Young Guns Box Set - Books 1-4: A Tanner Series (Young Gun Box Sets)

by Remington Kane

  Spenser shouted, “Here we go!” as he cranked the handle that controlled the pulleys.

  Cody emerged at the end of the cycle with even more streaks than Romeo wore.

  He looked over at Spenser.

  “This is tough.”

  “That it is,” Spenser agreed. “But if you get really good at it, you’ll have no fear in a knife fight.”

  Two weeks later, Spenser returned from a supply run to find Romeo and Cody working with The Gauntlet. He smiled as he rubbed a hand across his beard.

  Cody had practically lived inside the poles, as he was determined to best the contraption, while Romeo had improved dramatically.

  Spenser watched as Cody ducked, sidestepped, and skipped over the flailing poles. It reminded him of a ballet he once saw. One by one, the boy knocked the lipstick tips off the poles until the ground around his feet was littered with them.

  When Cody emerged from the machine after a full ten minutes, he was exhausted, sweaty… and bore only one red mark of lipstick.

  Spenser looked at the young man who was far too close to his own age to be considered a son, and yet, nevertheless, he felt the swell of paternal pride.

  “That was awesome, Cody, simply awesome.”

  The boy who would someday surpass his mentor shook his head in disagreement as he pointed to the lone mark on his right shoulder.

  “I won’t quit at this until I’m perfect, and someday I’ll be the best, just like you.”

  Spenser nodded. It was all he could do, because he was too choked up to speak.

  In early April, after eating lunch together, Spenser gave the boys the news they were waiting to hear. It was time for their second test.

  “What do we have to do,” Romeo asked. “Run two-hundred miles in a single day?”

  Spenser smiled. “No, and I wouldn’t bet against you doing it. This test will also give you work experience. You’re going to track down a target and kill him.”

  “We’ll be working alone, or will you be with us?” Cody asked.

  “You and Romeo will work as a team, but I won’t be with you. This target is yours to kill. If you fail to kill him, then neither of you will be my successor.”

  “Who’s the target?” Romeo asked.

  “His name is Pete Roscoe. He’s a heist artist and a bank robber. The contract was placed on him by one of his ex-partners who’s doing life. Roscoe double-crossed his crew after making a large score. Three of them were gunned down in a battle with the cops, but one man survived. Through the prison grapevine, he placed a ten-thousand-dollar contract out on Roscoe. Find Roscoe, kill the man, and you’ll not only pass the test, but the money will be yours.”

  “Is Pete Roscoe down here hiding in Mexico?” Cody asked.

  Spenser grinned.

  “That’s the second bit of news I have. We’re leaving Mexico and heading back to Arizona. There’s a good chance that you’ll find Roscoe in Phoenix.”

  “Cool,” Romeo said. “But what does the guy look like?”

  “I’ll be given the details when we get to Phoenix, along with a photo of Roscoe and a list of places he might hide out. Given all the inside information we have on this one, I’ll expect you to fulfill this contract in three days.”

  “I don’t get it,” Cody said. “Even with the deadline, I don’t get it.”

  “Get what?” Spenser said.

  “This test. It sounds too easy.”

  “I don’t know about that. Roscoe has a reputation of being violent and tricky. He’s also been known to rig up a home-made bomb or two to blow a safe open. Plus, you still have to track him down in only three days.”

  “Bombs?” Romeo said. “Is that why we were trained to spot and defuse them?”

  “That was just part of your training, but it might come in handy while you’re chasing after Roscoe.”

  “When do we leave?” Cody asked.

  “We’ll head out tomorrow night. Your three days will be up Friday at noon.”

  “Is there another test after this one?” Romeo asked.

  “No sir, once you and Cody pass this test you’ll continue training, but you’ll essentially be my partners until I think you’re ready to take off and work on your own.”

  “That dude Roscoe doesn’t know it, but he’s as good as dead,” Romeo said.

  Cody agreed, but a feeling of unease had come over him. Tracking down and killing the bank robber Pete Roscoe sounded like it would be easy, but it was a test, and Spenser’s tests weren’t easy.

  “What’s the catch, Spenser?”

  “No catch,” Spenser said. “When you and Romeo locate Roscoe and kill him, you’ll have passed the test.”

  Romeo stood. “Cody, let’s go pack up our stuff.”

  The boys headed for their trailer. As he watched them go, a small smile played on Spenser’s lips. Cody had been right, there was a catch, and they would never see it coming.

  71

  House Hunting

  STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, MARCH 2018

  After returning home from his meeting with Andrea, Tanner had gone on his computer and researched the area where Kent Mead lived. He’d noticed that a home across the way and two houses down from Mead’s house was for sale. Getting inside that house would allow him to unobtrusively observe Kent Mead’s residence.

  He called Andrea early the next morning and told her his plan and that she was to dress well. Tottenville was high-end real estate; they needed to fit in.

  Tanner made the appointment to see the home under his Thomas Myers identity. Under the Myers name he would be taken as a serious buyer. He was wearing a suit, along with the glasses that slightly altered his appearance.

  When he pulled up outside the bar to pick up Andrea, she stared at him, then broke out in laughter.

