Once Andres and Samiya were settled in at the Howard villa, the first thing Devon showed Andres was his home defense base/ safe room and how to access it. Devon explained to Andres the reason for the room, “I have a lot of enemies, as I am sure you do as well. I changed my name years ago to make it more difficult for them to find me. I know, thanks to their deep pockets, some of them will find me, so I have had this room built for me so that I can monitor my house and property. It also acts not only as an armory but also as a safe or panic room for my family where they can remain in comfort for days, if not weeks. The suite features a dedicated generator, air filtration system, and secure water supply. The armored safe door that you walked through can survive a bazooka blast. The walls and ceiling are reinforced concrete with rebar spaced every six inches.
After touring the secure suite, all Andres could do was shake his head. Since he did not have a crystal ball, there was no way he could know what lay ahead and how significant a role this security suite would play in his and Samiya’s lives. Only time will tell what trouble lies before our three intrepid enforcers. Yes, Thomas will not be spared the mayhem that is about to break out.
If you believe in karma like my wife Connie does, then you will assume that the actions you take in your life will eventually have consequences. This was certainly the case with the death of Cardinal Trevisani. Despite Pope Pius XIII and Archbishop Ignatius’s best efforts to protect the identity of their enforcers, not only their names but also the tasks they were assigned were discovered by the Cardinal. The only thing they were able to keep secret was the hit that was to be made on the Cardinal. When he made these discoveries, he promptly contacted the IOSHS cartel, but it was just too late to stop them. Notwithstanding their best efforts to fully eradicate the cells of the cartel, there were still a few members left alive. These individuals were understandably pissed off with the people who took out their cells. Now, instead of only being able to vent their displeasure futilely, they not only had the names of the men who killed their leaders, but also where they lived as well. Armed with this information, it was only a matter of time before they struck back.
Of course, Thomas, or the two couples, were the wiser. Jennie and Samiya thought they would be able to enjoy each other’s company, go shopping at the local boutiques, and dine at the local bistros. In other words, have some fun. In contrast, Jennie was accustomed to this lifestyle, although she didn’t often have the opportunity to experience it. Samiya, on the other hand, had never experienced this before. She had to admit that she was having the time of her life, and there was no denying that her wardrobe was improving. No longer was she embarrassed to go out to a restaurant or see a show with the Howards now, if she could only get Andres to update his wardrobe a bit.
Thomas had just taken up playing golf, so he invited Andres to go out to play on a few golf courses. Andres had never even held a golf club in his hands, so they went to a driving range first so that he could learn some of the basics. Because he had a similar build to Devon, they were able to share the same clubs. Besides, Devon wasn’t one of those people who did not want anyone to touch their golf clubs; he just wanted to play the game to pass the time and enjoy the fresh air. Besides, his clubs were second-hand ones that he picked up at a pawn shop. If they got damaged, no harm was done. If he ever got good enough where the clubs would make a difference in his game, he could go out and buy some better ones. After playing for a few days and taking a few lessons from a golf pro, not only did Devon’s game improve, but so did Andres’s. Truth be told, Andres was a natural, and even though he had less playing time under his belt, Devon could see that he would soon surpass him.
The days passed pleasantly enough for both the men and the women, and their relationships blossomed. Devon and Andres would take their lunches at the clubhouse restaurants, and they would rejoin the ladies for dinner at a nice restaurant. You may be asking about Amelia. Well, she was enjoying being spoiled by her grandmother, Clarice. Grandma Clarice didn’t seem to mind either. This was the first time in a while that she was able to spend so much quality time with her precious granddaughter. Not to be left out, their two pets, Spot and Dante, were enjoying playing on their large property. All seemed to be well with Howards and their new friends. Unfortunately that is when shit seems always to hit the fan.
