Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine.
Spoilers:Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.
This is an AU story with a mix of characters in canon as well.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as Beta on this one. I appreciate all your help. Any mistakes are mine alone.
A/N: Traitors Among Us is book one, Danger in the Shadows is book two, and Coming Home is book three.
Chapter 1: Coming Home
Bree's POV:
I woke up with a feeling that today wasn't going to end well. That was one of the aspects of this "gift" I had that I was less than thrilled with. Knowing I couldn't just stay in bed with the covers over my head, I slipped out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, where I answered nature's call and stripped down so I could shampoo my hair and shower. I dried off and finished dressing in a pair of blue jeans and a soft, pullover sweater before slipping on my sneakers and then braided my hair into a single plait down my back. I added a light coating of makeup and then grabbed the phone off my dresser. I looked at the phone for several seconds as I bit my lip, debating on my next move. After all, I was twenty-four years old and needed to handle things on my own at some point.
I felt the darkness closing, and I knew deep down inside I needed one particular person at this moment. I pressed the button on my phone and held it down for a few seconds before placing the phone in my front jeans pocket. I had a lot of work to do, and standing around wasn't going to get it done. I grabbed my purse and keys, making sure my gun was easy to get to and loaded, as well as making sure I had backups in case somehow I was parted from my purse. I took a deep breath and headed for the front door so I could make my way to work.
I stopped in the kitchen long enough to grab a travel mug from the cupboard and fill it with doctored coffee and grab a yogurt and apple that I would have for breakfast when I got to work. I checked to make sure everything was as it needed to be and then headed out. I didn't bother with the elevator, knowing I could reach the main floor much faster by taking the stairs. As I entered the stairwell, I had chills race down my back and I could feel evil closing in. I stilled to listen for a moment, and then quickly and quietly, I made my way down the three flights of stairs to the lobby. As I exited the stairwell, I caught a glimpse of a couple of men dressed in black hoodies, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
I moved as quickly as possible without alerting anyone to my presence. As I neared the door, I had the sensation of being watched, but I refused to look back. I continued on through the door to the outside world, and as I made my way to my car, I grabbed the talisman I always wore around my neck. Suddenly, everything inside me was screaming for me to get away. I scanned the area in front of me and noticed there were several others wearing the black hoodies. I checked the distance between where I was and my car, and then the sun hit my car at just the right angle so I was able to see there were two men with black hoodies waiting for me there. Without questioning what was directing me, I turned and walked toward the alley between my apartment building and the structure next door. I was nearly to the other end when something was whispering for me to move faster. I quickened my pace, and when I exited the alley, my eyes were drawn to a cab pulling up at the curb. I hurried forward to open the door and climb in, making sure in the split second before I reached the taxi that it was safe.
The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, and my eyes widened before I got control of my reaction and said, "Drive. They're closing in."
The driver nodded, and we rocketed away from the curb. I tried to relax but found I was unable to. Why was he here, and why now? My eyes met his in the rearview mirror, and then I knew… I clenched my fists and looked out the window as the scenery flew by. My mind went back to that time nearly a decade before my life changed forever.
I met Stephanie Plum when I was four years old and she had crashed her car. She was scared of my older brother Micha, so I climbed in the car. On learning we were sort of looking to start over too, Stephanie got the idea to combine forces and put everyone off. Micha and I shared a mother and she as well as my father had just been murdered, and Micha was looking for a way to keep me hidden from my father's enemies. For the next ten years, Stephanie, Micha, and I lived as a family. They became the parents I no longer had.
When I was a freshman in high school, Stephanie woke me up one day so I could get ready for school. We were eating breakfast, and I got a vision of us getting company. They were there to use us against Micha, to pressure his boss into doing something. I knew we needed to get out of there. As we were trying to load the car, one of the men managed to shoot Stephanie twice, and she barely made it in the car before she passed out. I returned fire on the men and managed to get Stephanie in the passenger seat before driving us to Micha's work in Trenton, New Jersey. Not knowing what else to do, I crashed through the garage barrier and ran into a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Ranger, Micha's boss and the owner of the building as well as the Turbo, was less than pleased we had crashed into his life, but he accepted responsibility for us. Over a few short weeks, we formed strong bonds, and when traitors that worked for Ranger delivered us into the hands of some really bad men, Ranger and his men took them out and saved us. We moved to a safe house that was more a castle than a house. Only thing was the castle was much more than that. It was a portal that opened and took all the bad people that had been trying to destroy us for the past decade, and everything sank into a big sink hole, making it seem as if the castle was never there.
We'd returned to Trenton and continued our lives, knowing that someday, the castle might return, and when it did, we would need to band together once again and battle evil. Stephanie and Ranger had got married and had twins. At first, I'd been a little confused as to how I fit in, but Stephanie and Ranger had both let me know I would always be a part of their life. That wasn't the only growth in my family. My brother met Hector, and after a tempest beginning, the two of them had finally gotten together, and now Hector and his sister Angel were also part of my family.
