Chance Encounters

Chapter 23

oOoOo

Hector's POV

Fuck!

Everybody immediately sprang into action and engaged their respective duties and positions. Whoever was closest to Stephanie was to literally scoop her up and bring her inside while we activated the security screens and put all four villas into lockdown. Cal was the closest to her and he did so, without protest from Stephanie. Ranger watched with intrigue as it all happened, with well-timed precision, and he responded to the alarm accordingly. He knew what was at stake. We are in the security business after all.

The wrought iron security screen was efficient and all the pins locked neatly into their ceiling recess points. This was a feature I thought Ranger might like to consider for any new high-end clients for their home security. I know he noticed them and he was impressed. I have already made an extensive power point slide show with the new features with both stills and video footage to demonstrate how efficiently they operate. It's becoming quite a stunning portfolio. Using our FoxEarth estate as a showcase of special features was a deliberate strategy to apply new aspects of security. But the anonymity of our location was most important. It was not like we considered having open house viewing like display homes in new estates. The entire concept of FoxEarth was about secrecy and anonymity.

We all needed that anonymity and absolute privacy … Shorty, Tiny, Cal, Stephanie, and me too. We all had history, we all had enemies, past and present. Valentine Bassi-Falcone, aka Shorty, from Shorty's pizzas, also Zio Tino (Uncle Tino) to his two nephews, a retired war veteran. His nephews, Tiny and Cal, were sons from two of his sisters. Tiny was Antonio Tinello, or Tony but became known as Tiny because of his obvious size. Tinello … Tiny. It was obvious once you knew the connections. Tiny was a freelance operative who has worked for various alphabet agencies and Internal Affairs. And Cal, the other nephew, a Rangeman and Stephanie's other secret guardian on the streets in her early days as a bond enforcement agent like myself. He was Cal, as in Pascal Pascaleone.

Bassi, Falcone, Tinello and Pascaleone, good Italian names with deep rooted family traditions and connected societies right back to old Italy. And Stephanie Michelle Plum, our sister from another mister, our Vixen. I was the Dark Angel, and Stephanie was my angel whom I took under my wings, a veritable innocent working as a BEA in Trenton for her weaselly cousin Vincent Plum. Hell, Plum is likely from the Italian, Plumeri. The chance encounters of us all crossing paths had a lot to do with her. Shorty and I met in the Stark Street neighbourhood dealing with gang conspiracy and extortion. Stephanie just by chance, sought refuge there at Shorty's, not realising where she was, while saving and rescuing a working girl from becoming another dead plaything from that psycho boxer, Benito Ramirez. We knew he was after Stephanie, since she shot his manager, Jimmie Alpha, and I had sent knives into his upper arms, rendering him useless for fighting for a while. He blames her for that and because he couldn't have his way with her due to my intervention, she was able to escape his evil clutches. Now every dead working girl found on or near Stark Street with the distinctive Ramirez MO, very dead, raped and cut, with brunette hair. A lot of the working girls suddenly had the urge to dye their hair black, red or blonde to keep off Ramirez's radar. Stephanie coming into our lives has been a blessing in so many ways.

I pondered all these things as we were all on automatic pilot. Once the blinds were closed, I unlocked the weapons closet and each of us grabbed our weapons, and Kevlar vests, to be safe. This concealed surveillance station adjoining the kitchen, was on a smaller scale than the main monitoring station in my office. We had all readily concurred that having one of these in close proximity to the deck area would be paramount for swift access to the monitors. I engaged the automatic blinds closure for all the windows. Coincidentally, we had the same surveillance station installed in each villa. Only this villa, Stephanie's villa, had the main monitoring station in the study, my office, the den. In the basement of my villa, number three, was my playroom with the entire alarm and security systems and another operations centre like in the study. Here is where I designed, constructed and made my toys.

