The smoky fireball rose slowly into the sky, followed by a thunderous boom. Malcolm stared at his man, Paulson, who rushed into the house shouting, 'Explosion!'

"Where?"

Without waiting he pushed past and stumbled outside, gaping all around until he followed the other men's pointing fingers. The sky was darkening but a pinkish light from the fire danced against the roiling cloud of smoke.

"The boat . . ."

"We'll check!" The two mercenaries rushed away, heading for the beach behind the resort.

"No! Wait!" Forrester waved frantically, but the men were running to fast and didn't hear. He rushed back into the house, shouting for Carlton.

****

Deb steered the big limo recklessly, braking to a shuddering halt at Gretta's command. Jessica, Jeff and Parker bailed and began a hurried, crouching run across the resort grounds. Gretta told Deborah to get the limo turned around, then she and Verna scooted off toward the area of the explosion. Verna reached out tentatively a few times when Gretta stumbled and grunted, but the woman just kept going and so did Verna.

At the house, Jessica headed for the library doors off the garden, while Jeff hit the main entrance. Parker stayed between them, providing cover. Forrester skidded to a painful halt just outside the library as Jessica burst through the French doors into the room. He saw Carlton swing around to fire, and fail, after a burst from Jessica's gun. Bullets raked the shelves containing Forrester's collection, chipping a large piece from the Balzac.

Carlton lay splayed across the table and Forrester's damning notebook, his days of acting as a butler finished. Arny shouted a warning, but instead of shooting, Forrester slammed the door shut.

"Are you guys okay?" Jessica checked Carlton then headed after him.

"What's happening?" Billy shouted, as Miller pushed her toward the garden doors.

"We're cancelling our vacation plans." Jessica shouted, carefully opening the door then doing a shoulder roll into the hall, weapon at the ready. More gunfire could be heard in the house, and Arny quickly steered Des outside after the others.

Parker raised his weapon then lowered it immediately as the two couples ran toward him in the encroaching darkness.

"Des! Des, thank God." He caught her as she rushed into him and they swayed together in a fierce hug.

"What's the plan? What do we do?" Arny looked around for the others.

"Deb has the limo just down the road a bit. Get the women down there, grab some guns and get back here to help."

"Help where?" Miller looked around.

"We go where we're needed," Parker exclaimed, throwing an imaginary cape about himself and raising his gun hand high.

"Oh, shit . . ." Miller grabbed Billy and Des, hustling them down to where the limo was supposed to be.

****

"Do you think they're alright in the house?" Verna whispered nervously, hearing the gunfire.

"Just worry about us, and let's make sure we do our job." Gretta crept along the drive to the secondary control room and quickly picked the lock.

"What can I do?" Verna asked.

"You watch the door, someone must have come this way to check on the explosion."

"Do you think they really bombed the boat?"

Gretta chuckled, "Well they bombed something for sure. Aah, here we go. Just give me a few minutes here." There were some grunts and metal sounds then, after several minutes, "Got it."

"What?"

"The backup hard drive for Forrester's recording system. Everything he recorded while we were here." She slipped it into a small pack and tied it around her waist.

"Your leg okay?"

"Still works. let's go."

Bullets raked the wall outside the door and both women fell back into the room leaving the door ajar. Gretta groaned and grabbed her leg.

"Damn! That hurt. Stay away from the door but keep your gun aimed there."

More gunfire, then they heard a man shout for them to come out.

"What should we do?"

"Tie that rag to your gun barrel, and stand safely away from the door when you wave it out."

"Are we surrendering?"

Gretta grabbed her gun again and rolled onto her stomach, wincing as she crawled toward the door.

"Make sure you don't expose yourself and wave it out the door, up high."

The two men outside saw the rag flutter in the small opening of the door and signalled one another, grinning.

"Good choice," one of them called, as he raised his gun and sighted. "Step out with your hands up."

Gretta aimed her gun, and whispered to Verna to shove the door open fast and duck back. She did as she was told and bullets strafed the spot she would have been standing if she had stepped out. Gretta pulled her trigger, and the gun on continuous fire, tore through the legs of the two shocked mercenaries.

While they were both down, Verna ran outside and kept them covered until Gretta could stand and limp outside.

"Take the guns and we'll just leave them. They won't be going anywhere soon."

"But they're bleeding, Gretta."

"And if you had accepted their invitation, you'd be toast. Leave them."

They started up the drive and ran into an excited Parker.

"Forrester and his man Paulson are holed up on the second floor, we can't get up there, but they can't get down either. Jess is looking for ideas." He glanced back at the two men on the ground, catching the slight shake of Verna's head.

"Is everyone safe?" Gretta gasped, reaching out for Parker's shoulder for support.

"For the moment. Since you got those two back there, that leaves only Forrester and one mercenary."

At the house, Jeff was crouching near the main entrance, keeping an eye on the staircase. Jessica trotted down the drive to greet them and immediately noticed Gretta's pale face.

"That's it for you lady. No arguments. Get her to the limo and keep her there."

"Me?" Verna looked doubtful.

"You, and if she balks give her some of that airport Verna we saw earlier."

Gretta nodded with a wry smile and took Verna's arm. "I could use the support," she said warmly.

In the limo, Miller and Arny made room for Gretta to lie down while Verna and Billy tended to her wound. Arny climbed back inside and held her hand, his face a study in concerned fear.

"That was too close, Gretta. This soldier of fortune stuff has to stop, we're both getting too old, and I have nothing without you."

"What would we do for fun, lover?"

"Fun! Jesus! We could sit quietly somewhere nice and- and . . . play fish."

Her laugh made her cough, and the pain showed in her face. A few of the others looked worried.

"It's okay," she managed, "just listening to Arny paint our future.

"C'mon, Arny, let the girls take care of her." Miller gave a slight tug on his sleeve. "We should get back and help the others."