Romeo grinned. “The one and only, baby.”
278
Hope
Jennifer thought the breeze felt odd as it blew across her shorn scalp, even as the sun burned patches of flesh that had never felt its hot caress.
She and Melissa both looked like victims of a mad hairstylist, and both bore bald patches along with scabs where Firman’s careless cutting had left a nick.
Melissa’s shorter hair hadn’t seemed to dull Prendy’s fascination with the girl. The young rebel still eyed her as if she were the loveliest thing he’d ever seen, despite the grime covering her face and the filthy twill pants and sweat-stained blouse she wore.
Jennifer trudged along with Melissa at her side in synchronized steps that were becoming second nature, as the two women were still bound together at the ankle with rope.
The coarse cord had caused both their ankles to redden and then bleed, but after so many miles, there was just an awareness of pain there that bordered on numbness, like a minor headache that irritates but doesn’t disable you.
They were in the middle, with Juan Rio and Dr. Washburn in front of them and the Houghs behind them.
Jennifer had tried to keep track of what direction they were traveling in, but what trail existed meandered and they would frequently move east or west to pick up a new one, often in an effort to avoid an army patrol that one of the advance scouts had seen.
Wherever they were being taken, she expected it to be no better, and wondered if her father had arranged for her release. Would she be set free, or would Firman simply kill her once the money was paid?
They came to a sudden stop. Jennifer heard Melissa inhale sharply, and when she followed her gaze, she saw the three dead bodies sprawled across the trail.
The dead men looked like rebels, with their well-worn khaki pants and baggy tunics, and when Firman turned one over, Jennifer realized that they were the men sent forward as scouts and that her captors now numbered three less.
A second later and Firman was shouting orders to his remaining men, and while a dozen of the men paired off and went to search the surrounding jungle, Prendy and the others that remained herded them over to a group of trees and kept guard over them.
Juan Rio whispered. “It looks like they have trouble. Hopefully this is another rescue attempt.”
Dr. Washburn looked doubtful. “One of those men was stabbed from behind, while the other two were slashed across their throats. I can’t be certain, but it looks like one man killed them.”
One of the guards turned and screamed at them to be quiet and they complied. They knew from experience that there would be no second warning, only violent reinforcement of the command.
Still, they all looked at each other with emerging smiles, as they dared to hope that a rescue was forthcoming.
279
Bro
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, SEPTEMBER 1998
Cody Parker, going by the name of Xavier Zane, sat on the edge of his motel room bed and fought back tears as he thought about his slain family, who had been murdered one year ago to the day.
His best friend and mentor, Tanner, had offered to stay with him and talk, but Cody declined the offer while saying he’d be fine.
But he wasn’t fine and despite his inherent toughness and stoical nature, he found himself becoming lost amid dark thoughts, memories of the final moments of his loved ones’ lives, and Cody was feeling more than a touch of survivor’s guilt.
The three loud knocks on the door roused him from his despair and, after wiping away a stray tear, he rose, looked through the peephole, and sighed.
The door opened to reveal the smiling face of Romeo, who was holding a bottle of liquor. The mellow and carefree boy wasn’t alone. There were two girls with him, both young and beautiful. After looking Cody over, the one on the right sent him a huge grin.
“Xavier, say hello to Carla and Alicia.”
Before Cody could say anything, Romeo brushed past him while holding Carla’s hand. Alicia, the girl who had been on the right, was now standing alone in the doorway. Cody ushered her in with a sweep of his arm.
“I’m Xavier.”
“I’m Alicia.”
The girl was a blonde with huge green eyes, and when she walked into the room as if floating on air, Cody intuited by her lissomness and grace that she was a dancer.
Romeo draped an arm over Cody’s shoulders and held up the bottle. “We’re going to have a drink or two, get to know each other, and then go out and light up the town. What do you say?”
Cody managed to break free of Alicia’s gaze, and after turning his head, he whispered to Romeo.
“Didn’t Tanner tell you that I wanted to be alone?”
“Yeah, but he didn’t tell me why,” Romeo whispered back. “But hey, bro, nobody wants to be alone, not really, and I’m just looking out for you.”
Cody sent him a small smile. “Bro?”
“Hell yeah, we’re like brothers, aren’t we? And Tanner, he’s like our old man.”
Cody’s smile widened, he then looked back at Alicia and the beauty sitting on his bed grinned again.
“Romeo, I owe you one, bro.”
“All right, now let’s get this party started.”
Sara, and Romeo’s wife, Nadya, became fast friends as the foursome ate and relaxed in the lounge of the cabin cruiser. When Sara realized that Tanner was known to them by the name, Xavier Zane, a light of recognition dawned in her eyes.
At one point, Nadya and Romeo went into the galley, leaving Tanner and Sara alone.
“There was a hired killer out west years ago that went by the name of Xavier Zane; I’m going to assume that it’s not a coincidence.”
“It was me,” Tanner admitted.
“And is that your real name?”
“No.”
