by Mike Ryan
“Well, I don’t believe I was followed or they can trace me in any way. Even if they find out I’m not a professor at the university, they’ll have no way of finding out my identity or where we live or work. Mia’s a different story though,” Jones replied. “They know her name, where she works, and if they don’t know already, I’m sure they’ll know her address relatively soon.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“I’m just gonna tell Vincent straight that I won’t put up with any surveillance on people I know.”
“We may want to rethink that strategy.”
“Why?”
“If you mention anything about me or that we’ve talked then he will know that we are, in fact, in cahoots as they say,” Jones stated.
“Well, if they start digging around the college and find out you’re not working there then they’re gonna assume that anyway.”
“I suppose I could hack into Temple’s system and create an additional entry with my profile and information. I’d have to create fictional courses and students to go along with it.”
“Sounds like that’s gonna take a lot of time,” Recker noted.
“Possibly.”
“Plus, isn’t that something that the university will find out rather quickly?”
“Possibly.”
“Seems like a lot of effort for not much payoff then.”
“We’d only need it to work for a short amount of time,” Jones responded. “Just long enough for Vincent to check on my status there.”
“What if he’s already checked? Or what if he checks before you get that stuff into the system?”
“Then I guess I will have wasted my time.”
“I don’t think it’s even worth the hassle,” Recker told him. “If he assumes you’re with me then let him. As long as he doesn’t know your real name, where you live, or where you work, it’s a non-issue. Other than me, nobody else knows anything anyway.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Besides, that’ll take you away from other things that are more important. We need to get back to business and put this incident behind us.”
“You’re right,” Jones agreed.
Recker continued driving, still several hours away. He wondered what Vincent was up to and why he hadn’t called to deliver the news yet. In the end, it wasn’t important if Jones and Mia were safe. The fact that Vincent had questioned his friends to try and find out more about their relationship to him didn’t really bother Recker too much. It was something he’d expect Vincent to do at some point. It was just smart business on his part. A man in Vincent’s position had to know every single detail about his friends and enemies so he could plan his next moves accordingly. As long as Vincent ended his inquisition into his friends after they were released, Recker wouldn’t have a problem with it. But if he thought Mia was being followed or watched, or Jones at some point thought someone was after him, then Recker would have to lay the law down to his business acquaintance. A little after midnight, Recker’s phone rang for the final time of the night. This time, it was the call he’d been waiting for all along.
“Took a while,” Recker greeted.
“Yes, sorry. I hope you haven’t been sweating it out all this time,” Vincent replied.
“Well, I assumed since you hadn’t called that all was well like you said. There were no problems?”
“Everything went down beautifully. There were no issues and your friends are now, I assume, safe and sound in their own beds.”
“Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure, Mike. I’m glad I could help. Just to set the record straight and before you hear it from the mouths of your friends, I just wanted to let you know that I did question them before letting them go,” Vincent said.
“Question them? What about?” Recker asked, pretending like he didn’t know a thing about it.
“About you. Just wondering about how they fit into your life. I hope you don’t mind but I’m sure you can appreciate my position in that I need to know as much as possible about the people I do business with.”
“I don’t mind. In fact I’d expect it. I could’ve saved you the trouble, though.”
“How’s that?”
“They don’t. They don’t fit in. First of all, I don’t have friends. Can’t afford to. Second, I don’t know who the guy is, only that she’s a friend of Mia’s somehow.”
“But the girl’s a different story?” Vincent asked.
“She’s a nurse. I figured it could be useful to know someone who could help me in the case of emergencies without needing to go to a hospital,” Recker answered. “I’m sure you understand that.”
“I do. And it’s very smart thinking on your part.”
“But she doesn’t mean anything to me personally. Just someone I keep around at arm’s length in case.”
“Must be hard to do that with someone who’s as pretty as she is,” Vincent assumed.
“Doesn’t mean anything to me. And I thank you for your honesty in telling me all that, but it does raise one concern for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Since she is a contact of mine, and I’m sure you now know where she lives and works, I can’t have her feel like she’s being threatened, or watched, or followed in the hopes of finding out something else about me,” Recker said.
“I understand your concern. And I give you my word that, as far as I’m concerned, my enquiry into their lives and how they fit into yours is over. I give you my word that they will not be watched or followed at any time. And if you ever find that they are, it is not by my doing.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Now that we have that out of the way, how far out of town are you?” Vincent wondered.
“About an hour or so.”
“Fantastic. Why don’t you head over to the warehouse where we conducted our previous business when you get in?”
“What for?”
“Oh, I’ve got a little surprise for you that you may be interested in.”
“I’ll be there,” Recker agreed.
“We’ll be waiting.”
After Recker put the phone down, he wondered what Vincent had in mind. Considering that’s where they held Mancini for him before, Recker could only assume that they had something similar in mind once again. The only problem in Recker’s mind was that he wasn’t looking for anybody that would lead to such a situation again. Unless it was Simmons. The longer Recker thought about it, that was the only solution that made any sense to him. It had to be Simmons. And while he hadn’t given much thought to Simmons’ situation after Vincent got involved, he just assumed that Vincent either killed him or sent him packing somewhere.
