Sammy was familiar with the space they were using. It was a small warehouse in lower Manhattan that had been utilized in the past for various purposes. One of the rooms had even acted as a cell for their enemies on occasion.
“Are you sure you don’t want more guys in here with you and Romeo, Tanner? There are sixteen men in those kill squads.”
“Romeo and I will be enough. What we need are eyes outside to let us know when they show up. You’ll also make sure no one gets away.”
“Yeah, but sixteen guys are a lot of firepower, and there’s nowhere to take cover.”
“We have an ace up our sleeves. Romeo, give Sammy a demonstration.”
“Watch this, dude,” Romeo told Sammy. “It’s a trip.”
He walked over to the spot where the windshields were leaning up against the wall. Mixed in with them were the three invisible shields Tanner had gotten from Duke. Two of them faced the front entrance, with the third one in alignment with a door at the rear.
When Romeo stepped behind one and crouched down, he seemed to disappear. From where Tanner and Sammy stood, all you could see was a blurred view of the wall behind the glass.
“What the hell?” Sammy said.
Romeo straightened. It looked as if his head and shoulders were floating above the glass.
“Is that some spooky shit or what?” Romeo said.
Sammy walked closer. When he stuck his hand behind the glass, it seemed to disappear.
“Where did you get this, Tanner?”
“From a guy named Duke. The members of the hit squads won’t see us until we want them to.”
Sammy shook his head in amazement. “Science is getting scary. The next thing you know, we’ll be fighting robots.”
“The army already has some in development,” Romeo said.
They moved outside and picked out the spots where they wanted Sammy and the others to take up positions. Pullo, Finn, Rico, Adamo Conti, and three other men were going to move in once the kill squads entered the building. In the meantime, they would be waiting on rooftops in pairs, where they shouldn’t be spotted.
If the Primeros’ soldiers arrived, they’d be there under the impression that Tanner was alone and living in the warehouse.
“If no one shows up tonight, how much longer do you want to give this plan, Tanner?” Sammy asked.
“Three days. After that, we’ll assume that Joe’s informant wasn’t able to get the information to the right people. I’m expecting them tonight. The informant seems to know a lot. That tells me that he’s not a low-level member of the gang. If he whispers in the right ear, the rumor about this place will spread and the Primeros will take the bait. I’m hoping they make their move as soon as possible.”
“That snitch is leading a lot of his people to the slaughter,” Romeo said. “Maybe it’s to make whoever is gunning for Pullo look bad.”
“I think you’re right, Romeo,” Tanner said. “And for now, we’re on the same side.”
“Until maybe it’s his turn to come after Pullo. Then he’ll feed Joe information that will lead him into a trap.”
Sammy gritted his teeth. “That’s devious, but it sounds like you two might be right. I wish we could find out who it is that’s giving Uncle Joe these tips.”
“It doesn’t matter what his name is, dude,” Romeo said. “The key is to be ready for the day he turns the tables on you. If you figure that out, you’ll be able to take advantage of him.”
“Back in my grandfather’s day, all they had to worry about were the cops. Now it’s the cops, federal agents, cartels, and gangs that could populate a small city. I’m glad I’m not running things yet, and I don’t envy Uncle Joe.”
“Joe will think of something,” Tanner said. “He’s as smart as he is tough.”
“And he’s got you watching his back. That means a lot to both of us, Tanner.”
“What else are friends for?” Tanner said.
Manuel was still huddled in his storefront observation post in Midtown when he spotted a face he recognized. It was a fellow gangbanger whom he knew had served time for assault. His name was Chano. Manuel had heard that Chano had settled in Chicago after being released. It looked as if the Primeros had sent more men into the city.
Manuel thought about making contact, then decided to only follow the man. To do so, he had to take a subway ride, which led him to an empty store in the Bowery. It looked like the gang had broken in the back door of the shop and taken it over.
The man he was following was met by a guy who was outside keeping watch. Judging by the two vans they had, there must be at least ten of them inside the building. The gang members exchanged words and Manuel could see the sentry’s face break into a smile.
He moved behind the vans while the men were engaged in an animated conversation, then got even closer. There was a stack of rusted 55-gallon drums nearby. Manuel hid behind them and was near enough to make out the end of their conversation, which was spoken in Spanish.
“I’m going to suggest we wait until just before the sun comes up, and then move in on him. Maybe we’ll catch that fucker, Tanner, asleep.” Chano said.
“After that, we kill Pullo.”
They went inside the store and Manuel slipped away. It sounded as if they knew where to find Tanner and were going after him. The men had seemed full of confidence. It reminded Manuel of the large crew that he had been a part of in Brooklyn. Everyone was certain that they could kill Tanner. They had all wound up dead. He feared the men inside the empty store would suffer the same fate, and that Tanner would walk away from the conflict unharmed.
