HAPTER 1<\/p>\r\n
Wednesday, March 27th, 5:21 p.m., the estate of Darren Merritt, near Springfield, Massachusetts<\/em>:<\/p>\r\n No! This can\u2019t be happening!<\/em><\/p>\r\n ***<\/p>\r\n The last thing Andi expected to encounter on the grounds of her father\u2019s estate was an ambush. Headed to the stables for her rendezvous with Donald, she\u2019d had her mind on romance and her fingers toying with the beautiful opal pendant he\u2019d given her last night. Can I trust him? she wondered. Or is he just another gold digger after Father\u2019s money?\u00a0<\/em>Lost in her thoughts, she paid little attention to the stranger approaching her.<\/p>\r\n Until he spoke.<\/p>\r\n \u201cExcuse me, miss.\u201d His rough voice grated on her ears.<\/p>\r\n Nerves tingling, she backed away. He followed\u2014big, muscular, and hulking. Geeze, he looks like a thug<\/em>. Incongruous in his three-piece, navy-blue suit with its tiny white pinstripes, he made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She stuffed the opal necklace under the neck of her T-shirt and continued backing away.<\/p>\r\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d Chills skittered up her spine. The man oozed violence and malicious intent. \u201cYou\u2019re t\u2014trespassing,\u201d she stammered. \u201cThis is private property!\u201d<\/p>\r\n Focused on the guy in front of her, she didn\u2019t notice the other two come up behind her until she felt a hand on her shoulder\u2014and the prick of a needle in her arm. Vomit rose in her throat. Hot and bitter, it choked off her breath. She swallowed hard, forcing the vile mess back down so she could scream.<\/p>\r\n She fought them. Rage and panic poured strength into her muscles as she twisted, scratched, and kicked. But it did her no good. The men overpowered her and stuffed her into a cloth bag reeking of dirty socks and stale cigarettes. The thick, heavy material muffled her cries for help, echoing them back on her. Screams turned into sobs then into hysterical giggling as the drug took effect. The world dimmed. Faded to gray. And went black.<\/p>\r\n ***<\/p>\r\n 8:10 p.m., the Sydarian Embassy, Washington, DC<\/em>:<\/p>\r\n \u201cDid you get the package?\u201d<\/p>\r\n The words, calm and quiet, displayed none of the seething tension Ambassador Jamar Farahani held inside. He hated working with scum like this\u2014dirty, violent, uneducated. But that was the only kind of man who would undertake this type of job.<\/p>\r\n \u201cYeah, we got her,\u201d replied the rough voice on the other end of the line. \u201cWhen are you coming to pick her up?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cTomorrow. Maybe. It depends on the weather. Right now, they will not let any planes take off from the airport. Not even private jets.\u201d Jamar\u2019s hand tightened on the phone as he watched the snowstorm outside his windows. \u201cThere is supposed to be a break tomorrow. So hopefully, I can get out then.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cIf that\u2019s the best you can do, I\u2019ll just have to sit on her for a while. But get here as soon as you can. My guys are getting restless.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cJust make sure nothing happens to her, Johnson.\u201d Jamar\u2019s voice turned cold and hard. \u201cIf she is raped, beaten, or even scratched, you and your men will not get paid. Understand?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cYeah, yeah. I\u2019ll make sure nothing happens. But the sooner she\u2019s out of here, the better. She\u2019s such a looker, it\u2019s hard to control my men.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cIf she was not \u2018such a looker,\u2019 she would not be worth as much money, and you would not be getting paid your over-inflated fee.\u201d Jamar turned away from the windows. And the storm. Dammit! The goal had been within his reach, then this happened. \u201cTell your men I will examine the package thoroughly when I get there. If there is a mark on her, they will not only lose the money, they will not live long enough to regret it.\u201d He paused to let that sink in. \u201cI hope I have made myself clear.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cYeah, I got it.\u201d Johnson\u2019s voice had risen nearly an octave. \u201cN\u2014Nobody\u2019ll t\u2014touch her.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cSee that they do not.\u201d\u00a0Jamar disconnected, fighting the urge to throw the phone against the wall. If Johnson\u2019s men did what kidnappers of young women normally did, the buyer would not pay full price. A knock at the door jerked him out of his dark thoughts. \u201cCome in.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Basaam brought in a tray of coffee and pastries. \u201cDid they get the package, sir?\u201d<\/p>\r\n Jamar scowled at his assistant. \u201cYes, they got her. But I do not know what kind of shape she will be in when I finally pick her up.\u201d Still frowning, he took the cup of coffee Bas handed him. \u201cIf Johnson cannot control his men, she may not be worth very much to the buyer.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cSurely, for what you are paying them, they should be able to control their\u2026urges.\u201d Bas put a chocolate eclair on a small plate and handed it over. \u201cShall I call Ahasama and give him the good news?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cNot yet. I do not want to report success until the package is safe in our hands. Ahasama tends to deal harshly with disappointment. Very harshly.