The Mayfield and Darcy families had close ties dating back to before the civil war. While the Darcy family was a formidable force in industry, the Mayfields were an equally formidable force in finance. Many generations of Mayfields had backed Darcy enterprises, and both families reaped the rewards of those substantially lucrative endeavors. Yet in all that time, there had never been a mingling of the Darcy/Mayfield blood lines. So, one can imagine the collectively held breaths of all the social elite at the thought of a merger between these two financial powerhouses. And it had seemed inevitable that there would be a union. They were a perfect couple, perfectly dressed, perfectly coiffed, perfectly suited. William had been kind and attentive, Daphne had been sweet and demure. It had been promising for a little while, then hell came knocking on William’s door and he had forcibly shoved everyone and everything away.

Initially, Daphne had been hurt. She understood his pain, but that he wouldn’t allow her to comfort him or help him had pained her. Eventually, when all her well-meaning attempts were rebuffed, she pulled away herself and left for Europe and adventures abroad. She had traveled at first, taking in the beauty of the old world. But soon she found she longed for deeper things. She came home and decided to take a few nursing classes at the local college, but kept it quiet. She already had her masters in art history, and knew her family would disapprove of her new interests. She continued on until she received her nursing degree, then she made plans to take a trip. She told her parents that she wanted to visit the wilds of Africa, see the sights, maybe take a trek through the jungle. In reality she had already made arrangements with Doctors Without Borders to do a six month tour on the Ivory Coast.

It had been the most life changing, yet life affirming, time she had ever known. She had grown so much as a person, learning that there was more to life than the pampered existence she had grown accustomed to. She came back a changed woman, and she hoped for the better. She had only been back for three months when William had called her. She felt an odd mix of bittersweet emotions at his call. There was so much about William that she loved and admired. He was a good man with a good heart, but he lived a different life than the one she now wanted for herself. Yet, when they had met for lunch, she found him altered. The loss he had suffered had left its mark, deepening the lines around his mouth and forehead. But on closer inspection there was something else. A spark was behind his eyes that she had never seen before. Something had awaken him, just a little, and had she known him any less she would have missed it.

As they were parting ways after lunch, William invited Daphne to come to Pemberley next weekend for the Christmas holidays. She had already told him that her family was in Europe for the winter, and that she would be spending Christmas at their family home alone. She accepted the offer and they parted ways, each feeling happy to renew their friendship, but each very aware of the changes they saw in each other.

The week leading up to Christmas was hectic. A meeting with Ambassador Solensky was scheduled for the next Tuesday, so everyone was working overtime to get things ready for it before the holidays. William used this as an excuse not to discuss the Pemberley weekend with Elizabeth. He felt awkward even thinking about inviting her. By the time Thursday came, he had put the whole idea of her being there completely away from him. Richard slipped into Elizabeth’s office on Thursday afternoon and asked if William had brought the subject up yet.

“No.”

“Then I’m officially inviting you. You will need to be there.”

“Okay, good.”

“We are all going up there tomorrow afternoon. Listen, its kind of hard to find, so ride up with Jane and Charles, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

“Alright then, all set. I will see you tomorrow.”

That night, Elizabeth headed for the nearest upscale department store. Jane had told her that she would need to dress for dinner each evening, and Elizabeth didn’t think the plaid mini-skirt would suffice. So, she pampered herself and bought three beautiful dresses for the occasion, with shoes and jewelry to match. She felt positively sinful for the extravagance, but what the hell, she rationalized, you only live once. But, the bliss faded when she returned home and began to pack for the trip. She left her little black bag for last, emptying it of its contents and sitting down to clean and inspect each weapon, repacking the bag with care. By midnight she had finished, and she took a moment to go through a mental checklist, ensuring she had every base covered. She had called the boys earlier, putting them on standby while she was gone. Pemberley was thirty miles away, and she knew that if she needed them, they could be there in fifteen minutes, mainly because Moe could drive like a bat out of hell.

Jane had been thrilled that Elizabeth was going with them to Pemberley. She had been upset with William for not having invited Elizabeth, leaving Richard to do it at the last minute, but her joy at spending Christmas with her sister washed it all away. They picked Elizabeth up early Friday afternoon, and made the journey out to Pemberley together. It was a beautiful drive into the country, even though the snow had melted off early this year.

Charles slowed the car as they reached the head of the drive. Half of Elizabeth’s mind marveled at the beauty before her, the long wooded drive that opened up to a large field of mown grass and on to a manicured lawn and imposing stone mansion, flanked on the right by a beautiful pond. The other half of her mind was cursing in seven different languages about how difficult this was going to be to defend. Leave it to Will Darcy to make an easy thing as hard as possible.

Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, met them as they got out of the car, waving two servants to take the luggage from the trunk. Jane embraced Mrs. Reynolds as an old friend, then turned to introduce her to Elizabeth.

“Mrs. Reynolds, this is my sister, Elizabeth. Lizzy, this is the single most efficient housekeeper in the world, Mrs. Reynolds.”

Mrs. Reynolds blushed at the compliment, giving Jane an affectionate squeeze on the arm, then turned her eyes to Elizabeth and gave her an appraising once over. So, this was the woman that Mr. Fitzwilliam warned her about. He had told her that Elizabeth was Mr. Darcy’s personal assistant, and was to have free reign in the house, without question. Funny, Mr. Darcy had not made note of her on the guest list. But she was sweet Jane’s sister. She shook the hand that Elizabeth offered, deciding that she would keep a sharp eye on this one.

