Hard Case IV: A Violent Life (John Harding Series Book 4)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “Bring on the fatness!” Al jumped onto her seat, grabbing up knife and fork.

  “I hear… and I obey.” I served her a pancake with scrambled egg and bacon side. “Orange juice or tea this morning?”

  After stuffing a syrup drenched pancake mouthful in, Al sputtered out ‘both’ between chews. The Cheeseburger delivered as ordered, and then sat down opposite my most prized smaller human companion with coffee in hand. Al ate in silence until some of her hunger was appeased. She then drank some orange juice before sipping her tea. She looked at me with speculative nuance.

  “Are you really glad you hooked up with Mom and me?”

  Okay… damn… where the hell did that come from? Screw holding back on this one. “You and your Mom are the greatest things that have ever happened to me. Sorry… I thought you knew that. I guess I should talk more, but I usually let the donkey do the conversing stuff.”

  She enjoyed that reference to her ‘Shrek’ comment the day before. Al sat back, folding her arms over chest. “I know you like us. It’s just that when Aunt Tess, Grandma, and Uncle Cal arrive, I get the feeling you wish you were somewhere else.”

  That was not even close to right. I had to get the ogre out from under the bridge and stop waiting for the talking donkey. “I love you and your Mom with all my heart and soul. I admit I’ve always been a loner, but nothing in my life has equaled our time together. Having your Aunt Tess, Grandma, and Cal here is the best. Forget the darts Tess keeps throwing, kid. It’s all good. Family get-togethers only become problems if we let them. The things your Aunt Tess comes up with to boink me are funny. I think your Grandma may be liking me more.”

  “I do… actually,” Marion admitted, dressed in nightgown and robe, while leaning against the kitchen entrance door frame. “I’d like some of that coffee, and a scrambled egg with bacon please, Hamburger.”

  “I was upgraded by my friends last night to Cheeseburger, Mom… Cheese for short.”

  Marion laughed and sat down next to Al. “You two sure got up early. I thought only us old folks had trouble sleeping late in the morning. Apparently small children and ogres get up early too.”

  I served her scrambled egg and bacon while chuckling over that amiable stab. After sitting down again, I made my apologies for arriving back home after my in-laws had gone to bed. “Sorry I missed you all last night. Some details had to be worked out with a careful touch in our meeting.”

  Marion stared at me without breaking eye contact. “Tess is full of shit about you, John. You’re in for the long haul. I see it in every look you give Lora and Al. Hard tough men are a premium in this day and age. That Lora found one is a blessing.”

  “Thank you. Cal is a man to be counted on too. I can tell he feels the same about Tess as I do about Lora. That’s in addition to another grandkid on the way.”

  “Which by the way, you and Lora haven’t mentioned a brother or sister for Al.”

  “I believe that objective is under consideration. Lora runs our business with an iron hand, enjoying every moment of it. I think she’s weighing that against her desire to have another child. Al can tell you, we have our headquarters all fixed up with plenty of room for the daycare center we will need shortly for our other employees.”

  “It’s great, Grandma,” Al piped in, having already wolfed the rest of her breakfast down. “There’s a big screen TV, gaming console, school type desks, and a gym in the back where Dad works out. I mess around back there too after I get my homework done.”

  “It seems you have everything in place, Cheese,” Marion agreed. “You’re probably right about giving Lora space to make the decision on her own. I’m hopeful a child will smooth off Tess’s rough edges a little.”

  “I’m sure it will. She has Cal now, and a great future with the law firm. It will be a big help for her having you nearby when she has the baby.”

  “I am looking forward to it. That was quite the surprise they sprung on us. Are you really going to fight that Rattler guy again?”

  “They’ve contacted a close friend with a financial interest in the UFC fights. The Rattler does want to push for a rematch. He has at least a couple months of rehab before he can consider fighting again though.”

  Marion’s brow furrowed. “I thought you lost the fight, John. What’s he rehabbing from?”

  “Dad broke his jaw a second after the round ended,” Al explained.

  “Good Lord! He will want to kill you in a rematch,” Marion observed correctly.

