Xander King BoxSet

by Bradley Wright

  Wait, the stories . . .

  “What did you tell the press? What do they know?” A worried look came over Xander.

  “Sarah did a great job helping us spin this. She released a statement that the government was investigating an attempted robbery and murder. Fortunately, it’s not much of a stretch to believe that people would want to steal from a billionaire,” Sam explained.

  “Is that what happened?”

  Sam saw the confusion on Xander’s face.

  “Oh . . . right. We have a lot to discuss, Xander, but now is not the time.” She glanced over to Kelly.

  “What? Now is exactly the time, Sam. What the hell were Russians doing coming after me in the middle of the Virgin Islands?”

  “Not right now, Xander. You’re not well.”

  The heart-rate monitor beside Xander’s bed began to pick up speed.

  “Don’t bullshit me, Sam! Tell me what’s going on!”

  At that moment, the hospital door opened and in walked Natalie Rockwell.

  “Is this a bad time?”

  5

  An Explosive Conversation

  “I flew in from Paris as soon as I heard.”

  Kyle cleared everyone from the room and pulled a chair over beside Xander before he left the room with them. Kelly, at first in awe that Natalie Rockwell was in the room, quickly came back down to earth when she realized she was there for her man—Xander. Kyle promised to explain while they were on their way out. After glancing at Kelly and Sarah, Natalie gave Xander a brief “I see how it is” look, then sat down and took his hand. For Xander, it was like seeing the sun itself. Her beautiful face was cast aglow in the harsh florescent light that hung above them. He had missed her so much.

  “My news made it all the way to Paris?”

  “Well, there is this new thing called the Internet,” she teased. Her smile did more to take his pain away than any medicine ever could.

  “Right. So you were checking up on me?” He flashed a wry smile.

  “Not a chance. I was checking up on my four-legged friend, King’s Ransom. And of course, when I went to see if he’d won the Preakness, all the stories were more about his owner. Xander . . . what is going on? Is this really how you want to live your life?”

  “So much for pleasantries.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s just that . . .”

  Natalie trailed off. A look of pain held tight on her face. She was hurting, and it was his fault. All of a sudden the pain from the wound in his stomach came back in a rush to say hello. Or maybe it was heartache.

  “No, I’m sorry, Natalie. I should have never dragged you into this . . . into my life.”

  “Which, still, I clearly know nothing about.”

  “You do. You know me. The rest of this, well, it’s a mess. My mess.”

  “Talk to me. Let me in. I can help you—”

  “Natalie, thank you for coming, but I’m sure you are needed back in Paris.” His own words sounding like someone else’s.

  The hurt on Natalie’s face thickened.

  “So, that’s it?”

  “I’m no good for you, and you know—”

  “I know what?” Natalie’s face hardened, her jaw set. “I don’t know anything except for the way you make me feel. No one has ever made me . . . You know what? You are just scared.”

  “Scared?” Xander looked confused.

  “That’s right. That’s why you are pushing me away. I’m not like whoever hurt you in your past. I’m not them.”

  “Natalie, you are the one who said you needed time. And I’m not some psychology patient. No one ever hurt me.”

  Natalie saw right through that statement. It was as if she knew Xander better than he knew himself, and that scared him. She let him know this with a look.

  “Fine, you don’t want to open up to me? You don’t want me in your life, Alexander King? Then stop leaving me messages saying otherwise.”

  “Messages? I haven’t contacted you, not once. Messages,” he scoffed.

  “Yeah, Xander, messages.”

  She was so sexy when she was angry.

  “Like?” He did his best to look clueless.

  “Like whiskey and roses on my balcony in Paris?”

  Xander couldn’t help but smile. Clearly his message had been received.

  “Whiskey and roses?” He played dumb.

  “Don’t. And don’t do it again.” Natalie stood up. He had hurt her feelings. “If you don’t want me, I’ve got plenty of other things going on in my life. I’m sorry I ever came here!”