As Mrs. Reynolds led the group to their rooms, she explained that they were the last to arrive, and that Miss Daphne and Mr. Darcy were currently out riding, but Mr. Fitzwilliam could be found in the second floor dining room. Dinner would be served at seven, which was three hours from now. If anything else was needed, she encouraged them to let her know.

Elizabeth settled in her room, unpacking the dresses from their garment bag. The rest of her clothes she left in the luggage, in case she needed to leave at a moment’s notice. Her black bag she tucked in the top of the closet, pushing it as far out of sight as possible. She looked about the room, taking in its features. Three large windows, one door, a large dresser with a vanity, two nightstands, and a large bed. Everything was rich in color and of good quality. She liked it very much. And at least I’ll have a few minutes sleep in that wonderful bed, Elizabeth teased herself. She looked at the clock on one of the nightstands and saw she had time to meet with Richard before dinner.

It took her a little time to find the second floor drawing room. She did, however, find the first floor library, the second floor bathroom, and the second floor broom closet quite easily. Finally stumbling across the door to the drawing room, she entered to find Richard sound asleep on a brocade divan, a book draped carelessly over his chest. She snuck up next to him silently, and leaning near his ear, began to whisper.

“Oh, Richard. I’ve missed you.”

Richard twitched his head in annoyance and settled back into slumber.

“Richard, honey, I’ve missed you so badly, please kiss me, baby.”

“Petra…” Richard mumbled.

“Yes, darling. Its Petra. Come on, baby, give me a kiss.”

“Petra, I love you.”

Elizabeth chuckled lowly, hoping she could milk this for awhile and really embarrass him.

“I love you, too, baby.”

“I’m sorry, Petra.”

Elizabeth frowned, this didn’t sound good.

“Sorry for what, dear.”

“Sorry for what I’m about to do to Elizabeth.”

And with that Richard rolled off the couch and pinned her to the floor, tickling her with one hand while keeping her shoulder down with the other.

“Damn teasing brat. Don’t you know that will never work with me.”

She laughed heartily, and he responded in kind. A laughing Elizabeth was a rare experience, and he enjoyed it while it lasted. Which wasn’t much longer, as William and a tall, beautiful red head had just entered the room. Richard jumped to his feet looking for all the world like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Elizabeth rose a little more slowly, pulling herself together and giving Richard a small smack on the back of the head.

“William, Daphne, how was your ride?”

“Great Richard, how was your nap?” Daphne teased, as she stepped forward to greet Elizabeth.

“Hello, you must be Petra. We’ve all heard so much about you. I’m Daphne Mayfield. Its nice to finally meet you.”

“No, I’m not Petra. But it is nice to meet you, all the same. I am actually Elizabeth Bennet, Jane’s sister.” Elizabeth grasped Daphne’s hand in a mutually strong shake. She smiled. A strong handshake was a sign of good character, and it was a rare thing among women of Daphne’s social set.

Though Daphne was surprised to find the object of Richard’s attentions was not his much raved about Petra, but in fact, William’s little talked about assistant, she still shook the woman’s hand in greeting. What a little spit fire, she thought. And what an amazing color her eyes are. She turned to look for William, who had mysteriously disappeared from her side, and found him several steps back and almost out the door.

“William, why didn’t you tell me your assistant would be here?”

Elizabeth took the moment’s distraction to take a good look at Daphne. She was several inches taller than Elizabeth and had a slender, elegant build. Her hair was almost copper in color, and she had the beautiful creamy complexion that usually accompanied that particular hair coloring. Her eyes were a deep green and her face was delicately beautiful. Over all she was stunning, and the kindness in her expression and intelligence in her eyes only added to the overall effect. Elizabeth felt suddenly self conscious.

William stood at the back of the room near the door and one step away from bolting. He had not known that Elizabeth would be here. Why was she here? Could he not have one moment’s peace? Many times he had thought of her here, in his family home, sprawled out on his bed, his head resting on her naked breast, her fingers running through his hair… He shook himself back to reality. Seeing her, standing before him in his mother’s favorite room, in worn jeans and a fitted sweater, her hair in a loose braid, her eyes impish from the fun she had been having at Richard’s expense, her amazing silver eyes… He shook himself again and clenched his jaw against the growl of agony beating around in his chest. And it was in this state of conflict that Daphne found him, and her question went unanswered verbally, but she had read him like a book physically. This woman tied him up in knots. A small smile spread across her face as she turned back to Elizabeth, looking on her in yet another light. Oh, yes, she would definitely be keeping her eyes on this woman.

Richard cleared his throat and excused himself from the room saying he needed to get dressed for dinner. Elizabeth said she would follow him out, sure that she would get lost if she tried to find her room on her own. Once out in the hall, they started in on each other again.

“I’ve got your brat right here, baby,” Elizabeth taunted Richard.

“You looking for an ass kicking?”

“From who, you?”

“No, Mrs. Reynolds, if she catches you teasing her favorite boy.”

“Oh, and I suppose that would be you, right?”

“Of course.”

“Poor disillusioned old girl.”

They rounded the corner, coming face to face with the disillusioned old girl herself. Mrs. Reynolds raised a disapproving eyebrow at Elizabeth and moved on down the hallway, busy with household tasks.

Oh, Lord, the hits just keep coming, Elizabeth mentally moaned.

“God, you make a good impression, Elizabeth. No wonder you are so good at your job.” Richard belly laughed all the way down the stairs.

Dinner was announced promptly at seven, as the ladies were descending the stairs. The men, dashing in their dinner jackets and ties, were awaiting the ladies in the dining room. Jane and Daphne entered, looking like supermodels, their height and bone structure perfectly complimented by their choice of dresses. Having grown up with a beauty like Jane, Elizabeth had on many occasions felt invisible. Tonight was one of those nights, as all eyes turned at Jane and Daphne’s entrance, appreciative expressions on the face of every man in the room. Out of spite and self defense, Elizabeth pulled back before passing into the dining room and hung out in the hallway for a few moments, letting the Amazon princesses sit down before she made her own entrance.

