HEROES Rebirth from the Ashes
Chapter nineteen
Mercenaries in Manhattan

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Angela Petrelli sat at the restaurant table sipping her coffee; enjoying the steam and aroma that filled her senses and relaxed her tightened muscles. She was getting old and this cloak and dagger excitement was getting to her. The last week at the mansion was restful, but the worry and concern for not knowing what Hitler's next avenue of attack might be; and not knowing if Noah Bennett was alive or not, was taxing on her resolve. She was amazed at how her dreams were flooding back; but remained fuzzy and she could not understand their meanings just yet. It was like looking through a muddy window. She could see an approaching figure but no details were distinguishable. She sat in the restaurant, coffee house with her back straight as a board, showing her breeding and society training in her posture even in great adversity.

She placed the china coffee cup gently on the saucer and stirred the cream into the coffee with her spoon, as the waiter warmed up her cup by pouring in freshly brewed java. She tapped the spoon on the side of the cup and set the spoon on the saucer so as not to stain the pristine white table cloth. She loved this restaurant; it had been suggested to her by Ezra over the phone when they spoke last. Peter had told her that he and Gabriel were going on a hunting trip and that Ezra had called and left a message for her. She chose to meet him here in a place neither of them had ever been before. She had been extremely careful in her arrival. She had taken a taxi from the mansion, paying cash after being dropped off in the city. She had then switched cabs to reach the restaurant. She had planned on returning through the subway. The cab driver had been a close friend and had promised to no record in his books who his customer was and where she was going.

General Ezra Abramson entered the restaurant with two armed escorts. The two security men separated at the front door with practiced formality; one took a seat at a table by the front door, pulling a newspaper out of his jacket and applied his full attention to the streets and pedestrians on the sidewalk outside the window. The other man passed through the restaurant, weaving through the tables and stood near the rear door by the restaurant kitchen. He nodded to the general and then stepped into the kitchen as Ezra walked through the tables and sat down across from Angela. He reached out his hand and took her small hand in his and held it tight for just a second and let go in greeting, "Hello Angela my friend, thank you for meeting me. It has been difficult to reach you these last few days. How is the hunt since the submarine escape?"

Angela signaled the waitress and the General sat back as a slim hand placed a hot cup of coffee on the table before him. Ezra looked up to thank the waitress for the coffee but the woman spoke first, "Your welcome General." Tracy Strauss whispered in a soft tone and a smile back at the older man; her waitress outfit faded her into the back ground of the hired help as she hovered in the restaurant not far from their table. "You don't take too many chances do you?" Ezra spoke over the top of his coffee through the steam.

"I have learned that safety is with the one that holds more cards." Angela answered crypt. "We have had a week of licking our wounds, but we are still on the hunt. We are safe here in New York City."

Ezra placed his cup on the table, "Angela why did you disappear? Your whole group just got on that helicopter and vanished. I have been searching for you for days. You continue to refuse to let me help you. If Peter hadn't called me and left a contact number this morning, I would have been forced to send out the Special Forces. This man killed civilians, women and children. He burned down you home, and killed your staff. He bombed a top secret military base, and has one of your closet friends in captivity. I should arrest you and take you into protective custody right now." Ezra slammed him hand down on the table in anger, "I want this guy more than anything in the world. I want his head on a platter."

Angela reached across the table and picked up Ezra's coffee cup and placed it back on the saucer before him with never losing her composure, "You can't help us Ezra. He has fingers in all branches of the government and even the pentagon. If I trust you, one of your staff or one of your aides will betray us and we all will then be dead. You have to play by rules my group will be free of. You have to obey the law of the land, we do not." Ezra crossed his massive arms across his chest in frustration and concern, "I will pretend I did not hear that."

Angela Petrelli reached out and patted the back of his hand softly, "you don't have the power to protect us, my old friend. Even all the power behind our government can't save us. We have to trust God now, and save ourselves from this monster."

Ezra calmed slightly lifting his coffee cup once more to his mouth, and sipped it slowly as he looked at his old friend more closly. She was a formidable opponent. She was smart and cunning. She always seemed to know more than he did. She was smooth and calm right now. There was definitely more to this than she was telling him, "Alright Angela, I will continue to trust you."

