Hard Case VI: The Killer Inside (John Harding Book 6) (38 page)

“I…I’m sorry, John.” Lora moved to wrap her arms around me.

“It’s not your fault, baby. Shit happens. We can’t look away and pretend it didn’t happen. We’ll work our way through it. Alexi may be able to end this before it begins. Call Chuck.”

I called Alexi, hoping I wouldn’t be waking him. He answered on the first ring.

“John? You do not call for small things. I have pen in hand.”

“Thank you.” I took him through the scenario, and what I’d like to do in order to prevent bloodshed. I gave him the blank facts. There was no need to sugarcoat them for the old gangster. When I finished, he didn’t bother with unnecessary small talk.

“I know Romanski. I usually know when someone in my old circle has an embezzlement problem, because they reach out for locations. That is not the case here. I will urge your reimbursement on Nino. He is not stupid. I think I may be able to deal with this quickly once he knows it is simply business, and he will be compensated for his loss of funds. Do you think you have the whole story, John?”

“I’m not sure, Alexi. I knew if there were extenuating circumstances you would be my best chance of finding out about them.”

“I will do so, my friend. I will call you tomorrow.”

“I appreciate your help in this matter, Alexi.”

“It is nothing, John. My mission will be to make Nino understand there are only two options here: one very good, and one very bad. Goodbye, my friend.”

“Good night, Alexi.” I disconnected, and texted Jafar. I didn’t want to wake the baby.

Jafar always knows right where to find everyone, and how to reach them immediately. I set the meeting for 7:30 am. I was optimistic about Alexi being able to square this with Romanski, but I needed a safe place to stash Chuck and cling-on until this was sorted out, and they damn well wouldn’t be staying at my house. If need be, I’d put them in a holding cell. I didn’t plan on either of them knowing where Pain Central was, especially Trista, so transporting them would be a bit uncomfortable for them. I would probably need Al to leave the room so I could explain it to her Dad and cling-on.

I rejoined Lora in the bedroom with the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ thundering through my head. I normally would have had a couple of the brothers after that rather surprising turn of events, but I’m one of those guys who like to celebrate with a couple. The descent into darkness of Al’s Dad and his cling-on wife was not my idea of something to celebrate. I decided a bit of warmth and an ‘I’m sorry’ interlude with Lora would be a much better aftermath for this evening’s unforeseen news. I stripped off my shirt immediately when I saw what she was wearing.

She awaited my return to the bedroom with her black wisp of material that’s supposed to be a robe. Breathless from the longer than expected time I was involved in calls, Lora became proactive. I held her away from me as she moved into my airspace. “Did you get through to Chuck?”

“Yes, Dark Lord,” Lora answered formally, head bowed. “He will be here in late morning. Did you have any luck with your calls?”

“Alexi knows Romanski and hopes to intercede for a money payoff. He thinks Nino is smart enough to make a profit and let this go. That’s the best case scenario. Jafar will have the Monster Squad meet me at 7:30 in the morning for a briefing on the worst case scenario.”

Lora stuck out her chest to rub against my chest as much as I let her. Very nice.

“What is the worst case, John?” She gripped my sides trying to get nearer without success, but she was breathing harder.

“The Romanski Mob would cease to exist, or at least Nino and whoever wants to play gangster.”

Lora stomped her foot. “Will you quit holding me away, Dark Lord!”

I did as ordered, and the angels wept. Romanski…shmamski… the Dark Lord finally put the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ to rest for the night.

* * *

My Monsters and Snow Whites remained quiet throughout my dissertation on the plight of Chuck and cling-on. Nino Romanski sending fresh pictures of Lora and Al to Chuck as fodder for his threats did not go over well, even with my best case scenario of Alexi as the go between to payoff Nino.

“You know how these guys are, John,” Lucas remarked. “They’re all happy to oblige, collect their money, and then send some shooters anyway. I’m thinking quick road trip in our private carrier. We hit everything Nino knows, Nino knew, and Nino never will know.”

Lucas’s input received agreement around the table. I had thought of his concern too. “Secretly, I figured if Nino got his money plus interest, if he did decide to do something, he’d kill the cling-on.”

