Forever Guarded

by Kathleen Brooks

  “This isn’t your normal bomb. What do you know about triggers? I have the chemistry down, but if you all know detonators, then yeah, I could use the help.”

  Aiden and the guys walked over to where she and Dudley were working. “Do you want to hear our plan and then you tell us yours?”

  “Sure,” she said, not looking up as she measured out something from a vial.

  “We were going to surround the house, throw in some flash grenades, and storm in. Kill everyone who isn’t a Davies,” Dylan told her.

  “Well, I think my plan is better. I feel like making a statement. A big one.”

  “I’d say all that magnesium will do the trick. It’s a flashy way to go,” Talon said, looking at what she’d rigged up so far.

  “I didn’t have any C4 at the lab. I guess you all probably have some,” Piper said sheepishly as if thinking about what they did for the first time.

  “Got some right here,” Lucas said, pointing to a duffle bag. “But magnesium is fun too. It adds a real flare to the bomb.”

  “I think blowing up their cars, drawing most of them away from my mom and dad, and then hitting them with this,” she said, holding up a vial.

  “What’s that?” Eddie asked, but Aiden was afraid he already knew.

  “Something very bad. It’s called C1B3. It takes about two minutes for the effect to kick in, and then you won’t need to worry about them anymore,” Piper said smugly. But then her smug smile dropped. “But that doesn’t take care of the people inside. I could drop the virus down the chimney, but that puts a quick timetable on getting to my parents and delivering the antidote. The antidote is safe for a pregnant woman, but I wouldn’t want the baby to be exposed to the virus for more than a moment. Preferably not at all, so that’s why I came up with this plan instead of fumigating the house with a C1B3.”

  “What about the guys outside?” Jackson asked.

  “We release it like a smoke bomb, right off the patio. They should come out to investigate. There’s still cover there so you wouldn’t be able to get a clear shot. But my virus can live for five minutes in the air and they won’t even know it’s there. That five minutes is enough time to infect those sent outside to check out the explosion. More will come out since magnesium burns so brightly. It’s not what they would expect. Then wait five minutes and go in. They’ll be down in numbers for sure,” Piper explained.

  “What if the air drifts inside? Will Mom and Dad get sick?” Dylan asked.

  “They’re in the back of the house, so it’s possible but not likely. They could, but death isn’t immediate. It takes forty-eight hours to actually die and by then we can get them the antidote. If they do get infected, the first symptom is debilitating cramping, followed by vomiting. After your body gets completely dehydrated, the organs begin to shut down. That’s where it gets even more painful. That’s why Mom especially needs to get the shot immediately. I don’t expect it to take fifteen minutes for you to breach the house. I’m hoping more like a minute or two after people start falling down.”

  Aiden and the rest of the guys looked down at the vials and took a step back. “Roll up your sleeves. I’ll give you the antidote now. It’s what we’ve been making. That, and the viral bullets. You’ll be safe from the virus if you are exposed to it.”

  “Isn’t it easier to shoot them?” Talon asked.

  “Well, yes and no. Here’s my thinking,” Piper said, jabbing a needle into Aiden’s arm. “Magnesium explosion, no attack, then a couple minutes later, men start dropping like flies. They’re going to be completely confused and maybe Mom and Dad could escape in the confusion. If they do, then you can go in shooting anything that moves. If they don’t, then the next part is up to you. But also, if Phobos is infected, it’s a very painful death. He’d tell you anything not to die after the virus kicks in.”

  “You were so sweet and kind growing up,” Dylan said, shaking his head before smiling. “But I’ve never felt closer to you than I do now, Sis. I like it.”

  Aiden rolled his sleeve back down and examined the jacket Piper had given him. It was lightweight, which made it so much easier to move in than a bulky vest. He checked the weapons as Eddie got his injection.

  “It feels good to be back in the saddle, doesn’t it?” Eddie asked as the men began to go through all their equipment.

  After everyone had their shot, Lucas helped with the detonator while Jackson and Dylan called neighboring farms to have them go into the café for dinner. “Should you be doing that?” Aiden asked after Jackson hung up.

