by Mike Ryan
“That’s not appealing at all.”
“It shouldn’t be. Just act like everything’s normal and you might make it out in one piece.”
“Might?”
“Just do what I say and I guarantee I won’t kill you. Can’t guarantee they won’t. But you’ll be safe from me.”
“How’d I get into this?”
“Listen, if they have any suspicions about you at all, or you act funny, or they think something’s wrong, they’ll probably kill you right away and dump you somewhere. It’s imperative that you understand that you must act like nothing is wrong. Can you do that?”
Berkampf saluted. “I hear ya, Captain. Mission accepted.”
Bridge looked at Nicole, both of whom had reservations that he would live through this.
“We should get going,” Nicole said.
Bridge nodded. “We’re gonna be downstairs when Diego comes, that way he doesn’t see us in here with you. Now, just so you know, we’ll be watching the front, and Butch will be watching the back.”
“Who’s Butch?” Berkampf asked.
“That’s the MMA fighter we told you about.”
“Oh.”
“So if you attempt to go out the back, he will break your legs. And just to warn you, he’s actually hoping you do because he hasn’t hurt anyone in a while, and he’s really looking forward to breaking someone’s leg again.”
“Again? He does this often?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say often, but, if he goes a few months without hurting someone, the next person he does hit, they usually wind up in the hospital for a while.”
“And when was the last time he did that?”
“Oh, it’s been about six months, so he’s due.”
“He’s definitely due,” Nicole said.
“Also, we bugged the room here, so if you mention anything you shouldn’t while Diego is here, we’ll know it.”
Berkampf shot up from his seat and turned his head all around. “Where?”
“It’s hidden, dumbass,” Nicole said.
“You know, she’s got some spunk to her, you know that?”
“Oh, I’m well aware,” Bridge replied.
Berkampf smiled. “I kind of like it.”
“What else? Oh yeah, once you go down to Diego’s car, we’ll be following you. But don’t turn around to look for us, ‘cause you’ll never see us. All you’ll do is make them nervous that someone’s back there, then they’ll probably kill you and throw you out of the car.”
“I totally won’t do that. What if you guys get lost?”
“We won’t. We know what we’re doing.”
“All right then. What if you do, though? If I get the money, and you’re not there, do I get to keep it?”
“Yes, by all means, if we’re not there, and you get money, feel free to go wherever you want.”
“You guys won’t come looking for me?”
“Nope. Just do what we ask here and you’re free and clear.”
“Good deal. I like it.”
“Yeah,” Nicole said. “So we’re gonna wait downstairs. Remember, not a word.”
Berkampf put his hand up to his mouth and pretended to zip his lips. “Mum’s the word.”
Nicole looked uneasy. She didn’t like having to rely so much on someone who she didn’t view as stable. But they didn’t have any other choice. Berkampf was their best option at the moment.
“OK, let’s go,” Bridge said.
Bridge and Nicole left the room and walked down the hall to the elevator.
“You think this idiot’s actually gonna do all this?” Nicole asked.
Bridge wanted to instantly say yes without thinking about it. That he would be so sure of Berkampf’s abilities that he was positive there would be no issues and he would come through just fine, but he couldn’t. All he could muster was sort of a groan.
“Well, I hope.”
“That’s not reassuring,” Nicole said.
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
“I have a feeling this isn’t going to end well.”
“For who?”
“All of us.”
“You never know. He might wind up being better than we think.”
“For his sake, I hope so.”
“For Ava’s sake, I hope so.”
Once they got downstairs, they exited the hotel and went to their car. Nicole went to her big bag of tricks that she usually travelled with and pulled out the GPS locator that she was going to attempt to place on Diego’s car.
“How you wanna work this?” Bridge asked.
“Split up? You stay in the lobby, I’ll stay in the car. When they get here, I’ll do my thing. If someone stays with the car, you provide the diversion.”
Bridge nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
They put their earpieces in as Nicole hopped in the car and Bridge went back to the hotel. He looked at the time once he got inside.
“They should be here in a few minutes,” he said.
“Let’s hope we can pull this off.”
“We will. Whether we’ll get the payoff we want is another story, but we’ll nail this part down.”
“And hopefully that idiot doesn’t give us away.”
Bridge coughed. “Yeah.”
They waited fifteen more minutes before they saw a maroon-colored car arrive. It parked in a regular spot, backing up in the spot to give a clear view of the hotel near the front entrance.
“Here it is,” Nicole said.
“I see it.”
They both eagerly looked at the car, waiting for someone to get out. The front passenger door opened with Andujar getting out.
“That’s Diego,” Bridge said.
Andujar started walking toward the entrance.
“Driver’s staying put,” Nicole said.
“Can’t tell who it is from here.”
“Probably the same guy from the airport that nobody knows about.”
“Probably.”
As Andujar came inside the hotel, Bridge started walking in a different direction. Once he got to the far wall, he turned back around, seeing Andujar get inside the elevator. Once the elevator doors closed, Bridge walked outside.
“Andujar’s on his way up.”
