Xander King BoxSet

by Bradley Wright

  “Easy.”

  Kyle threw up his hands. “I’m on your team, buddy.” And he walked away with a laugh. “I need a cold shower.”

  Xander smiled to himself as he was left alone in the upstairs hallway. He’d accidentally seen Sam’s regular sleep attire once. He could only imagine the look on Kyle’s face when he saw it. With a shake of his head, he got back to tending his own business and walked toward the opposite end of the hall. The same hall that just a couple of weeks ago he had shot and killed nine men that had intruded on his home. He tried not to think of it, but every time he walked past the stairs, he couldn’t help but recall seeing Natalie there, fear fixed on her face, tears running down her cheeks while she was held at gunpoint. The two of them never stood a chance of working out.

  He shook it off and transferred the decanter to his right hand, balancing it and the wine glasses as he gave a quiet knock on Sarah’s door. He waited a moment, put his ear to the door, but heard nothing. He gave one more quiet knock and turned the doorknob as he gave a slow push.

  “Sarah?” He whispered, then immediately stopped movement as the bedside lamp showed him her quiet, eyes-closed face. She had already fallen asleep. He stood in the doorway for a moment. Captivated. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was gorgeous. The covers were pulled up tight around her chin, so he didn’t feel like a pervert as he looked at her. He wanted nothing more than to wake her, but he just couldn’t. She was so peaceful. As much as every ounce of Xander hated that the CIA was now a part of his life, he couldn’t help but know that she was on his side. And, most importantly, if it came down to it, he knew he could trust her.

  He stepped quietly across the carpet to her bedside and did his very best to shut off the lamp without waking her. He then poured a small amount of wine into a glass and left it on the nightstand. He wanted her to know he was thinking of her before he went to bed, silly as that may be. A strand of moonlight worked its way through a small break in the curtains and fell gently across Sarah’s face. His mind flashed to seeing Kelly in bed on the yacht in a similar fashion.

  Damn he loved women. He didn’t have many vices, but a beautiful woman just might be the death of him. He softly brushed a lock of hair from her cheek, bent down, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She rustled slightly, then fell back into oblivion.

  Sleeping Beauty, he thought. Then he retreated to his bedroom at the other end of the house.

  Kyle wasn’t the only one that needed a cold shower on this night.

  12

  A Friend of the Family

  The sun came up over Lexington, Kentucky, displaying the beautiful land in all its gold-tinted splendor. Downtown, the bankers, lawyers, and businessmen made their way into their concrete-and-glass boxes. Hardly a mile from there to the southeast, students, mostly hungover but a few of them lively and eager to learn, were making their way into classrooms at the University of Kentucky, bluebirds perched in the live oaks serenading their walk. On the edge of town, on some of the wealthiest land in all the world, trainers had their stopwatches in hand as their million-dollar horses thundered around the tracks for the amusement of their billionaire owners. King’s Ransom, the reigning Kentucky Derby champion, was busy eating his breakfast as his billionaire proud poppa, Xander King, greeted Jack Bronson at the front door with a firm handshake and led him into his office.

  “Beautiful land you got here, Xander.”

  “Thanks, Jack. How was the drive?”

  “Quiet, just like I like it. That stud of yours stay here between races?”

  “Sure does, he’s in the stables out back. You like horses?”

  “Love ‘em. Grew up on a big farm in Montana. Used to break the wild ones for my daddy.”

  Montana man, Xander knew it.

  “Whew, tough work. You’re a better man than me.”

  “No question.” Jack smiled, his little yellow Chiclet teeth giving a wave as he did.

  Xander returned the smile. Jack’s way reminded him of his father. Xander re-introduced Jack to Sam, Kyle, and Sarah, and they each pulled up a chair ready to listen to what Sam had to say. Everyone got the awkward from last night out at breakfast where they all laughed, and like Jamie Foxx, they blamed it on the alcohol. Sarah asked about the wine on her nightstand, and Xander played it off that he must have accidentally left it when he shut off her lamp for her. Sarah knew better and kicked herself for having the ability to fall asleep so easily.