I checked the alarms and surveyed the cameras on the south side while Cal quickly scanned the northside monitors. Tiny and Shorty automatically scanned the other boundaries to check if there were more intruders. Confirmation. A single intruder, large, presumably male. Not a bear. Scanning the drive and the entrance, and replaying the video feed, our intruder appeared to have arrived on a Harley which he had parked beside Ranger's SUV. The entry sensor to The Den had engaged, but none of the others along the main drive to the cul de sac had pinged, indicating he must have made his way on foot. He had not approached the main entrance at all. That alone made me all the more suspicious. Shorty, Cal and Tiny nodded in agreement as they too were wary.

There was nothing distinctive about him, other than he was wearing dark clothing, boots, black leathers concealing a large muscular or bulky body. He was stealthy for a large man who moved swiftly in the shadows. Very brazen in broad daylight, that's for sure. There was, however, something familiar about him. He did not appear to have a weapon at the ready, which of course, did not mean he wasn't dressed.

My head was cool, but spinning with what ifs. Could it be an outside threat, beyond Trenton? Gang related? Mob? Famiglia? And my worst fear, Ramirez? I shafted those stray thoughts aside and focused on our present situation. As if reading my mind, Tiny verbalised my thoughts verbatim. We all nodded at the possibilities.

I know, I have gone a bit over the top with our security system, okay, a lot over the top, but it was a more than a hobby. It's a techno guy thing. Installing some of the new gadgetry gave me the opportunity to gauge their effectiveness.

I glanced at Stephanie and Ranger. She was standing close to him, absorbing his strength. Her blue eyes were wide, alert and concerned, but not panicked. She too had her Kevlar and weapons, Ranger too. She was checking the replay from when the intruder arrived and turned into The Den, pointing out the entry sensors to Ranger. We were all calm. We had discussed this scenario and what we expected from each other. Stephanie understood the rules.

The very first time the alarms were set off was remarkable. It was a fox, a vixen to be exact, digging her way into the backyard from the woodland area at the rear. We chuckled at the coincidence that a fox was trying to enter The Den, of FoxEarth LLC. We all felt it was a good omen. The lure of the chickens in Shorty's permaculture garden was what brought her into our domain. Consequently, his chickens had the best, state of the art security you could imagine!

"Chiquita. I need you to go, now. Until we know who he is, we are not taking any risks. This is not a drill. You know what to do. Go now, be quick and take Ranger with you."

I gave Ranger a commanding look and only fleetingly did I see that he was fractionally stunned, but reacted accordingly with a firm nod. He took her by the hand and quickly led her upstairs to the safe room. Stephanie's safety was paramount. We can do a review afterwards but there is no room for complacency or taking unnecessary risks. No regrets. We had all agreed on that. We had each other's back.

Once she was in and secure, Stephanie checked in confirming the lockdown. She sent the safe word, via my phone, to confirm. I know Ranger will protect her at all costs. We will do the same here at ground zero.

"There. South side, approaching the side gate between One and Two."

Silently we watched. He walked with confidence but because he was on the shady side of the villa, his features were not distinct. Something to consider in my review when this is all sorted. He reached the side gate of the villa and that was enough. With practised precision, Cal and I went to the other back door while Shorty and Tiny were going to approach him from the front.

Holy shit! By the time we reached the gate, it had been opened. He had already negotiated the code to enter the back yard. We found him near Shorty's vegetable and herb garden, studying the plantings closely. He reached inside his jacket and we all acted at the same time.

All weapons were aimed at him as Tiny called out, "Freeze, you fucker!"

He froze, evidently scanning all four of us.

"Put your weapon down on the ground, slowly."

Cal moved in with a taser, letting him see what was in store for him. No messing about with a hand-held stun gun for us. We had a taser and Cal had it aimed at him and was prepared to use it.

As instructed he had slowly drawn his weapon.

Scissors?!

We looked confused but were not going to be so easily distracted.

"What else?" Cal indicated impatiently, pointing with the taser. "Easy does it, or else."

And a plastic bag?

What the fuck?!

"Remove your helmet. Slowly!"

oOoOo

TBC

Oooh. I did it again … another cliffie. Tee hee hee.

Tsk, tsk tsk.

I decided to split this chapter once again. Hector's voice for you.

So, who is this mystery intruder?