“Where’s Elizabeth?” Richard was not the first to notice her absence, just the first to comment on it.

“I’m right here.” And in she walked, sex on a stick. Her dark curls were pulled into an elegant French twist and secured with her ever present steel pins, a few tendrils left down to soften the effect. Her black, filmy dress was cut on a bias so it swayed seductively with the swing of her curvy hips. Her high heels buckled around her ankles, drawing attention to the perfection of her well toned legs. The beaded straps of her dress lead the eye to a subtle neckline, showing only a modest hint of cleavage. But God help any man in the room when she turned around. Backless, absolutely. Because the only way to combat the Claudia Schiffer effect was to throw in some Betty Page. And she had that in spades. A mass loosening of collars happened among the male wait staff, and a quiet debate occurred over which one of the young men would seat the late comer. The winner of that privilege received a dangerous smile that made his toes curl. Once seated, she turned that smile to Richard, who sat across from her and knew exactly what she was up to. She practically purred with satisfaction. Charles fidgeted in his seat. And William; the very air around him seemed to suddenly grow as dark as his visage. After the young man’s third unnecessary trip to Elizabeth’s side, William signaled his butler and had the boy banished to the kitchen to wash dishes. He was rewarded for his pains with a sultry pout that Elizabeth kept up for the rest of dinner. William pushed his plate away and slowly passed his hand over his eyes, trying to master enough control to make it to the end of the meal.

After dinner, the group retired to the second floor drawing room. William made sure to offer Daphne his arm, keeping himself as far away from Elizabeth as possible. She took no notice of his distress, she was having too much fun laughing with Richard. It was a peaceful night, she looked amazing, and it had been a long time since either one of those things had happened. She soaked in the good feeling.

“You are a very bad girl, Lizzy,” Richard teased.

“I am, indeed.”

“You shouldn’t tease young, impressionable men like that, doll.”

“You are probably right.”

“And you really should find the back of your dress. It seems to have gone missing.”

“Can I help it if I’m insanely gorgeous and all you testosterone monsters can’t handle it.”

Richard rolled his eyes.

“I have to do something to get a little attention around here. Look at Claudia and Kate up there. How is a girl like me supposed to compete with women like that.”

Richard stopped and turned to face her, his countenance very serious.

“Elizabeth Bennet, you are a rare thing and you know it. Don’t go getting all insecure on me now.”

“You’re right, Richard. Its just stupid girly feelings getting the best of me.”

“I thought we beat that out of you years ago.”

In the drawing room, the couples paired off: Charles and Jane, William and Daphne, Richard and the divan. That left Elizabeth alone to peruse the art on the walls and books on the shelves. Someone turned on the stereo and the space was filled with quiet strains of classical music. An hour passed in small talk and remembrances of old times. Elizabeth felt very out of place in this group of long time friends. None of her memories could be shared. So she found her self moving closer and closer to the French doors leading to the balcony, hoping for an escape and a view of the night sky.

The CD in the player changed and the soft strains of Latin music poured from the speakers. Daphne rose from her seat in delight, pulling Richard from the divan.

“Oh, I love this song. Come on, Richard, dance with me. William won’t do it, he’s an old stick in the mud.”

Richard, who could never say no to such a tempting prospect, gladly obliged. Daphne motioned for Charles and Jane to join in and soon the couples were happily dancing to the music in such a fashion that would have made their respective ballroom dance teachers proud. Elizabeth took this moment of distraction to slip out onto the darkened balcony. The music brought back memories for her, of a time when she was on assignment in Argentina. She leaned against the cold stone exterior, enveloped by the dark shadows of the night and lost in a sensual memory of strong arms around her, teaching her to move to the native music of that beautiful country. As the instrumental rendition played on the stereo, Elizabeth sung the words softly in Spanish, her eyes closed. The chords began to build, and she gave herself over completely to the memory and started to sway with the insistent beat. Slowly she moved from the wall and began dancing with the man from her memory, and the more she danced the more solid he became. His shadowy arms tightened around her waist, his warm breath caressed her neck. She moved as one with him, singing to him as he had sung to her that night. It was such a delicious dream and she basked in the warmth of it, despite the bitter cold, until a very real voice broke her reverie.

“You sing beautifully, Elizabeth.”

She gasped, realizing that she was in William’s arms. She had never lost her senses so completely before.

“Thank you,” she managed.

He nodded and, pulling her closer, they danced on in silence until the music changed.

“Oh, the tango! I adore the tango.” Daphne pulled Richard into the dance, her form and technique once again flawless.

“Do you tango,” William’s question drew her attention to the dancing couples in the drawing room.

“Not like that.” There was an undeniable smirk in her voice.

“I think they are doing very well.”

By way of answer, she broke free from his grasp and stepped away from him, lowering her lashes and moving her hips in time to the beat.

“Oh yes, very proper, very polite,” she purred.

He watched her, not sure what she was up to. She walked behind him, resting her hands lightly on his shoulders, and with an agonizing slowness, she slid her right leg up his, until her knee met his hip.

“But who the hell wants to be seduced by Emily Post?” she whispered in his ear.

