“I get that, but it`s a chance we have to take. Carlucci`s going to a lot of trouble over this and if it backfires on him it could be a career cruncher. And if Carmen`s evidence is bullshit she`ll be sent back.”
“Fair enough. And I guess a guy like Carlucci wouldn`t set himself up for that kind of a fall, he`s a politician, crafty as they come.”
“So, Janice, you indicated on the phone that you might have some background stuff to share, about Jeb.”
“That was before I realised you`re in this thing for a story. No disrespect, but I have to assume you`re wanting to further a journalistic career, which if my research is accurate, is on a distinctly downward trajectory.”
“That`s why you got me down here, just to check me out, show me how ballsy you are?”
“I`m a hill girl, remember. But I do have my uses, and one is my legal expertise which I`m offering to use to support your investigation.”
“Could have said that over the phone, couldn`t you?”
“I could.”
Jessica responded with a forced a smile. “Look, I also came here to give you an up-date, and to see if I could be of assistance, help you in some way with regards to your brother`s financial affairs.”
“What do you mean?”
His Panama account, which thanks to Arnie we now know is a really big deal.”
She was cut short. “You came here to further your story, Miss Hahn, and I can assure you that I need no assistance in anything. Since I started my career there has been a tendency for people to equate my hill-country background with lack of competence, something which is not just patronising but thoroughly objectionable.”
Jessica could now see a hint of the alley cat in the woman, her attitude that of a hawk circling a rabbit. She retorted swiftly. “Well you can put that suspicion back in its box right now Janice, because I have made no such judgement and I find your charge to be equally objectionable!”
The stand-off had created a long silence and both could feel the tension beginning to build. Janice Hoag was the first to make a move. “A formidable response, Miss Hahn, one I can respect for its honesty and robustness. Let me start again. I may be overly sensitive, but in the city a hill-girl with a brain is all too often viewed with suspicion, if not flat-out disbelief. It`s been a long struggle for me to be accepted and that struggle never seems to end.”
“Okay, I`d be lying if I said I hadn`t been influenced by your upbringing. But what the Hoag family may lack in sophistication, it makes up for in character, and I can assure you there isn`t an ounce of insincerity in that observation.”
“In that case I apologise for pre-judging you. Shall we start over?”
“Good with me. I wanted to ask if you had spoken to Jeb in the days before his death.”
“We were close, spoke all the time. Me and Jeb were real tight as kids, hung out together right up until our late teens. And let me tell you, Jeb was no way himself the last time we spoke, changed out of all recognition.”
“How so?”
“Not drugs if that`s what you`re thinking, Jeb hated drugs. So you can hang that idea up. Whatever happened to him he didn`t even recognise, like he had been brainwashed or something. He was like an actor playing a role, except he didn`t know it.”
“In what way, his manner, his personality?”
“He`d turned all meek and mild, like a hand wringing nervous type. As a kid and a teenager, Jeb was a decent guy but he also had a side to him, especially if he was all boozed up. And in hill country, with our illegal stills, that was most of the time. Anyone pissed him off he`d go for them, no matter what size, he`d take on anyone. And boy could he fight. He`d battle guys twice his size to a standstill, never gave in and took some hammerings for it. So the Jeb Hoag in that Texas parking lot was no way my brother.”
“You`re not saying the body in the morgue wasn`t Jeb?”
Janice Hoag was now clearly angry. “Of course it was Jeb in the morgue, I`m not a cretin, pay attention to what I`m saying!”
“I am. And again with the aggression, what`s the matter with you?”
“I`m suspicious of why you`re here and I know your interest in what happened to Jeb is purely professional, so don`t pretend to care.”