  Sam took her natural position at the head of the room, just in front of Xander’s desk. “Good to see you again, Mr. Bronson. I know you are the lead, as designated by Manning, but I hope you don’t mind if I begin, as I have already gathered several key points of intel.”

  Jack stood up and adjusted his jeans at the oversized and overwhelmingly hideous gold belt buckle. “Just so we’re clear. Manning did appoint me the lead,” he made air quotes with his fingers, “but, frankly, I am very aware that you are way ahead of me with what is going on. Now, I know my fair share about Dragov and his operation, but I am surprised that I was put on this team. I’m assuming Manning doesn’t trust any of you, so he called in an old navy comrade out of retirement to be his eyes. That about how y’all see it?”

  Xander couldn’t help but be relieved that this wouldn’t be a battle the entire way. “I think you hit the nail on the head, Jack.”

  “Okay, well good. But that don’t mean I can’t be of service to ya. I still have skills, and though my hair may be gray, I assure you, those skills haven’t wavered.”

  Sam nodded and thanked him. “I am very aware of your skills, Mr. Bronson. And they will fit perfectly with what we need.”

  Xander wasn’t surprised at all that Sam had done her homework on the new guy. She probably already knew how he took his coffee and how long it took for him to take a piss. “If you don’t mind, what is your specialty?”

  Sam answered for Jack. “He’s probably one of the five most well-regarded snipers in your military’s history.”

  Xander looked at him, impressed. Jack nodded to Sam.

  “I’d say that about sums it up. I make a mean flapjack and can start a fire from sticks too, if the need should ever arise.”

  They all laughed. Xander liked Jack, but he was still put here by Manning. And he did not like Manning. There was something slimy about that son of a bitch, so it would take Xander just a little more time with Jack to give him the full green light.

  Jack took his seat, and Sam went into full detail on everything she had learned about Vitalii Dragov, Nicoli Pavlovich, and the scumbags they associated with. She told them all about Dragov’s multibillion-dollar crime ring. Some of her contacts were able to shed some light on the ghost that Nicoli had become, and she did everything she could to help them understand that other than Xander himself, there might not be a more proficient killer on the planet.

  “The way it went down at the hospital was an anomaly, I assure you. Nicoli Pavlovich doesn’t miss, and he won’t miss again if he gets another chance.”

  “Okay, so why Xander’s parents?” Kyle asked. He turned to Xander. “I don’t get it, I knew your dad, he was like a second father to me. Sure, he was gone a lot, but he would never have been involved with a guy like Dragov. No way.”

  “If I may?” Sam jumped in. Xander nodded. He already knew what she was about to say. It was going to hurt to hear it out loud, but he was glad Sam had given him the info to read prior to the meeting. It would help the sting.

  “According to a file that Manning sent over yesterday, unfortunately, Kyle, you are mistaken.” Kyle just shook his head in disbelief. He wasn’t going to buy a word that came out of Sam’s mouth. “Martin King was an oil man—that, the entire world knows. He took what his father started and made it even bigger. He apparently did such a great job that it caught the interest of the world’s largest crime boss, Vitalii Dragov. Now, Kyle, part of what you said I believe is true. Xander’s father would not have been involved, I believe, if Dragov hadn’t forced him. That bei
ng said, in a file I was able to not so legally get my hands on, he stayed on and together the two of them made a lot of money.”

  That sentence, though Xander didn’t believe it, really hurt.

  “It was when Dragov got wind that Mr. King was going to turn on him that he made the decision to get rid of him. Unfortunately, Xander’s mother was caught in the crossfire. I’m sorry, Xander. I know this is tough to hear.”

  Xander stood and walked to the front of his desk. The sadness hung heavy in his eyes. Sarah and Kyle both looked on with empathy.