\u201d Jamar looked at his watch then out the window at the storm. He hoped it did not last much longer. Both he and the package were running out of time.<\/p>\r\n ***<\/p>\r\n Thursday, March 28th, 5:04 a.m., the apartment of Levi Komakov, Boston, Massachusetts<\/em>:<\/p>\r\n \u201cBloody hell, what now?\u201d Still more than half asleep, Levi fumbled for the ringing phone. \u201cThis had better be good.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cLevi?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cJonas?\u201d Levi bolted up into a sitting position. His friend and employer, Jonas Demopulus, never called him at home unless there was trouble. \u201cHow bad?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cBad enough. Son, I need you here.\u201d Jonas sounded tired. \u201cWill you come?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cOf course, I\u2019ll come, old man. You should know that by now.\u201d<\/p>\r\n A weak chuckle came down the line. \u201cActually, I do. But it\u2019s still more polite to ask.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cNothing\u2019s polite at five in the morning,\u201d Levi argued, glancing at the clock. \u201cI\u2019m on my way.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cHow soon can you get here?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cIf you want me awake and functioning, it\u2019ll take me an hour. Otherwise, thirty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Levi could hear Jonas conferring with someone else but couldn\u2019t tell who. \u201cAn hour will do.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cI\u2019ll be there.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Levi hung up the phone. So it was urgent, but not life or death. Still, whatever it was, it was bad.<\/p>\r\n He reached across the bed for the hand that wasn\u2019t there and groaned. His wife Leanne had been dead for over two years, but he still reached for her every morning, after dreaming of her each night. Murdered\u2014when she was six months pregnant\u2014by a drunk driving the wrong way on the freeway, her death had left a hole in Levi\u2019s soul that he couldn\u2019t seem to fill. A former sergeant in the British SAS, he was a man who would have killed, if necessary, to protect his wife and unborn child. But he couldn\u2019t even go after the bastard who\u2019d murdered her. The bugger had died in the crash, along with Leanne.<\/p>\r\n Levi had always known that life wasn\u2019t fair\u2014he\u2019d just never realized how bloody unfair it could be.<\/p>\r\n He threw off the covers, rolled out of bed, and stretched. He\u2019d have to forego his morning run, he realized, then he closed his eyes, disappointed at the flash of relief he felt. He was getting older, slowing down. Losing his edge. At thirty-four, he could still do most of the things he\u2019d done at twenty-four, but running a six-minute mile now took seven and a half. He went into the kitchen, flipped the switch on the coffee pot, and headed for the shower. Maybe the trouble waiting for him at Jonas\u2019s estate would be big enough to get his mind off his own problems. Yeah, and maybe I should be careful what I wish for.<\/em><\/p>\r\n ***<\/p>\r\n 5:11 a.m., a cabin in the Cascade Mountains on the Yakima Indian Reservation in southern Washington<\/em>:<\/p>\r\n Fear and rage. They seemed to be the only emotions Andi had left. The only ones she remembered, anyway. As if she had never known anything else, they filled and consumed her.<\/p>\r\n When she\u2019d awakened from her drugged sleep, the sack she\u2019d been shoved into was gone. Now she lay, bound and gagged, on a lumpy double bed. Her mouth tasted like muddy cotton. The ropes around her wrists and ankles bit into her skin. For hours she\u2019d lain here, watching the sky outside the barred windows grow lighter\u2014as day one of her abduction passed into day two. She\u2019d stopped struggling, defeated by the emotional and physical pain. The ropes were too tight, freedom impossible.<\/p>\r\n What did they want with her? She shuddered as thoughts of what men usually wanted from women flashed through her mind. No. Oh, please, no<\/em>. Panic flared up again, and she fought the ropes until she lay curled into a ball, sobbing and exhausted. Would anyone come to help her? No one had seen her being abducted. Had Donald reported her missing when she hadn\u2019t shown up for their date? Or was he in on it?<\/p>\r\n From what she\u2019d overheard the men in the next room say, someone close to her had arranged her kidnapping. Her father? Donald? Could it really be true<\/em>? But who else could have given the kidnappers her picture, her schedule, and the best time to ambush her? Not many people had known exactly where she\u2019d be and when. Jonas Demopulus, head of the crime family her father belonged to, might send someone to help. The rumors in the Family said he didn\u2019t allow innocent people to be hurt. Then again, he might not even know she\u2019d been abducted. If her father had tipped off the kidnappers, he wouldn\u2019t have called Jonas for help.<\/p>\r\n Damn, if only she could get to a computer! She was an expert hacker and had broken into the FBI\u2019s database more than once for her father, checking for arrest warrants on his men. Only this time, she\u2019d put out an abduction alert on herself. But she doubted the kidnappers would loan her a laptop, even if she asked. Exhausted from the effects of the drug, her ordeal, and the questions she couldn\u2019t answer, Andi drifted off to sleep, praying that someone out there\u2014somewhere\u2014would come to her aid.