**** Charity gasped when the first of many shots rangout. Soon the air was filled with the sound of weapons fire in the distance. Thankful that Michael was such a sound sleeper, she placed him in the crib and scanned the various play pens and carry cribs filled with sleeping angels of the ranch. A sound brought her attention to Drina stepping through the doorway, her face white, and hugging herself tightly. As if to ward off a chill.
"The other kids are all sleeping in the master bedroom, and the playroom, next door. Alex is going to be making the rounds in the house while Jason is standing watch by the front door, and one of the new ranch hands is guarding the back. The locks and shutters on all the windows are locked tight, the French doors in our room are closed but not locked."
"What about the girls?"
Drina smiled, "Ava, and Carlyn are baby sitting in the playroom on the first floor. Kaylee and Brittany are on the second floor," (she held two fingers up and made quotation marks in the air). 'locked, loaded and ready for bearr'. If I had my way they wouldr be with the kids as well, Alex too, but....that suggestion didn't go over very well." She grimaced and roled her eyes and Charity grinned.
***
Kyle dropped the mobster to the ground and turned to his father and Rowdy. "How many does that make?"
Rowdy grinned and said, "That was the last of 'em. They were pretty well organized, but none of 'em had any form of military trainin' and several have been going to MikkeyDee's to often." as he walked away.
Beau bit back a grin and Kyle took a deep breath and shook his head. Rowdy had enjoyed making that report a little too much. "You know, this isn't a game ole man." He said.
Rowdy stopped in his tracks and turned slowly. Narrowed green eyes locked with dark brown ones, "What did you just call me....boy?"
Brick (who had been helping with the wounded) stood and spoke to Rowdy. "He called you 'ole man'.... ole man. You might want to get used to it." He hoped Rowdy couldn't see how hard he was biting the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing.
Rowdy was about to answer when they heard Alex's rifle. Kyle ordered four wranglers to stand watch over the captives and care for the wounded ranch hands. "You other men, come with us." They all grabbed a horse and took off for Beau's place.
***
Alex nodded and spoke into his cell phone as he checked the mudroom, "Yeah, yeah. I know, Bear. I know. So far all the action has been away from the house and around the barns. It's so quiet here except for babies crying and video games it's almost boring." he complained. "I wanted to go with pop and help but mom threw a hissy fit and I had to stay here. All I'm doing is walking around the rooms checkin' and recheckin'."
At the other end of the line Bear chuckled and shook his head at the teen's naive desire for action. "I know it all sounds exciting, Alex; but what you're doing is of absolute importantance. Those children are not just helpless but the future, they have to be protected at all costs. We can't let that woman use Charity and Michael as weapons for her own ends." The big Native American heard the teenagers huge sigh so clearly he could almost feel it.
"I know, I know, I don't want 'em hurt either. Don't worry, I'll watch out for em." Alex roled his eyes. "I'll call you in another half hour or so as ordered," Alex said and was closing the phone, when he was grabbed from behind.
Later, he would put thought into exactly what happened but somehow the rifle went off by itself...his finger hadn't even been on the trigger of his Winchester!
"Hello, Alex. It's nice to meet you. I'm George."
The teen couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'You have got to be kidding me. This guy is helping those mobsters, yet he's telling me his name. Hmmm, maybe....'
"Uh, Hi, George. Nice to meet you too. Did you have to sneak up on me like that? Now my mom's gonna kill me for shootin' the rifle an putting a hole in the wall, and it'll be even worse if it woke any of the babies. Mind lettin' me up?"
George looked down at the kid, but after a while he saw no harm in that. After all, he was a full grown man and....how strong could this kid be anyway?
***
Charity was just checking Michael and the other toddlers when she heard the sudden crack of a rifle. She spun around to find herself face to face with the buisness end of a double barrel shotgun. A man's voice came from behind her. "Hello, Mrs. Ford."
With a killer in front of her and a rifle shot from downstairs, Charity had only one thought. Michael!
Charity kept herself between their attacker and the crib. "What do you want?"
The man just smiled, "Good afternoon ma'am, my name's Marvin." He started to hold his hand out but grinned apologetically and said, "I'm supposted to kill ya, but." He shrugged, shuffled his feet and blushed. "I wasn't expecting you to be so pretty, buuut I'm willing to make a deal."
Cherry felt her mouth drop to her chest. 'Ummmm. You've got to be joking. This is the big bad assassion?'
"A deal?"
He grinned at her, "That's right. See, if you'll come with me and be my girl and I won't have to kill ya." He lowered the rifle and leaned toward her conspiratorially. "I'll give you all you need to eat an drink, and I have a trailer and I'll buy ya pretty clothes and all the gee gaws ya want."
Charity wasn't sure if she needed to be scared of the guy or not, that is until a shadow appeared in the doorway.
"Step aside you imbecile.". "You know the boss wants the entire family dead. That includes her."
Marvin's face went pale as the icy cold voice filled the room. The small man stepped to the side and lowered his head. The bigger man sneared and roughly shoved him aside.
"But...I like her, I'd keep her out of everybody's way. She's nice....an' she's pretty."
He reminded Charity of a dog with his between his legs. She watched as a large man stepped through the door and into the light. Shock ran through her and her blood ran cold.
His eyes, there were a deep, dark violet. Like Brick's.
***
Beau, Kyle, and Brick were trying to get a feel for what they were up against when the mud room door flew open. To their surprise George came flying out to role across the snow covered ground. Beau looked up to see Alex standing in the door way knuckles bloody.
When the teen saw his father he said, "No offence, pop; but I think I'll stick to being an actor. The real thing is a little much for my liking."
Brick chuckled as he finished tieing up the flunky. "Well, at least one member of your family is normal."
Kyle was about to answer when a scream of pure terror and pain filled his ears. "Charity!" He pulled his weapon free and ran as quietly as possible, followed closely by the others to the upstairs, with the exception of Alex and another ranch hand to watch George.
***
Charity stepped back until one of the cribs blocked her path. The man before her had a sick psychotic smile. It wasn't Brick, but those violet eyes, and his build.
"You're not Brick."
He grinned at her, "Ah. I see you've met my cousin. Nice to meet a friend of Gabriel's even though our relationship is going to be so brief." He sneared.
"Who are you?"
That sickening laugh caused the hair so stand up on the back of her neck. "My name is of no concern to you missy. You don't get it, do you? I'm here to do my job. And, as for who I am....well, I guess I can tell you that since you're not going to live long enough to tell anyone. Now are you?"
Cherry's body began shaking, but she was determined to not let this monster see how terrified she was. 'His eyes. They're dead. There's no life in them at all.'
The man grabbed Charity by the wrist and and twisted it as he yanked her to him. The sudden twist and jarring motion sent a stabbing pain through her arm, forcing a scream of pure terror and pain from her. She felt his breath on her cheek as he whispered.
"My name is Zloba Ivanov at your service." He gave a mocking bow.
Charity opened her eyes as another shaft of pain ran up her arm. 'Definitely broken. What will he do to the babies? I can't let him near the cribs.'
"Zloba, that means venom in Russion, right?. That's it right? You're not the head of the snake, you're the poision from it's bite. You're the assassion."
He grinned down at her as his grip tightened around her wrist. "Nice try, honey, but I am no filthy assassion. I'm the Head Enforcer. And, right now I really love my job."
Charity could feel the razer sharp edge of a blade pressed against her throat. "Time to say goodnight and goodbye to your cowboy cop, sweetheart."
Charity slammed her eyes closed, 'God, please help and protect Kyle and the others. Protect these children, as a shepard would his flock. I will gladly give my life as long as the children, and the rest of my family are safe.'