by L. R. Wright
“I’m good now that I know you’re good. Once we figure out what’s going on, we can end this and live our lives the way we planned.”
“Then let’s get to work.”
***
August 23, 1998, Alexa’s eighteenth birthday:
“Daddy,” Alexa cried as she ran into Pop’s arms. “You’re here. I didn’t think you were coming in until tomorrow.”
Pop smiled as he embraced her. “I wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world, sweetheart.”
She beamed with pride as he kissed her forehead and handed her a gift box. “Why don’t you wait until later to give this to me? At the dinner?”
“No, ladybug. I need to give this to you now.”
She glanced up at him. “You’re going to be at dinner aren’t you?”
“Of course, but this is not a gift for the dinner table.”
She tore the gift wrap off the small package and gasped when she noticed the small antique locket. “Oh Daddy, it’s so beautiful.”
He sat down on the bed and pulled her next him. “I bought this locket when you were first born,” he said, as he took her hand in his and squeezed. “I always knew I would give it to you on your eighteenth birthday.”
Tears sprang up in her eyes when she opened it. Inside was a tiny braid of hair, a picture of her as a baby, and a baby picture of him as well. “Is this my hair?”
“Mine and yours, braided together. I gave your brother one too—well not a locket—but I did give him a braid to symbolize our bond together. I always dreamed of having a little girl. But you’ve turned out to be so much more than I ever hoped for. You’ve grown into a competent and wonderful young lady. I’m so proud of you.” He reached into the briefcase sitting next to him and pulled out another box. “This is for you too.”
She ripped the gold wrapping paper and tossed it on the floor. “Daddy, you got it?”
“I got it.”
The semi-automatic .45 caliber pistol finished in titanium gleamed at her. She lifted it out of the box and gripped the handle. “It’s beautiful.”
“I bought your first gun when you were a little girl. Now you’re a woman, and you need a woman’s gun.”
She hugged him again. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too, ladybug. I’ll take you out tomorrow so you can practice with it. I want you to do your first job next week.”
She grinned, excited about her first job. She had dreamed of being a part of this growing up and the anticipation was killing her. Would she have to do a kidnapping or a robbery—a murder? “Did you get the knife I wanted too?”
She knew the men did plenty of different jobs for her father. Pop was hired to assassinate, to infiltrate, to kidnap, to secure—whatever his country needed. The men learned a great deal from each experience.
Now it was her turn.
“Of course I did,” he said, handing her another box. “Keep this in a special place. Make sure that when you whip it out, no one knows where you pulled it from. Always leave them guessing, ladybug.”
She grinned and snatched it from his hands. “You’re the best, Daddy.”
***
November 4, 2011, B5:
Pop was standing at the breakfast bar when Alexa entered the kitchen, followed by Dro. She ran straight to her father’s waiting arms, just like she had when she was a little girl.
Pop wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.” She pulled away and scanned the empty room. “The kids aren’t up yet? Where’s everybody?”
Pop shrugged. “My guess is everyone is still sleeping. I heard you had a rough night. “
“Coffee?” Kendrick was leaning against the counter in the kitchen. “I filled Pop in on some of the details of last night, but we should probably talk in another room in case the kids decide to make an appearance.”
Alexa held out a coffee mug for Chase to fill then handed the piping hot liquid to Dro before fetching another mug for herself. When everyone was served, they all headed to the security room.
Once everyone was seated, Pop addressed the group. “Kendrick told me about this woman, Melissa. Is her family into some kind of shady business?”
“Her family is very wealthy,” Dro answered. “But as far as I know, they’re legit. She used to always walk around acting like her family owned the town, but it wasn’t because they were criminals or anything.”
Pop rubbed his beard. “Well, the first thing we need to do is check out her family. I already asked Kendrick to get going on that with Nicholas.”
“I went over the employee list,” Lei added. “There were a few names that popped out to me—one in particular. I don’t know how we missed it, but it seems there’s a connection between one employee and the Neal Family.”
Alexa gasped. “The Neals?” Erik’s family?
“Naomi Gardner, who works in the records division of Martinez Security,” Lei continued. “She could have had access to our security routines.”
“How is she related to the Neals?” Alexa wondered. “That name should have never gotten through our checks.”
“She married...” Lei scanned through the folder. “Adam. This was months after she was hired, though. And she kept her maiden name.”
“Damn.” Alexa winced when Pop frowned at her. “Sorry Daddy.”
Dro glanced at Alexa. “We’re going to have to bring Naomi in,” he said to Lei. “If she’s connected to Adam, chances are this could be some sort of revenge.”
Alexa set her mug on the table. “I want to talk to her.”
Dro shook his head. “Kendrick and Chase will talk to her. You don’t need to be there.”
“Why the hell not? If she’s involved, I want to talk to her.”
“There’s no reason to change how we do things,” Dro said calmly. “Kendrick and Chase can handle it. It’s too personal for you, and if you piss her off, she might withhold her cooperation.”
“Under normal circumstances, I’d agree with you. But this is personal,” she insisted. “It’s personal for all of us, even Kendrick and Chase.”
