Shawn, Hunter and Megan Helmsley sat at the breakfast table and enjoyed a simple meal of toast, cereal, milk, juice and coffee. It was their Sunday morning ritual.
All three turned when the doorbell rang at nine. Shawn laughed. "I bet Adam is out of something." He started to get up.
"You finish, I'll go." Hunter stood and went to see who was at the door so early on a Sunday morning.
Hunter was surprised, it was a FedEx driver. "Detective Hunter H. Helmsley?" The young man asked as he held a package and a scanner in hand.
Hunter nodded. He took the envelope, then signed the scanner with the stylus pen. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty.
The deliveryman took the tip. "Thank you, sir. Have a nice day." He tipped his hat and went back to his truck.
Hunter looked at the small package. He couldn't think of anything he'd ordered and besides, if he had, he wouldn't have used the title Detective, and he certainly wouldn't have paid for a Sunday delivery. With a shrug, he took the envelope to the kitchen and sat back down at the table.
"Did you order something, dear?" Shawn asked curiously as he looked at the small package.
Hunter shook his head. "No, not with the title Detective. I'll open it after breakfast." He gave a nod to Megan, who read the comics from the newspaper.
"Sounds good. Meg and I are going to do her hair." Shawn understood. He looked at the handwritten address. Something nagged on his brain, but his attention was diverted by Megan's laughter.
"That Garfield, poor Jon and Odie." Megan laughed again as Shawn read the comic and laughed.
Hunter also laughed when he read the comic. It was easy to laugh when Megan felt so good.
Thirty minutes later, when Shawn and Megan were upstairs, Hunter took the packaged envelope to his home office and shut the door.
Ever since he'd first touched the special delivery, Hunter had a feeling. He had the feeling a lot of questions were about to be answered, and a lot more would be created.
Hunter sat down in his over sized leather chair, behind his dark walnut desk. He opened the long drawer. He pulled out a letter opener and a pair of latex gloves.
He knew the outside of the envelope was too contaminated with fingerprints. However, the inside contents would be pristine. Hunter hoped to dust it after he finished, as he kept a spare fingerprint kit in his briefcase.
Hunter carefully opened the envelope and prayed it wasn't a loaded trap. That was the main reason he wanted to open it alone. Nothing exploded, no powder fell out. Hunter let out a deeply held in breath of relief. He pulled out a small notebook. It was wrapped in a sheet of paper. Hunter unwrapped the notebook.
Hunter read the handwritten note. "I can't let this slide. Someone has to know. I hope you can do something with this information. I swear, that everything in this notebook is true and accurate. When the proper time comes, I will step forward. After you read this, I hope you will understand why I can't step forward now. It could even be a matter of life or death. I chose life. Again, I hope you understand. Also again, I swear I will step forward when it is safe to do so. I hope this helps you, and helps our beloved Kansas City."
Hunter read the note twice more. He could tell by the tone, the sender was honest, and in more than a bit of fear for his life. Hunter put the paper down and opened the notebook. Detective Hunter Hearst Helmsley began to read.
Dean and Adam washed their cereal bowls and coffee cups. "Remind me to turn the light on over the Degas. It really brings the horses to life." Adam spoke as he put the clean, dry bowls on their shelf.
"Okay, baby. You sure you don't mind? I can still call Drake or Justin." Dean looked at his lover.
Adam smiled. "Yeah. Besides, I can't pass up Tony's pizza. Poor Seth, he tried so hard not to be upset about the sold sign next door. I'm glad their anniversary is next week." He started to make a pitcher of iced tea.
Dean chuckled. "Oh, you never have shown me how to get into the safe room. Now is the perfect time, while we are alone." He turned a bit more serious.
"You're right. Come on then." Adam led Dean up the backstairs. They went into the bathroom across the hall from James' room.
They stood in front of the full length mirror. "Watch." Adam stated as he pushed one of the eight glass decorative flowers, that held the mirror to the wall.
