Chapter 20

“It’s frigid out there.” Dade stomped his feet, then took off his hat and stuffed it in his pocket. He looked over at the woman he adored, holding a cup of coffee toward him. “Coralee, honey, I’ll be your slave forever if you agree to move to Jamaica with me.”

Cora laughed softly. “Oh Dade, it’s not that cold.” She handed him the mug. “And you’re my slave now so I don’t need to negotiate.”

He sipped the hot liquid and studied her for a moment. “I am.” He winked at her and looked around. “Where’s the party?” She motioned toward the kitchen.

Before he could take a step, the door flew open and in danced Steven. A cold breeze blew on Dade, reminding him he hated winter once more.

“Let it snow, let it snow, let it…” Steven stopped singing abruptly when he spotted the glare from Dade. “Or not.” He straightened from undoing his boots and grinned. “You’re just not finding enough fun things to do in winter, my friend.”

Dade scowled at him again. “The only thing enjoyable to do when it arrives is move South where there is sun and sand, bro.”

Steven grinned. “Yeah, bikinis outweigh the snow by a landslide.”

Rachel leaned against the doorframe. “What’s this about bikinis?”

Steven danced over and hugged her. “Oh, Scrooge over there is grumbling about winter, again.”

She rested her body tight into his. “I love winter,” she looked up at him. “Chris got a call from the Captain, so we’ve been waiting for you both to arrive to discuss it.”

Steven turned to the couple kissing behind them. “No time for that, we’re holding up a discussion.”

Dade lifted his head and rolled his eyes. “Oh good, more discussions.” Cora swatted him and turned to walk into the other room.

“So, we have the go ahead?” Patrick watched Dexter pace back and forth by the counter. Chris nodded. “And the officers have been coming and going from Patrick’s for the last few days…” He glanced out the window and the blowing snow. “…it’s storming.” He turned and looked at Patrick. “Seems tonight is the night.”

Patrick knew he felt what Dexter did. Resolution. “Aye, it seems it is.” He glanced around the room at the others. He looked at Chris for a minute. “No sign of Jack anywhere?” Chris shook his head. “All right, so lay out this plan for me.” Rhonda raised an eyebrow at him. “I just want to see if anyone has missed anything.” He scowled. “This is what I do.”

Justin nodded and leaned forward in the chair. “I have to agree. Patrick knows those involved, on both sides, and maybe we’re putting the wrong people in the wrong place.”

Leena stood looking out the window. “I’d feel better if he gave his personal go ahead.” She turned and looked at everyone. “He planned it perfectly with Charlie.” Everyone nodded.

Chris looked around at everyone then nodded. “Okay, first we’re leaving Rhonda here with you, Pat.” Rhonda made no sign of objecting. “For an obvious reason, Coralee is going to send what she sees to you, keeping you aware of things as they take place.” Patrick felt relieved to know this. “Owen will shield her from the bad vibes, which unfortunately takes out one of our larger men, but it should work.”

Chris motioned to Dexter, then Dade. “Those two are the muscle when and if necessary. We’re hoping not to use them, but it’s good to bring some backup.”

Patrick processed the information he’d been given. “What else?”

Justin sat forward and grinned. “Gwen and I are staying behind as well. We’re not almighty by any means, but we can certainly throw up enough obstacles in case anyone comes this way.”

Patrick only nodded, so Chris continued. “We’re going to put Kase, much to my disapproval, Lee and Rachel up front. The three of them combined could stop a freight train if they wanted to.” Patrick noticed the smug look on their faces. “Steven and I are going to have their backs, so nothing can go wrong there.”

Patrick held up his hand and thought for a moment. “I want Kevin somewhere close by in case anyone gets hurt.” Kevin looked shocked that he’d said it.

Chris nodded. “We thought the same, so Kevin and Jean are going to be on standby somewhere near enough to reach us just in case.”

Tara had been leaning back by the kitchen door. “Where am I?”

Dexter lifted his head and looked over at her. “We need you to stay with Patrick. Not one of us, other than Doc, is trained to look after him if he needs it.” And then he shrugged. “And we really need the Doc with us. I’m told he has a rather volatile power and if something goes wrong, I want that power covering everyone’s ass.”

Tara sighed in disappointment. “Okay, but next time I get to be on the front line too.”

Leena let out a breath. “I’m hoping after this, we all live very quiet boring lives actually.” Everyone laughed and nodded.

Tara sighed. “You have a point.”

Patrick rubbed his jaw. “How are you going to get them to think I’m there? I know the guys from the station have been coming and going, but that could be for any number of reasons.”

“Oh.” Kasey jumped up and ran from the room. Before Patrick could even ask, she came flying back in carrying a large fancy fruit basket. She grinned and set it on the table. “Your get-well basket.” She shrugged. “If it survives, we’ll bring it back for the real you.”

He looked at Leena, Rachel, and Kasey for a long silent moment. He turned to look at Steven. “All this won’t hurt the babies, right?”

Steven shook his head. “Lee has done some pretty awesome things since she got pregnant and it hasn’t affected anything.”

Leena smirked. “Actually, being pregnant has made what I can do ten times stronger.” She paused as her husband nodded vigorously and blew out a breath. “So if anything, the three of us in this delicate…” she smiled sweetly, “condition make us more than powerful enough to stop or defend anyone.”

“One last question.” Patrick looked at everyone seriously for a few seconds. “Where are the Captain and his men going to be, and how are you signaling them?”

Kasey sent a bright flare of sparkles into the air, blinding everyone for a few seconds. Kevin grinned and looked at Patrick. “Silver flash means call the Captain. Red means medical help. Then I use the phone.”

He shook his head and laughed softly. “A good plan.”

