Chapter 7



Ian came to the edge of the roof and jumped. He landed on his feet with his knees bent. then, he was off and running. When he came to the corner of the house, he stopped. Among the gathering shadows of the evening, he saw a shadow moved along the wall of the barn. Ian eased away from the shelter of house and took off in a crouched run across the yard.

The shadow by the barn disappeared behind the building. Mobius turned the other corner and stopped in his tracks. Ian stood right in front of him. The look in his eyes didn't escape Mobius. It was the look of a wolf fighting to protect his pack.

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than a friend. You betrayed our pact, Ian."

"What pact?"

"I was to kill detective Sara Pezzeni. You requested it done. You were not to retract that agreement. However, you had a change of heart. You broke the pact."

"So, you killed three innocent women? Why did you not just come after me?"

"A dead body revenges not injuries." Mobius launched himself at Ian.

Ian started to draw his sword, but Mobius tackled him to the ground before he could. They butted their heads together like wild rams. Rolling apart, Mobius grabbed a thick stick on the way to his feet, and Ian came up with his sword in his hand. The black man struck out with the stick, hitting Ian in the stomach. Then, he swung it up, catching the other man in the throat.

Ian, having his air supply briefly cut off, gasped for breath. Before he had a chance to regain it, Mobius struck again. The blow never landed though. Ian stepped back, bringing his sword up to attack. Mobius parried his first attack and stunned his opponent with a blow to the head. But Ian kept coming.

Balancing on one foot, he sent the other toward Mobius' stomach, but the other man grabbed his foot. Ian jumped and spun in the air, bringing his foot free. He swung his sword at Mobius once his feet were on solid ground again. The black man ducked, and when he came up, he swung his stick at Ian's arm. The sword went flying and landed a few feet away. "Without his flame, a dragon is nothing."

They clinched, and it became a battle of strength and will. After several minutes of a stalemate, Mobius threw Ian away from him. He jumped, planning to land on his downed victim, but Ian rolled away and was on his feet before his boots could touch him. He jumped and spun in the air, missing a kick to his opponent's head. Instead it connected with Mobius' shoulder. The blow staggered the man, but he kept coming.

Ian dived for his sword, and as he was turning to face Mobius once again, he caught a blow in the back. He couldn't move from the ground, his body pinned beneath his opponent's boot. "The dragons of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction." He heard the man say.

Ian strained his muscles and arched his back. Off balance, Mobius flew through the air. He fell on his back but rolled quickly to his feet. He struck at Ian again, sending him against the wall of the barn. Before he could get set again, Mobius swung the stick at Ian's head. He tried to duck the blow but it connected with the back of his head on the return swing. Ian's body slumped to the ground.

"The iron hand crushed the tyrant's head and became the tyrant in his stead," Mobius said as he took off for the house.

*******

Sara jumped off of her Buell. An angry buzzing came from the stone in her bracelet, and she looked down. She felt compelled to run toward the barn. She couldn't shake the feeling, so she listened to it. When she arrived at the building, she slowed and walked around to the side warily. There was nothing there. Turning to the back, she saw a body laying prone on the ground. She approached it carefully, then fell to her knees beside it. "Ian?" She asked, reaching a hand out to touch him.

He shifted slightly, groaning. "Sara?" He asked, peering up at her.

"Yeah, it's me. What happened?"

"Mobius...attacked...me." His mind seemed to be struggling just to find the words.

"Where is he now?"

"Do not...know. Jason...at the...house. Darvi...there."

"We need to get you to a hospital."

"No."

"Yes, Ian. You probably have a head injury."

No. My wife-"

Sara interrupted him. "She'll be safe. You need to get checked out. Now let me help you to one of your cars." He tried protesting again. "If you don't calm down, I will knock you out again." With that threat, he quit protesting.

When they arrived at the hospital, Sara helped him inside then let a nurse take him to a room. Once she was sure he was in good hands with the doctors, she headed back to the mansion.

*******

Jason had kept watch for a half hour, and no one showed. His eyelids grew heavy, and he had to force them to stay open. Finally, he gave in to the seduction of sleep. He lost the grip on the rifle as his body relaxed. Jerking awake some time later, he cursed himself for his weakness. He slowly stood and looked around. "Oh no."

Mobius stood in front of him, the rifle in his hands. "A poor specimen of a soldier," he said, swinging the butt of the rifle forward. It connected with the side of the young man's head, driving him to the floor. Blood streamed down the side of his face, but he struggled to his feet with the knife in hand. The thought of his wife and son allowed him to push the pain away from the surface of his mind. He would not allow this man to get them: not while he was still alive.