Kendrick cleared his throat. “I don’t see why she can’t come with us. If the bitch is in on the attacks, she’s not likely to cooperate anyway. Alexa may be able to persuade her.”
Alexa loved Kendrick for always having her back, but she wished he hadn’t stuck his nose in. Dro glared at him like he wanted to fling him across the room. But then they always had a love-hate sort of friendship.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” Dro growled through clenched teeth. “They’re after Alexa and right now it’s that best no one knows what happened to her. If we bring her into this too soon, they’ll be prepared for her.”
“He’s right,” Chase agreed. “Alexa, you might have to sit this one out. You can watch the whole thing on the monitors, but you’re better off not being involved in the interrogation.”
“I agree, ladybug stays behind,” Pop concurred. “But we have something more pressing to discuss. I don’t think it’s wise to keep the kids here. They need fresh air. They need to be able to play. There’s no telling how long this will last. And I would feel better if we got them out of the country.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Dro said. “We can send the kids, Ma, Makayla, and Ari away. One of us has to go with them, though.”
“That’s going to leave us vulnerable up here,” Lei said. “You don’t think we can send Nicholas or someone else down there?”
“No,” Dro said. “I’m not sending my family out of the country without adequate protection. And I don’t trust anyone else. We’re going to send others, but I need one of us there too.”
“I feel like Kendrick should go,” Pop suggested.
“No,” Alexa stated.
Dro sighed, but remained silent.
“Kendrick would be best,” Pop argued. “His kids and his wife are going too. He may want to be in control
of the situation.”
“No!” Alexa was adamant. “Kendrick should stay here. We need him here.”
“Ladybug.” Pop rubbed his neck. “I don’t think you understand—”
“I understand perfectly, Daddy. Kendrick should stay here.” She kept eye contact with P him. “I actually think you should go with the kids.” When everyone stared at her, she shrugged. In the past, she would never have said something like that to her father. But with her kids at stake, she couldn’t afford to back down. “It’s not like I don’t want you here. I just think as far as resources go, you’re the best bet to go with them. You’re more than capable of handling problems, even more so than Kendrick. If we send Nicholas, we’re going to need Kendrick here in case we have computer issues. Chase can go with you.”
Alexa hated to throw Chase under the bus, but she needed Kendrick by her side. They were partners in crime. Obviously irritated, Dro turned his back on her and whispered something in Lei’s ear. He never really understood her relationship with Kendrick, and she couldn’t explain it to him.
“You may have a point, ladybug,” Pop said after a minute. “I just don’t want to leave you here to fight this enemy alone. I feel like I should be here.”
She smiled. “I know, Daddy. I also know you won’t let anything happen to the kids—neither will Chase.”
“Lay it on thick,” Dro said to her.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she replied innocently. “It’s the truth. I trust both of them with the kids.”
Dro arched a brow at her. “Whatever.”
She narrowed her eyes as she assessed him then decided to table their personal disagreements for later. “Daddy? What do you think?”
“I’ll go,” he stated. “Chase and I will take care of the family. But I want to be kept in the loop. You hear me? I want to know every move you make.”
“Lei nodded. “Sure. No problem. Kendrick can set up a secure line so we can keep in touch.”
Chase stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Kendrick moved to follow him. After giving Alexa another hug, Pop left the room, motioning for Lei to join him.
“You know you’re wrong,” Dro said, once they were alone.
“Why?”
He set his mug down on the table. “You just can’t be away from Kendrick.”
“You know it’s not like that.”
“Do I?” he asked, his tone reeking with sarcasm.
“Yes.”
His steely gray eyes narrowed on her. “What I know is that you just shipped the most experienced one of us out of the country? What if something goes wrong with B5 and Chase isn’t here to fix it all because you don’t want to be without Kendrick?”
“You know we need Kendrick here,” she persisted. “There’s no other way around it. He’s willing to do more than Chase in a crisis. And you know that.”
“Whatever.” Dro started toward the door. “You got what you wanted. All is well, huh?”
“Dro—”
He held up his hand. “No, Alexa. Don’t even bother explaining. I already know.” Then he walked away from without another word.
CHAPTER 15
April 12, 1998, Victoria’s Secret:
Alexa had walked around the lingerie store forever, or so it seemed. It was Dro’s birthday the next day and she wanted to get something he would like. She knew her guard, Robert, was a few feet behind her.
“Robert?” she called, holding a particularly risqué piece of lingerie up. “I need your opinion. You think Dro would like this?”
Robert coughed, cleared his throat, and pulled at his dress shirt. “Ms. Richardson, I don’t want to give you any opinions on anything in this store. Your father is liable to kill me.”
She hummed softly as she picked through the racks. “I thought we had an understanding. You’re my guard. You accompany me everywhere I go. Can’t you just humor me? I need a second opinion. If you had a woman, and it was your birthday, would you like your woman to wear something like this?”
Alexa smirked, enjoying the uncomfortable look on the older man’s face. She knew Robert hated this detail as much as she did. And even though he was a pain in her ass, she couldn’t help but love him. The fifty-year-old guard was one of the only people her father trusted with her safety.
