*****040:

The police had to be told what was going on. It wasn't random, I had a right to defend myself, and no particular gang was targeting us, except the one out of Sonora Mexico. The detective immediately assigned to us was brought up to speed by our new lawyers, under the strange direction of John Crimmons, our adoption lawyer. He'd said he was going to refer us, and had, but he was still in charge.

But none of them came to the doctor's office, in fact, just the opposite, they wanted me to come to the precinct for questioning, and I declined, understandably. But I couldn't leave my wife and our children in such a delicate condition.

At six Angie left to go take care of her family and Abbie rang that she needed a break and Tracy was coming, but could Hannah watch the kids until Tracy got there, and I said no. If Hannah was in any way involved with Jack, then leaving her with Felicity was bad.

Very bad.

And that was when Abbie dropped the bomb.

She'd already done it.

She'd left Hannah in charge of our three.

I called Lance who was in Dana Point working, and then picking up his own kids for shared custody day or whatever. No sense being mad at Abbie, I doubt she actually knew what was going on. I called Tracy. She was an hour out. I called Kell, he was on the other side of the country.

I called my dad, he was stuck in traffic downtown, and that could be hours as well.

Aubrey was not in any danger, but Felicity might be. It had to be me.

I called Ben. "Dude, I got to go home. Meet me at home okay?"

"I'm almost to you right now."

"Turn around and go to my place. The kids need you."

"Okay."

So, I kissed Aubrey good bye, put on my smiley happy face for her benefit, not that she couldn't see right through that if she'd been looking, but she was internal at the moment, recovering from her blood sugar dip, and didn't notice.

And I took surface streets all the way back, about forty minutes with afternoon traffic.

And when I pulled into the gate release key pad, I could see our place, just around the closest curve. And there, glaringly in front of me was Hannah's car, parked right next to another, unfamiliar one.

I felt sick.

That was always the dilemma with fights, wasn't it? You can take anything, but if they have someone you value, you'll do what they say to avoid getting your loved one killed. Right? If they had my kids, what would I do?

I did not pull into my own driveway. That would alert anybody to my presence. I pulled down the street looking all around for security, or evidence of other thugs. I pulled over when I couldn't see the house anymore, but could still see the cars. If they were going to steal the kids they'd have to leave in one of those cars, right?

What if they'd already killed the kids? What about Hannah?

They hadn't. I assured myself. Don't think negatively, even though this day has been one of the most negative in ages.

I dug in my pocket for that card. It came out bent. I stared at it till it went blurry.

John had cautioned me not to call them, or get in touch with them. But here I sit, my eyes on the rearview mirror my adrenaline rushing.

It was as real to me as Teotihuacan. I wasn't about to let that happen again.

I called the number.

It was answered on the first ring. "Hola."

In Spanish then. I answered in Spanish, politely asked for Maximiliano, was assured this was his private line, and simply opened up negotiations.

"Get right to it. You want the necklace, because you want the key to the safe deposit box, which you believe is on the necklace, and you believe that Felicity Nemesio, my adopted daughter has it."

There was no sense beating around this bush. I'm sure word had already reached his ears that friendly negotiations had already failed. Infiltration was history.

"I will send my man to a meeting place of your choice and you will give him the necklace. I will leave your family alone. Final offer. If not your family is in danger, and it is just a matter of time, Senor Stryker."

In danger? You mean he wasn't already inside my house holding my niece and my children hostage?

"You saw the necklace on Felicity? Your man examined it, you know it is the one you seek?"

"We are assured it is the one. You have no reason to keep it. If you feel that lives were in danger at Teotihuacan? Lives will unnecessarily be in danger again if you refuse to cooperate."

"Did your man, Jack, actually get a good picture of it? You know for a fact it is the same necklace?"

"I have examined it myself, before my brother gave it to my niece for safekeeping. It is the same. She came with it, no?"

"Um hm. A birthday gift from her father." I lied, but was reassured that Jack had indeed taken a picture the other night and this cartel leader was satisfied it was the same. "There's an In and Out on LeConte right off the 405 in Century City. Meet me there in 45 minutes, buy an animal style double burger, wear a black beanie and be eating inside the building at a booth." I clicked off, and slammed my car into reverse.

If he wasn't inside, who was?

I parked almost sideways in the driveway in my hurry to get into the house. But then as I was racing up the walkway, I realized I'd better go in the side or the back. Someplace where they wouldn't be expecting me. I carefully unclanged the side gate and sprinted around the cobbled walkway. I could hear kid voices already.

What? Happy kid voices?

I arrived on the patio in time to see Felicity take a huge bucket full of sand and dump it on Juan's sand castle.

Hannah was there, in the sand, half buried, and the kids were close around her. And Eli, Aubrey's friend from ABCSC was sitting in a chair pulled up on the edge of the patio, watching the kids play, talking to Hannah. And suddenly I understood.

Eli--- the opposition plant--- was already there, protecting the asset.

I froze.

Shit.

I'd been played. Aubrey had been played.

I had better make sure my supposition was correct. He wore no tattoos, no visible markings, and his whole demeanor was completely different.

But I could be wrong.

He could be Maximiliano's goon. A really good actor goon.

"Hey, Eli, what's up, man?"

"Yeah, hey Rafe." Eli's eyes were concerned, gentle, believable. "I just stopped by because Juan missed the kids at grief counseling, he's got used to playing afterwards, and they weren't there today, so I thought maybe Aubrey was in labor or something, but Hannah was here, and said not labor, just--- some kind of complications?" He was trying to be discreet to keep whatever was going on away from Virgil's attentive ears.

I chin checked him as I pulled up a chair nonchalantly, and picked Rein up as he toddled over and slipped in the loose sand.

"How is Aubrey?" Hannah asked, her eyes showing real concern.

"She's had some kind of hypoglycemic blood sugar dip, and they're being safe by keeping her for observation. She's actually pretty tired, but Tracy is on her way, I mean, grandma is coming to be with her. Angie had to go home." I glanced at the kids. "Were the kids being difficult that Abbie couldn't handle it?"

Hannah shook her head. "I don't know, she just called and asked me to take them for the afternoon, and since I'm off today, leaving tomorrow for Montana, I thought, well- why not. She offered me her pay."

"I don't get you guys and the whole pay thing. Don't you two have more money than you know what to do with?" I hadn't thought about discussing this in front of Eli, I just blurted it out. My mind was understandably not firing on all cylinders.

She did a zipper across her lips sign when Eli looked at his kid, and I nodded. "Yeah, we work for our living."

"So, what brought you home, Rafe, why aren't you up at the office or wherever Aubrey is? Shouldn't you be with her?"

"Yeah, I think I'll take the kids to In and Out and then head back to Aubrey, you guys all want to come? Kids, go get dressed, and we'll go get a hamburger!" I clapped my hands and they all jumped up scattering more sand everywhere. Rein thought everyone was suddenly going to leave him and started whine/crying. I scooped him up and rasp-berried his tummy on our way into the house to get appropriate clothing.

On my way I called Ben, he had just pulled up and would come with, I called Aidan and his teams. I wasn't heading to the meeting without reinforcements, but I wanted to make sure Maximiliano got his necklace.

*****