  “They won’t say anything on the text loop and it’s only two houses that are quite a distance from Uncle Pierce. They’ve staggered their leaving thirty-six minutes apart. They’ll also keep quiet because they’ll want to be the ones to break the gossip when the magnesium lights up the night sky and people start shooting.”

  “We’ll leave here in two hours. I have a friend in the FAA who filed a flight plan and shows the arrival of a private jet along the time frame Piper gave them. They shouldn’t expect us until much later,” Dylan announced.

  Piper nodded and looked at her stuff. “Want me to make another bomb?”

  “You are now my favorite sister. Don’t tell Cassidy,” Dylan joked.

  The two siblings talked as Jackson, Lucas, and Talon sat down with Aiden and Eddie. Soon they were telling war stories as Draven and Dudley talked while sitting in some folding chairs. Draven had been quiet during the planning. He offered to get whatever they needed, but Piper had reassured him she had all she needed.

  “Where do you want us?” Dudley asked when it was time to start loading up.

  Dudley and Draven looked as if they were going to join them, but Aiden knew that wasn’t in the plans.

  “They can come with me,” Piper said. “Dudley, can you bring the virus and the antidotes and keep them safe?”

  Dudley nodded and went to make sure everything was carefully packed.

  “Sis, they don’t need to come. You don’t need to come.”

  Piper rolled her eyes at her brother and promptly ignored him as she went back to work. “I’ll drive Dudley’s car and be right behind you all. Draven is always handy if we need a distraction.”

  “I could grab this one girl, and we could have sex in the front yard,” Draven offered up.

  “He’s talking about the slag, right?” Aiden whispered to Dylan.

  “Nikki isn’t a prostitute. I’m assuming that’s who you mean,” Dylan said as Aiden nodded.

  “Really? She’s not?” Aiden asked for clarification.

  “Nikki, right?” Jackson asked Draven.

  “Who?” Draven knitted his brow in confusion.

  “The woman you slept with. Nikki Canter, right? Huge, ginormous breasts and equally inflated ass,” Jackson supplied.

  “Oh, no. She scares the royal member. She might break it.”

  “It’s not Poppy, is it?” Lucas asked.

  “Or Zinnia?” Talon asked right after.

  “Who?”

  Talon and Lucas let out a breath. “They work in the café,” Talon supplied.

  “No. Cute though,” Draven said, giving them a thumbs up.

  “Are you finally going to ask them out?” Piper asked the two FBI agents.

  “What? Why?” Lucas asked.

  “We were just curious,” Talon filled in as Piper rolled her eyes.

  “Wait, then who from Keeneston is your girl?” Dylan asked the king.

  Draven smiled wide. “A king doesn’t kiss and tell.”

  “But apparently he’ll shag with her in the front yard,” Eddie whispered and Aiden had to fight laughing.

  “Okay, y’all. It’s time.” Dylan announced.

  Aiden headed for Piper and grabbed her hand. “I don’t like leaving you unguarded.”

  “I’m not. Draven and Dudley are with me. And I’ll only be unguarded for thirty minutes while we drive to our meeting spot in Keeneston.” Piper leaned forward and Aiden kissed her as if they had been d
oing it forever. It was so natural to kiss her goodbye, even when they were only going to be apart for a short time.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Aiden whispered to her as he squeezed her hand. It was hard for him to drop it and walk away. But her parents were in danger, and he knew he needed to be with his team for this. Piper would be safe, he told himself, because he would take out the entire Phobos crew before they could find her.

  24

  The Blossom Café was busy that night as the Rose sisters ambushed Cady Woodson, the new and very young master distiller of Barrel Creek Distillery. She’d just lost her father a year before and was spending every moment she had renovating the ancient distillery on the outskirts of the county. Reagan and Carter had been lucky enough to get married there and that had offered the town their first glimpse of the revitalized grounds.

