Romeo, Jessie, Murphy and Louisa walked in the den while Margaret stood near the bookcase and Connor was leaning against the desk.
"Is everything alright?" Louisa asked as she looked from Connor to Margaret.
"It is now," Margaret said.
"So, what's going on?" Romeo asked.
"It appears my uncle needs the help of the Saints."
"They're dead," Louisa said.
"Yes, they are. But, seeing how my uncle is the only one besides than us who knows they aren't, he thinks he can just use them whenever he wants."
"He can do that?" Romeo asked.
"He can try," she said with a cold tone to her voice. "And he has been trying over the last eleven years."
"What stood in his way?"
"Me!" she said with an angry look. "But it appears he has gotten so desperate that…"
"That he sent those assholes here to take them by force," Louisa said.
"Yes," Margaret said and Louisa noticed she was shutting down. Louisa walked to her while Margaret waited for her to either slap her or start shouting at her, but Louisa only looked at her with disappointment in her eyes. "Please. Don't look at me like that."
"Why didn't you say something?" Louisa asked.
"Because she's th'boss an' she feels like she has t'do everythin' by herself," Connor said, pushing off the desk and he walked to her.
"A good leader takes sole responsibility for those under them." Jessie said as she walked to Romeo and he looked at her. "That is one of the firsts things we learn at the agency."
"What's one of th'other things?" Murphy asked.
"Emotions and feelings are a weakness."
"Who told you that?" Louisa asked.
"My uncle," Margaret said and they saw the sadness in her eyes.
"So, what do we do now?"
"We're gonna show that son of a bitch it's not a good idea t'piss off th'Saints or their ice queen," Murphy said.
"To do that, you are going to need a few things," Margaret said as she pushed on one of the books and the bookcase slid into the wall. The lights came on as Murphy, Connor and Romeo heard a cool song playing in their heads and they looked at the armory. They walked inside when Connor noticed the left side of the room had cords of rope of various lengths, grappling hooks and guns on the wall and his name was on the nameplate above them. Murphy found the nameplate with his name on the right side of the room and he looked at the guns and different size knives. He also saw the machine gun on the turret, but it was the crossbows and different size bolts that caught his eye.
"Shit," Murphy whispered when he picked up the rocket launcher and he looked at the rockets on the wall. He held up the rocket launcher when he pointed it toward Connor and Connor held his hands up in surrender.
"Don't point that at me!" Connor said.
"Th'only reason I'd use it is if you touch any of those ropes."
"Put it down," Louisa said with a giggle and she gently touched Murphy's right forearm. He lowered the rocket launcher while Romeo looked at the guns on the wall and he saw the nameplate with his name on it.
"Are you cryin'?" Connor asked, watching Romeo wipe his eyes with the back of his right hand.
"These are tears of joy," Romeo said and they smiled. Murphy noticed the smaller guns on the wall with a nameplate with Louisa, Jessie and Margaret's names on it and he frowned.
"Why's Lou's name on here?" he asked and Louisa looked at the guns.
"She is a part of the team, isn't she?" Margaret asked.
"Tout pour un et un pour tout.," Louisa said in French.
"All for one and one for all."
"That's our motto," Connor said with a small grin.
Murphy felt an overwhelming protective urge move through him when he noticed the look in Louisa's eyes and he took his wife's hands.
"Tout pour un et un pour tout," Murphy said with a grin and she lightly squeezed his fingers. He let go of her hands when he looked at Connor and the twins had a silent conversation.
"Be right back," Connor said and he and Murphy left the room.
The doors to the barn opened while the twins walked inside and they looked at the trunk sitting on the high shelf. Both of them felt a cool wind move through them as Murphy went to get the ladder and he placed the ladder against the shelf. Connor held onto the ladder as Murphy climbed up and he gently slid the trunk toward him. He slid the trunk to Connor as Connor placed the trunk on the floor and Murphy climbed down the ladder. He placed the ladder back against the wall as he walked to Connor and the twins opened the trunk. Carefully, they picked up their black Navy peacoats, their rosaries, sunglasses, their black leather gloves, some boxes of ammunition and their Barretta guns. Closing the trunk after putting the newspaper articles back in the trunk, they put the trunk back on the shelf, left the barn and they closed the doors behind them.
Romeo placed the overnight bags into the back of the SUV when he closed the hatch then he hugged Jessie, Caesar and Rosita. Jessie wiped her husband's eyes as he sniffed then she lightly kissed his lips before he got into the SUV. Jessie was slightly angry about staying behind, but she agreed leaving Annabelle to watch over the kids and the farm wasn't a good idea.
