Page 12 of Abraxas

She hurried over to him, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a big kiss. He always told her she had made his lifeperfect, but he had done the same for her. She looked up and caught Abe watching. Anyone could see the envy on his face. Stef hoped that would no longer be the case soon. There was something strong and deep between him and Gloria if she would only allow it to grow. Gloria had softened recently, and maybe it would just take one more push to get her to see what was right in front of her.

“The boys are doing a great job.” Abe offered. “Maybe we'll be able to retire soon.”

“Don't even be thinking about that. There's a lot of places that need some money on the island.” Lu explained.

“You will let us retire at some point, right?” Win asked.

“Sure, I will.” Lu agreed.

Stef wondered if they were just teasing or if they really wanted to step back. They would see that in time, but she hoped they wanted to continue just a little bit longer. The boys, as the older demons called them, needed a little more time before they could take over.

Everyone sat and talked and enjoyed a drink or a snack, but soon, it was time to return for their next set. Stef watched as they hurried back to a side entrance of the stage. Gloria had done her work. They were bikers no more. Now, they were dressed in some kind of military uniform. It was a collage of several different types, but she associated it with the Air Force. That was really flying, wasn't it? That seemed to appeal more to some older ladies, who went wild. Stef had to admit that the guys were gorgeous, and the best eye candy any female would find.

The concert went on through four sets with other groups playing in between, and then finally, it was over. That is, the singing part was over. The albums, T-shirts, hats, and other banned items were now for sale, and the band was down in front of the stage for a limited time to sign those items. They also gave a prize pack to the person who sat at the seat number drawn.Stef loved giving things away, and the girl who had won was practically in tears as she came to the front to show her ticket and get the item she had won. While the whole band already signed those items, she bought a T-shirt to get something signed in person while her friend took pictures.

Once that was over, the crowd rushed down because everyone wanted to get their autographs before the allotted time was up. In truth, they often took a little time to give everyone a chance. Still, with so many people and those who didn't want to wait in line, they didn't bother to try. There were usually some that left unhappy. It was not surprising that The Wild Ones were swamped for autographs. Everyone was tired when they loaded the buses and headed back to the hotel.

They would go on the mission tomorrow, and that would be most of the demons. A small number would stay behind and load the plane to return the bus. Organization was the key to get everything done. The small crew unloading the bus and reloading the plane would probably require all day to finish the job. Those on the mission would also be tied up for most of the day, even after returning. The experience taught them that some prisoners would always need medical and other assistance. She considered them human, which was in line with man's inhumanity to man. It could still hurt her soul when she saw some of the prisoners after they were freed.

Chapter 5

The Mission

Abe didn't feel like getting up. It had been late before they had finally gotten to sleep. That didn't matter because today was more important than the concert was. This was the day they would attack an Origin facility and free anyone imprisoned inside. He got up and dressed, headed next door, and knocked. Gloria answered, ready to go. Clearly, she had just been waiting for him to come and get her. Their breakfast would be magnificent. At least it would prepare them for the hard day ahead of them. Gloria thought her day would be rough, but she was lucky and didn't know it. It was true she was pushing the boundaries of what she was used to doing, but at least she wasn't going on a trip that might end her life or cause her to have to kill someone.

As much as he hated Origin, he didn't want to kill any of the people that worked for them. There were some he hated, and he couldn't deny it. He still didn't want to kill any of them, even if he did think some of them needed to be punished for some of the evil they had caused. Breakfast went as it had yesterday, and while he was thrilled to spend time with Gloria, the mission was heavy on his mind. He saw the others all eating a good meal and preparing to face death to free their brothers. The look on his face was probably much like theirs. Gloria kept watching him but refused to ask what he couldn't answer.

"It's time for me to leave you. I hope you have a great day, and everything works out well." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek even though he wanted to take her in his arms and give her a kiss she'd never forget.

"I hope things go well for you too." Gloria looked worried. If she knew more, she would probably look even more worried.

As Lu had instructed, they all met in the parking lot at the back of the hotel, where they would have a little privacy. It was early, and few guests would be out at this time. There were three large helicopters. There was more room than required, and they spread out among the three. Poseidon joined him with a brief hug.

"I've missed you, man," Abe admitted.

"I have missed you as well. Hopefully, everything will go well, and my presence will be helpful."

“Is that the real reason that you came?”

"It was part of it. Two sets of names were drawn from those qualified to run these missions. I was pleased I was able to watch your concert. Your group is good," Poseidon admitted.

“We best get our earphones on. Lu is trying to make a call. I think he wants to go over the mission with us.”

“Zeus does that too. Usually more than once on the flight over.”

They sat back in companionable silence for the rest of the trip. Abe hopped out of the helicopter when they arrived, and a smoky, bitter scent hit his nose. He looked at the helicopter Lu and Win jumped out of and saw black smoke. It was not the best way to start a mission. As soon as everyone was off the helicopter, it took off. He hoped the pilot had no trouble landing it because it needed serious repair. Several more helicopters landed, and that was their assistants. These were some friends of Sierra's, and they had been invaluable over the years in assisting in missions like these.

Those guys would find anything of value, and they would split the money. Abe didn't know how they got money from some of the things they considered valuable, but they did. They were a mercenary team, and their leader was a close friend of Zeus' mate, Sierra. Pedro Garcia ran this bunch. Zeus nicknamed him the land pirate. That name fit, but no one addressed him that way because they didn't know if he would like it. There were some other land pirates that they worked with, but they were in other countries away from here. Each one was given their area, and if anything came up there, that's the one that was called. Pedro was in Mexico and North America or anything near it was his.

He'd done good with them over the years and been good to them. Having his team in on this would make things easier for them. It was even more important now since one of the helicopters was out of use. It was about a mile and a half to the facility, a good march for the humans assisting them. They recovered well when they got in close range. Now, their scout team would move out and prepare for the attack. It was a surprise when a guard headed their way. They were hiding in some bushes that should not have been allowed to grow at the facility's perimeter. This would be a hard lesson for Origin and one that they should have learned long ago.

Abe moved around the side so he could take out the guard. He could hear liquid spraying on the bushes and waited until the guy was done. That's when he moved behind him, caught him in a sleeper hold, and waited until he was unconscious. It was time to restrain him, and Pedro's guys took him and ran him to their helicopter. In the old days, they would have gotten a ransom from the company, but now the family usually had to pay. It was a waiting game until the scouts signaled it was time to move in.

Now, their group moved towards the facility, still unsure of what would be waiting for them. They arrived at one of thedoors, where Win awaited them. With his Native American ancestry, it was no surprise that he was an excellent scout, one that they often used on these missions.

"I've not entered yet because I can sense several people, and I knew I would need backup," Win explained.

"We're here, so let's go," Abe observed.

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