Jessica felt tempted to retaliate, let Janice Hoag have it with both barrels, but she kept herself in check. “Okay, Janice, let me tell it like it is then maybe you can let go of your antagonism which quite frankly is beginning to piss me off. Yes `I`m here to get further information for my story, and yes you`re entitled to see that as self serving. But that doesn`t exclude my genuine desire to get justice for your brother and to see the people responsible held to account. You`re a goddamned lawyer, capable of going after these sons of bitches, and I`m trying to prove they were complicit in your brother`s death. So I`m not the enemy here, do you get that?”
Jessica could see the Hoag heritage manifesting itself in Janice`s expression and so she went for the make or break moment. “You might just be interested to know that Arnie Krench and me put ourselves in positions of real danger to get this far, and I can tell you that no goddamned story is anywhere near worth that experience. So make up your mind, whether you want to continue on this, and if you do, maybe we can help each other.”
It was a while before Janice Hoag`s icy veneer began to crack, as she grudgingly acknowledged Jessica`s gutsiness. “You`re obviously a formidable operator, Miss Hahn and I can relate to that. You surrender to nobody and stand your ground. So I guess that`s something I should respect, and you`re right about two things. First, that your efforts should be recognised.”
Jessica nodded. “And the second?”
“That we`re as ambitious as each other. And as satisfying as it may be to get justice for Jeb, I want more. I want revenge on the bastards responsible. Also, I have a future to secure, a standard of living to achieve. I didn`t get down from these hills just to trundle along doing okay. So if a mutual effort can achieve these aims, then count me in.”
“Then we have an understanding, Janice. We don`t have to like each other, but let`s see if we can ditch the attitude and keep this strictly professional. You do your thing, I`ll do mine.”
“Okay. So what is it you want from me?”
“Get in tight with Carlucci. You`re Jeb`s sister, entitled to involve yourself in the case, use your legal expertise. This Carmen girl could have some intriguing information and if so that`s when political horse trading could begin. I have a nasty feeling this thing could be high-jacked by vested interests.”
“Vested interest? Bit dramatic, do you have anything more than gut instinct about this? Sounds to me like you`re just trawling for substance to bolster your story.”
“Jesus, again with the suspicion, Janice. You know we can`t trust a damn thing when politicians are involved, and that`s why getting close to Carlucci will be an advantage. There`s no other agenda here.”
“Fine. I accept that. Guess whatever we find on who`s responsible will be one thing, but nailing their ass quite another, and that`s when I get fired up. But by that stage underhand tactics won`t be enough. Some hillbilly strategy will be needed and that`s something you may not want to be part of.”
Jessica smiled as she stood. “Get down and dirty all you want, Janice, there will be no moral outrage from me.”
CHAPTER 22
Arrival at the downtown Laredo hotel had been a considerable relief, the journey from the Immigration Centre a long one. The back-up car behind and the one in front had provided reassurance, though every stop-light had brought a spike of tension. And Arnie`s sense of vulnerability didn`t end there. There was a continuous grating on his nerves due to the suspicion that both senators being out of contact could be a sign that something was wrong.
After a couple of hours settling into the suite of rooms on the top floor, Arnie felt that cooped-up feeling again, a sense of
confinement that he`d struggled with all his life, and after today`s stress he needed to get out.
“I`ve got to get some fresh air, Jackson, you good with that?”
Shawcross nodded. “Okay, but check out reception on the way, make sure the Feds are there.”
“Well there`s two guys in the passageway, so they`ve got that covered. Be back in half an hour or so, anything comes up I`ve got my cell.”
“Just don`t use it to make a call,” Shawcross said firmly.
In the dimming light of early evening, Arnie hit the sidewalk, strolled a couple of blocks then turned around, searching both sides of the street in an attempt to spot the Fed who he knew would be tailing him. To his surprise nobody stood out, and with a sense of unease he crossed the street to a coffee bar.