  Natalie turned and huffed toward the door. Before she could make it there, and before Xander could stop her and try to explain, the entire east wing of the hospital exploded and burst into a fiery flame. The blast was so strong it knocked Natalie to the floor; the flames could be seen from Xander’s hospital window, lighting up the otherwise black night. His IV stand was knocked over, and the entire structure shook beneath them. The lights flickered on and off as a rumble settled in around them.

  Sam blasted through the door, helped Natalie back to her feet, and went straight to Xander.

  “We’ve got to get out of here, now.”

  Natalie was visibly shaking. “What’s going on?”

  “Not now, Natalie. Just help me get him up.” Sam looked at Xander. “Can you walk?”

  The two of them pulled Xander to a sitting position. His stomach wailed in pain.

  “Guess we’ll find out. And Sam?”

  “Yes, Xander?”

  “Don’t look at my equipment. It will ruin every other man for you from here on out.”

  “You’re insufferable.” Sam rolled her eyes as she helped him out of the bed.

  “You know what this is about, Sam?”

  “It’s about you and your need for revenge,” Sam snapped at him.

  Natalie helped steady Xander on his feet, wearing fear and confusion on her face.

  “This explosion has to do with you? What the hell?”

  Xander looked dead into her eyes.

  “I told you I was no good for you.” He turned to Sam. “Do you have another gun?”

  “Of course I do.” She walked over to her black leather jacket, pulled out a nine-millimeter, cocked it, and handed it to Xander. “How’s your equilibrium?”

  “I’m fine,” he answered.

  Natalie watched in horror. “Who the fuck are you two?”

  Sam ignored Natalie’s question, and while Xander pulled on a pair of black joggers, she checked the “In Case of Emergency” map on the wall beside the door. Sarah ushered Kyle and Kelly back into the hospital room with a pistol in her hand and a battle-ready expression on her face. It occurred to Xander at that moment that Sarah Gilbright just might be a badass.

  “Okay, spill it right now. What are we dealing with here, Sam?” Xander was through with being kept in the dark.

  Sam tore the emergency map off the wall, walked back over to Xander, and motioned for Sarah to join them. Apparently, Sam considered Sarah a badass as well. Otherwise, she would have never let her in the huddle. Before a strategy could be fleshed out, gunshots rang out from a distance followed by screams from the last few of the staff trying to exit the hospital. Sam looked up at Xander, stone-faced.

  “I’ll explain when we get out of here. Just know these are high-level Russian ex-military, same that invaded your yacht. We’ll need some of that X-man magic right about now.”

  “Okay, so what do we know?” Xander asked rhetorically. Shots continued from a distance and commotion in the hallway was constant. “Obviously, they are after me. Judging from the playdate on the yacht, they aren’t fucking around. But we have to assume that they have been following reports of my condition this week, and we must also assume they have someone on the inside. Someone on the nursing staff. So they still think I’m in a coma. Blowing up the opposite wing is a distraction—”

  “If they have an insider, they would know where you are. Why not just blow this room and leave?” Sarah as
ked.

  “Because if they are willing to go to these lengths to kill me, they have to make sure that I’m dead. The only way to do that is to personally see to it that I am gone. They won’t chance it on a blast. Hence, the distraction. Someone—probably their best assassin—is on his way to this room right now to finish me. You all must leave, right now.”

  Sam put her hands on her hips.

  “Leave? We’re not going anywhere.”

  “Let’s give them what they are expecting.”

  “What, you lying here on this bed? No way, they’ll kill you.”

  “I hate to break this huddle, Sam,” Kyle said from the door as he peered out the small window that looked out into the hall, “but the hallway is clear. They must be getting close.”

  “Sam, get everyone out of here now. Use the map to find the best route.”

  Sarah stepped forward and pulled out her cell phone.

