Chapter 8

Everyone sat in stunned silence. "That bitch," Sam growled. "Find her Spinelli. I'll rip her apart with my bare hands."

"Save some for me," Sonny said.

"And me," said Carly, Maxie, and Claudia at one time.

"Why would she go after StoneCold?" Spinelli asked.

"Why does Helena do anything? Because she's a coldhearted snake with an agenda of her own," Sam snorted.

"The Jackal is attempting to track the car using its GPS coordinates. Perhaps we will find The Malevolent One where her vehicle is located."

"In the meantime, were you able to get the original video footage?" Carly asked.

"Indeed," Spinelli answered. They all turned their attention to the screen. Sure enough, the power had failed. Once the power went out, nothing could be seen.

"Wait, go back," Sam said. "Right before the power fails, people enter the warehouse. Can you blow it up?"

Spinelli backed up the footage and zoomed in. Sure enough, several figures walked in.

"There she is, the devil herself," Maxie fumed. "Those must be her goons because we all know that Helena doesn't do her own dirty work."

"Victory! The Jackal has tracked the Malevolent One's car to a small town in southern Massachusetts. I am sending the coordinates to your cellular device, Fair Samantha, as well as to the GPS in your car. The Jackal assumes that we will soon be in hot pursuit."

"The Jackal is correct," Sam said. "I know it would be pointless to try to stop you, Maxie or Carly from going, so go pack a bag, make your arrangements and meet me at the Penthouse ASAP." Claudia opened her mouth to protest but Sam cut her off. "Hey, I know you want a piece of the action, but you have to take care of the baby."

Claudia reluctantly agreed and they all departed, headed in their separate ways.

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Less than an hour later, the crew was gathered at the Penthouse. Alexis was keeping the girls and Morgan. They had all changed clothes and packed a bag. Sam retrieved the lockbox from the closet. Since Sonny and Jason had gone legit, the guns had not gotten much use, but they kept them for protection.

Sam unlocked the box. She pulled Jason's gun from the box and tucked it into her waistband. She handed hers to Carly who followed suit. "Maxie?"

"Brought my own," she answered lifting her shirt to reveal the small handgun. They all stared at her in shock. "What? I'm a single girl living alone with a police commissioner as a father. Do you think he wouldn't have me protect myself?" She grinned.

"I trust you know how to handle it," Sam said with a smile.

"Of course!" Maxie replied.

"Okay, then…Spinelli?"

"Many apologies, Fair Samantha, but the Jackal is a lover, not a fighter. Besides, if you remember, the Jackal was banned from any contact with a firearm after the last time he accidentally discharged a weapon into StoneCold's ceiling."

"Okay, just watch yourself," Sam replied. "Alright gang, I think we're ready to roll."

They gathered their things and headed for the door. Sam was surprised when she opened the door, as Sonny was standing there preparing to knock.

"SONNY! What the hell are you doing? Does Claudia know you're here?" Sam shouted.

"Yes, she does," Claudia said as she stepped into view. "We couldn't let you do this without us. We'll stay out of the excitement, but we need to be with you for this."

"Are you sure about this?" Carly asked. "Sonny's supposed to be in the hospital."

"Patrick was going to release me tomorrow anyway. I promised him I'd take it easy, but informed him I was leaving with or without his permission," Sonny said with a shrug. "This is family business."

"Alright, then," Sam said. "But before we leave here, you need to know that I'm not losing anyone else I love. That means you two stay out of harm's way and let us take care of the hard part."

"Agreed," they said in unison.

The six of them boarded the elevator and loaded into Sam's SUV. She pressed the button on the GPS and got on the road.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at their destination. Sam looked in the rearview mirror to see both Sonny and Claudia sleeping. She smiled, admiring how good they are for each other. She looked over at Carly in the passenger seat and gave her a nod. "It's time," she said as they got out of the car.

They had agreed on the way that Carly and Sam would scope out the location first. If they found anything, Maxie and Spinelli would back them up. Claudia and Sonny were under strict orders not to leave the vehicle for any reason.

"Alright, Spinelli, testing," she said into her headset. They all had one. "Loud and clear, Fair Samantha. Valkyrie, please check in," Spinelli answered.

"I'm here," Carly replied. Most secret operations would have to come up with code names, but luckily Spinelli had provided theirs long ago.

Sam and Carly moved stealthily toward the house. There seemed to be no sign of guards, and actually, no sign of anyone. She scanned the area for security cameras. Nothing.

"Clear," she whispered. She pulled out her lock pick kit and made quick work of the locked door. She eased it open and she and Carly worked room to room, finding nothing. "Well, this is a bust," Sam sighed. "Spinelli, we're headed back out."

"Wait," Carly said, noticing a button on the wall. "There was a button just like this in Ric and Elizabeth's house…and we all know what purpose it served…" She scanned the wall for evidence of a hidden door. "There!" she exclaimed, running her hands over an almost invisible crevice.

"I bet Helena's hiding in there," Sam said. "Get your gun ready. Maxie, Spin, get in here."

"Right behind you, Sam," Maxie answered from the doorway.

"Okay, Spinelli, you're going to hit the button on the wall. Maxie and Carly, keep your guns on her at all times. We all know how ruthless she can be."

The girls all faced the hidden panel, guns trained. "One, two, three," Sam counted.

Spinelli pushed the button and the panel slid open. Sam stepped cautiously into the room, her gun never wavering.

"Okay, Helena, the gig is up. You're…." Sam's voice trailed off and her hands dropped to her sides.

"Sam, you're here," a familiar voice said.

Sam turned toward the source of the sound. "Oh my…."

"Jason?"