The only person who seemed to be the odd man out was Thomas, and despite him being a long-time friend of Andres, he didn’t mind that Devon was spending so much time with him. He knew that he could be a little peculiar at times and enjoyed his own company more than that of others. He enjoyed watching old movies or reading good books more than socializing. He also enjoyed working out at the gym and going for runs and bike rides. As a matter of fact, if he could improve his swimming skills, he might consider entering a few sprintman triathlons. With his busy work schedule and his extracurricular activities, he had little time for socializing. He had just chosen a good movie on Netflix and ordered a medium-sized pepperoni and mushroom pizza from Domino’s. He knew that his co-workers would cringe at the thought of eating a pizza there, but he frankly thought Italian pizzas to be boring; besides, he liked what the Americans did to their pizzas. They just tasted better to him. So when the door buzzer went off, Thomas was only thinking of eating his pizza, so when he looked through his peephole and saw the Domino shirt and logo, he immediately opened the door.
The Domino delivery boy was pushed to the side, and two dark-clad men rushed in and opened fire with Uzi submachine guns. They both emptied their 20-round clips into him. Only when the firing stopped did Thomas’s body finally fall to the ground. The force of the bullets striking his body was keeping it from falling. There was no need for the two hitmen to check his pulse; even Thomas’s mother wouldn’t be able to identify him. When they were done, one of the hitmen took out his 9mm Glock and put two bullets into the brainpan of the cowering Domino Delivery man. The other man opened the pizza box and took out a slice as he walked out back through the front door, then casually started munching on it as he and his partner strolled back to their car. As they walked, the other man inserted a new clip into his Uzi. After he finished his slice, he followed suit and injected a new clip into his Uzi as well.
After the two hitmen finished with Thomas Jenner, they were tasked with meeting the other two surviving members of their cartel. They weren’t professional hitmen, but they were experienced soldiers. The hitmen did not expect to need the two extra guys, even though their target, Devin Howard, was a much more formidable opponent; some resistance was expected, and it was always better to be prepared. Unfortunately for them, they were unaware of Andres’ presence and the fact that they were attempting to assault a heavily fortified building with sophisticated surveillance cameras and motion detectors. The two couples had decided to make it an early night and were going to enjoy a light meal while watching a movie in the villas’ theater. Spot and Dante were both in for the night, so Devon had put on the outside motion detectors.
When the four OSHI gang members arrived at the Howards’ villa, it was already dark out. However, the waning gibbous moon provided enough light. As soon as they entered Devon and Jennie’s property, the motion detector was set off. Devon immediately looked at his cell phone, which was tied to his security cameras, and he saw the four heavily armed men. He immediately spoke in a calm tone and told them that they needed to go down to the basement. He, meanwhile, went upstairs to get Clarice, who was putting Amelia to sleep, and brought them down to the panic room. Devon quickly put on his body armor and grabbed his two H&K submachine guns with four extra clips. Andres had already donned the other set of Level IV body armor and had chosen one of the Franchi SPAS-15 Dual Action Semi-Automatic Shotguns that Devon seemed to be so partial to. He also grabbed two extra clips. He figured if he needed more than that, they were all as good as dead. As the two men prepared to leave the panic room/armory, they kissed their wives and fiancées. Their tactical helmets with night vision goggles made this a little awkward, but they managed. Devon instructed Jennie not to open the door until she saw them on the monitor outside the panic room door. He reassured them that these rooms were very secure and that it would take a considerable amount of dynamite to blow the door. “The door is over a foot thick of solid steel.” Devon closed the door and spun the dial as he and Andres went up the stairs to the first floor. The goggles were just in case the bad guys had brought their own night-vision goggles and managed to find the main breaker box. Even though it was locked with a Schlage padlock, it wouldn’t stop a determined bad guy from gaining access to the breakers. This was the only breaker box on the outside of the house, and it was a beast. It was an 800-amp service unit. The other boxes, which were several in number, were scattered throughout the home.
Devon had spent a lot of money remodeling the house, so it was understandable that he didn’t want a gunfight to take place in his home. It only looked cool in the movies. So, they decided to meet the four men head-on and outside, where they might have the advantage with their night-vision goggles. When he saw the four men enter their property, it didn’t appear that they were equipped with night vision goggles. So Devon decided to even the playing field, and he used his remote control to turn off the outside lights on his property. While the moon did provide some light, it was darker outside without all of the lights he usually had on. When the lights went out he recognized the German word Scheiße (or shit in English). That told him right then and there that his assumption was correct; they had not planned a dark assault. It also told him that they had no idea who or what they were dealing with.
