The Last 24 Hours Ch. 13

"We will have more time soon, my love." I stroked her face, kissed her again as the RV stopped, and began backing up. The windows were suddenly shaded. Beth pulled away and we both headed out the door to the front of the RV.

~~~~~~~~

The drop point turned out to be a HUGE warehouse that had been converted into several area's. These included a small arms firing range, an area with several vehicles parked in it including a mechanics rack and what appeared to be a complete mechanics set of tools, a networked computer workstation, a small armory, and a small dojo setup to one side. There was also a modern open plan kitchen, complete with all of the modern appliances and, I learned later, six medium sized bedrooms built into the back, each with its own bathroom.

As we moved forward, Paulee called out to us. "Beth? Could you and Alex come up front for a moment? I want to go over the leveling systems and slide-out operations before we get on the road and this is the safest place to do it." We moved forward and Beth made me sit in the copilot's seat and watch while she sat on my lap. Paulee and Bill were both highly amused as she squirmed about on my lap. Bill excused himself and went outside to smoke a cigarette.

I leaned in and lightly bit her on the side of the neck proceeding to give her a small hickey. When I was finished, I whispered in her ear, "If you don't behave yourself, I'm going to drop your panties right here in front of everyone and paddle your ass. I'd rather do it in private, my sweet love, but I will do it now if you don't behave." Her eyes flashed round and scared for a moment and I felt her arousal jump up a notch. Unfortunately, she decided to behave. Can't win for losing! I thought to myself.

Paulee watched it all with a bemused expression. He went back and finished our lesson on the operation of the RV's equipment. As we were looking at the RV with its slide-outs full deployed both Beth and I were very impressed. The size of the bedroom had increased by nearly a third and the living room and kitchen nearly doubled the size of the living area. The bathroom wasn't huge but it was big enough to allow for more than one person to make use of it at a time without being cramped. The large tub was nice and I planned to try it out soon. With Beth!

Overall, it was just like a mid-sized apartment. With a killer entertainment system. Bill brought in a bigger version of his electronic bug "sniffer" and checked the RV from stem to stern. It still came up clean. While he did that Beth and I sat and made out the list of things we needed before we got on the road. As we were finishing Beth and I looked out of the RV and saw Paulee on the phone. We quickly finished the list and headed out of the RV towards Paulee.

"Yuki is here and Asa is a few minutes out. She'll be here before we can get the doors closed." He pointed a remote at the smaller of to large doors and it retracted into the ceiling. A large black Chevy Suburban pulled quickly through the opening; to be followed a moment later by a black and metallic grey Honda RC51; the rider sitting confidently astride the large motorcycle, her long black hair flying out from under the matching helmet she wore. It was a beautiful machine and the rider handled it with consummate skill. She, and she was very obviously a she, wheeled the bike around to the parking area and shut down the engine.

As the woman stepped off the bike, she turned towards us and began to walk over. She took her helmet off and sat it on the tool bench as she passed it. Paulee took Beth by the arm and pulled her a bit away from me. He held his finger to his lips and then pointed back towards the stranger. I turned back just in time to avoid the round punch that the strange woman had thrown at me. I took a step back, dropped into the closed stance narrowing the profile of my body and waited. She had not spoken a word yet she began to feel out my defense.

The woman tried to circle to my left, which would force me to the right, which would then put me farther from Beth. I took two steps to my right and one back towards Beth. I could hear Beth struggling with Paulee but never took my eyes from the woman in front of me. She moved in for a knife hand strike. She expected me to block it. Instead, I dodged it and grabbed her by the wrist, and was swinging in with my free hand preparing to break her arm at the elbow.

"STOP THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW!" The deep bass of Rudy Dantzinger's voice cut through the air like cannon fire as he came out of one of the bedrooms. The strange woman stopped her attack and went limp. I did not. I changed my attack. I yanked her off balance and dropped her to the ground. She was smaller than I was and my weight forced her to go where I bid her. As we dropped, I quickly wrapped my arm around her neck and entwined my hand in her hair.

