“Set us down. Corporal, you have the wheel.”
Corporal Davis took command of the chopper while Torr, Ware, and Green grabbed weapons, exited, and jogged to the spot where Jas and Loretta had left the road. Torr handed Ware a bullhorn. “Call your daughter, sir.”
Ware complied. When she appeared, she screamed happily, “Daddy!”
Jasmine ran to him, and he scooped her up in a bear hug. Loretta followed her and sat down beside the road in what appeared to be grateful exhaustion. When Jasmine saw Torr, she broke free from her father and ran to him. He grabbed her up and held on like he needed her to breathe. Truthfully, he did. “So sorry I let you get taken.”
“Not your fault. No blaming yourself allowed.”
Elliot soon joined them. That was when they heard the sirens.
Up the road roared three blue police cars, headlights on, red-and-blue lights flashing up top. A helicopter with FBI on its side appeared above them. The doors of the cop cars flew open. The officers, guns drawn, took up defensive stances behind the doors, and a tall Black man in a blue police uniform bellowed through a bullhorn.
“Drop your weapons and lay on the ground!”
Torr tossed his rifle down while enjoying the total confusion on Rick Ware’s face. Torr gave his second a nod and she lay down, as did Torr, Jasmine, and the Vernons.
Ware didn’t move.
“You! On the ground!”
“I’m with the Detroit Police Depart—”
“I don’t care if you’re from fucking Wakanda! You don’t come into my county and raise havoc with choppers and blowing shit up! Get on the ground! Now!”
Jasmine said, “Daddy, please do what he says.”
Shooting daggers at the man, Rick Ware finally complied and lay down.
They were all arrested, handcuffed, transported to the local police station, and placed in the lone cell.
Rick Ware grunted. “This is a fine mess.”
Torr agreed. “Ever been arrested before?”
“No! I do the arresting. It’s never been the other way around.”
Jasmine sat on a cot next to Torr. “You all made a helluva entrance, though. When that black helicopter began firing, Taylor probably shit his pants. And, Daddy, you sounded like the voice of God calling my name.”
After an hour, Chief Basehart, the same Black man who’d arrested them, entered the cell along with an Asian man wearing an FBI windbreaker. He introduced himself as David Tsang.
The chief said, “We’ve never had this kind of madness in the county before, and I hope to never have it again. Who’s Noble?”
Torr raised a hand. “Here.”
“You’ve got more government security clearance than the vice president. You, your team, Ms. Ware, Mr. Ware, and Mrs. Vernon are free to go. Don’t come back.”
Elliot said, “What about me?”
Tsang said, “You’re going with me. Along with Gabriel and his men.”
Elliot dropped his head. Loretta shook hers. “Good luck, Elliot. Me and my hands are going home. I’m done.”
Her husband pleaded, “But, Loretta!”
She shook her head. “Nope, I’m out. I know you and Faye Mason from the choir have been bed buddies for a while. Maybe call her.”
Elliot looked like he wanted to throw up.
Jas stared. Any sympathy she may have had for Elliot instantly went out the door. No way would she try to talk Loretta into staying, not after that bombshell. Her Taser had saved the day, though, and Jas would be sending her flowers as soon as they got home.
“And my chopper?” Torr asked.
The chief smirked. “We’re confiscating it.”
“What!”
“Illegal use of airspace, public endangerment, deploying weapons of mass destruction—a whole list of illegalities. It’ll be a nice addition to our garage.”
Shocked, Torr stared. “Do you know how much that chopper costs?”
“Yes, which is why we’re keeping it. Little country mice like us can’t afford big-city toys.”
Torr turned to Agent Tsang, who shrugged. “Wish I could help. I’ll see what the higher-ups in DC have to say. I don’t see them stepping in, however.”
Torr felt Jasmine rub his back sympathetically. It helped, but barely.
The chief eyed them all once more. “You’re free to go, and let me repeat: don’t come back.”
Agent Tsang was nice enough to ferry them back to Birmingham in one of the Bureau’s choppers to retrieve the jet. Once everyone was seated and strapped in, Torr flew north for home.
When they touched down, Mrs. Ware was waiting at the hangar and gathered her daughter in a long, teary hug. Torr’s brothers were waiting for him too.
Torr shook hands with Jasmine’s dad. “Thanks for riding shotgun.”
“Been a long time since I had that much fun—not the getting arrested part, of course.”
Torr smiled. “Of course.”
When it was time to say goodbye to Jasmine, Torr didn’t want to. He wanted to take her to his place so they could watch the sunset and enjoy each other for the rest of their days. As he held her close, she said, “Thanks again for the rescue.”
“You and Mrs. Vernon rescued yourselves. I just provided the cherry on top. Your daddy’s glaring. Think he’ll hurt me if I kiss you?”
“Not with my mother standing beside him. She likes you even more now.” And she gifted him with a long, lingering kiss that left him spinning. She slowly pulled back, smiling. “There’ll be more of those real soon.”
“Just say when.”
She gave him one more, and they heard her daddy clear his throat. She shot him a glare of her own, as did her mother, but it was time to go. “I’ll see you later, my Torr the Brave.” She trailed a parting caress down his cheek.
“See you, my Lady Librarian.”
He watched her walk off with her parents. He was glad she was well and in one piece, but he couldn’t wait until he could have her all to himself.
CHAPTER NINE
Jasmine spent the next two days at her parents’ home being fussed over and spoiled as if she were a kid again. Her sisters came by to hear about the adventure and asked a million and a half questions about Torr the Brave and their relationship. Jasmine played sphinx. Her mother fixed her favorite dessert, caramel cake, and her dad kept coming into her old room where she was reading and resting up as if to make sure she hadn’t been snatched again. By day three, she was ready to go home. Although her parents pouted, she gave them each a parting kiss on the cheek and had Terri swing by to drive her back to her condo.
Approaching her front door, she flashed back to the dart in the back, but then she set it aside as best she could and went in. Terri entered, too, and took a seat. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay here alone?”
“I am. Thanks for driving me home.”
“That’s what sisters of the heart are for. Have you talked to your Brave One?”
“Not yet. Wanted to give him alone time, and me time to think about our relationship.”
“And your conclusion?”
“I don’t know. I feel like it should take more than a week to decide you want to spend the rest of your life with someone.”