  “I almost didn’t recognize you. Between the suit and the glasses, you look different… less lethal.”

  “That’s the point. We don’t want Mead’s guards thinking we’re a threat.”

  “What name are you going under?”

  “Thomas Myers, and pick a name for yourself.”

  “Hmm, I’ll be Lola. I always wanted to be a Lola.”

  “You’ll be playing the part of my girlfriend.”

  “Oohhh, I like that. I only wish I had some real-life experience with the part.”

  “Like I said, I’m with someone.”

  “I know, but I’ve had a crush on you for years.”

  “You’ll get over it.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” Andrea said.

  The real-estate agent was named Emily Parson. She seemed genuinely excited by the home’s features, which boasted two fireplaces, a Jacuzzi, and a balcony with a view of New Jersey. Tanner pretended to be interested while looking out the window at Kent Mead’s home.

  There was no one visible at Mead’s house; he figured Mead was away at his office in the city. At a point when Andrea was asking the realtor about the area schools, Tanner was unlocking a bathroom window.

  When he rejoined them, the realtor asked him a question.

  “Lola seems interested in the school system, does that mean you plan to have children?”

  Andrea wrapped her arms around Tanner, kissed him passionately on the mouth, then spoke to the realtor.

  “We go at each other like animals. It’s just a matter of time until I miss a period.”

  “I see,” Emily Parson said, while blushing.

  “I would love to look at more homes,” Tanner said. “However, I have an appointment I need to keep.”

  “Fine, but call me when you have the time, and it was nice meeting you two,” Parson said.

  As they drove away from the house, Tanner wiped Andrea’s lipstick off his mouth. When he said nothing about the kiss, Andrea frowned at him.

  “Did you like it?”

  “The house was great.”

  “I meant the kiss.”

  “It was a mistake. It made us more memorable to that woman than we should be.”


  “Shit. You’re right. I’m sorry, I was just… I’m sorry.”

  “If you want this to work you need to stop being so playful. We’re out to kill two men for revenge, not play slap and tickle.”

  “You’re right, and I’ll behave. What’s next?”

  “I’ll come back here tonight to sneak into that house and do surveillance on Mead.”

  “I want to come too.”

  “That’s fine, but if you play around again, I’ll be doing this without you.”

  “Don’t worry. Should I dress in black?”

  “Wear dark colors, but look like you belong in the neighborhood. By the way, we’ll be staying in that house all night. I want to observe Mead’s routine when he leaves for work.”

  “Are we going to attack him at home?”

  “It depends on what I observe, but right now that’s the plan. We’ll get him away from his bodyguards and question him about Smith.”

  “What if he won’t talk?”

  “He’ll talk. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “You mean you’ll torture him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Once we have Mead, let me torture him. I still remember the way he smiled when he watched my father get hit in the stomach.”

  Tanner looked away from the road to stare at Andrea.

  “Mead is going to regret that smile.”

  “You’re damn right he is,” Andrea said, “and Smith will wish he’d never been born.”

  72

  Bad Timing

  PHOENIX, ARIZONA, APRIL 1999

  As he and Romeo entered Phoenix, Cody recalled the last time he was there. It had been in September of the previous year when they had traveled with Spenser to fulfill a contract. It had also been the first anniversary of the day his family was murdered.

  As they whizzed along the highway, Cody remembered that time.

  Cody Parker sat on the edge of his motel room bed and fought back tears as he thought about his slain family, who had been murdered one year ago to the day. Spenser had offered to stay with him and talk, but Cody declined the offer while saying that he’d be fine.

  But he wasn’t fine. Despite his inherent toughness and stoical nature, Cody found himself becoming lost amid dark thoughts, and memories of the final moments of his loved ones’ lives. Along with it, he was feeling more than a touch of survivor’s guilt.

  The three loud knocks on the door roused him from his despair. After wiping away a stray tear, he rose, looked through the peephole, and sighed.

  The door opened to reveal the smiling face of Romeo, who was holding a bottle of wine, and the mellow and carefree boy wasn’t alone. There were two girls with Romeo, both were young and beautiful. After looking Cody over, the girl on the right sent him a huge grin.

  “Xavier, say hello to Carla and Alicia.”

  Before Cody could say anything, Romeo brushed past him while holding Carla’s hand. Alicia, the girl who had been on the right, was now standing alone in the doorway. Cody ushered her in with a sweep of his arm.

  “I’m Xavier.”

  “I’m Alicia.”

  The girl was a blonde with huge green eyes. When she walked into the room as if floating on air, Cody intuited by her lissomness and grace that she was a dancer.

  Romeo draped an arm over Cody’s shoulders and held up the bottle.

  “We’re going to have a drink or two, get to know each other, then go out and light up the town. What do you say?”

  Cody managed to break free of Alicia’s gaze. After turning his head, he whispered to Romeo.

  “Didn’t Spenser tell you that I wanted to be alone?”

  “Yeah,” Romeo whispered back, “But hey, bro, nobody wants to be alone, not really, and I’m just looking out for you.”

  Cody sent him a small smile. “Bro?”

  “Hell yeah, we’re like brothers, aren’t we? And Spenser, he’s like our old man.”