Beth was looking at Rudy, but she was being held in place by Paulee. I spoke, "Anyone moves she dies." I paused for effect, Rudy started to speak, "Shut up Dantzinger! I don't want to hear it. If you want this one alive, tell Paulee to take his hands off Beth. I won't say it again." My voice was devoid of all emotion and filled with the promise of death. I watched Paulee and Rudy both visibly shiver upon hearing it. Paulee dropped his hands from Beth without having to be told by Rudy to do so. "Beth, get over here behind me. If anybody moves I'll break her neck." I tugged the woman's hair for emphasis making her grunt Beth moved quickly to my side.

I never took my eyes off Rudy, "Beth, she has a pistol in her waistband. Get it and cover these people. If they so much as move, shoot them." Beth retrieved the Glock 19 nine-millimeter and checked the magazine. She thumbed the safety off and aimed it at Rudy's head. I carefully stood and held the stranger away from me. I moved away and towards the doors to the outside.

"You in the Suburban, hands out where I can see them! Fail to comply and you're short an employer!" Beth's voice rang out clearly.

"Alex, listen to me this is all a mistake!" Rudy was speaking in a worried tone.

At that moment, Bill stepped back through the door and took in the situation. He smiled and laughed until Beth swung the gun in his direction and motioned for him to join Paulee, Yuki, and Rudy. I released my hold the woman's hair and gave her a violent shove away from me, stepping back to put more distance between us.

Bill spoke, "Alex, calm down. This is a misunderstanding. That's all."

I responded my voice still filled with the promise of death "There is no mistake. This one" I pointed at the woman who had attacked me, "jumped me and Paulee jumped Beth. No mistakes. No errors." I turned back to Rudy "Who are you working for, Dantzinger? I hope it's worth it. Your reputation will be gone; if I let you live."

"I can't believe this is the way your treat family." Beth said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The unidentified woman turned, knelt and bowed her head to the floor. "This is my fault. I am Asa Atsuhata. Bill had said you were an exceptional man. I wished to see if it were true. Paulee was only trying to prevent Beth from interfering in our little 'sparring' match." Her English was perfect except for a mild Japanese accent. She raised her head from the floor. "I did not mean for things to go so wildly out of hand. There was never any real threat to you or your woman intended. For the trouble I have caused you I apologize." She again bowed her head to the floor.

I moved so Beth had a clear field of fire. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. At my unasked question Beth answered "I don't know. Paulee wasn't trying to hurt me; he just wouldn't let me get to you to help."

"Somebody had better explain what the fuck just happened. Quickly." I still had not taken my eyes off them.

Rudy piped up, "Asa and Yuki are both world class martial artists. Yuki tends to be a bit more restrained while her sister has to try out every male she hears can hold his own. She just wanted to see if you really were as good as Bill said you were. She wasn't expecting you to go all out and in for the kill right off the bat."

Yuki nodded her head. "My younger sister and I both competed in the Olympics for martial arts when we were younger. She still stupidly believes that she must test herself again and again. Honestly, she meant no offense. She would not have harmed you."

Beth laughed, "Damned straight she wouldn't. Alex would have broken her arm in two places if he hadn't heard Rudy. Alex is a ninth-dan black belt in Kiyojute Kempo Karate. He could teach if he wanted to. His teacher wants to promote him to Teaching Grandmaster but Alex refuses to let them."

The expression on Yuki's face turned to one of fear as she thought of how close she had come to losing a sister. Asa's face was a match for her sisters and went deathly pale.

Paulee spoke, "I have never seen anyone move that fast before in my life."

Bill stepped a little away from the group and said in a very angry and exasperated voice, "If you idiots had just taken my word for it we wouldn't be in this situation. In case any of you are thinking of jumping Beth for the gun or doing anything else equally as stupid, Asa, you should know Beth was the Columbia University pistol champion from eighty-nine to ninety four, undefeated. She was the top Olympic candidate for the U.S. Team in ninety-four but she turned it down rather than take the time away from school and more importantly Alex."

Every eye but mine was now on Beth. Rudy asked, wonderment on his face, "What the hell do you need us for, Alex?"

