One You Never Leave

by Lexy Timms

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Trickster

  While the Roccos escorted Icherra to the back room in the bar, Luke dialed a number on his phone he hadn’t used in a while. “Pepper.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Come to the Red Bull.”

  “What the hell, Luke. Why?”

  “Because I have information about that broader investigation you were talking about.”

  “Then tell me.”

  “No. In person. Now.” Luke hung up the phone and looked toward the men whose faces he didn’t see.

  “I just invited a DEA agent here. At least I think he’s DEA. I don’t know. I also don’t know if someone is bugging his phone.”

  “Gentlemen,” said Vits. “I believe our general business here is concluded.”

  There were murmurs of agreement around the table, and one by one they pushed away, spoke a few quiet words to Vits, and headed out the back door. Only Vits, John, and Shelton, who came back into the main bar, remained.

  John and Shelton moved through the room, putting on the lights, and separating tables. Luke helped with the last part and mating chairs with tables. Finally, after the bar looked open, John unlocked the door and pulled in the sign as Vits moved to the darkest corner of the Red Bull with a beer in hand.

  John walked to bar and tossed the sign under. “Luke,” the bartender said as he pulled a draft from the tap, “have a seat.”

  Luke took the offered beer and sat at a table that faced the door. He was resolved to get some answers and soon retrieve his wife.

  Ninety-five percent of the time all we do is file the paperwork, Anglotti told him. No way was Luke going to let Emily become paperwork.

  Finally, after what felt like forever, the door pushed open and Pepper strolled in.

  “Your usual?” said John.

  “Yes. Quiet here tonight,” replied Pepper.

  John shrugged. “That might not last long.” He laid out a shot of Jose Cuervo and a Corona on the bar. Pepper tried to pay him, but John nodded toward Luke. “It’s on Luke.”

  Luke waved Pepper to sit with him at the table.

  Pepper settled at the table opposite Luke and took a long pull of his Corona, keeping his eyes on him.

  “So,” said Pepper finally. “What was that phone call about?”

  “I want to know where Reggie Harkness is.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “You know damn well who that is. He’s the guy who put my parents and me into witness protection and then killed them three years later.”

  The DEA agent sighed. “I can’t help you, Luke.” He stood and then faced Shelton Rocco, who had moved quietly from the kitchen when Pepper sat. Since Rocco had six inches on him, Pepper was forced to look up to see his face. Pepper turned back to Luke.

  His eyes narrowed and his muscles tightened as he put his hands on the table. “What’s this about, Luke?”

  “What this is about, Hector, is murder and kidnapping.”

  “Kidnapping,” he said slowly.

  “Yes. Emily was kidnapped from our home today, Hector. She’s supposed to avoid stress and requires medication.”

  “I, I,” he stuttered. “Oh, shit.”

  “Oh shit, indeed. How is it that you didn’t know about this?”

  “Because,” said a deeper voice at the door. “I didn’t tell him.”

  Both John and Shelton stared shocked at the incarnation of Gibs, who entered the Red Bull.

  “Rob,” said Hector.

  “You know him?” Luke could have been pushed over by a feather.

  “What did I tell you about staying away from Wade, huh?”

  “Look, you fucker,” growled Luke. “You’d better tell me what the hell’s going on! What do you know about this? Where’s Emily?”

  “As far as we can tell, Emily is fine. We’re waiting on Harkness, to make a move to take him in. Otherwise, we’re afraid it’s going to devolve into a firefight.”

  “Just exactly who,” said Shelton, “is we?”

  “FBI,” said Hector.

  “See, this is exactly the problem,” said Rob in a disapproving tone. “You can’t help but tell him everything, can you?”

  “Luke’s good people,” said Pepper, “and has been in the middle of this intra-agency shit for far too long. Look, Luke, your father stole a good amount of money from his brother. When your father was brought in, Harkness confiscated the money. Then the money went missing. We think Harkness stole it but your father stole it from him. He’s been looking for that money ever since.”

