Chapter 01: First Sign of Danger

“Is everyone alright?” Alexa asked, walking around each Stark and examining them for injuries.

“We’re fine, Hannah!” Travis nearly shouted as he and his family gathered in the kitchen. “Now would you please tell us what is going on? Who was just shooting at us?”

“Travis, there’s something you need to know,” she paused and listened intently.

“Continue,” Travis urged, frustrated and tired as he worried about his family’s safety. The lights cut out and both Melissa and Dylan cried.

“Shh, it’ll be ok,” Alexa said, doing her best to calm them.

“Don’t say that! You don’t know that for sure,” Melissa whined in response.

“Quiet!” Everyone stilled and Alexa glanced at the double glass doors near the back patio. “Someone’s coming.”

“I’m calling the police,” Joan replied, moving towards the phone on the wall.

“They won’t get here in time,” Alexa stated calmly. Her mind raced with the available options, most importantly, could she get to her car and her hidden weapons cache in the trunk in time?

“It’s dead,” Joan announced, hearing the silence on the other end of the receiver.

“Cell phones!” Travis suggested and scooped his from the sideboard in the hallway. “No service,” he growled, slamming it to the counter. “What is going on here?”

“They’re getting closer,” Alexa warned, listening intently as she waited for confirmation.

“Maybe it’s security coming to get us,” Joan said, pulling her youngest child closer.

“I highly doubt that.” Moments later, she heard the rustling of shoes against the stone pavement on the back patio. “Wait here, I’m going to have a look around.”

“Hannah, what if it’s him…your ex?” Joan and Travis turned to look at their son simultaneously, both obviously thinking the same thing.

“It’s not.”

“There’s no way you can be sure about that!”

“I am.”

“How?”

“Gavin, get your family to a secured room, one without windows. Find some sort of weapons and lock yourselves inside. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, you’re not seriously thinking about going out there alone? What if they’re armed?”

“That’s likely the case,” she replied, barely glancing in his direction as she looked for options out of the large mansion. “I can handle myself, Gavin, trust me,” she sighed, finally turning towards him. “Just worry about your family.”

“Hannah…”

“Gavin, go!” She waited for him to move and watched as the Starks gathered in the library at the center of the house. Shutting the door, Alexa crept back into the kitchen and grabbed the sharpest knife in the drawer. Slowly, she opened the service entrance and slipped out into the chilly autumn air. Pinning herself against the wall, she slid her back along the glass windows until she reached the edge of the home. Alexa ducked and poked her head around one corner to get a look. Slinking through the trees near the pool house were two men, both armed. Another was just at the patio doors, preparing to storm the place.

They were dressed in lightweight tactical gear equipped with throwing knives and grenades; they meant business. Three was all she saw but she assumed there had to be more. The body of one guard was lying face up near the dock. Another was leaning against the side of the house; he appeared to still be breathing. Carefully she made her way forward.

“Help me…” he groaned as she moved closer.

“Shh. I will, but you need to remain calm.” He had a bullet hole in his right shoulder and another in his lower abdomen. Both were survivable wounds. “How many are there?”

“I don’t know,” he coughed and grunted in pain. “I saw 4. They’re moving to opposite sides of the property.”

“Covering every exit,” Alexa added. Their tactics screamed military or some other sort of precision unit. Using her knife, she cut away the legs of his pants and created a tourniquet for his arm and a compress for his stomach. “Hold this here. I’ll get help.” Alexa placed the knife on top of the guard’s lap, put her hands beneath his armpits and dragged him to the shed near the edge of the property. “Wait here and don’t make a sound.” Closing him inside, Alexa quietly crept back towards the house.

“Mom, would you please calm down?” Gavin almost shouted.

“Calm down? You brought that girl into our home knowing someone was after her? I have your brother and sister to worry about, Gavin. What on earth were you thinking? And I knew it. I knew from the second she set foot in my home she was trouble. I told you, Travis, didn’t I tell you that? I never trusted her. I knew something like this was going to happen.”

“You knew she had a violent ex-boyfriend she sent to prison who recently skipped bail and tracked her down to get revenge?” Gavin mused.

“Well…not that exactly,” Joan stammered, becoming a little flustered. “But I knew something was off it’s why I didn’t want you proposing to her. I told you it felt like she was holding something back.”

“From you, yeah, never from me, Mom. Hannah’s told me everything!” he yelled, backing his Mom down from another rant about why his fiancée was no good for him. “I brought her here because she was thinking about running off; leaving town. She begged me not to, fearing for your safety, but I did it anyway. I didn’t want to lose her so I convinced her to come. I thought she’d be safe here. And from the second she set foot in your home you’ve treated her like a second class citizen; something I never would have expected from you, Mom.” 

“I had no idea about her past, Gavin. How was I supposed to know? You never said anything. You told us you were having your place fumigated.”

“Yeah. I lied to you, Mom, ME not Hannah. See? Not everyone is who you think they are,” he sighed, briefly glanced at his father and began pacing the room. “Screw this,” Gavin growled and stormed out of the room.

