ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:

The family passed the dishes around the table. As everyone finished, Anderson stood. "There's dessert." He smiled at Shana. "Do you know how hard it is to find a bakery that uses pareve recipes?"

"I'm sure." Shana answered Michael's questioning look. "On the Sabbath, due to Jewish cooking laws desserts can't contain dairy or meat products."

As Anderson set the dessert on the table, an explosion sounded.


TODAY'S POST:

Michael and Jeff jumped up. They followed Anderson toward the front of the house. Susan and Shana remained seated and stared in the direction of the explosion. Both dogs stood alert, one on each side of Shana as she cuddled the kitten.

Moments later, Michael and Anderson, who had his phone to his ear, returned. Michael motioned for the ladies to stand. "Somebody blew up the driveway's front gate. A bedroom will be safer, less glass."

Susan asked, "Was anybody hurt?"

He shook his head. "A few men were shaken up, but not hurt. Drew, I got the ladies," he glanced around, "and the pets. I'm taking them to the far west guestroom."

Anderson said, "I won't be much longer."

Shortly, Anderson joined them. First, he hugged Shana. "You all right?" After she nodded, he petted the dogs before he continued, "Sorry, this messed up your Sabbath."

"We're used to having our Sabbath interrupted."

His eyes met hers. "I guess that's true." He paused. "Here's what I know so far. All the hot spots were simultaneously hit."

"Son, speak English."

"Sorry, Mom."

Michael answered, "What he said was all areas of concern were hit at the same time."

When Susan tilted her head, Anderson continued, "Mom, the areas of concern or hot spots are Shana's family," Susan put her arm around Shana as he spoke, "Hannah and Sarah." After releasing a deep breath, he said, "Nobody was hurt." He studied the window as continuous gunfire sounded.

"What about Emily?" asked Shana.

"The penthouse was also hit, but held like a fortress."

"And Zack and the oil wells?" Shana held her breath.

"For some reason the oil rigs were left alone. At least so far. I haven't figured why. It doesn't make sense."

Michael's expression relaxed. "So security measures are working. Thank you Jesus, and God."

"Are your Grandma and Grandpa in any danger?" A loud explosion sounded and Shana turned her head toward the window. "What's that?"

"Grandma and Grandpa are safe. The explosions are grenade launchers. They can cause injuries within a one hundred-thirty meter radius and a kill radius of five meters."

"Drew, English please." Susan stared at her son.

He shook his head. "That's roughly one hundred forty-two yards for injuries and the kill zone's about five yards."

Shana sat quietly. "I didn't know either."

Anderson paced. "I hate not knowing what's going on."

Michael put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Go. I can take care of the women." He patted a handgun in his back waist band.

Shana released a deep breath.

Walking over, Anderson hugged Shana. "Dad can handle everything in here. I'm needed outside."

"I'm not worried about me. If anything happened to you..." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Anderson kissed her forehead. "I promise nothing will happen to me." He glanced at his mom and nodded.

Susan scooted closer and put her arm around Shana. "We'll get through this together."

As Anderson opened the door, he paused. "Dad, how are you on ammunition?" After Michael nodded, he left.

"Okay," said Susan. "We have two choices to sit here and worry or talk." She studied Shana for a few moments. "Why don't I tell you how Michael and I met? I think you'd like that story. I'm not Jewish but there are a few similarities. Want to hear it?"

"We've been married what, forty-one years?" Michael grinned.

"No, thirty-eight. Drew will be thirty-six in July."

"That's next month. In just a few weeks, man, he's getting old." Michael shook his head. "It seems like we've been married over forty years."

"Drew gets his incorrigibleness honestly." Susan patted Shana's arm. "Michael was doing pretty much the same job Zack's doing now. I worked in a library in Corpus Christi. He and a buddy, Colton Rivers had a bet about what Babe Ruth's all time batting average was. They had a hundred dollar bill on this bet."