  “The UFC has very good referees. My strike after the round ended happened because of the noise level, and me and Rattler mixing it up full bore. My crew has some very important business overseas we have to take care of before the fight or training can even be considered.”

  “Is Uncle Tommy really going to quit being your manager if you agree to the rematch?”

  Al caught me short on that one. “How the heck do you know about… oh… the Cruella Deville texting network, right?”

  “Yep,” Al confirmed. “She texted Mom the moment Uncle Tommy said it.”

  “Cruella Deville… like in the 1,001 Dalmatians?”

  “Her name’s Lynn Montoya. We nicknamed her that because… ah… maybe we better leave it at that. In any case, it doesn’t involve any animals, and Lynn is a vital member of our group. I think we better get ready to pick up the twins and get on to school, Al.”

  “Want to come along, Grandma. I’ll have Dad do his Frankenstein walk when we get to the school. The kids all laugh, but the parents and teachers start running for cover. It’s really funny.”

  “I’ll have to take a rain check on that excursion. My hip’s acting up a bit after our trip out here. Don’t overdo the monster act, Cheese.”

  “Yes, Mom.”

  * * *

  Celia Gomez, a young dark haired Mom with a flirting flair for school escort walks caught up to us as we walked down 38th Avenue. Her little Ricky ran up to join Al’s twin minions, Jim and Kara, with Al skipping along next to them. Celia had been missing out walking with us for a while. I think the bomb scare had convinced her I wasn’t someone to pal around with – a view shared by many of the other parents. They were grateful, but seemed convinced I had something to do with it. That of course is why my crew and I ain’t in this business for celebrity status. We’re violent killers, not Kardashians. Good deeds are an offshoot of what we do, not the driving force.

  “I never got a chance to thank you for saving my Ricky’s life, John,” Celia said, moving up next to me, and threading her arm in mine. She was wearing very little for a cold November morning. Besides the black miniskirt and low-cut red blouse, her only acknowledgement of the cold was a full length black coat worn open. Celia made sure I could see she wasn’t wearing a bra, because her nipples were straining against the blouse.

  Al noticed what was going on, and slowed to do her Nancy Drew, kid detective duty for retelling around the table tonight. One thing I could count on with my little Alice was that she never let touchy-feely moments from the past interrupt an exceptional chance to grill the Cheeseburger. I grinned. Damn… I know Lora wouldn’t like what I was thinking, but Al adapted. She understood all the labels: truth, justice, honor, loyalty, and blood. Al knew the difference between the labels, and survival. She may not end up a Lynn Montoya, but like Samira, Al understood labels don’t protect anyone.

  “Is something funny, John?”

  “Yeah, my daughter Al’s going to describe this whole event for my wife and in-laws in a manner holding me up to much ridicule and probably laughter.”

  “Will not!”

  Celia enjoyed the interchange. She eased out of her arm hold. “Sorry… I didn’t mean anything by it. I get a kick out of messing around. I know I shouldn’t do it, but I’ve always been a flirt.”

  “That’s honest enough,” I told her. “Al probably wouldn’t let the in-laws in on our encounter, but her Mom would definitely get a detailed, and highly entertaining version of it, right Al?”

  Al
giggled and shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “I know you go after bond skips. Do you pay informants when you get tips?”

  Okay, Celia had my attention now. “We do have confidential informants, Celia. We pay very well for tips that pan out. I imagine you’re not asking just out of curiosity.”

  “I know where Diego Reyes is.”

  Talk about being bludgeoned out of a weird walk to school – Celia had turned weird into a dimensional rift. Reyes was on the FBI’s most wanted lists everywhere. His picture had been shown on every media outlet in the country. Diego had tortured, murdered and killed three families in the Los Angeles area, before leaving a DNA trace at the scene of his last one. The moment the cops allowed the media in on his identity, he fled to Mexico. The Mexican government of course did everything possible to find him… except find him. That he would return to the USA, and make his way up into our area was more than farfetched. It was Twilight Zone material.

  “I see on your face you don’t believe me.”