Dexter nodded and headed to the door. “I’m going now.” He looked at everyone and shrugged. “I can get in without being seen, someone has to be on the inside when all of you arrive.”

Patrick stood slowly. Even he hadn’t considered that. He wanted to ask him to keep all of them safe and to bring everyone back, but knew it wouldn’t be helpful to hear him grovel in such a way.

Dexter must have understood how hard it was for Patrick to just stay behind. He lifted up the edge of his shirt and showed Patrick the handle of the gun he’d tucked into his jeans. He winked. “And I am very, very good at using it.” He grabbed his jacket and looked around at everyone, then back to Patrick. “I’ll keep things under control, Pat.” The older man nodded. He turned then paused in the doorway. “Before we come back, we’ll grab anything we think you might need from home too.”

Patrick hoped Dexter thought important meant weapons and a way to defend the others.

Kevin looked at Jean and smiled. “We need to get into place now as well.” She nodded and hugged Rhonda quickly. Turning to the others she studied them for a second. “Everyone be safe.”

Kasey bounced out of the room again, then back in and grabbed the basket.

Chris stood up slowly and looked around. He glanced at Cora hugging Dade. Then spoke softly. “Owen needs to get Cora into the house and out of sight.” Dade nodded and looked over at Owen.

“At least you have her senses helping to get you inside unseen. I have to sneak in the back while the women create a distraction out front.”

Owen grinned. “Yeah, we get the easy parts.” He walked over to Leena and looked at her for a moment. “You be careful.”

She nodded and smiled at him. “You just focus on keeping Cora out of harm’s way, I have Kasey and Rachel to watch over me.”

Rachel snorted. “And I really need to take out some anger and frustration.”

Steven winced. “Poor bad guys won’t stand a chance.” She laughed as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. Pulling back, he looked down at her for a moment. “Be careful, I don’t want to have to get pissed off and wreck Pat’s house.”

Rachel grinned. “But I like you all pissed off alpha male.” She flicked her tongue ring out at him and then laughed as he pouted.

Dade touched Cora’s face softly and looked at her for a long moment, then turned to Steven and Chris. “Let’s go.”

Rhonda gave Patrick a confused look. “They’re not going together?”

Patrick shook his head. “No, the ladies are going with their gift basket. The guys will bring up the rear.” Her mouth dropped. “Think about it, Walt and Bob will be trapped between powerful women and men making sure nothing happens to their women.”

“Oh. Oh, I see.” She sighed. “I must have gapped during that whole part of the planning. It’s going to take forever while we’re sitting back here waiting, isn’t it?” Patrick nodded as he put his arm around her and walked towards the door.

They walked in to see Gwen hug each woman tightly and pat the men’s cheeks. When the door closed for the last time, Gwen turned and looked at them. “I feel like I just sent them all off to war.” Her lip pouted.

Patrick shrugged gingerly. “They’ll be fine, Gwen. They’ve dealt with danger before.”

She hugged her arms around her middle. “Danger didn’t involve bullets.” She said quietly.

Rhonda hadn’t thought of that part, either. She looked at Patrick with panic plain in her eyes.

Patrick pulled her into his good side. “I’m sure Chris and Steven can more than come up with a spell in a flash to deal with that if necessary.”

Justin nodded and hugged his wife. “He’s right. If anything, you should feel sad and worried for those poor men that have no clue what they’re up against, dear.” She nodded and then grinned up at him.

“Very true. They won’t know what hit them.”

Tara sat down on the couch. “This may put them into the psych ward for a long, long time.”

Justin chuckled as he sat down. “That works for me.”

Tara looked over to where Rhonda was slowly sitting down beside Patrick. “So, we just wait now?” He nodded. “And Cora will just send you images?”

Rhonda nodded. “She can do it really well now. It might be a bit broken here and there, depending on what’s happening.” She clasped her hands lightly together. “I wished I could project to all of you when I do Patrick, but I don’t think I can do more than one at a time.”

Tara frowned. “Too bad you couldn’t project to a big screen that would be cool.”

Patrick grinned. “She’s not a movie projector.”

Rhonda leaned over against his good shoulder. “No, I’m not and I completely suck at using any sort of scrying tool, or I would try.”

“Hmmm.”

Everyone turned to look at Gwen.

Justin raised his eyebrows. “Hmmm?”

She nodded and pursed her lips and pinched her chin in her hand in thought. “Justin, do you remember the spell we used a few times…” She rolled her eyes. “A long time ago. Where we saw people’s thoughts like a flip book?”

He rubbed his jaw and thought. “Wow. That was a really long time ago. I don’t know if I can remember any of it.”

She frowned in concentration. “I remember the beginning…” She got up mumbling something about pen and paper and headed to the kitchen.

Rhonda looked at her then back to Justin. “She can do that?”

He shrugged. “Magic is like a bike sometimes, parts get rusty if they’re not used often enough.”

Rhonda’s eyes opened wide. “Would any of the others know this? I can call them. They’re leaving their cell phones on until they reach Patrick’s.” He shrugged. She got up and went to the phone list beside the phone. She dialed a number. “Chris, question…” She grinned. “No, nothing like that. Would you or Kase know any spells for viewing thoughts and whatnot?” She nodded. “Okay I’ll call her.” She paused. “No, so the others can see what I’m seeing from Cora.” She laughed as she hung up.

She glanced over at Patrick. “He was worried I wanted inside your head.”

He winked at her. “Might not like what you saw there, lass.”

She blushed and shook her head while she dialed. “Hi Kasey, I need to dig into your collective witch minds.” She nodded. “Gwen is having trouble remembering a spell to see what I’ll be seeing from Cora.” She paused. “Oh. Wait I’ll take the phone into Gwen.”

Justin looked at Patrick as he looked at him. “Is there anything they don’t know?”

Patrick grinned. “Not that I’ve found.”