Daniel had left the apartment and returned to his home, unable to make a decision as to where else to go or what to do. Without the cards he had no scam to run. Without the woman he had no relationship. When she had time to sort out what he'd said there would be no relationship anyway. So why was he just sitting here? When the phone rang he automatically answered it and listened with growing concern as Connie's frightened voice hastily described her predicament before the line went dead.

He knew the Russians were not to be taken lightly, even if they had proven themselves not to be MENSA material. Should  he just forget it and walk away? Holly and the old man had let him off the hook after what he'd done to them; maybe helping Connie would kind of pay that forward. But how to help?

Holly and the old man... why not?

The Week Before Christmas

"You aren't going to believe this," Jacob said, handing the phone to Holly. "Our friend Daniel is back home but has had an attack of conscience." She put down the scissors she was using to cut the wrapping paper and answered, making a puzzled mouth and eye expression at Jacob.

"What are you saying? Connie called you and she said the Russians were in Malcom's office? When?"

"Yesterday when I got home."

"Yesterday!"

"Yes, I called her and told her everything but she said she couldn't talk and hung up so I came home. She called again only this time she was shouting into the phone that the Russians were at the office. She said something about Malcom bleeding from the head and then the line went dead. We have to do something."

"We? What's your stake in this?"

"Let's just say I've had an epiphany. Look, there's no time to waste, what can we do?"

"Call the police, it's what you should have done instead of calling me."

"But I thought you- your friend didn't want any police involvement?"

Holly's mouth set in a grim line and she counted to ten, shaking her head. "You're right. I guess he'd rather bleed to death."

"You don't have to be like that. I just thought—"

"Look, Daniel, don't play altruistic with me. You don't want the police involved any more than Malcom."

"We have to do something..."

"Meet us at the DeWhitt building, we're leaving now." She hung up and gave Jacob a shrug. "You with me?"

In an instant he was out of the room and back with his pistol strapped under one arm and a thickly padded vest over his shirt. A knife hung in a scabbard at his hip and he wore thin leather gloves with the knuckles cut out.

She left her Christmas presents on the table and clapped her hands with delight. "La Puma?"

"La Puma."

"Let's go then."

"Ready when you are, darlin'. I've also put the cards away in a safe place in case that little worm has another scheme up his sleeve."

The chill preview of winter wind continued to lash the street in front of the building. The weather change brought bulging black clouds over the city, sagging between the taller structures and threatening to burst. Litter swirled like confetti and when Holly and Jacob stepped out of their car the door nearly bent backwards.

Daniel was inside the lobby waiting and he helped spin the revolving door against the stiff wind as they entered.

"My God, what brought this on?" Holly fingered her tangle of hair out of her face.

"They say it's a massive cold front sweeping right across the whole country. Snow, wind, hail, everything."

She shook her head at his ability to provide a weather report. "Okay, so we have no plan other than to go right up and maybe surprise them. The rest of Malcom's security people should be here I know, he told me they were in lockdown."

"Yeah well our Russian friends breached that somehow." Jacob unholstered his pistol and started to the elevators.

"Is he serious?" Daniel asked, eyeing the huge weapon.

"Aren't you?" Holly flashed her own tiny twenty-two as she followed Jacob.

"Yes but... I don't have a gun and I thought maybe we could just sort of... talk them down." They barged onto the elevator and Holly hit the button for Malcom's floor.

"You saw how much effect talking had last time we were all together."

Daniel gaped at the woman and for the first time and saw what he had previously missed; a mature woman, tall and striking in appearance, accentuated even more by the wind disheveled hair and the barest hint of cosmetics, leaving her naturally brown eyes to dominate. She was in a pair of more than snug jeans, calfskin ankle boots and a waist-length leather jacket. Daniel unintentionally did a mental comparison with Connie and was about to apply a rating when the elevator stopped.