Ezra pulled from his coat a long manila envelope. It was thick with something stuffed inside stretching it to its limit, "This is for you. Angela, I believe he has come out of his hole and it now hunting you," He looked at Angela, with eyes moist with held back emotions "I am sorry to give these to you," Erza placed a folder on the table between them and slid it toward Angela with a hesitant hand. "In the last 24 hours there has been a wave of assassinations across the country and each of them personally affects your entire group. Angela, I'm sorry."

Angela's heart felt like it stopped as she opened the envelope and pulled out the first picture. It was a picture of her Nathan's ex-wife, sprawled on the ground dead in her own blood. She flipped through to the next picture, her oldest grandson also dead. She took a deep breath and continued to look through the stack of black and white pictures. One by one they reveal her entire extended family, and many friends she had known most of her life: wiped out: Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, even her Grand Children, they were all dead. She turned to the next picture and saw Claire's mother Sandra, and her brother Kyle both dead from a violent car crash. She felt a presence behind her as she looked up and saw Tracy standing beside her. Her heart was broken and she could barely think, her hands began to tremble with uncontrollable emotions and grief. With a parched and husky voice she groaned, "How? How did you get these? You were supposed to protect my family!" Angela jumped to her feet, dropping the pictures over the table top between them, "How could you let this happen? They were my gram-babies!"

Tracy reached down and gathered up the pictures. She placed them quietly back into the envelope and closed it. She had no living family. She lost her parents when she was very young. She had two identical sisters but one was dead and the other no where to be found; they had all be separated at birth. Her nephew Micah had died in the first night of attacks in the military base, thus she was all alone. She slid the envelope into her pocket and helped Angela back into her seat. Her compassion swelled up inside her for Angela, for Peter and for Claire. She gave silent prayer for the safety of Noah Bennett; this was his ex-wife and son. Claire could not lose her entire family in one blow. "Please God; bring Noah home to me…I mean to us." She prayed in her mind.

"I am sorry Angela. They were everywhere at the same time. My men could not protect them all at the same moment. They killed my men and your family with overwhelming force. They knew exactly where to be and who to kill. The assassinations were deliberate and carefully planned. Angela, they want you bad and are hunting you all down through your family and your friends. You need my help!" Ezra pushed his cup and saucer off the side of the table as he tried to reason with Angela. She said nothing in reply, only shook in grief as her head rested on her crossed arms on the tale, her shoulders trembled. For the first time in Ezra's friendship of more than 30 years with Angela, he saw her brake. She was torn apart with the news of her family and the assassinations.

Tracy stood beside Angela giving comfort by her physical presence. What would they do next? What would Peter do when he found out? She leaned over across Angela's arms and gave her coffee one more warmup, when the coffee pot exploded in her hand as a bullet shattered the plastic. The metal bottom of the coffee pot gave a load ping as the bullet bounced off and wized, just past Angela's head. With sudden speed and skill Ezra shoved the table aside and grabbed Angela Petrelli, pulling her to the floor behind the closest wall; just as the restaurant exploded in gun fire. Bullets shattered pictures and windows. The few customers ran screaming for the doors but dropped dead from the fire power, never making it to safety. The two armed guards drew their weapons, and tried to focus on the direction of the attack. It seemed like it was coming from all sides. One guard ran squatting low for Ezra and was gunned down as he tried to cross the restaurant. Tables and chairs broke apart under the gun fire and glasses and dishes burst into pieces as the attack reigned down.

The Last guard and Ezra began to fire through the broken windows at the tops of the buildings across the street. The attack was coming from the outside, and up into the buildings surrounding them. There was a clink and a bouncing sound as a cylinder was tossed into the restaurant. Ezra grabbed the grenade and threw it far out the window, as three more bounce into the room. The last guard ran at full speed toward his commanding officer, bullets were hitting him in the shoulders and back. Blood covered his face and back as he opened his arms and flew through the air landing on top of Ezra and Angela Petrelli, his body a human shield just as the cylinders exploded.

The explosion rocked the restaurant, every piece of glass shattered for over a mile and car alarms screamed out for miles beyond. The restaurant was destroyed and a black ash covered every inch of the room as finally two men, both dressed in black military gear stepped through the broken walls from opposite ends of the building; with their guns held in their arms ready.

