As the girls drifted from sight, Cody turned and looked at Romeo. His friend wore a sad expression.
“I don’t think we should see them,” Cody said. “They seem happy without us.”
Romeo gave a nod.
“You can’t go home again. Isn’t that a line from a book or a poem? I think I know what it means now.”
“Yeah,” Cody said. “Let’s get out of here.”
At a restaurant on the highway, Cody and Romeo made the acquaintance of two flight attendants named Cindy and Rachel. The women were both twenty-one, blonde, and beautiful. Cindy told the boys that their tans were, “Epic.”
That evening, inside a hotel, Cody spent the night with Cindy while Romeo bedded Rachel. The following evening, the women had to head to the airport to work a flight to Dallas. The boys hated to see them leave, but at the same time felt relieved that there would be no emotional entanglement.
While they had three weeks off, it would be followed by more months of training. Why build a relationship with someone when you weren’t going to stick around?
Barbara and Monique had moved on, as Spenser knew they would. Cody reminded himself that Spenser had already lived through the experiences he and Romeo were facing. The man was not only a mentor, but a role model, and as wise as anyone Cody had ever known, with the exception of his late grandfather, Walter Parker.
They left the car in the long-term lot at the Tucson airport and boarded a flight down to Cabo San Lucas. It was time to join Spenser and have some fun.
Romeo spent a chunk of his money buying surfboards for all three of them, then taught Cody and Spenser how to surf. Spenser was a natural, but Cody had a devil of a time getting balanced on the board. However, once he got the hang of it, he was gliding along on waves like he’d been doing it for years.
Spenser had been spending time with a woman named Marina. She was forty-one, looked thirty, and had two daughters every bit as lovely as herself. The daughters, Alana and Rosa were nineteen and twenty-two; they took to Cody and Romeo right away.
Marina was in Cabo to celebrate/recover from her divorce. She had been married to a Mexican textile magnate and the divorce had left her very rich.
Spenser and the boys had a great time in Cabo, which they vacated the day after Marina and her daughters flew back to Mexico City.
As for the boys, they were headed back to the desert for more training. It wouldn’t be the same instruction they’d already received, although they would work on their shooting and stamina. They would hone the skills they acquired while learning others and going beyond more self-conceived limits.
After eight more months of training they would face another test. And like the race through the desert, it would decide their fates.
19
My How You Have Grown
NEW YORK CITY, MARCH 2018
After observing the area where he was to meet Andrea and becoming convinced that he wasn’t walking into a trap, Tanner entered the bar on Eighth Avenue.
The meeting was Andrea’s idea, not Tanner’s, but Andrea told him that she wouldn’t disclose what she knew until she could see him in person.
Over the phone, Andrea told Tanner that she was working as an executive assistant and traveled frequently with her female boss. She had come to New York after taking vacation time and was eager to meet and discuss strategy.
Tanner knew Andrea was thinking that they would go after Smith together. He planned to quash that idea. Smith was a dangerous man, and the girl had been through enough.
He spotted Andrea right away and was impressed by what he saw. The frightened and devastated teen had turned into a beautiful and confident woman.
Andrea was sitting alone at a small table and wearing a black dress that caressed her body. As Tanner approached, she stood, and while hugging him, she kissed him on the lips. When the hug ended, Andrea stepped back and looked Tanner over.
“You’re every bit as sexy as I remember you being, Tanner.”
Tanner took the compliment in stride as his eyes ran over Andrea. While staring at her enhanced breasts, he spoke.
“I see there have been some changes.”
“I got tired of having small breasts, so I did something about it.”
“Where can I find Mr. Jones?”
Andrea sat at the table again and motioned for a server.
“Sit, have a drink, and I’ll tell you what I know.”
Tanner ordered a beer, while Andrea sipped on red wine. Once his drink was before him and the server departed, Andrea began her story.
“I found Mr. Jones by pure chance when I saw a brief glimpse of his face during a news broadcast. I was rushing through an airport in Miami when Jones came on the screen. The sound was off, so I had no idea what the story was about.”
“But you found out?”
“Yes. Mr. Jones was involved in a legal, but unscrupulous deal, to gut the union pension fund of a company headed toward bankruptcy. The story was about the legal loophole he used to make over seven million dollars.”
“That’s good, Andrea. Now give me his real name and I’ll be able to track him down.”
“I’ll only do that if you agree to take me with you when you confront him. I need to see this through to the end.”
“Didn’t you face enough danger six years ago?”
“It won’t be dangerous, because you’ll be with me.”
“If Jones is anything like Smith he’ll have hired muscle around him.”
