Hard Case: Boxed Set Books 1,2 & 3 (John Harding Books)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  Tess jerked the hem of her dress up. Oh mama. She smiled over at me. “I have time for some negotiations on the point of recompense. That Alexi guy was the one from the other night, wasn’t he? I would say meeting him at the school is a more remote happening than getting struck by lightning.”

  I chuckled. “You have a gift for stating the obvious, Tess. I’ve had so many goofy coincidences happen to me I’m usually prepared. I admit this Karma incident caught me flatfooted.”

  I reached over and moved my hand along her leg with a touch soft enough to make her shudder. “By the way, I don’t think running into Alexi was quite the coincidence it seemed. I bet one of the reasons he braced me at The Warehouse had more to do with you than talking me into a dive. That’s why the moron I slugged at the beginning wanted to keep you outside with me.”

  “Not bad, Harding,” Tess acknowledged, opening her legs slightly to accept the inner thigh caress I was carrying out. “Fiialkov couldn’t fake his Granddaughter’s part in this. He figured to cower you with his men in front of me. Later, he’d slip in an offhand mention of Lora and Alice. When you rained on his parade he came today hoping you’d be there to what… appear magnanimous?”

  “Very good, Connagher. It’s not a bad thing. Alexi couldn’t lose. If I hadn’t come, he could have added his glowering scowl to the son-in-law’s. The outcome then would have hinged on Principal Willis, with you, Lora, and Alice getting a scare thrown into you. When I did show up, Alexi makes a grand gesture, demonstrates his position, and scores points even more impressively.”

  “I’d feel more comfortable if it were just good Karma.”

  “Not me. I prefer duplicitous planning rather than haphazard meetings destined by the stars when it comes to Russian mobsters.”

  Tess laughed, squirming slightly under my touch as her breathing deepened. “You would. What do we do now?”

  “Enjoy the moment.”

  * * *

  I held Tess in my arms as she slept. It had been one fine late afternoon. Seeing the time on Tess’s nightstand clock I realize my next mission date loomed only hours away. Starting with her upper shoulders I use my hands to do the wakeup call. She murmurs in protest but turns into me just the same. The wakeup turns out to be a very tender affair I nearly decide to blow off my mission meeting to prolong through the night. When I roll towards the edge of the bed Tess yanks on my arm.

  “Hey what is this, the brush off?”

  “Worse, it’s the job. I have to get home, change, and take Jafar over to meet Samira. We have a date at seven to get acquainted. Can you get dressed and take me home or should I call a cab?”

  “I’ll take you. Can I come along?”

  “Not this time. There’s no telling whether Samira’s being watched. I’d rather no one sees you hanging around with me and Samira. She already has a bulls-eye painted on her. I don’t want you to have one too. I have enough to worry about with breaking Jafar into this.”

  Tess leaps on me as I get up from the bed, wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my throat. I wince slightly as Tess again forgets about my ribs. “Hey, you’re not helping. I thought we came to an agreement.”

  “You agreed. I’m protesting now.”

  “Tess. Don’t make me give you a spanking.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  A moment later Tess was over my left leg with her legs clamped by my right and her wrists trapped in my left hand. She squealed while trying to roll free. I gave her a hard swat.

  “Are you going to behave?”

  “Maybe. Can we continue this later?”

  She got me again. I straighten her up. “Get dressed or I will call a cab.”

  Tess sighs while observing the effect she was having on me with her arms folded over her chest. “Okay, but I want a rematch.”

  “We’ll see.” I dressed, stuffing the tie in my suit-coat pocket while Tess puts on jeans and a sweater top before tying her hair back in a ponytail. She sticks her feet inside some black slip-ons and faces me.

  “Will I see you again while you’re doing this gig?”

  “Unless we’re out of the area, I’ll be around at night if you’d like.”

  Tess walks over and leans against me, her head on my chest. “I like. You turned me inside out today and all I can think of is more.”

  “I’m glad. I’ll come back over late if you’ll be up.”

