Juan sighed. “Poor Michael. But you’re wrong, Joe, he hasn’t lost everything. I will let him work for me, like a flunky. And at least he gets to live, which is more than can be said for Tanner. I’m going to ask my father to raise the reward for Tanner. That should ensure his death.”
Pullo forced a smile, even as he wanted to reach out and strangle Juan. If Rico didn’t kill the punk soon, Pullo would beat him to it.
Juan grabbed a phone from his pocket and called a guard. “Bring Michael Krupin to my suite; I have some news to tell him.”
As they waited, Juan issued Rico an order. “I want you to kill Mike Conti for his betrayal.”
“He’s probably hiding,” Pullo said. “He’d have to know you’d come looking for him.”
“Can you help with that, Joe?” Rico asked. “You know the man, where he would hide.”
Pullo nodded, as he took Rico’s meaning. Rico was going to let him decide Conti’s fate.
“Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll find Conti and take care of him.”
The door opened, and Michael Krupin was let into the room by one of the guards. Krupin was wearing Jeans, a white T-shirt, and bedroom slippers. He also looked as though he had just been woken up. As the door closed behind him, he blinked several times as he stared at the three men, and then rubbed his eyes as if he didn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Pullo?”
Pullo stood and walked over to him. “It’s me, Krupin.”
Krupin cringed as if he expected Pullo to attack him. Instead, Pullo offered his hand. The gesture went unanswered, and Juan called over to Krupin.
“Shake his hand, Michael; we’re all friends now.”
“What?”
“Joe has made peace.”
“And where’s that leave me?”
Before Juan could answer, Pullo spoke to Rico.
“Why don’t we do it now?”
Rico reached over and grabbed a steak knife. “Yes, now is a good time.”
He moved swiftly behind Juan’s chair and jammed the steak knife into the man’s throat, severing the jugular and sending blood spurting onto the T-bone steaks on the table.
As that was happening, Pullo freed a leather sap and struck Krupin on the back of the head. After Krupin collapsed to the floor, Pullo took out a knife, jammed it a half inch into Krupin’s chest and then twisted it. The widening of the cut made the minor wound bleed freely, while also making it look as if Krupin had been shot.
When Rico took out his gun, Pullo tensed up, even though he had expected it. After sending Pullo a wink, Rico fired a harmless round into a black leather sofa.
Juan was bleeding out but was still alive. He stared at Rico with eyes full of disbelief at what was happening. When the guards entered the room, Rico was cradling Juan’s head in his lap.
“Michael Krupin stabbed Juan! Get a doctor now!”
Juan tried to speak, but he was already going into shock. He was trembling while breathing rapidly, as his body attempted to compensate for the sudden loss of blood.
With his back turned to the guards, Rico smiled down at Juan, then whispered to him.
“Your future is now mine, bitch.”
Juan opened his mouth to speak, but the words were garbled by his rapid breathing. He shuddered once, twice, and then was gone.
A phone began ringing. It was Juan’s cell phone. Rico pulled it from the pocket of the fresh corpse and saw that the call was coming from one of Alonso Alvarado’s aliases.
“Alonso, this is Rico.”
When Alvarado spoke, Rico could hear the weariness and shock in his voice.
“Rico, put Juan on the phone. I have bad news about his Uncle Carlos.”
“Alonso, oh my friend… I too have bad news.”
385
Delivered
As Rico predicted, Alvarado trusted him enough to believe his account of events.
It took time to get away, but Rico left the building with a still unconscious Michael Krupin. After calling Tanner and following his directions to a restaurant that had been closed for years, he handed Krupin off to Tanner. It was the same abandoned building where Sara Blake had once locked Tanner inside.
Rico looked around with distaste. “Where did you find this dump?”
“An acquaintance introduced me to it.”
They carried Krupin down into the basement and laid him on the filthy floor of an old walk-in freezer. Rico had bound Krupin’s hands and feet with rope.
