For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Both Jennifer and I had sensed trouble and this time it seemed to be close at hand, so I had called for Sky again. She appeared briefly and said she would be right back and not to worry. In the hallway Sky appeared not far from 2 men. “Lose something guys?” she asked. It did make them jump a bit, then they stammered a bit as they tried to think of what to say. “Just looking around,” said Brad. “Uh, yeah, that’s it,” said Beardy, “not doing no harm.”
“I disagree,” said Sky, “I think you are doing a great deal of harm. Come Angel kitty, mommy has a nice surprise for you.” She then pointed behind the two men. They turned just in time to see this huge lion getting to the top of the stairs, making it impossible for the two men to get away. The lion then gave a loud roar waking up everyone on that floor and the girls came running out with guns ready. My bodyguards did as well and they brought the men into the bedroom.
“Well, well,” I said, “this is a surprise.” Kat was now here too and I asked her to bring Trapper, Tim and Lance up to our room too. Brad and Beardy were the other two friends of Trapper. I hope they were working alone, but we have to make sure. Kat knocked at Trapper’s door. “Wake up Mr. Trapper!” she said in her little girl voice. He answered the door and she told him to get his friends up and come with her. She soon had them in our bedroom too.
“What are you two doing here?” asked Trapper of his two friends. “We were just looking around,” said Brad, “and that dame thinks we were snooping.” Trapper slapped him very hard. “I told you before, don’t call these ladies dames,” he said. “And they were not snooping, they were spying,” said Sky. “And what did you two hope to hear out there?” I asked. “We don’t need to answer your questions,” said Beardy, “we got rights.”
“Fine,” I said, “and those rights will get you locked up until the morning when we will figure out what to do with you.” Misty was here now too, so she and some of the girls took the two men to a room where they can be locked up for the night. “Well Trapper,” I asked, “are you with them?” “No way Steve,” he said, “I am totally on your side. I have no idea what those 2 were doing, they never said anything to me.” The other two men said the same thing.
I asked a few questions and we just generally talked a bit, but I felt they were all telling the truth. So did Jennifer and Kat, so we let them go back to their room. “I wonder if they work for Medina,” I said, “or if they are just hoping to cash in on some information to sell to anyone, not necessarily her?” “I think they are just a couple of guys getting in over their heads,” said Sky. “I agree,” said Jennifer. The rest of the night passed quietly and quickly.
I was in the shower when Rochelle knocked on the door looking for Colette. Jennifer let her in and she went over to the desk where Colette was looking at photos. They were all photos of Medina, but we changed the original to give her different hair colors and lengths and glasses on some. Amazing how a pair of glasses can change a person’s looks. Rochelle was looking at the photos and suddenly gasped! “How did you get this picture?” she asked Colette.
“Do you know her?” asked Colette. “Yes, that is Danielle Boyer,” she replied, “she is the CEO of the insurance company where Louis works, you know, the man who wanted to marry me!” I came back into the bedroom at that moment and everyone was excited and all talking at once. It took me a bit to get everyone quiet and I asked Jennifer to explain what was going on. We all went running down to the kitchen where several of the girls were making breakfast.
“Cristy, I think we found Medina,” I said, and I gave her the information we had. Interesting how these two cases are connected. Or did Medina actually plan it this way? It could be a way to trap us by bringing us into her territory where she can attack us once again, inflicting more damage to us. “It is not her territory,” said Amerie, “now we go into our territory. However, my big brother does not go, he stays where it is safe this time.” “I will make sure that you obey that order,” said Jennifer. Everyone laughed.
“Oops, I did not mean to make it an order,” said Amerie blushing. “I turned it into an order,” said Jennifer, “because it makes sense.” “Yes,” said Misty, “Medina would love to have you over there where it would be easy for her to kill you Steve. Much better for you to stay here where you can be protected.” Well, it seems like I am outvoted again. “Before anyone goes over there,” I said, “we will need to make some precise plans.
Medina is no fool and she will likely be anticipating that we will come after her. She may have even gone into hiding already.” The Bad Girls team, lead by Sky, and Kat with her Wildcats will be going along on this one. I had wanted Sky to stay behind, but she reminded me that all I need to do is say her name and she will be here. “But you will be on a different continent this time,” I said. “Just say my name,” she said again, “that’s all it takes.” “Okay, I will trust you,” I said.
Jennifer and Angel will be staying here, plus the rest of the team. Carine is still at the clinic helping protect our wounded team members, as well as Bridgette. We definitely don’t want to lose Bridgette, she is the only nurse we have left and our only vet. Those two “friends” of Trapper were given something to cause them to sleep and then flown to Lisbon where they woke up in a hotel.