When Adam pushed the glass flower, a small screen appeared in the upper corner of the mirror. It looked exactly like a video game controller. Adam pushed the buttons of the Konami Code. After the code was entered, the screen vanished and the mirror pulled away from the wall.
A light lit a narrow hallway. Adam waved Dean through. Dean panicked a bit when the door clicked closed behind them.
"Don't worry. See, this side is the same. There was a mirror with the same glass flowers. Follow me." Adam led Dean down the hall, then down a set of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was the actual panic room.
"Whoa, this is incredible." Dean was truly amazed. The room was like a small apartment.
There was a living room and kitchen area. Adam opened one of four doors, it was a small, but full bathroom with a tub/shower combination. The three other rooms were small bedrooms. The beds were camping cots, but of the deluxe kind. There was also a storage closet, filled with dehydrated food and paper products. It was amazing.
"There is a special phone that I can use to call Randy. There are three beds in the girls room, one for Ida. The water supply is on a separate line and so is the power. It's self contained with a fresh air filters." Adam explained, then led Dean to the exit side of the mirror.
"Randy did all this?" Dean was still astounded. He'd expected one room, with primitive accommodations.
Adam pushed the required decoration, then entered the code on the screen. The mirror opened, and the couple stepped back into the bathroom. The mirror once again sealed shut.
"Sort of. He improved it, with all the electronic gadgets. Even the Realtor didn't know it was here. We found a note, under one of the furniture pieces we removed. I guess the previous owner feared a nuclear attack. He built it and Randy renovated it. He always said, because of our financial status, people could do crazy things. We've never used it, but I like knowing it's there. Call me so stupid, but I do." Adam explained as they went down to the kitchen.
Dean cut some lemons for the iced tea. "Hey, if it makes you feel safe, that's great. You never know when it could come in handy. The only thing that would make me nervous is getting stuck if the mirror fails.
Adam grinned at Dean. "That's not an issue. Bust the mirror. Randy made sure we had a way out in case of failure. Randy hire some panic room specialists from overseas. It was real spy shit. When the guy and his crew came to work on it, they all wore Lone Ranger type masks and all black clothing. They even wore black latex gloves. The guy only took cash. It was weird, but we got it done." Adam gave a shrug. That was Randy Orton.
"You sure had...interesting times with Randy. At least he loved you and wanted you to feel safe. I will give him kudos for that." Dean stated as he dropped lemon slices into the pitcher of iced tea.
Adam nodded with a soft smile. "Yeah, he did, still does. Randy was never a bad person, we just couldn't… be married. We fought over the stupid shit. As you know, it had started to affect the quads. Oh, enough of that. You're my life now, and that's the way I want it, it's what the kids want, hell even Ida wants it. I know you want it, and that is all that matters." He gave Dean a kiss.
"Yes, I do. Sorry baby, about the Randy stuff. Thanks for showing me the room. Ida knows, right?" Dean put the pitcher in the fridge.
Adam smiled at Dean. "It's alright, babe. Yes, Ida knows. Once a year, we inventory the dehydrated food. We throw out any old, and buy new. We've tried some of it, it's actually quite good." Adam took down six large mason jar style glasses with handles for serving the tea later.
"Paper plates?" Dean asked. When Adam nodded "yes" Dean continued. "Yeah, dehydrated food is good. I tried some once on a fishing trip last year." Dean set out a stack of paper plates and a stack of napkins.
"Maybe you can take me fishing sometimes. Just you, me a tent, alone by the water. Sounds like Heaven. Not a fishing fan, but I would love watching you as I kick back, relax and read." Adam spoke in a wistful voice.
Dean grinned. "There is a great place I know down near Blue Eye on Table Rock Lake. Away from the Branson crap. Although, I do enjoy the Shepherd of the Hills outdoor drama."