  “It’s not that Celia.” Yeah, it was, but I had to be polite. “Diego Reyes would be insane to reenter the country. Not only that, Northern California was not his hunting grounds, nor did he have contacts or family up here.”

  “My husband went to school with him in LA. He knows Diego,” Celia said in just above a whisper. “He saw him at the 49ers’ game last Sunday. Joe made eye contact with Diego. Reyes recognized him, but went on without saying anything. He’s in the area, John. Does that constitute something you pay for?”

  Jesus… God in heaven. Please let the guy be all right. I had Celia and Ricky with me. I had to find Joe. I didn’t let my voice or my actions scare the kids, or tip Al off as to the danger. “Celia… once we drop the kids off, we need to talk more. Where is your husband right now… at this moment?”

  Celia stammered a little, her features trying to display the confusion at my question, while she looked for some innuendo hidden in my words. “Ah… he’s at work.”

  This is going to be like pulling teeth. “Where, Celia? Where does Joe work?”

  “Um… he works at a machine shop on Washington Avenue in San Leandro. Why?”

  Al met my eyes of absolute seriousness, and took charge of the minions as we approached the school. “I’ll take them in, Dad. Go on.”

  “All the way to the classroom, Al. Call me right now, and keep the line open.”

  Al immediately took out her iPhone, connected with me, and gave me a hug. “I will keep the line open until we’re in classes, Dad. Go on, and start walking back. I got this.”

  “You are the best, little one. I’ll even listen to the great Beeper for a whole hour with you.”

  Al laughed while herding her charges into the school. I grabbed Celia’s arm. “Walk with me, now! Do you have your husband’s number on your cell-phone and one of his business cards? If so, scribble it on the business card, and hand it to me.”

  “Of course.” Celia took a card out of her purse wallet. She gave it to me. It had Joe’s cell number on it. “What the hell is this about, John, I-”

  “Don’t talk, Celia,” I watched the jerky progress of Al taking her charges to class, and then joining a group of her own friends entering her classroom. Her face came into view on the down low. “I’m in, Dad, safe and sound.”

  “I love you. I will pick you up later. Don’t let the twins or Ricky leave unless I have someone you know there, okay?”

  “Got it. I love you too, Cheese.”

  She disconnected at that disrespectful smack in the chops. Good one. Time to get busy. I connected with Jafar, while hurrying Celia along. I knew Jafar would make everything happen in seconds with no questions asked. He answered on the second ring.

  “John?”

  “Listen carefully kid. I want anyone up and around texted with this address.” I rattled off the business address followed by the cell number. “I want Dev and Jess with vests on, armed and at Al’s school with their FBI credentials. Make sure they have everything you can dig up on Diego Reyes along with known associates. Send Clint and Lynn to my house. Send Lucas and Casey to the business address, all with the same instructions and info. Brief Denny we’re working on an unexpected Reyes takedown with three civilians in danger. He can warn all the local authorities, but keep them quiet.”

  “On it.” Jafar disconnected.

  I turned to my now frightened companion, while glancing around at the people and traffic moving on 38th Avenue. I wasn’t taking any chances, but I couldn’t help wondering if Reyes recognized his old school mate, why he didn’t move on them before now. “The 49er game was on Sunday. Did you and your family stay around here after the game?”

  “We…we stayed with my family in Sacramento until last night. I had permission to-”

  “Never mind the reasons. That probably saved your lives. C’mon, we’ll walk the back way to my house on Lyon. When my associates arrive, we’ll start hunting for Reyes.” I took her arm and guided her toward 35th Avenue to approach my house from a different direction.

  “You can’t mean he would kill us just because Joe saw him. That’s insane. I…” Then it dawned on her while we walked. She had done what Reyes would be guarding against by killing her. Celia had ratted him out. “Damn it!”

  “It’s possible he already fled back to Mexico, but he had to have been up here for a reason. He’d know the police wouldn’t have a clue if your family wound up dead. My guess is he’s had people watching your house. How late did you get home from Sacramento last night?”

  “Nearly midnight.”

  “It’s a good thing.” I called Lora as we neared Lyon. I knew she had planned to open the office with me this morning for a brief time to get our mail. She was dressed.