He grabbed her thigh with his left hand and spun around, pulling her into him hard. Her arms wound around his neck and their eyes met, black obsidian and quicksilver. He took one step back, forcing her to lean into him fully, and so it began. He released her leg, pushing her away and then grabbing her wrist. Spinning her into him, they met, her back to his chest, her left arm swept back around his neck. As one they stepped to the side, one, two, three, four. Again he spun her around, this time chest to chest, grabbing her left thigh and pulling her leg up, his other arm around her back. Slowly she arched backward, dropping her head back, until he pulled her up, eyes meeting again. He released her leg, grabbed her waist and stepped to her right, his legs apart as she quickly and sharply kicked her foot in and out of his legs. A step together, and another spin, her back to his chest, she kicked her right leg back and around his hip. He caught it at her upper thigh, and slowly ran his hand to her knee.

“Naughty boy. I see you don‘t dance like that either.”

His smile was wicked as, again, he turned her to face him. His hands slid down her back to her hips, pulling her into him as he dropped his face to the hollow of her neck, almost brushing it with his lips. Almost, but not quite. He pushed her back and, with a foot of space between them, they mirrored each other’s steps in a grapevine pattern. Until she turned and stepped even further away, looking over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. He lunged forward, grabbing her waist and pulling her back, deeper into the shadows of the balcony. All pretense of dancing was gone, as he ran his hand from her throat to her hips in a slow, smooth glide. Her head tilted back to rest on his shoulder as she drank it in. Then, with a firm grasp he turned her, pushing her against the balcony wall. With one hand he reached up and pulled the pins from her hair, letting it fall down in a cascade of curls. He then rested both hands on the wall on either side of her and leaned in, his lips a hairsbreadth away from hers. Her lashes lowered, her lips parted, waiting for him. It was then that she noticed a small red dot moving from his chin up his cheek. Elizabeth shifted gears with blinding speed, tensing every muscle in her body and exploded against him, throwing him on his back and knocking the air out of him. William struggled to catch his breath as she straddled him, burying her hand in his hair and kissing him hard on the lips. He was too stunned to hear the zing of deadly metal connect with aged stone right where his head had been.

Elizabeth had to think quickly, get him in the house and safe without him catching on to what was happening. She looked up toward the open French doors, and saw the other couples still dancing, oblivious to the danger. Her mind raced for ideas. They had to get back up to go into the house, she was sure there was no way she could convince him to crawl back in. So, she thought back to her training. A moving target is hardest to hit. She jumped up and pulled him to his feet, putting a finger to his lips to silence him and smiling mischievously, making it look like a game. She then pushed him in front of her, moving him quickly back into the house and shutting the French doors. She was not a second too soon, as another bullet lodged itself in the door frame behind her. For the moment they were all safe, the heavy curtains covering the glass of the doors obscured any view from the outside.

“Richard.”

All eyes turned at the interruption. It was hard not to read the signs of what had transpired between William and Elizabeth. Her hair loose and disheveled, his clothes rumpled and dusty. Richard frowned and excused himself from Daphne.

“What’s going on, Elizabeth?”

She stepped closer, lowering her voice, all the while sweeping the room with her eyes. Elizabeth had just hit battle mode doing a hundred miles an hour.

“Richard, we have company. Two shots fired on the balcony, one was almost fatal.”

His eyes widened in surprise, then turned to William in concern.

“This is what I need you to do. Get everyone here in the central most part of the house, a room with no windows and one door. Scratch that, go to the wine cellar. That will be the best place all the way around. I am going to get suited up and call the boys. Then I’m going to start a preliminary tour of the premises. Keep your cell phone with you at all times, I will check in as soon as possible with an update. Got it?”

“You’re not going out there alone. Not without back up.”

“I’m going to do the initial threat analysis, Richard. We have an immediate problem that needs immediate attention and I’ve already wasted precious seconds standing here bullshitting with you.”

Richard nodded, realizing that now was not the time to play at chivalry. Elizabeth was trained to handle this, and he had to let her do her job. He turned and addressed the rest of the room.

“Hey, I’ve got a great idea. How about moving this party to the wine cellar. I happen to know that William recently purchased some new vintages, and I think now would be a perfect time for a little wine tasting. William?”

William turned to Elizabeth, his eyes hot and confused. What the hell had just happened? She smiled at him encouragingly, like this was the best suggestion she had heard all night and nothing else had happened. What was she playing at?

“William,” Daphne rested her hand on his arm, drawing his attention, “that sounds like fun. Shall we?”

William felt Daphne’s insistent tug at his arm, moving him toward the door. He turned his head back to Elizabeth, again beseeching her with his eyes.

“Are you coming?”

“No, thank you. Not my thing really. I think I’ll turn in for the night.” She smiled at him, cool as a cucumber, nothing of the woman that had just nailed him to the ground. His head spun with the rapid changes in her demeanor. She was making him crazy. He had been seconds from ripping her clothes off on that balcony, to hell with who was in the other room. And he felt pretty confident that she wouldn’t have minded at that point. Yet without warning she was pushing him back in the drawing room, and then she was deep in conversation with Richard. He could have sworn right then that she looked like a general, giving directions to a subordinate. The light in her eyes, her entire stance, shifted into something foreign to him, something he had never seen in her. And now she was all formal politeness and cool dismissal.

He disengaged himself from Daphne and told the group he would meet them down there in a moment. Richard threw Elizabeth a questioning look. She returned it with a nod of her head, sending him off.

When everyone had left, William strode toward her in long, even, angry steps and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her to him roughly and burying his other hand in her hair.

“I will not suffer a tease, Elizabeth.”

She shut him up, kissing him with such force he took a step back. And she kept at it, pushing him back through the room, out the door and into the hallway. Finally she let up, and looked him fiercely in the eye.

“Your friends are in the wine cellar. You shouldn’t keep them waiting.”