Adam chuckled. "We took the quads to Branson when they were four. We thought they would love the hoses and wagons in that play. But, when the Baldknobber's rode in and set fire to the town, it scared Jan so bad, we had to cut the vacation short. But, your place near Blue Eye sounds nice. We went to Roaring River once, but it's too...commercial now." Adam gave a sigh. The drive for the tourist dollar destroyed a lot of beautiful places.
"The land I camped on belongs to Tommy. He will never sell it. I'll ask him if I can take you sometime." Dean gave Adam a kiss and a smile.
Adam beamed. "Sounds wonderful. Oh, how is Doctor Dreamer? I can't wait to meet him one day." Adam took some cupcakes out of a box. He always kept some frozen ones on hand. They made a nice, easy dessert, and they were very good.
"Those look delicious, and they will thaw in plenty of time. I think that's everything. Don't forget the light on the Degas." Dean looked at the set up. They were ready to entertain.
"Yeah, I will turn it on when we go into the den. Why don't we eat on the patio?" Adam looked around. He was satisfied, they were ready to entertain.
"Um…how about the family den? Roman wanted to watch the Royals game. It could play in the background." Dean gave Adam a hope filled look with a childish pout.
Adam laughed. "Okay, Jade. You pout just like her. Oh, Seth and Roman are here." Adam saw Roman's black truck pull up the driveway.
As Seth and Roman entered the house, Drake and Justin pulled up in Drake's Mercedes. When Drake and Justin entered the house, Adam was shocked. The pair looked like they hadn't slept in a week.
"Please, don't think me rude, but, are you two alright?" Adam asked as he took a pizza box from Drake.
Justin replied. " We had to help a friend of mine...well, no, not a friend, but my neighbor. He was drunk off his ass. We kinda had to keep him from going postal. We finally got him calmed down and asleep at four this morning." He and Drake had worked out the story on the drive to Adam's.
"It was nice of you to help him." Dean gave Drake a nod of respect.
Drake shrugged. "Well, you know what I dealt with from my cousin. Justin being a nurse helped. So, we won't be staying long. Not to be rude ourselves." Drake gave an apologetic look.
"Come on then, I will show you the Degas. Then we can eat." Adam led everyone to the more adult den. He turned on the light that shone on the painting.
"Oh Adam. It is incredible. You're right, those horses look ready to bolt off the wall. What a wonderful privilege to own this. Thank you for sharing it with us." Justin was truly taken by the painting.
"You're welcome. This and Randy's Rembrandt will go to the Nelson-Atkins Museum when something happens to us." Adam explained.
Drake was curious. "You're not leaving them to your kids?" He thought it was...odd.
Adam chuckled a bit. "Two masterpieces, four kids? No, the museum is better. Family feuds have started over lesser things." He shrugged.
"I didn't think of that. None of my business anyway. Sorry, sometimes I get nosy." Drake ducked his head.
"Don't stress about it, Drake. Look all you want. Seth, let's get the pizza ready." Adam pulled his friend to the kitchen.
"I'll help." Roman followed after his husband and Adam.
"Hey Dean, can I um… use a bathroom upstairs?" Drake shot Dean a look he hoped the man would remember.
Dean smirked. "Don't stink up Adam's house. Upstairs, third door on the left."
"Thanks, Dean. Justin, go ahead, I will be a bit." Drake rubbed his stomach to prove him point.
Justin chuckled. "Okay. I warned you about triple grilled cheese at four in the morning."
Justin admired the Degas a bit longer. Then Dean turned off the light. He led Justin to the family den.
Upstairs, Drake moved like a silent ninja. He placed the tiny microchip sized camera bugs in each of the kids rooms, one in Adam's room and one in the hallway that gave a view of the stairs.
Younger went into the bathroom, and took a piss. He flushed, washed his hands then went downstairs. Drake heard everyone in the den, but he went to the kitchen. He placed a camera on the fridge. It would never be noticed with all the magnets and kid art work. It was high enough to avoid children's curious eyes and fingers.
Drake went to where the voices came from. He had one camera left. He would put it in this room. It was obviously the family den and would give more film of the four brats.