  “Unfortunately, what we did in Syria a couple of weeks ago resulted in the loss of a dear friend. But I know Sean would be proud of all of us. He’s somewhere in the great beyond cheering us on right now. You all know what it will mean to me to look into the eyes of the man responsible for the death of my parents, right before I take his life. But you need to know that this is my fight. Not yours.”

  “Let me just stop you right there, son.” Jack stood up. “I know I don’t know you very well, but I know by your track record that you’re a righteous man. And I don’t know any of the rest of you here, but I believe I know why you’re here. ‘Cause you would lay your life on the line for Xander, mostly ‘cause you know he’d do the same for you. And though our reasons might be different, Xander, ain’t a goddammed one of us letting you do this on your own. And we know full well what’s at stake.”

  Xander let that set in. He appreciated what Jack was saying. He could see in his friends’ eyes that they all agreed. The bridge he couldn’t form was over the gap in what Jack’s reasons were exactly.

  “I appreciate that, Jack, but why exactly do you give so much of a damn? You have to see it from my eyes, we don’t even know each other.”

  “I can’t say exactly, but let me just tell you that Manning, though he wasn’t aware of it, was influenced in his decision to bring me on board.”

  “Okay, but that isn’t enough. You know why we are all here. If we are going to war together, it’s only fair that we have that same level of familiarity with you.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Then you can go, Jack. And tell Manning to go fuck himself while you’re at it.” The sincerity in Xander’s statement could be read loud and clear in his eyes. Jack thought it over for a moment, then readjusted his belt.

  “If I tell you why, you have to promise there won’t be another question. Not one.”

  “I don’t make promises I can’t keep, Jack. Tell me why you’re here so we can get down to business.”

  Jacked paused, considering.

  “Jack, it was nice to meet you. You can see your way out—”

  “Your daddy was a friend of mine.”

  A chill wrapped around the bottom of Xander’s spine and slithered like a snake all the way up his back. And that was without knowing the full implications of Jack’s statement.

  He would know, soon.

  13

  Director Manning Has a Secret

  Back in Langley, Virginia—just above CIA headquarters—a dark-gray rain cloud hovered ominously overhead. It was a metaphor for the darkness that hovered over Director Manning. He sat alone in his office nervously working his leg up and down, waiting for the untraceable old Motorola StarTAC cell phone to ring. The call was supposed to come in at nine in the morning. It was now past nine-thirty, and with each passing second Manning’s mind raced. He couldn’t understand how in the hell he had put himself in this situation. The Director of the CIA was afraid. How on earth is that even possible? How many bad decisions had to be made to get him to this point? His shaking leg only picked up speed along with the continuous rise of his blood pressure.

  All of this was Xander’s fault.

  If he’d just kept on with his vigilante justice and not been so hell-bent on revenge. If Manning hadn’t put a woman in charge of watching Xander, a woman who of course fell for the pretty son of a bitch, he wouldn’t be in this spot either. All he wanted to do was make sure that Xander stayed in his lane. Stayed away from the big-boy business.

  Away from Manning’s secret.

  The secret that now involved an inevitable clash of the titans—Xander King against Vitalii Dragov—and he had a sickening feeling that in the middle of all of it, the blame would in some way get shifted to him. He knew Sarah was compromised, so he just let her go deeper in with Xander. At least then he knew what she was up to. Jack would report anything to the contrary back to him. He still wasn’t exactly sure why he put Jack on it. The suggestion came to him in the form of a report that showed the retired Special Agent Jack Bronson’s dislike of pretty boys. He’d pretty much dedicated his life to hating them. He was a rugged good ol’ boy, loyal to the core. Some of the men who had worked alongside him had reported back. That was the reason he chose him: someone who had been off the grid, didn’t like pretty boys, and would be loyal to his boss to the end. He didn’t like the way the meeting between Jack and Xander had gone, however. He hadn’t counted on the fact that Xander was just a good ol’ boy at heart himself. This factor could be a fatal mistake in this high stakes game of life and death. What’s done is done. Manning would just have to count on that loyalty that everyone he spoke with said made Jack the man he is. Loyalty. He just hoped the pendulum of Jack’s loyalty continued to swing his way.

