Page 138 of After 5

I gave Darryl the signal and he released Daphne. She opened her wings, swooped down, and scooped up Tonto, carrying him safely out the pitching window toward the clickety-click of Darryl’s clicker Gertie manipulated in the parking lot of the Grab-N-Gas.

“I’ve got the key,” Gertie sang into our ears. We’d meet her back at the townhouse later.

Victory and Angel were huddled together behind Jake, who had just broken a chair over Mortas.

Marco grabbed Mortas from behind. “He’s mine, boss man!”

Jake turned his attention toward Gian-Carlo.

“Gian-Carlo, you’re under arrest for extortion and kidnapping a non-traveler.” Jake moved toward the old man.

Gian-Carlo backed up a few paces toward Mahlia. He signaled one of his goons.

The burley Italian tossed a canister at Jake. It rolled across the floor and exploded, releasing billows of smoke. Caiyan wasn’t the only one using smoke and mirrors.

Brodie tackled the burley henchman as the smoke shrouded the room, allowing Gian-Carlo and Mahlia to exit the building.

“The old man and the twiggy witch are leaving,” Ace said.

“Try to stop them.” Jake coughed the order to Ace.

“What do you want me to do, hon, throw myself in front of their moving vehicle?”

Four simultaneous yeses blasted into my ear.

“Rude,” Ace replied.

“We’ll block their exit,” Gerry said.

“Scratch that,” Ace said. “They didn’t get into the car, Mahlia called her vessel. She’s taking Gian-Carlo with her.”

“Bullocks, they were gone before I could get to them,” Campy reported in.

The smoke was so thick I barely discerned Mortas and Marco trading punches. A payback for the goose egg Mortas left him in Gettysburg.

“You about done, Rocky Balboa?” I hollered at Marco.

He dropped a bleeding Mortas on the ground. “You want to take him in?” Marco asked Jake.

Jake pulled a pair of cuffs from his pocket and put them on Mortas. “Your grandfather left you to pay for his crime, again.”

Mortas threw a disgusted curse at the three of us.

Marco massaged his knuckles and left us, asking Campy to bring a car for Victory and Angel.

As the smoke lifted, I surveyed the damage to Mama’s Double Wide. A few overturned and broken chairs, a cracked window, and a broken bottle of Nue Vodka that Marco had smashed over his combatant’s head. Not bad for one of our brawls. Brodie had the two goons unconscious and cuffed by the door. They would spend some time in the local lockup, then be released.

Marco herded the girls out of the bar toward Campy, who swung in driving a bright yellow Hummer.

My work here was done. I looked up at the loft.

Darryl leaned against the railing nodding his head approvingly. He tipped his cowboy hat my direction. “God bless America!”

Chapter 25

Ientered Caiyan’s hospital room. The blinking lights on the bank of monitors and machines to the right of his bed reminded me his injuries were still considered life threatening.

“How’s he doing?” I asked the nurse checking his vitals.

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