"Nope, she's already wrong. The bet was his all-time highest slugging percent and we had a five hundred dollar bill bet on it." Michael grinned. "I won that bet too." After he paused, he asked, "Sure we haven't been married forty years?"

Shana's jaw dropped. "That's a lot of money."

"You're right, it is and it was. My parents owned a Ma and Pa grocery store. Michael's parents were oil tycoons." Susan glanced at the window as another loud boom sounded. "Michael and Colt came into the library to prove each other wrong. I happen to be working that day. They came to me and asked where to find the research books on baseball greats."

"I was so taken back by her beauty and kindness that I tripped all over myself."

"No, you weren't. You were very handsome and polite, a perfect gentleman. After they discovered that Ruth's all time slugging percent was six hundred eighty, Colton had to pay up."

"Nope it was six hundred ninety. Easiest five hundred dollars I ever made. I was so smitten by this lady that I asked her to a movie that night."

"You sure did, but I couldn't go because you hadn't asked my father." Susan faced Shana. "My father was possessive and believed Michael was a rich playboy who didn't have an ounce of common sense or a brain in his head. That he never did a honest day's work in his life."

"I had to prove my intentions were honorable. Which I did, but it took months of visiting at their house before her dad would allow me to take her on a date."

Susan smiled. "Do you see the similarities?"

"I do." Shana's eyes met Michael's "Can I ask two questions?" After Michael nodded, Shana continued, "Did your parents ever feel you married below your class and did you or they ever think Susan married you for your money?"

"Shana, you've met my parents. Dad was positive I married up. They both think the world of Susan and always have."

Taking Shana's hand, Susan said, "If you're worried because you're not in the same economic class as we are, we're not at all concerned about that. No, you're not interested in Drew's money. That's obvious. Anybody who thinks differently is crazy." She paused a few moments. "Your dad is a university professor. My parents barely went from paycheck to paycheck. Some months they didn't make that. You have an education, I do not. I'm telling you this because I want you to understand there are always differences but if there's love and commitment everything will work out."



Characters so far:

Shana Kohlberg -- a 25 year old high school English literature teacher -- she's trying to get her family's painting back
Anderson Sharp -- often called Drew -- 31 years old -- works part-time on Wall Street -- a billionaire from Texas oil wells
Dmitry Bezrukov -- one of three Russian men in black suits
Jeff Burk -- takes care of Anderson's cars and important security details.
Helen -- Anderson's cook
Jane -- Anderson's housekeeper
Philip -- Anderson's butler -- close friend
Kyle -- Anderson's dog walker
Axel -- Anderson's lead German shepherd
Thor -- Anderson's second German shepherd
Romeo -- Anderson's third German shepherd
Aaron Kohlberg -- Shana's older brother
Ivan Kuznetsov -- formally Ivan Morozov, I accidently chose a real person, so I have changed it present day owner of the painting.
Patricia -- Anderson's ex-wife
Emily -- Anderson's five year old daughter
Isaiah Glassberg -- Anderson divorce/custody attorney.
Jeremy -- Jane's second-cousin twice removed, NYC undercover cop.
Hannah Jacobs -- Shana's cousin, the same age and best friend. Married within the past year and just had a baby, Sarah. Her husband, Paul. Sarah was just diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease.
Joshua Colton -- Art Museum's curator
Benjamin Kohlberg -- Shana's father
Eliana Kohlberg - - Shana's mother
Maxwell Gaines -- Lawyer hired to retrieve the painting
Erich Berger -- Manager of the Dorotheum art auction house in Austria
Mary Pritchard -- The lady Anderson hired to help Hannah while she's in Boston with Sarah.
Zachery Sharp -- Anderson's younger brother
Michael Sharp -- Anderson's father
Susan Sharp --Anderson's mother
Leon Sharp - - Anderson's grandfather
Grandma Sharp - - Anderson's grandmother
Oscar - - Team Leader of the security detail
Detective Rollins - - Austin police detective
Agent Allan Ryan - - FBI agent