"I've been wondering the same thing for about the last half-hour. I can protect us or I can find out who is after us. I can't do both. I wanted you to find out who was behind this, but I'm not sure I can trust you after the reception we've received here." I scanned the room. "So far everyone but Bill and Yuki has acted in an actively hostile manner. I don't have time for this shit. You said we'd be safe, yet as soon as our supposed backup arrived, we were attacked. By them! If the last blow she threw had struck, I'd at the very least need a hospital. That's not a test, it's an attack. If she wanted to spar, all she had to do was ask."

Asa once more bowed her head to the floor and spoke, "This is my fault. There is no threat to you from any of us. I swear it! Sensei I swear it to you on my family name that it is so."

I had to think about that for a moment. The Japanese tradition of swearing on their family's name was a very strict one. In another time, it meant that if she broke her word, if she had lied, I could demand the lives of her entire family in payment of the debt owed by the violated promise. Even today, most Japanese held that oath as a sacred vow. Most would not willingly break a promise based on it.

My anger had cooled somewhat, but not my distrust. Paulee spoke up, "Alex, I wasn't trying to hurt Beth, I was trying to keep her from getting too close and getting hurt by you and Asa. That's all, I swear." He looked truly troubled by what was happening.

I came up behind Beth and whispered in her ear, "What do you think? Bill wasn't a part of this and he swears it's a misunderstanding. I've known Rudy for years and never heard of him turning a client over like this. In his profession, he couldn't keep a thing like that quiet. It would ruin his business."

She was quiet for a long moment and said in a soft voice, "I told you, I'll follow where you lead. I don't know anything about these people. However, I am not giving up the gun. We've been attacked and I'm not giving up the only weapon we've got." I nodded in agreement.

I gestured with my arm and we began to move towards the RV. I asked, "Do you have any slacks, or better yet jeans, in your bag?" I never took my eyes off the group. I saw her nod. Holding out my hand, I said, "Give me the gun and go change into the jeans. You need to be wearing something that can carry a holster."

Beth handed me the gun and went into the RV. I secured the door behind me and moved toward Rudy. Beth had never seen me angry and I didn't want her to see me so now. As a group, they paled at the look on my face and the absence of soul in my eyes. "You have five minutes to convince me not to leave your corpses here to rot and take Beth and run."

Rudy swallowed and said, "I swear, Alex, it's just a misunderstanding. Bill has been filling Asa's head with your exploits in Japan for the last year. She has never met an opponent that could take her since she was twelve. Her sister is her only real competition and Yuki won't go all out with her. She didn't know that someone had firebombed your house last night." Asa's head snapped up and looked at Rudy.

"What?" The look of sorrow and chagrin on her face more than anything helped to cool my rage.

"Beth means the world to me, Rudy. I do not mean that figuratively. I will burn the world and everyone in it to ash to take out anyone who hurts her. I'll take you at your word. But if one of your people hurts Beth in any way, your life is forfeit." I turned to Asa, "If you want to spar, ask! I practice alone most of the time because my sparring partner is teaching too much." I looked at Bill, "Of those here you are the only one I nominally trust." Surprise lit his face, "Don't make me wrong." The warning in my voice was enough to make him shudder.

I lowered the gun and waited for Beth to return. She emerged and I lost my breath again. The stonewashed blue jeans she wore hugged and flattered her curves exquisitely. I heard Paulee gasp as well and thought to myself, Beth has caught another admirer in her web. Beth stepped down from the RV, turned and locked it. She came over to me and I returned the weapon to her. She tucked it into the waistband of her jeans and then looked into my eyes.

"What's going on? Are we staying or going?" A simple question really but I had not yet decided. I looked back at Rudy and the group.

"Tell me this Rudy: If you had walked into this blind, trusting a friend and been jumped, what would you do? Would you take them at their word or would you hide the bodies? Be honest now." My tone held no humor.

Rudy sighed and said, "I'd hide the bodies and you know it." His voice changed to anger, "Damn you, Asa! Your bullshit has just cost me a friend, not a client!"

Asa started to speak but I held up a hand. "I will reserve judgment for now, Rudy. But, we are going to be staying here a few days. I mean all of us, Rudy. Until Beth and I have some idea of where we're headed nobody is going anywhere. If nobody leaves then nobody can set up an ambush. Make no mistake; I meant what I said. Your lives depend on Beth's continued safety."