  It was built of old limestone and had been empty since Prohibition. Cady might only be twenty-three, but she had grown up with a father who was a famous master distiller who had taught her everything he knew. She’d bought and made the distillery functional enough to get the first batch of bourbon barreled and stored recently. Now she was slowly using her inheritance to upgrade machinery, plumbing, and electrical. She handled all the cleaning and what renovations she could do all by herself. She’d turned a grand open space with pine floors and large windows into a reception hall. Cady said she would start giving tours of the facility three days a week in the spring.

  And it was Cady the Rose sisters needed to speak to. They needed this young, shy, and somewhat reclusive woman’s help.

  “Hello, dearie,” Miss Lily said, taking a seat at Cady’s empty table in the back of the café. Her sisters followed suit and soon Cady was surrounded and looking quite nervous about it.

  “Hello.”

  “Do you believe in love?” Miss Lily asked.

  Cady’s face turned bright red, and she choked a little on the sweet tea she was drinking. “Excuse me?”

  “Do you believe in love?” Miss Violet repeated.

  “I mean, I loved my dad. But I haven’t had any time for love myself.”

  “But you believe in it, right?” Miss Daisy pushed.

  “Yes,” Cady answered nervously as she looked from sister to sister. “But I’m too young and have too much to do to get married, so please don’t bet on me,” she pleaded.

  “Oh goodness no! It’s not your time yet,” Miss Lily said with a smile.

  “But there is a couple long overdue, and we want your help to give them a little push,” Miss Violet explained.

  Cady looked relieved. “Well, sure, I guess. What do I need to do?”

  “After the wedding, Gemma Davies ran a great article about how romantic your venue is,” Miss Daisy began.

  “And we want you to offer a giveaway for a romantic evening at your distillery. A private tour followed by a candlelight dinner with music sounds good,” Miss Lily told her. “We envision it before Christmas with the room filled with decorations and glowing in the candlelight.”

  “I can do that, but I don’t have the money for a band and such. I can cook, but it’s not as good as y’all’s food,” Cady said, and the Rose sisters just smiled and sat back.

  “Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll cover all the costs and provide the dinner. We just need you to pick the most romantic spot and then make sure you draw a certain name when the time comes,” Miss Lily said as she grinned in victory.

  “That’s cheating,” Cady whispered as if someone would tell on her.

  “It’s not cheating. It’s helping fate along,” Miss Daisy said, waving at Poppy who nodded and then came back a few minutes later with a gigantic bowl, pens, and little pieces of paper.

  “Here you go,” she said, setting it on the table. “What’s this for?”

  “Cady is having a drawing for a super-romantic tour and dinner for two at her distillery,” Miss Violet told her.

  “Oh! I want to sign up. I don’t have a date, but I’d find one for a tour of the distillery.”

  That was all it took. The Rose sisters sat back and watched as the news spread and everyone signed up for a chance to win, including the one person who was destined to win.

  “Squawk, you’re too old,” sang Gus, Pierce’s now forty-year-old blue-fronted Amazon parrot from his perch in the living room. “Too old, squawk.”

  “Gus,” Tammy hissed as she narrowed her eyes at her husband who looked sheepishly away.

  “Can I borrow your gun?” Tammy asked the man in charge, the same man she’d seen before when Sophie and Nash saved the missile from going off. He’d said he was with the Department of Homeland Security. Nash had said he was having trouble following leads to find his true identity yesterday, and really, Tammy didn’t care who he was just as long as her daughter did the right thing and stayed far, far away.

  “Aw, that’s a good bird,” Gus cooed as he cocked his head and looked at Tammy.

  “Bad bird!” Tammy argued with the bird to the amusement of the men there.

  “Too old, too old,” Gus started singing as he bopped along his perch.

  The men guarding them broke out into laughter. They’d made themselves at home since they’d stormed the place and taken the husband and wife hostage. Tammy looked at the clock. It was time for dinner and one of the men was cooking in the kitchen.

  “Where did he learn that?” the main man, who she assumed was Phobos, asked, taking a seat across from where she was tied up.