Every birthday, Robert would buy her a charm for her bracelet. He never had any kids, so he treated her like she was one of his own. Reluctantly, she had to admit that Dro’s assigning him to guard her was the right move. Robert would die before he let anything happen to her.
“Well?” She tapped her foot, trying to hide her smile.
He nodded slightly. “It’s fine.”
She shifted and held the piece up to her body again before sliding it back into place on the rack. “Maybe I’ll get the other set I saw in the front of the store.”
He glanced toward the front and his eyes narrowed. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
As he walked off in the direction of the bathroom—presumably to check out something suspicious—she scanned her surroundings, but saw nothing wrong. Robert was probably just being overly cautious.
She liked shopping in the evening after the high school crowd left the mall, liked having the store to herself. Only three other people were in the store, two saleswomen and an older woman, browsing through the bra section.
Deciding on the black lace at the front of the store, she strolled over to register. Once she settled the bill, she stood by the door waiting for Robert.
Glancing around her, she noticed the store had emptied out and checked her watch. It had been twenty minutes since Robert left her. The saleswomen were preparing to close. Hurrying to the bathroom door, she knocked. “Robert!”
No answer.
She slowly turned the knob and stepped into the bathroom. “Robert?” Searching the bathroom, she saw a pool of blood on the floor near the handicapped stall.
She dropped her shopping bag on the floor, pushed the stall door open, and gasped. Robert lay on the floor, blood oozing from his neck.
She knelt down next to him. “Robert?” When he didn’t respond, she grabbed up his wrist and felt for a pulse. It was faint, but at least he was alive.
Immediately, she sprang up and locked the bathroom door. Then she hurried to the sink and yanked the paper dispenser open, grabbing a bunch of towels. Kneeling next to Robert again, she held the paper towel over the gaping neck wound.
She placed a hand on his arm and shook him. “Robert?”
He moaned quietly. “Alexa?”
She sighed, grateful he was semi-conscious. “I’m going to call someone and get you some help.”
“No,” he groaned, pushing her away from him. “You need to get out of here
“Stop. You need to be still, Robert. Who did this to you?”
“They got me from behind. Didn’t see them.” He tried to push her away again, but she wouldn’t budge. “Go now. You need to leave
“You’re losing too much blood.” She pushed the paper towels harder against his neck. “And no, I’m not leaving you here.”
“It’s too late for me,” he murmured. “Go before they come back.”
She dug her cell phone out. Damn! No signal. Tossing the phone back into her purse, she wondered what to do next.
Someone jiggled the doorknob. Alexa scrambled to her feet, slid her leather jacket off, and laid it over Robert. “I’ll call someone. Hang in there.” Opening his suit jacket, she took the car keys out of the inside pocket.
The jiggling on the knob was replaced by loud knocks. There was no way of knowing who was on the other side of the door without opening it. It was either one of the saleswomen doing a bathroom check or the person who hurt Robert. She scanned the bathroom for another way out and noted a high window in the corner. Shit! Kicking off her shoes, she hopped on top of a sink and used the heel of her shoe as a hammer to break the glass.
She glanced back at the door then pulled herself up to the window sill. The co
ol April breeze hit her skin, sending a chill through her body. She peered down at the ground, said a prayer, and jumped.
“Shit!” she hissed as she hit the ground and landed on something sharp. She took a minute to look at her foot and pulled a piece of glass from it, moaning as pain shot through her ankle. Cringing, she slid both of her four inch pumps back on. Why didn’t I wear comfortable shoes?
She tore through her purse for her phone and yanked it out. There was a faint signal. She dialed.
“What’s up?” Kendrick answered.
“Kendrick,” she whispered. “I need you.”
“What’s going on, Alexa?”
“Robert was stabbed. I’m not sure who did it. He’s barely hanging on, though. I need you to send someone to the Victoria’s Secret on Bush.”
Kendrick cursed. “Where exactly are you?”
“I’m in the alley behind the store.” She limped toward the car, careful not to put too much pressure on her injured foot. “I’m heading to the car.”
“Come straight home. Hurry. I’ll send someone for Robert.”
As she neared the street, a shadowy figure turned into the alley. Alexa froze. The sun had already gone down, so she wasn’t sure if he’d noticed her. Cautiously, she slipped behind a trashcan and leaned against the wall of the store.
“Did you see her?” a male voice asked.
“No, I didn’t,” responded a different man. “I checked the whole store. She’s nowhere in sight.”
“How did she slip past us?”
“I don’t know.”
She closed her eyes and wondered how she was going to get out of this. Grabbing an empty pop bottle, she pitched it behind her. Footsteps raced toward the sound. Once they were passed her, she bolted for the street as fast as she could go. It seemed too easy, but she went with it—until she ran right into a third man, who grabbed and hauled her off her feet.
She struggled, kicking and punching him. Finally he lost his grip and dropped her. She immediately socked him in the balls. It stunned him, but not enough to disable him. He grabbed her hair as she slammed him in the knee with her good foot. His leg buckled, but his grip remained steady. She grabbed another stray bottle and bashed him in the face. Releasing her, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
