerry Thompson only made it to the SEAL’s training program because of his father. Everyone knew that. Because we were both from Lexington, he didn’t like it that I made it on my own merit.”

  “Ugh. You two are ridiculous . . . Seriously though, I’m really worried about him. I’ve heard through the grapevine about some of the missions you went on when you were a SEAL. Jerry would kill me if he knew I was talking to you about this, but can you help? I know you are having Christmas, but . . .”

  Allison went quiet. Xander heard some shuffling on her end of the phone. Then some heavy breaths.

  “Allison?” Xander tried to get her attention.

  “Hold on, Xander.”

  Xander held on. As he did so, he walked over to the television and flipped over to the news. A field reporter was set up in front of a gas station. Xander assumed it was the gas station outside of Richmond that Allison said got knocked over. He couldn’t hear the reporter, but behind her there were police cars and ambulances. A pit formed in Xander’s stomach. The kind of pit that forms when your subconscious makes a decision while your conscious is busy thinking of something else. Xander let out a deep breath. He knew he would help and was already thoroughly enjoying the thought of ruining the bad guys’ day, but he also would be lying to himself if he said it wouldn’t be sweet to save the day and steal the spotlight from Jerry Thompson. The guy had been smearing Xander’s name ever since he flunked out of BUD/S in San Diego. Allison had called them rivals, they weren’t, but Xander hadn’t forgotten the last time they saw each other. Just before Jerry was sent home.

  “Xander? Are you there?” Allison came back on the line. Her voice was near panic now.

  “Yeah, you okay?”

  “Someone is outside. Xander, I’m scared.”

  “All right. Deep breath. I’m sure it’s nothing. Can you take a look outside and tell me what you see?”

  Allison didn’t answer, but he could hear her breathing hard into the phone.

  After a short pause, she spoke back into the phone, her voice full of fear. “Xander, there’s a Humvee in the driveway. I think he’s—”

  The line went dead.

  So much for Christmas dinner.

  His sister was not going to be happy about this.

  Covering All the Angles

  The black Cadillac Escalade slid sideways onto Man O’ War Boulevard. Kyle stepped on the gas pedal and the SUV leapt forward, heading toward Nicholasville Road and Allison’s home. Sam and Xander were in the backseat. Sam was busy gathering as much intel on Charles Bowker and Tony Brancati as she could, and Xander found Sheriff Jerry Thompson’s contact in his phone and dialed the number. H
e did not want to talk to Jerry, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t going to go over well that Allison was on the phone with Xander when she was taken.

  “Hello?” Jerry answered his cell phone.

  “Jerry, this is Xander. Ali—”

  Jerry didn’t let Xander finish. “Xander? Xander King? How the hell did you get this number?”

  “We don’t have time for this, just listen to me—”

  Jerry interrupted again. “That’s exactly right. Whatever this is, I don’t have time for it. I have a city to protect.”

  Xander dropped his hand that was holding his phone down to his lap, rolled his eyes, and took a deep breath. Sam motioned for him to suck it up.

  He brought the phone back up to his ear. “A city to protect? What is this, Jerry, a shit episode of some TV cops and robbers show? Who says things like that?”

  Sam gave him another look. Xander got to the point.

  “Listen, Jerry, Allison is in trouble. I’m headed to her house right now. Meet me there ASAP and I’ll fill you in.

  “How the hell would you know if Allison is in trouble? She’s fine. I spoke with her about fifteen minutes ago, so mind your own damn business and leave the detective work to me.”

  “Okay. Or I’ll just meet you at her house. I was on the phone with her ten minutes ago, when she called me to come bail your sorry ass out of trouble from a couple of hackneyed thugs. I would have told her to let you flub all of this shit up yourself, but then she saw a Humvee in her driveway, just before the line went dead. So, see you in ten minutes at Allison’s house.”

  Xander clicked off the phone. Sixty seconds on the phone with that prick was time enough.

  “Making more friends I see, Xander. Good on you,” Sam jabbed at him sarcastically.

  Xander skipped over the comment. “What do we know about Bowker and Brancati?”