The Tanner Series - Books 1-11: Tanner - The hit man with a heart

by Remington Kane

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about; I’m just a manager here.”

  “I hear you, deny, deny, deny. See you around, boys.”

  Once they were out on the street and back in their car, Justina laughed. “I know I’m Italian and it might sound biased, but I still say that the Giacconi Family will win the war.”

  “Hell, I’m a distant relation to Vladimir Lenin and I know that Krupin will lose. The spoiled little punk won’t know what hit him either.”

  “That Sammy kid was cute, but I don’t like long hair on men. I also like my men more mature,” Justina said, then she stared at her partner.

  Tamir wondered if there was a message behind her words, but no, he was too old for Justina.

  “Why don’t we go have lunch?” he said.

  “Italian?”

  Tamir laughed. “I sure as hell don’t want any borscht.”

  292

  Violated

  Tanner woke with a start, as an arm fell across his throat.

  As he blinked against the daylight filtering in past the edge of the drapes, he looked down and saw that Sara had rolled over in her sleep and had placed her left arm over him. When she moved again, her arm lowered and was now laying on his bare chest, while her face was just inches from his own.

  He stared down along her body. She was wearing a set of silk pajamas that did little to hide her curves, while the front of her shirt was parted enough to allow him a view of the tops of her breasts.

  Sara Blake had been a target of his gun, had been an enemy, and without doubt, an enormous pain in the ass, but Tanner never once lost sight of the fact that she was a beautiful woman. He envied any man who had found his way into her bed.

  He then realized that he was one of those men, since he was lying in her bed at that very moment. The thought made him let out a laugh. Sara stirred at the sound, but instead of waking, she snuggled closer and buried her face in his neck, as her breasts pressed against his arm.

  “Blake?”

  Sara mumbled in her sleep.

  “Blake!”

  Her eyes opened, and her hand caressed his chest, as she was still halfway in and out of sleep. She then lifted her head up, and as she saw Tanner smiling at her, she scurried back over to her side of the bed with an embarrassed expression on her face.

  “Sorry. I guess I moved around in my sleep.”

  Tanner grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to his chin.

  “You were touching me, Blake. I feel so violated.”

  Sara stared at him for a moment, then she laughed out loud.

  “You have a good sense of humor, Tanner; that’s the last thing I expected from you.”

  “You have your moments as well, and it looks like the rebels ignored us last night.”

  Tanner went to the bathroom to relieve his bladder and brush his teeth. When he returned, he found Sara sitting up on the edge of the bed and yawning.

  “I’m tired; I kept thinking that every little noise was a rebel breaking into the room.”

  “I don’t mind the lack of sleep, but I dread having to play Robert Coleman again.”

  Sara rose from the bed and stretched. “I’m going to take another shower and wash my hair. Would you please call room service and have them send up coffee and eggs Benedict? I’m hungry this morning.”

  “You got it.”

  After grabbing fresh clothes to put on, Sara turned in the threshold to the bathroom and looked back at Tanner.

  “Thank you, for not misinterpreting my… what happened in bed. It really was accidental.”

  “I know that. If anything, you’d be more inclined to strangle me in your sleep than caress me.”

  Sara shook her head vehemently. “No, I’m done with hate. I just want to get my sister, go home, and try to build a new life. Once this is over, you’ll never have to worry about me again. I swear it, although, I guess that you have no reason to trust my word.”

  “I do trust you. What happened back in New York was driven by paranoia. I don’t think you’ll make that mistake again.”

  Sara’s eyes saddened. “That mistake cost me too much to learn.”

  Tanner held up the phone to distract her. He could see that she was about to drift back into despair and feelings of guilt over Johnny Rossetti’s death and he wanted to keep that from happening.

  “I’ll call for the food, and how about some orange juice?”

  “Make it pineapple,” Sara said, before disappearing into the bathroom.

  They were riding down in the elevator with Tanner dreading another day of playacting, when he realized the machine was descending without making a single stop on the lower floors, something that was very unusual in a busy hotel.

  He whispered to Sara. “I think something is up.”

  “We’re not stopping.”

  “Exactly.”

  Not only did the machine not stop, but it also failed to open its doors at the lobby level and continued on to the basement.

  Tanner and Sara braced themselves as the doors slid open and then they both felt the stinging barbs of a Taser, as they were blasted with enough electricity to drop them to the floor of the elevator car.

  Tanner felt himself being lifted by two pairs of strong hands, then he was dropped onto something soft.

  He had been deposited into a laundry cart and assumed that Sara was experiencing the same. He stifled his instinct to fight back as a damp rag was pressed over his nose and mouth. His last conscious thought was recognition that he was being rolled onto a truck and then the feeling of movement, as the truck was placed in gear.

  As much as he despised not being in control, he was thankful the rebels had struck early, because it saved him the trouble of having to pretend to be bigmouth Robert Coleman again. That was worth a Taser blast any day.

  293

  The Right Boy

  Jennifer watched as rebels returned from their search of the jungle. She could tell by their faces that they had once again failed to find Jake.

