Sorry folks, work and life got the best of me and I disappeared on you guys. Good news, I am back to weekly updates, only a few chapters remaining in this book and I plan to wrap things up as soon as possible.

Last on Wrath of Roma

"Good, then let's begin" Roma added sitting upright with renewed vigor.

"What?" Sebastian added.

"Planning Sebastian" She added. She could not walk in to the council without an plan. A plan that would ensure the outcome they needed.

"Let's plan the downfall of Gordon Lockbourne."

Chapter 17

--------------

Alex leaned over the map spread out.

"Tell me what we have got" he asked the men assembled. He has whipped up a team for this special operation he planned, the execution of Serena Lockbourne

"What we gathered so far" One of the men started "Is that she is well protected. She stays in a farm, ten miles away from her university campus. The farm is isolated and has enough wolves prowling, it's a perfect location and the patrols can smell a scent miles away and have enough heads up, the house is three miles off the main highway and the path is well guarded and the farms surrounding the house are big enough for multiple escape paths. It's a good and well thought out safe house." He concluded.

"What about the road, can we take her out on the road?" Alex asked.

"Nope" his man stated "Too much human presence on the road, it's the house we need to target, we just need to figure out how."

"Let's look at all areas carefully, and consider all possible scenarios. Preferred is detection as delayed as possible but we need to fight our way in if needed but not give them enough time so they plan an escape. Think people!" Alex insisted "We need to put this plan in motion tomorrow night." He added and looked at the map again trying to make a break through.

***

"Are we ready for tomorrow?" Roma asked Sebastian.

"Yes" He responded "We fly in to Ontario and then we have a villa or ours that we can use, it's about twenty miles from there to the council building."

"Ok, what about cutting funding to the council?" She asked.

"Our bankers are ready and our lawyers will liquidate the assets that pay the world council on our notice. When do we do this?"

"Tomorrow morning" She told him "That should ensure that this news reaches the council by evening."

"Consider it done" he assured her.

"Who do we need to watch on the council?" She asked.

"Europe is us and you will represent Europe" He explained "Asia and Africa are firmly ours and we know where Americas stands. Russia is enigma and unpredictable however in the recent months leading to Roma's death, we had signals that Russia was warming up to us." Ivan was an unpredictable bastard.

"And Australia has always extended us outside support and as such are on very friendly terms but Australia makes calls on their own best interest. So not sure." Sebastian added.

"But the best part is there will be no representatives tomorrow night, it will actually be the alphas of each of these regions who will be in the council so we can make real breakthrough with them if we want to." The emergency sessions was being attended by heads of all regions, kings of their dominions.

"Do you think Australia or Russia will side with Lockbourne?" Roma asked.

"Can't say" Sebastian said honestly "It depends on how it goes tomorrow" He added, there was a lot riding on her shoulders.

"So let's support they don't swing our way, then what?" she asked.

"Stalemate" Sebastian said "We own three seats and Australia, Americas and Russia make the other three, it's a stalemate. However all we need to do is get one more vote on to our side." He added.

"Do you think they will vote on our favor if we pull the plug on the council funding?" she asked.

"Good point. But they might panic enough to go against us as well." He said "The way I see it they will ask us to back off America and get us to a negotiation table with the council mediation."

"Should we consider that?" She asked him "The mediation" Maybe it would end this circle of madness.

"After we take out Lockbourne's granddaughter? No chance in hell...is us or them I am afraid." He told. Lockbourne would come with everything he has after they take Serena Lockbourne out.

"I have a suggestion" Sebastian said "How about we take her hostage, will use her as a bargaining chip and can make Lockbourne dance to our tunes." He suggested.

She bit her lip in contemplation for a moment, taking his suggestion in and then responded firmly "No"

One of his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Once he gets her back, its back to square one and he will be even more vengeful and ensure we don't get our hands on her and besides...he needs a message from us, his family took my family out...are probably responsible for the attack on Roma and Max...She needs to go." Roma defended her choice. Serena Lockbourne would be Gordon's downfall.

"Then we go in and gohard...However, it's going to get ugly before it gets better" he warned.

Evelyn agreed, odds would be stacked against her, she was going to take a wrecking ball and swing it at the council and once the dust settled it would either be her or them standing.

***

"That not a reassuring face" Sebastian said as he entered the room Alex commandeered with the team he assembled. They were all looking pensive.

"Come here" Alex told Sebastian. Alex was standing over the table peering in to a map in the middle of the room.

Sebastian walked over to where Alex was.

"What are we looking at?" he asked peering over Alex's shoulder.

"Look here" Alex spat "these bastards thought of everything. They put her in the middle of a corn farm, miles of farm in any direction and I am sure they have enough surveillance around that if they don't smell us miles away in advance they can know we are coming."

"So, we won't have the element of surprise our side" Sebastian said "Can we still take her out?"