Jacob held his finger on the close door button and glanced at Holly. "When this opens you dive straight ahead and roll into a shooting position on your knees. I'll go to the right and you go left,"

"Oh now wait a minute..."

"If you see an enemy target, don't take any chances. Shoot first." he said to the uncertain Daniel.

"I don't have a gun!"

"Say, bang."

Daniel began to protest but the doors slid open and both Holly and Jacob dove out. Daniel peeked around the corner, relieved to see the hallway was empty, and stepped out, moving to the left as a token of obedience. Jacob stepped up to him and held the barrel of the gun to his nose. "You are either with us, or against us."

"With you! With you!"

"Then do what I say, when I say." He turned and waved them silently toward the reception area.



Connie sat on the small sofa cupping one hand to her puffy cheek. The Russians had kept them overnight, threatening each in turn for information. The only reason they weren't all beaten up or dead was the fact that one of the companies leasing space on the floor below held a small convention meeting with people coming and going all hours of the day and late into the evening. Some had wandered up to check out the landlord's floor out of curiosity.

When they discovered that there was no security on the door they came up to DeWhitt's floor and were met by a nervous Ross who had to create a plausible explanation or suffer Anton's cautionary threat. He promised to check with them later and make some arrangement for a guard. That didn't happen and the company finally finished its celebration and left with another visit to register a formal complaint. All of this foiled the Russian's plans to deal with DeWhitt uninterrupted and so here they sat.

Malcom had regained consciousness but passed out again during the night and was a periphery of worry as she kept her eye on the Russians. Ted had awakened with a huge lump on his head and when he began a protest he received another, sending him back into a deep sleep. Nick and the conscripted employees were seated on the floor behind the reception desk while Ross's time was spent intimidated by Anton, who slapped the new baton in his beefy hand with a sound like a belly flop. Connie had tried get them some food but decided, when the Russians refused, they were probably living off the huge reserves of fat they carried.

Gregory paced around the office, his temper soaring and abating like an ocean tide. His face was driving him to distraction and he had to concentrate very hard to keep from scratching the skin off. He had threatened, cajoled, even promised a reward but Connie gave him nothing. It wasn't out of loyalty because she had none. It was because she knew that if she told them she was probably as good as dead and if she could get out of this, she would have the sculpture and the stupid Russians wouldn't even know. Malcom was in too sorry a shape to stop her either; all she needed was a break, a chance to get the upper hand.

The windows suddenly rattled from the wind's assault and Gregory looked uncertainly at the large panes of glass. Outside he could see the beginning of flurries swirling rapidly in all directions. He turned back to Connie who was speaking to him.

"You know that the police are probably on their way here," she said. "My friend will have called them so if you don't want to spend a great deal of time in one of our prisons I'd suggest you and your friends take off."

"Your police are very slow if that is the case. We leave when you tell me where sculpture is." Gregory had rolled up his sleeves and had to let them down again because they were too tight on his arms. He lumbered toward her, waving his clenched fist. "You tell or pretty face will soon not be so pretty; I am tired of delay."

"My pretty face could be put to better use than a punching bag," she said suggestively. Gregory stared at her, Valry dancing across his vision in the fur stole he'd given her on one rapturous weekend. This woman was offering herself to him maybe? He stood still in front of her, taking in the swell of her uniform shirt, and mentally comparing remembered statistics; Valry came second in that area.

"Have I interested you?"

"You have."

She smiled and held out her hand and Gregory took it, yanking sharply, jerking her to her feet and twisting it around behind her back. Connie groaned noisily as the pain streaked up to her shoulder.

"Now I have advantage, eh? I warned you I was tiring of tricks and delays." He pulled her arm higher and she screamed at the pain. "You tell me now and maybe I let you fill your previous offer. Where is sculpture?"

******

Jacob stooped down and peered around the corner into the reception area. He saw Anton standing over a uniformed guard, one foot on the man's chest and in his hand a shiny new baton. A pair of feet stretched out from beside a large potted plant and, sticking his head out a little further, Jacob could see the other Russian tying three men together in the receptionists chair with cord from the window blinds. The smallest man, also in a guard uniform was on the bottom and was moaning in pain from the weight of the other two.