Manuel had kicked himself many times for not being brave enough to rush down from the roof and search for Tanner after the explosions had occurred in Brooklyn. If he had, he might have caught up to Tanner and killed him when his guard was down, and he thought all his enemies were dead. Instead, he’d run away.
It then occurred to him that he was being given a chance to make up for his lack of courage. If this new crew died at Tanner’s hand, the last thing the assassin would expect was for someone to come out of the shadows afterwards. Manuel could be that someone. He could follow the crew to where Tanner was, then wait and see what happened. If they killed Tanner, he could still go after Joe Pullo. But if Tanner, as he so often had done, triumphed over superior odds, then Manuel could be there to deliver a surprise to the bastard.
Manuel grinned, thinking of the expression of shock he would see on Tanner’s face when he realized that he’d been bested by a teenager.
Manuel went looking for a car to steal. When the vans drove off later to go after Tanner, he’d be trailing behind them. And Tanner would never see him coming.
Henry stared down at the body of Mitch Lombard and considered what his next move should be. He hadn’t meant to kill the man unless he had to. Striking Lombard in the forehead had been an accident.
Henry was calm. He went back into the living room and turned off the TV. To do so, he covered his hand with the sleeve of his sweatshirt, so as not to leave behind a fingerprint on the TV remote. Afterward, he used the peephole in the front door to look out into the hallway. He saw no one.
Many in his situation would be panicking, while others would fear hearing a loud knocking on the door followed by the words, “Open up! It’s the police.”
Henry wasn’t about to freak-out. And while it was a possibility that someone had called the police, it wasn’t very likely. His argument with Lombard had been a short one, while the blow that struck him in the head had hardly made any noise. Besides, he was in New York, a major city. It was not uncommon for the police to take more than twenty minutes to respond to the scene of a crime, despite the fact that they had over thirty-six thousand officers. There was a lot of crime in New York, and more than enough traffic to cause delay in traveling from one location to another. If they had twice as many officers, getting around the city would still take time.
Henry explored the apartment while being careful not to touch any
thing. He was pleased to see that there was a rear door leading to a hallway and an interior staircase. He would leave that way when the time came. In the meantime, he needed to clean up the mess he’d made.
A murder would be investigated, but not an accident. He returned to the bedroom, bent down, and slipped his arms beneath Lombard’s body. With effort, he straightened his legs and stood upright. After carrying the body into the bathroom, he lowered it to the floor beside the tub.
He was going to make it appear that Lombard had slipped and hit his head on the side of the bathtub. After stopping up the tub, Henry began filling it with water. There was no bubble bath, so he substituted shower gel. Henry cupped some of the soapy water in his palm and dribbled it onto the floor. If Lombard was found before morning, it would seem that he might have slipped on the water and hit his head. He studied the scene he’d created and realized that something was missing. Had Lombard slipped, he would have attempted to protect himself by extending his arms. That is, unless he couldn’t do so. Henry gathered up a stack of towels from a closet, grabbed Lombard’s robe from the foot of his bed, and a portable CD player and CDs. He dumped most of it on the floor beside the body, while tossing a towel in the bath. If Lombard had slipped while holding all those items, it was reasonable to assume that he might have been unable to put his hands out in time to keep from hitting his head.
Henry considered leaving the water running in the tub to increase the likelihood that the body would be found quickly, but that meant causing damage to the apartment below Lombard’s.
He didn’t want to do that. Whoever lived on the floor below likely had problems enough, so why add to them when it wasn’t necessary? Someone would find the body and the evidence would make it look like an accident.
Before leaving, Henry went through Lombard’s wallet. He was glad that he had. He found a slip of paper with his name and description on it, along with the name of the bookstore where he was to meet with Gwen.
He slipped that in his pocket and returned to the bedroom. Lombard’s gun was placed in the drawer of the nightstand, and the baseball bat was shoved to the rear of a closet.
The body of a man in his thirties would be discovered lying beside a tub of soapy water. The man would be found to have died from a blow to his forehead. A classic slip and fall accident. Add to that the fact that no valuables were missing, and it seemed a safe bet to be ruled an accidental death. In actuality, it was.
After stepping out the rear door, Henry used a spare key he’d found in the bedside table to lock the door behind him. If he’d had a set of lock picks with him, he would have used those. The rear staircase ended, and he eased open a door that revealed the back of the building. Two teens, a boy and a girl of about sixteen were leaning against a brick wall and kissing. As engrossed in each other as they were, they would still notice him if he tried to slip past them.
A second door led to a narrow corridor and the lobby beyond it. Henry strode down it as if he belonged there and headed out the front door. The temperature had dropped since he’d been inside the building. It made him glad for the extra warmth the sweatshirt and cap afforded him.
During the long walk back to Tanner’s car, Henry went over everything that had happened. He came to the conclusion that Stone had to be involved. The question was why? What would Stone have to gain by his death? Then, Henry remembered what Stone had said earlier, upon learning that he was Tanner’s apprentice.