  Cody’s smile widened. He looked back at Alicia, and the beauty sitting on his bed grinned again.

  “Romeo, I owe you one, bro.”

  “All right, now let’s get this party started.”

  “This is the exit,” Romeo said.

  They were headed to the apartment of Pete Roscoe’s girlfriend. At least, she had been seeing Roscoe when the client knew him. It was possible that Roscoe was staying with her.

  Cody looked at the photo the client had passed along. It showed a group of four men standing near several motorcycles. Pete Roscoe was the man on the far left. Roscoe was in his forties, average height, and bald with a fringe of dark hair. Although it was hard to tell from the photo, he appeared to have blue eyes.

  Romeo parked across the street and down the block from the apartment house where Roscoe’s girlfriend lived. The woman’s name was Janna, and she worked as a stripper. After leaving their car, Romeo grabbed a box from the backseat and put on a cap. Written across the front of the cap was the name of a fictitious delivery service.

  “I’ll go check things out,” Romeo said.

  While he entered the apartment building, Cody went around to the building’s rear. If Romeo managed to flush Roscoe out of hiding, Cody would be waiting for him if he tried to leave by the fire escape.

  Seven minutes passed, then Romeo appeared in a window and waved down to Cody, to give him the all-clear sign. When Cody joined him at the apartment door, Romeo let him in, then shut it closed behind him. The phony cap was in Romeo’s back pocket, while the empty box sat near the door.

  “I knocked like crazy and no one answered, then I pounded on the neighbor’s door and got the same.” “Roscoe might still be staying here,” Cody said.

  “Maybe, if so, he didn’t leave any clothes laying around. I think the chick lives alone.”

  Cody gazed about the room. On the coffee table was a small pile of text books and a well-used notepad. Looking closer, Cody could see that the books were all about nursing. Janna might be a stripper, but it looked like she was studying to become a nurse.

  “We’ll wait outside and keep an eye on the place. Maybe Roscoe will show.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to waste too much time here. I still think he might have gone home to his parents’ house.”

  “Wherever he is, we’ll find him.”

  “Damn right,” Romeo said.

  They left the second-floor apartment to head back to their car. As they were leaving the building, two girls in their late-teens were entering. One was a blonde with blue eyes, while her redheaded companion had green eyes. Both were beautiful and wore short dresses. They smiled at the boys while looking them over.

  “Hey there,” Romeo said, but then he felt Cody nudge him in the ribs with an elbow. It was no time to be picking up women.

  Romeo closed his eyes and cursed silently as he realized his error.

  The girls laughed with amusement at the look on his face, and they shared the same musical tone. Studying them more carefully, Cody guessed that they were sisters. The redhead moved close to Romeo, then touched him on the cheek.

  “Are you two new to the building?”

  “Um, no,” Romeo said. He was cursing himself for having spoken to the girls. He was so angry at his stupidity that he was crushing the fake delivery box he carried. He and Cody were there to find a man they planned to kill. It was stupid to make himself memorable to two of the building’s tenants.

  “Too bad,” said the blonde, as she stared at Cody. “Zoe and I were hoping to party tonight. By the way, handsome, I’m Kayla.”

  Cody swallowed, as he found himself getting lost in the twin seas of blue that were Kayla’s eyes.

  “Nice to meet you,” Cody said, in a near whisper.

  “So, handsome, would you like to party with me? There’s a club with live bands right down the block.” Cody smiled at Kayla, but then caught himself.

  “Thanks, but we have to get going?”

  “Who were you here to see?”

  Cody remembered a name he’d spotted on one of the
building’s mailboxes.

  “Mr. Saxon.”

  “The old man? He died a month ago. I hope you weren’t close?”

  “No, not close at all, and I have to go.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Jack.”

  “You don’t look like a Jack.”

  Cody sent Kayla a shrug, grabbed Romeo by the arm, and started walking.

  “See you around, Jack,” Kayla said. Afterward, she and Zoe laughed again.

  “I screwed up, Cody, I know it.”

  “No harm done for now, and I guess this means we’ll have to kill Roscoe somewhere else even if we find him here.”

  “I know I was stupid to talk to them, but were those girls hot or what?”

  “And they wanted to party with us. I almost said yes.”

  “New rule,” Romeo said. “No women while we’re working. Dude, Roscoe could have walked right by me and I wouldn’t have noticed.”

  “Same here.”

  They reached the car and settled in for a night of surveillance. Neither said a thing for several minutes as they thought about the girls. When Kayla and Zoe left the apartment building and walked off in the other direction, Cody and Romeo both looked at them through binoculars.

  “Those girls are smokin’ hot,” Romeo said.

  “Oh yeah,” Cody agreed.

  Kayla and Zoe turned a corner moments later and climbed into the rear of a dark blue van. The driver was a tall and handsome man in his seventies with a full head of brilliant white hair, along with a beard to match. He was smoking a pipe and the aroma of the cherry tobacco filled the van.

  His name was Farnsworth. He was a bounty hunter. As Farnsworth drove the van to where he could view the apartment house, Kayla gave him some news.

  “We have competition, Granddad.”