"It looks like the Russkies have captured the fort." He said, crawling back to where Holly and Daniel waited. He explained what he'd seen and that the one called Gregory wasn't there. "They're wearing the weirdest Goddamn coats, I'm amazed they can function at all."

"We should call the cops." Daniel said. His protest was met with another view down the barrel of Jacob's gun and he hastily agreed to remain quiet.

"If we rush them, Anton might just step down and that poor guard will be a goner," Holly said.

"We have to agree here, Holly." Jacob warned.

"Okay, let's—" A scream sounded from the office down the hall from the reception area and the trio all froze. "That settles it. Let's go,"

They barged around the corner and shouted like maniacs for the Russians to drop their weapons and get down on the floor. Anton turned, raising the baton and Jacob fired. The roar from his pistol had the others grabbing their ears as the giant Russian wavered and then toppled backwards onto the carpeted floor, a massive beach ball rolling over and coming to rest against the wall.

Nikoli dropped his cord and stuffed his hand into his jacket pocket. The gun appeared from the fur cuff of the jacket but before he could get it up to aim, another explosion of noise erupted from Jacob's weapon and he flew back into the trio tied in the chair, all of them collapsing in a screaming heap.

"Jesus, Jacob," Holly cried. "Step back a bit!"

"You don't hesitate, darlin', it's you or them."

Daniel was leaning against the wall staring at the carnage, his face vanilla ice cream. The scream sounded again and his head came up as if awakening from a dream. "That's Connie..." he said.

Holly dashed down the hall to the office while Jacob secured the Russian weapons and checked them both for signs of life. He ordered a stricken Daniel to untie the men in the chair and to call for the paramedics.

"I thought you didn't want...?"

"These men are hurt, we can't ignore that, son."

"What about the Russians?"

"They're suffering from a special load of ammunition I used. It has tremendous impact but disintegrates immediately. There's no penetration. The most they'll have is bruising... big and sore but..."

Daniel picked up the phone and dialed 911.

Holly approached the door cautiously, bending to listen as she gingerly turned the handle. Gregory was waltzing around the still body of Malcom, holding Connie by one arm and waving his pistol around harmlessly while she was clutching a handful of his crotch. The scream came again and to Holly's surprise it was from Gregory, not Connie.

"Drop that gun or I'll neuter you, you Russian bastard!" Connie planted her feet and brought their dance to a sudden halt. Gregory's eyes rolled up into his head and he let the gun drop to the floor, at the same time he released Connie and dropped painfully in a heap at her feet.

"Nice job." Holly stooped down and felt for Malcom's pulse. "He's breathing." She lifted the sculpture carefully and set it aside on a small table beside the sofa.

Connie followed the action. "I hope so, I only hit him in the jaw with my elbow. He was getting a little randy while we were trying to defend his fortress." Connie tucked her shirt back in and straightened her tie. "Who the heck are you anyway?"

"Friends of Malcom."

"Friends, plural? Where are the others?"

"Looking after the Russians. We took care of them."

"Those explosions I heard...?"

"That was me," Jacob said, entering the room and staring boldly at Connie. "Paramedics are on the way."

"He won't be happy, but he definitely needs attention. He's going to have a scar the size of a sausage." Holly said, standing back up.

"We should leave. Let him explain the whole thing. Of course I'd have to kill the witnesses first." He let his gaze drift over Connie who looked uncertain for the first time.

"Is that the way of... La Puma?" Holly almost giggled.

"It's the smart way, considering." Jacob rolled the cylinder of his pistol and Connie sucked in her breath.

"Hey, wait a sec, none of this is my business. Whatever you guys did that's not my concern."

"How about trying to scam Malcom here with your Tarot card sale? That actually is our business." Holly was enjoying the woman's discomfort.