Roman, Dean and Drake were soon lost in watching the Royals game. Adam, Seth and Justin quietly talked about work and babies. Justin smirked to himself when Drake casually stretched. He watched as Drake's hand brushed against a lamp. He knew a camera had just been planted. Justin had to admit, Drake could be very slick when he had to be. Justin knew their work was done.
Down the street, Hunter Helmsley rubbed his eyes. He went to get a cup of coffee. He was so lost in thought, Hunter forgot he still wore the latex gloves. He didn't even notice Shawn.
Shawn was in the kitchen. "I was just making you a sandwich." Shawn looked at his husband. "Hunt? Hunter!" He spoke a bit louder.
Hunter shook himself. "Oh hey, honey. Oh can you make me one of those please?" He nodded to the sandwich, took his cup of coffee and left.
Shawn frowned. He knew something terrible had been in that special delivery. He finished making Hunter's sandwich. Shawn was glad Megan was deep into her afternoon nap. Shawn took the plate to Hunter's office.
Shawn put the plate on Hunter's desk. Hunter leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. A sure sign he was in deep detective mode.
"Babe, can you tell me?" Shawn was often the one Hunter discussed cases with. He was bound to secrecy, as an attorney.
Hunter opened his eyes, opened the drawer and handed Shawn a pair of latex gloves. "Start with this." He handed Shawn the note that had been wrapped around the notebook.
Shawn read the handwritten note. The same feeling he'd gotten before rattled in his brain. Shawn's eyes suddenly went wide.
"Wait here." Shawn got up and went to his home office across the hall. He pulled a file from his file cabinet. He took the file to Hunter.
"Look at this, really closely, Hunt." Shawn pointed to a handwritten piece of legal research.
Hunter looked at the paper, then picked up the package note. He compared the handwriting, it was exactly the same. Hunter gave Shawn an incredulous look.
"Who, Shawn? Who did this research? Surely not Roman." Hunter put the papers down.
Shawn shook his head. "No, not Roman. This was done while I was with Meg at the hospital. I hired him to clerk for me. Hunter, this was written by Shane McMahon."
Hunter gave a nod. "Read this. You will understand why the note says what it says. Shawn, this does not leave this office."
Shawn pulled his reading glassed out of his pocket. "You know it won't. Eat, I'll read." Shawn opened the notebook and began to read.
Shawn, being a lawyer, could scan read like lightening. By the time Hunter finished his sandwich, Shawn finished reading.
"Hunter...Randy is a...a...mafia boss? Adam? The children...this will crush them. Randy...our Randy? The man we trusted with our daughter when we took weekends? And Vince and Stephanie McMahon? Yes, I fully understand Shane's fears. They would all kill him if they knew about this. They...tried to hurt Adam. They took Jordan to scare Randy. Could...Shane be lying?" Shawn was almost too shocked to speak.
"No, Shawn. He isn't lying. There is too much information here. Some we are already investigating. We just didn't have names. Shawn, Randy had Alberto Del Rio killed. Babe, what do I do? I don't…I mean as a parent figure, not the other." Hunter leaned his elbows on the desk and rubbed his face.
Shawn got up, pulled off his gloves and began to rub Hunter's shoulders. "I know, babe. You will have to question Adam eventually, won't you?" He was worried.
Hunter nodded. "Yeah, I will and it won't be pleasant. Ambrose had better stick by Adam or he won't know what hit him." He growled his words.
Shawn kept up the massage of Hunter's shoulders. "I will help you. Adam loves him and wants to marry Dean. This will be a real test of that love. Hunt, I don't like what happened between you and Adam, but I do understand it. I was so caught between Megan, work and you. You were the one that got looked over the majority of the time. I don't blame you for turning to him for comfort. I have tried to keep you and Megan above work. I am here, Hunter and I am not ever going anywhere. We will have to get Adam and the children through this." He kissed Hunter's cheek.