  “He won’t find it,” said a gravelly voice from behind the bar area. Icherra stepped into the light. He looked at the Roccos. “Boys, there isn’t a lock that can hold me.” From his dark corner, Vits chuckled.

  “Who’s that?” said Rob, alarmed. He reached inside his jacket.

  “Whoa. Just my uncle,” said Luke. “No one you need to worry about if we get a straight story from you.”

  “Regardless,” said Icherra. “My brother didn’t steal nothing from me. I gave him that money, with my blessing. I did this so he could buy a new life in America with his wife, a lovely woman, by the way, and my nephew.”

  “Still money gained in a criminal enterprise,” glowered Rob.

  “Prove it,” challenged Icherra. When Rob didn’t say anything, Icherra said, “Yeah, that’s just the problem. There was no proof. Just a whole bunch of shit spit out by corrupt federals looking to score easy money off some people afraid of them. Ray, don’t believe for a second your parents entered the country illegally. I helped them get the visas myself. There are records in Mexico. The rest,” he glared then at Pepper, “is on Harkness and the agency he worked for.”

  “Ray, I hope someday you’ll forgive me for not telling you. I really did hope you’d come home to Mexico with me and get out of this snake’s nest of a country.”

  “I like my country just fine,” said Luke. “It’s just some people I’m not fond of.”

  “Yeah. I can see why.”

  “Shit, Luke. I’m sorry,” said Pepper. “Obviously I was kept in the dark.”

  “Save it for your review board,” snarled Rob. “You blew it when you got Wade kicked out of his club.”

  “You weren’t doing anything to protect him.”

  “That is where you were wrong, Gonzales. I was watching them the whole time.”

  “Wait, you got me kicked out to protect me?”

  “Okie played along because it looked like, with the shit your uncle kicked up, the Rojos and Hombres were going to come after the Spawn. He let it be known the Spawn were more than happy to buy his cocaine if they didn’t.”

  “So I laid it on a little thick,” said Icherra. “And damn, looks like it worked. We’re all talking now and getting straight answers.”

  “Damned trickster,” muttered Rob.

  Icherra just smiled.

  Rob pulled out a phone from his pocket. “Gibson. Yeah. Okay. I’ll be there in a few. Okay, Wade. You’re up. The team got a call that Harkness wants to talk to you. Don’t worry. Your man Saks answered the phone. Harkness doesn’t know we’re on the job.”

  “Just like that I’m supposed to go with you?”

  “You’re right. It would look out of character if you showed up alone. Gonzales, call Oakland Walker and get him and some of the Spawn out to that donut shop on Route 5 between Route 9 and Interstate 691. They’ll be good window-dressing for when Luke walks across the street to meet with Harkness at the hotel.”

  * *

  Luke twisted his wedding ring on his finger. Most times he didn’t pay attention to the ring. But on this day, with his worry for his wife shot sky high, his hand went to the one thing that was a tangible reminder of the woman he loved.

  He stood inside the 24-hour donut shop, looking out the window across the lighted highway to the large hotel that loomed lit with floods against the dark of the night. Emily was there, among strangers, probably afraid. The frustration of not being able to go t
o her now ate him up from the inside. But the FBI agent with him told him he had to wait.

  “We’ve got to make it look good. They have people watching. Even though they told you to come alone, Harkness isn’t stupid enough to think you would.”

  The bulletproof vest Rob insisted he wore felt bulky under his clothing. Hang on, Em, he thought. I’ll be there soon.

  Rob brought over two coffees and placed them on the table next to Luke. Pepper was posted outside in Rob’s SUV, keeping an eye on movement around the hotel with night binoculars.

  “What’s your story, Gibson?” asked Luke, still staring out the window.

  “What story is that?”

  “Why did you run out on Amanda when she told you she was pregnant?”

  Gibson’s face drained of color. “You know about that?”

  “When you showed up at my apartment when Amanda was there, you blew your own cover.”