  She and the other hostages were down at the edge of a stream, but their pairings had been separated, so that she and Melissa were seated several feet away from Juan Rio and Dr. Washburn.

  When Melissa saw the smile on Jennifer’s face, she asked her what had caused it.

  Jennifer leaned in and whispered to her. “The man that’s been attacking them, he’s my boyfriend. His name is Jake Garner and he’s an FBI agent.”

  Melissa almost squealed in excitement, but she fought the impulse. “Oh my God, are you serious? Oh, that’s so romantic.”

  “It’s incredibly dangerous is what it is. I knew he was here, because he had changed his plans at the last second and took a later flight to join me, but I assumed that he had either flown back home or was waiting at the resort in Telunas for news.”

  Melissa’s eyes shone bright. “But he’s here and he’s trying to rescue you. He must be so brave, and he must really love you.”

  Jennifer smiled. “I love him too, even if we haven’t been together very long.”

  “You must have started as friends.”

  “We did, how did you know?”

  “Just a guess, and I have a friend back home that I wish was more than a friend.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Drake Harper and even Daddy likes him… and I want him to be my first.”

  Jennifer was surprised by that last statement. “You’re still a virgin?”

  Melissa nodded. “I’ve been waiting for the right boy, and now, I may never live long enough to be with him.”

  Jennifer hugged the girl. “Don’t think that way. We’ll be rescued, and you’ll live a long life.”

  “Yeah, you’re right, and it will be your Jake who rescues us.”

  Jennifer smiled, but her heart was sick with worry for Jake, as she watched a new patrol go off to search for him.

  294

  Temptation

  Back in New York City the sky was growing dark as a meeting was ending inside t
he Cabaret Strip Club. New Don of the Giacconi Family, Joe Pullo, finished discussing business with his Capos.

  Sophia was at the club, sitting at the bar with Laurel, as the two women had surprised themselves by becoming friends. Although, as a woman, Sophia could never be considered a made member of her family, she was still acting as a liaison between the Calvino Crime Family and the Giacconi Family.

  As the other men left the club, Sammy Giacconi leaned on the bar and stared down its length at Sophia.

  “You like Sophia, don’t ya?”

  Sammy turned around and saw Merle and Earl smiling at him. It was Merle who had spoken. Sammy grinned at him.

  “Hell yeah, I like her, and she’s so beautiful she takes my breath away.”

  “That’s Tanner’s girl; do you know who he is?” Earl asked.

  Sammy nodded. “Everybody has heard of Tanner, but I’ve never met him.”

  “We know that,” Merle said. “Because you’re still breathin’, but you might not be if he catches you starin’ at his girl that way.”

  Sammy frowned. “I’m not scared of Tanner. And besides, it’s not like they’re married.”

  Earl shrugged. “It’s your funeral.”

  At the other end of the bar, Sophia asked Laurel a question.

  “Is he still staring at me?”

  “Yes, and I think my brothers are teasing him.”

  “He is a hot one, but hell, I must be ten years older than him.”

  “And there’s Tanner to consider, no?”

  “It would do Tanner good to see me with another guy, maybe then he wouldn’t take me for granted.”

  “Does he do that?”

  “Yeah, but it’s my fault, I got a thing for him and he knows it.”

  “If you’re looking for a commitment, don’t look to Tanner. It frightens him.”

  “And if it didn’t, then you two would be together, right?”

  “I think so, but the chance for that to happen is in the past; now Joe is the only man I want to be with.”

  Sophia saw movement from the corner of her eye and smiled. “Here he comes.”

  Sammy said hello to Laurel, then spoke to Sophia. “Why don’t you and I go have dinner? And then you can tell me all about yourself.”

  “Maybe I’m not hungry, did you think of that?”

  Laurel stood up. “I have to see Joe about something. So long you two.”

  Sophia sent her a mock look of annoyance and watched as Sammy took Laurel’s empty seat.

  “So, what will it be? Italian? Thai? Or maybe you’re into sushi?”

  Sophia scowled at Sammy. “If you’re looking for an easy lay, kid, you got the wrong woman. And I emphasize the word woman.”

  “You’re not that much older than me, and I’m not a kid.”

  Sophia sighed as she tilted her head slightly. “I actually could go for some grilled sea bass.”

  Sammy jumped to his feet. “I’m ready when you are. And this is just dinner and conversation, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  As they headed for the door, Sammy looked back at Merle and Earl and sent them a wink.

  Vance watched Sammy and Sophia leave the club from a hidden observation post on a nearby rooftop and reconsidered his plans to shoot Joe Pullo when he exited the strip club.

  He had seen the group of men leave the club earlier and realized it was being used for meetings of the Giacconi Family’s hierarchy.

  Vance smiled to himself. Why kill one man when you can kill twenty?

  Vance eased away from the observation post and made his way back to his vehicle with plans to return. And the next time, he wouldn’t be alone.

  295

  Desperation And Despair

  When Tanner came to, he realized he was hanging suspended while also moving backwards, and that there was burning pain in his wrists and ankles.

