The man hopped off the truck, not watching them as they continued down the road. Quickly, he walked down the street and to the next block. Reaching his destination, he strolled into the hotel and received a key for a room on the top floor facing the Sadder Center. He shook his head when asked about luggage then ignored the elevator and climbed the stairs. The room had been chosen specifically for the view. He checked his camera and prepared to record. Today would be a glorious day, and he would document it for The Left Hand.

The entire world will watch their glorious victory.

1 hour

The North American Literary Exposition was the single biggest convention of the year. With more than 1200 exhibits, vendors, and artists, it represented a vast diversity of everything bookish. Annabeth worked diligently to get her clients involved each year, and within weeks of the close of this year's, she would begin to work on the next one. Looking over the huge floor on the lower level of the exhibition center, she felt that familiar tingle in her belly. This was her time to shine, and she was more than ready for the challenge.

The majority of the authors were still busy in the top two floors doing their seminars, roundtables and visiting the vendor's showcase in the upper ballroom. That left only a few hundred scattered on the main floor. She knew that number would swell exponentially in the next couple of hours when the public meet and greet flung its doors wide and welcomed in the populace already gathering outside. More than ten thousand people were expected to flow through the four-day event before it was over.

Pulling out her table chart, she noted the booths marked on the page. Her clients were spread out all over the floor. Glancing at the fitness monitor on her arm, she grinned. She would get her steps in today, no doubt.

Forty minutes later, she had worked her way around the right side. Andrew's table was next, but she was not looking forward to seeing him. It had taken her most of an hour last night to calm him down and "fix" the problems he had with his booth. She pointed out that he was actually in an optimum location as he had a straight view of the front entrance where readers and fans could see him immediately. When he complained about being in the open, she pointed out that the tables were set and if he moved now, his fans wouldn't know where to find him. She then talked to the lady who sat to his back and arranged to have their standing banners placed so that they had a wall of sorts between them. He was pacified. For the moment.

Arriving at his booth, she let out a breath of pure relief to find it empty. Andrew must be at one of the events or perhaps in the bathroom. Taking out one of her cards, she scribbled a quick note on the back and left it for him.

Andrew - I stopped by to check on you. Your booth looks wonderful! I'll be back later after seeing my other clients. Call me if you need anything. - A

Dropping it onto his chair, she turned and hurried to the next one on the list just as her cell rang. Seeing it was Joselyn, she stopped mid-aisle and answered.

"Jos! I'm working my way back to you. It'll be a few minutes. Everything alright?"

"Could you come now? There's something you need to see."

She wrinkled her brow. "Sure. I'll be there faster than a toupee in a hurricane."

Dropping her cell into her bag, she made a sharp left and headed out of horror and into the area reserved for romantic suspense. This was the first year of grouping genres, and Annabeth thought the change would be a good one. She had been harping at the committee about it for years.

When she found Joselyn, she frowned and made it a point not to let Andrew know where she was. Joselyn had a fantastic spot against the wall in the bottom of the T and less than thirty feet from the hallway leading to the bathroom. Already her posters and banners filled the large double booth as River moved one of the boxes containing her books to rest against the wall. Huffing, Annabeth stopped and leaned on the table. Blowing a strand of her hair out of her face, she asked, "Alright, I hurried my little-dimpled hiney right over here. What's the problem? Do you need some help? "

Jos looked up from where she was stacking cover cards and arranging pens. The black covered table was stacked with assorted swag she would be giving away. Annabeth picked up a bright green piece of candy and unwrapped it. Popping it into her mouth, she grinned. "Damn I love these Happy Orchard candies."

"Maddox always makes sure I have a bowl full at these events. I told him I have no self-control with those and they go straight to my hips."

River bent down and kissed his wife tenderly. "You're binging for two now. Enjoy your sweets, honey. I love you and your hips, no matter how huge they get. Besides, I know how to whittle them down if you need to, though I think our daily exercise program keeps you in great shape."

Joselyn's face exploded in red as her husband wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. She smacked him in the arm. "Behave. Annabeth doesn't want to hear your pervy thoughts concerning our sex life."

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah, no, you can keep that to yourself. I love you guys, but that is on the 'oh hell no' list. Now, you had a problem?" She raised one eyebrow at her friend. "Aside from the obvious one smirking behind you like a jackass eating briars? What can I help you with?"

"Oh yes, sorry. I got distracted. The problem is I have too much help. I'm hoping you can fix that for me." Joselyn waved a hand to her left.

As she turned, Annabeth's eyes widened when a tall, muscular man stepped out of the bathroom hallway. Grinning at her, Hick waggled his eyebrows and leaned against the door frame with his hands stuffed into his pants pockets. He was wearing a light yellow, short sleeved button up that showed off his well-defined arms and the sculpted definition of his pecs where the top three buttons were undone. The tails hung over the waist of his medium wash jeans that hugged his muscular thighs and ended with a pair of loafers. In appreciation, Annabeth's eyes traveled up his frame as she licked her lips unconsciously. Dear God, that man was sextacular to the infinity power.

"Georgia... my sweet Georgia... no peace will I find. Just my memory of you keeps my Georgia on my mind."