“He does. There were death threats after he raided the union pension fund.”
Tanner studied her face.
“You’ve seen him in person, haven’t you?”
“Just once, and from a distance. I know where he lives too. Let me help you, Tanner. I need to be there when you track Smith down. I want to watch that bastard die.”
Tanner drank some of his beer, as he did so, he thought things over. Andrea had lost her father at sixteen. Tanner had been the same age when he’d lost his family. He knew well the ache for vengeance that she must be feeling.
“I’ll take you with me, Andrea, but you do what I tell you to do.”
Andrea leaned closer, exposing a generous amount of cleavage.
“I’ll do anything you want, Tanner; as you’ve noticed, I’m not a little girl anymore.”
“What is Mr. Jones’ real name?”
A look of disappointment flitted across Andrea’s face as she leaned back in her seat. After reaching into her purse, she removed a set of photos and handed them to Tanner.
“The bastard’s name is Kent Mead. He lives in a mansion on the water. There are guards too, and a security system and cameras.”
The photos Andrea passed to Tanner showed Kent Mead’s home. Although of a grand style and large, it sat on a quarter of an acre and was surrounded by other houses. It was located in a section of Staten Island known as Tottenville. Tanner guessed the home was worth over a million. There was also a picture of Kent Mead taken with a zoom lens. Mead was early-thirties, wore glasses, had dark hair, brown eyes, and a slight build.
After memorizing Mead’s face, Tanner slid the photos across the table, then stood.
“Be outside this bar tomorrow at nine a.m., Andrea, and I’ll pick you up.”
“My hotel is nearby. Why not walk me there?”
Tanner smiled at her.
“You’re a beautiful woman, but I’m with someone.”
“Oh, what’s she like?”
“She’s as tough as they come.”
“I’d guess she’d have to be. All right, I’ll be outside waiting for you tomorrow, but what then?”
“We go to Staten Island and take a good look at the situation. After that, we grab up Mead and make him talk.”
“He’ll give up Smith, then I’ll finally confront the man who had my father killed. After six long years I’ll get to watch that bastard die.”
“Yeah,” Tanner said. “Good things come to those who wait.”
20
&nb
sp; Older And Wiser
BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO, MARCH 1999
After returning from Cabo San Lucas, the boys were energized and eager to resume training. Their probation period had ended, and they were allowed new privileges and the freedom to enjoy them.
The sports car had been garaged again, but Spenser gifted them with a good used Jeep that they could use on their days off from training.
Romeo had mastered Spanish to the point where he could converse well. He had used his new skill to pick up the Mexican girls he met.
Both boys had studied world history, science, literature, and the mathematics of long-range and trick shooting.
When the boys asked Spenser why they needed to study history and science, he answered them with only five words.
“A Tanner never stops learning.”
They had also accompanied Spenser while he fulfilled three difficult contracts. One had been in Mexico, while the other two took place in Los Angeles and Phoenix.
As they neared the time for their second test, Cody, now eighteen, and Romeo, nineteen, were learning skills that seemed impossible to master, but which Spenser assured them were vital to learn.
Beneath the heat of a desert sun, Spenser put his two protégés through their paces as he trained them to one day be the best at what they do, which was killing.
However, there were times that one first had to survive in order to kill, and so, he also trained them in ways to do that… with varying results.
Romeo stepped out of the contraption that Spenser called The Gauntlet and tossed a pair of knives to the ground in frustration.
The Gauntlet was made up of five rotating poles, each with five arms set at various and adjustable heights, and each arm was tipped with red lipstick. The poles were connected by a system of pulleys at their base and would rotate at the spinning of a handle.
The five poles with their five arms represented twenty-five men with knives. If you were marked by one, it would leave a trace in the form of red lipstick, red for blood.
Romeo emerged from the gauntlet covered with over three dozen marks, many that would have been fatal injuries if they were truly the wounds they represented.
“Shit, man, who the hell could face that many men in a knife fight and live?”
“I’m standing here in front of you and I once faced over a dozen. I was also trained on The Gauntlet until I could emerge without a mark on me. Tanner Five said I was the only one who ever did that.”
Romeo looked at Spenser as if he were crazy.
“Dude, why didn’t you just shoot the fuckers?”
“I was out of bullets, but I did have two knives. Now enough talk, it’s Cody’s turn.”
Cody plucked the knives from the ground and stood in the center of the five poles. To do so, he had to bend one knee, hold one arm over his head, and lean backwards slightly. This was the only position in which a lipstick tip wasn’t close enough to touch him.
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.
21
House Hunting
STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, MARCH 2018
After returning home from his meetin
g 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.
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