CH38

Rick got slammed into. "Hi Dad!" Alexis was always glad to see him. "Kate brought me home," she announced excitedly. They both also heard nails on the stairs as Midas and Maggie raced down the stairs to get petted, happy to see that their best friend was home. "Why don't you take Midas and Maggie up to your room and play for a little while," Rick suggested to get her out of the way so they could talk. "Okay." And Alexis ran up the stairs with the dogs passing her easily and into her room.

"You're sure they're not Paladin?" Kate questioned him as she reached the door. "You should see what they came in. If they were Paladin there wouldn't much left of this house," he told her which for him was so far the biggest plus he had to work with.

Kate followed Rick into the living room and found a lovely blonde and a younger but equally lovely brunette standing there. Kate was still in her uniform but without her belt or weapons. "Hi I'm…" Kate, however, was interrupted. "Detective Beckett!?" Joanne hadn't expected to find her here. Kate had a 'How do you know me?' look on her face, though she did look familiar somehow. "I'm Joanne Delgado. You investigated the death of my mother. She was killed as part of a series of jewelry thefts from homes." Joanne gave her a clue. A light bulb went on over Kate's head. "Joanne, your mother was…" Kate didn't want to say 'stuffed into a safe,' it sounded too insensitive. "I want to thank you again for finding who did that to her. It means a lot." Joanne stepped up to hug Kate quickly before backing off.

"This is Serena Kaye, my…fiancée." Joanne showed that she wasn't ashamed of the person she loved most in her life. "Fiancée," Kate repeated a little shocked. She hadn't taken Joanne to be a lesbian at the time, but then she hadn't spent that much time with her.

"Your life mate and bonded to each other?" Serena questioned. Kate looked up at Rick and took his arm with both of hers. "Yes," Kate stated with conviction. "Good. Then it means you likely already know everything I've told Rick here," Serena pointed out that she had knowledge of what that meant. "I do, and I think I know who you are after, too. Our local sheriff, my boss," she told them. "Please sit," Rick offered and they split up into couples who held onto each other.

"I've had my boss investigated and found a number of things that suggests that he is involved with Paladin, beginning in 1995. Plus he bugged me and my car and sent me out to Rick's father's area. I surmise the bug in my car would allow them to map every road that I traveled on. I was turned away by heavily armed men," Kate explained.

"We have reason to believe that he is why you two were targeted during Paladin's attempt to take your daughter. We have recently shutdown a research lab that was being used to create an aerosol that would kill only Mountain Lion shifters. I couldn't allow my friends or my…fiancée to be killed," Serena stated. "You're a shifter?" Kate looked at Joanne having never suspected. Even if at the time she had never even thought such a thing was even possible. "And you?" Kate looked at Serena.

"No, I'm just a human and we're not life mates or bonded, but it doesn't stop me from loving her." Serena squeezed Joanne's hand. "Finding a life mate is a crap shoot, but I can't think of anyone more deserving to be my life mate," Joanne admitted.

"Actually I know someone who might know of a way to fix that, not that it will be easy to get the information out of him." Rick had a good idea it could be done based on what he remembered. "Your father," Serena said flatly, getting Rick to nod his head. "I'm aware of the animosity between you two and we may need to pay him a visit anyway while we're here," Serena mentioned. "You'll be stopped at the border by his security forces. Plus he already knows Paladin is in the area," Kate warned.

"Well, as for being stopped I don't think that will be a problem." Serena turned to look out the wall of windows where their plane could be seen in the distance. Kate got up and walked to the windows. "I don't think I've seen anything like it. What are those on the end of the wings?" The whole thing looked weird.

Serena and the others walked up next to Kate and looked out the windows. "That's my most precious toy. It's a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, a heavily modified Osprey. She carries twin electric Gatling guns up front. She also has 2 Hellfire missiles, 2 Sidewinder heat seeker missiles and 2 Sparrow radar guided missiles along with flares and chaff dispensers for defense. I got my hands on the spare that was built back in 1995. The first one flew in 1989 but never went into production."