  “I’ll give you a guess,” Tammy said, glaring at her husband. Bless his heart. Right now, anger was the only thing keeping her together. Anger that her husband kept telling her she was old. Anger at this man for tying them up. Anger that her loved ones were in danger. And most importantly, anger at the threat the man at the window across the room made against her unborn baby. Royce was his name, and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that if she could, she would kill him. The thought of losing any of her family made her angry. She was a mother and a wife and she was going to kick some ass. Well, first she was going to pee, then she was going to kick ass.

  “I need to use the bathroom, and my feet are swelling to the size of watermelons. Is it possible to let me walk around a little?” Tammy asked, looking sadly at her swollen ankles.

  Phobos looked at her and Tammy looked pitifully at her feet again as she rubbed her very pregnant belly and felt a kick. She rubbed on her unborn child, telling him or her she’d take care of them no matter what. Sometimes moms just needed to do whatever it took to get things done.

  The man picked up his walkie-talkie. “Is everything clear?”

  “Clear in back.”

  “Clear out front.”

  Phobos looked around at the men stationed in the living room as the men from other parts of the house checked in. All clear. Thank goodness. Piper better stay away if she knew what was good for her.

  “Okay, but you have to keep the door half open.”

  “At this point y’all could watch me, because if I don’t go now I’ll be peeing right here.” Tammy struggled to sit up as Phobos came over and untied her feet. He pushed the recliner down as Pierce tried to help push her up with his tied hands. Since her hands were still tied, Phobos had to heft her up.

  Pain shot through her feet and Tammy almost embarrassed herself by falling. Phobos steadied her as he looked at her. “You’re not going to have this baby right now, are you?”

  “No, I’m not due for another week. But I am going to pee right here if you don’t help me to the bathroom.”

  Phobos helped her to the bathroom in the little hallway between the kitchen and the living room. “Watch her,” he ordered to the man cooking as Phobos headed to the front of the house. Tammy didn’t care where he was going. All she cared about was relief and a chance to think of a way to escape. Maybe she could light a fire in the bathroom and then run. She looked at the small window and knew crawling out wouldn’t work. Her belly wouldn’t fit.

  She had to think of something and fast. She had
a husband, a parrot, and her unborn child to save. There might be ten men there, but they were no match for a pissed-off mother.

  25

  “Be very careful with this,” Piper said for the tenth time as she handed the homemade chemical balls to Jackson. They looked like marbles but were actually rigged out of condoms. Thanks again to Draven.

  “I’m a crack shot, Piper. I’ll make it,” Jackson said for the tenth time as he loaded the condoms of death into a paintball gun they’d rigged to get more distance. Piper had five of them ready to go, and Jackson was going to shoot them along the porch. Piper held back a sixth ball in case of emergency. She had two syringes on her with different color ribbons tied to each to indicate they held the virus, a small vile of antidote, and several hypodermic needles at the ready.

  “We’re all set,” Aiden reported as he joined them in a field behind her parents’ house. A quarter mile or so of woods separated them from the house. “Dylan has the bomb in place on a very nice black SUV and is in position. Talon and Lucas are ready as well. Lucas will blow the car when we are all in place.”

  Eddie strapped on his vest and checked his weapons one last time. “I’m all set too.”

  Piper gave two doses of the antidote to Aiden. “Inject my parents immediately, even if they have no symptoms. This will prevent them from getting it.”

  The plan was for Jackson, Dylan, Talon, and Aiden to do what was needed to allow Eddie and Aiden to rescue her parents. If all went to plan, everyone on the team could waltz right into the house and get her parents out without a single shot being fired, but that was too much to hope for. Not all the men would come out to investigate, but those who did would no longer be a threat.

  Jackson leaned over and gave Piper a quick kiss on the cheek. “We’ll get your parents, Cuz. Don’t worry about a thing.”

  And then he took off. He was going to have to run about a mile in the growing darkness to stay wide of any guards and to make it to the front of the house. Eddie had taken some steps away and Piper realized he was giving her and Aiden some privacy.