Murphy and Louisa hugged the twins and Soibhan when they moved back and Murphy looked toward the fence.
"Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!" Rocco called out as Murphy walked to the fence then he knelt down on his haunches and the lamb looked out from the slats of the fence. Murphy slid his fingers between the slats as he gently rubbed the lamb's nose then he stood and he walked back to the SUV.
Connor and Margaret hugged Annie and Robert when Connor looked at Moira then he wiggled his finger for her to come to him. She slowly walked to him when Connor lifted her chin and they locked eyes.
"Mommy didn't answer yer question, did she?" Connor asked. Moira shook her head and he made a little grunt when he picked her off the ground. She wrapper her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulder as he locked eyes with her and he smiled. "The answer is no."
"You're not gettin' a divorce?" Moira asked.
"Why did you ask that?" Robert asked.
"Because Daddy was sleepin' on th'couch an' he wasn't talkin' with Mommy."
"Eejit."
"Hey, be nice," Connor said and Robert nodded. Connor looked at Moira when she hugged him and he lightly patted her back. 'Aye, I was angry with Mommy, but that doesn't mean we're gonna end summat we spent eleven years buildin'. Do you believe me?"
"Aye," she said and he leaned his head against hers. He placed her down on her feet when he kissed the top of her head then he and Margaret got into the SUV. The kids, Jesse and Annabelle waved goodbye as the SUV headed down the road then they went in the house.
London
The bathroom door opened while Margaret walked out and she looked at the door to the connecting room.
"Are they ready?" she called out.
"Yep," Louisa's voice called out when the door opened and Connor, Murphy and Romeo walked in the room. Margaret scanned them with her eyes while Louisa walked by Murphy and he gave her a pleased look after she had lightly patted his bottom. "How do they look?"
"Perfect," Margaret said with a slight growl to her voice and the twins and Romeo looked at each other.
"Then let's go," Connor said.
"Not yet."
Margaret walked to them when she placed the sunglasses on them and they smiled. Connor opened the door as they left the room and the door closed behind them.
Unknown location
The car pulled up to the front of a four story, white brick building when the doors opened and Margaret, Romeo, Louisa, Connor and Murphy exited the car. They closed the doors while Murphy slid his hand over Louisa's hand and she wrapped their fingers together.
"Let's go," Margaret said and they headed for the door.
Margaret was dressed in a black blazer, a white blouse, a black skirt, nude hose and black high heels and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun.
Louisa was dressed in a dark blue blazer, a white blouse, a dark blue skirt, nude hose and black high heels and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She wore her glasses and she walked next to Margaret.
Romeo was wearing his leather jacket, a dark t-shirt, dark jeans and leather boots and his hair was brushed back.
Connor and Murphy were dressed in black sweaters, black jeans, black boots, black leather gloves, their black Navy peacoats. Murphy's hair had been dyed back to its normal dark brown color and he talked Connor into dying his hair back to its normal brown.
Margaret opened the door as they walked in the lobby and Louisa resisted the urge to look around. They headed for the elevator while people looked at them, but the cold look from Margaret made some of them look away.
The elevator doors opened while Margaret, Louisa, Connor, Murphy and Romeo walked out of the elevator car and they headed down the hallway. They came to a stop at the guard station and the guards looked from Connor and Murphy to Maggie and she glared at the guards.
"Is there a problem?" Margaret asked with a cold tone to her voice.
"Uh… No, Miss Stone," the guard said. Connor notice her cold look from the guard using her maiden name, but he kept his face blank. Margaret walked by the guards as Connor, Murphy, Romeo and Louisa followed her and they walked down the hallway. They stopped at the door to Morgan's office as Margaret flexed her fingers and Louisa looked at her.
"Should we knock?" Louisa asked.
"No," Margaret said with a small growl. Margaret opened the door as they walked in the office and Morgan looked at them. He didn't blink after she slammed the door, but Connor and Murphy glanced at each other from behind their sunglasses.
"You're late," Morgan said.
"You should be grateful we came at all," Margaret said.
"The guards told me you didn't check in."
"Well, seeing how we are not supposed to be here, I skipped that part."
Morgan saw the anger in her eyes while he barely nodded his head then he looked at Murphy, Connor, Romeo and Louisa.
"What the hell is she doing here?" Morgan asked, looking at Louisa.
"She is a part of the team," Margaret said.
