See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer and Author Notes

Family Blown Apart

Chapter 7

It was very slow going for Team 7 as they walked along the edges of the storm drainage system. Ezra tried to keep them moving at a good pace, knowing that when the sun went down, their minimal light coming through the storm drains would be gone. Vin had done remarkably well. He'd had two panic attacks that the whole team talked him through. JD had suggested that instead of trying to find a speakeasy entrance that they call for help. Buck slapped him on the back of the head.

"Kid, where'd we leave the cell phones? Remember? We didn't want them going off when we took the doors?"

"Oh yeah. We left them in the van."

"Mr. Dunne, I do believe it would behoove us in the future to have you instruct us in how to cease the audible reverberations of our cellular devices."

"What?"

"He means tha' he wants t' know how to silence his cell phone, JD," Vin translated.

"Wow, you're starting to speak 'Standish'."

"Shut up, JD."

Ezra consulted the map he had memorized in his head.

"Gentlemen, in about half a block, we should be at a speakeasy that still has a working door."

In the hopes that their light at the end of the tunnel was not a train, the men started moving though the tunnels again.

7*7*7*7*7*7*7

Chris was awake when Orin and Evie Travis entered his hospital room. Just one look into his boss's eyes told him that the hazy memory of watching his team die in a warehouse explosion was not a nightmare brought on by dehydration. He reached to pull out his IV drip.

"Not so fast, Agent Larabee. You're staying put until the doctors say you can go."

"It's my team, Judge."

"I know. But they figured out who was behind your kidnapping and gave that information to me. The highway patrol has already pulled the video feed from the rest area you were found at. We have a good shot of the car that tossed you out. All you need to do right now is to focus on getting better so those that care about you stop worrying."

"Like who, Judge? The team was all I had in the way of family." Chris's words were laced with bitterness.

Travis had not known Chris until he formed the team. He was aware of the depression Chris had spiraled into following the deaths of his wife and son. However, without firsthand knowledge of how deep he truly went, Orin was unable to help the hurting leader.

Evie stepped up and took Chris's hand.

"Me, Mr. Larabee. And Mary and Billy. Nettie and Casey. Inez. Raine. We're still here, and we need you. You're our living connection to our boys that will live in our hearts."

Chris glared at Mrs. Travis until his eyes watered. As the tears started falling, Evie Travis pulled the grief-stricken man tight into her arms. She sat on his bed with him and rocked him until he fell asleep.

7*7*7*7*7*7*7

Now needing the flashlights that they carried on their gear, Ezra found the switch that opened the hidden door into the basement of an abandoned speakeasy. He led them into a room that was obviously being updated and remodeled.

"Are you sure we're safe here? We're not going to set off any alarms, are we?" Buck asked.

"I have not gotten around to installing alarms on this property, Mr. Wilmington."

Five men stared at the sixth.

"I never told you?" he asked, blushing deeply.

"No, son, you haven't," Josiah answered.

"Why would you alarm this property?" asked Nathan.

"Well, I own it." Ezra tried to leave it at that, but he could see his brothers needed more answers. He sighed and continued. "I bought it because I wanted someplace to run to if I needed to disappear while undercover. I had several such places in Atlanta. When you don't know if your team will actually have your back, it pays to have plans B, C, and D. I've never had to use this place since joining you gentlemen. I guess I forgot to tell you about it."

Buck patted Ezra's shoulder. "Well, it worked out well for us then. Those women won't think to look for us here."

"Yeah, but will anybody else?" JD wondered.

"I have a burner phone or two somewhere here. Let me find one and get it charged. Then we can inform the world that we are not dead."

7*7*7*7*7*7*7

Orin walked to the windows at the end of the hallway. The Colorado sky was bathed in the beautiful colors that heralded sunset. Evie had been right. There was no way he could have handled Chris's emotions. He could barely handle his right now. The ring from his cell phone broke into his reverie. Looking at the number, he didn't recognize it. It was a Denver number, but not one he knew. By now, reporters had most likely gotten a hold of the story and would want comments. Most of the time, he was resigned to the necessary evil of the media, but when in the midst of grief, he wished he could tell the vultures off.

"Orin Travis here," he said, steeling his heart for what was bound to be a difficult interview.

"Judge, it's good to hear your voice. We weren't sure you were gonna answer."

Orin sat down hard on a chair near the window. Damn reporter sounded much like JD Dunne. He was going to give his statement and then get off the phone. He could not take an extended interview.

"I'm sorry. I'm not giving interviews at this time. My statement is that the ATF is investigating this explosion with a narrow pool of suspects. As for the rest, please respect the needs of the families to grieve the loss of the men killed in the explosion." His voice was level and emotionless.

"Judge! We're not dead!"

"JD! Give me that phone." There was the sound of scuffling. "Judge, it's us. Thanks to the encyclopedia that is Ezra's brain, we got out of there and to a safe house courtesy of the Prohibition. It's not a sanctioned one so nobody knows where we are. Those women wanted us dead. Instead of just showing up, we've called you to ask how you want us to play this."

"I'm not sure I believe this. If it's true, where is Buck Wilmington's rubber chicken at this time?"

"Um, well, I think it's probably where it landed after I threw it at Chris's door. I don't remember picking it up."

Orin started laughing, even as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Well, Agent Wilmington, this is quite a shock. You'll be glad to hear that Chris is alive. Very dehydrated, and in rougher shape emotionally. He was forced to watch the building blow after you went in. I confirmed what he saw as true."

"Where was he found?"

"They tossed him out of the car at a rest area in Pueblo. We're at the hospital in Pueblo. Evie came with me and managed to get him to cry himself to sleep. I'm waiting on notice that the APB on the car that he was tossed from has been found. Lay low. I'll call you back once we have those women in custody. Then you guys can pull your full resurrection."

"Okay, Judge. But we're seeing Chris before we see anybody else."

"That is a deal. Hold tight."

Orin turned back to the window. The sunset now appeared to burn the sky with colors of joy. He shook his head. How they managed to pull off these miracles, he'd never figure out. Maybe Team 7 was under special protection. He started back toward Chris's room and stopped. He was a poor poker player as Ezra had told him many times. Until he could bring the team to Chris, he couldn't see the man.

7*7*7*7*7*7*7

"Ezra, d'ya have an'thin' to eat?" Vin's stomach seconded his question.

"I do. Although you may not actually believe what I have stored here..." Ezra seemed embarrassed.

"I'd eat squirrel stew right 'bout now. I'm not picky."

Ezra pointed over to a foot locker stored against a wall. Vin opened it to find beef jerky, potato chips, trail mixes, and even a case of MREs. Sitting on top of the MREs was a box of Twinkies.

"Where'd ya git this stuff?"

"Despite my preferences for proper food preparation, I will eat 'junk' to keep moving."

"No, I mean where'd ya git the MREs?"

"Surely you've heard of military surplus stores." Ezra danced around the question.

Buck laughed. "Vin, he ain't gonna tell you. Let the man keep his secrets."

Ezra grinned as each man picked out an MRE. They sat down to eat, each hoping that the waiting game would not last long. They needed to get to Chris, to touch him to prove to themselves that he was alive and prove to him that they were alive. After they finished eating, Ezra pulled out a deck of cards.

"Gentlemen, may I interest you in a game of chance to pass the time?"