Somewhat surprisingly, Recker didn’t feel all that much rage toward Simmons. Was the long drive cooling off his temper? Or was it the fact that both Jones and Mia wound up being unharmed? If the situation didn’t go down as it did, and Simmons had his way, then Recker’s anger probably would’ve still been off the charts. And there was no distance that would have cooled it. For the rest of the drive, Recker’s thoughts stayed with Vincent and the person that he assumed he was holding at the warehouse. Though he still didn’t know what Vincent’s game was. If he wanted Simmons dead, he easily could’ve done it himself. After all, Simmons was one of his men. He wouldn’t need Recker to finish him off.
The only other reasoning that ran through Recker’s mind was that it was some weird test. Did Vincent just want to see how far Recker would go to protect his friends or acquaintances? After what happened with Mancini and the fact that Recker passed up the opportunity for revenge, he wondered if Vincent was evaluating him in some form or fashion. If it turned out that Simmons was being held as a test case for Recker, he thought it might be a situation that he couldn’t back down from. If things had went down differently, and Simmons had taken Mia out of town, there was no doubt in Recker’s mind that he’d hunt him down and kill him. But since thing
s transpired differently, there was now wriggle room in Recker’s mind about Simmons’ ultimate fate.
If Vincent was holding his man there to see if Recker would take the bait, he thought he just might have to do it. Vincent saw him pass up the opportunity to do it once. If Recker did it twice, that might indicate weakness to the crime boss. If Recker didn’t make a strong statement, he thought he might be telling everyone that it was OK to mess with people that he knew. That there would be no consequences. The longer Recker thought about it, the more convinced he became in his opinion that he’d have to swing a heavy hammer in this situation.
Whether it was real or just imagined, Recker couldn’t risk a similar situation happening again. If he did nothing and let Simmons go, and word got around that The Silencer didn’t retaliate for messing with his friends, then that would put Mia in even more jeopardy. Others may do the same to her or even worse without feeling at risk of Recker’s wrath. Even Vincent himself may begin to think that Recker wasn’t as lethal as he thought he was. Vincent might think that Recker didn’t have the mean streak that most people believed he did. How he’d handle the situation, if that’s what it was, was all Recker thought about for the rest of the ninety minute drive back to Philadelphia.
Once Recker got back within the city limits, he called Vincent to let him know he was about twenty minutes away so they’d be expecting him. When Recker got to the front gates of the warehouse, he was let in without a problem or Malloy coming out to clear him. He drove up to the main building, with it looking almost exactly the same as it did the last time he was there. There was one open bay with the door open and a light on. When Recker parked, he just sat in his car for a few moments and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to walk into.
Recker got out of the car and started walking toward the side door. His legs were feeling cramped and his heart was racing as he thought about what was inside. Before he got to the steps the door opened, Malloy revealing himself within the frame of it. Malloy held the door open as Recker walked up the steps and walked inside.
“I see you guys haven’t decorated much,” Recker quipped.
Malloy briefly laughed before leading Recker across the floor to the side office in the back. The same one that they held Mancini in. When they got there, Malloy stopped just in front of it, letting Recker go in first. Recker instantly saw a man sitting in front of him, behind a desk and tied to a chair. Just as Mancini was before. And just like the Mancini incident, there was a gun just lying there on the desk. Recker briefly looked at him before turning his attention to the left, seeing Vincent standing there with a grin on his face.
“Hello, Mike,” Vincent greeted. “Hope your drive wasn’t too tiring.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“I’m sure you have.”
“Who’s this?” Recker asked, though he was already sure of the answer.
“That is our friend Joe Simmons.”
“Looks like he’s seen better days,” Recker replied, noticing the numerous cuts and bruises on the man’s face.
“Haven’t we all?” Vincent asked, smiling.
“Why’s he here?”
“Well, you see, this is an interesting predicament we’ve now found ourselves in.”
“How so?” Recker wondered.
“The question is now what do we do with him. If we let him loose, he could always be considered a danger to you and your friends…or non-friends as they were. And for me…well, he’s endangered my operations by operating outside of my guidelines that I have set forth,” Vincent explained.
As they were discussing him, Simmons was wriggling around in his chair, trying to say something. It was just muffled sounds, though, as the gag in his mouth prevented anything he said from being heard clearly. Malloy wasn’t pleased with his efforts though and gave him a hard slap to the side of his head to indicate his unhappiness, quieting Simmons’ movements.
“I’m honestly at a crossroads in determining the best course of action here,” Vincent facetiously said.
Recker wasn’t fooled in the slightest. He knew exactly what Vincent wanted. Vincent wasn’t the type of man who usually struggled in making a decision. He was usually swift and decisive in determining what he wanted. Just as Recker suspected as he was driving there, Vincent was testing his resolve. He wanted to see just how cold-blooded Recker could or would be.