“How are you working this?” Nicole asked.
“Start walking to the car now.”
Nicole got out of the car. “On my way.”
Bridge stood near the entrance for a few moments, waiting until he got Nicole in his sights. He had to time it perfectly. Once she was in view, Bridge started walking to the maroon car. He quickly walked to the car, going right up to the driver’s side door. The window was up, so Bridge knocked on it.
“You the Uber?”
“What?”
“The Uber! Are you the Uber?” Bridge kept an eye on Nicole, who was getting close. He then looked at the driver and motioned for him to roll the window down. The driver complied. “Are you the Uber?”
“I ain’t no Uber,” the tough-looking man said.
“Oh. You’re not the Uber?”
“I just said that.”
“Oh. I thought you were.” Bridge then showed him a glimpse of his phone. “See, I asked for an Uber. They said it was a maroon-colored car that was showing up. I thought it was you.”
“It’s not.”
Nicole came by and quickly put the tracking device underneath the back bumper of the car.
“Hmm,” Bridge said. “Wonder where it is?”
“Not here.”
“You’re sure you’re not it? ‘Cause if it’s a matter of money, I can…”
“I’m not the Uber,” the man said testily.
“Oh. OK. Well, I guess I’ll just go back inside the hotel and wait some more then.”
“You do that.”
Bridge saw Nicole walking away from the car. “OK. You wouldn’t be interested in giving me a lift or something, I guess?” Bridge started shaking his head, seeing the guy giving him a nasty scowl. “No, I guess n
ot. Well, thanks for your time anyway. Sorry to bother you.” Bridge started walking back to the hotel. “How’d you make out?”
“It’s on,” Nicole replied.
“Good. I’ll wait inside here until they come out so that guy doesn’t get suspicious.”
“It wasn’t Hatch, was it?”
“No. Fit the same description Berkampf gave us of the driver at the airport.”
“Figured.”
Once Bridge was inside the lobby for a few minutes, he finally saw Andujar and Berkampf step off the elevator. Bridge was sitting in the back of the lobby with a newspaper over his face, so neither man picked up on him being there.
“Our targets are on the move.”
“Soon as they leave, I’ll drive up and pick you up,” Nicole said.
As soon as the maroon-colored car drove away, Nicole drove up to the hotel entrance. She got out of the car and hopped into the passenger seat so she could focus on her tablet better. Bridge got behind the wheel and started driving.
“How is it?”
“Working like a charm,” Nicole answered. “Now all we need is to keep a safe distance and we should have them.”
Bridge smiled. “See? Told you this would work. Just needed a little patience.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Now we’re cooking.”
14
They’d been driving for over thirty-five minutes. They were starting to think that maybe Andujar knew he was being followed and was just driving around in hopes of losing the tail. There was a considerable distance between the two cars, so much now that the maroon car was no longer even visible. Still, the bright light on Nicole’s tablet that signified where the car was was still going strong.
“Stopping yet?” Bridge asked.
“Still going.”
“Maybe they don’t know where they’re going either.”
“Rather unlikely.”
They continued following the signal, though it was now heading into a more desolate area. After a few more minutes, it looked like the car had finally come to a stop. Bridge pulled over to the side of the road.
“They’re definitely stopped,” Nicole said.
“How far?”
“We’re still a few minutes away. Pick it back up again.”
Bridge pulled the car back onto the road and kept driving, though at a slower pace than before. “Anything?”
“No. It’s parked.”
“Guess this is it.”
They drove for four more minutes until they were just about on top of the tracker signal.
“We’re here,” Nicole said.
Bridge looked around. He didn’t see anything. “Where?”
“We’re right on top of it.”
Bridge looked down. “I don’t think so.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and started looking around. She then spotted a small dirt road nestled between some trees. She pointed to it. “There. Should we drive in?”
“Eh, that looks a little iffy to me. I’d say let’s get out and walk. Easier for us to blend in than a car.”
“Let’s load up.”
They both got out of the car and made sure they were armed, loaded, and their backup weapons were loaded.
“Let’s see what we got,” Bridge said.
They went into the wooded area, hoping that the trees and bushes would conceal their movements, though they still didn’t know exactly where they were heading. Nicole took the lead and walked ahead of her partner.
“Should be just up here.”
They could see a little clearing not too far ahead of them. They went to the edge of the trees and saw a small cabin there. They both knelt down as they saw the maroon car parked at the side of the cabin.
Bridge double-checked his weapon again, figuring it would be in use soon. “Well, looks like that’s it.”
“Going in?”
Bridge looked at the distance between the trees and the cabin and didn’t like how far it was. It was probably a good thirty yards. Not ideal for his tastes. Nicole didn’t care much. Bridge continued looking at the surrounding area.
“Looks like it’s a closer distance from the sides. Trees are closer. Not running out in the open as much.”
“That’s gonna take longer,” Nicole said.
“Better to be safe than sorry.”
Nicole sighed, wanting to just go ahead, but relented anyway. They moved around to the side of the cabin. It took a few extra minutes, but it was a closer distance from the trees than where they originally were.
