by L. T. Ryan
Jack and Bear turned and saw the man standing there with a gun pointed at them. Their laughter stopped but their smiles lingered.
“What do you make of this, Jack?” asked Bear.
“Hmmm, not sure, Bear,” Jack replied. “There’s only one, so it’s not an asshole convention.”
Bear chuckled.
“You know you’re not getting paid for this one, Bear. You don’t have to laugh at my jokes,” Jack said.
“In that case I don’t know if this is worth it.” Bear acted like he was going to walk away.
“You two just shut up. Shut up or I’ll shoot,” the man said.
Jack gave Bear a look. The two had worked together long enough that they could communicate without saying a word. Time was running out. The man’s partner would be coming around soon. Jack was surprised he wasn’t there already.
Bear winked at Jack. The big man clutched his chest with both hands and fell to his knees. His eyes rolled back in his head. He hit the ground while letting out a loud groan.
“Bear,” Jack said.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” the man asked.
“It looks like he is having a heart attack.”
“Bullshit,” the man said while pointing at Bear. “What are you two trying to pu—“
That was all the guy got out. The instant the man looked down at Bear, Jack lifted his right knee and pulled out the tactical sidekick boot knife he kept strapped to his calf. In one fluid motion he closed the gap and plunged the knife into the man’s neck, severing his carotid artery. Jack regained his balance and sliced the knife across the man’s neck, sealing his fate.
“Let’s get the hell out of here, Bear.”
They ran for a block and got in one of Bear’s cars. Hopefully the old man hadn’t made this one yet.
11
“You’re a lucky bitch. You know that?”
Clarissa didn’t say anything. She just stared at the scar running down Charles’s face.
“The old man thinks you are a valuable asset, or some shit like that. If it were me, I’d kill you. Slowly, though. It wouldn’t happen in one night.” He shifted in his seat. “I’d let hope stay alive in you for a couple days. Let you keep thinking that your boyfriend was gonna show up and be the hero. Rescue you or some garbage like that. Know what I mean?”
Clarissa raised her hand to her forehead and traced an imaginary line down her face. She saw that her mocking had started to piss him off. “How’d you get that nasty, disgusting scar?” She already knew the story. Jack had told her a dozen times about the night Charles tried to kill Bear and Jack stepped in to save his friend’s life. She watched with amusement as Charles’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared out in anger.
He stood, took off his jacket, turned slightly and hung it over the chair he had been sitting in. He glared at her while removing the five rings that normally adorned his large fingers. Rings were a point of contention among some guys. There were those that enjoyed the extra damage a large ring could inflict on their target. But others preferred not to have to clean the blood out of their favorite rings, so when given a choice, they never wore them in a fight.
Or, as in this case, a beating.
“Afraid of getting your pretty jewelry dirty?”
Charles bared his teeth at her as he tilted his neck side to side. She cringed at the slow popping sounds that emanated as he cracked his neck. He shrugged his shoulders. Pop, pop, pop, pop. He looked like a fighter getting ready to go 12 rounds.
He glared at her. “You stupid bitch.”
“You can’t touch me,” she said. “I heard the old man tell you that.”
“No, he said I couldn’t kill you.” Charles smiled. “There was nothing about touching you.” His eyes worked over her body.
She tensed as he approached. The restraints held her tight, and there was little she could do to defend herself. She steadied herself for what was to come.
He stood in front of her, his body massive, built like a brick wall. He took a step back and leaned over her, placing his hands on either side of her head.
“You were admiring my scar earlier,” he said with a smile. “You know how I got this scar?” He raised an eyebrow.
Clarissa said nothing, didn’t even blink. She continued to stare him in the eye.
“Your boyfriend gave it to me, the dumb moron. He was helping us on a job…”
Clarissa interrupted him, “I don’t need a history lesson, asshole. I know all about your beauty mark. So get your stank breath out of my damn face.”
Charles smiled at her and stood up. “You’re feisty.” He licked his lips. “I like that.”
She didn’t respond. She just watched him as he unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. He reached down and grabbed her by the jaw.
“You like what you see?”
“Screw you.” Her arms pulled at the restraints.
“That’s the point,” he said.
He leaned over and ripped her blouse open. Clarissa closed her eyes and listened to the sound of her shirt buttons bouncing around on the floor. A lump formed in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes. Get ahold of yourself. Don’t cry for this asshole. She refused to allow him the pleasure of scaring her.
“Yeah, I like that,” he said glaring down at her while wiping away the tears that formed in her eyes. He placed his massive hands on her shoulders and massaged her upper back and her neck.
She fought with everything she had not to cringe at his touch.
“Maybe when this is all over, you and me can take a trip to the islands. The Boss has a nice set up down there.”
“Screw you,” she whispered.
“That would be included in the daily activities.”
Clarissa stared at the gray concrete wall. She couldn’t look him in the eye anymore.
“Don’t worry, I’m gonna take really good care...” His cell phone interrupted him. “For the love of God.”
