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

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  Everyone laughed and clinked glasses with Tommy.

  “He ain’t even marked up much for the coming UFC gig, Tommy,” Earl added, grabbing my chin with professional posturing.”

  Tommy sighed. “At least Jack Korlos talked DL out of killing the guy.”

  “He hadn’t tapped out,” I protested to much laughter. It was then I saw Lora come through the entrance with Denny Strobert. He’s using our Oakland Investigations, Bond Retrieval and Security business to front for Company assets, namely Casey Lambert, Lucas Blake, me, and our IT kid, Jafar Kensington. Lora struck a deal with the devil and threaded Casey and Lucas into our everyday stuff. They’re happy with the deal and we can look out for each other. What we needed was a top notch investigator to go legit from the Company. I had my eye on Clint Dostiene. We all chewed sand with him overseas. Clint always had a real talent for sniffing out bad guys. Denny had told me he might be able to get us all together.

  Denny’s all smiles, escorting Lora. She gives me a big hug, inspecting my face in much the same manner Earl did. “Look who stopped by. Denny watched the fight on the Al Jazeera Channel and called me. I figured even he couldn’t mess up your mood here.”

  “That’s hurtful, Lora,” Denny complains with pouty lip, while shaking hands with Tommy and the PD. Earl and ‘Rique have a lower level clearance Denny instigated with the higher ups in case something got out of hand locally. “I have excellent news to share with John, and here you clip me off like a rabid mongoose.”

  That statement draws big yucks from my slightly inebriated companions. I’ve nearly washed away the taste and thought of Dixon. With another quick Marla supplied Beam shot and a chug of Bud, I’m feeling real good about the night. I give Lora a quick kiss. “Save my spot, Hon, while I go find out what possible good news the Spawn of Satan could have for me.”

  Denny’s enjoying this verbal beat down. That means he has something really good, or equal parts good and bad. “Very funny, Dark Lord. Have you chugalugged enough to walk with me for a moment?”

  I head for the door with a gesture for him to follow. “Sure, Denny. Let’s hear what you got. I hope it’s as upbeat as you say or I will be upset, Denny Buzz-killer.”

  He laughs and nods as we clear the doorway. “I have Clint lined up for a West Coast move. The way we get him is a bit more complicated.”

  He has my attention now. No more joking around with the master – I need to find out who I have to kill in order to recruit Clint Dostiene. He’s the puzzle piece we’re missing. If I can get Clint out here, Oakland Investigations will become the most prominent consulting firm in the Western Hemisphere. Best of all, we’ll call our own shots. I walk along with him for a moment before saying anything. He waits.

  “How do we get it done, Denny? Last I heard, Clint got porked and retreated up to his mountaintop. I didn’t know he was even speaking to you.”

  Denny grinned over at me. “Clint knew I went to bat for him when they tried to railroad him over the unauthorized Silva sanction. When the FBI circle jerk, profiling crew failed miserably with the latest serial killings, they approached me to lure Clint out of his hidey hole. I told them to go ahead. They screwed up not keeping him as a consultant. The FBI went to the mountaintop, but when Clint heard the psycho he’d captured was being held by the Los Zetas down in Mexico, he came undone. First, he made the FBI route satellites pointing at the cartel’s compound where she’s being held. Then he says he’s going in to get this Lynn Montoya out. Then he calls me.”

  Oh boy. I have a feeling where this is headed. “Clint wants some help for the assault?”

  “That sums it up. If he gets it, he’s going to handle a little lone wolf op for us. For the team helping, it’s an in and out. Then I need a presence at Antelope Wells to make sure if Clint gets the secondary op completed, he and Montoya pass through in country without a stop. Interested?”

  I’m a little psycho myself, so envisioning a well armed assault on the Los Zetas with Lucas, Casey, Clint and me stirs the blood, especially if I get to keep Clint. I know there’s more to this than that. The Spawn of Satan must be paid in the coin of the realm for something like this to take place. The Antelope Wells crossing is a dead giveaway. Denny wants Montoya, and he doesn’t want any local law snagging her.

  I’ll take a stab at it. “This Montoya has your juices flowing. I thought she was a serial killer who got off on a technicality. If you’re sending us to Antelope Wells for safe passage, you’ve got plans. Care to share?”

  “Same old, same old, John. Clint’s in love with this Montoya for some unknown reason. In reality, she only killed bad guys. She uses a knife like Edward Scissorhands. I need an anomaly like Montoya with us. I believe Clint can keep her in line, and she’d be invaluable in a lot of situations, one being your Las Vegas gig you almost blew. Montoya can lure our player away from his bodyguards, and we can try her out with you guys backing her play.”