  Manning almost jumped out of his chair when the loud trill of the Motorola finally rang. He banged his shaking leg on the desk, and pain rifled up his body like a chased cat up a tree. By ring number three he had managed a couple of deep breaths so he could answer the call normally.

  “You’re late.” Okay, not normally.

  “And you are incompetent.”

  The guttural grunt of the voice coupled with the Russian accent made Manning’s entire stubby body shudder.

  “I have it under control.”

  “This is what you said just before your men ended up dead on yacht in the Virgin Islands. I don’t think you have anything under this control.”

  “Oh, and I suppose you are one to talk. You killed eleven people at that hospital and not one of them was the target, all while blowing the cover of your number-one asset.”

  “Nicoli? Don’t worry about Nicoli, he will get job done. Unlike you.”

  Manning couldn’t sit still. He jumped up from his chair and began to pace the room. A waterfall of sweat cascaded down his lower back.

  “Listen, Dragov—”

  “No. It is your turn to listen.”

  Manning’s legs stopped pacing, but his heart didn’t. It thudded against his chest so hard it caused a shortness of breath.

  “You have man now, in Xander King’s camp, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you trust this man?”

  “His loyalty is his calling card.”

  “Calling card? What this means?”

  “Yes, I trust him.” Manning got to the point.

  “Good. Nicoli is ready to move. As soon as your man reports to you, you tell me where Xander will be and Nicoli will kill him.”

  “One man won’t be nearly enough.”

  “You let me worry about this.”

  “Just make sure you understand, one man won’t be enough. And, there is no need to wait. I got a call from my guy a half hour ago. Xander held a meeting this morning; they are leaving for London tomorrow where they will be meeting with British intelligence that claims to know your every move. Jack tells me that Xander’s closest confidant, Sam—ex-MI6—knows of a mole inside your organization. They are going to form their plan of attack after those meetings, then come directly for you.”

  “This horseshit. I have no mole.”

  “Apparently you need to tighten it up.”

  “Me? Dragov tighten it up? Fuck you, American pissant. The fact that I am in situation to begin with is your fault. Don’t think I have forgotten this.”

  Manning’s stomach dropped. For a moment, he had forgotten that fact and let his big mouth poke the proverbial bear.

  “I-I haven’t
forgotten.”

  “So, your man inside this Xander’s camp, he does not know our little secret, correct?”

  “No one knows our secret, Dragov. No one.”

  “Makes no difference to me really, but for you, big difference. You better hope Nicoli Pavlovich get to Xander before secret somehow get to him first.”

  “Are you threatening me, Dragov?”

  “Threat? No, no, no, no threat. Warning. If this Xander is legend that you say he is—which of course I doubt—then you better keep me in the loop on exactly where he is at every moment. Otherwise, maybe my enemy becomes your enemy. Вы понимаете меня?”

  “Yes, Dragov. I understand. Just make sure this secret stays between us. You wouldn’t want the CIA or the FBI taking any more interest than they already do in your business, would you?”

  “Then we have understanding. But don’t worry my friend, our problem ends in London. Nicoli will make sure of that.”

  14

  It’s a Long Story

  Xander pulled up the shade of the jet’s window, took a swig of his Red Bull, and let the warm sun wash over his face. Sam, Sarah, Kyle, and Jack were just rousing themselves from a night of sleep. They had decided to leave at night instead of in the morning like Jack had originally told Director Manning. Jack and Xander had just begun discussing the fact that Jack told Manning they were going to London, when in fact they were headed for Xander’s villa in Tuscany. Xander liked the location of the villa: remote enough to have it all to themselves, but only about a three-hour flight to Moscow, about seven hours closer than leaving from Lexington, once they were ready to make the move to end this thing with Dragov once and for all.

  Xander turned his attention from the sun floating over the Atlantic Ocean back to Jack. “And you’re sure he bought it?”