"I see," he said then he looked at the chairs in front of the desk. "Sit down."
"Say th'magic word," Murphy said with a sly look on his face. Louisa covered her mouth with her hand to cover her smile and he gave her a wink.
"Now."
"Well…. Since you asked nicely," Connor said with a shrug and they walked to the black leather, over-stuffed chairs. Morgan noticed Connor wasn't heading to sit next to Margaret as she sat on the far-right chair. Romeo went to sit next to her instead and Louisa went to sit next to him. Connor and Murphy looked at the chairs when they sat down and a light hissing sound filled the air.
"Shit. Did you eat beans fer lunch?!" Murphy asked while he scrunched up his face.
"That was th'chair!" Connor corrected, pushing his twin.
"No, it was you!" he said, pushing back. They started punching and shoving each other when Louisa sighed and she rolled her eyes.
"Guys," Louisa warned and they slumped down in the chairs.
Morgan glanced at Margaret then he sat up a little straighter and he folded his fingers together.
"Shall we get down to why you are here?" Morgan asked.
"Does he always talk like that?" Murphy asked in Spanish.
"He does sound like he has a stick shoved up his ass," Connor said in Spanish.
"I bet he poops splinters when he takes a shit," he said in French and Connor snorted a laugh.
"Are you quite finished?" Morgan asked in French. Connor and Murphy nodded as they shifted their positions in the chairs and Morgan stood. He walked around to the front of the desk when he leaned against the desk and he picked up a remote control. He pushed the button as the screen flickered on and they turned to look at the screen. On the screen were several photographs of dead bodies and Murphy leaned to place his right hand on top of Louisa's left shoulder. She turned to look at him as their eyes locked and he glanced over at Morgan.
"Mind showin' us summat else," Murphy said.
"If you didn't want her to see this then you shouldn't have brought her."
Murphy glared at him as Louisa shook her head then she got up and she walked to the screen. She looked at the photographs as she examined how the bodies looked and were positioned and she folded her arms over her stomach.
"What are you doing?" Morgan asked.
"Fer someone who knows so much about us, you didn't know my wife's a professional photographer?" Murphy asked, getting up and walking to Louisa.
"Yes, I do know that," he said as he looked at Murphy and Murphy slid his arms around Louisa. Morgan noticed the anger and protectiveness in Murphy's eyes as Morgan placed his hands in front of him and he looked at Louisa.
"Is there a way I can get a closer look at them?" Louisa asked.
"Just touch the screen."
Louisa touched the screen over the first photograph to enlarge it while Murphy placed his chin on her right shoulder and they looked at the photograph.
"Do you have to do that?" Morgan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"They can't help it," Connor said.
"Yeah. They've been married for almost eleven years and they still act like they just got married," Romeo said.
"Nothin' wrong with that," Murphy said and Louisa smiled. Morgan noticed the miserable look on Margaret's face and the pain in Connor's eyes as he turned to look at the photograph, but he didn't see the smile Connor gave Margaret. She sweetly smiled back as he crossed his eyes while sticking his tongue out and she tried hard not to laugh.
"See anythin'?" Murphy asked Louisa and she frowned.
"I'm not a pathologist, but I can see signs of scaring, bruises and...bullet holes. And, here, do you see how puffy the eyelids are?" Louisa asked, pointing at the photograph.
"They look like mine when I stay up too late."
Louisa moved her fingers over the screen as she looked at the other photographs when she noticed something and she enlarged the photograph. She looked at the tattoo on the victim's right forearm and she looked down at Murphy's right forearm. Murphy watched her take off the black Navy peacoat as she handed the black Navy peacoat to Morgan then she slid the right sleeve to Murphy's sweater up to his elbow. She moved her fingers over Celtic cross tattoo and Murphy felt a warm tingle moving up his arm.
"It's the same one," she said, looking at the photograph.
"Yes, that is the mark of the members of the Church," Morgan said, handing the black Navy peacoat to her and she helped Murphy put the black Navy peacoat back on.
"The Church?" Connor asked as he stood then he walked to Murphy and Louisa.
"They are group of vigilantes who work out of Greenwich, New York."
"Why do they use a Celtic cross?" Romeo asked while he got up and he walked to Connor.
"They use it in honor of the Saints," Morgan said as he looked at Murphy and Connor. The twins looked at each other as they had a silent conversation and Louisa looked through the other photographs. Louisa enlarged another photograph when she noticed something on the neck of one of the bodies and she brushed back some of Murphy's hair.