She watched him lumber over to his coat, pulling his pants up so he didn’t trip over them. If only she could free her hand or her leg, she could surprise him when he got back. She might not be built like a boxer, but she knew where to strike a man to take him down. Her father and Jack had given her plenty of lessons in self-defense and she had no problem putting those lessons into action.
“What?” he shouted into his phone. He stood there with the cell phone pressed against his ear while holding his pants up with his other hand. “Ok, Boss. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Leaving so soon?” Clarissa asked.
He said nothing. He walked back and stopped a few feet in front of her.
“Run to your boss, bitch,” Clarissa said.
Charles smiled at her.
She didn’t know how much antagonizing he could take.
He started to turn towards the door and then stopped. “Go to hell,” he said as he delivered a kick to her chest that sent her and the chair reeling back into the wall. Her head hit the concrete wall, knocking her out. The chair tipped over onto the floor and she lie there with a small pool of blood forming around her head.
12
Jack had never been inside the old man’s compound. Neither had Bear. But both men had heard plenty of stories about the place: the prostitutes the old man kept on staff, the glamorous guest accommodations, the three-hole golf course, and the interrogation and prison cells underground. Jack had a pretty good idea where Clarissa and Mandy were being kept.
“So what’s the plan?” asked Bear.
Jack pulled out the access card and held it up for Bear to see. “This will get us in. I swiped it off of one of the men patrolling Clarissa’s building.”
“And then what?”
“I’ve got something he wants. He won’t do anything to me,” Jack said.
“You got the docs with you?”
“No,” Jack said. “They are hidden.”
“That’s comforting,” Bear said. “What about me?”
Jack smiled at his large fr
iend. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you either.”
“They can’t.”
The compound was well guarded. In the fifteen minutes they had been scouting the entrance they counted at least four sets of patrolling guards, ensuring that the entrance remained in sight at all times. Two more guards were positioned inside the gate, and at least half a dozen cameras were perched high and scanning in all directions.
“Ten,” Bear said.
“Yeah, plus the cameras.”
“Even if we get in, they are gonna have us spotted, Jack. And there is no way we get in without killing at least six of those guards.”
Jack started to rethink his idea. His entire plan was based on emotion. There was no logic to it. He had seen the results of plans like this. They’d be better off shooting themselves than walking into a hornet’s nest unannounced. “Dammit.” He pulled out his cell phone.
“What you doing?”
“I’m going to announce our presence.”
“Are you friggin’ kidding me? Jack, think about this for a second.”
“He’s not going to do anything. Those documents are worth more to him than anything else.”
“What are these damn documents?”
Jack frowned and gave Bear a look. Not just any look, the look. “You know better than to ask questions like that.”
Bear wiped the sweat from his large forehead. “Christ almighty. Why do I keep working with you?”
Jack laughed. “You’d be bored without me, Bear. Admit it.”
The large man forced a smile while shaking his head. “Go on then. Call him up.”
Jack searched through his cell’s call history until he reached the old man’s number. He highlighted it and hit send.
“Hello, Mr. Jack. I have been waiting for you. I’m glad to see you weren’t foolish enough to use that key card to come through the front gate.”
“Let them go,” Jack said.
“Will you not do me the courtesy of some polite conversation first?”
“Go to hell.”
“Mr. Jack, your profanity will not be tolerated. One more outburst and the little girl loses a finger.”
Jack bit his tongue as anger and frustration built up. He wished they had gone through the front gate instead. He took a deep breath to settle himself. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Good, I am glad you see it my way, Mr. Jack.”
He hated the way the old man called him Mr. Jack. For ten years he had put up with that shit and didn’t even know the old man’s first or last name. Nobody knew his name as far as Jack knew. He had a hunch that Charles did, but when he asked Charles, the big oaf smiled and said ‘Boss.’
“Mr. Jack, you have something I want. I have some things that you want. I have a proposal for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“In one half hour I will send one of my employees outside. He will exit the gate and walk twenty five feet exactly. You will come down from your hiding spot at the top of the hill and hand him the documents. After Mr. Charles and I have verified the contents of the documents I will release the little girl and the whore. Are we in agreement?”
“And the girl’s mother?”
The old man raised his voice. “Mr. Jack, this is not a time for questions. Are we in agreement?”
“No deal,” replied Jack. “You know I can sell those docs to the highest bidder and get ten times what you’re paying me.”
The old man laughed. “Are you trying to play hardball with me young man?”
“What assurance do I have you will let them go?”
“Assurance? In all the years we have worked together, have we ever had an issue, Mr. Jack?”
“No. But then again, you never tried to have me killed like you did today,” Jack replied.
“At least that you are aware of, Mr. Jack,” the old man said.
“Hang on.” Jack covered the mouthpiece of the phone and talked it over with Bear. “I don’t trust him on this Bear. He wants the documents and says he’ll release them after that.”
Bear’s advice was simple and to the point. “Tell him to eat shit.”