“Did you have trouble getting Krupin out of the office building?”
“No. After all, I am in charge now, plus, the guards believed he was dead. I told them he would be added to the pile of bodies at the hotel. By the way, Pullo is going to bury those men in a mass grave. He said something about a friend in the construction business.”
“Yeah, the Giacconi Family is well-practiced at burying their enemies. It’s something you should keep in mind.”
“I’m not the one with the price on his head, Tanner. Keep that in mind.”
One last look around and Tanner headed for the stairs.
Rico called to him. “This door won’t close with that fan thing there on the floor.”
Tanner smiled. “Don’t worry, Krupin won’t be leaving the room, at least not alive.”
They returned upstairs, and Tanner gave Rico a word of advice.
“Treat Joe well. If you do, maybe he’ll let you live once I kill Alvarado.”
“I’ll say one thing for you, Tanner, you don’t lack confidence.”
The two men parted without another word and Tanner watched Rico drive away. After Rico’s car turned a corner, Tanner spoke.
“You can come out now.”
Tamir Ivanov stepped out of a doorway and walked toward Tanner.
“That bastard Krupin is in the basement?”
“He is, and I have one request.”
“What’s that?”
“Leave him recognizable.”
“I’ll try,” Ivanov said.
Tanner watched Ivanov march into the building, and then he went for a walk. He would have to leave New York City, otherwise, he would be hunted for the rest of his life by Alonso Alvarado and his cartel. Tanner would leave, leave the city, leave the country, and travel south to kill Alvarado.
But for now, in the subdued dark streets of a Manhattan night, Tanner would walk the city and take in the sights and sounds it had to offer. He swore to himself that someday he would return.
In the basement of the abandoned building, Michael Krupin began to stir awake. He opened his eyes, but then closed them again, as the light from a nearby lantern blinded him. His head was throbbing, pounding, and for some reason his chest hurt.
When he went to touch the wound on his chest, he realized his wrists were bound behind him. After opening his eyes again, he saw that his ankles were tied together as well.
“What happened?” he mumbled, even as he sensed that someone else was in the room. When Krupin looked up, he saw the shadowy face of Tamir Ivanov staring down at him.
Ivanov smiled. “Hello there, Junior, remember me?”
Michael Krupin died six hours later. It was not an easy death.
386
Farewell, My Love
ROUTE I-87 NORTH IN NEW YORK STATE
Laurel was getting nervous.
Bosco had picked her up from the airport by himself while explaining that Pullo was unable to make the trip. That was odd enough, but after leaving the airport, Bosco merged onto the Major Deegan Expressway. Now they were headed north to God only knew where. Laurel was riding in the rear of the limo; she spoke to Bosco through the open divider.
“Bosco, why didn’t Joe pick me up?”
“Like I said, Doc, he’s busy. But don’t worry, I’m taking you straight to him.”
Laurel took out her phone and tried dialing Pullo. When the call was answered, she breathed a sigh of relief, but then realized that it was just the phone’s answering system.
She left a message
, telling Pullo to call her back as soon as possible.
“Where are you taking me?”
“It’s a secret, Doc; but relax, you’ll like it.”
Laurel nibbled at her bottom lip. “Bosco… am I in trouble?”
“Trouble? What do you mean?”
“Are you really taking me to Joe… or somewhere else?”
Bosco peered at Laurel by using the rearview mirror. After seeing the apprehension in her eyes, he pulled the limo over to the side of the road. Once they were stopped, Bosco got out, then walked around to open the rear door for Laurel. When she looked up at him, he handed her the keys.
“You’re free to go. I’m not up to something and this really is supposed to be a secret, like a surprise, but, I guess it is a little weird.”
Laurel breathed a sigh of relief. “Joe has really planned a surprise for me?”
“Yeah, Doc, and it’s a doozy.”
Laurel stepped out of the car. “Can I ride up front with you? It feels odd being back there by myself.”