"I gave it to someone who modified it for me. If you know what you're doing, she can do some amazing things. She's part plane and part helicopter. The engines on the end rotate between horizontal to fly like a plane or vertical like they are now to fly like a helicopter or anywhere in-between."

"The only real drawback at the moment is its range and the amount of maintenance on the motors. What she really needs is a way to dissipate the heat build-up when the nacelles are in the vertical position like they are now. Hovering for long builds up heat that isn't dissipated very well." Serena was hoping for a fix soon. The people who had modified it for her promised to look into it for her.

"We're simply going to land at his front door and then knock." Serena was smiling knowing that even talking with Hunt was going to be anything but simple. He was notorious in the shifter community.

"Is your sheriff in his office?" Serena inquired. "He was when I left to get Alexis out of school," Kate replied. "Good. Joanne and I are going to go suit up and you can drive us there. We're taking him," Serena said abruptly. "You actually think he'll go quietly? He's the duly elected county sheriff and you're going to take him where?" Kate questioned her. "Oh, he'll come alright or I'll fill him full of holes. And as to where, she's sitting right out there and then over to talk with Hunt, who is going to listen like it or not," Serena told them. "You can come if you like. Bring Alexis, she'll be perfectly safe," Serena said. "His security chief lives in an attached building of the main house," Rick warned her. "Oh, I know. I have detailed satellite photos of every square foot of the place including the community that he's built. That includes his mining operation and the casino/hotel that he has built in South Dakota. Based on the number of cars alone his casino/hotel is doing pretty well," Serena mentioned which Rick told she knew a lot.

"Let's go suit up love. We need to pick this guy up before Paladin kills him in their wholesale house cleaning," Serena told Joanne. "House cleaning?" Kate didn't understand. "We've had some major successes lately and we think Paladin is cleaning house in the belief that their people have been infiltrated, which they have been. We need to get to your sheriff before they eliminate him," Serena explained. Kate and Rick watch them walk out to their plane, only to come back suited up for a war.

Rick remained behind with Alexis while Kate drove her two new friends to the sheriff's office, wondering just what these two had planned. "I'm glad you have recovered from your mother's killing. The way she was killed was…" Kate couldn't think of a good word."Gruesome?" Joanne offered. "She had her back broken and was stuffed into her own wall safe along with having her finger cut off to get to the ring she wore. I've never forgotten that day. I still see her stuffed into her own safe every day. It's never gone away. Finding Serena, however, has softened that day greatly. I don't know where I would be without her," Joanne said quietly.

"And you're a shifter," Kate stated. "May I ask what kind?" She was curious. "I'm a mountain lion," Joanne told her. "And you lived in the middle of Manhattan?" Kate asked incredulously. "My father was a mountain lion and taught me a lot before he died when I was little. My mother wasn't a shifter and she needed me after he was gone, so I adapted. I'm much happier living where I am now though. I have a family that cares about me and someone who loves me," Joanne admitted.

Kate parked out front. "You're sure you want to do this?" she asked them. "We'll be fine, we've taken on a lot worse than a simple county sheriff and a few deputies. No offense. You can stay out here if you like, we won't be long," Serena offered. Kate had left her weapons at the desk she was using and had forgotten about them in her rush to reach Alexis. "No, I'm coming. Maybe you could use back-up," Kate said and Serena nodded as she and Joanne readied their weapons and took the safeties off.

Anyone who worked for Paladin wasn't likely to come quietly.

Serena went in first and got everyone's attention just by the way she was dressed. She was followed by Joanne walking in dressed the same way and they never even noticed Kate followed behind them as she walked to the desk she was using. Serena noticed right away that there were two unarmed women and one man who wasn't in uniform, also unarmed. That left the four that were in uniforms and armed with simple service weapons.