Taking an outside table next to a window, whose reflection would assist in monitoring the area for signs of the Fed, he sat in contemplation of the day`s events. That thing`s had gone to plan, with only the handover to go was reassuring, but a nagging detail, a significant one, was bothering him. Angela Thorne and Carlucci not being in touch didn`t make sense given the importance of getting the witness safely into U.S custody, and the more he thought about it the more worried he became. If it hadn`t been for that he would have ignored Shawcross`s instruction and called Jessica, but a gut feeling told him not to.
Almost an hour had passed since he left the hotel and Arnie decided to try once more to contact Carlucci. No answer, not even from the secretary. Again he checked the window reflection for signs of the Fed tail but still couldn`t spot anyone, and now his apprehension was rising. Placing a $10 bill on the table and weighing it down with his coffee cup, he stood, looked around and headed back.
Entering the hotel reception area he cast an eye over the variety of patrons, both seated and standing, in an effort to identify the other Feds, but no obvious candidates. Wondering if he was losing his touch he drifted towards the elevators, picking up a discarded newspaper on a nearby chair as he waited for the doors to open. Elevators had always made him nervous, the sense of confinement and their oppressive atmosphere making for an experience he disliked.
When the diode pinged and the doors opened he cautiously stepped out, feeling an immediate release of tension as he spotted the two Feds standing at the far end of the hallway. Reaching the room, he knocked and shouted his name, a response taking longer than he anticipated.
Though the door had a peep-hole, Shawcross didn`t use it, his voice sounding firm. “That you, Arnie?”
“Yes, all clear, Jackson.”
Inside, Carmen looked up from the TV set, a half smile the most she could manage, a quiet “hi” her only communication as Arnie walked by. He threw his jacket over the back of a chair, placed the newspaper on the table and turned to Shawcross. “You want to get some fresh air, get out of this place for a bit?”
“Nope, I`m the heavy artillery around here and though we`re back on U.S. soil my training has taught me that nothing`s over til it`s over. So until the Marshals get here I`m sticking with our witness.”
“Fair enough,” said Arnie, dropping into his chair and opening the newspaper.
Shawcross moved towards the bedroom door of the suite and spoke without turning. “Taking a shower, Arnie, figured we`ll eat about eight, room service.”
“Good with me,” Arnie said, as he looked up from the newspaper.
“Okay then you`re in charge for the next fifteen minutes, and if there`s a knock on the door don`t go near it. Give me a holler, got that? No doors get opened unless I`m standing there with my finger on the trigger.”
“Don`t worry, like you said, you`re the heavy artillery around here, any knock on that door and you`ll be the only one opening it.”
It was 7.50pm when the first knock came, Shawcross shooting out of his chair, his approach to the door tense but prepared, Glock 19 in his right hand.
Retrieving another hand gun tucked into the back of his pants, Shawcross threw it to Arnie. “Taking no chances, so stand to my right, over against the wall. If things hit off don`t hesitate, let rip like a maniac, got it?”
Arnie caught the gun, nodded at Shawcross and took up position, his heart thumping as he watched Carmen scuttle to the bedroom.
Shawcross now took a look through the peep-hole, taking longer than would be expected, then unlocked the door and stood back, his gun raised to a firing position. With a glance at Arnie he eased the door open then suddenly yanked it back.
The room-service guy showed his surprise by stepping back, eyes wide in alarm.
“It`s okay,” said Shawcross, putting the gun behind his back and waving the waiter in. “We`re a Federal protection team, got to check everyone.” With a quick look at the two Feds further down the passageway he stepped back into the room.
“Did these guys in the hall check you over?” he demanded of the waiter.
The reply was immediate. “Yes.”
The waiter cast an unsure look at Arnie as he trundled the dinner cart across the room, parked it by the window and left at a faster pace than he had entered. At the doorway, Shawcross shot his arm out and blocked the waiter`s path, the man`s look of fear soon changing as Shawcross offered him a $10 gratuity. It was followed by a clear instruction. “Management knows we`re here but no one else, so make sure it stays that way, got it?”
With several rapid nods, the waiter turned, picked up pace and marched along the hallway, a sense of purpose in his stride as he passed the two Feds.