  Tess pushed away, walked over to the nightstand, and plucked a key out of the top drawer. She handed it to me. “It’s a spare door key. Come over whenever you can. Let yourself in if it’s real late.”

  I took the key from her with some trepidation. “I won’t abuse this.”

  “I know that. C’mon. Let’s get going before you tear right through your pants.”

  * * *

  Jafar met me at the door. He dressed just as I had instructed with dark slacks and pullover shirt. “How was your meeting? You were gone longer than I thought you would be.”

  “I’m glad you’re dressed.” I moved past him toward the bathroom. I needed a shower. “Did you have any trouble with the pants-on-the-ground crowd?”

  “Nope. They turned away whenever I passed any of them in the hall. Was that your doing?”

  “I may have explained some delicate points of contention to them. Relax for a few minutes. I’ll be ready to walk out of here shortly.”

  I looked Jafar over before we headed to our meeting. With a black leather jacket on over his shirt, he looked very handsome. “I think Samira will approve. Remember, saying less is better. Listen well. Speak only when it’s clear the girl wants to make conversation with you. Restraint is the key word. If you get nervous and start running off at the mouth this will not go well.”

  “You will be nearby, right?”

  “I won’t be leaving you on your own. Tonight we’re reviewing plans and getting to know each other while Government Inc fills us in on what Samira’s first speaking date will be like. Pay close attention to everything starting right now. Every detail is important. We’re not the Secret Service. We want to be as inconspicuous as possible which means no swiveling heads. Practice taking everything in as you would at the high school, knowing a beating would be forthcoming if the wrong person noticed your interest. There will be a quiz later.”

  “Will we be responsible for her 24/7?”

  “No. When she goes to a speaking engagement or one of those press briefings, we’ll be with her. The agency will handle security at Jack London Inn. I’ll take you with me when I recon the first speaking gig. You’ll need to learn where people who want to kill you will be setting up shop at a place they know you’ll be going to. Wait here. I’ll get a piece of equipment I want you to get very familiar with.”

  I retrieved two Leupold Mark 4 spotting scopes from my equipment stash. We went out back while I explained the basics for using a spotting scope, including range finding, and mentally marking quadrants in a search grid. Watching Jafar’s face I could tell he was a good pick for my tech junkie job. He grasped intricate sniper team and surveillance tactics almost instinctively. Jafar handled the Mark 4 with reverent care. The speed in which he perceived application use for the instrument was most impressive.

  “With practice, you and I will recon a speaking engagement in hours, referencing all the weak defense points. It’s both tedious and exhilarating. The first time you visit a site, mark the most likely position where a sniper team would set up, and then pinpoint where you should establish a team to intercept them will make your blood pump. Once an enemy team sets up right in front of your eyes in the exact location you predicted, the thrill will overcome any tedious elements of the task from then on.”

  “I am already fired up,” Jafar assured me. “Do they give you anything you ask for?”

  “If you convince me we need something once you’re familiar with recon, I’ll get it for you. Nearly anything you can imagine is probably possible so speak up. I admit to being more blunt force trauma than high tech artistr
y but I have background and training in stuff you’ve only seen in movies. C’mon, we have to go.”

  In the car on the way over to our meet, I caution Jafar because I see that high tech gleam in his eye. “Keep in mind when people are involved in any aspect of this type work, they have mass and take up space. Our employers will have stuff in place by now to track every single person parking a vehicle or walking by, into, or near Jack London Inn. We will not trust their surveillance. You and I will go over everything they have so far together after we leave and every day thereafter. Think of this gig like the old X-Files show: trust no one. No matter how much high tech gear you have it all comes down to people.”

  Jafar nods like he understands so I go on because I doubt he does. “Don’t over think either. Using instinct for what you know about people will surpass anything you do with the gear. We don’t want to react to scumbags. We want to outthink scumbags. When you see the Secret Service with their revolving heads, ear pieces, and sunglasses, they’re the last line of defense after thousands of man hours failed to predict and filter out danger.”

  “I think I get it. You don’t want me pretending this is a video game.”