His voice was deep and rich as he sang his version of the song that always made her heart melt. Her feet were rooted to the spot as she listened to him serenade her and then she was running, kicking out of the low heels she had worn today as a smattering of applause erupted around them. He caught her easily as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. At that moment, all the doubt, the fear, and the loneliness disappeared along with the room as he cradled her head tenderly. He drank from her lips, thirsty for her as a man lost in the desert. His grip was firm, holding her securely, telling her she was precious to him. She pressed herself against him tightly, clinging to him as his lips and tongue dismissed the distance that had been between them for far too long.

"Georgia, Georgia. My beautiful, fiery minx," he whispered against her lips then nipped the bottom gently, sucking it into his.

She whimpered softly, clawing at him. "Hick," she sighed breathlessly. Her body ached for him. She knew she couldn't tear the clothes from him and drink in every delicious inch of his toned body, but she couldn't for the life of her remember why at the moment. Her eyes met his half-lidded ones, and she saw the inferno burning there for her.

"Ahem," a masculine voice sounded behind her. "You two need to get a room," Toad grumbled.

Oh yes. That was the reason she couldn't have her wicked way with him. They were undoubtedly putting on quite the show. Reluctantly, she untangled her fingers from his hair and took a hesitant step back. His arm shot out and wrapped around her waist pulling her to fit against his side as if she belonged there. She grinned. Well she did, didn't she?

"Oh my Lord, that was hot," a woman said to Annabeth's right. She glanced over and saw one of the authors fanning herself with a stack of cover cards. Beside her, another woman nodded in agreement.

"I'm making notes. My next hero is going to sing to my heroine. That's so freaking hot and sweet my panties just melted right off."

Annabeth's face turned a bright red. Then her eye widened at Toad strolled over and threw his hand out. "Ladies, I'm Reese. I'd be honored to help you with those pesky panties."'

"Oh my God," Joselyn exclaimed and turned away. Looking up at her husband, she asked, "Can't you do something about him?"

River laughed and shook his head. "Honey, we've been trying to rein that one in since the first day he walked in the door. Hick brought him; it'll be his duty to wrangle him."

Hick drew his arm tighter around Annabeth and shook his head. "Nah, I've got my hands full." He looked down into her eyes and touched her cheek gently just as he did when they Skyped. "They are very full."

The tender reunion was shattered as a loud boom echoed through the 200,000 square foot exhibition hall. Everywhere, banners flipped over and stacks of books collapsed. Screams followed by shouts filled the space. Annabeth looked around in a panic, trying to ascertain from where the noises originated. All the way across the floor a cloud of smoke enveloped the air, reaching out towards the back with bilious phantom fingers.

"What the hell? Is that a truck?" Hick peered into the advancing gloom.

River helped Joselyn to her feet then shot a look toward the front of the hall. "I can't tell."

"Yeah, it's one of those cargo ones. It looks like someone was backing up and ran into the front of the building. Half the wall has collapsed. I'll go see if anyone is hurt," Toad replied as he started to jog toward the wreck.

"Honey, stay here while I..." Hick had pulled away from her when the doors on the panel truck opened and a mass of men dressed in black carrying weapons flowed out. They swept along the walls, pushing tables back and overturning chairs as they herded people toward the middle. A smaller group of men unloaded large boxes from the truck. When they were finished, one of them slapped something onto the side of the truck where it met the partially collapsed wall and ran. A heartbeat later, a monstrous explosion rocked the building, throwing them to the floor. Annabeth pushed up on her hands and glared toward the front. Where the truck had been lodged, there was now a pile of rubble and glass along with blackened, twisted metal that smoldered and set off the sprinkler system. Her ears rang so loudly she couldn't hear anything else. She knew people must be screaming as they got up and ran toward the exits with their mouths open. She turned her head just as one of the doors were flung open, and a figure dressed all in black including black boots and a black ski mask stepped through. He carried a large rifle of some sort which he pointed up toward the ceiling. He shouted something then began to fire over the heads of the people surging toward him. Annabeth stuck her fingers in her ears, reamed them around a moment then pulled them out, hoping to restore her hearing. She turned a panicked face toward Hick as he gathered her in his arms protectively. What was going on here?

More of the doors were flung open and more strangers entered the hall. Hick pulled her out of the way, back to where Joselyn and River were. She saw Joselyn peeking out from behind one of the large banners at the rear of her table. River stood in front of it, his eyes on the melee happening in the room. Hick pushed her gently to their table, and around the side. Without saying a word, he lifted his chin toward the banner. She understood in a heartbeat. He wanted her to join Joselyn in hiding. Reluctantly letting his fingers go, she willed her frozen feet to move and slid into the tiny space between banner and wall. Joselyn's face was white as she reached out to grasp her friend's trembling hand.

Her hearing slowly returned, and she could pick out the sounds of people sobbing and screaming mixed with the annoying clang of the fire alarm. The room quieted suddenly as the alarm stopped and  the sprinkler system gave one last spurt before joining it in silent death.

"Hick?" she whispered.

"Shh, baby. Stay still and quiet," he mumbled. "Try not to be scared."