Again she had sent him into a tailspin. She lured him in with her kisses then sent him off like a school boy, the only thing missing was the pat on the head. He stared at her in astonishment.

“Go, William.”

He relinquished his grip and she moved away from him toward the stairs. He could only stand there and watch her go.

Once out of his line of sight, Elizabeth slipped off her shoes and sprinted the rest of the way to her room. It took her two minutes to throw on her black turtle neck and black cargo pants. The jungle boots took another thirty seconds, then she moved on to strap her handgun around her right thigh. Several small throwing knives were tucked in her back waistband. The sniper rifle would come later with the boys, as well as the communication equipment. She took up her cell phone and dialed Manny’s number.

“Speak.”

“We’ve got trouble. I’m going out for a perimeter sweep now.”

“Got it. Be there in fifteen.”

The boys would be there in fifteen minutes. That would give her enough time to do an initial search for the shooter. She would probably have time to ascertain if he was alone or had help.

Elizabeth cracked her door open and peered out, making sure the hallway was empty. Nothing but dust bunnies. She slipped out of the room and headed toward the stairs. She looked over the balustrade, making sure no one was coming up the steps, then ran down to the next flight and repeated the action. Once she was on the ground level, she headed for the back of the house, and slipped out the servant’s entrance. Immediately melding herself to the stone exterior of the house, she merged with the darkness. Quietly, she followed the wall to the side of the house, until the drawing room balcony was above her. She followed a line with her eyes to where the shooter could have been hidden. The landscaping provided a myriad of hiding places. Damn, she was going to need the night vision gear. She backtracked and scouted the house from the other side, looking for signs of activity. Ten minutes later, and no obvious signs of the shooter, she headed to the front of the property, keeping just outside the line of trees, to the head of the drive. A dark vehicle approached slowly with its lights off, and pulled off the road toward the woods. She moved in that direction as the boys exited, each with a substantial pack in his hand. Manny brought her a pack as well, and they all geared up quickly. Sniper rifles were slung over shoulders, voice activated comms systems were hooked to ears and collars, and night vision goggles were pulled over heads. She gave them the whole run down, and then, pointing North, South, East and West, sent them each in a different direction to do some searching in earnest. With the help of the night vision goggles, they would be able to find signs of the shooter much more effectively than Elizabeth had been able to do earlier.

Manny took the eastern route, following the driveway out to the main road and working his way back in toward the property. Not a half mile down he spotted a dark van. He dropped to the ground, and scanned the surrounding area. Everything was lit up the sickly glowing green of the night vision goggles. He could make out two men near the rear of the van, and one more in the stand of trees off the road and to the right of his current position. He quietly spoke into mike, letting the others know of his find.

Moe followed the western route back around the large pond and heavier wooded areas. This seemed a perfect place to hide, with all the available cover, but the pond faced a side of the house that was mostly unused. He scouted the area and came up clean several minutes later. He then moved on toward outer lawn and moved in an army crawl along its edge, looking for any signs of previous visitors.

Jack took the northern route, which brought him through the most open area of the property. He broke through the last line of trees into the sprawling field of grass that lead up to the main fence surrounding the property. He lowered to the ground and army crawled ahead, scanning the area left, right, left looking for movement. Halfway to main lawn he saw movement. Two figures were crouching near a clump of bushes and pointing toward a second story balcony. He saw one carried what looked like a rifle. He spoke into his mike, informing the rest of the party of his find, and moved forward, ready for action.

Elizabeth moved south, back around the way she had come, through the woods Moe had just cleared. Once she reached the house she hugged the wall and headed to the back of the property. She scouted past the garden and headed toward the stables. The horses whinnied softly at the unexpected new comer, and a soft flutter of movement could be heard amongst the hay in the loft above. Elizabeth crouched down and crept to a nearby saddle rack, hiding beneath its dark cover. She scanned the roofline, examining the size and openness of the hayloft. It seemed to take up the full length of the roof, and had two openings, a small one with a ladder further down the breezeway, and a larger one centered not five feet ahead of her. It was a good bet that she had already been spotted. Easing her rifle off her shoulder, she braced herself against the wall of the stall behind her and slipped the goggles to the back of her head. The scope of the high powered rifle brought the dark opening above her into better view as she moved it into place. The kickback was going to hurt like hell, so she didn’t want to waste any shots. She panned the visible area above, and finally settled on a dark shape, almost out of her line of sight, and drew a bead on it. Now it was a waiting game, seeing who would flinch first.

Manny played out several scenarios in his mind. He could blow out the tires on the van, bringing all the targets out in plain view, but that would put them more on their guard than he could handle alone. His next option was to drop the guy in the woods and then fire on the other two while they recovered from the surprise. His chances of success were greater, but by the time he dropped the second man, the third would have him in his sights. And he still wasn’t sure on the status inside the van. There could be several more men in there. His next option was to throw a grenade, but that would only work as a last resort. Besides being extremely loud, he would have to get a lot closer to get it right where he wanted it. Option two was looking better and better.

Moe was coming up clean everywhere he went. He had hit the main house minutes ago, and decided to head south to see if the boss needed any help

Jack scanned around the area, trying to locate any other targets. The two figures ahead were all he could see. Finding a nice thick bush, he set himself up on his stomach behind it, pushing his goggles on top of his head and putting his rifle to his shoulder. Scope in place, he drew a bead on the enemy. Two men, no other obvious targets. This should be a quick, clean kill.