  I chuckle. That was cute. Maybe the kid does get it. “Yeah, pretty much.”

  I parked a couple blocks away from Jack London Inn. As we walked toward the Inn, I watched Jafar in the fading light. When we came abreast of the Inn, I led him into the parking structure.

  “What do you think?”

  “Not very scenic in front but very nice for protecting someone. That out of business Borders bookstore building across the street hardly has any windows. The Embarcadero is wide and with the parking garage right under the Inn, we don’t have to be out in the open when we escort the young woman. The water’s on the other side so...”

  Jafar hesitates before going on. “We will have to check for boats on the water which have a clear view of the room where she stays.”

  “You’re a natural, kid.” I’m impressed and I don’t get impressed easily. “The boat would have to be a goodly distance from shore to get line of sight on her room. I’m glad Denny didn’t choose the Jack London Waterfront Inn over there by the water. Too much access and visibility. Let’s go meet her. I think you’ll like the layout in here too. It’s a little seedy, but the Inn has a lot going for it if you’re protecting one of the guests. When I’ve been hired to bodyguard someone visiting the Bay Area I recommend the Inn if they’re not too concerned with ambience. It’s in the middle of Jack London Square and they can take the ferry over to Pier 41 in San Francisco or get there by BART train. Also Jack London Square station is nearby to catch AMTRAK anywhere inland.”

  “Do you get hired to bodyguard people often,” Jafar asks as we enter the Inn.

  “Six or seven times a year. My manager Tommy lines that stuff up. He has a website for advertising our services.”

  “As what, a head-breaker?”

  “No, smart-ass. Tommy gets us into the search engines for finding people, especially the skip traces. We do maybe four or five a month from bond agencies out of state. He advertises us as a guardian type service too.”

  I get the lady at the service desk to buzz the suite. Dennis has her send us up.

  We don’t get intercepted on the way to the room so I figure Dennis has the suite floor ringed with his own people. The door opens to the suite as Jafar and I get close. Dennis gives me a grand gesture to come inside. The Jack London Inn suites are pretty good sized. This one had a gorgeous ocean view but for the buildings between the Inn and the pier. Dennis had wisely pulled all the curtains for safety. Samira Karim stood up from the couch as we walked in. All grown up from the little girl I remembered with the big haunted eyes, this young woman waiting calmly with welcoming smile had clearly aged into a confident adult. She wore a modest ankle length burgundy dress which fitted tightly at all the right places if my sideward glance at Jafar meant anything. I estimated her height around five and a half feet tall with an extra inch added from the slight lift her black high heeled shoes gave her. Samira’s face had matured into soft fullness from the lean hard features of childhood. A black veil controlled her shoulder length black hair. Next to Samira sat a huge black German shepherd dog with tongue lolling as he glanced from us to his mistress.

  The dog looked very much like the mutt my squad had in Afghanistan. When we lost Rocky in a firefight, I swore off ever having an animal. Funny how a squad of killers could wipe out a dozen attacking men without blinking and cry when their damn dog gets it. Yeah, Samira and her damn dog were yanking up memories I buried a long time ago. She walked toward me with hand outstretched. I clasped it carefully in my mitt.

  “It is very good to see you again, John.”

  She had mastered perfect English with a very slight accent. “You are all grown up, little one.”

  Samira giggled as Dennis now stood next to her observing us in that annoying know-it-all way he has. “I have not heard ‘little one’ in a long time. My Father apologizes for asking your assistance in watching out for me here. He told me to remind you of your debt to him of five dollars.”

  I nodded my understanding. I had bet the old coot Samira would be married by the time she was fifteen. “You probably stayed single to make me lose my bet and your old man didn’t marry you off just to spite me.”

  I gestured at Jafar who had remained quiet without the initial drooling look on his face. “This is Jafar Kensington. He works with me now. Kid, this is Dennis Strobert and Samira Karim.”

  Dennis leaned forward to shake hands with Jafar. “John’s told me a lot about you. Luckily for you it’s proven to be true so far from our investigation.”