  “Yeah. I didn’t expect her to be there.” Rob twisted his cup. “I admit it. I was young. And stupid, and unfortunately, before I knew about the kid, I had enlisted in the army. I couldn’t afford college and I thought that was the best thing to do. I didn’t have a job or an education to get a good one. Things were quiet then in the spring and I thought I could do stateside duty. Amanda was going to college and I thought we could visit during school breaks and things. When I got out, I could go to school on the GI Bill. It would be a slow road but we’d get there, marriage, a house, a family.”

  “So you wanted to marry her.”

  “Sure, but her family hated me, and I didn’t measure up.”

  “I know that story.”

  “I thought if I made something of myself…” He drew a deep breath. “But I messed that up. I didn’t tell her I enlisted. Chicken shit, actually. I knew she’d be upset. So I avoided her. Second worst mistake I ever made, besides leaving. But I signed those papers and Uncle Sam owned me, so I had to go. I was late actually reporting, and when I got home after the prom the MPs were waiting at the house.” He sighed, partially lost in old memories. “Later, I found out she married Sam Dougherty. I called her once, on her birthday, to wish her well. I heard my baby, Emily, crying in the background, and then Dougherty hung up on me. I deserved it for being such a coward.”

  “That’s it?” Luke couldn’t imagine leaving the woman he loved or his kid.

  “I won’t tell you the rest of it, because I took stupid chances with my life. But the Army called me a hero and pinned metals on me. Ironic, really… Pinned for courage when I couldn’t face my own life. After I got out, I applied to the FBI and have been there ever since. And when the file hit my desk about a MC club in my hometown mixed up with the Mafia, I took it. I didn’t know Emily was involved.”

  “Wait. Who filed that case with the FBI?”

  “Hector Gonzales, the guy you call Pepper.”

  “You know the Spawn wasn’t involved with the Mafia?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a crooked smile, “but it was the only way Hector could get traction with this so the FBI would investigate Moyes and Harkness, so he played that angle. And you can’t exactly say, after tonight, you aren’t mixed up with the Mafia. They’ve got your back, for what reason I don’t know, but they do.”

  Luke nodded, connecting the dots.

  Rob continued, “And Hector, he seemed like a good guy on the DEA side of things, so I requested he work with me. But he kept running to you trying to get you to back off, so I had to keep him out of the loop.” He slugged his coffee like it was a shot of alcohol. “And that, Raymondo Icherra, aka Luke Wade, is the story.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Rescue

  Okie and several of the Spawn in club jackets entered the donut shop. Spider broke off and went to the counter to order coffees.

  “Luke,” said Okie, tightly studying Luke’s reaction.

  “Okie,” said Luke. He sat at the table and studied his coffee, which was still filled to the brim.

  “And you,” said Okie coldly, speaking to Rob. “Gibs was right. You could have been twins. Didn’t know you were a G-man.”

  “No one in the family knew. I worked undercover many years. I told them I was in jail so they wouldn’t come looking for me.”

  “I see. You gave Helen a lotta shit.”

  “Yeah. I’m sorry about that. I had to make it seem like I was in town for a reason. I’ll make it up to her somehow.”

  “Where’s Pepper?”

  “I have him watching the movements at the hotel.”

  “And Saks?”

  “At my shop,” said Luke. “Babysitting the crack team to help recover Emily.”

  “Luke, you have to know, I was only looking out for your interests. I only wanted you to stay away, out of the line of fire.”

  “Nice of you to care. But if you’ve noticed, I’m a big boy.”

  “Sure. I can admit when I’m wrong. You’re part of Hades’ Spawn and always will be if you want it. That goes for Saks too. I can’t fault a man for loyalty.”

  Luke nodded. It was good to know he was welcomed back, but he wasn’t sure how far he could trust Okie after what happened. “We’ll talk about it later. I have an appointment with my wife’s kidnappers.”

  “What do you want us to do?”

  “Just stand outside the shop here,” said Rob, “and do what you do best: look menacing. If you want to play-act, make it look like you want to go with Luke, but he pushes you off. But if people start shooting, hit the pavement.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up,” grumbled Okie.

  The other Spawn muttered similar sentiments.