The dark form in the loft shifted to the left, and Elizabeth’s finger twitched ever so slightly on the trigger. She leaned harder into the scope, trying to make out the dark shape above. It was obviously human, from the size and movements, but she could not make out whether it was armed. She shifted a millimeter to her right, hoping to gain a little more perspective. Just then a large mass came hurtling from the stall next to her, grabbing her by the hair and wrenching the rifle from her hand. Her assailant was unable to remove the firearm from her body because of the heavy strap that connected it to her across her shoulder. She was, however, temporarily disarmed. Fortunately, because of her quick reflexes, she was able to reach behind her back and grab one of the throwing knives she had brought along for just such an occasion. She thrust the small blade into the thigh of her attacker, causing him to shrink back in pain. She seized on the moment to regain a grip on her rifle. She did not have time or space enough to bring it up and gain her sights, but she did have time to bring the stock full force across the man’s face. She heard a loud snap of bone as hard wood and cold metal connected with living tissue. The man fell forward, out cold. Elizabeth swung the barrel of the gun back to the dark hole above her, wondering why the other attacker had not taken this opportunity to kill her. A low moaning drifted down to her position. She paused for a heartbeat, listening to her surroundings, trying to sense any movement around her, then she reached up and slipped the night goggles back onto her eyes. The figure she had been aiming at was actually a young man, bound and gagged and obviously injured. She sensed a trap. What else was up there, waiting for her?

Manny braced himself on his stomach, rifle at the ready and decision made. He would take out the one in the woods first, so the man could not escape while he fired on the other two. He took aim and fired, and before the first man dropped to the ground, the second found himself with a bullet through the heart. The third had caught on to his predicament after the first shot, and by the second he had dropped and rolled behind the van, out of sight. Manny had been afraid of this. At this point, his next best course of action seemed to be to blow out the tires on the van, ending any hope of a quick escape by his target.

Moe reached the barn just as Elizabeth was identifying the shape in the loft. He spoke into the comms to let her know he was approaching. Once inside the barn, he took her position and she moved to the ladder leading up. Slinging her rifle across her back, she pulled out her handgun and started the climb. Moe covered her, looking for any signs of another enemy. As Elizabeth reached the upper rungs, she hesitated and tensed her muscles, then sprung from the ladder up into the opening, using the element of surprise and the quickness of movement to throw off any would be attackers. She landed in a squatting position, and panned the room with her gun. No signs of life could be detected in the maze of hay stacked in the room, save the wounded man at the other end.

Quickly she regained her feet and trotted toward him, maintaining a continuous sweeping motion with her gun barrel. She reached the man without any confrontation, and stooped to check him with one hand. His pulse was strong, and thought she couldn’t make much out in the dark, he seemed to only have an abrasion across his temple. It looked like he had been pistol whipped. She spoke to him gently, cut his bindings and pulled him to his feet. Before returning to the lower level, she stood at the edge of the large opening, looking down into the stalls below her for any other signs of life. Nothing but Moe and horses. A good sign. Slowly she and the injured man climbed down the ladder, and upon reaching the floor, Elizabeth took advantage of the light and checked the man’s head for further injuries. The man identified himself as a groomer in the stable, and his name was Seth. After a few questions, Seth explained what had happened. He had been cleaning some tack and storing it for the night when he had been hit in the head. That was all he remembered until right before Elizabeth came up and got him. Elizabeth and Moe did another sweep of the stables and, finding everything clear, they headed back toward the house, giving Seth instructions to go straight to the kitchen and wait for them, and not to speak to anyone about the incident. He agreed and went in, glad to be in the safety of the large stone structure.

Jack drew a bead on the with the rifle and fired, then repeated the action on the other man. He then dropped his head down a little farther in anticipation of incoming fire from the surrounding area. Nothing came, so he moved forward slowly until he reached the downed men. He checked each for a pulse and, upon finding none, began searching their bodies for some for of identification.

Moe sent out an update over the comms system, and Jack added his report to the mix. So far the enemy count was three plus the three Manny had a visual on early. The one from the barn they had bound and gagged and locked in a stall until they could question him later. Within five minutes Jack had finished his search of the bodies and met up with Elizabeth and Moe at the car. He handed Elizabeth a few interesting items he had found in the dead men’s pockets. She stashed them for later, wanting nothing more right now than to know what was taking Manny so long. She gave him a couple more seconds to respond to her last call, and then she and Jack moved in the direction Manny had taken. Moe waited at the car, in case of an emergency.

Elizabeth and Jack saw the van ahead of them. It looked like two men were down, one near the woods and another near the van. A third was dragging another body toward the back of the van. Jack adjusted his goggles and zoomed in.

“That’s Manny he’s dragging.”

Elizabeth pulled her sniper rifle back over her shoulder and brought the site to her eye. Sure enough, the man being dragged was Manny. She could not tell if he was alive or dead. Either way the one doing the dragging was a dead man. She drew a bead on his forehead and fired, dropping him instantly. Then she and Jack moved cautiously forward, not sure if there were any others inside the back of the van. They each took a side and moved toward the back, guns at the ready. Inch by inch they crept forward until they ran out of side paneling. Elizabeth ventured a quick look around the corner and into the open back of the van. At first glance it looked empty, so she pushed forward a little more, trying to gain a better view. Suddenly the door was pulled shut, and the engine roared to life. Jack snapped his head around, aiming at the drivers seat, just in time to see a man pop up from the seat and grab the wheel. Before Jack could get a shot off the van sped away at a breakneck pace. Elizabeth called for Moe, hoping to catch the van before it got away completely. She looked over to the unmoving body of Manny and took a deep breath. Jack was already at his side, checking for a pulse. She tensed, waiting for the dire news.

“He’s weak, but he’s with us.”

She let out a deep sigh and raised her eyes toward the heavens in silent thanks. Moe approached in the car and stuck his head out of the window.