  “Hi.” She smiled from my i-thingy screen.

  “Lora, head in your car toward 35th, and meet me on the corner. I have someone with me I’d like you to take to our office.”

  “Be right there.”

  Celia and I rounded my corner of Lyon and 35th Avenue. We had passed Nevil one block back, the street she lived on, but I hadn’t noticed any particular movement. Lora picked us up in her Chevy Impala. She recognized Celia right away.

  “Celia… right?”

  “Yes, and you must be Lora, Al’s Mom,” Celia shook hands with her over the seat.

  “I’m meeting Clint and Lynn at our house. Celia’s husband recognized a known murderer at the 49er game last Sunday.”

  “You think he’ll be after the family then.” Lora nodded. “Okay, I get the picture. Go meet Clint and Lynn. I’ll take Celia to the office, but have someone text me with the story.”

  “Will do. If I don’t get any leads on Reyes today, the family will have to stay at the office for the time being until I can locate him if he’s in the area.”

  “Understood. Be careful, Cheese.”

  I shook my finger at her in a pathetic gesture of retribution while getting out of the car and closing the door. She was still chuckling as she drove away. I hustled down to my house, but it was another fifteen minutes before Clint arrived with Lynn in their Toyota Rav. I got in the backseat, which was never meant for a guy my size. I went over everything with them quickly, knowing Jafar had sent them a brief on who we were interested in.

  “You’re like the Energizer Bunny, Cheese,” Lynn said. “No matter what you do, lightning strikes, even on walks to school. We need you. Clint and I get bored easy. As long as you’re around, this place is like Disneyland for me.”

  “Celia got my heart pounding when she said she knew where Diego Reyes was. We have everyone covered, right?”

  “Yeah, brother. The kid texted me the team’s in place where you sent them. I know you. Lynn’s right about her and me depending on you for our otherworldly entertainment. I’m betting you believe this Celia is the target. By taking her, Diego can entice the husband anywhere he wants, then kill both adults. Reyes knows kids are messy. He could make the parents disappear without anyone getting up in arms for a few days.” />
  “Damn, Clint… get the hell out of my head.”

  That got a big yuck from my two monsters. “Celia lives on the next street parallel to mine – Nevil. We could get lucky, and catch some underlings or Reyes himself. We don’t know what the hell he’s in the area for. It has to be something big to entice him out of hiding in Mexico. Lora will keep Celia at the office, so no worries about her. They’ll think she’s home though.”

  “Let’s do a drive through,” Lynn said. “You lay down on the seat, Cheese. Clint and I will look like a couple of harmless neighbors.”

  I obeyed the order from Cruella Deville, groaning for their amusement as I stretched out. I felt the Toyota turn onto Nevil. A moment later, Lynn giggled in that patently ominous way she has. I remembered her giggling in the same manner before slicing pieces of Edwardo Godinez off to chum the waters on our last at sea adventure. “I heard that giggle.”

  “They’re in place two houses away from Celia’s address Jafar gave us,” Clint said. “Beat up white van with two guys in the front.”

  “I will take care of this, Cheese,” Lynn volunteered immediately. “I’ll slink along the sidewalk like a cheap hooker, and when they show interest, I’ll approach. We have flash-bangs under the seat. Hand one to me.”

  “That won’t work, Lynn.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’re sticking out too much in the front. Nobody wants a pregnant whore.”

  Clint nearly lost control of the Toyota as we rounded the street corner. Lynn was in a full beat down mode over the seat, trying to turn the Cheeseburger into mush. Clint pulled over and hugged his mate into submission. “If you kill the Cheese, we’ll never get sweet gigs like this.”

  I popped up from the seat doing a finger wave at the raging Lynn. “It’s my job to point out weak spots in a plan, Lynn.”

  Lynn nearly lost it once more, but took a few deep breaths instead. “Good one. There will be blood, Cheese. It will come when you least expect it. Park it here, Clint. I’ll take a flash-bang with me, walk down the sidewalk so they see me, and see if I can get a bite in spite of the Cheeseburger’s admonitions. You guys go around the block, and come up behind them.”