Chapter 37

“Jesus,” Paul whispered as he stared at Lavender’s house then shook his head to get it back into the game. It looked and sounded like the Fourth of July in there. “How are you holding up?” He asked as he opened the trunk and Lane shrugged.

“That panic room is blast proof, it’s designed to protect Sage from Lavender. If needed,” he explained.

“Why would it be needed?” Paul asked horror and Lane laughed under his breath as he put in the earpiece and adjusted the mic at his collar.

“There’s only one person in this world who can hurt Lavender. If it came to that, he’d need a blast proof shelter,” he said cryptically and his eyes bounced as he listened. “Can you hear me, Denver?”

“I’m here. They’re closing in from the back and he’s got about a dozen in the front of the house. He’s protecting the panic room until you get there,” he said and Paul nodded.

“He’ll attack once we can draw some of them off and he’s got backup. He’ll cut loose once he knows we’re coming in,” he predicted.

“Can you see or hear into the panic room?” Lane asked as he reached in the trunk for an assault rifle and passed it to Paul.

“No. The system is closed so it can’t be hacked into. The only person who can open the door is Sage. He can see what’s happening but I can’t get in.”

“I can hear you. That panic room is designed to keep him comfortable in the event of a nuclear war for as long as his food lasts. If you’re ready, I’d appreciate it if you turned on your high beams and hit the alarm,” Lavender said and Lane grabbed a second rifle then used his elbow to shut the trunk.

“See? Not worried,” Lane said and shifted as his vest chafed his neck. Paul shook his head as he slung a rifle so it was across his chest and checked his extra clips then reached into the rental car’s driver’s seat for the high beams. He put his thumb on the alarm button on the key fob and looked back at Lane.

“How long do you think we’ll have before your men get here?” He asked and Lane glanced at his watch but Denver beat him.

“They were notified two minutes ago. You have fourteen or fifteen minutes,” he said and Lane nodded.

“With the amount of noise and the way that place has been lit up…”

“Truly, any time you’re ready,” Lavender said and Lane gave Paul a wink. He hit the button on the fob as he flicked on the headlights and the gunfire in the house paused as the horn blared obnoxiously.

“Here we come,” Paul announced as he ran for the house with the light at his back. The porch was ripped off and a giant hole was torn into the front of the house like a wide, crooked grin. Lane was at his side as they rushed up the lawn, jumping over torsos and limbs of bodies that had been thrown from the porch when Lavender blew it up. They fired into the living room as men in night vision goggles scrambled back. Paul crouched as he fired and Lane spun and took cover behind the alcove by what was left of the front door and fired at men as they backed out of the dining room. There was a cluster of Zubkov’s men pinned between them.

“I’m headed your way. I’ve got a dozen or so behind me, coming in through the back door,” Lavender announced. The men in the living room circled together and Paul jumped behind a door as gunfire erupted from the kitchen. “If you could both get as low as possible,” Lavender said and Paul swore and slid down the wall as a shower of bullets swept around the room.

“What the fuck is that?” Paul screamed and shielded his face as holes, blood, chunks of flesh and tufts of black nylon spread across the walls.

“I bought this from a friend. He’s an Israeli butcher,” Lavender said as he backed through the doorway and took shelter next to Paul.

“An Israeli butcher?” Paul asked in disgust. “You really do know all of Interpol’s worst,” he said and Lavender clicked his teeth.

“He’s quite lovely, actually,” he said and Paul’s face twisted in disgusted disbelief.

“Only you would think an arms dealer is lovely,” he muttered as he turned and fired into the dining room as Lane took out a pair of men by the stairs.

“I’d appreciate it if we didn’t mention him to Sage, now that I think of it,” Lavender said then looked up as he locked a belt of rounds into a weapon that looked like a small handheld gatling gun with a rotary barrel. “How many do we have left?” He asked.

“You’ve got about fourteen more scattered between you and the back of the house,” Denver said and Lavender grinned at Paul.

“Hold them here while I run around back and prepare to drop when I give you the word,” he said then looked at Lane. He saluted back and Lavender disappeared around the crater in the living room. Two men ran into the hall and Lane caught one by the stairs and Paul took down the one by the kitchen. There was a burst of gunfire at the back door and it exploded in a shower of splinters as men charged into the living room from the kitchen and dining room. “Get down!” Lavender called over the chaos and Lane and Paul hit the floor and covered their heads. Plaster, wood and insulation rained down on Paul and he cringed as a body slammed into the wall behind him. It convulsed as it was shredded by rounds before it smeared down the wall and the house was suddenly silent.

“All clear, boss,” Denver announced and Paul exhaled loudly as he jumped to his feet.

“I’m good,” Lane announced and Paul snorted.

“Not a scratch,” he said as Lavender hurried into the kitchen. He tossed his gun away and it slid across the kitchen counter as he ran for the panic room. He hit a call button and rested his forehead on the wall as he waited.

“You can come out now,” he said then stepped back. The door swung open a moment later and Lavender reached for Sage and Robin. He used his body to shield them from the gore in the kitchen as he pulled Sage’s eyes to his. “It’s almost over and you’ll be safe at Lane’s until this is cleaned up. Get out and try not to look at anything. I’ll have it all fixed and completely perfect in just a few weeks but I need to go before the police get here,” he said firmly then kissed Sage before he could argue. Sage went limp as he hung onto his shoulders and Robin squealed in delight between them. Lavender looked toward the front door at the sound of sirens. “I’ll see you soon,” he promised then ducked and pressed a kiss to Robin’s cheek then caressed it with his thumb. He turned and passed Sage and Robin to Paul. “Don’t let the baby see all of this,” he said then waved as he backed away from them. He shared one last lingering look with Sage then dashed out the back door. Sage swore softly as he hugged Robin’s head against his chest. He looked around Paul and his eyes almost fell out of his head as his jaw fell.

“What the hell are we going to do? The police are going to be here in a minute and they’re going to have questions!” He said as Aiden handed him the diaper bag.

“Paul and I are going to go out and let them know that there are unarmed civilians and a baby inside. We’ll get you moved to our place and the feds will have this place locked down within an hour,” Lane explained and Paul nodded.

“As soon as I let my director know this place is full of dead Russians and exotic weapons, this will get wrapped up so fast and so tight, Lake Cliff will believe your house was involved in a home makeover show by tomorrow morning,” he said and Sage shook his head.

“I don’t even care anymore. I just want this to be over so we can have our lives back,” he stated and Lane sighed as he kissed Aiden.

“Amen. We’ll get you three home soon. I’m sure Rose is worried sick,” he said then offered Paul a jaunty smile as he gestured at the units racing toward the house. “Shall we?” He asked and Paul grinned.

“We’re taking credit for this until everyone has to forget it ever happened, right?” He asked and Lane snorted.

“We’re about to look like gods,” he said and Paul frowned as he looked over his shoulder, past Sage and Aiden, at the back door.

“How long do you think he’ll be gone?” He said and Lane shrugged as he clipped his badge on his vest then leaned against what was left of one of the porch’s columns and held up his hands. Paul did the same and waited as officers spilled from their vehicles and approached carefully.

“As long as it takes to finish things with Zubkov and track down Petrovich,” Lane said. Paul had a feeling it wouldn’t take too long and he was surprisingly fine with the idea.