<\/p>\r\n ***<\/p>\r\n 5:53 a.m., the estate of Jonas Demopulus, outside Boston, Massachusetts<\/em>:<\/p>\r\n Levi walked into Jonas\u2019s study and found a surprise waiting for him. \u201cSpecial Agent Wilson,\u201d he said warmly, shaking the FBI agent\u2019s hand. \u201cWhat brings you here?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cMr. Komakov.\u201d Wilson looked relieved to see him. \u201cWe need your expertise,\u201d he said, picking up a manila file folder from a stack of papers on Jonas\u2019s desk and handing it over.<\/p>\r\n With a twinge of unease, Levi sat down, opened the folder, and scanned it. \u201cAnderson Merritt,\u201d he read out loud. \u201cGoes by Andi.\u201d<\/p>\r\n But he saw nothing in the file that would explain why he\u2019d been called in. There was a brief dossier and a color photo, showing an exquisite young woman\u2014probably mid-twenties\u2014with auburn hair to her mid-back; ivory skin; and striking, almond-shaped, honey-colored eyes. According to the file, she was five feet, eight inches tall, one-hundred-thirty pounds. Just about perfect.<\/p>\r\n He whistled. \u201cNice. Very nice. She\u2019s a bloody beautiful girl. And if your information\u2019s correct, she\u2019s also intelligent, stubborn, very sheltered, and a bit of a handful.\u201d He looked from Wilson to Jonas. \u201cBut other than wondering who I\u2019d have to kill to have her, I don\u2019t see what the problem is. Is the FBI after her for something?\u201d<\/p>\r\n Jonas cleared his throat. \u201cAndi is Darren Merritt\u2019s daughter, Levi. She\u2019s been kidnapped.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cBloody hell! Sorry.\u201d Levi winced, appalled by his thoughtless comments. \u201cBy Darren Merritt, I assume you mean your guy in Springfield.\u201d He remembered meeting the underboss once but hadn\u2019t been impressed with him. \u201cDid he ask for your help?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cNo. I knew nothing about this until Wilson called me early this morning.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Levi rubbed a hand over his face. \u201cYou\u2019ve lost me, guys,\u201d he confessed, handing the file folder back. \u201cYou said you needed my expertise, which I assume means my particular brand of skills.\u201d Jonas and Wilson both nodded, so Levi continued. \u201cThe FBI has a whole team of professionals who handle this kind of stuff\u2014all younger and in better shape than I am. If the young lady\u2019s been kidnapped and you guys are involved, what can I do?\u201d<\/p>\r\n Wilson didn\u2019t answer directly. Instead, he said, \u201cI\u2019ve checked out your background, the part that\u2019s not classified, anyway. You\u2019re experienced in covert operations\u2014or should I say \u2018black ops\u2019\u2014and you\u2019ve had paramilitary training with the British SAS. After you immigrated to the US from England, you worked in some capacity with the CIA for a while, but nobody there will say what you did.\u201d When Levi said nothing, Wilson smiled. \u201cMr. Demopulus tells me you\u2019re a dangerous man to your enemies but a savior to your friends. He also says you could out-stalk a leopard.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cWhat does my background have to do with anything?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cAre you willing to work in an unofficial capacity?\u201d<\/p>\r\n Levi couldn\u2019t stop his snort. \u201cYou mean more unofficially than I usually do?\u201d He looked from Wilson to Jonas and back again. \u201cLook, just tell me what the situation is and what you want me to do. Then I\u2019ll tell you if I can do it. Fair enough?\u201d<\/p>\r\n Wilson nodded. \u201cThe girl\u2019s being held in a cabin on the Yakima Indian Reservation in southern Washington,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know exactly which cabin, even which room.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cExactly? How the bloody hell did you manage that?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cTechnology,\u201d Wilson said with a tight smile. \u201cThe problem is there\u2019s a conflict between the tribal authorities and the FBI. We won\u2019t reveal the source of the information on the girl\u2019s whereabouts, so the tribal authorities won\u2019t accept that the girl\u2019s there. Unless we can show them some concrete proof that she is, other than claiming we have a confidential informant, the tribal authorities won\u2019t allow our hostage rescue team to come in and retrieve her. And we can\u2019t just go up and knock on the door to get the necessary proof, or the girl will likely become collateral damage.\u201d He sighed and shook his head. \u201cThe bottom line is the bosses are all sitting around playing with their dicks while the victim suffers.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cSo what you\u2019re telling me,\u201d Levi said, remembering why he\u2019d left the CIA, \u201cis that politics is interfering with the rescue of a kidnap victim?\u201d He studied the man. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t sound like the Special Agent Wilson I know.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m here,\u201d Wilson admitted without apology. \u201cThe Powers That Be have decided to negotiate with the tribal authorities rather than take any direct action. So my hands are tied.