  As he moved his head up to look around, he saw that he was lashed to a pole and that two rebels were toting him along. Sara was also being carried, but by the way her head lolled, Tanner assumed that she had yet to awaken.

  When one of the men realized he was conscious, they stopped their procession and lowered them to the ground in a small clearing, slid the poles free, and left them with their wrists and ankles bound together by rope.

  Tanner called to Sara, hoping to stir her to consciousness. “Blake, wake up!”

  Tanner’s head snapped back as one of the rebels backhanded him. He glared up at the man and saw the face of a thug looking back at him, as the man shouted for him to be quiet.

  The four men huddled together, and Tanner realized that he could understand almost every word but was disturbed by the topic of their conversation. They were deciding who would rape Sara first.

  That simple fact told Tanner that these weren’t the religious extremists that were behind the assassination and quest for independence, but rather, opportunists looking to get rich by collecting ransoms. Still, the men might know how to reach the rebel camp, since they appeared to be headed toward their own jungle hideout. Tanner needed to keep one alive to interrogate.

  There was good news as well, since he spotted no guns, although each man was armed with a machete.

  Sara let out a moan as she awakened, and Tanner saw the men seemed pleased by it. They likely enjoyed the act of rape more when the woman was aware and screaming in terror.

  “Blake, wake up! You’ve got trouble coming. These men want to hurt you.”

  Sara shook her head as her eyes opened wide. “What’s going on?”

  “They want to rape you, all of them.”

  “Oh God!”

  “Listen to me. I’ll stop them, but it might take—”

  Tanner was interrupted as a booted foot kicked him on the chin. As he lay in the dirt recovering from the blow, he realized that the boot was one of his and that the man who kicked him had confiscated them for his own use.

  Sara screamed as the other three men grabbed at her and began ripping her dress open. She fought them as best she could, but Tanner knew it was a losing battle.

  He made it to his bound feet and wobbled atop the uneven ground, then he made a promise to the man guarding him.

  “You’re all going to die.”

  The man didn’t understand the words, but took their meaning, and his laughter mixed with Sara’s screams.

  Jennifer’s mood darkened in direct proportion to the width of the smile spreading on Firman’s face. The leader of their rebel captors had received good news from a man who had rushed back from patrol to deliver it.

  When Jennifer saw that Dr. Washburn looked crestfallen, she knew he had overheard at least part of Firman’s conversation, and that it was bad news. She nudged Melissa, who was still attached to her, to move toward the doctor and Juan Rio, then she asked Washburn what he knew.

  “They have the man who’s been stalking them trapped a mile or two from here and think it’s just a matter of time until they capture him.”

  Jennifer was saddened by the news, but at least it meant that she would be seeing Jake soon. When she wondered aloud how soon he would be joining them, Juan shook his head.

  “The doc here says that Firman gave the rebel orders to tell the other men to capture the bloke alive, but only so they could torture him for information… and then kill him. After that, they’re to stand watch along the trail for a day in case anyone else shows. It also sounds like we’ll be on the march again.”

  Jennifer collapsed in tears, as Melissa hugged her.

  Washburn patted her on the shoulder. “Yes, it is upsetting. I think that man may have been our last hope.”

  “It’s worse than that,” Melissa said. “That man is Jennifer’s boyfriend; he was trying to rescue her.”

  “Oh no,” Washburn sighed.

  Jennifer’s grieving was cut short, as she and the other prisoners were ordered to get to their feet and start moving north again. Although she tried to fight it, a steady stream of tears fell down Jennifer’s cheeks.


  296

  Up Close And Personal

  Tanner cursed at the man guarding him in a language the thug understood and saw anger well up in the kidnapper’s dark eyes.

  After doubling down on the invectives, he sent a gob of spit that landed on the man’s face. It got the reaction he was hoping for, as the man raised his machete to strike.

  Tanner did his best to judge the angle of the blow as he leaned back while thrusting his bound wrists upwards toward the blade. He was attempting to meet the blade’s sharp edge just as it returned from reaching the apex of the swing. If he placed his hands in the wrong position, he could easily lose a finger or bleed to death from a severed artery or vein.

  The blade cut through the bonds and took a chunk out of the pad of skin beneath Tanner’s right thumb. He ignored the pain, and even the impulse to look at the wound, as he focused his attention on gaining possession of the machete.

  While the blade was still at the bottom of its arc, Tanner bent his knees, leapt up, and sent his bound feet into the man’s face. The thug tumbled backwards to the ground, while Tanner, who was also flat on his back, rolled over and trapped the arm still holding the machete. He then delivered an elbow strike against the man’s throat.

  As the man made a gurgled cry of pain, the men attempting to rape Sara turned their heads and saw what was going on.

  One of the men was lying atop of Sara, as he had just torn away her underwear. With her hands still bound together and her feet trapped, Sara used another weapon at her disposal, her mouth. She brought her head up, clamped her teeth over the man’s ear, and bit the damn thing off.

  Meanwhile, Tanner had gotten his hands on the first man’s machete and raised it as if to cut the bindings on his ankles.