To Be Continued.
©2025 Steve McLeod.
Going through Annelie’s diary was not easy, so Jennifer read it mostly, and told me what was written. Somehow Paul managed to convince her and Brook that I was acting more like a dictator than a true leader. He said I would not let others make suggestions and the other leaders couldn’t make their own decisions on their own teams. That was false, that is why I gave the leaders their own teams, to share the burden a bit more.
Also, we had too many rules so no one could do anything at all except what I said. The team had no real life, just stuck at home all the time with no socializing between men and women. That part was not true, the guys were at our chateau nearly every day unless Baldwin wanted them to stay at their chateau for some reason. However, there was no getting together at night, a rule that the girls specifically asked for. Then something hit me.
Where was Baldwin right now? He had been at the chateau when all this started, did he suddenly leave on one of his business trips? Or had he been killed by Paul? I asked Kat to check the safe room, but he was not there, so her and Carine went back to the other chateau that the guys had been using to check the safe room over there. But again they found the place empty and they could not find any record of him going on a business trip.
I tried calling Roger, he was Baldwin’s top man, much like Richard who works for Mandar. However, the three phone numbers I had were no longer in service. Baldwin did have a small, secret office in the city so Kat went there to see what she could find out. When she arrived the office was not just closed, but totally empty as well. Then she remembered that he also had an office at the airport which the pilots always used.
But that office was also closed and empty and no jets or helicopters were around. So, she went back to our chateau, then went to the clinic to see how things were going there. Carine was now there too and she will stay there to help look after our wounded team members. I did not want Samantha or Bridgette going back there right now, however, Bridgette persuaded me to let her go and help. Carine would stay with her all the time to keep her safe.
The clinic would stay in lockdown 24 hours/day for now. While Kat was there she managed to find out from Dr. Jorgenson that Baldwin was being kept in a safe room under the clinic. Apparently he had suffered a complete mental collapse and is basically a scared little boy right now. His corporation is keeping this totally quiet as news like this could devastate the corporation and throw investors into a panic. There are two of the best doctors in Europe looking after him right now.
Kat tried to visit him, but as soon as he saw her he just yelled “ghost” and “get her away”, so she left. I wonder if this is part of the attic on us or did this happen because he was against us too? Well, at least we know what happened to him and he will be safe where he is and getting good care. Kat is trying to get information from the van driver but he really doesn’t appear to know very much. He had been hired in the city by the six attackers to take them out to the chateau so they could visit some friends.
He did not know they had guns with them. I contacted Rossana for advice on how to handle things properly. She told me to stay hidden for now and she would take care of things from the police side since it is an international case. But since all perpetrators of the crime are now dead it will be marked as a closed case for now. Only Medina is left alive, though she likely has more people working for her, but they may not have been involved in attacking us.
If we got the regular police involved it would seriously hamper what we can or cannot do. She also said to let the van driver go free or he could have us charged for forcible confinement. She could have him arrested again later if necessary. I agreed so told Kat to let him go immediately. Later that day Caleigh was massaging my back, Dawn, Amerie and Colette were in the room too as my bodyguards, plus Muffin, Storm, Jewel, Ginger and Moonbeam were also in the room.
“Hey, you suddenly get very tense Steve, why?” asked Caleigh. “Sky,” I said in return and she appeared lying on the bed beside me. “What is wrong, my dear former husband?” she asked. “I sense trouble,” I told her, “and Jennifer is downstairs getting some tea and donuts.” Sky looked around the room. “And why couldn’t these girls go instead?” she asked. “We offered,” said Dawn, “but Jennifer wanted to get out of the room for a while.”
“Hmm, makes sense,” said Sky, “can you tell what kind of trouble it might be?” “I wish I was able to do that,” I said, “sometimes I can tell where the trouble is coming from or how close, but this time I only sense that there is trouble.” At that moment Jennifer came rushing in. “I don’t see any trouble,” she said, looking at me. “Neither do I,” I said, “but I did sense it, quite strongly for a few minutes, now it seems to be gone.” “I don’t like that,” said Sky.
“Neither do I,” said Jennifer. She stayed now and a few minutes later some of the other girls brought our tea and donuts to us. The cats checked it all out very thoroughly, just in case. After we were in bed, there it was again. “I sense trouble again,” I said. “Yes, I do as well,” said Jennifer. Milena, Aasta and Amber were bodyguards tonight, plus Muffin, Storm, Jewel and Rascal. “Sky,” I said…
To Be Continued.
©2025 Steve McLeod.