“You lucked out. Court’s closed. Schools, everything. Listen, guys, thanks. I’m going to stay here and see what else I can do before the girls get here. By the way, they will be going to the Post apartment on their arrival.”

“You want me to stay, Maggie?” Ted asked, hoping she would say no.

“No. Go home and take care of Mickey and Minnie. You can bring me some warmer clothes when you get back. What about you, Espinosa?”

“I’m going to catch some z’s at Ted’s. I’ll plan on getting here around noon, weather permitting, if that’s okay with you.”

“That’ll work.” She blew the guys a kiss and started picking at the crumbs in a pizza box. The moment the door closed, she dived into the files stacked up on her desk.

She felt her eyes start to burn as she stared at first one baby, then another. She rubbed her thumb over the chubby faces of the babies and whispered, “I’m going to get those bastards, and that’s a promise. I’m going to make sure you go back to your real parents, so you can grow up in the loving home that was supposed to be yours. I’m going to make sure you little gals get to play Little League and you little guys get to take guitar lessons. I’m going to make it my mission in life to follow your lives. From here on in, I’m Aunt Maggie, and I will not let you down. That’s a promise.”

Maggie swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks as she realized the commitment she had just made to two dozen babies and their adoptive parents. Well, she’d have a lot of help by way of the guys and the vigilantes to make it all come to pass. She crossed her fingers the way she had when she was a little girl and she was making a wish for something. Her expression turned stubborn. Wishes did come true. Sometimes.

On the mountain, Charles Martin’s face was just as stubborn and grim as Maggie’s as he pulled sheet after sheet from the fax machine. He scanned them with one eye as he picked out the pertinent data on each sheet, while his other eye was on his cell as he called Avery Snowden and the other operatives, who were standing at the ready to do his bidding.

Feeling eyes on him, Charles turned to look over his shoulder. His chicks, as he thought of the Sisters, along with Myra and Annie, were standing in the open doorway, fully dressed, coffee cups in hand.