Back in the room, Shawcross smiled at Carmen in an effort at reassurance, one that fell short of its objective judging by the returned look. Drawing a chair up to the table, he pulled the plate of club sandwiches towards him as he spoke to Arnie. “Precautions, always a priority, and now that door doesn`t open until tomorrow morning, when the U.S. Marshals get here.”
“Glad to hear it,” said Arnie, offering back Shawcross`s spare gun.
“Keep it, Arnie. That way we cover each other.”
All three had been awake since 6.00am. No breakfast delivery had been allowed by Shawcross and there was a feeling of apprehension in the air as they waited for the Marshals. Carmen showed the most nervousness, face drawn, hair tied back in a way that emphasised the tension in her features. Arnie was seated and going through yesterday`s newspaper, a useful distraction, but every few minutes he made eye contact with Shawcross.
For most of the time, Shawcross stood by the window, peering down at the street below. When he sat, it was only for a few minutes before resuming his sentry duty that was now accompanied by a background of early morning traffic noise.
It was five minutes to eight when Shawcross checked his watch then turned to Arnie and Carmen. “Almost show-time, you guys ready?”
A nod from Carmen and an up-beat “yep” from Arnie seemed to ease the tension, but only for a moment as the sharp ring of the hotel phone shocked them.
“Jesus Christ!” Shawcross shouted as he grabbed the phone and listened. His look was enough indication to Arnie that something was up. The firmness with which the phone was put down and the alarm in Shawcross`s voice was confirmation. “The fuck`s going on?” he said, marching back to the window and peering down at the street.
Arnie was out of his chair in an instant, right hand reaching for the gun still tucked in his belt. “What is it, Jackson?”
“That was a Marshal, confirming they`re on the way. But they should have been here by now and it just sounded wrong. Something`s off, and in situations like this it usually means trouble. If we have to make a run for it keep Carmen in the middle while we have each other`s back.”
“I`ll check with the Feds in the hall,” Arnie said.
“Real slow with the door, Arnie, and be ready.”
Having cautiously eased the door open, Arnie slammed it shut and turned to Shawcross. “Gone! No one there.”
Shawcross didn`t respond. He was still staring out the window, left hand holding the drape back, right hand gripping his Glock19. As soon as he saw it he knew. A split-second recognition, one that every soldier recognised, a signal that no options were open and that it was all over.
The only good thing about it was that it would be instantaneous, no time to feel the fear. Who`d have thought a tiny red dot could carry such power?
It was only a nanosecond before the laser beam was accompanied by a high velocity rifle bullet tearing along it, the force of impact sending Jackson Shawcross slamming against the side wall.
To a background of screams from Carmen, Arnie stood rooted to the spot. The noise had been minimal, the window glass only cracked, just a small jagged hole indicating the bullet`s trajectory.
Now Arnie reacted, his movement automatic as he dived to the floor and dragged Carmen with him. The next noise was muffled but painful on the ears and Carmen`s screams were becoming louder. The lock had been blown off, the room door booted open and two guys were bursting through.
Being on the floor was only a marginal advantage but one that gave Arnie enough of an edge as he fired off three rounds at the lead assassin, two hitting the target in the chest, one missing. Now the other guy in the doorway let rip, two bullets hitting Arnie`s right shoulder. Instinctively rolling over then scrambling behind the couch, Arnie heard Carmen scream and run for the bedroom as the assassin turned and emptied three rounds into her.
It was an opportunity that would only last a second but gave Arnie a clear shot as he squeezed off round after round, until the man`s body contorted and crashed to the floor.
Checking his shoulder wound, which was pumping blood, Arnie dragged himself to his feet, the eerie silence bringing a sense of the surreal and a moment of confusion. He stared at the shattered body of Carmen, a tangled mess, head thrown back with the impact of several bullets, her right leg dangling from the chair, left leg folded underneath her.
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