Jason lunged at Mobius, striking out with the knife. The larger man just laughed at the uncoordinated spectacle. He swatted the knife away when it drew a thin line of blood across his forearm. The knife clattered to the floor, and a look of panic crossed Jason's face. Mobius laughed again then swung the rifle into the young man's stomach. When he doubled over from the blow, Mobius brought the gun crashing down on the back of his skull. When Jason hit the floor, Mobius said, "The weak in courage is strong in cunning. And you had plenty of strength."

"The fox condemns the trap, not himself."

Mobius turned at the voice behind him. "The corrupted maiden," he said, seeing Sara standing there.

She started for him, but he circled around her. Once their positions were reversed, he took a quick step out the door, then took off across the yard.

Sara knelt beside Jason and felt for a pulse. It was there. She dug her phone out of her pocket and called for an ambulance. When it had driven him away toward the hospital, she started to search through the house for Darvi and Dakota. When she finally found them, Dakota rushed to her. "Is Jason all right?"

"He's on the way to the hospital," Sara tried to tell her gently. "I'll take you there."

"What about Ian?" Darvi asked calmly from behind her younger sister. She knew her husband's skill at fighting.

"He's at the hospital. Might have a concussion. We should probably get there."

*******

"Gabe, let the doctor check you out," Renee demanded of her husband. "Once he does that, we can go home."

"I'm fine."

"You were injured. Now let him look at you. Danny was already released because he cooperated."

"Did Caitlyn take the kids home?"

"Yes. Now will you let him check you?"

"Fine."

"Fifteen minutes later, the doctor said, "He'll want to take it easy for a few days. His ribs are just bruised, but they will be sore for a while. He can go home now though. I need to go see how my other patients are now."

"How are Ian and Jason?" Renee asked as she grabbed Gabriel's coat. Renee had seen Dakota and knew what had happened.

"Mr. Nottingham is sedated at the moment. He would not let any of the doctors or nurses near him. Jason will be fine. The side of his head was cracked open and needed stitches, but he's pulling through that just fine."

"That's great. I'd better get my husband home before he tears down the walls."

The doctor laughed and nodded his head. "Might be a good idea."

When they arrived home, Caitlyn met them at the door. "I dropped Danny off at the apartment and promised I'd be there as soon as you two got home."

"The kids asleep?" Renee questioned, shrugging out of her coat.

"Yeah."

"Good. See you later."

Gabriel was waiting for Renee at the foot of the stairs. "You promised me something the other day."

"And what was that?" She asked as she walked over to him.

"Something about a position you were going to show me." He grinned as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Now I remember."

In the bedroom, Gabriel sat on the bed, and Renee lowered herself onto his lap. Her good hand moved under his shirt and pulled it out of his pants. "A little help," she suggested playfully. A couple of minutes later both of their shirts lay on the floor, and they were working on each others jeans. Soon, they had joined the shirts.

Renee pushed Gabriel onto the bed and stretched out on top of him. He carefully flipped her over onto her back and ran his hands gently over her bare shoulders, being careful not to hurt the injured one. "You are so beautiful, my love," he whispered, bringing his lips down to meet hers.

Her good arm traveled over his shoulder and down his back, tracing the straight line his spine made. "Sweet-talker."

His finger ran along her cheek and up to her ear. "I mean every word," he told her as he traced around her ear. "You will always be my beautiful love."

Her hand moved up into his hair, and she twisted it around her fingers, drawing his head back down. His lips met hers with a passion they both felt. Renee moaned in pleasure as Gabriel's tongue moved in to caress the inside of her mouth.

The crackling of the baby monitor pulled them apart. They heard the twins' wailing, and both rolled to the edge of the bed. "I'll get them," Gabriel assured her as he pulled his pants on again. "You stay here."

When he reached their room, he saw a shadow moving to the window. He ran over to stop him, but the man was already out the window and down a ladder. Gabriel flipped on the light switch and saw Allanah screaming from her crib. He went to her and lifted her out of it. He tried to quiet her, but she was too upset. He was carrying her out of the room when Renee was hurrying to see what was wrong.

"Where's Aidan?" She demanded.

Tears flooded from his eyes before he could respond. "Kevin, then Meghan, now our son."

Renee's heart fell as she realized what had happened. Their son, their only son had been kidnapped. She couldn't say anything. She wrapped her arms around her husband and their youngest daughter and let their tears say everything.