One attacker stopped by the front doors, now just a gaping hole in the broken wall; watching the street for the approaching police cars they could hear in the background. The second mercenary pulled the dead body of the soldier off of the General and Angela Petrelli, and rolled the dead man away from his target. He pushed his weapon toward the still form of the General and pushed hard against the ribcage of the man with the muzzle of the gun. He did not move. The man then reached out to check for a pulse when the General suddenly lifted a gun and shot the man between the eyes.

The dead man dropped to the floor in a heap as the General turned his aim at the other attacker. But he was too slow and dropped back to the floor with a large knife imbedded in his chest, just to the left of his heart. The last Attacker stepped forward quickly to grab Angela when there was a hand the grabbed him on his shoulder. He turned toward the hand with his weapon ready, and a fist punched him in the side of his jaw. Tracy Straus stood there shaking her hand to get feeling back in it as the attacker hit the floor hard but spun around to face her with his machine gun on her and pulled the trigger.

Bullets ripped through Tracy, and passed right through into the walls and street behind her. Her eyes glowed and shimmered a beautiful watery blue as she yanked the weapon by the barrel out of the man's hands and swung it around her head and crashed thee butt of the gun into his open mouth. The Mercenary tried to block the blow but was not able to move fast enough. He flew backwards and landed hard against a broken table. He struggled to his feet and pulled from his belt a stun gun and shot the leads at Tracy's feet. "Not this time!" Tracy shouted as she jumped in the air and kicked the man in the face.

The attacker jaw cracked under her booted foot and the man rolled with the blow and quickly turned and got to his feet. His jaw hung at an odd angle broken away from the skull and almost torn from his face. He pulled a gun from his waste belt and aimed it at the back of Angela's head. Angela was not moving she was still unconscious from the blast. The Attacker pointed to the floor as he pulled back the hammer on the pistol. Tracy Straus slowly dropped to her knees before the mercenary, with police sirens whaling in the background. The mercenary pulled from his partner's dead body another stun gun and pressed its gold surface against her forehead. Then Tracy Straus liquefied and jumped toward the man's face. She changed from solid to liquid form in mid jump and entered the man's broken mouth; her entire form going down his throat.

The man stood on wobbly legs as a confused and desperate look passed over his eyes, just before he exploded in all directions into a thousand pieces. Tracy Straus stood in his place with her once more solid form covered in the blood of the dead mercenary. She shimmered in a ring of liquid; from her head down to her feet and washed the blood to the floor. Tracy quickly checked Ezra for a pulse, "I'm fine! Get Angela out of here before the police arrive." He pushed her hands away. Tracy scooped up Angela in her arms ran for the back door of the restaurant as she felt her cell phone buzz, in her pocket next to the dreaded envelope..

X-X-X

Noah Bennet tossed the cell phone onto the seat next to him in the squad car as he raced down the streets of New York City, following the escaping ambulance. No Answer again! He had called the number given to him with the cell phone twice now. The tires of the patrol car squealed each time he changed lanes or took a corner. He kept close to the ambulance almost bumper to bumper. He looked through the rearview mirror and could see police lights from several vehicles attempting pursuit. He reached over and turned the over head flashing lights on and turned on the siren; the blaring lights and sounds bringing a child like smile to his face.

The radio sqawked at him "Driver of patrol car 9 pull over, you are driving a vehicle that is the possession of the City of New York police department. Pull over now!" Noah grabbed the radio and replied, "All points Bulletin, all officers and local police patrol vehicles attention! In pursuit of Ambulance number 12 traveling north on 113th street. Terrorists from police station massacre and hostage in Ambulance. Stop at all costs, over and out." Noah threw the radio handset to the floor and put both hands back on the steering wheel. Claire was in that Ambulance he could not loose her.

The police cars closed in and soon he had a parade behind him of flashing red and blue lights. At least a dozen patrol cars behind him. Then he heard a click – click, and the defrost and exhaust system of the car turned on. Immediately with the combine heat and air conditioning blowing the windshield fogged up. Noah swerved to miss on coming vehicles as he tried to follow the ambulance through the fogged glass. He rolled down the driver's window and leaned out so that he could see. He looked through the corner of his eye with wonder words were drawn by an invisible finger into the fog on the windshield, "Claire not in ambulance P&G – get ready to jump."