Sara gave a little shake of her head. “How young did you start?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Tanner said and there was a touch of anger in his voice.
Sara said, “I was just curious,” and then Nadya slid into the booth and sat beside her again.
“I want you to come shopping with me, Sara, and then these two can catch up.”
“Okay, and there are a few items I need.”
Nadya smiled at Tanner. “I like her, Xavier. You have good taste.”
“You’re way off base, Nadya; there’s nothing between us.”
Nadya waved that off. “You forget my gift; I know these things.”
“Gift?” Sara said.
Romeo took a swig of beer, then smiled at his wife. “Nadya is psychic.”
“Really?” Sara said, and the doubt in her voice was plain to hear.
Romeo laughed. “Don’t believe, I didn’t at first, but I’ll tell you this, she told me last week that Xavier here was coming to visit soon and now here he is. She does shit like that all the time. It’s spooky.”
“Interesting,” Sara said, but the doubt was still evident in her tone.
With the women gone, Tanner and Romeo moved above deck and drank beer beneath a sky that was growing dark with the approaching storm.
“Are you really not sleeping with Sara? Because that is one beautiful woman, bro.”
Tanner told Romeo about the history between him and Sara, and Romeo shook his head.
“You always did have a way with women, and hey, what about the old man, have you gone to see him lately?”
“No, I haven’t seen him. Why, is there a problem?”
“Nah, and we’ll be visiting him next year… after the baby is born.”
Tanner had been raising his beer bottle to his lips, but he paused halfway. “Baby?”
“Nadya’s pregnant, bro, three months, you’re going to be an uncle.”
Tanner reached over and shook Romeo’s hand. “I’m happy for you.”
“And what about you, you ever think about settling down?”
Tanner shook his head. “It’s not for me.”
“I said the same shit for years and no
w here I am with Nadya. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll fall in love again.”
Tanner said nothing, but his thoughts turned to Laurel Ivy.
280
Deep
Ten thousand miles away from where Tanner sat with Romeo enjoying an evening drink, Laurel Ivy was in her kitchen preparing coffee to start the day.
Joe came down the stairs and Laurel left the kitchen to greet him with a kiss.
“Have breakfast before you leave.”
“I should get going; I’ve got a long day ahead of me.”
Laurel took him by the hand. “All the more reason to have a good breakfast.”
Joe let her pull him along toward the kitchen. With Sam Giacconi dying on the heels of Johnny Rossetti’s murder, he had decided to hold both funerals on the same day. He now faced the chore of having to arrange two burials, while also running the day-to-day affairs of a crime syndicate and preparing for the possibility of war with the Russian mob.
Once they were in the kitchen, Joe just stood there with his brow creased in worry.
Laurel gave his hand a squeeze. “You’ve got a lot on your mind, don’t you?”
“That’s an understatement, and I’m not sure I’m cut out to be Don. I was fine running crews, but now I run everything.”
“Isn’t there someone you trust and who you can delegate some of your responsibilities to?”
“Maybe, I’ll have to give that some thought. Right now, I’ve got to make sure we’re prepared for war, because the Russians will be making a move soon, I just know it.”
Laurel kissed him on the lips. “Have faith in yourself. I do, and I know you’ll come out on top.”
“Thanks, baby, I hope you’re right.”
As Laurel began cooking, she spoke over her shoulder. “While you’re at the club, I’ll be meeting with the funeral director this morning and making arrangements. I’ll call you if I need your help in deciding about something. Oh, and Sophia said she would come along and help me. Wasn’t that nice of her?”
Joe turned around in his seat. “You’ll really do that? There are a lot of details and it’s not exactly fun.”
Laurel leaned over and kissed him. “I’m here for you, baby, you know that.”
No, Joe hadn’t known that. Despite what Laurel had said the other night, Joe had been fearing that their relationship would be ending soon, now that Tanner had confessed his love for her and would likely return soon.
Joe gazed up at Laurel and spoke in a hoarse voice. “Thank you, that will really help.”
Laurel reached in her pocket and took out a key. “That’s for the front door. I think it’s time you had one, don’t you?”
Joe took the key, and as he stared at it, he sat straighter and his chin lifted. He then stood and took Laurel in his arms. As the embrace ended, he touched her on the cheek.
“You’re sticking with me, even though you know that Tanner loves you?”
Laurel smiled. “I love Tanner, you know that, but what we had, that’s in the past… I love you now, and I think that we can have a future, don’t you?”
Joe grinned. “I love you too, Laurel. And yeah baby, you’re the only one I want to be with.”
They had just finished eating when the doorbell rang. It was Merle and Earl. Laurel greeted her brothers with a hug.
Pullo sent the boys a nod, then noticed that they were wearing suits.
“You guys came in the limo?”
“Yes, sir, and we’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” Earl said.
“You were Johnny’s drivers, not mine.”
Merle walked over and stood before Joe. “We’re yours now, and since you and Laurel Lee are together, we’ll help you any way we can. You don’t even have to pay us or nuthin’.”