"It wasn't you Shawn. It was everything. It is the one regret I have and will always have. I don't deserve you. Shawn, I love you. I am nothing without you. Not even he could fill that." Hunter kissed Shawn again.
Shawn smiled. "You are the same to me, and I love you. Now, back to this. What are you going to do?" He nodded to the incriminating notebook.
"I really don't know, Shawn. I am not taking that to the office. It won't be safe there. Although, it's not in the book, I have a feeling there is either a dirty cop, or our computers have been hacked, probably both. Now I have have to wonder, Is it McMahon, Randy or both? The fewer that know about this, the better." Hunter spoke in a thought filled tone of voice.
Shawn looked at Hunter. "I still...Randy...will you tell Chief Hart? You know you can trust him."
Hunter made a "hum" sound. "You know, I just might give him a call. Invite him and Jason over. Would you mind?" He arched his brow at Shawn.
"Not at all. Jason is nice and I will entertain him while you and Bret talk. Call him now, Hunt, before anyone else gets killed...maybe even Shane...or worse, Adam." Shawn spoke firmly.
Hunter picked up his extremely secured cell phone. Shawn got up and took Hunter's empty plate to the kitchen. Hunter pushed the number to Police Chief Bret Hart's personal cell phone. He tapped his fingers on the desk. "Hello, Bret..."
At Adam's place, goodbyes were being said. It was four o'clock. It would give Adam a couple of hours before the kids came home. He was excited to see them. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged as Seth, Roman, Drake and Justin left. Dean and Adam went back in to clean up.
Both Dean and Adam were totally unaware that almost every move and word was picked up by McMahon's cameras. They had no idea how much their blissful little world was about to be turned inside out and upside down.
At the McMahon mansion, Shane sat on his bed. He was frustrated, he knew a meeting took place in the conference room. He had no idea what was being said. Shane couldn't risk his bug being found. The only good thing was, his package had been delivered to Detective Helmsley. It never once crossed his mind that his handwriting would have been recognized by Shawn.
Stephanie McMahon smiled when Justin and Drake entered the room. Justin frowned. "Finn, you should be resting." The man looked like death warmed up.
Finn guffawed. "I am alright, Justin. Thank you and you too, Drake, for getting me though that. Also, for making sure Wade was looked after."
Justin nodded. "Not a problem, Finn. It wasn't my first time dealing with an acid trip. Anyway, Drake gets the praise. He managed to completely bug Adam's house. You should be able to connect anytime, Drew."
Drew McIntyre was the computer expert In McMahon's faction. "Ah good. Give me a few minutes." He put his highly advanced laptop on the table and fired it up.
"Well done, Drake and Justin. You have earned your bonus. Now, this room was swept for bugs. None were found. If I discover, that anyone at this table is a rat…you'd better have your wills arranged. I don't even like to think that's possible." Stephanie glared her deadly glare at the men seated at the table.
Sheamus spoke up. "Ma'am, I will swear on The Code and kiss my medal, no one here would even think of betraying you or your father. Could it be possible, the person who planted the bug, removed it before it we could find it? I am sorry, ma'am, but we seven are not the only people in this house on a regular basis. I only know one thing, neither Wade, Finn, Drew, Cesaro, Justin, Drake or myself would ever turn on you or your father. It would mean our own father's would be shamed. That is also something none of us would ever do." Sheamus spoke firmly, his Irish accent thicker than usual. It always happened when he was fired up.
Cesaro reached over and laid a hand on Sheamus' arm, they were lovers. "Shea, calm down liebchen. Ma'am, he means no disrespect. I do think he's right, someone from outside did it. Question is why? My bet is on money. It happened to my father. Of course he didn't pay with money, he paid with a bullet between the eyes." He ended with a nod of respect to Stephanie.
Stephanie leaned back in her chair. "You know, that makes sense. It pains me to say it but, Orton could have paid someone off. Sheamus and Cesaro, I am putting you in charge of the investigation. I want the one who bugged this room found. That person will be dealt the same fate that Cesaro's father gave out."