I was fifteen when Alex and Sky, Stephanie and Ranger's twins, were born. I lived at Rangeman for three years while I finished high school, and I enjoyed helping Stephanie with the babies. I knew from the minute they were born that they were going to be powerful. When Ranger placed Alex in my arms the first time, his gaze locked with mine and I felt such power inside him. When he cried for the first time, the lights flickered in the hospital. I asked Stephanie about it, but neither she or Ranger had noticed any oddities. Sure enough, when I was helping Stephanie out when she got home from the hospital, I noticed a pattern between Alex's displeasure and power outages.
When the twins were baptized, Sky was startled by the cold water, and suddenly, the lights went out all over Trenton. Alex was aptly named. He was indeed the bringer of light, in more ways than one. I grew very fond of Alex and Sky, and it was a wrench to leave them, as well as Stephanie and Micha and all the others. Something had told me it was necessary, and I didn't question my visions.
When I graduated high school, I accepted a full scholarship to one of the best universities in the U.S. Ella's friend Angelina had spent three years working with me on controlling my abilities and creating my own silence. When I went to college, she made the decision to move with me. She had been a big part of my life for the past nine years.
Although I visited as often as possible, somehow in the past five years, I had missed seeing Lester whenever I went back. I heard about his trips with his current woman of the month, but we always seemed to miss each other. When I had to leave without seeing him, I couldn't help but feel sad. I was hoping that when I went home in a couple of weeks, I would get the chance to see him again. It was weird, but he was the one I missed the most.
I was brought back to the present as the taxi came to a stop. I looked into the rearview mirror and met the eyes gazing back at me. Suddenly, I had a vision: I saw them coming through the door, and in seconds, they had control. I saw the smile on their faces, and it made my skin crawl. The phone rang, and I frowned as I recognized it. The man that seemed to be in charge lifted the phone to his ear and smiled. As it rang for the third time, he connected the call and his eyes glowed red as he said, "You are too late with your warning. I have her now and I won't be returning her."
Stephanie's POV:
I was parked in front of the school to drop off my nine-year-old twins, when Alex frowned and asked, "Is Bree coming home soon?"
I lifted an eyebrow and said, "I'm not sure, honey. Why?"
Alex shook his head and said, "I think she's in danger."
Suddenly, my chest hurt, and I bit my lip before asking as calmly as I could, "Why do you say that, Alex?"
He lifted his eyes to me and solemnly said, "I had a dream last night where she was in a battle with a very bad man."
My heart dropped to my stomach, and I had the bad feeling that something was horribly off. I tried not to let the twins know how upset I was at what Alex had just told me, so I kept my emotions firmly in check as I wished them both a good day. Once they had gone inside the building, I fished my phone out and called Bree. The phone was answered on the third ring, and I felt myself relax…that is, until I heard a voice saying, "You are too late with your warning. I have her now, and I won't be returning her."
The feeling in the pit of my stomach went into hyper-drive. I looked at my phone to put in another number, when suddenly, there was a pounding on the window. I squeaked in surprise and turned to see Ram and Cal standing beside the driver's side door. I powered the window down and asked, "What's going on?"
Ram's gaze held mine as he said, "We got an SOS several minutes ago. Ranger asked us to come get you and drop off Binkie and Hal to guard the twins."
"Oh no! Alex said he had a dream about Bree being in a fight with a really bad guy. Is she all right?"
Ram moved around uncomfortably, and I knew he didn't want to answer my question.
I glared and said, "What do you know?"
Ram sighed. "Not much. She sent out the SOS by pressing the number two on her phone. When Vince and Lester arrived, they found Angelina in bad shape, and Bree was nowhere to be found."
My hands clenched on the wheel, and I bit my lip as the tears burned the backs of my eyes. "I tried calling Bree, and a man answered. He said he had her and he wasn't giving her back."
Ram and Cal exchanged a look, and Cal suggested, "Let me drive you back to Rangeman, and we can see if Vince and Lester have any more news."
I frowned. "How did Lester and Vince get there so fast? How long have you guys known about this?"
Ram placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's not what you are thinking, Steph. Apparently, Lester had just gone to bed when he had a feeling, and he grabbed Vince and told him they were going on a drive. From what Vince said, Lester broke every traffic law on the books to get them to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When they found Angelina, she said bad men were there and they were after Bree. Les asked where she was, but Angelina slipped into a coma from her injuries before she could answer."
My hands were shaking as I scooted over into the passenger seat so Cal could drive.
He climbed in and laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We'll find her, Steph. Everyone is working on it."
I nodded and whispered, "Does Micha know?"
Cal nodded. "Yes. Hector was going to let him know when we left Rangeman."
I nodded and looked ahead without really seeing anything. My baby was out there, and I didn't know yet if she was okay. I closed my eyes and prayed for her safety.
Lester's POV:
I had just gotten off my shift and was preparing to get some sleep when the feeling I had been having all day intensified. I entered my apartment and headed for the bathroom, hoping a hot shower would relax me. I let the hot water cascade over my naked body as I stood there with my head lifted toward the ceiling. Twenty frustrating minutes later, I was as tied up in knots as I had been when I entered my apartment. I plopped down on my bed and closed my eyes. Suddenly, I bolted upright, and I could feel my heart beating double time in my chest, only one thought in my head: "Where are you, Chula?"