“Lets go.”

“Jack, get him back to the house. We’re going to go clean the rest of this up.”

“Got it.”

Elizabeth jumped into the passenger side of the car and immediately rolled down the window. She braced her rifle against her shoulder, and over the side mirror on the door. Moe pushed the car to its limit, gaining on the speeding van ahead. Once they were within shooting range, Elizabeth leaned out of the window, gun to her shoulder and bracing herself against the dashboard and seat. She took aim and blew out the back right tire. The van swerved violently, but regained the road and kept on. Taking aim again, Elizabeth fired at the left back tire but missed. Cursing, she took aim again, just as both vehicles reached a curve in the road. Moe reached out and grabbed her by the waistband of her pants, keeping her in the car as he turned the wheel sharply, following the road. For a split second she had a perfect sight on the driver. She fired, hoping she hit her mark. The van lurched and swung sharply to the left, off the road and into a ditch. Moe pulled up behind it and they both jumped out, rushing the back of the van. They threw the doors open and swept the interior with their guns. Empty. Elizabeth moved toward the front of the van, making sure no one else was in the front seat. The driver was slumped over the wheel, a clean shot to the head. Moe helped her move the body to the back of the van.

“I’ll drive this back. Meet me there and we can load all the bodies in the back. You tied up the one in the barn, right?”

“Yes, boss.”

“Okay, we’ll go get him when we’ve taken care of the others. Maybe we can get some information out of him. If not, we can send him to Villanova.”

They drove back to where they originally spotted the van and loaded the bodies into the back, then moved by foot to pick up the two Jack had taken care of. This dirty task done, they moved the van farther down the road and off into the tree line, hoping to conceal it until later when a team could come down from headquarters and take it in for inspection and clean up. Elizabeth placed a call to Villanova, giving a quick brief and requesting a crew.

All bases were now covered, and Moe went off to the stable to try to get some information out of their hostage. Elizabeth took a deep breath, the adrenaline starting to wear off. She moved through the house and into the kitchen.

There, on the huge butcher block table in the middle of the spacious kitchen, lay one of her best friends in all the world. Jack had stripped Manny down to his skivvies and draped a table cloth over his hips. By the time Elizabeth entered the kitchen, Jack had identified the problem. It had been a struggle to get Jack on their team so many years ago, as he was the best field medic in the Marine Corp. Every commander wanted him, and Elizabeth got him. And she was never more grateful for that than she was right now.

“What’s the diagnosis, Doc?”

“Well, he’s been shot in the upper left shoulder, and has one nasty cut on the back of his head. I pulled a tranquillizer dart out of his thigh, that’s why he’s out. I don’t have access to a lab, so I have no idea how much he has in him, but I’m thinking that it will work in our favor. I can get that bullet out and stitch up his head while he’s doped up.”

Elizabeth nodded and helped Jack turn Manny over. A few moments later, Moe entered the kitchen.

“I can’t get anything out of the hostage. We’re going to have to send him to the big guns, see what they can get out of him.”

“Okay. Help Jack out here a second, will you? I’ve got to get Richard.”

“Wait, don’t go.”

Jack, Moe and Elizabeth all drew their sidearms in perfect synchronization at the sound of the woman’s voice. Daphne stepped out of the pantry, visibly shaking, but still brave enough to step forward under such deadly circumstances.

“Its fine boys, she’s okay.” Elizabeth gave the order and put her gun away. Daphne sighed in relief.

“What are you doing down here, Daphne? Its past midnight.”

Daphne’s voice trembled as she answered Elizabeth’s question.

“Well, it’s a funny story really. I came down here to sneak a couple of the sugar cookies I know that Mrs. Reynolds keeps on the top shelf. And I was in the pantry when that man,” she pointed to Jack, “brought that unconscious one in. I was scared, so I hid in there until I heard your voice and then I thought I was safe. But now, I’m not so sure, Elizabeth. What’s going on?”

A low moan came from Manny, and Jack stopped what he was doing. Elizabeth rushed to the table and sat on her heels to be as near to his face as possible.

“Manny, are you waking up?”

Another moan came from his throat and his eyes fluttered just a little.

“Manny, are you with us?”

“Boss…” the word came out in a whisper.

“Yes, I’m right here.”

“Did you get them all.”

Elizabeth chuckled lowly at his question. The man was a machine with a one track mind.

“Yes, Manny, we got them all. You took a bullet in the shoulder. Jack needs to get it out. Okay?”

Manny was disoriented and tried to push himself up from the table. Moe and Jack both caught him before he rolled himself to the floor. Elizabeth took his face in her hands and spoke firmly, trying to get her words to seep through the drugged haze in his mind.

“Ramirez! Lay your ass down. Jack is gonna pull the bullet. Do you hear me? Be still.”

Daphne watched the whole exchange, her nursing instincts kicking in at the sight of blood running down the big man’s back. She saw that the blonde one was acting as the doctor, though she had no idea what his skill in such an endeavor might be. She didn’t know if these people were good or bad, all she knew was that a man laid injured before her and she knew how to help. She swallowed her fear and stepped forward, addressing the group.

“I am a nurse. Please let me help you.”

A huge weight lifted from Jack’s shoulders. The instant Manny started to wake up, he was sure things were going to get difficult. He knew that Moe and Elizabeth would help hold Manny down if he started thrashing, but he needed help getting that bullet out and stitching the wounds.

“Wash up and get over here. He’s going to fight us until the rest of the tranquilizer wears off.”

Daphne did just that, feeling the panic slip away as she threw herself into the task.