"You're the one that found Sydney."

"It's actually Daniel. He's right outside. Looking a little green, but none the worse for wear." Jacob stroked the barrel of his gun, watching Connie.

"I had no idea the cards belonged to you. Syd- he told me they were his." She calculated her chances of getting anything besides her safety out of the mess and decided her safety was top priority. "I was just doing some groundwork."

Holly snorted and looked down at Malcom. "I see what you mean."

"I think I'd better split, Holly. The cops will be coming with the medics."

"What about the rest?"

"You wait and tell them that you came because you were worried about Malcom and you found all of this. Those guys outside never saw you, you'll be fine."

"What about her? She knows everything that happened here."

"She's coming with me." Jacob aimed the gun at Connie and she buckled, clutching her chest.

"No! No, please. I won't say a word!"

"Sorry lady, that's not the way of, La Puma." Holly managed, with a straight face.

"La, who?" Connie began whimpering as Jacob took her by the arm and led her from the office.



Police, paramedics and the fire department all arrived at the same time and the building was sealed until they were all sure the scene was secured. Shots fired meant nobody came in or out without clearance. To their dismay, the paramedics couldn't fit the Russians on their stretchers and a special team of movers had to be called in to transport the three men to hospital.

Nikoli had a massive red mark on his abdomen but they couldn't find any entrance wound in spite of the shot residue all over his coat. Anton was much the same. A huge bruise just below his throat and a deep slice in his upper chest from the Christmas tree pin that was driven through the coat from the impact. The police admitted they had no idea what bullet or whatever it was did the damage and they could find no weapon on any of the group. As Daniel was the only unharmed person without any connection to the company he was arrested and removed to a holding cell to await interrogation.

His statement at the scene that he had nothing to do with what happened, describing an old man who ran a junk shop as the mysterious commando that took out the professional agents, was considered the ranting of a guilty man. Holly didn't argue on his behalf, saying she was just visiting her friend whom she had done some business with recently. During the questioning Malcom regained consciousness again and his frightened eyes found Holly's and he stayed awake long enough to mumble through the mess of his battered nose something about Irene and Baseball and then fainted again before being removed to the ambulance.

Gregory couldn't stop crying all the way to the hospital, the rash on his face was flaming and his pudgy fingers desperately groped at his pain-wracked crotch. Connie had spared no torque on her grip and he feared permanent damage. From what they could understand a woman had assaulted him and thinking it was Holly, the police fell over themselves accepting her version of events. There had been a brief silly argument, she said, and they had accidentally knocked the shelving over when she tripped on the corner of the chair. Malcom had been struck on the head and it was then all the other excitement took place. Very impressed, and all wanting to impress the attractive woman, they took her statement and because it was Christmas time, allowed her to leave, not noticing or paying attention to the fact that when she left she carried a large plastic bag with something rather heavy inside.

Holly guessed exactly what Malcom had tried to tell her and she wasn't leaving the sculpture behind to be lost from Malcom. Irene and Baseball, she was positive, was his attempt to say Ivan and Balzac. It wasn't a sentence but it must have been something he overheard while lying on the office floor. Ivan Davidov would be picking up where his three stooges left off.

The Night before Christmas

The limousine glided to a stop and the lights flicked off leaving the street with only the illumination from the snow covered street lamps. Tire tracks, quickly filling with the falling snow, were the only sign that anyone was out and very few on this street at that. The window lowered part way and a film of smoke whipped out and away into the night.

"I see no lights or sign of life, comrade." The driver said.

"Is this the only address we have for him?"

"Da. The woman lives in an expensive condominium downtown but she has been staying with him here for some time."

"Was her condominium checked?"

"Da. Boris searched it thoroughly. He is still keeping an eye on the place from a coffee shop down the street."

"Take us to the hospital then, we will deal with the woman and the old man later." The window closed and the limo pulled silently away, leaving a briefly visible track on the snow-covered pavement.