Serena walked to the office that was mostly windows followed by Joanne who stopped at the door and watched everyone in the room. "Christian Dahl. I'm Cynthia Dern, you are under arrest," Serena stated keeping her hands on her weapon.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? Do you know who I am?" He had friends. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. You're a known informant for a terrorist organization. Now stand… slowly. Do not do anything stupid," Serena warned him. "You have just made your last mistake," Dahl said rising slowly, though as he did his hand dragged slowly across his holstered weapon. Serena pushed her automatic weapon a fraction out in front of her. "Please do. Give me a reason to spare the tax payers money to convict you and hold you in prison for the rest of your worthless life," Serena mocked him.

Suddenly a short burst of silenced 9mm rounds sounded from Joanne's weapon. "Don't! Now be a good boy and finish drawing your weapon and drop it on the floor," Joanne told him. "That goes for the rest of you. Unless you want to join your boss in prison."

His desk had a number of holes in it now as he pulled out his weapon and allowed it to fall to the floor. "Don't even think about it," Kate informed the deputy in front of her as she shoved her weapon in the back of his neck. "Now pull it out nice and slow." She snatched it from him and jabbed her weapon in his neck once more to enforce her point. "Traitor," he spat at Kate. "You're the traitor here for willingly working for a bastard that rats out people to terrorists. How do you think he got the money to buy the boat he has, the quads that he has, the yearly trips with his family to Hawaii, Paris, and other places? Why he has a brand new car year after year and not just the one he drives for work?" Kate asked them amazed at their naiveté.

"Carefully," Serena warned him as she watched him remove his weapon and place it on the desk. "Now the cuffs," she told him and took them from him. "Turn around." And she cuffed him. With his back still facing her, she removed a small wand she was carrying and scanned his body and came back clean. "Let's go Dahl. I have a jail cell with your name on it waiting for you," Serena informed him. "You've got nothing on me." Dahl was still defiant. "Actually I'm doing you a favor. Sophia, who you ratted out people to, is dead, as is Eric who was your next contact. All 5 of Paladin's council members are dead. Paladin is cleaning house, so it's only a matter of time before you drive home and have your house blow up on you with your family in it. NOW MOVE!" Serena jabbed the end of her silencer into his back.

"Door," Serena told Joanne who moved to the front door, opened it to check outside, and saw nothing to worry about. "Deputy?" Serena called as she pushed Dahl out the door. Kate moved to the door. "You honestly never questioned why someone who used to be a homicide detective in New York City was driving around out in nowhere? And you people call yourselves deputies," Kate told them with disgust. "More like lemmings," she finished. Kate backed out the door and got behind the wheel along with Joanne up front and Dahl, with Serena jabbing her weapon into his side, behind her. "Where to?" Kate asked. "Home," Joanne told her which had Kate driving to Rick's house since it was becoming home to her, plus that was where their plane was located.

"You three are as good as dead." Dahl was still defiant. Serena simply jabbed him with her weapon causing him to grunt a little. "We're not the one that used to be a deputy and then became sheriff while aligning himself with an organization that murders people," Serena countered. "Animals are not people," Dahl said self-righteously which damned him in their eyes. "I would think before you open your mouth again," Serena warned him as she moved her weapon to his knee cap. "Unless, of course, you would like to be stuck in a wheelchair around all of those other inmates who spend their days using weights building up muscles," Serena informed him.

The rest of the ride was done in silence. "Go get Rick and his daughter, you're coming with us. It's high time we put an end to this if you and Rick ever want peace," Serena said to Kate who went inside.

Serena opened the ramp and they started inside. "Secure our guest and wait for the others," she told Joanne who planted Dahl down and tied him to the wall securing system meant to tie down heavy cargo. Rick, Kate and Alexis joined Joanne. Rick, however, walked right over to Dahl and wasted no time in hitting him square in the jaw almost breaking it. It did knock him out as blood drooled out of his mouth. "Rick?" Kate took hold of his arm. "This piece of scum sold out my family and almost had Alexis taken from me," Rick snarled, breathing heavily as he defended his actions. "Please don't step down into the gutter with him babe. You're better than that," Kate pleaded with him. Rick looked at her and then backed up to sit down facing the now unconscious and bloody Dahl, the most hated man he could think of next to his own father.

