“Apparently not.”
“How sad.”
“Let’s check the rest of the house, just to be sure.”
It took only a few minutes to confirm that they were alone. There were no pictures in the house, or at least none visible, and Alexa wondered what sort of lonely existence the old man had lived.
Once they were back in the kitchen, Alexa opened the refrigerator and then closed it quickly. The smell inside was horrible.
“Everything in there needs to be thrown out,” she said.
Tanner took a seat at the table and gestured at the chair across from him.
“Tell me your story. What did you mean when you said that Alvarado killed your family?”
Alexa sat, folded her hands in front of her, and began her tale.
“I was seven, and it was my tía’s... my aunt’s birthday.”
Tanner held up a hand.
“If it’s easier for you, you can talk to me in Spanish. I speak it fluently.”
“Do you? That’s good, and yes, I think more clearly in Spanish.”
Alexa began talking again, in Spanish, and when she reached the part where the trucks full of men arrived, Tanner felt a chill run down his spine.
CHAPTER 16 – Kindred souls
Jack Rockford had been strapped into the chair for so long that his legs had gone numb.
He had actually drifted off to sleep once, and wondered if he had done so a second time, as the sound of an approaching vehicle stirred him and made him jerk his head up.
He prayed it was the cops and not Tanner returning. Tanner was as bad as the cartel street hoods, and must be worse, since he had supposedly killed so many of them.
The vehicle, which sounded like a car, drew closer, stopped moving, and then Rockford heard the engine cut off.
Whoever was out there was being cautious, because they didn’t just walk into the hangar, but must have been looking things over.
Finally, the small door built inside the massive hangar door opened, and a man entered carrying a gun.
The man was very handsome, and there were FBI credentials dangling from a chain around his neck. He also looked tired. Rockford briefly wondered how far the man had traveled to get to him.
When the gag was removed, Rockford wet his dry lips with his tongue and looked up at the man.
“I’ll tell you anything that you want to know, but you have to protect me.”
“Protect you from The Alvarado Cartel?”
“Yeah, and Tanner too.”
Special Agent Jake Garner of the FBI field office in New York City listened as Rockford talked.
Tanner had faxed him Rockford’s confession, and he immediately made the trip to Oklahoma on the strength of it.
But as he listened to Rockford in person, he realized that he would likely get a promotion from the bombshell info Rockford had. And in his mind, Garner sent Tanner a silent thank you.
***
Alexa finished her story. She had even mentioned Rodrigo by name and told Tanner that he had known Tanner Five.
Tanner had listened without making a comment, but he realized that if her story were true, they were kindred souls and fellow sufferers at the hands of Alvarado.
After taking a deep breath, Alexa switched back to English and asked a question.
“You are the sixth Tanner, correct?”
“I’m the seventh. Your Tanner trained my mentor.”
“Why are you in Oklahoma?”
“Why do I have to have a reason? Maybe I just came here to hide.”
Alexa laughed.
“A Tanner doesn’t hide from anything. That’s what my Papa says, and you have done nothing but proven him right.”
“I have to get to my mentor, Tanner Six. He had dealings with Alvarado years ago... and we both thought the man was dead. We only knew him by his nickname, Martillo.”
“Hammer... he used a hammer to murder my grandmother.”
“How did you track me down?” Tanner asked.
“The short answer is... I’m psychic.”
“Psychic?”
“You don’t believe in a sixth sense?”
“Maybe I do, but I call it following my gut.”
Tanner was leaning back in his seat, and Alexa’s eyes flowed over his torso as she smiled.
“I don’t see a gut; you look very fit to me.”
Tanner stood. “There are bedrooms upstairs.”
Alexa raised an eyebrow. “Yes, and?”
Tanner smiled slightly.
“And I thought that you might like some sleep, alone. I wasn’t suggesting anything, and I’ll sleep down here on the sofa.”
“I know, I didn’t mean to... nevermind, but maybe we should take shifts, no?”
Tanner pointed towards the front of the house.
“That’s a gravel driveway out there. If a vehicle drives on that I’ll wake up, but I’ll also set up temporary alarms on all the doors and windows down here. Still, it’s very unlikely that we were followed.”
“I see your point, but I have to go out to my van and get some things before I settle down for the night.”
“Fine,” Tanner said, and then the two of them just stared at each other. They had done so several times already, but while those glances and stares were fueled by suspicion or wariness, this one was fueled by admiration.
They were attracted to each other. Each one felt it and knew that the other was feeling it as well.
Alexa gave herself a little shake and broke the spell.
“I’ll be right back.”
They cleared the mail away from the front door, and saw that it looked to be mostly junk mail, and there were no personal letters in the pile. There was an old desktop computer on a table beside a console TV, and Tanner guessed that the old man had paid everything on line and likely had his bills deducted automatically.
If there was still a large sum of money in the man’s account, who knew when the body would have been discovered.