Bridge looked at his girlfriend. “You ready?”
“Is that a serious question?”
Bridge tilted his head. “I thought it was.”
“When have I ever not been ready to go?”
“Good point. All right, let’s move.”
They emerged from the trees and ran toward the cabin as quickly as they could. Once they reached it, Bridge motioned to his partner that he’d take the front and she would take the back. They were just about to move when they suddenly heard a loud, booming sound. It was a gunshot. And it came from inside the cabin. They immediately ran to their positions at the front and back doors. There was a small window that Bridge came across. He peeked inside, making sure not to show too much of his face. He didn’t see anything. He ducked under the window as he made his way to the door. He took a few deep breaths as he put his fingers on the handle. He then pulled on it, the door swinging wide open, with Bridge still kneeling by the frame, holding his gun out.
Bridge stayed in his position for a few seconds, thinking it was strange that nobody was in sight. He’d definitely heard a gunshot coming from inside the cabin. And the maroon car was parked outside, so he knew they were there. At least someone was. A few moments later, the big guy that drove the car suddenly appeared from another room. He didn’t even notice Bridge at first, as his head was down, looking at his phone.
Bridge put one hand out, keeping the other firmly on his gun, and pointed at the man. “On the ground, buddy.”
The man looked defiantly at Bridge, recognizing him from the hotel and knowing he had been set up. He dropped his phone and went for the gun nestled in the waistband of his pants.
“No, no, no,” Bridge shouted. As the man put his hand on his weapon, Bridge opened up, putting two rounds in the man’s chest. As the man crumpled to the ground, Bridge mumbled to himself, not pleased at having to shoot him. “Why don’t people just listen?”
Bridge finally went inside the building fully and started checking other rooms. He then heard another shot. It sounded as though it came from the back of the cabin. He started moving in that direction, though he kept his gun out in case there were any other surprises along the way. He found the kitchen area and went through it, making sure no one was hiding. He then went into a small hallway, which had a few doors on each side of it. He could also see the back door from there. He was hesitant about proceeding. He touched his earpiece.
“Nic, you OK?”
“Took a shot at someone coming out through the back. Looked like Andujar.”
“Get him?”
“Negative. The shot missed. He went back inside. What about you?”
“The big driver’s down. Had to nail him.”
“What about the others?”
“Don’t know. Come inside. I’m holding down the hallway and can see you when you come in. There’s three closed doors in here, though.”
“Coming in.”
A few seconds later, Nicole appeared by the back door. Bridge motioned for her to open the nearest door to her, while he kept cover on the other ones. That way anyone who heard her open the first door, if they decided to come out of the other two, Bridge had her back covered. Nicole put her hand on the knob of the door and twisted, slowly opening it. She stood back and pushed it open with her foot, making sure not to stand directly in the line of fire. With no gunfire, she tilted her head to look inside, still being cautious and not showing too much of it. With her arms extended with her
gun out in front, she went inside. There wasn’t much to check, though, considering it was the bathroom and the smallest room in the place. There was a shower curtain, but it wasn’t fully shielding the tub from view, so Nicole could easily tell no one was in there.
She came back out of the room and looked at Bridge, shaking her head. He motioned for her to watch the other closed door while he checked out the one nearest him. He put his hand on the door and turned the knob. He pushed it open slightly, then immediately took cover beside the door as several shots ripped through the other closed door behind him. He thought about returning fire and shooting through the closed door, but thought better of it, not wanting to possibly hit Ava if she was inside there. Knowing there was someone in the closed door, Bridge still had to check the one he’d just opened. He got down on the ground and pushed the door open all the way. He then slithered on the ground, going inside, and then rolling onto his back and then back to his feet as he got away from view of the open door. There was a bed and a small rocker, along with a nightstand. Bridge checked under the bed, then after he cleared that, went over to a small closet in the corner of the room. He peeked inside, seeing nothing but some hanging clothes.
Bridge went back to the door, standing to the side of it, then getting down on his knees. He quickly rushed out of the room and back into the hall. He looked at Nicole and shook his head to let her know the other room was empty. They both looked at the last remaining closed door, knowing there was about to be some action. Bridge motioned for Nicole to stay put. He took a step back, then launched his foot at the door, kicking it open. Almost immediately, several more shots were unleashed in his direction. Bridge quickly took cover beside the door again. He took a couple of deep breaths before showing his face again. Shots ripped into the door, and Bridge pulled his head back.
“OK, don’t do that again.”
“Get out or we’ll kill the girl,” Andujar said.
“You don’t wanna do that.”
“Why not? She don’t mean nothing to me.”
“Because if you kill her, there’s nothing stopping me from killing you. If she dies, I guarantee you’ll be next.”
Bridge poked his head in the door again, though this time, there was no bullet flying toward it. He did see Andujar holding Ava in front of him, his arm wrapped around her neck, with a gun pointed to the side of her head. Bridge then showed his entire body, Nicole doing the same next to him, both of them having their guns pointed at the man.