  “Knock it off, you guys,” said Okie. “We’re here to help Luke, not get in a pissing match.”

  Rob put his phone to his ear.

  “Yeah. Right. Is everyone in position? Good.”

  Rob put his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “You’re up, son.”

  With a final look at the men who had been his brothers, and the man who was less than a father to Emily than the man who raised her, Luke walked out of the donut shop.

  * *

  The Spawn followed Luke and did as Rob suggested. Okie pretended he was going to walk with him, and Luke made a show of pushing him off. Setting his jaw, he walked across the four-lane highway, watching for traffic. But it was late, and the traffic quiet. He made it across without incident.

  Luke felt as if eyes were watching him. He wasn’t sure if it was Rob’s assault team or Harkness’ people, or even both. He kept his head up and his shoulders back. He wasn’t going to show fear. Emily’s life could depend on the performance he gave here.

  The face that Luke had grown to hate when he was a child stepped out from the hotel lobby. The FBI team, through Saks, told him the only way Luke would meet him was out in the open.

  Reginald Harkness still had that thin-beaked nose and thin lips that Luke learned to associate with cruelty. His dark hair was now salt and pepper.

  “Ray,” said Reggie, as he slung his arm across Luke’s back.

  “Get your hands off me, you bastard,” growled Luke.

  “Sure,” said Reggie icily, “as long as you have something for me.”

  “Yeah,” said Luke. “Here’s the bank’s name, the account number, and the password.”

  “A Bahama bank account? Nice. Sounds like a good place for a vacation.”

  “Yeah, asshole. Now, where’s my wife?”

  “Not so fast. I have to verify the money is there. Mi Reyito? That’s the password?”

  “Yeah. My uncle’s nickname for me.”

  Reggie grunted and pulled up the online banking information. He stood, concentrating on the screen for several minutes, while Luke felt like pounding the man’s face into the pavement. But any misfire at this point could spoil everything, so Luke waited. “Got it. Transfer in place. Clear out, guys,” he said into a mic at his shoulder. “We’re good to go. Thanks for the cash, kid. Though it took me long enough to get it. Seems a little short. Two million? What happened to t
he interest?”

  Luke flashed a smile. This is what he was waiting for.

  “I had expenses.”

  Reggie looked up from his phone, puzzled, and then realization dawned as two SUVs swung in and six agents in black body armor and rifles jumped out and surrounded them. Reggie made a desperate grab for Luke, but Luke saw the movement and jumped back to avoid him. He watched with satisfaction as one agent shoved Reggie to the ground and another zip-tied his hands behind his back. He bent next to Reggie.

  “Thing is, Reggie, the money isn’t in the Bahamas, and you’ll be tied up a long time, so you won’t be vacationing there either. Where the fuck’s my wife?”

  Rob, out of breath from running across the highway, stood over Reggie. “Gotcha. Took me a while, but I got you. And your buddy, Moyes, he’s in custody too. And Luke, she’s in room 326. We have an ambulance on the way.”

  Luke, heart pounding in his chest, ran into the hotel, and, not willing to wait for the elevator, found the stairs and raced up them. At the third floor, he flung open the door and ran toward the door where a body- armored agent stood and tried to hold him back. “That’s my wife in there.” He pushed past the guard and tore into the room.

  Emily lay on the bed, still and unmoving. Luke’s heart pushed up into his throat. “Emily!” He crossed to the bed, looking desperately for the rise and fall of her chest. “Baby?” His heart stopped as he looked at his wife. Her face had lost its rosy color. “Oh fuck. No!” he groaned.

  Emily stirred, her eyes fluttered open. “Luke?” She swallowed and tried to lick her lips, and gave him a half smile. “I knew you’d find me.”

  And his heart started again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  New Folder

  The warm sun beat down on Luke and he sighed. The blue waters of the Caribbean lapped the sand and a light breeze played over his skin. This was what he’d needed, what they’d both needed. He glanced over at Emily, who shaded her eyes with one hand while she looked at her phone.

  “Put it away, Em,” Luke said. “Little Robbie’s fine.”