  “We’re not leaving you, Xander. Let me call this in, I can have a CIA chopper—”

  “We don’t have time for this! They won’t get here in time and I will not be owing the CIA any favors.” Xander walked over to the hospital bed and laid the gun on the table. “The police will be here any second and they will be focused where the explosion occurred. It will just be me and my assassin. I like those odds. Sam, leave me a cell phone and I’ll call you when I am finished here. Do not let Sarah call this in.”

  Sarah folded her arms while Sam nodded her head toward him. Natalie couldn’t help but make a plea.

  “But Xander, this isn’t a joke, they’ve blown up half the hospital already. They’ll kill you!”

  Xander walked over to Natalie and took her by the shoulders.

  “Sweetheart, this is what I do. You are in the best of hands with Sam. She will get you out of here. Just do everything she says and you’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “Sweetheart?” Kelly stepped toward them, a jealous scowl on her face.

  Sam stepped in and exchanged looks with Kelly and Natalie. “Can we please sort this out after we survive the professional killers and gunmen with all the explosives?” She then looked at Xander. “You really know how to bloody complicate things don’t you?” Then back to the women. “If you want to survive this mess, follow me. Romeo here is quite good at handling himself. We’ll see him soon, if you all can do without him for even a few moments.”

  Sam’s sarcasm lay thick on all of them. After another loud explosion—this one even closer—they focused their attention on following her.

  “Xander, do not underestimate what is coming, and I will do the same as I take them out of here. My phone is there on the bedside table. Call Kyle if you need me. I will come back and let Sarah handle getting them out.”

  “I’ll be fine, Sam. Just make sure you get them out safe. If you run into trouble, call me. Now go!”

  Xander took in the concerned look on everyone’s face as they stared back at him.

  “I said go!”

  Kyle nodded to him and then ushered them behind Sam out into the hallway. Natalie gave one last worried glance before turning the corner of the wall. The hospital had become eerily silent now. The door closed behind them, and Xander walked over to the window to see if he could get an idea of just what they were dealing with. The sun had yet to rise. He was thankful that it was a time of night where there might not be as many family and friends around visiting patients. He couldn’t believe what he was doing had brought all of this on so many innocent people.

  Things had to change.

  His life had to change.

  Sam’s phone chirped from beside his hospital bed. He walked over to see if it was for him.

  A text from Kyle’s phone: “X, you were wrong. Not just 1 assassin. 4 men are heading your way, heavily armed. Sam is headed toward you. I promise, Sarah and I will get Natalie and Kelly out of here. See you in a bit. BE CAREFUL.”

  6

  As If I Haven’t Had a Bad Enough Week, Now I’m Seeing Ghosts

  Those four men didn’t stand a chance. Xander wished that Sam would have just stayed with the others until they were safe. He figured she thought he was weak, just being out of a coma and all. Remarkably, he felt good considering. He slid the phone into the pocket of his joggers, reached across the bed for his gun, and just as he almost had his fingers on it, a bullet ricocheted off the table and hit the wall. Xander saw a gun pointed at him through the small, square door window as he dove behind one of the lounge chairs someone had pulled up to the foot of the bed. Two more shots fired, and one bullet skipped through the window behind him. He would have just made his exit that way, but he didn’t want to leave Sam alone with the four other gunmen.

  Women.

  The hospital room door flew open, and he stood to face the four men, using the chair as a shield. To his surprise only one man walked in. A surprisingly unassuming man, not very tall, not very well built, but a very familiar face.

  Nicoli Pavlovich.

  Number-one assassin for Mafia boss, Vitalii Dragov.

  At one time the most wanted man in the world. Xander remembered this when his Special Operations unit was studying for a possible mission. A mission that never deployed because Nicoli Pavlovich was found dead. Xander let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

  “As if I haven’t had a bad enough week, now I’m seeing ghosts?”

  “You know me, I see.”

  “I know you died.”

  “Much easier to walk in shadows if you no longer exist.”

  Xander could appreciate that sentiment. If people thought him dead, no one would be trying to kill him right now. Nicoli trained his gun on Xander’s chest. His face was hard. A large scar under his right eye, further menacing his permanent scowl.