I had a sudden vision and shot to my feet. I dressed in my Rangeman uniform, complete with weapons. I knew I was too tired to drive the whole way on my own, so I went down the hall and pounded on Vince's door. If I was right, he should be getting up so he would be ready for his shift in three hours. Every so often, those of us on the main team had to take a turn at the late-night shift.
Sure enough, when Vince opened his door, I could see he had maybe been up long enough to get dressed and eat something. He looked me over with narrowed eyes and asked, "Something wrong, Les?"
"I need to take a drive, man, and I need a driver for the first leg."
"I'm scheduled in three hours."
I nodded. "I know. I need you to come with me, though."
I watched as Vince sized me up. His eyes narrowed, and he pulled his phone from his utility belt. A few seconds later, he was talking to someone, saying, "Yeah, I need a favor, man. Les came by and needs me to take a ride with him. He needs a driver, as it'll be a long ride."
I watched as Vince listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. After a couple of seconds, he replied, "I appreciate it, man. I'll take your next late shift after I get back."
With that, Vince replaced his phone and stepped back. "Come in while I get ready. I got Woody to cover for me."
I followed him into the apartment and took a seat at the kitchen bar as he headed into the bedroom to finish dressing. When he joined me ten minutes later, he nodded, and without a word, I stood and followed him out of his apartment. We took the stairs down to the garage and made our way over to one of the SUVs. Vince climbed into the driver's seat, and I climbed in on the passenger side. He looked at me and asked, "Where to, man?"
I looked him in the eyes and replied, "Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. You'll drive till I get enough sleep, and then I'll take over."
Vince nodded, turned on the SUV, and we pulled out of the garage.
I closed my eyes and slid down to get as comfortable as possible. I knew I could trust Vince to get us as far as was legally possible while I slept, so I relaxed and let sleep claim me. I wasn't sure how long I had been sleeping when I felt an urgency pulling at me. I shifted and opened my eyes. I was alone in the SUV, so I sat up and looked around. I was getting ready to open my door, when I saw Vince heading my way. He climbed in, and I asked, "Where are we?"
"Just outside Gary, Indiana."
I nodded. "I'm going to use the bathroom. They have anything that passes for coffee in there?"
Vince held up two cups. "I got us both a cup, along with a couple of power bars."
I nodded. "Thanks man. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Vince nodded.
I headed into the gas station and made use of the facilities. After washing my hands, I stood and looked in the mirror. For several seconds, I felt like I was floating, and then I saw him and I knew who he was after. I saw the clock on the wall and looked at my watch. Shit! I strode from the bathroom and out to the pump where the SUV was parked. I opened the driver's side door and motioned for Vince to climb over. Once he had moved enough, I climbed up and buckled myself in. My gaze was straight ahead as I told Vince, "Hang onto your butt, man."
I put the vehicle in gear, and we shot off toward the reservation. We had a limited amount of time to reach her, and I'd be damned if someone was going to hurt her on my watch.
Angelina's POV:
I had strange visions in the night. I woke early, hoping to reach Bree and warn her of the danger to come. I still wasn't sure what had sent me to Ella all those years ago, but we had become fast friends and had been friends for many years before the evil arrived. I had always had a sense that Ella's nephews had a power that not many possessed. I had seen the dark cloud nearing them, and then when they had fought the three evils, there was peace and harmony. I knew that within time, there would be another evil coming to try them. That was why I wanted to help Bree. I knew I could help her as no other person could, save her father…and he was dead.
From the jewelry box; I removed the necklace my father had given me just days before he was abducted. Both my brother and I had received necklaces. Raine had given his to his daughter to protect her. No one knew my real connection to Bree, and it was necessary for her safety that no one ever found out. I placed the necklace around my neck, said the prayer chant as my father had taught me, and let the visions take me where they would. My hands shook as I removed the necklace and replaced it in the place of honor. I lifted the box and moved through the house till I reached the room where Bree slept when she came to the reservation. I sat on the bed and started the chant that would connect the necklaces so that all power would be transferred to her. When I finished, my energy was depleted, and I found myself lying down so I could recharge my energy.
I was awoken some time later when evil entered my home. My first thought was to run, but then I knew they would keep looking. I had one chance to help her, and in order to do that I had to remain here. I glanced at the nightstand and frowned as I noticed the cell phone there. I could swear it wasn't there when I entered the room. I prayed it wasn't a sign that Bree was early.
Suddenly, the door opened and evil stepped into the room. He lifted the revolver in his hand and aimed it at my head as he smiled that snaky, evil smile of his. His voice had a hissing sound to it as he said, "I have come for you, my love. It is time for us to join."
I closed my mind to him and began chanting. I heard the gun cock and then the sound of the bullet leaving the barrel a mere second before it slammed into my body. As I lay there dying, I heard the phone ring.
He answered it, and the words he spoke sent a chill racing down my spine. "You are too late with your warning. I have her now, and I won't be returning her."