Tanner followed her out onto the porch and looked around at the night while Alexa retrieved her bag. He used the flashlight to look at the vehicle beneath the carport on the left side of the home. Its tires were flat after having sat for so long.
There was a shape out in the field. It looked like it might be a shed of some kind, a big one, since it was about the size of a small garage. Whatever it was, it was leaning to the right and in need of repair.
When Alexa walked back to him, she handed Tanner a bottle of water and a protein bar.
“It’s not much, but it will do until morning.”
“Thank you,” Tanner said, and again, they found it difficult to break their gaze.
Alexa walked through the doorway and then looked back at Tanner.
“Call me if you need anything, I mean, if you need help with anything, to do with security.”
“I’ll be fine,” Tanner said.
“What should we do with the old man’s body?”
“Why should we do anything?”
“I want to bury him.”
Tanner thought about it and then sent her a nod.
“We could do that. It looks like no one gave a damn about him in life, and at least he can get some attention in death.”
“Thank you, and we can help each other, Tanner. Together we’ll see that bastard Alvarado dead.”
“Let me think about it, and as I said, first I have to speak with my mentor.”
“Is he nearby?”
“Yes, I should reach him soon.”
“Good, I’ll come with you.”
“Well see, Alexa, okay?”
“Yes, first we must have trust, I see that, and goodnight.”
Tanner watched her walk up the stairs as he shut the door.
Unless her words were all lies, he had found an unexpected ally in Alexa. That was good.
And if she were lying, if she were playing him somehow, that would be bad, because it meant he’d have to kill her. Tanner could think of things he’d li
ke to do to Alexa, but killing her wasn’t one of them.
“I hope you’re the real deal,” he whispered, and then he went off to secure the doors and windows.
CHAPTER 17 – Truth and consequences
Spenser Hawke had always been an early riser, and the morning after Tanner met Alexa was no exception.
What was an exception was the fact that the power had gone out during the night. He remembered waking momentarily when the thunder began, and assumed that the storm must have brought high winds with it.
Spenser threw on jeans, a sweatshirt, and an old pair of sneakers, and went outside to the generator shed. Once the generator was operational, he returned to the house and responded to the few emails he had, and then checked for phone messages. He had none, and so that meant that he had no client for the time being.
That would change, because someone’s back was always up against the wall, and when they couldn’t handle their problems themselves, they called Spenser.
He turned on the small TV in the kitchen and watched the news channel while he made coffee.
Amy didn’t rise as early as he did, but she still rose earlier than most, and so Spenser knew that she’d be down soon. He wasn’t a great cook, but he did know how to make buttermilk biscuits and cook bacon.
And he had just placed the biscuits in the oven when the story came on about the grenade blast in an Oklahoma City motel room.
According to the report, five men had died, and they had been identified as being involved in organized crime. The police there were speculating that a rival gang was to blame, possibly even a biker gang, since several men on motorcycles were spotted leaving the scene after the explosion.
Spenser turned off the TV.
It wasn’t a mob hit, or bikers, it was Tanner, he was in Oklahoma, and soon, Spenser would be there too.
***
Amy came downstairs a short time later dressed in a nightgown. After she and Spenser kissed good morning, Spenser pointed at her.
“You already keep clothes here, why not move them all in?”
Amy lowered her head and stared at him.
“Is that your way of proposing marriage?”
“No, but it makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Amy said nothing more as she walked over to the counter and poured a cup of coffee, after looking through the cabinet and finding the honey, she sat at the counter and spread some on a biscuit.
“Is it because you don’t trust me, or because you don’t trust anyone?” she said.
“I don’t get your meaning?”
“Trust, Spenser, you have trouble trusting people, or maybe it’s just me.”
“What do you mean? You know what I do for a living; doesn’t that show you that I trust you?”
“Many people know what you do for a living. Every one of your former clients knows what you do... that doesn’t make me special.”
Spenser left his seat and walked around the table to stand beside her.
“Hey?”
Amy looked up at him and he leaned over and kissed her.
“You are special to me. I thought you knew that?”
“All right, then tell me why you want to go after such a dangerous man like this Tanner? Is it a macho thing? Do you want to prove that you’re tougher than this Tanner guy? It’s not the money, I know that much; you’re not the materialistic type.”
“One million is a lot of money, can’t that be the only reason I want to find him?”
“No, not in this case, because I can tell that there’s something personal about this for you. My Spanish isn’t as good as yours is, but I saw the word, asesino, on that flyer. That means assassin. Did this Tanner kill someone you loved?”
“No, it’s nothing like that, but I knew Tanner when he was younger and went by a different name, Xavier Zane. That’s an advantage I have over everyone else looking for him, and I even think I know where he might hide out.”
“How did you know him? You never talk about your past.”
“It doesn’t matter; all that matters is now.”
Amy tossed the half-eaten biscuit on her plate and stood.
“Keep your damn secrets to yourself then!”
She marched up the stairs and returned with everything on but her shoes. When she sat on an arm of the sofa to put them on, Spenser called to her.
“Why are you rushing off?”
