The adrenaline that had been pumping through me during the birth and Janelle’s resuscitation was quickly waning, making my body shudder with a wave of exhaustion. I felt as though I had run a marathon in the last 30 minutes. I felt someone grip my hand and look over to see Pops smiling at me and the baby.
“You did a good job, Nova. Thank you so much for taking a chance on my grandson.” He said, placing a kiss on both of our foreheads before stepping back.
Mecca and Tyra’s voices grew louder until they both turned to me with sad eyes before Mecca spoke. “Nova, we need to move to another location not far from here. Pops, can you get the kids. It's time to move.”
Pops left out of the door without a word and then everyone else went to work. It seemed as if each person had been given a job already and they were determined to finish it. When they had completed their task and there was no one left but me, the large guard and my son, things became real. Too real if I was being exact. It hit me that we wouldn't be waiting for Crew and the twins. This is what he had asked of me before he left. The thing that I had promised, but I wanted to say no. To demand that the guards still in the building go out and bring him back. I wouldn't do that though. I had given Crew my word and he had given mehis. He would come back to us and when he did his family would be safe.
“We’re ready. I think I'll be able to walk with the baby. There's not that much pain now that he's out of me. I’m only a little sore.” I said as the sound of shifting metal and the quake of an explosion snapped my head towards the monitors showing the scene outside but they’re all black. Crew intentionally turned them off when he left. He didn’t want me to see, to worry.
“We have to go, now.” Kema said, helping me off the bed and out of the door.
There were no flames or the scent of smoke, so the explosion had to be outside but close enough for it to rock this building. I say a quick prayer to protect us from any and all enemies.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we descended the stairs to the command center with the baby clutched to my chest.
“There’s a panic room right under us, sitting directly under the medical suite. The room is twice the size, soundproof and fireproof. Once the door is closed it can only be opened from the inside. If needed, we would be good for a month, but we’ll only need it for two days or however long it takes for Crew and my brothers to get here.” Mecca said.
Stepping over the threshold to the panic room was like stepping into another world. The room was exactly like Mecca said, large, spacious and equipped with everything we would need to survive for days down here. As soon as I came into view with the baby Timberly and DJ burst from the couch and rushed over to see him. I sat the baby in the bassinet by the sofa and took in the room as they cooed at him. The quiet in the room amongst the adults was a careful balance between exhaustion and relief. We had all gone through so much in a short amount of time and came out on the other side changed. Crew had made sure we would be safe while he was out there defending us andall we could do now was trust and believe that they would come back to us in one piece.
Chapter 15
Crew
“I livedup to my part of the bargain Mr. Sanderson. Now it’s time to hold up yours. Where is my son?” Valdez asked.
“The deal was for you to take your men down the mountain and I would release your son only after you were at a safe distance. Maybe my eyes don’t work so good, but it look like you still here.” I said.
“I don’t think I will. I think what I’ll do is come in there and get my son and while I’m at it I’ll take my future daughter-in-law too. How about that?” He smirked.
“I think your best bet is to get from around my gate before you can’t,” I growled.
“Is that so? Tomas come, bring me Maria.” He yelled, calling behind him.
The back driver's door opened on the SUV behind him and out stepped a short Hispanic man. He walked forward hoisting up a big ass rocket launcher onto his shoulder. The smile that spread across Valdez’s sleazy face when he saw it was deranged. Everybody in his camp was so busy watching the man with the launcher that they hadn’t seen the small woman in yoga pants climbing out the back seat of the hummer and running the opposite direction down the mountain road.
That nigga didn’t make it to the front door before the hummer exploded into a ball of fire, flipping over and crushing the little man and the SUV next to it. The explosion did exactly what it was supposed to do and pushed Valdez and his men back into firing range for my shooters to light them up. Valdez screams of pain were pitched high in anger; from his point of view, I had just murdered his wife and some of his men. Only if he knew the extent of my plans. The mountain road erupted into a haze of smoke, flames, gunfire and panicked screams. It was music to my ears. From our position it was easy to start picking them off one at a time, resulting in heavy losses for Valdez and nearly none for us. It was starting to look like a fair fight now that we had the upper hand. They got in some lucky shots but for the most part it was like a live game of duck hunt out this bitch.
“Do you have eyes on Valdez?” Black shouted over the noise of the battle.
The mercs were retreating to positions further down the road and behind bullet riddled vehicles. Valdez had to be hiding either with or behind them. We needed to drag him out and end this. I didn’t have time for this shit my wife was busy having my baby and I wasn’t about to be fight no fucking hundred-year war with this nigga. I scanned the wreckage of SUVs and bodies for the man that would end this. Right when I thought he was gone I saw him, he was hiding behind the smoking hull of the hummer, shouting orders to the men around him.
I picked up a rifle that leaned against the wall and took aim, but instead of the sound of my rifle the sound of another explosion ripping a hole in the top of the gate, taking a few of our men with it, rang through the night air. One of the mercs had got off a shot with the rocket launcher but they would have to do better if they wanted to get in here. This installation was built to withstand an invasion and that was exactly what they would have to bring to breach these walls.
“Bring me his son.” I ordered
“If they get off too many of those they just might get in. If they were smart, they would hit the same weak spot. Hopefully his mercs were cheap and didn’t excel at modern warfare.” Black said as he ordered the men on the wall to spread out and take cover.
“If we get his son up here, he won’t risk it.” I said.
“I been workin’ on a final move if the kid doesn’t work.” Blue said, typing something into the tablet strapped to his forearm.
“Do it, we need all the help we can get to finish this.” I said to him.
I watched from my spot behind the brick above me as two guards brought Valdez’s heir up the stairs and over to where we crouched. The boy's eyes were wide and full of fear, but he held his head up high in the face of possible death. The guards pushed his head down, so he was crouching as well, staying low until he made it in front of them.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked, I had to give it to him, he never dropped his eyes as I spoke to him.
“Yes, my father is obsessed with getting his hands on your daughter. He is crazy and I think you know that. But I’m not. Your daughter is just a kid and even if she wasn't I’m gay he said.” Lookin’ me right in the eye.