“Gavin, get back here! Gavin!” He closed the door on his father’s protest and moved along down the hall.

“Hannah?” he quietly called for her as he slunk around the corner. “Hannah, where are you? Hannah?” A gag noise from behind quickly spun him.

Gavin watched as Alexa snuck up on one of the gunmen, placed her hand over his mouth, and slit his throat in front of him. He gasped and she put her finger over her lips, telling him to keep quiet. Motioning for him to duck, Alexa threw the knife with catlike precision catching another in the chest. He fell. The gun in his hand fired one shot into the wall as a gradual pool of blood settled around him. 

Alexa retrieved the weapons from both men and yanked Gavin into the hall behind her. “What the hell are you doing? I told you to lock yourself up.”

“I was worried something might happen to you.”

“And I told you I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah I can see that! Where did you learn…?”

“Not now. I need to get to the roof.”

“What? Why?”

“These men have some sort of signal blocker blanketing the property. I need to disable it so I can get a call out. Here,” she said, handing him a gun. “You know how to use one of these?”

“Yeah you just point and shoot right? Really I should be asking you that.”

“I don’t think you want to know the answer to that question, Gavin.”

“Something tells me you’re right.”

“Stay behind me and keep your head down.” Alexa moved but Gavin remained put. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Something just…I can’t put my finger on it.”

“About me? Gavin, I promise I won’t hurt you, but my job doesn’t allow me to explain further.”

“Your job? I thought you were a lawyer.”

“Well I am…sorta. Look, there’ll be plenty of time for explanations later. Right now, my only concern is getting you and your family to safety. So, will you please follow me to the roof? We really need to re-establish communication so we can get help. Are you with me or not?”

“Yeah. I’m with you.” Quietly they entered the adjacent hall in the over-sized home. Alexa motioned for Gavin to wait as she scanned the area for any movement. Satisfied it was secured she had him move up and they continued to the stairs and the 2^nd floor. She prepared to open a window in the guest bedroom and Gavin pulled her back. “Wait.”

“What?” she whispered and he pointed towards the red light on the sensor in the top corner, indicating the alarm was activated. “Good catch.” While the phones would not alert authorities, thanks to the block, the alarm could potential signal to anyone on the property where the system was triggered.

Taking the lead, he stood on the windowsill and gently detached the cable from the inside of the sensor. “I grew up here, remember? I’ve been disabling these since I was 14,” he shrugged at Alexa’s shocked expression. The light blinked twice and turned off. “Here, I’ll give you a boost and be right behind you.” Hoisting her up and out, Alexa climbed the slope above the bedroom and rested on a ledge as she waited for him to join her. 

“There.” Just in front of them was the small device that had been launched into position, disabling transmissions.

“That little thing is what shut the phones down?” Gavin asked, watching Alexa pull it from the shingles and crush it beneath the butt of her gun.

“We should be back in business now.” Quickly, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Kasper’s number.

“Alexa? Alexa?”

“K!”

“Where are you?”

“I’m with Gavin.”

“What? Didn’t you get my message?”

“I did.”

“Why didn’t you run?”

“I had to get them out of here first. Hello?” The voice on the other end started cutting in and out and Alexa noticed another device on the opposite end of the roof. “Shit! Listen, K, if you can hear me…”

“Alexa?”

“K? Hello? Hello?” Static buzzed louder in her ear and she hung up the phone. “Damn it!”

“Now what?”

“Now we get your family and get the hell out of here. I counted three armed men. Your guard said he saw four. Two that I know of have been taken care of but there’s no telling how many more they’ll send.” Gavin shook his head in disbelief. “What?”

“Who are you?”

“Come on,” Alexa sighed, leading him down the stairs and back towards the library. 

“Gavin!” Joan ran forward, pulling her eldest into her arms. “We heard more shooting and…”

“Mom, I’m fine…we’re—Hannah and I are both fine.”

“Let’s go, we’re getting out of here before the others complete their sweep,” Alexa instructed.

“Others?” Travis inquired as he moved his daughter behind him. “Who are these people?”

“I don’t know. The only thing I am certain of, Travis, is that these people are here to kill you.”

“What?! What are you talking about? Why would they be here for me?”

“Pinkus, the big guy with the mole on his forehead said he overheard a voice on a radio mention something like you ignored his phone call and now they’re getting their payment.”

“Phone call? Payment? What…?” his face became white as a sheet and Alexa could see the wheels in his head spinning. “What else did he tell you?”

“Nothing. He died before he could tell me more so I don’t know the details,” she lied. “Now there’s no time to really get into it. We need to get you and your family out of here. Follow me and be very quiet.” Alexa led the family down into the basement. It was one place she’d scouted in her time at their home that seemed the most likely of escape routes in dire situations. 