"What are you doin'?" Murphy asked. She looked at the left side of his neck as her fingers moved over the Mary Magdalene tattoo and he scrunched up his shoulders. "That tickles."
"Mary Magdalene," she said in a soft voice.
"What about her?" Romeo asked.
"This person has a Mary Magdalene tattoo on their neck."
"That is the mark of the Lost Souls," Morgan said while he looked at the photograph. "They are based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."
Connor and Murphy glanced at each other while Louisa looked at the photographs when she noticed something on the index fingers of the last group of photographs and she looked at Morgan.
"Where were these taken?" Louisa asked, pointing to the photographs.
"Those were taken in Boston. They are the marks of the New Saints."
"Jesus," Connor whispered.
"Lord's name." Murphy scolded and Connor nodded.
"Now do you understand why I need your help?" Morgan asked and they looked at him.
"No, we don't," Connor said.
"Are you blamin' us fer all this?" Murphy asked. Morgan noticed the serious look on their faces when he started wondering if they were armed and he walked back to the desk, sitting down.
"No, I am not blaming you for this. Now, sit down," Morgan said, but they stayed near the screen. Murphy had gone to stand in front of Louisa and Connor had crossed his arms over his chest.
"I believe this meeting is over," Margaret said while she headed for the door and the twins, Louisa and Romeo followed her. Margaret opened the door when she looked at the guards standing in front of the door and the guards had their weapons drawn. She turned to look at Morgan and she glared at him.
"Shall we continue?" Morgan asked. They walked back to sit on the chairs after Margaret closed the door and they sat down. "The reason I need your help has to do with this."
He used the remote to change the image on the screen and Connor and Murphy stood, walking to the screen. Connor touched the screen while he rearranged the images then he titled his head to one side.
"These are from our family prayer," Connor thought.
"Do you recognize this?" Morgan asked. The twins looked at him as they went to sit down and Morgan waited for them to speak.
"Nope," Connor said.
"Have no clue," Murphy said.
"Are you sure?" Morgan asked.
"Aye," the twins said at the same time.
"Now, if you are quite done, we shall be going," Margaret said. He watched them stand up when Connor and Murphy looked at the screen again then they looked at each other.
"Not that we're agreein' t'anythin'. What's in it fer us if we do this?" Connor asked.
"Like I discussed with Margaret. If you do not wish to help me, I promise I shall have no further contact with you nor will this agency," Morgan said.
"An' you'll keep yer word? You'll leave us alone?" Murphy asked.
"Yes."
"An' nothin' will happen t'us or our families?" Connor asked.
"Yes."
"What do you say, Brudder? Should we trust him?" Murphy asked, looking at Connor.
"No, we shouldn't trust him," Connor said with a serious look on his face. "We've trusted people like him before an' we always ended up on th'short end of th'stick."
"He's right," Romeo said.
"But….," Connor said as he grinned. "We would be missin' out on usin' all that cool spy stuff again."
"True," Murphy said with a nod.
"And I wouldn't mind using that screen again," Louisa said as she looked at the screen.
"Be nice if you had one of those in yer studio."
"Would help me check my proofs."
"Maybe he's afraid we'd show up some of those younger guys," Connor said.
"Yeah, we are pretty fucking good when it comes to fighting and using a gun," Romeo said, placing his hands behind his head while stretching out his legs.
"Aye, they'd shit their pants if they had t'face us," Murphy said while he placed his forearms on the arm of the chair and he placed his chin on the top of his forearms. He lazily smiled at Louisa as she brushed the hair out of his eyes and he slightly closed his eyelids.
Morgan scanned them with his eyes when he stood up and he headed for the door. He opened the door as they turned to look at him and he arched an eyebrow.
"So, you are going to help me?" Morgan asked.
"Aye," the twins said at the same time and Romeo nodded.
"If you will follow me," Morgan said. Shrugging, Murphy and Connor got up as Murphy held out his right hand and Louisa stood up. Romeo stood as he followed Connor, Louisa and Murphy and Morgan looked at Margaret. "Aren't you joining us?"
"No thank you," Margaret said and Morgan saw the disappointed look on Connor's face.
"As you wish."
Margaret watched them leave as Morgan closed the door and Margaret lowered her face into her hands. She stayed in that position for a few minutes when she lifted her head, got up and she walked to the desk. Sitting down, she removed the USB stick out of the inner pocket of her blazer and she placed the USB stick into the slot at the bottom of the computer. She looked at the monitor as she started typing on the keyboard and a smile moved over her lips.