Manny lived up to Jack’s expectations brilliantly. He thrashed around like a bull, and it was more than Moe and Elizabeth could do to keep him still.

“Daphne, go get Richard.” Elizabeth commanded as she tried to pin down Manny’s strong legs.

Daphne fled the room, returning with Richard just moments later.

“What the hell is going on here.”

“Long story, Fitzwilliam, get over here and help hold Manny down,” Moe ordered.

Richard took Elizabeth’s spot at Manny’s feet and used his body weight to pin Manny’s legs down. He saw the blood running from Manny’s shoulder and head and looked up into Elizabeth’s worried eyes. He asked how bad it was with a look, and she nodded in response, letting him know it wasn’t fatal.

With Manny under a little better restraint, Jack and Daphne attempted to remove the bullet. Manny jerked again, throwing Richard completely off.

Moe, who was holding his shoulders and arms down, got in Manny’s face.

“Gunny, knock this shit off and suck it up.”

Elizabeth paced the room, almost sick with worry. Again Moe and Richard took their places and Jack made another attempt to remove the bullet. Again Manny threw them all off.

“Damn it, Manny!” The men yelled in unison.

“He’s irrational from the drugs. Let me see if I can talk him down.” Daphne knelt down and put her hand on Manny’s cheek, stroking it softly and brushing the hair from his brow. She spoke to him in low, calming tones, asking him to be still and let them help him. Slowly, his body relaxed. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on her face.

“There you are, hello,” Daphne smiled.

“Hi.”

“Can you see me okay?”

“Blurry.”

“That’s okay, just keep looking at me and here, hold my hand. That’s it. Now, keep looking at me and lets talk.”

She nodded to Jack, and he tried again to get the bullet. Manny tensed, his face grimacing in pain.

“Oh, man, you are tough. What’s your name?”

“Manny.”

“I’m Daphne. I don’t think, Manny, that I’ve ever seen a tattoo quite like the one here on your arm. Where did you get that?”

“Korea.” He groaned as Jack dug deeper into the wound. But Daphne kept on talking, bringing his focus away from the pain as much as she could.

“Really, its beautiful. Is it a phoenix?”

“Yes.”

“Risen from the ashes. Kind of like you right now, Manny.”

He tried to smile, but it came off as more of a grimace.

“You know, Manny, once we have you put back together again, I know where you and I can get the best sugar cookies ever made. Do you like cookies?”

“Sure.”

“I love them. As a matter of fact, that’s what brought me down here to begin with. You never get too old for cookies and milk. But I would like to share them with someone who truly appreciates them. Would you do that with me?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Manny. You are a true gentleman.”

Manny jerked again as Jack, having finally gotten around the bullet, began pulling it out.

“Squeeze my hand, Manny and let him get it out. Don’t worry, you won’t hurt me, just squeeze. That’s it, good job. See, there, its out. Its all downhill from here. Just a little bit of medicine and some stitches. The worst is over.”

Manny released her hand and put his on her cheek. His deep chocolate eyes finally clear and alert. The worst of the drugs had worn off, and he looked at her and smiled.

“Thank you.”

She melted. Who was this man?

“You’re welcome. Don’t forget, you promised. Cookies when this is over.”

He nodded, smiling at her again. She rose from her position to help Jack with the sutures.

Elizabeth melted into the shadows and watched, her mind a tumult of emotions. Manny had never been so injured before, and she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach as if she were a scared little girl seeing her father hurt for the first time. Manny was a hero to her, always there on his white horse to save her when she needed him, but now he was down and she could only sit by and do nothing. Another woman had taken on what she could not, and she didn’t know exactly how she felt about that. Manny was like and extension of herself, a part of her being. And in one fell swoop another had come in and claimed the light in his eyes. She examined her heart for a moment. Did she love him? Yes, but not in the romantic sense of the word. She loved him more than family, but less than a lover, a gray area somewhere in between. She saw now that he wasn’t hers to make that kind of claim on, that things wouldn’t always be the way they had been, just the four of them riding the winds, tempting fate, playing God. She felt a small bit of herself fall away as she watched Manny touch Daphne’s cheek, knowing him well enough to know that Daphne had sparked something inside of him that no other woman ever had.

Jack finished up the last of the sutures and dressed the wounds, while Moe gave Richard the run down on the night’s events. Daphne took a moment to slip away, joining Elizabeth in her secluded corner of the room.

“Well, I don’t know what to say really. This whole thing has been pretty mind blowing. I guess what I need to know, if I may know, is what are your intentions with William?”

Of all the questions she could have asked, that was the last one Elizabeth expected.

“To do my job and save his life.”

Daphne looked at her with compassion, sensing that Elizabeth was in a hard place right now.

“Listen, I’ve pretty much figured out what’s going on. Someone tried to shoot William tonight and you all protected him. So, that answers the immediate question of whether you are the good guys or the bad guys. But, what, Elizabeth, are your personal intentions toward William?”

“I have none.”

“You may not, but believe me, he has some for you.”

Elizabeth looked at Daphne, really seeing her for the first time. Could it be that they both were in the same place, watching something that was once theirs transfer to the other?

“Any feelings I may have for William are irrelevant, Daphne. When this job is over, I retire. That means, no matter what the outcome, I am as good as dead to everyone who knows me. There’s no happy ending for him and me.”

Daphne watched Elizabeth’s face become hard with restrained feelings. She wondered if this woman realized that once William wanted something, there was no telling him otherwise. Maybe she should just let her find that out on her own.

“Daphne, those boys are my family. Please, please be careful with…”

She choked on the words. Daphne reached out and took her hand.

“We’re not so different, you and I.”

Elizabeth nodded, squeezing her hand.