The back doors of the Ambulance flew open then and the man which healed him shot a machine gun into the engine and front tires of the police car, the tires exploded and the car turned and started to flip over into a roll. Noah opened the door and jumped out as the car launched itself into the air, he could feel invisible hands grab him and set him on the sidewalk yards away, just inside an alley. The vehicle rolled backwards through the air as a grenade hit the squad car and it exploded in a ball of fire, landing on the nearest perusing patrol vehicle. Noah watched until the ambulance rounded the corner and was gone. He then walked down the alleyway as police cars crashed and exploded in the street behind him.

Noah took out the cell phone once more as he walked away and dialed the number once more, which he had tried twice before. What did the boys have planned? He would find out soon enough, now to find Claire? The cell phone rang in his ear.

X-X-X

Tracy Straus helped Angela Petrelli through the subway automatic doors and onto the nearest seat. She was still shaken from the blast and there was blood on her face from a wound to the side of her head. The Doors closed and the New York subway train lurched ahead and down the tracks. It was late at night, and the train car was deserted. Tracy felt her phone buzz again and pulled it out of her pocket and answered cautiously, "Hello?" The voice on the other end of the call sent a wave of relief and joy through every fiber of her being. "Tracy? Where are you?"

"Noah! You're safe! It is so good too hear your voice. Meet us at the subway platform at 9th and Delaware." Tracy spoke loud enough that Angela could hear. At the mention of his name her head came up and her eyes focused for the first time since the blast for just a moment, then she faded away again into semi-consciousness. "Noah, I have news. Claire is safe; and Peter and Gabriel are on a mission to pull Hitler out of hiding." Tracy quietly said into the phone, as she tried to prevent a large smile from spreading across her face. "We will be at the platform in the next few minutes. Be careful there are men trying to kill us; they just attacked us and Angela is hurt bad."

Tracy folded up the cell. Her heart and pulse was racing: Noah Bennet was safe and in New York City. He was going to join them soon. She looked at the phone as she placed it back in her hip pocket wondering how he got the new number. Peter had just given them the phones the other day, new phones, with new numbers and he said, with no GPS chip to track the phones by satellite. If he had one then what about Peter and Gabriel; where they in trouble?

The train slowed as it pulled into the 9th and Delaware station; the florescent lights lighting the platform in a continuous dusk. As the train came to a stop she looked through the window and there standing calm and watchful was her hero, Noah Bennet. He clothes looked like he had been beaten and tortured, but he flashed her, a wide smile as the doors opened. Noah Bennett stepped in and took Angela in his arms as Tracy led the way toward the far end of the station and the elevator, "Bring her this way."

Angela said nothing as they approached the elevators, but rested her head on Noah's shoulder; and waited for the next car to arrive. Noah Bennet could tell Angela was hurt, and hurt bad. He was glad to be back, but his mind was in a wiral; what had happened since he was gone? Where were they going? Back to Claire and the children he hoped. The Elevator opened to an empty car and Tracy stepped in, "get in."

Once the doors closed Tracy pushed the stop button and then lifted the phone from the wall and dialed a long number. It was too long to be a telephone number, as she finished and hung up the phone there was click and the rear wall to the elevator slid open to reveal a long lighted hallway. "Where did this come from?" he asked as Tracy led the way into the hallway and the wall closed back into place. "Peter was part of the design team that built the subway system back in the 1870s. He new of this tunnel when he bought the mansion and had it retro fitted in the 1890s as a personal transportation system." Tracy rambled off as she led the way down the hallway. At the end of the hallway was a box car sitting on a track. The people mover was luxurious from a by gone era of more than a century past, "The tunnel ends directly under the mansion and an elevator on the plat form takes you into the house 100 feet above." Tracy moved a pillow into place under Angela's head while Noah laid her down on the closest bench seat. "Alfred showed us about this the first day we arrived at the mansion. We have taken the tunnel into the city twice before." They each took a plush seat with a comforting sign. "Hold on," Tracy said as she flipped the switch and the transport shot down a long tunnel far under city above.

"We have a lot to talk about," Noah said as he watched the lights pass by in the dark passageway, "Peter, a mansion, Alfred?" he could just make out the contours of her face in the shadowed light "Yes," Tracy replied "I will explain on the way home to Claire and the kids." Noah sat beside Angela's head with his hand on her head while she rested on the rich red material of the cushion. Tracy sat across to Noah and in whispered words filled him in on the current events.