  “For the record, everything we do on American soil is illegal, Spawn, so what makes the difference if we have a cover story or not? If I’d lost the UFC shot, we could have arrived in Las Vegas the roundabout way by car, set up early, and waited for our chance.”

  “We don’t need to rehash this stuff. You won. They’ll be clamoring for you in LV now. By morning, YouTube will have ten versions of the fight, all with subtitles like Harding gets brutal, violent, and murderous with Dixon. What the hell was that all about anyway, John? You carried the poor sap into the fourth round.”

  I shrug. “Dixon made an error with his mouth. It’s over. So, you think Clint’s girlfriend can stick this guy with one of your concoctions after getting him into bed, huh?”

  “That would be my plan,” Denny replied. “The FBI will be watching her and Clint because they’ll be there for a legit bust on a serial rapist In LV. I’m getting that set up. It’s all wishful thinking if you guys can’t get Montoya out of Mexico. Clint sent me a hell of a plan. I put it at our Internet drop for Jafar to get for you. How’s the kid doing anyway?”

  “His logistics, IT, and hacking skills surpass anyone I’ve ever seen. We’re working on his combat skills so he’s not a liability in the field. He’s a quick study, and is starting to acquire the adrenaline junky attitude we sometimes need. With his language skills, I have no doubt he will be one of the best you’ll ever get a hold of.”

  “Good. I’m putting him at Antelope Wells to handle logistics. I want to network him with Laredo across the border during the op.”

  “Laredo Sawyer’s still around?”

  Denny laughed. “Do we have any other Laredo that you know of?”

  “I know Laredo and Clint are tight. Laredo went in and pulled Clint out of the Yucatan. You ever make things right with Dostiene after that fiasco?”

  “As a matter of fact I have a pleasant surprise for Clint on the lone wolf gig after he gets Montoya. He will be real pleased with the bonus he’s bound to run into on that run. He luckily got free of that traitorous bastard down there just before you, Lucas and Casey went rogue and turned it into an international incident.”

  Know it all prick. Yeah, the Company can write us off to protect foreign sensibilities. We don’t write each other off. What Denny doesn’t know is us three musketeers backed Laredo up on the extraction. We did a little population control around the LZ, neat and quiet.

  Denny glances over at me. “I bet you think I didn’t know Laredo called you three down to protect his old ass when he picked up Clint.”

  Prick. “It’s not that Denny. I just don’t care.”

  Denny chuckles. No one does what he does, or is as good at doing it. That’s why I haven’t killed him yet. If I ever go to ground though, Denny better be along for the ride. I ain’t ever leavin’ him behind me to hunt my ass down.

  “So, we good?”

  “Count on it. You understand if Clint doesn’t make it up to Antelope Wells at the appointed time, there will be an incident, right?”

  Denny nods as we stand there staring at each ot
her a little ways down from the bar. Denny and I ate sand together. I don’t play people I respect. “It’s the price of doing business. I have the chance to put together the most dangerous group of individuals I’ve ever met, John. If all this proceeds as planned, and you absorb Clint and his psycho girlfriend into your West Coast mix, it will be like making the theme of the old ‘Shadow’ radio series come to life. ‘Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!’. How’s that?”

  I busted up laughing. Only Denny could foment a group of cold blooded killers into some nostalgia quote from an old radio show. “Just so you know things could get complicated for you - we’ll get it done or possibly ruin relations with Mexico for a hundred years.”

  “It’s good you keep your sense of humor, John. Let’s go back inside before Lora comes out and tears me a new one. Let’s do this.”

  “I hope I don’t ever have to gut you like a rainbow trout, Den.”

  Denny patted my shoulder. “Yeah… me too, John.”

  * * *

  A figure ropes down from the old Huey with practiced ease. A big dog is anchored to him. He disengages quickly with the dog staying at his side, but gets low to the ground with weapon at the ready. Only his head moves, sighting in at the surroundings as the Huey flies off toward the horizon. “Dumbbell down.”

  I snort out my controlled humor. “Hey Clint, how’s it hangin’?”

  “Five by five, brother.” Clint stands up, hands in the air.

  We come up toward him like a gentle sand/kaki wave. Lucas gets emotional, going over and hugging his protégé with an endearing embrace that goes beyond protocol. Yeah, that bothers us. It bothers me because I know Casey will torture him with it for the next couple months. Casey and I have MAC-10’s in business like directions making sure the reunion doesn’t get interrupted.

  “Damn! It’s good to see you, Clint!” Lucas pulls Clint along with him and we’re underway in moments with his dog on our six.