Once the lights were out, Devon and Andres flipped down their night vision goggles and turned them on. They waited a few moments to let their eyes adjust to the goggles before advancing on their assailants. Devon motioned for Andres to take the right, and he would take the left. Their plan was to catch the four men in a lethal crossfire.
While Devon’s property covered several acres, it wasn’t so big that it took an inordinate amount of time to traverse. So before he knew it, he heard the heavy and unmistakable report of the Franchi SPAS-15 Dual Action Semi-Automatic Shotgun. It can only be compared to a rapid-fire cannon going off. Devon knew that Andres was a marksman, so if he was firing his weapon, he was hitting something or someone. From previous experiences with that gun, what you hit with stayed down. It shredded bone and tissue like nobody’s business. It hit an extremity, and that extremity was no longer attached to its owner’s body.
Devon was soon too busy to pay any more attention to Andres, because he soon had two boggies appear in his vision. Thanks to his scope, he was able to see them before they saw him, so he opened fire on them. He quickly shredded both of his targets. Unfortunately, one of the hitmen was able to get off a few shots from his Uzi Submachine gun. It was purely by luck, because Devon knew that he gunman had not even seen him. The two rounds both hit him in the left shoulder just inches beyond where the vest provided protection. The initial impact felt like being hit by a heavyweight boxer. He immediately dropped the H&K that he was holding in his left hand, and then he started to experience a burning sensation. He could also feel something wet that was dripping down his arm, though it didn’t feel like he was losing a lot of blood. What was worst of all was that his left arm no longer responded to his commands. It just hung limply at his side. He was still able to hold the H&K in his right hand, so he wasn’t helpless. However, once the clip was empty, well, that would be a whole different matter altogether.
Devon heard a few more loud booms and some sporadic fire from the Uzis that the assailants were carrying. Then there was silence. Then Devon heard Andres’ voice. I got my two guys, what about you, Devon? “Yah, I got my two guys, but one of them got off a few lucky rounds, and I have been hit in the left shoulder, I am bleeding, and I can’t move my left arm at all. It is just limp.”
Andres said, “Let’s make our way back to the house. Can you turn the lights back on, so we don’t have to use these damn goggles?” “I think so,” Devon grunted out. He was able to put the H&K between his legs, reach his remote, and turn the lights back on. He then slipped it back into his pocket. He then turned off his night vision goggles and flipped them up so that they weren’t obstructing his vision. He grabbed his submachine gun with his good hand and started walking back towards the house. On the way back, he found the H&K that he had dropped. He slung the one he was holding over his shoulder, grabbed the one on the ground, and continued on his way back to the entrance to his home. He soon met Andres waiting at the entrance. He took the keys from one of Devon’s pockets and unlocked the front door. Once they were in the house, Andres locked the front door and put his Shotgun on the coffee table. He took the H&Ks from Devon and put them on the table as well. Making sure not to scratch the tabletop’s surface. He knew how much Devon spent on his furniture, and the last thing he wanted to do was add insult to injury by scratching an expensive piece.
Andres first took off his vest, so that he could move more easily, and then took off Devon’s vest. Devon’s shoulder was dripping blood, but not a lot. Thankfully, most of the house had tile floors, making it easy to clean up. He motioned for Devon to follow him into the kitchen, where he grabbed a clean kitchen towel off one of the counters and wrapped Devon’s shoulder so that it would stop dripping. He told the wobbly man to sit down before he fell. Andres grabbed a glass of tap water and gave it to Devon to drink. “You need to stay hydrated. I will go down and get the ladies from the panic room.”
When Andres went down the basement, he stood in front of the camera and motioned for Jennie to open the vault door. When she did, the first thing she said was, “Where is my Devon?” Andres replied, “He was shot in the shoulder, while it looks bad, it is not life-threatening. We need to get him to the hospital ASAP. I think Clarice should stay with Amelia, and Samiya can stay and help her. I’ll drive, but you’ll have to tell me how to get there. Devon is definitely in no shape to drive. After he is situated at the hospital, I will return to your place and call the police, notify the Vatican, and inform Devon’s boss. Devon, who is always thinking five steps ahead, had a list of all the essential phone numbers written down for me when Samiya and I first arrived at your house. I thought he was just being paranoid, but now I think he is a damn genius.