  “So, what is it that you want with a measly whiskey entrepreneur like me?”

  “Boss says you are dangerous. Me? I think . . . not so much.”

  “Dragov? If he wants some free bottles of whiskey, tell him there are easier ways.”

  “Cut shit, King. I am not in mood. You killed three of my best men.”

  “On my yacht? Your best men? Really?” Xander looked genuinely surprised. “Why, Nicoli, I’m disappointed. They were taken out by a couple of girls. I didn’t have to lift a finger. What’s that say about you?”

  As Xander spoke, his eyes were trained on Nicoli’s trigger finger. As soon as he saw it twitch, he tossed the chair at him, sending the bullet that had been meant for Xander’s heart up into the ceiling tile. Before Nicoli could adjust, Xander front kicked the side of the second chair, sending it sliding into Nicoli’s groin. In the hallway, he could hear gunshots.

  Sam.

  Xander knew she could handle herself, but she clearly didn’t know all that was going on if she thought more than one man was coming for him. Kyle could have been wrong. What if there were more than four?

  Just as Nicoli repositioned his pistol, Xander hit his hand with a perfectly placed spinning wheel-kick and sent the gun flying against the far wall of the hospital room. He followed that with a straight right-hand, but Nicoli weaved to his left and countered with a left hook to Xander’s stomach. A direct hit to his nearly but not completely healed stitches. As Nicoli brought a right hook toward him, Xander managed to step in, the right side of his hip to the right side of Nicoli’s, and with a sweep of his right arm and a twist, Xander threw him onto the floor, judo-style. He landed in a thud but let the momentum send him into a back somersault, landing him next to his pistol, which he picked up, aimed at Xander, and fired a shot that just missed because Xander had simultaneously thrown himself into the hallway.

  Xander heard gunshots coming from the exit at the end of the hall, so he grabbed a nearby metal bedpan and immediately ran in that direction.

  Better than nothing.

  He figured at this point it was either Sam or the rest of his group taking gunfire, and regardless, he was a sitting duck in that hallway, so he had to move. Just as he shut the door to a stairwell, a bullet whizzed through its squ
are window and nearly smacked him in the side of the head.

  He glared through the now glassless window and locked eyes with Nicoli back in the hallway just outside his hospital room. He wanted nothing more than to stay and fight this notorious assassin—to make him dead for real this time—but he heard a scream one floor below, followed by a string of gunfire. Nicoli shot his gun once again, but Xander was already halfway down the stairs. For the first time a shot of pain screamed through his calf muscle that had taken a bullet on the yacht. It was Sam’s scream he had heard; she must have been ambushed. He blasted through the door that led to the second-floor hallway and slung his bedpan like a Frisbee, hitting the man who held a gun on Sam in the head. As if she knew he was coming, she shot to her feet and dove at the other man who had swung his gun toward Xander, her momentum carrying them both through the open door of the first patient room on the floor. They disappeared from Xander’s view and he jumped to his feet. As he jogged to the man he had just struck with the bedpan, he noticed a red spot growing on his white hospital gown. He lifted the gown and saw that blood ran steadily down into his joggers. Nicoli’s right hook had popped his stitches. There was nothing he could do about the open wound, so he bent down, wrenched the gunman’s neck until it gave a loud pop, picked up his bedpan, and ran to the room Sam had tackled the man into. Just before he made it inside, he heard gunshots behind him—Nicoli—and a burst from an Uzi from the other end of the hall. As soon as he got inside the room, Sam was putting the finishing touches on her offender with a skull-crushing boot to the head.

  “Just like old times, huh?”

  “Are you all right, Xander? You’re bleeding.”

  He put his finger to his lips, pointed in the direction of Nicoli, and then signaled that there was someone else, the other man who shot at him from the other end of the hall. He and Sam would have made excellent charades partners.

  “Do you have a gun?” he asked her.