  Jafar shook his hand but gave Dennis nothing except a slight smile. He turned toward Samira and held out his hand. “I am happy to meet you.”

  The teens’ hands clasped and the kid looked into Samira’s eyes as if he had known her all his life. Samira blushed. Dennis grinned and gave me a slight nod of acknowledgement.

  “I… I too am pleased to meet you, Mr. Kensington.”

  “Just Jafar would be very nice.” Jafar looks at me while still holding on to Samira’s hand. “That would be much better than kid.”

  She laughed appreciatively at Jafar’s adlib while not pulling out of his grasp. “I am Samira. Will you be with John when he escorts me?”

  “Jafar will be your escort, Samira,” I answered for Jafar. “He will be next to you at all times while I listen and watch. Will that be okay with you?”

  “Yes, it would.” Samira releases Jafar’s hand finally. “I hope we can avoid pictures or my Father will surely fly here in a panic.”

  “It would serve him right for not arranging a marriage for you already. If he sees a picture of you and Jafar together your old man will have a handpicked husband on the tarmac when you return with my five bucks.”

  Samira laughed. “He misses you giving him the…the needle. And what of you Jafar? Do you think my Father will have a husband awaiting me if he sees pictures of us together?”

  To my surprise Jafar bowed slightly, looking down away from Samira. “It would not be my place to know such a thing. I would be very grateful though to have a picture of us together.”

  Samira reached up and patted Jafar’s cheek. “You shall have more than one.”

  Oh man, when I’m right, I’m right. Samira had hardly glanced at me since her introduction to Jafar. The dog and I however were bonding. The big wolf stared at me like I had a pork chop tied around my neck. I knelt on one knee and held out my hand to him. He jutted forward with his head under my hand. When I scratched his head, the mutt’s wagging tail and body bumped up against me.

  “Naji,” Samira whispered, surprise on her face as she looked away from Jafar for the first time. “He has never done that with any stranger before, John. Naji is polite but very protective.”

  “John had a dog back before he met your family,” Dennis chirped in like an irritating little bird. “What was that mutt’s name… R
ocky – it was Rocky. Did he ever make it back?”

  “The Rock bought it near Marjah. Naji, huh?” I clasp Naji’s face in my hands. “So your name means safe. Do you keep Samira safe?”

  “Arf!”

  “You… you made him speak. Even I cannot make him speak. A soldier on the base gave him to me when he was only a puppy two years ago and helped me train him.”

  “I’m glad you have him. No human can be as wary of danger. If he’s good in a crowd I’d like you to have him with you at all times.”

  “Naji never leaves my side. I hope you like him, Jafar.” Samira knelt next to Naji, holding him around the neck. She reached up and took Jafar’s hand, guiding it to Naji’s head. Jafar stroked the dog’s head while Samira kept her hand on Jafar’s. I could tell Naji understood as his tail wagged in acceptance of his mistress’s message.

  I didn’t have to worry about Jafar. Samira could have been guiding his hand onto a thirty foot long python’s head and Jafar would have gone along with it. Dennis motioned for me to break away for a meeting.

  “You two get to know each other while I talk things over with Dennis.”

  Outside the suite Dennis gestures back at the room. “How’d you know that would work?”

  “Gee Denny, I don’t do the touchy feely stuff too well. I would have figured you’d have picked up on the whole birds and bees thing a while back. I can recommend a good book that-”

  “Shut up!” Dennis laughs. “Okay, I had that coming. You finished now?”

  “I had a feeling about Jafar. He’s more savvy than you’d ever figure on. Intuitive is a better word. If I can keep him in my new business plan, he’ll make me a fortune. It wouldn’t hurt if he gets involved with Samira. I can foresee in these times I’ll be able to interest you folks in Dark Government with many projects using my two private contractors.”

  Dennis stopped smiling. “Why you… don’t even think about it, Harding. You recruit for me. What the hell do you think this is? We’re not letting you extort money from us on work done by our own employees.”

  “Want to try keeping them without me?”