I knew what they did. Beth was my weakness, the chink in my armor. She was also my greatest strength. She was my world and I had just put them all on notice that her safety was their primary concern now as well.

Bill took a couple of tentative steps in my direction and said, "Let's get the lady a proper holster, shall we?" He motioned for us to follow him and led us to the armory setup. He flipped a toggle switch and several overhead lights illuminated the area in a soft white florescent glow.

As the lights came up, I saw an impressive amount of weaponry. I saw several different models of Glock and Sig Sauer pistols. I also saw my preferred weapon; a Browning Hi-Power nine-millimeter. I took it from the rack and ejected the empty magazine. I picked up a box of nine-millimeter shells that were sitting on the shelf under the bench and loaded the clip with it's full capacity of fifteen rounds. This particular clip is illegal in the U.S as the ATF limits the capacity to ten rounds. Then I noticed another pistol and began to look for the proper ammunition for it.

I loaded the Browning and tucked it into my waistband as well. I plucked the box of .380 APC shells from the shelf and took a pair of pistols made famous by a certain British secret agent. The Walther PPK is a .380 handgun with very few peers. It has been redesigned over the years but each revision has improved on an already exceptional weapon and Beth loved them. Her father had presented her with her first one while still a young girl when she showed an interest in her father's hobby of target shooting and talent on the firing range.

Beth had been shooting for five years when I had met her and Josh. She could handle any weapon proficiently but the Walther was still her favorite. Beth saw what I had and began to move over to me.

"Bill, I need a holster for one of the Walther's not the Glock." She said. The look of sadness in her face let me know she was thinking of her dad. I never had the chance to meet Beth's father. He was a senior VP with Halverson United Textiles, one of the largest publicly traded textile firms in the country and the largest company in the city of Torrington. He had been traveling to finalize the purchase of a small textile plant and award them the excusive production for a new account after a little re-tooling of the plant. He had flown to Columbus, Ohio for a meeting at the new acquisition's headquarters and left from there to go to L.A. to meet with another client before a scheduled vacation with his family.

He was aboard US Air Flight 1493 when it collided with another misdirected airplane at LAX on February 1, 1991. His Valentine's Day presents had been delivered to Beth and her mother on time after his death. He had ordered Beth a custom-built Walther with her name and the date inscribed into the frame and slide of the weapon inlaid in gold filigree.

The inscription read:

To my most beloved Valentine, I love you, Daddy

She only used it on his birthday and Valentine's Day. Even then, she was very careful. That particular Walther was kept in a custom-built display case in her gun locker any time she wasn't at home. When she was there, it held pride of place on her picture wall in her living room.

The huge settlement from the airline and the airport administration not to mention the flight insurance policy and various other life insurance policies left her mother and his children very well off. Her father had created trusts for individual policies to be paid into, in the event of his death and Josh and Beth would have happily traded it all to have their father back.

Bill came over carrying two Uncle Mike's Sidekick inner-pants holsters, one for each of the weapons. He also brought a bellyband holster over. Beth could wear the bellyband and no one would look twice at it as it looked like a fashionable belt bag.

The Browning fit my hand much better than the Walther. I have wide palms and the Walther simply was too small. On the other hand, the Browning fit me just right. Bill had also brought an inner pants holster for the Browning. I preferred a shoulder holster but in the summer weather, I could not wear it without a jacket, and be comfortable as well. Oh well, we all must make sacrifices.

Bill went to a cabinet set to one side and brought over two additional loaded clips for each weapon. "I am very sorry you feel the need for these but I do understand why." He set the clips down and then moved away. "I'm going to go find out why Rudy is here. It must be important for him to have driven from St. Louis and beaten us here."

I stopped and thought about that a moment. "Wait up Bill. We'll go with you. It doesn't make sense that Rudy is here. We spoke to him before we left." I paused. "The more I think about this the less I like it." Beth and I pocketed the spare clips and put the guns into their holsters. She took my hand and we followed Bill over to the small living area where Rudy and the others were sitting.

~~~~~~~~~

Yuki was sitting on the floor in front of a low Japanese-style table drinking tea. The look on her face showed that she was very annoyed with the problems her sister had caused. Asa sat to her left with a dejected look on her face, her head bowed.