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cAnd you remembered that I don\u2019t like innocents getting hurt any more than you do, right?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. I also remembered how effective you were in rescuing Tess Horton in Mexico a few years ago. So when I got the word that the victim wasn\u2019t the Higher Ups\u2019 first priority, I\u2014\u201d\u00a0When Levi raised his eyebrows, Wilson shrugged. \u201cThat\u2019s not what they said, but it\u2019s what they meant. Anyway, I thought of you, so I called Mr. Demopulus and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\r\n A knock on the door interrupted them. Jeff, one of Jonas\u2019s attorney advisors, came into the room, followed closely by Garry, his assistant, carrying a tray loaded with coffee cups and pastries. \u201cWe were passing, saw the light under the door, and heard voices, so we assumed there was a meeting going on.\u201d He gestured for Garry to set the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. \u201cWe thought you could use an eye opener.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cThank you, Jeff,\u201d Jonas said. \u201cAnd you, too, Garry. That was very considerate of you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Jeff looked at the three men, the file in Wilson\u2019s hand, and the stack of papers on the desk. \u201cIs there anything I need to know, Jonas?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cNot at the moment, Jeff,\u201d Jonas said dryly. \u201cYou normally don\u2019t need an attorney until after the crime\u2019s been committed.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cRight,\u201d Jeff said dryly. He eyed all three men again then beckoned to Garry and left, closing the door behind them.<\/p>\r\n Levi passed around the coffee before grabbing a cup for himself. \u201cSo let me see if I understand what you\u2019re saying. You can\u2019t do jack shit to get this girl out of there, so you want me to go onto federal property, by myself, armed and unauthorized, and unofficially rescue her. Correct?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I thought.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cCan you do it?\u201d Jonas asked. \u201cI\u2019ll get you whatever gear you want and anything else you need.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cYou\u2019re just a sucker for a pretty girl, aren\u2019t you, old man?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cAbsolutely.\u201d<\/p>\r\n But Levi knew it was more than that. Jonas hated to see innocents suffer as much as Levi and Wilson did. The fact that Jonas focused on \u201cvictimless crimes\u201d and didn\u2019t allow his organization to hurt civilians was the only reason Levi had agreed to work for him in the first place.<\/p>\r\n \u201cTo answer your question, yes, I can probably do it,\u201d he confirmed. \u201cI\u2019ll know more when I see the layout of where she\u2019s being held.\u201d He turned to Wilson. \u201cMy question is, how unofficial is this operation going to be?\u201d When the man gave him a blank look, Levi clarified. \u201cIf I get in and get out with the girl, am I going to be in trouble with your troops for breaking the law?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cIf you get in and out without getting caught, then no\u2014I don\u2019t know you and have no idea that you\u2019re even involved.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cGee, that sounds just like what I used to hear from the SAS and the CIA. And if I get caught?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cIf you get caught, you were not acting with any official authorization, but I will do whatever I can for you,\u201d Wilson assured him. \u201cI strongly recommend, however, that you not get caught.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cThat sounds familiar, too.\u201d Levi thought for a moment, wondering how to broach his next question. Hell, might as well be blunt. \u201cTo do this as covertly as you seem to want, I\u2019m going to have to kill any hostiles, whether they pose a direct threat or not.\u201d He paused, sipped his coffee. \u201cI don\u2019t normally like to do that, but in my book, kidnappers rate right up there with terrorists and don\u2019t deserve any mercy. So I\u2019m okay with it this time. But are you?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cAs far as I\u2019m concerned, you can kill every one of the bastards.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cGood. That\u2019s settled.\u201d How could he not go? A woman or child in danger was a call to action no honorable man could ignore. And Wilson had known he\u2019d go even before he asked. So what hasn\u2019t he told me? \u201cI\u2019ll do it, but I have one more question,\u201d he told the FBI agent. \u201cWhat don\u2019t you want to tell me?\u201d<\/p>\r\n Wilson averted his eyes. \u201cAs of yet, there hasn\u2019t been any ransom demand.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cBloody hell!\u201d<\/p>\r\n ***<\/p>\r\n 8:23 a.m., the Sydarian Embassy<\/em>:<\/p>\r\n Jamar stood at the window, cursing the snow. From the looks of it, there wouldn\u2019t be a break anytime soon. He\u2019d thought about taking the train south, out of the storm, then chartering a plane once he\u2019d left the bad weather behind, but that would leave witnesses as well as a paper trail.