“Hey, you got the keys, why don’t you drive? I’ll give you directions.”
Laurel grinned as she climbed behind the wheel of the limo.
“How is Big Ralphie doing?”
“He’s great; he’s home already and getting his strength back.”
“That’s good. He saved my life by risking his own and I’ll never forget it.”
“Big Ralphie’s the best. But now listen, drive slowly, we just got this thing back from the body shop.”
Laurel sent Bosco a bright smile. She then floored the gas pedal and propelled the limo back into traffic as if it had been shot out of a cannon.
When they reached their destination, Laurel’s mouth parted in an expression of wonder at the size of the estate in Katonah, New York. The beautiful home was situated on the bank of the Cross River Reservoir and had thirty-five acres of land around it. It had once belonged to the late Frank Richards.
Madison Richards now owned it. She was more than happy to have it host a wedding after Tanner made the request.
Pullo came out of the home to greet Laurel and laughed when he saw that she had been driving. Laurel flew into Pullo’s open arms and the two of them embraced for long moments, as Bosco quietly drifted into the home.
“Why are we here?” Laurel asked.
Pullo grinned. “You wanted a big wedding, and this is where we’ll be having it.”
Laurel craned her neck and took in the home. “Here?”
“You can thank Tanner, he’s got connections.”
“Joe, it’s so beautiful. But come on, I want to see the inside of the house.”
Laurel took Pullo by the hand and dragged him inside. The home was magnificent. Pullo took pleasure in Laurel’s joy.
“Oh, you couldn’t have picked a better place, but you know, setting up a wedding takes time, and I still have to book a wedding planner.”
Pullo shook his head. “You forget who you’re marrying. There’s a wedding planner and her assistant roaming around here somewhere, and they’re dying to meet you.”
Laurel grinned. “I can see that being the wife of Don Pullo will have advantages, but who did you get? I hope she’s good.”
“Her name is Camren Allston; I got her name out of one of those wedding magazines you’ve been looking at.”
Laurel’s mouth dropped open. “Camren Allston isn’t a wedding planner, Joe, she’s the wedding planner.”
Pullo took Laurel in his arms. “Well, the wedding planner costs a mint and a half, so make sure that you get exactly what you want.”
“I love you,” Laurel said, and they kissed.
When their embrace ended, Pullo grew serious. “Tanner is here, baby, and he has something to tell you.”
“Oh good, because I wanted to talk to him about something as well.”
“He’s out in the back looking at the water. Why don’t you go see him and I’ll meet you back here.”
“All right.”
Laurel made her way to the rear of the home and took in the beautiful view of the water. Tanner was standing at the end of a small pier. When he saw her, he smiled.
“Mrs. Pullo.”
“Not yet, but very soon,” Laurel said. “And I understand we have you to thank for the use of this house.”
“Think of it as my wedding gift… and I won’t be able to be here when you marry.”
Laurel stepped closer. “Why not?”
“The war has ended with the Russians, but Joe had to make peace with the Mexican cartel, the Alvarado Cartel. There’s also a man named Rico Nazario who you’ll be meeting soon. He’s the representative of the cartel and he’ll be Joe’s new partner.”
“I see that a lot has happened since I left, but what does that have to do with you not coming to the wedding?”
“There’s a price on my head, Laurel. It’s been placed there by the leader of the cartel, a man named Alonso Alvarado. I have to leave the city or I’ll make you and Joe targets too.”
Laurel took his hand. “You’ll just go on the run forever? That’s no life, Tanner.”
Tanner gave her hand a squeeze. “You’re right, which is why I’m going to Mexico and kill Alvarado. Once he’s dead, the price on my head ends, and his cartel will be taken over by others. That will also free Joe from his partnership with Rico.”
Laurel wiped away a tear. “That all sounds incredibly dangerous.”