My added theory struck the right comical note. “Anyway, I wanted to make you all aware of the unwanted visitors coming to Pain Central. I’m bringing them with bags covering their heads and restrained. That won’t be popular, but I don’t want them in my house, and I can’t keep them safe in a motel. Whoever took those photos of Lora and Al are still around. I’m hoping to spot them since I’ll be watching now instead of walking around like a hayseed at planting time.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Clint said. “We’ve been observing gangbangers and terrorists trying to bomb the Bay Area with an atomic bomb. I’ll bet the pictures were taken in public spots you weren’t near, which makes me wonder if Nino does know who you are. I know you well enough you’re going to take this step by step. Go out on your training voyage like always. Lynn will get Abdul to set a meeting with our last piece in the Isis problem. I’ll go watch your house. They don’t know me. I’ll drive there in one of our minion fleet cars.”

Excellent input. “Thanks, Clint. That’s a great plan.”

“I can imagine your face when Lora dumped that one on you, Cheese,” Lynn forked me.

“I’ll bet you can. I like Clint’s idea. His theory would mean they know about the location of Pain Central, which is a relief in a way because I won’t have to bag and restrain the house guests. I never figured we could keep this place totally a secret, especially since taking on Oaktown Cartel duties. We’ll go out on the boat, train, fish, and wait for Lynn’s call while Clint checks out my neighborhood.”

“Let’s get started before Psycho tries to invite herself along,” Tommy said, heading for the door with Jess and Dev. “No telling what she’d do if John had to dunk her again.”

“One of these days, White Sands. Mark my words,” Lynn called out, pointing.

“I already have to mark where you go into the ocean at.”

“We’re finished. Let me know if you get on to anything, Clint,” I said, listening to Lynn growl during Tommy’s waving exit.

“Yep. Right away, John.”

Lucas and Casey came with me. I would be going in the water for about forty-five minutes. Then, we’d fish for a couple hours. If Clint was right, it could be Nino’s people would be watching my house, but only after I took off for the morning as has been my habit lately. Damn… it’s starting to piss me off that I’m being hunted with regularity lately. Snipers, gangbangers in public parks, and now mobsters looking for payback on someone else. I don’t seem to be getting any respect. I plan to change that. If anyone in the world can help me out with that, it would be Clint. Alexi called on my way out to the SUV.

“John, it’s personal. Nino won’t listen to reason. He says he will take five million to leave your family out of it, but then he will take Trista. Apparently she was more to him than an accountant. Believe me, I told him it would not end well for him if he did not take the money and forget. He has been searching for his paramour Sandra Coburn for years since she embezzled his money. I believe he has gone nuts now that he’s located her. Nino could have already killed her.

“That’s what he should have done, Alexi. Thank you.”

I texted Jafar that it would be war with the Romanski mob.

* * *

“I wish Nino would make up his mind. This Harding guy is a pro. He nearly spotted us half a dozen times. He’s a fucking killer. I thought this gig was finished when that sniper got into position on the roof near him. Harding instead kills the sniper and the driver. Are you sure you made it clear to Nino about the incident, Pete?”

“For the hundredth time, yes I told him.”

A few minutes later, their back door opened, and they heard the word ‘kill’. To Pete Gorki and Ilya Kovenko, for a few moments their lucid thoughts were that of werewolf horror movies. Neither succeeded in drawing a weapon or having more than a few seconds of life after their throats were ripped out. The bloody monster emerged from their car, and dived across into the SUV parked only seconds before next to the Nino Romanski mobsters. Clint closed their rear door, and entered into the SUV. Gus Denova drove toward Pain Central.

“I found them, John,” Clint said as Gus stopped at a traffic light, glancing back at the furry ghoul grinning at him with blood dripping from his teeth. Gus made the sign of the cross. “It will be a mysterious werewolf killing. I used Agent Tonto.” Clint grinned. “They had out of state plates, John. Yes. You know I’ll have to tell Lynn.”