X-X-X

Claire Bennet left the kitchen of Peter's beautiful mansion, "Good night Alfred!" She said to the butler as she carried her tray of snacks and warm milk for the children at the far end of the home. She passed the massive banquet hall that they had eaten in that morning and waved at the Cook as she passed, "Good Night Gretta." the Cook wave back with a grunt as she scrubbed a large pot before she was done for the day and ready to go home herself.

Claire mounted the central stairs of the large house and passed the downstairs maid Emily as she climbed the stairs toward the children's room, "Good night Ms Bennet" Emily bowed politely. Her maid uniform perfectly pressed and her smile was warm and hospitable, "If you see my sister, can you tell her the taxi will be here in an hour to take us home." Claire smiled and replied a gracious "I will and Good Night Emily. See you tomorrow."

As Claire topped the stairs and turned down the hallway toward the Nursery, she saw Emily's twin, the upstairs maid and nanny, Esther: close the door to the Nursery and turn towards her. "Good Evening Ms Bennet, the children are all tucked into bed and your bed across the hall is turned down. I can carry that tray for you if you would like."

"Thank you Esther, I can manage. Have a great night, and your sister says the taxi will be here in less than an hour." Claire watched as Esther wandered down the hallway humming a quiet tune to her self. Then she opened the door and stepped into the nursery.

Little Noah was asleep already curled up into a little ball on his bed: his feet on the pillow and his head against his knees. Molly slept peacefully in the next bed over, her blankets pulled up tight against her chin and she lay on her side facing the last bed which held the new younger version of Hiro. His eyes were closed and his glasses sat on the table between his and Molly's beds. His body was still, as he slept with his arms at his sides on top of the covers. His breathing was slow and steady, but he opened his eyes as Claire put the tray down on the last empty bed in the room and at in the rocker chair by the window, with a quiet sign.

"Cheerleader, thank you for saving me" Hiro whispered not wanting to wake the others, "I am forever in your dept." Claire smiled at Hiro, "You have been saying that every hour all day Hiro, now go to sleep young man. Tomorrow will come faster than you realize."

Hiro smiled, "Yes Ma'am." and closed his eyes.

Claire leaned back and rested her head on the tall back of the turn off the last century rocking chair and watched the lovely moon light drape across the manicured lawns far below. It had just been a few days since she and Gabriel, arm in arm took a long walk through the ocean fog and the star light. She had watched as he waited all night, thinking through his feelings for her in the moon light. She had waited in this very chair and watched him the whole night through. Her feelings also confused. Finally in the early morning hours, just before dawn she had walked down the rocks and took his arm, "We need to talk."

Gabriel had led them down the long stair case to the beach below the cliff, and she opened her heart to him, "You're a monster Gabriel. I can't understand my feelings toward you. I don't know if I should try and kill you, or to hold on tight and never let you go. You're a murderer and an abomination to mankind; but you are changing right before my eyes." She let go of his arm and walked toward the water, the star light glowing off her nightgown and robe of white, making her look like a living angel. "I have seen you with little Noah, and he truly loves you. You honor my uncle Peter, like he is a god."

Gabriel stood still where she had let go of his arm and did not say a word. "You speak to me with kindness and tenderness that I didn't ever expect to hear. It is like my heart is ready to burst every time you leave me; and I want to punch you in the nose when you return after being gone from me too long." Claire turned back toward Gabriel and put her hands on her hips, "I need you Gabriel. I need you to complete this family. I need you to protect the ones I love with all my soul. I need you Gabriel to forgive me."

Gabriel froze, his breath wafting around his face in the fog. "When you kissed me on the forehead on the plane, I panicked. I was afraid you would want me to love you. I pushed you away and have treated you like dirt; all because you got caught up in the moment of rescuing me. I know you didn't mean anything by the kiss. It was just impulse, right?" Claire walked back to Gabriel and slid her am back into his, "Gabriel I do love the man you are becoming, and I do love the heart I see growing inside this chest." She tapped him on the chest just above his heart. 'You are still a monster Gabriel, but part of me is glad, because you're my monster."

That had been just the night before, just out there by the rocks. They had had a special moment. Was she getting soft? Or was she becoming more of a monster herself? "Please God, bring my father home." She prayed while she lifted a glass of warm milk to her lips. But froze as she saw one man dressed in all black gear step out from the shadows near her rocks, and point toward the house. Several men then jumped from the bushes at his command and ran for the house, they were dressed in dark jumper suits and each carried a machine gun.

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