Jack returned to the phone. “I need more than that. Release one of them to me. Then I’ll go get the documents. We can meet somewhere public to complete the exchange.”
“Mr. Jack, you listen to me,” said the old man in a tone than Jack had never heard before. “I employ over 200 of the finest hit men, thieves, and cleaners on the east coast. I can make you disappear with a snap of my fingers.” He snapped his fingers close to the phone for emphasis. “Who do you think you are to demand this of me?”
“With all due respect, old man,” Jack said. “If they are the best, then why did you need me for this job?”
The old man said nothing. Jack heard muffled voices in the background. The old man was discussing it with Charles. Jack had a feeling this would work in his favor. Charles would do anything to create a situation where he and Jack would meet face to face. That meant he would do his best to persuade the old man to agree to Jack’s terms.
“Mr. Jack, you have a deal.”
Jack breathed a sigh of relief and gave Bear a thumbs up. The big guy wiped his brow and exhaled loudly while pretending to fall over and pass out.
“Choose now,” the old man said.
“Send out the little girl and her mother.”
“Oh, Mr. Jack, I am sorry to tell you that while the little girl is here with me, her mother did not make it.”
Jack fought back his rage. He pictured the old man sitting there with the girl next to him, stroking her hair as he talked about her mother’s death. He wondered when it happened, how it happened. He felt guilty. She died because of him. Mandy was an orphan because of him.
“Do you still want the girl, Mr. Jack? Or shall I send for the whore?”
“The girl,” Jack said. He knew Clarissa could take care of herself. These guys couldn’t break her.
“She will be out in twenty minutes. When the gate opens she will be sent out alone. You will meet her on the other side of the street. Do not step foot in the street, Mr. Jack. If you do so, my guards will be instructed to shoot you, and the little girl.”
Twenty minutes passed. Bear stayed on the hill to the north. Jack stood across the street in front of the gate. He could make out four guards flanking either side of the gate. All of them had their guns trained on him. He looked down in amusement at the red lights flickering around on his chest. Amateurs. He smiled and waved at the hidden gunmen.
The area behind the gate lit up when the door opened. He could make out the shape of a little girl walking through the courtyard. Mandy. The gate opened automatically. She slowly approached the curb, saw Jack, smiled.
He held a hand up to keep her from running into the street. He checked to make sure no cars were coming and then motioned for her to cross over to him.
Mandy ran as fast as she could and Jack knelt down, holding his arms open for her. She had the teddy bear grasped tightly in her right hand.
That damn softie, he gave it to her.
Jack held her tightly, kissed her forehead, and told her everything was going to be ok. “No one is ever going to take you again,” he said.
The guards kept their guns trained on Jack. He saw the red lights dancing on his chest and the back of the little girl’s head. “You bastards,” he yelled. “She’s a little girl. Put your weapons away.”
They didn’t budge.
Jack lifted the girl and held her close to his chest with one arm. His other hand held his gun tight. He backed up slowly, letting the night envelop them.
13
Jack and Bear owned or leased more than thirty five apartments and homes. Twenty of them were located in or just outside of the city. Last night they went to the one furthest from the old man’s compound. You were never fully out of his reach, though. His network was vast. He owned police precincts. He owned other criminal organizations. The Godfather had nothing on the old bastard.
Jack sat in a rocking chair on the front porch. He had been stationed there since before dawn, watching, waiting. He expected one of the old man’s teams to show up any moment. He was so focused on the street and surrounding homes he didn’t notice when Bear sat down next to him.
“Nice morning,” said Bear.
“Jesus, Bear. Scared the tar out of me.”
Bear let out a belly laugh and handed Jack a cup of coffee.
“Thanks,” Jack said. He took the mug and sipped on the coffee. “She still asleep?”
“Sound.”
“Poor thing. She must have been in a panic the whole time.”
Bear nodded.
“I want to take him down, Bear.”
Bear raised an eyebrow and looked at him out of the corner of his eye while scratching his bushy beard.
“I know it won’t happen overnight, but we can do it.”
“Jack, you need to relax. Get this job done and then take a few weeks to think about it. You don’t just go around declaring war on the old man. He has more contacts inside the government than you and I combined.”
Jack said nothing. His eyes scanned the street looking for anything out of the ordinary.
“He doesn’t know about this place, Jack.” Bear stood and opened the screen door. “C’mon, let’s get some breakfast and get the little girl ready to move.”
Jack followed Bear into the house, sat down at the kitchen table and continued to look out the window for any sign of the old man’s guys.
“Mornin’ Mister Jack,” a soft voice said.
Jack turned and smiled. Mandy was standing there, holding her teddy bear, eyes bright and blue. “How’re you, sweetheart?”
She shrugged.
“What would you like for breakfast?” He stood and walked to the cupboard to find some cereal, certain she would want something loaded with sugar.
“Can I have some eggs?”
“Sure sweetie. Bet you didn’t know that Bear over there is the finest egg-chef in the northeast!”
“Your name is Bear?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Bear said. “That ok with you?”