“Because I don’t stay where I’m not wanted.”
“Who said you weren’t wanted?”
“Trust! You don’t trust me.”
“Amy, don’t go, just stay and we’ll talk.”
“All right, talk, why do you want to risk your life needlessly? You do that enough, you know? But at least when you’re working you’re helping people who have nowhere else to turn, but this, this manhunt, it’s...it’s beneath you.”
Amy finished with her shoes, grabbed her purse from the entry table, and opened the door.
Spenser came up behind her and slammed it shut.
When Amy turned and glared up at him, he stroked her hair.
“I’ll tell you everything.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, and then you’ll probably never want to see me again.”
Amy hugged him.
“I can handle truth, Spenser. It’s lies I can’t stand.”
Spenser led her back over to the sofa, and began talking. He spoke for over an hour as Amy mostly listened. When he finished, she said that she needed some time to think about everything he’d said.
***
As Amy was about to drive off, she asked a question.
“When are you going off to find Tanner?”
“I’ll leave around noon.”
“Why so soon?”
“It’s a long drive.”
Spenser stared at her, and something suddenly seemed so clear to him. “I love you, Amy. I really do.”
“I love you too, but I need time to think. Do you understand that?”
“Yes.”
Amy drove off, and Spenser wondered if he’d ever see her again.
CHAPTER 18 – Friend or foe?
The strike team from Hexalcorp was in the air and headed for Oklahoma City.
Simms was a chopper pilot and he was speeding them along as fast as he could.
They wanted Tanner as bad as anyone, but unlike the men who were hunting Tanner for money, they were hunting him as a matter of pride. Tanner was a mission to these men, and they had never failed to accomplish a mission.
Their team leader, Bennett, had a plan to engage Tanner only when he was worn down by other, and lesser, opponents. Then, and only then would they strike.
To ensure that Tanner faced many, they had put the word out that he was in Oklahoma City. They had also asked Martinez to have Alvarado raise the bounty.
Alvarado did so gladly, and Tanner was now worth two million dollars. As the strike team moved towards Oklahoma, so did scores of other men.
Tanner could run, he could hide, but he could not stay hidden, and once he was worn out from the chase and the fighting, the Hexalcorp strike team would make their move.
It was a good plan, and someone else had the same idea.
***
Ariana O’Grady watched the news reports coming out of Oklahoma City on her iPad.
Tanner had killed five mobsters who had been looking to cash in on the bounty, a bounty that had recently been raised to two million.
Ariana smiled.
It looked like Tanner would be a dead man one way or another with so many people out to kill him, and that pleased Ariana just fine.
She was in the passenger seat, as Brick drove, and to say that the man wasn’t much of a conversationalist was an understatement. He barely spoke even when asked a question.
“Tanner is worth two million dollars now, Brick, but don’t worry, I’ll double your pay. As much as I’d like to be the one to kill him, I’d be just as happy if someone else did the deed, as long as he’s dead in the end.”
/> “What else?”
“Excuse me?”
“You said ‘dead in the end,’ we’re all dead in the end. What else is there?”
Ariana turned in her seat and smiled at Brick.
“Well, well, you’re a philosopher, and that’s also more words than you’ve spoken since I’ve known you.”
Brick shrugged, and then he turned his head and smiled at Ariana.
“I like you.”
“I ah, I like you too, Brick,” Ariana said, as she wondered what Brick meant by “like.”
Was it like as in friendship, admiration, or could he have meant...?
She straightened up in her seat until she was facing front again. The man was three times her size and hardly what one would call attractive. After they had driven a mile in silence, Ariana decided to try to clarify things.
“That woman back in New York City, the one you got in the fight over, was she your girlfriend?”
“No, she was my employer. I liked her too.”
“I see, and you two became close?”
“Yes, I left her no choice.”
“What?”
“If she didn’t sleep with me, I promised her that I would kill her, understand?”
Ariana did understand, and she suddenly wished that her luggage wasn’t in the rear of the vehicle, because her gun was in her suitcase.
Without warning, Brick elbowed her in the ribs and laughed.
“It’s a joke, Ariana; you’re not my type, too skinny.”
Ariana was relieved, but also angry.
“You have a weird sense of humor, Brick.”
“Yeah, but I like it.”
***
Before going to sleep the previous night, Tanner had checked his email on his laptop, and was relieved to see a message from Tanner Six.
After several emails sent back and forth, they finally decided to meet in person at a rendezvous point.
Tanner Six was stunned to hear that Martillo was alive, but he had no idea how Martillo could possibly have survived.
Tanner also informed his mentor that he too was a wanted man and that there was a sketch of his face being passed around.
Tanner also mentioned Alexa, but he told Tanner Six that he didn’t know what to make of her yet.
Over the last few days, Tanner had spent hours coming up with various plans to avoid the people hunting him for the bounty, including his usual plan to just kill anyone that tried to kill him.
The TANNER Series - Books 10 -12 (Tanner Box Set Book 4) Page 7