"No way." Alex shook his head. "Too many variables, look at all that farm land, easy for her to escape while her guards engage us. God knows what they hid under all that corn."

He was sure there were some nasty surprises waiting in those corn fields.

"Hmmm" Sebastian said thinking "can we get her anyplace else?"

"Nope. It has to be here" Alex insisted pressing his finger on the map "The college and roads have too many variables and human presence." He said and added admiringly "This farm is a perfect spot, right on the border of the town so that it's not isolated enough and yet gives you the space you need."

If something went wrong most likely the girl would hightail in to the town and in to the presence of humans where you can hardly do anything.

"How about air?" Sebastian said.

"Though about it, the question is how?" Alex said and explained his problem "Initially that was my plan as well but we can't take the gunships...again too many witnesses around and the apache gunships would unnerve the human population. They will attract too much attention."

Patrick Lockbourne's pack land was in the middle of a forest and they could use the apaches but here it was not possible.

"Why do you need a gunship, hire a regular one" Sebastian offered simple solution.

"Right and expect the pilot to fly in a dozen of armed people without batting an eyelid." Alex responded sarcastically.

"Right" Sebastian said seeing the problem. You could not hire an chopper and you could not use your owns.

"Anyone in your team knows how to fly a chopper?" Sebastian asked.

Alex raised his eyebrow. "No, but that can be arranged."

Alex wanted to see where Sebastian was going with this.

"Get it done." Sebastian said and added "I will get you a chopper to fly in and out of a private airfield and a jet to get you there. Forget about the chopper, make your plan assuming you have it."

"But how?" Alex asked.

"Two words" Sebastian grinned as he started walking out of the room "American Avionics"

Fuck! How could he forget? Roma owned that military hardware company, they sure must have a few choppers they can spare. He looked back at the map with renewed vigor, now he need to make his plan.

***

Roma walked out of her house. Her bags were packed and were being loaded in to her convoy by her men. She saw Alex from her peripheral vision.

She paused and walked over to him.

"Hey" He said softly.

"Hey, back" She smiled.

They both stood there in silence for a moment.

"Take a walk with me" Roma finally told Alex and he nodded and fell in place next to her.

The early morning sun was just coming up and she walked with him in silence just enjoying his company and led him to her favorite spot on the pack lands. The riverside and her wooden bench. She just pretended that there weren't at least fifty men surrounding them.

She led him to the bench and sat down and patted the empty spot next to her and he complied, sitting next to her.

"I loved this spot" She told him, looking at the river. "So many memories."

Alex remained silent.

"Do you know this is where I met Max for the first time...I would not count him biting me at the hotel as a first meeting" She had a small smile on her face, she was clearly reliving the past.

"And yet, when I meet him what do I do? I send him away. I still wonder how much strength he possessed to walk away like that? I did not know it back then but now...I could never do it."

"He wanted to do what was right then Evy. He wanted to do right by you." Alex added.

"That is one of the reasons I love him so much Alex." She sniffed, a tear escaped her eye. "He is on a bed somewhere and here I am doing god knows what." She said bitterly.

"You know what you are doing, you are trying to keep the family alive, which is what he would have done if you were in his place. Remember that Evelyn." Alex offered.

She took a deep breath and said "Thank you Alex. You have been a wonderful friend."

"You haven't been terrible either" Alex said giving her a sly smile making her chuckle.

"You come back alive all right." She ordered him "I have lost too many people already. Take care of yourself"

Alex suddenly remembered something, a memory, it appeared so long gone it was as if in a different life.

When he had been going out to hunt the rogues that had plagued the pack, Evelyn had approached him and told him to take care of himself. A different Evelyn, an optimistic one, an happier one. Who did not have the burdens as this one did.

He still remembered what he told her so he grinned and repeated it now.

"Why, is someone going to miss me, if I end up dead?" He quipped just like the time earlier.

Her eyes shot up to his amused one and a slow smile crept up her face, just looking at her eyes he knew she got it. She remembered it too.

She punched him on the shoulder just like last time "Jerk" She smiled.

"I still live in the fear of you poising me you know" he told her. She had threated that she would poison his food back them.

"I still might" She threatened him.

"Blood thirst wench!" He told her. Repeating his statement from time before.

One of the guards approached them and gently interrupted "Ma'am, it's time."

She nodded her head and got up. He followed her move and both of them wordlessly went back to the convoy of waiting cars.

"You take care now." She told him.

"You too" He responded.

She looked at him for a moment and then pulled him in to a tight hug and he responded equally and as suddenly as she hugged him she pulled back and quickly got in to her car and closed the door. She couldn't look at him anymore and let him go in to the danger she was sending him in to.

"Let's go" she ordered the driver and the convoy slowly moved out.

Alex stood at the path seeing her go. Feeling a dread in the pit of his stomach settling in.

0a&sX$��S��

**If you are wondering about the conversation between Alex and Evelyn it happens in Chapter 8 of Wolves of Roma