Tanner placed a gentle hand beneath her chin and tilted her head up until their eyes were meeting.
“I’ll survive. I’ll kill Alonso Alvarado, and someday we’ll see each other again. Do you believe me?”
Laurel gazed into his eyes and saw the truth and conviction in them. “I believe you, and I know that above all else, you’re a survivor.”
Laurel released Tanner’s hand and reached into her pocketbook, which was hanging off her shoulder. She removed the picture of young Cody Parker she had discovered in Texas and handed it to Tanner.
“This was recently discovered by the Stark Texas Historical Society… I thought you might want it.”
Tanner gave her a perplexed look, then he gazed down at the picture of his younger self standing beside his mother. At first, his features remained the same, but as Laurel watched, she saw recognition dawn on his face, as his lips parted slightly, and his eyes, eyes that were normally such beacons of intensity, softened, and then grew moist.
Tanner swallowed once, twice, and then whispered two words. “You know?”
“I do, but I don’t know how you survived that nightmare, but you did, and I also know you’ll survive in Mexico.”
Tanner ran a finger over the face of the woman in the picture. “My mother. Oh Laurel, I’d nearly forgotten what she looked like.” After taking a deep breath, Tanner handed the photo back. “Hold on to that for me; you can give it back to me the next time I see you.”
Laurel took the photo and then hugged Tanner. As they stood embracing, she whispered in his ear.
“I love you, Cody Parker.”
When the embrace ended, Laurel kissed him gently on the lips, before heading back toward the house.
Tanner watched her walk away until he could no longer see her, and then he turned to gaze out upon the tranquil water.
Yes, he was Cody Parker, but he was also Tanner, and Tanner would see Cody through his Mexican nightmare and bring him back to New York City someday.
He was a Tanner, no goddamn it, he was the best Tanner, and he’d been trained and given the combined knowledge and skills of the six men who had come before him.
The Alvarado Cartel was going to regret the day they’d ever heard of him, and God help anyone who stood in his way.
387
Payday
Pullo was standing with Tanner near his car, as Tanner prepared to leave.
“Rico has decided to keep Juan Alvarado’s old digs and I’ll be running things out of there too, that is, until I get the club rebuilt.”
“Are you really
going to name the place Johnny R’s?”
“You’re damn right, and the new place is going to be much bigger than the old one. I bought the land that old factory sits on and I’m putting a pedestrian bridge over the road to connect the two properties. There will still be a strip club where the old place sat, but the rest will be a restaurant and nightclub.”
“It sounds ambitious; I look forward to seeing it. By the way, how’s Sammy?”
“He’s stronger and moving around on crutches, but the kid’s not the same, Tanner. He’s lost his spark.”
“He’s lost Sophia. If he really did love her, it’ll take him time to heal.”
Pullo nodded, then he just looked at Tanner. Both men knew the odds against them ever seeing each other again, and the weight of it felt nearly physical.
Pullo sighed wearily. “I’m stuck with Rico Nazario for a partner and you’ve got a price on your head. This is not how I wanted this war to end.”
“You won’t have to put up with Rico forever. Once I kill his boss, he’ll be a paper tiger.”
Pullo shook his head in disgust. “I’ve got bad news.”
“What is it?”
“Alonso Alvarado has raised the price on your head. You’re now worth a cool mil.”
Tanner smiled, and then laughed. “I’ve finally made it to the big leagues.”
“It’s no joke, Tanner. Do you know how many lowlifes will come after you for that kind of green?”
“I know, Joe, but none of it really matters. This ends one way, with Alvarado dead and me alive.”
“You damn well better make sure of that… I’ve lost enough friends lately; I don’t need you dying too.”
Tanner offered his hand. Pullo gripped it, and then pulled him closer, to stare into Tanner’s eyes.
“You go down to Mexico and show those bastards what you’re made of, you hear me?”
The Tanner Series - Books 1-11: Tanner - The hit man with a heart Page 122