Ha! As if that was humanly possible. She wasn't just scared; she was completely terrified. Her knees knocked so hard, it was amazing they weren't found immediately. Stifling a whimper, she glanced at Joselyn and saw the same horrified fear mirrored on her face as well.

There were several bangs then sounds she couldn't place. Peeking out the side, she saw a team of three men carting in a large crate followed by another one carrying a thick chain. The door slammed, and he wrapped the chain around the handles and locked it with a padlock.

"Damn. They're sealing the exits, "River muttered."Where's Toad?"

"He slipped out just before the explosion."

 

 

Son of a bitch.

As soon as Toad realized what was going on, he got Hick's attention and signaled he was going for help. He knew his friends would never leave their women alone so that left him to find assistance.  First thing was getting to a safe place and figure out the best course of action

Toad eased along the corridor, past the bathrooms to a small utility door at the end. He heard voices coming his way so tugged on the door only to find it firmly locked. Pulling out the Swiss Army knife Rayna had given him on their last Christmas, he used the tool to jimmy the lock. It was worn and pretty useless for much of anything, but he kept it with him as a memento of her and for luck. When the lock popped, he folded the knife and dropped it into his jeans pocket. Entering in, he quickly locked the door again and looked around. He groaned to discover he was in a closet shaped like a triangle and filled with shelves containing stacks of folded linen. He heard the doors open and knew it was only a matter of time before they reached his closet. He would be found if he didn't hide and soon. Looking up, he felt a surge of hope. The closet had a suspended drop ceiling. If luck were with him, there would be a crawl space or at least, pipes or struts for him to hide in. It took him less than 10 seconds to climb one of the shelving units, push a tile aside and thrust his head into the space. "Bingo," he whispered to himself and pulled up on the wall that stuck a few inches above the ceiling. Replacing the tile, he looked around, turning his cell into a flashlight. Like most steel construction buildings, the walls ended approximately four inches above the grid used to hang the ceiling tiles. If he stayed on top of them, he could navigate most of the building without being seen. That is, as long as he didn't fall off. He had barely got the tile back in place when he heard the door jiggle followed by it being kicked open below. Whew, that had been a close one. The guards walked around under him, checking the sharp corners then left, leaving the door open.

"Attention." Someone was announcing the hall. The voice was clear, coming through the crawl space from the main floor. "Everyone must move to the center of the room and empty your pockets onto the floor. I want it all - jewelry, money, watches, cell phones, everything. If you do not obey, you will die. If you try to run, you will die."

There were several moments of silence then the staccato of gunfire followed by screaming.

"You have been warned! Move, now!"

Toad swore. He could almost see the terrified people frozen uncertainty in the room. "Do what they say," he muttered to himself. "For God's sake, don't piss them off."

"It is a great honor to be chosen for God's mighty purpose. Today, we strike a blow at the heart of America's corrupt culture. Today, you will be a witness in this jihad against the infidels that destroy the minds of our children! This filth passed off as literature is nothing but the foulest of garbage. Today, it ends. Today, we destroy this affront in Allah's holy name."

A yell rose in the air followed by random gunfire and screams. Toad adjusted his position slightly as he listened. Damn! He had hoped this was just a robbery, but it was much worse. There was no doubt about it; they were al-Bashir's radical extremists. He had heard the same rhetoric in every video the madman had spewed over the past few years.

Pulling out his cell, he checked it and saw it had no service. Most likely, the steel structure of the building interfered with reception. Swearing to himself, he shoved it back into his pocket. He had to get out of here and let the outside know what was going on. Determined to find a way to get help, he scooted along the wall, swinging around the steel support struts until it came to a junction. It ended after several feet at a wall that went all the way up. Unless he missed his guess, this would be the wall at the edge of the exhibition area. Bracing against it, he pulled out his knife and carefully pried a hole into the sheetrock wall in the corner. Just as he suspected, it was the main room. Glancing around, he saw people gathering in the center while several of the terrorists began to throw tables against the wall. They cleared a large path while another of their group scooped up cells, purses, and assorted items from the ground, shoveling them into bags. He spotted his friends and their women sitting on one edge. He swore softly. It was obvious River was afraid to run with his pregnant wife when he had no idea who or what was waiting on the main floor. He also knew Hick wouldn't have left them behind. It was too late now anyway. All except one of the exits were chained with guards standing in front of them. As he watched, a series of large crates were wheeled into the room through the unlocked door and moved to the corner where the two legs of the T shaped room met, about fifty feet from the knot of innocents. This was bad. This was so damn bad.

He scooted along the top of the wall toward the back, away from the main floor until he reached an outer wall. Leaning back, balanced on the little ledge, he pulled out his cell again and saw he finally had service - two bars only but it would be enough. Not knowing if there were any terrorists near him, he decided not to make any sound and began to type instead.

sadder ctr Phoenix. fedora cell. 10-12 terrorists. 100-150 hostages. i'm underground. Riv / Hick inside. exits sealed except one. possible explosives. advise.

He pressed send then silenced his phone.

Within five minutes, the device vibrated, and the screen lit up. It was a message from Bruiser.

Stay put. Bringing Bravo. ETA 90.