Luckily for her, the Starks had chosen to hide in the library. It was only three doors down from the basement entrance. She motioned for them to wait, checked the adjacent hallway, and then quietly escorted them down the wooden staircase. “Gavin, can you give me a hand with this?” Sliding the washing machine under a window, Alexa hopped up and checked the outside for movement. “Ok, one at a time. When you’re out, make a break for the trees on the south end of the property. There’s an injured guard hiding in the shed, you’ll be safe there.”

“What about you?” Gavin asked, watching her move back to the door. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to distract them while you make your escape.”

“Distract them? Are you insane?”

“Probably,” she shrugged and started up the stairs. Alexa snuck around the corner, listening carefully for any signs of life. A door creaked. Living room. Holding her weapon at the ready, she moved forward. Alexa took a deep breath, aimed her gun at the intruder and fired. He went down, gripping his neck as he fell. Immediately she was on him. After disarming him, she held her hand to his wound and pressed a knee into his back, wrenching his arm behind him. “Who are you?” she growled in a low tone. “Who sent you?”

The man wheezed. Air was rapidly escaping his lungs and Alexa pushed her knee deeper into his ribs. “Don’t make me ask twice.”

“WET…”

“What?”

“WET…WET sent me. Please…” Alexa was too distracted by the man beneath her that she failed to notice the second one enter the room. He gripped her from behind, pulling her into a chokehold, her weapon fell to the floor. Alexa kicked as she tried to free herself but it was no use.  

They struggled. Stumbling into a bookcase. The crashing of glass and books toppling over would certainly alert anyone else of their presence. Alexa needed to get the upper hand, fast. She leaned to the right, into his arm. Her assailant yanked her back. Alexa pounded at his chest. Hard elbows to the gut. He grunted but never let up. 

Groping over his suit, her fingers closed over a knife and she quickly stabbed it into the fleshy part of his thigh. He screamed, loosening his grip on her and at the same time she reached for a vase and smashed it over his head. Finally, he released her and she fell forward. He reached for something. He was going for his backup! Alexa searched the room, her eyes falling on her weapon near the bookcase. Shit. Too far. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of his gun’s barrel and quickly rolled. He fired one shot. Miss. He fired another and she felt a stinging in her arm.

The bullet had grazed her. Bloodied but not out, she explored her options just as he had her cornered near the wall. Grinning, he raised his weapon to her head. Chambered and ready, she closed her eyes and waited. Gavin entered just then and without a second thought, he fired. 

She flinched at the sound. The man’s body fell at her feet and slowly she opened her eyes. The bullet entered the back of his skull and his brains exited his forehead. Alexa looked up in shock and sluggishly got to her feet. “Are you ok?” Gavin asked, stepping more into the room. He noticed her arm and tore off the bottom of his shirt to dress it.

“Thank you, I’m fine. Are you ok?” she asked, noticing his eyes on the man on the floor. “Gavin?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah…I—I’m…I’m…is he…is he dead?”

“Yes. That’s usually what happens when you shoot someone in the head.” She glanced over at him as he continued staring at the blood oozing from the body. “Don’t look at that, look at me. Are you good?”

“Yeah, Hannah, I’m…processing.”

“Ok,” she sighed and allowed him time. “Why did you come back inside?”

“Are you seriously asking me that? I got everyone to safety like you said but I had to keep that same promise to you. You’re my family too or did you forget about the ring on your finger? Hannah…” He gently touched her face and she smiled.

“You’re crazy.”

“Probably,” he grinned. She had long accepted that she was his world but that didn’t mean she was comfortable with him making foolish decisions on her behalf. “What about him?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Alexa walked back towards the injured gunman and he reached his hand for her. “Please…help me.”

“You know I can’t let you live,” she replied, retrieving her gun. “But I’ll make this quick.” Hovering over him, she fired a single shot into his head. His mouth fell open. His last breath escaped his lungs and his head rolled to the side.

“That’s four,” Gavin observed, blinking hard to wash the image from his mind. “You’re not a lawyer so what are you? Some sort of government agent? Are you a spy? Were you planted here to look after my Dad? Does this have anything to do with the blackmail? Jesus. Have you been lying to me this whole time?” The questions fired off one after the other. Alexa hesitated, deciding her next move. The look on Gavin’s face told her he’d believe anything she said to him right now but even as desperate as she felt, she couldn’t bring herself to lie to him again. The lights of an approaching vehicle flashed in the kitchen windows. 

Alexa rushed from the room to check the potential threat and sighed with relief. “It’s Kasper.”

“I thought you said his name was Brian,” Gavin replied, watching K move up the driveway. “There’s a lot I don’t know about you, isn’t there?” Alexa bowed her head, feeling the weight of all of the lies she had told and nodded yes. “At some point, we need to have a conversation about what really went on here tonight and anything else you haven’t told me.”

“Gavin, I…” Before she had the chance to respond, Kasper screamed. Glancing out the window Alexa watched as three men tossed him into the back of his SUV. “Kasper!” she shouted and hurried out the door. She rushed to the right and through an adjacent field, moving quickly to gain some distance. Hurtling over fallen branches and rocks towards the street, Alexa made it to the road just in time to watch the taillights fade into the night. “KASPER!”

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