<\/p>\r\n Bas poked his head through the doorway. \u201cBoston on line one for you, sir.\u201d Jamar nodded then stomped over to the phone on his desk. \u201cWhy the hell did you not call me on my cell phone?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cBecause the feds can eavesdrop on cell phones, you idiot,\u201d said a familiar voice. \u201cI\u2019ve worked for a crime family long enough to know not to give out sensitive information on anything but a land line. As a matter of fact, I\u2019m calling from a payphone in town, since I don\u2019t know if the phones on the estate are bugged.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cI see. So why did you call?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cWe have a problem. Demopulus may be sending someone to rescue the package.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cAn FBI agent showed up at the estate early this morning. About an hour after he got there, Demopulus\u2019s trouble shooter, Levi Komakov, came in, almost three hours earlier than normal. They were still holed up in the study when I left to call you. What else could they be planning?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cI have six guards on her, and it is in a very remote location,\u201d Jamar said. \u201cDo you think we really need to worry?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cIf they send Komakov, we do. The guy\u2019s a freaking ghost. Trained by the British SAS and the CIA\u2014if you believe even half of the rumors about him\u2014he\u2019s no joke.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cHow much do they know?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cI won\u2019t know for sure until I check the tapes. But someone must have called the FBI. It wasn\u2019t her father, so we\u2019ve probably got a mole, which means they must have some idea of where she is, or they wouldn\u2019t have called in Komakov.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cGreat. That is just what we do not need.\u201d Jamar sighed. \u201cI will call Johnson and warn him. I will also send him some more men. Though, depending on the roads, they probably won\u2019t get there before sometime tomorrow. Meanwhile, you try to find out how much they know and what they intend to do about it.\u201d Jamar considered the man at the other end of the line for a moment. \u201cIs there any way you can take out this Komakov?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cNot a chance.\u201d A dark chuckle traveled down the line from Boston. \u201cEven with my training, he\u2019d gut me like a fish. Unless I managed to shoot him in the back. But I\u2019m not sure he doesn\u2019t have eyes in the back of his head. What do you think about moving the package?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cI do not trust Johnson to do it safely and I am stuck here. I could not get my plane out of the airport last night as I had planned. I probably will not be able to leave until this evening from the look of things.\u201d Jamar scowled at the snowflakes whipping past his window. \u201cI cannot drive. The snow has closed too many roads. So I was considering taking the train south out of the storm first thing in the morning and chartering a plane.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cWhy can\u2019t you do it now?\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cI have a meeting this afternoon that I cannot afford to miss. If I could have gotten out last night, I would have been back in time for the meeting, but it is too late now. It will have to be tomorrow.\u201d Jamar massaged the back of his neck to ease the tension. \u201cIf I leave first thing in the morning, I could be there by tomorrow afternoon. But I do not like the idea of witnesses and an untrusted flight crew. Or a paper trail, for that matter.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cDope the package and put her in a box, for Pete\u2019s sake. Then she\u2019s just cargo to any witness or flight crew. All any paperwork will say is whatever you write on it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cYes, good. An excellent idea.\u201d Jamar played the scenario in his head but saw no downside. \u201cI will be on the first train south in the morning. You see what else you can come up with and let me know. If this Komakov is going to attempt a rescue, he will have to be good.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u201cHe is. So just make sure Johnson\u2019s expecting him.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \u00a9 2020 by Pepper O\u2019Neal<\/p>\r\n BACK TO BLURB<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 READ REVIEWS<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 MEET THE BLACK OPS CHARACTERS<\/a><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HAPTER 1 Wednesday, March 27th, 5:21 p.m., the estate of Darren Merritt, near Springfield, Massachusetts: No! This can\u2019t be happening! *** The last thing Andi expected to encounter on the grounds of her father\u2019s estate was an ambush. Headed to …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-73","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/73","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/73\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222,"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/73\/revisions\/222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pepperoneal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}