* * *

I washed Agent Tonto thoroughly. I had been subjected to much ridicule as it became known I had been staked out in my own neighborhood by out of state gangsters. There was nothing to be done about it, so I endured, and washed DNA from my pal Agent Tonto. At least I was relatively alone in the huge sunken tub bathroom. The one liners kept pouring through the door nonstop concerning my prowess and powers of observation. I was offered witness protection a couple times as new monsters drifted by. I took heat even from the minions. It was Cheeseburger day on the grill and I deserved it. I dried and fluffed Agent Tonto. He then took the juicy rawhide bone I gave him out to the main room while I cleaned the bathroom.

I was allowing Chuck and cling-on to visit at my house under the watchful eyes of Jess and Dev. Chuck had a short window of time to visit with Al, and then he knew he was supposed to get Trista into the car with Jess and Dev to be brought here. I explained to him what cling-on had done. He understood nothing could be done about that right now. We had Isis business to finish before we dealt with his problems. It had not taken long for the out of state gangsters to be found. Clint, with his unusual sense of humor, received the war text from Jafar, and decided a werewolf killing would be the best way to start the opening salvo. To say the local PD was clueless would be an understatement. Clint had once again concocted the perfect murders… with the help of his pal Agent Tonto of course.

Lynn cemented a meeting at 8 pm at the Royal Egyptian Cuisine at Jack London Square. We didn’t fool around with pep talks or stake outs. Lynn owned al-Tracti and his two guards. They knew we would find them if they blew the deal, and they knew Lynn would be their final solution. They no longer cared about Isis, Isil, prophets, virgins, or dying. They only cared about one thing: pleasing Lynn. The second in command, Carlos Jabir, a Spanish Muslim, was reluctant to meet anywhere but at a public restaurant in a much traveled tourist area. That was cute. He thought we cared about public perception of his takedown. We didn’t.

Abdul stood in plain sight at the corner of Webster and 2
nd
Street as agreed upon. We spotted Jabir’s brand new black Volvo SUV. Jafar had been tracking it ever since Lynn found out Carlos was second in command. Denny would launch Homeland Security agents on all of his properties once he was no longer an issue. Jabir brought three men with him. Lucas killed them the moment the vehicle stopped with silenced M107 rounds from the perch he’d picked out on top of the building across from their stopping point with a railing. Lynn and Clint gathered the screaming Jabir, coated in brain and blood from his cohorts. Clint zapped him to silence him, and I threw a cover over the driver’s seat, and drove the Volvo toward Pain Central. I had the wind in my face with the windshield gone, but it felt good.

I smiled remembering Lucas asking me about hitting Jabir. We figured correctly he would be in the rear behind the driver, so the driver could jump out and open his door. Also in the decision of Lucas’s nest was to keep the M107 .50 caliber shots from going through the driver and into Jabir. I didn’t care. Lucas didn’t care. We decided pop the best choices, and let God decide. Unfortunately for Jabir, God allowed him to live for an interrogation with Cruella Deville. We knew from al-Tracti that his second in command was in charge of a backup compound equipped much as the main one we had already hit on the night of the Valkyries. Once Cruella extracted the compound location, it was quickly decided a complete Monster Squad ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ was needed to exterminate our Bay Area Isis pest problem. Then it was time to sell the ‘kill’ mission to Denny. We needed to move on it right now. He had been less than pleased at having to do a massive cleaning in Livermore. Boo hoo. I had to hurry a bit because I didn’t want to leave Chuck and cling-on at my house overly long. I believed it was already too long, but I trusted Jess and Dev implicitly, and they were in contact at all times on our network.

We Monsters awaited Denny’s image to arrive on screen as Jafar connected us, and quickly retreated to our group. Denny had all the facts along with our kill mission request. It wasn’t really a request, but we wanted to give Denny the opportunity to approve the mission. If we didn’t do this, there could be a gun battle with unknown armaments. They might even have another Mi-24 to get into the air fully loaded. Then it would be a massacre of unsuspecting federal and local law enforcement men and women. They weren’t killers. They would be looking for a surrender. If they didn’t get the surrender, they would be in trouble. They didn’t have the right outlook or weaponry for an assault on a suicidal well-armed enemy. My Monsters came with the right outlook, weaponry, and killer inside. The newly acquired Mi-24 had plenty of ammo aboard, plus we had the XM25. Then Denny appeared, took one look at our smiling faces, and knew we had every intention of flying the kill mission no matter what he said. He sighed.