“It sounds like anybody could be picked to be a Tanner.”
That was his motive. If Lombard had killed him, it was possible that Tanner might have chosen Stone to take Henry’s place.
“You son of a bitch,” Henry whispered. If he was right about Stone, Romeo would be short one apprentice the next time Henry saw the bastard.
He was tempted to phone or text Tanner and tell him what had happened. He held off on that, knowing that Tanner was setting up a trap for the Primeros and had enough to deal with.
Henry reached the car and drove toward the penthouse. Along the way, the Yankee sweatshirt and cap went into the trash, along with the reading glasses and the spare key to Lombard’s apartment. The thin disguise had come in handy, but there was always the rare chance that a police lab could use the clothes to tie him to the scene of Lombard’s death.
His phone rang. When he checked the caller ID, he saw that it was Gwen calling.
“Hi.”
“I hope that emergency that came up wasn’t too serious.”
“It wasn’t, but it needed to be handled right away.”
“You know, if you changed your mind about taking me out, it won’t hurt my feelings if you just say so.”
“I wasn’t lying, Gwen. There was something I had to deal with that couldn’t wait. I was hoping that maybe we could see each other soon.”
“I have the day off tomorrow. Why don’t we meet for breakfast?”
“Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
“All right,” Gwen said, then suggested a coffee shop. “Is ten o’clock too late? I’d really like some extra sleep on my day off.”
“Ten o’clock is fine. Maybe we can hang out afterwards and you can show me around the city.”
“I know you’re only in the city for a few weeks, but where are you from?”
“Texas.”
“You don’t sound like you’re from Texas.”
“I mostly grew up in Pennsylvania.”
“Really? Me too. It was a town named Aliquippa. Then I came to New York to get famous. The famous part didn’t work out, but I like the city.”
“You’re an actress?”
“I would be if I ever got picked for a part.”
“Give it time. I’m sure you’ll get a part in a play or TV show if you keep at it long enough.”
“You’re sweet. Where are you right now?”
“Driving back to my friend’s home.”
There was silence on the line and Henry wondered if he had lost the connection.
“Gwen? Are you still there?”
“Why don’t you come to my place for a while? My roommate is at her boyfriend’s.”
“I could do that,” Henry said.
A minute later he signaled to make a left, to head toward Gwen’s apartment. It was looking like it might not turn out to be such a bad night after all.
14
Breaking The Bad News
Because of the time he’d lost in Tennessee having to deal with O’Leary and the room service waiter, Chad, Morelos had called his contact in New York City and made a request.
He wanted the man he was supposed to meet in Newark, New Jersey, to meet him in Manhattan instead. When Morelos called the contact back an hour later, he learned that the man was willing to do it but wanted an additional fee for his trouble. Morelos agreed, then was told that there were other conditions.
“The guy won’t be there. He said that he’s not going to wait around and give the cops a chance to grab him.”
“How will I know where to find the car?”
“You call me when you get to the city, and I’ll give you the address. The car is a gray Ford Taurus. Your uh, other items, will be in the trunk.”
“Including the special one?”
“Yeah.”
“Excellent. I expect to get to work soon after getting there.”
“Good luck.”
“It won’t be luck that makes me successful. It will be planning.”
“Whatever. I’m just glad you’re not gunning for me.”
Morelos’s boss called while he was driving through Pennsylvania. There was a rumor that Tanner’s location had been discovered. Someone in the Giacconi Family had made a deal with a drug dealer who had ties to the Primeros.
“The Primeros are certain to act on that information, but I suspect it’s a trap,” Morelos told his boss.
“And what if it’s not and the Primeros get to Tanner before you do?”
“He’ll likely kill them either way. I’ll stick to m
y plan. And about that, were you able to find out that address I needed?”
“Yeah. I’ll text it to you after we hang up, along with the address where Tanner is supposed to be. But stay clear of those hit squads. They’ll kill anyone who gets in their way.”
“And so will Tanner, which is what I’m counting on.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means I have a plan. I’ll call you with an update tomorrow.”
“Do that.”
Amber had been sleeping in the seat beside Morelos for hours. She stirred, then looked startled after reading a road sign.
“Allentown? We’re in Pennsylvania already?”
“We made good time, but I’ll be stopping soon to use the bathroom and get coffee. After that, we won’t stop until we get to New York City.”
The text came in from Morelos’s boss. It gave him the location of the warehouse in lower Manhattan, and another address as well.
Morelos glanced at Amber as he drove. “I’m going to need your help when we get to New York. It looks like I might be going to work right away.”
“Um, okay, but I couldn’t ever shoot anyone.”
Morelos smiled. “And I won’t ask you to do that. I’ll only need you to drive a car while I handle the shooting.”
“I can do that… does it pay anything?”
“Why not? Would a thousand dollars be enough?”
“Hell yeah, but will it be dangerous?”
“Only for the people I’m shooting at.”
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