Joe studied the brothers while he came to a decision. “All right, but I’ll keep you on the payroll. I think I see now why Johnny liked you so much; there’s more to you two than I thought.”
Merle nodded in agreement.
“Earl and me, we’re deep.”
281
Dad
Half a world away from New York City, beneath an evening sky growing dark with rain clouds, Jennifer huddled together with Melissa and the rest of the hostages under a plastic tarp with holes in it. Even though they were sitting on its edges, the tarp threatened to blow away at any moment, as a storm raged around them, and the ground became muddy.
The women still had shoes, but not the men. The rebels had taken them for their own use on the first day, and George Hough, Juan Rio, and Dr. Washburn all had feet that bore many fresh scars and abrasions.
Their captors had built a series of lean-tos that sheltered themselves from the rain, but Jennifer and the others had to make do with the tarp and would soon be in total darkness when the last of the day’s light faded away.
Melissa shivered despite the humidity. When Juan Rio removed his shirt and draped it around her shoulders, she thanked him profusely while assuring him that it helped.
The Asian man with the Hispanic name and the cockney accent was as different from her father as a man could get, but Melissa appreciated the fact that he was looking out for her as if she were his own daughter. She gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Thanks, Dad, and do your daughters know how lucky they are?”
“Those four are all teenagers; they won’t appreciate me and their mum until they have kids of their own.”
One of the guards pulled up a corner of the tarp and stuck his head under, then slid a piece of cardboard toward them that had brown rice piled atop it.
Everyone dug in like it was a gourmet feast, because it was the first food they had seen in nearly a day. There were no utensils, so they had to eat with their hands.
Once the food had been devoured, Juan Rio began talking, telling stories about his girls and their mother. At one point, he had everyone laughing so that the guard outside shouted at them and kicked at the tarp.
Dr. Washburn wasn’t married, but he and his only sister were close, and he knew that she was probably worrying herself sick over what had happened to him.
That caused Jennifer to think of Sara. She told the group that she regretted arguing with her sister the last time they were together.
The Houghs had children, a son each from their first marriages. Both boys were away at college.
“We don’t have any money, just a mortgage, along with tuition and car payments, but because we’re Americans these devils think we’re rich,” George Hough said.
They all agreed that the ransom amounts were outrageous. Except for Jennifer and Melissa, there was no way the other families could raise such funds.
“Someone will rescue us,” Dr. Washburn said, but there seemed to be no conviction behind the words.
A commotion began outside the tarp and George Hough lifted a corner to peek out and see what was going on.
Dr. Washburn listened intently, and as he caught the gist of several conversations between their captors, he smiled.
“One of the men failed to return after going off to have a bowel movement and they found him dead. It seems that someone is stalking them.”
The tarp was ripped away and the group was herded through the heavy rain and into one of the lean-tos. They were then guarded over by several men. Although no one spoke of it, they all had hope in their eyes.
282
To Have And Have Not
Romeo’s cabin cruiser had two staterooms, both with bathrooms, but Nadya insisted that Sara use the bathroom in the main stateroom, because it had a tub that she could soak in.
When Sara returned to the guest stateroom, she knew from the sounds coming from beyond the bathroom door that Tanner was showering.
When Tanner emerged two minutes later, he was bare-chested and wearing a pair of faded denim shorts that he had borrowed from Romeo.
Sara looked at him and then over at the narrow bed. “Um, about the sleeping arrangements...”
Tanner laughed. “Relax, Blake, I’
ll be sleeping in the lounge.”
Sara sighed. “Good.”
Tanner turned to leave, but Sara called to him to relay the news that she was able to confirm their accommodations at the luxury resort in Telunas. However, due to the storm, everything would be pushed back a day. The hotel in Telunas was apologetic but couldn’t give them a room until a day later, because the storm would delay the departure of their current guests.
“Do you think that Romeo and Nadya will mind if we stay another day?”
“No, they both seem to like you.”
“They love you, and you seem more human around them. Romeo calls you brother, but you’re not related, are you?”
“Not by blood, no. And speaking of blood, it’s a shame we’re being delayed. I know you’re worried about your sister and that you want to find her as soon as possible.”
Sara looked shocked by his remarks. “Thank you, yes, I am angry at the delay, but there’s little I can do about it. I’m surprised you’re sympathetic enough to know how it would affect me.”
“We scumbags have our moments,” Tanner said, as he referenced the term she’d recently used to describe him.
Sara was about to respond, but Tanner turned and left the room before she could speak.
The following morning dawned cloudy, but free of heavy rain, as the storm moved slowly out of the area.
With their trip to Telunas delayed, Tanner went to work after breakfast and helped Romeo replace the carpet in the lounge. To his surprise, Sara helped Nadya clean and even polished the boat’s brass railings and fittings.
By working together and skipping lunch, they had finished in time to enjoy an early dinner out. After returning to the boat, Romeo introduced Sara to a native beverage called arrack, which was Indonesian rum.
The Tanner Series - Books 1-11: Tanner - The hit man with a heart Page 90