Gwen Hammer was outwardly calm as her incredible husband knelt before her, even as all the others in the Great Kremlin Palace struggled to regain their composure. Though there were very few journalists in the hall for such an auspicious occasion and fewer cameras, such was the power of the internet for spreading news that the entire world had just born witness to Steve Hammer killing three men, all of them senior Russian military officers, on live television! So many unbelievable things had happened and continued to happen, everyone in the hall as well as around the world, was having difficulty sorting out the meaning of it all.
As Gwen mentally prepared a short impromptu speech, she thought back to the day she met Steve Hammer, and the incredible ride it had been ever since. He had tirelessly worked to position her as the most powerful woman... no, make that the most powerful person, in the world. She recalled her ascension to the Presidency of the United States, as well as her not unexpected but sudden removal from that office. The days following her impeachment had been some of the most challenging, yet rewarding, of her life.
She recalled the fear and anger that had filled her heart when Hanna Kiss had phoned and told her Lena, her 7-year-old daughter, had been abducted, as well as the tremendous pride she had experienced when Steve and Saint, Gwen's own 7-year-old son, had together saved the precious child. The day of Lena's abduction had been one of the most terrifying of Gwen's life. She firmly believed the beautiful little blonde girl, along with Saint, had a date with destiny. The little girl was ordained to become Saint's future Queen, and the world would badly need them both!
That fateful afternoon Sybil, as head of her security, had responded immediately when Gwen informed her Lena had been kidnapped in Sparta. Gwen and Steve, along with Sybil and Tyler, had been riding their motorcycles when Hanna Kiss, barely holding herself together in the crisis, had called to alert Gwen of Lena's abduction. Sybil immediately began making calls. Steve was not far behind, as he quickly reached for his phone. Tyler briefly considered the situation before sharing a thought with Gwen.
"You'd better make certain your family and friends back home know what's going on. That blonde girl wasn't as routinely protected as your family and many other children in your circle, but nevertheless, they need to be advised to be extra careful."
"I want security doubled everywhere," barked Sybil, issuing directives on her phone. "We have a situation in Sparta. Unknown actors are threatening our Queen, her friends, family, and particularly the children. All areas within our security network need to go on high alert. In fact, double all security immediately. No exceptions!"
Even as she spoke, Sybil was checking her surroundings, concerned for Gwen's immediate safety. Till now she had been enjoying her day, possibly to the detriment of her duty. Steve's formidable capabilities were well known to Sybil, but it was her job to make certain Gwen and her extended family was safe at all times. She didn't know exactly why Gwen felt so attached to the little blonde girl from Hungary, but she understood the situation well enough to realize the child was extremely important to the Hammers, which made her a high priority to Sybil.
Gwen was speaking with Lisa soon after Tyler made his suggestion. "Lena's family's in Sparta, and Lena's been kidnapped! They're demanding 50 million dollars, and they expect Hanna to get the money from us. Sybil is aware of the situation and is tightening security for everyone as we speak. You need to be extremely careful."
"Mom told me a little while ago Saint woke up early this morning very agitated!" revealed Lisa. "She gave him a good breakfast and did her best to calm him down before he left for school, but he never seemed to relax. Do you think there could be a connection?"
"I don't know, Sis. That old woman I've encountered on two continents left me with more questions than answers. That said, I have no doubt that Saint and Lena are supposed to be together for reasons unclear to us. I firmly believe they'll eventually become very important to a great many people. We'll be making arrangements to get home as soon as possible. Please keep a close eye on all the children.
"I've invited Hanna and Adam to Asgard, and they should be arriving shortly. Please see that security gives them access and takes them to our house. They'll be staying with us."
Sybil had listened to Gwen's side of the conversation, and she decided to ask Gwen's newly minted Road Warriors for any help they could offer. With that in mind, Sybil hurried over to the group as they watched and waited.
"Guys, Gwen and Steve need to return to Sparta in the shortest possible amount of time," announced Sybil. "It's a shot in the dark, but if any of you have an idea how to best accomplish that, please tell me. Otherwise, we'll be spending valuable time just getting home."
The Road Warriors looked at each other and slowly shook their heads. Sybil was turning away when one of the female nurses who had performed so admirably the previous day broke her silence.
"There's another nurse in my ward, who's always talking about her cousin. He's a pilot. He lives someplace in Eastern Tennessee and has a plane he charters. He was a pilot in the Air Force. Should I call and ask her for his number?"
"Please do that right away!" replied Sybil. "If he can fly us back to Sparta post haste, we'll make it worth his while."
The nurse dug her phone from her pocket and scanned it for the number before placing a call. "Joanie! It's Rita! You heard right, I'm with her right now. We're in Eastern Tennessee. She and her Warrior need to return to Sparta ASAP. Could you give me your cousin's number? You know the one I mean? He's the pilot with a plane."
Sybil punched the phone number into her phone as Rita recited it. It was ringing within seconds.
"Hello, this is Sybil Smith; I'm in charge of security for President Hammer's family. She's in Eastern Tennessee, and she needs to get to Sparta immediately. Are you and your aircraft available to transport her to Sparta as soon as we can reach your location? We'll pay well above your usual rate.
"Let me check. Can anyone tell me how soon we can reach Blandon?" asked Sybil of the group around her. "The plane's located there."
After a few seconds of checking their phones, one of the riders responded. "I looked it up. Google says 45 minutes, but I think we can beat that."
"Thanks!" responded Sybil before speaking into the phone again. "We'll be there in about 40 minutes. Please be prepared to take off for Sparta as soon as we arrive. There'll be two others traveling with President and Mr. Hammer. We'll be in a hurry!
"Folks, you may want to find your way home now. Knowing Steve like I do, I can tell you the 40-minute ride won't be for the faint of heart."
"I practice law in this county. I'll make some calls to see if the police can help facilitate the trip," promised a tall man in the back of the group.
Steve was speaking on his phone when Sybil returned to his side. "Chip, find out what you can. Call in all favors and make wild-ass promises if necessary. Jason's already making calls. We'll get there as soon as we can."
Sybil quickly explained what she had accomplished to Gwen and Steve. They nodded as they listened. Steve and Tyler started their bikes, and Gwen and Sybil swung on behind them. The man who'd mapped the route handed his phone to Steve, who studied the screen for less than a minute before returning it.
"You folks have been great, but we're going to be exceeding all the speed limits, so you may want to drop out now," warned Steve as Gwen secured her helmet.
Speed limits weren't a concern as the county Sheriff's office had cruisers blocking intersections. Steve and Tyler, closely followed by their newly minted Road Warriors, tore through them at speeds well in excess of any limits. Just 36 minutes later, Steve led the group onto the tarmac at a small airport, and came to a stop next to a Cessna 206 Stationair. A tall man with closely cropped gray hair stood at attention next to the plane. Gwen swung her leg over the rear of the bike and dismounted. The pilot saluted as she approached, but Gwen simply gave the man a quick hug.
