All Is Bright - K. Sterling Page 0,40

those M16s,” he said and Denver made sure Hawk was squared away in a matter of minutes then they were in their golf carts speeding back to the house. They heard gunfire in the woods and Lane leaned out to get a better look as a helicopter passed overhead.

“Jesus! Do they think the neighbors and the police won’t notice?” He said and Lavender shook his head.

“Alon said they’ll call it a National Guard exercise if anyone notices but the nearest neighbor lives four miles away. Let’s get back inside and hide our husbands someplace safe,” Lavender said to Lane once the cart came to a stop. Unfortunately, one of their husbands was being a pain in the ass again.

“Absolutely not,” Aiden said and his hand cut through the air defiantly. “I am not getting locked into another panic room so I can wait to find out if you survived another firefight. Not after you dragged me all the way to fucking Rhode Island again. I could have stayed home and missed all of this!” He argued. Ezra nodded and crossed his arms over his chest and Toly’s lips were pulled into a stubborn frown.

“Yeah. I’m not hiding either,” Ezra said.

“I’m going to fight and I can’t do that if I’m cut off from the internet. There’s no reception in there,” Toly said and pointed at the “silver room.” It was a long, fireproof storage room with a reinforced steel door and a retina scanner where all of Blackhurst’s silver serving pieces were stored.

“It is the safest place in the house, outside of the vault. There could be a lot of firing in the house and I don’t want to worry about you getting caught in the crossfire,” Lane explained but Aiden shook his head and pointed at his sternum.

“I’m wearing a vest.”

“I’d like to live to finish this paper so I’ll hide with the silver,” Matteo said and held up a thick binder as he hurried past them.

“See? It’s so easy, being reasonable,” Lavender said sweetly to Aiden then glanced at Sage hopefully.

“Part of me really wants to go with Matteo,” Sage admitted as he scrubbed the back of his neck. “But I think I’ll stick with Aiden and see what I can do to help out here.”

“Fuck!” Lavender whispered and his head fell. “Is there any way...”

“No,” Sage stated simply so Lavender pressed a PPK into his hand.

“Keep your head down and stay out of the crossfire,” he begged and Sage grinned.

“Got it. I’d tell you to do the same but I know better.”

“We need to be going,” Alon said and looked around to make sure Matteo was the only one with any sense before he shut the door and locked it. They filed into the foyer as Reginald hurried down the stairs.

“Toly,” Reginald said and pointed at him. “You can’t guard Blackhurst, hack the CIA and watch your own back. You need me and I can’t help you with the Frankenlaptop I built in the conservatory,” he said. Toly’s cheeks puffed out as he considered. “Come on!” Reginald urged as he clasped his hands together.

“Fine!” Toly said then waved wildly before they ran back up the stairs. “We’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder.

“What’s the plan?” Blink asked as he strolled out of his study with an M204 slung over his shoulder and a cigar clamped between his teeth. Alon and Wilder were hunkered in front of the open elevator shaft and the house’s plans were spread on the floor between them.

“Both access points are blocked by reinforced steel,” Alon explained as he pointed at the elevator shaft and the entrance at the other end of the vault and Blink nodded.

“They’re designed to close when the backup generators come on,” he said and Wilder grimaced as he chewed on his lip.

“Smart but not great for us. It looks like this door at the elevator is the way we’re getting in. The double doors are twice as thick and we’ll be exposed while we work,” he noted. Alon nodded as he pointed.

“They know we’ve locked down the stables and secured the dogs and horses underground. They see that those doors aren’t for a garage and they’re going to put most of their fire power there,” he predicted.

“Then that’s where I’ll be,” Lavender decided and checked the sight of the rifle he selected from the armory.

“I’ll join you,” Denver said but he grabbed Ezra by the back of the neck and pulled him close for a kiss. “Stay