Hunting Party #3
“Ha! You and I both.” He smiled back, then reached his hand out.
Xander accepted his handshake warmly. “Thank you for putting us up at your home.”
Ari laughed. “It is I who needs to thank you.”
“Like I said before, I am happy to have been able to help.” After a pause, he continued, “How are Simo and Jessie?”
“They will survive and are resting as we speak.”
Xander smiled. “Well, I best let you get rested up. It must have been a long night.”
Ari nodded. “Very, but the outcome was… ideal. We made certain there was no one else that could move against any of us. We are finally safe from Joel’s machinations,” Ari replied confidently.
“That is good news.” With a nod, Xander moved away. Ari and his family went into the house, and he heard Halo greet them. Xander looked at JJ, who was intently watching Theo, and gestured with his head toward Theo.
“Oh, well I should wait.” JJ smiled nervously.
“C’mon, let’s go see if they need help.” She followed him out to the three men.
“Good to see you all, can I carry anything?” Xander asked.
“Why not?” Chen smiled and pointed to two black bags, as Theo clapped him on his shoulder, and Gunnar nodded to him.
Theo moved close to JJ and whispered into her ear. She nodded at him and looked as if she desperately wanted to kiss him, but held back. “We will clean up the gear. I will come see you as soon as I am done.” Theo said, smiling.
“I’ll be waiting… it—it’s so good to see you all.” She smiled, turned, and began walking back to the huge house.
Gunnar started chuckling and gave Theo a push. “Funny. You never hesitate driving into gunfire.”
Theo shot Gunnar a questioning look.
“...but one kiss?” Gunnar shrugged chuckling. “Terrifying.”
Chen laughed. “We can take care of this, Theo, go kiss her already!”
Theo nodded gratefully and sprinted up to JJ, caught her by surprise, and kissed her deeply. She responded by hugging him hard and burying her face in his neck.
Remaining quiet and with his hands full, Xander followed Chen and Gunnar toward the garage and into the side door. They headed downstairs and into the bunker’s equipment room. Soon, all the weapons were laid out on a long table, and Chen and Gunnar were stripping down the rifles.
“I feel like a third wheel here…” Xander shook his head.
“Here, if you want to help, you can strip the FN Five-sevens…”
“Sure.” Xander sat down and began stripping down the nearest handgun.
Chen paused and turned to Xander. “I am sure you are aware that we cannot disclose much, but I know deep down you are itching to ask…”
Xander nodded.
“Don’t feel bad for the man. He was responsible for his mother’s death, for one…”
“Oh my God!” Xander stared back in shock at Chen.
Chen glanced at Gunnar, then back to Xander.
“His mother was mentally ill; she molested Joel as a young teen. According to Ari, she eventually received help and stopped… Joel did not want it to end; they argued, he pushed her, and she fell, hitting her head, which led to her death. The housekeeper saw it all and went to Ari with the story. Before long, the housekeeper was missing, and that was Joel’s first outright murder…
well, almost. Fortunately, he sought Simo out.
And that contract solidified Simo’s call sign from The Greek to the Hollywood Hitman.
” Chen winked. “Joel admitted much under… questioning.”
“What a sick bastard,” Xander gasped.
“That’s putting it lightly. Murder came easy for Joel after that. Besides Elara, there were another three girls before her that he admitted responsibility for.” Chen shook his head in disgust. “Then, of course, he was responsible for all his men being killed.”
“The idiot should have just left the country!” Xander spat. “I knew all along I should have finished him off.”
Gunnar reached over and gave him a consoling pat. “What’s done is done. If you had, you may have found yourself in prison, agreed?”
Xander sighed and nodded.
Gunnar looked at Chen and chuckled. “I believe Joel gave us his complete autobiography and banking information…”
Chen grinned. “Most certainly. Hard to believe he had that much money stashed all over the world... in seven different banks and holding companies.”
“Sounds like a lot,” Xander replied.
“Blood money… it was his father money,” Gunnar nodded.
“Ari has transferred it all.” Chen smiled.
“I bet he’s happy.” Xander laughed.
“We are all happy.” Chen smiled, then after a pause, “And you will be too.”
“I’m just happy he’s gone…”
Gunnar gave Xander a push and grinned at him. “That is not what Chen meant.”
“What?”
Chen nodded and pointed at him. “You are part of our group and had our backs when it all came down. Everyone gets a percentage, after expenses and the cut for all of the deceased’s families.”
“I really don’t…”
Gunnar interrupted smiling grandly at Xander. “You never technically quit our team… which means, technically, Simo is still your boss and is going to pay you… again!”
Xander laughed along with Chen and Gunnar. He looked at both men grinning, “Gentlemen, how do you feel about being in weddings?”