“Are you?” Recker asked. “I think you know exactly what you want to happen here. Seems like we were in this position once before.”
“Well, circumstances are somewhat diff…”
Recker didn’t see the need to listen to any more of Vincent’s nonsense or games. They all knew what was supposed to happen there and Recker didn’t feel like putting it off any longer. He didn’t even let Vincent finish his sentence as Recker quickly reached for the gun on the desk, interrupting Vincent’s thoughts. Recker pointed the gun at Simmons’ chest and unloaded the clip. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Six shots. Only the first one was truly needed as Simmons died after the first bullet penetrated through his body. But Recker felt like making an extra statement by emptying the gun’s chamber.
Vincent and Malloy just stood there looking at the lifeless body of their former employee, somewhat stunned at the quickness and decisiveness of Recker’s actions. Since Recker didn’t kill the man who shot him, Vincent had reservations about whether he’d pull the trigger in this instance either. He just wasn’t sure if Recker was as vicious as his reputation seemed to entail. And though Vincent didn’t have an exact preference for which way Recker would go, it would go a long way in determining how Vincent proceeded in the long run. Killing Simmons so quickly and ruthlessly seemed to enforce the notion that Recker wasn’t a man to be messed with. If Recker hadn’t, Vincent may have thought that perhaps he could take some liberties against him in the future if the need ever arose. Those thoughts, even if they were small in nature, had now been effectively squashed. Vincent had never seen Recker’s work firsthand. He’d only heard second hand stories up until that point. But he was now satisfied that Recker was the man that he assumed him to be.
Recker didn’t feel the need to stick around and admire his work any longer than necessary. He also didn’t feel like sticking around to shoot the breeze or talk about what just happened either. He immediately nonchalantly tossed the gun to Malloy, who caught it in his midsection. Recker then just turned and looked at Vincent, giving him a nod before leaving the room.
“Thanks for the help,” Recker told him.
“I’ll put the bill in the mail,” Vincent joked, getting a smile from his visitor.
Recker walked across the warehouse and out the side door on his way to his car. Vincent and Malloy emerged from the office and watched him through the open bay door as Recker drove away.
“That was quick,” Malloy stated.
“Yes. Much quicker than I had anticipated,” Vincent replied. “I expected there to be some conversation, some back and forth banter between us, but this worked out just as well.”
“How you figure?”
“Each interaction we have with him reinforces our beliefs or strengthens our opinions in one way or another,” Vincent explained. “After the Mancini incident, I must admit I had some doubts about him, even if they were fleeting. But this does reinforce what I’ve believed all along.”
“Which is?”
“That he’s not a man you want to cross. He’s somewhat of a curiosity, don’t you think?”
“In what way?” Malloy wondered.
“You saw how he acted against Mancini. Here was a man who tried to kill him, actually shot him, and he didn’t seek revenge upon him. Even seemed indifferent towards his execution. Then there was tonight. Never met the man before, didn’t do any actual harm to him whatsoever, but he acted quickly, decisively, ruthlessly. And with anger.”
“So what’s that say to you?”
“That you don’t mess with the man’s friends,” Vincent answered. “He’s more concern
ed with their safety and wellbeing than he is with his own. And that’s a dangerous quality.”
Chapter 11
With having such a long day, Recker slept late the following morning, not waking up until eleven. After the killing of Simmons, Recker went straight to his apartment and went to bed. He sent Jones a short text message after leaving the warehouse telling him everything went well and that he’d see him later in the afternoon. Jones didn’t bother inquiring into the events at the warehouse at that point, knowing there’d be plenty of time to go into it the next time Recker came into the office. He knew his partner must’ve been exhausted and wouldn’t have been bothered if he even took the entire day off. Jones wondered about whether Recker finished his business in Ohio. Recker never mentioned whether he got the job done before returning. The professor would have felt bad if his trip had been cut short because of the predicament they put themselves in.
When Recker finally did wake up, he took a quick shower before getting on with his day. He didn’t bother to eat, wanting to see and talk to Mia as quickly as possible before he did anything else. He needed to make sure she was OK. While he knew from talking to Jones that she was physically safe, Recker needed to see her with his own eyes. He needed to hear it out of her voice that there were no lasting affects. Recker once again sent a message to Jones telling him he’d be in at some point but didn’t know when. He called Mia’s phone a couple of times but it went straight to voicemail. He knew that she usually only turned it off when she was at work so he immediately left to go to the hospital. Knowing that she usually worked either a mid shift or later into the night, Recker decided to wait in the cafeteria for her, knowing that she’d eventually show up when she had a break.
Recker patiently sat at a table in a corner of the cafeteria, sipping on a coffee as he calmly waited for his friend to show. After two hours of waiting he looked at the time, but he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. And he wasn’t leaving until he saw her. Or until he knew she was no longer there. A lot of things went through his mind as he watched people go by. The situation Mia and Jones got themselves in the day before was the most prevalent and how close he came to losing them. He also thought about how Edwards was still out there walking around, what he did to Simmons, as well as a few fleeting glimpses of Carrie’s face.