Joanne joined Serena in the cockpit, sat down, and closed the ramp. "Where are we going?" Joanne inquired since she knew they were not handing Dahl over to anyone. Certainly not the FBI or any other law enforcement agency. "We're going to go talk with Hunt and put an end to this mess," Serena informed her as she continued her checklist. Joanne only stared at her like she had lost her mind but began powering up her engineering screens. This was going to be a short hop, followed by all hell breaking loose.

Joanne was right as Serena literally landed in his driveway in front of his garage and turn around area. It was a tight fit. Serena had probably hacked the tops of a few trees off on her way in. She was shutting systems down as Joanne dropped the ramp and each picked up their weapons and led everyone except Dahl who was left behind.

Serena and Joanne saw Hunt standing at the front door waiting. Even from this distance he didn't look happy. He became even more pissed off the second he spotted his son, his slut, and the bastard of a child. Rick had snuck out of the community and ran off to New York City. Then he had the gall to get some obscure woman pregnant, not the one he and his wife had so carefully picked out for him. He didn't know the woman that his son had been stupid enough to marry let alone get pregnant, but it only solidified his belief that his son was a failure and that meant so was he. That just wasn't acceptable. His dream for his son was still intact. After he convinced his son he would get rid of the albatross hanging around his neck and reintroduce him to the woman he was expected to marry and have children with.

However seeing his slut and this bastard yet again after they had snuck out of here last time like cowards was the last straw. He instantly changed into a bear, shredding his clothes as he did and charged. The slut and the bastard had to go and likely these two as well and then he would explain to his son his position in life, once and for all.

Kate had had enough. Why couldn't this Neanderthal understand the lessons he was being taught? She charged at him as a human but by the time she cleared the tail of the plane she had shifted into a dragon and easily reached out and grabbed Hunt. She saw him trying to bite through the scales on her hand and brought him up to her mouth. She opened her mouth and roared in his face, causing spittle to splatter over him. She then slammed him down into the concrete driveway, fracturing it and embedding him 3 feet into the ground.

It was then she heard the sound of weapons fire and felt the rounds pinging off her scales. Kate didn't have the time or power to stop the dragon within her and found herself rearing back and inhaling deeply. She leveled her head at Hunt's chief of security and let loose a breath weapon of a power few had ever seen. Seconds later his burnt bones fell to the ground while everything else on him was burnt to ash. The entire corner of the mansion along with a few trees simply vanished leaving tiny fires that would burn themselves out over time.

What Kate didn't see were Serena's and Joanne's reactions to what they had just witnessed. Rick was equally slack-jawed as he watched Kate burn a man to nothing, even though Serena and Joanne were about to fill him full of holes.

Next Martha came charging out as a bear bent on defending her husband. 'KATE! NO!" Rick screamed in his mind. Kate, however, was back in charge and was aghast at what her dragon had done. Granted he was trying to kill her, but there had to have been another way. Her delay allowed Martha to reach her and start biting at the claw that was holding her husband to the ground. She simply grabbed her with her other hand and threw her up against the house. The problem was Kate didn't know her own strength as they all watched as Martha burst through the logs of the house and didn't stop until she hit the stone fireplace. Kate turned her wrath on Hunt who was still conscious and looking up at her when she lowered her head and roared at him yet again. This was all his fault. If this asshole hadn't been so damn pigheaded, no one had to get hurt or die.

'Kate, babe. Please come back. You're a gem dragon not a black dragon,' Rick called out to her which got her to turn her head to look at him with Serena and Joanne and more importantly, Alexis standing next to him. 'What have you done?' Kate demanded of the dragon inside her. Kate had never felt such rage before. So much power and she was only going to get more powerful as she got older according to the book that she hadn't as yet finished reading.