Chapter Twelve
Girls just wanna have fun…
Okay, I was a snoop, but I had to know. “What started this mess?”
“The Johnson twins.” Uncle Saul’s lips twisted in self-mockery. “And twenty-year-old whiskey.”
My eyes widened. “Oh, my, God. Julianna caught you in bed with both of them, didn’t she?”
“Yes. It wasn’t one of my better decisions.”
“You think? I’m surprised she didn’t try to kill you.”
A faraway look in his eyes, Uncle Saul replied, “She tried, but I’m a better fighter than she is.”
No kidding. I had seen him in action and Uncle Saul was downright lethal. “What did the twins do?”
“They ran.”
“Smart girls.”
Uncle Saul engaged his armor to his neck . “Julianna will come in with guns blazing this time.”
“Nah, she’ll want to play with you first. Plus, I’m sure Hudson wants to make a big spectacle of your execution, and she been instructed to bring you back alive.”
“The question is: will she?” Uncle Saul eyed me. “ Are you wearing your armor?”
“I am and my Traveler’s belt too.” I mentally scanned the area. Dad and Kaelen had dispatched half of Julianna’s soldiers and she hadn’t even noticed. That kind of blind rage would get you killed.
Uncle Saul pulled me onto his lap and smiled at me like I was the love of his life.
Damn, could he turn it on. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered in his ear,” “Here she comes.”
“I should wring her scrawny neck and be done with it,” Uncle Saul griped.
“We can’t risk them setting off the nuke. Our plan will work. Just sit here and act three sheets to the wind.”
A low growl rumbled in my head. “I can hold my liquor and Julianna knows it.”
“Her need for revenge is driving her.”
Uncle Saul emptied his glass of moonshine. “Julianna might act like a fruitcake but she’s deadly with a sword.”
“Kaelen has been dueling for over two hundred years, and all I have to do is draw on his expertise. Plus, I took sword fighting classes for two years and I’m pretty damn good with a blade.”
“Be careful. She fights dirty.”
“So do I.”
A gorgeous Hispanic woman in a tailored camouflage uniform stalked into the light. The first thing I noticed was the extreme long-range sniper’s rifle slung over her left shoulder. Dad had the same rifle and that sucker wasn’t easy to use. Few mastered it.
My gaze dropped and I blinked in disbelief. Talk about overkill. The idiot had five bandoliers with high-capacity bullets draped across her chest. I counted two pistols, a Taser, a flash bang, a grenade, a tactical radio and a knife on her weapons belt. She also had a sword strapped to her waist.
From the look on her face, she thought she was a bad ass. I snorted. Not so much. Fighting let alone running with all that gear would be a bitch.
The two soldiers behind her pointed their assault rifles at us. “Surrender or die.”
Timothy yelled, “It’s a trap! Run!”
I punched him again.
Julianna glanced at the shed, then fixed her gaze on us. “Get your hands up.”
I raised my hands.
Uncle Saul ignored her and ran kisses down my neck.
I twitched and pasted a besotted expression on my face.
“Who is the bitch?” Julianna snapped.
“I’m Lexi, and who the hell are you?”
“I am Major Julianna Martinez and I’m arresting both of you for treason.”
Throwing my head back, I laughed like that was the funniest thing I had ever heard. “Honeybunny runs Central Command, you idiot. You have no authority to arrest us.”
“Honeybunny?” Uncle Saul rumbled.
“I’m trying to rile her up.”
Julianna drew her pistol and fired.
A bullet whizzed by my ear.
Uncle Saul growled. “You are succeeding.”
I grimaced. What could I say. I was really good at pissing people off.
“Found the nuke. We’re neutralizing the soldiers. Keep her busy,” Dad advised.
“Will do.” I slid off Uncle Saul’s lap. “Leave before I kick your scrawny ass.”
“Did the general tell you about us? How perfect we were together. He promised me the world. That we would rule together.”
Uncle Saul’s disgust rolled across my mind. “I made no such promise. I fucked her three times, and it wasn’t that memorable.”
“TMI Uncle Saul. TMI.” I glared at Julianna. “No, he didn’t. He told me you were a bore in bed; that you think the world is flat and you kiss like a dead fish.”
“Lies. Nothing but lies. Well, except, the world is flat.”
Geeze, she was a few bricks short of a full load. “Really? If your love was eternal, why did you hook up with General Hudson?”
“He showed me the truth and now I must save our world from that lying bastard.” Julianne drew her sword. “Prepare to die.”
“Do you actually know how to use that thing?”
She puffed up proudly. “I’m the mistress of the blade.”
“I hold the rank of master.” I slowly lifted Kaelen’s sword off the picnic table. The sucker was heavier than I thought. Winner gets the general. Deal?”
“Deal.” Julianne snarled at her guards, “Watch him. If he tries to run, shoot him in the legs.”
The soldiers nodded.
“Don’t worry Honeybunny, this won’t take long.”
Captain Zan sat up abruptly, vomited all over Uncle Saul’s boots and passed out again.
Ugh. The smell was horrific. A chuckle escaped me at the look of utter revulsion on Uncle Saul’s face. Bet that was a first.
Julianna wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Who is that?”
“My father. Honeybunny and I are getting married tomorrow, and unfortunately, Dad can’t hold his liquor.”
Rage filled her eyes. “Married!”
“Yeah. The Pope is going to do the honors. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Shrieking like a demented banshee, Julianna launched herself at me. Her fury played out in a series of vicious cuts and slashes. Drawing on Kaelen’s battle skills, I easily deflected the blows. “Is that all you’ve got?”
“I am going to cut you to pieces.”
With an exaggerated yawn, I swatted her blade to one side. “Yeah, you’ve got me shaking in my boots.”
Julianna thrust her sword forward suddenly and our blades clashed violently. My right boot slipped in Zan’s vomit. Staggering off-balance. I deflected a blow, ducked another, and rammed the hilt of Kaelen’s sword into her nose.
Her eyes wide with shock, Julianna stumbled back and wiped at the blood gushing down her face.
“Ready to admit defeat?”
“Don’t get cocky. She also has a blackbelt in karate,” Uncle Saul warned.
“So, do I.” I watched Julianna carefully. The bitch really wanted me dead. Let’s see if I could push her over the edge. “Surrender and I’ll even invite you to the wedding.”
Julianna hurled her knife at me. It bounced off my armor.
“What the fuck?”
“It’s called body armor, you dumb bitch,”
She tossed the flash bang at me.
Engaging my helmet, I snatched it out of mid-air and threw it back.
Bang! Julianna crumpled to the ground.
Her disoriented guards opened fire.
Bullets pinged off my armor.
Snarling like an enraged grizzly, Uncle Saul took them out.
More soldiers spewed from the darkness.
“Take them out Gita.”
Splat!
Splat!
Splat!
Splat!
Splat!
Splat!
Splat! The soldiers were encased in webbing.
Who knew one little spider could shoot so many web balls?
I quickly disarmed Julianna and slapped the handcuffs on. “Have you thought of giving celibacy a try, Uncle Saul?”
“No.”
If looks could kill, I’d be belly up. “Okey-dokey.”
“We have a problem,” Dad said tersely.