Sheamus nodded. "Don't worry, ma'am. It will be done. I swear it." He pulled out his McMahon medal and kissed it.
"Ma'am, I have it. I am recording the cameras at Adam's now." Drew turned his computer. There was a little square for each camera in Adam's house.
They could see Adam and Dean in the kitchen as they spoke to an older lady who tied on an apron. You couldn't hear what was said.
"Fuck...there is a problem with the audio. Don't worry, ma'am. I will fix it, but it may take some time. It's because they are so small." Drew stated as he pulled out a second laptop and set up to work.
Stephanie nodded. "As long as Orton knows we can see his family, that is the important thing. Just do what you can and record it." She knew technology glitched. The video was the most important thing.
In the Helmsley's house, Chief Bret Hart removed his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe what he'd just read.
"I can see why you want to keep this out of the office. I agree, we either have a dirty cop, or we have been hacked. Too many things have vanished. It's probably both, if I speak the truth. The hacker tells the dirty cop and things disappear. This is your case and from this moment, your only case. I would also advise you to speak to Shane McMahon, as soon as possible. We will have to stash him safely away. He will be the key that breaks open a lot of locks. We've got to keep him safe. The problem is where? I don't trust people not to be paid off by the likes of McMahon and Orton." Bret let out a deep sigh.
Shawn had been sitting in a chair in the corner of Hunter's office. Bret's husband, Jason hadn't come. He'd stayed home to babysit for one of the neighbors.
"Hunter?" Shawn gave his husband a very pointed look, that said so very much.
Hunter immediately knew what Shawn meant. "Bret, we have a panic room. Only myself, Shawn, Meg and Nancy know about it. Shane would be perfectly safe there. It's the best thing I can think of." He knew Bret would approve.
Bret Hart nodded. "Next question, how do you get him here, in a way he doesn't suspect anything?" He was often glad he wasn't a detective, being Chief was hard enough.
Shawn pulled out his cell phone. He pushed a couple of buttons. "Shane? Shawn Helmsley here. Listen, I am sorry to disturb you on an early Sunday evening...I appreciate that...well, I am in a bit of a bind…that Nicholas case, yes...I start tomorrow. I was reading the research you did...no, not really, but I need some help and you know where to find it. Could you come to the house for an hour or so, I will pay you of course…It's what I would do for anyone, I just desperately need the help...okay, see you in twenty and thank you so much, Shane...goodbye." He ended the call, then looked over at Bret and Hunter.
"Shane did some clerk work for me. That's why I knew the handwriting, as you know. He will be here in twenty minutes." Shawn shrugged.
Bret shook his head with a light chuckle. "You two are amazing. I'd better call Jay, tell him I will be later than I thought. We will take Shane's car to the underground garage and cover it, remove the plates and VIN number. Jay can do that. He's good at the super sneaky stuff." Bret smiled and took his phone in hand. The Chief called his husband.
Stephanie stopped Shane as he went to leave. "Where are you going?" She spoke in a commanding tone.
"Kofi's house. We are going to play video games with Big E and Xavier. I'll be home by midnight. See you later." Shane left before his sister could speak or stop him.
Shane wasn't going to Kofi's. He drove several miles downtown, parked his car in an overnight lot, then called for an Uber. He had a feeling, but, maybe he was just being paranoid. Shawn probably did need the help. Shane got out of the Uber, three miles from the Helmsley's house. He would be a bit late, but he could run fast. Shane was not stupid.
Adam was in Heaven. His kids were home, and he was off work tomorrow. Dean was also happy, because his family was happy. The house filled with laughter.
Shane took a few deep breaths and rang the doorbell of the Helmsley house. Shawn greeted him with a warm smile and a one armed, almost fatherly hug.
"Oh, where did you park? There is plenty of room in the driveway." Shawn was curious. Jay had to find the car to hide it.
Shane looked at Shawn. "Downtown. I took an Uber, then ran. Mister Helmsley, I'm not here about the Nichols case, am I?"