“My GPS dot that you had Mary Alice put on her worked perfectly She’s waiting at the private airfield in Charleston.” Ryker heard Kale typing. “And now she’s waiting a little longer as the private jet she was going to take is having a mechanical issue. Those darn computers, you never know when they can act up.”
“Would this happen to be the same airport—?”
“It sure is. Their planes will land in thirty minutes,” Kale answered before Ryker could even finish asking the question.
“Wait, planes as in plural?” Ryker asked, stepping farther away from the group so he could hear Kale better.
“That’s why I’m calling. The containers were transported to a train headed for New York City. I was able to see the drivers of the trucks for the first time when they offloaded them two hours ago. They’re Di Maio family members. While Dylan, Abby, and Greer were running your little errand, I had them make a detour. I hope I was correct in this matter.”
“Yes, you’re correct,” Ryker said, his brow furrowed as he thought it through. “This doesn’t make sense. The Porzio and Di Maio families hate each other. Why would they be working together to bring me down?”
“I can’t find any evidence to show that they are, but you never know. They’re old school. They won’t say anything on phones or write anything down. It’s all handshakes, which are untraceable to someone like me. What do you need me to do now?” Kale asked.
Ryker turned and looked at everyone he loved in the bar. He had one chance to get to the bottom of this and he had an idea of how to do it. “I’ll text you my instructions.”
He hung up, sent a text, and then made a call. “Sorry to wake you. I need your help.”
An hour later, everything was in place as three SUVs with blacked-out windows pulled up to the church in Shadows Landing. The doors of each SUV opened and out stepped Ryker’s cousin Dylan; Dylan’s wife, Abby; and Ryker’s other cousin, Greer. The trio was from Keeneston, Kentucky, and while Ryker didn’t know exactly what Dylan and Abby did, he knew Greer was an FBI hostage rescue leader who had taken a leave of absence to work with them. He knew it was off the books, and he knew Sebastian Abel and the president of the United States were involved. That’s where his knowledge ended.
Dylan was a tall, strong, fierce man. His wife was stunning but had a look in her eyes that made most men shiver. Then there was Greer, who looked like the sweet girl next door with her happy smile and her honey-brown hair.
Greer smiled and waved at him, all the Faulkner cousins, and friends she’d made in Shadows Landing over recent years. Ryker smiled back and turned to the door of the church. He gave a nod and a second later the low gong of a single church bell tolled. The back doors to the three SUVs opened as Dylan, Abby, and Greer reached in and each pulled out a person with a black bag over their head.
It was ten at night, clouds covered the moon, and the gators bellowed off in the distance as if knowing danger was at hand. Then, add in the slow, deep gong of the single bell, and the whole feel was something right out of an Edgar Allan Poe story.
The three people were dragged up the steps of the church as the town of Shadows Landing watched with sabers, cutlasses, and daggers in hand. They began to slowly tap them together. Click. Click. Click. Ryker smiled as they all gave him a wink and a grin as he walked by them.
A sudden strong burst of chilly air blew through the town, then was just as quick to disappear. Skeeter laughed out loud and one of the hooded people stumbled. “Anne Bonny doesn’t take it lightly when her town is attacked,” Skeeter whispered to Ryker who patted him on the shoulder as the sound of the gators grew louder and louder.
“Tell her I don’t either,” Ryker murmured back as the three were led into the church.
Ryker followed the three hooded guests into the church. Inside, Peter, Paxton, Granger, Dare, and Kenzie were waiting with three more hooded figures. Kenzie was sitting about four rows from the front when Tinsley and the rest of his family slid into the pew next to her to offer their support. Behind them the rest of the town silently took their seats.
Reverend Winston stood at the altar as if conducting his choir. He motioned for an increase of clicking until it crescendoed and then he cut them off and the church fell into an abrupt silence. He stepped down and Mary Alice, with her nun’s habit on and holding her yardstick by her side, stepped up. She held up her hand and counted down from three to one with her fingers. When she reached one, the hoods were yanked simultaneously from the six people sitting together in the front pew.
They all turned to look around with complete surprise. They weren’t expecting a church filled with armed citizens, a retired nun, a pastor, Ryker, and his badass family and friends.
Then they looked at each other and Ryker saw anger fill their faces.
“Di Maio,” Joseph Porzio spat twice before Mary Alice’s yardstick came smacking down on his hand. “Sorry, sister.”
“It’s no wonder you’re here,” Mary Alice said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I remember you both, and more importantly, I remember your good-for-nothing children. How many times were you called into my office because your son or your daughter . . .” she said, motioning to Michael Di Maio, the head of the Di Maio mob, and then to Joseph Porzio, the head of the Porzio mob, “. . .was in trouble.”
“I thought that yardstick felt familiar,” Joseph mumbled before a shiver went through him. Michael Di Maio crossed himself and then ducked his head when Mary Alice saw him.
“Nico, do you know this woman?” Ryker asked, pointing to Bianca.
“No,” he said after looking at her carefully. “Should I?”
“Joseph, Michael, do either of you know her?” Ryker asked the two older bosses who both leaned over to get a good look at her and then shook their heads that they didn’t know her. “What about you, Little Joey, and you, Fat Joey?” he asked the Porzio and Di Maio Charleston heads.
They were both quiet and Mary Alice stepped forward, tapping her yardstick menacingly in her hand. “Mr. Faulkner asked you a question,” Mary Alice said in her most threatening tone.
“Now answer,” Joseph demanded of his eldest grandchild.
“She’s Fat Joey’s girl, but she says he’s mean to her and she wanted me to help escape him,” Little Joey sneered to his archrival.
Fat Joey looked as if he’d been punched in the face. His surprise was real. “Wait, what? She told me you were the abusive boyfriend and you’d kill her if she left you. She came to me to ask me to save her from you.”
Bianca’s jaw clenched and hatred filled her eyes. Ryker didn’t take his eyes off her as her two pawns began to realize they’d been played. Thanks to Kale for finding and hacking a second phone they’d not known about, they’d learned the truth.
“What was she asking you to do to help her escape, Little Joey?” Ryker asked, again not taking his eyes from Bianca.
“To kill Fat Joey,” Little Joey answered.
Fat Joey shook his head, his face turning red with anger. “She was going to have me kill you tonight,” he said to Little Joey.
“As a woman you both were trying to save, did you give her access to the family?” Ryker asked, knowing the answer.