Page 48 of Rush

“How did she know about this?” asked Noah.

“She received a message from some spirit or ghost, or some shit, that there was a veteran contemplating suicide. She ran to Matthew, and he went to the location and found the man. He was on the levee, just sitting there with a gun on his knee. Matthew sat with him for five hours talking to him. I guess he got him to safety and checked on him for several days, then realized he needed more than just a few days. Peaceful Farms was born.”

“Unbelievable,” said Gaspar, shaking his head. “Just when I think I have those two old people figured out, they surprise me with this kind of thing.”

“Well,” smiled Rush, “now you know. You don’t have to hide things from the wives. They know. They might not know the details, but they know the expression on your face. They know if it was children or adults. They know if it was guns or bombs. They know if it was bad guys or bad governments. They know.”

No one said anything, letting all of that information sink in. They immediately went to their phones, searching for information on Peaceful Farms. Sure enough, it was a non-profit run by the Anthony Garcia Foundation.

“Un-fucking-believable,” smirked Ian. “They started a foundation in his honor. Man, I love those people.”

“Get some sleep,” said Nine. “When Trak and the others return, hopefully, we’ll have our answers and their location.”

Rush sent a text to Caroline, short and sweet.

I love you. Be home soon to marry the only woman in the world.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Trak, Kiel, and Nathan sent a drone up, scanning the area for the most logical sites where Grigoryan would be with the boys. Most of the terrain was flat farmland, a few rocky hills here and there. The homes were small farmhouses or villages with houses close together. All except one.

“I think we found our man,” said Kiel. “Look at the size of this house. This is his home base. It’s not just a temporary location.”

The mansion was set back off the road, high on one of the many hills. There were at least a dozen guards out front and another dozen in the back. The thing that stuck out for all of them was the massive barn-like structure that they were guarding.

“That’s where the boys will be,” said Trak.

Moving closer to the property, Kiel removed the tablet from his pack and scanned the area for security devices. He found one major one around the perimeter, which could easily be disrupted by their system. Another was on the house and would require a little more time. He continued to scan, then heard Nathan.

“Dad,” he whispered. “Dad! Get back here! Dad, what are you… Fuck! What is he doing?”

“I don’t know, man. That’s your father, not mine, but I’m not stupid enough to get in his way. If he needs us, he’ll tell us. This does make things easier for Rush, though. We can make this scene look like an all-out rival war.”

Nathan nodded, trying to see where his father had gone. Realizing he could track him on the tablet, he switched screens and watched as his father darted behind trees and bushes, moving around the security system.

Trak moved along the front of the mansion, finding himself huddled below the windows of the main dining room. He could hear dishes clinking and knew that the sound was of domestic help clearing the table.

Moving along the front of the home, he crouched as two guards walked past him. He heard nothing in the next room and moved on. In the last room, it appeared Grigoryan was not alone.

“Where is my idiot nephew?” he growled.

“I don’t know, Ari,” said the woman. “He’s not answering my calls or text messages. He never does that. And stop calling him an idiot. He’s trying to please you.”

“Had he wanted to please me, he would have brought me the woman. She was important, and I needed her for my plans. Now, my supporters and their factories are destroyed, and they blame me! I have nothing to show for all my efforts except a barn full of boys that are hardly able to lift a rifle, let alone shoot one!”

“You always need a woman; this one was nothing special. You definitely have our father’s libido,” she scoffed.

“Do not tell me what I need or what to do, Fariha. You are still just a woman. Beneath me and beneath my men. Just because I allow you to be part of the business and have whichever of my mine you choose does not mean that you can tell me what to do.”

“I didn’t tell you what to do, Ari. My apologies. I didn’t mean to offend you. Antonio is impulsive, and he liked the girl as well. He said that one of those big men was her boyfriend. Perhaps he met up with the other two women and went to have a good time.”

“No. No, it’s something else, someone else, and I think I know who. I cannot locate them, and that worries me. They don’t know we are here, but I feel certain they are searching Istanbul.” There was a knock at the door, and Ari yelled. “Enter!”

“My apologies, sir,” said the guard. “We have all the boys fed and sleeping. The doors are locked, and the guards are aware to be vigilant.”

“Thank you, Victor,” smiled Grigoryan. “Victor? Did you enjoy my half-sister the other night?” The bodyguard looked at the woman and smiled.

“Very much, sir.”

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