  * * *

  After scoping out our prep work, we retreat to an area where we’ve set up a safe camp. Clint goes over the mapping for his retreat points with care on our field laptop. He’s always been methodical. Tonight is no exception. Then with the cartel compound structure blueprints up in 3D, he adds his explosive’s placement.

  “How’s that look, Lucas?”

  Lucas chuckles. “They’ll think they were hit with cruise missiles. We brought enough for those specs. I’m glad you didn’t do any last second rethink on them. I’ll be close order ground level backup. John and Casey will be at the two vantage points you picked out from the satellite photos you blackmailed the FBI into getting.”

  “I appreciate this, guys,” Clint said. “I’m already on the pad for the Yucatan, and don’t think I’ll ever forget that one.”

  I waved him off. “You bring Tonto and your new female experiment out to the coast when we finish, and we’re all even up.”

  “Count on it, John. Give me a little time once I get her North to feel things out, and we’ll give that deal in Las Vegas a roll of the dice. You’ll be impressed with her. I’m looking forward to seeing you fight. You’re nuts. You do know that, right?”

  My head dropped with chin on chest, doing my award winning hurt look, while my partners yucked it up. “Not you too, brother. I get raked over the coals now from all sides. I was hoping to get a little understanding from you.”

  “Hey, it’s a sweet deal, and I know Denny loves the cover,” Clint replied. “I’m just glad it ain’t me getting my head beat in keeping it active. I hear tell you got a yacht too.”

  “We have to keep it a secret because Lucas claimed it and cut his partners off,” Casey remarked. “No one wants to go on board it. One scratch and homeboy here will be at your house drawing a bead on your head. John and I have given up any hope of ever sailing in it unless Denny includes The Sea Wolf in a mission.”

  “No way Denny’s putting the Wolf out on mission.” I gang up on Lucas. “Denny’s scared shitless he’ll wake up one morning with a horse’s head in bed with him by way of Popeye the Sailor here.”

  By this time Lucas is barking out laughter making even Tonto start to look around uneasily.

  “Somebody gag him before he brings the whole damn cartel down on us,” Casey urges.

  Lucas starts waving his hand. “I…I’m done… I’m done. See what I have to put up with, Clint. These clowns get a beautiful sailing ship, and right away they want to turn it into a garbage scow. It has staterooms and everything you can think of for armament.”

  “Sounds real nice,” Clint replied. “I look forward to seeing it.”

  Lucas grinned. We could see his white teeth even in the darkness. “I’ll get you a picture of my baby. I don’t allow visitors.”

  Clint cracked up at that line. “Okay, John, I see where you’re coming from on the boat.”

  I decided to throw chum in the water. “Keep it on the down low, Clint. Once you’re with us on the coast, we’ll have an intervention for Captain Ahab here.”

  That busted everyone up, except of course Captain Ahab.

  “I’m glad you brought this out in the open, John,” Lucas said, his hand stroking his chin like he was musing seriously. “I’ve decided I’ll have to frag you on this op.”

  “You guys are the best,” Clint defused the frag bomb… I hope.

  * * *

  Casey and I had the high ground with our M107 fifty caliber sniper rifles when the first of the explosives went off in the cartel’s armament buildings. Clint’s planted C4 packages vaporized them when the munitions went off stored inside. Cartel soldiers streamed out of the other buildings, milling around in confusion, some firing up in the air through the smoky haze. Lucas opened up with the fifty caliber machine gun at ground level while Casey and I killed everything else his fifty couldn’t get at. By prior agreement, we allowed women and children housed there to run for the hills. Their male companions didn’t make it. Clint worked building to building, clearing each one before blowing it up. He had already disabled their vehicles.

  Casey and I then concentrated on the last building where Clint said they kept Montoya. We fired at all targets through the building’s windows that were clearly cartel soldiers. I pulped the head of a soldier on an upper floor. Through the window I saw a brief flash of red. I figured it might be Clint’s girlfriend, so I broke silence.

  “I think you were right about your girl’s whereabouts. I just caught a glimpse of her on the third floor.”

  Clint was out in front of the building by that time with Lucas backing him up. He held up a fist in acknowledgement and went in. After he and Lucas did some mop up work inside Lucas jogged back out.

  “We’re good, John,” Clint said in my ear. “You guys take off. Tonto will see to the grounds. I’ll go up and get Montoya once you guys are out of the immediate area. See you for a moment up at Antelope Wells.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want us to stick around and cover your trail to the LZ?”

  “Nope. I got this.”

  “I hope she’s all you think she is, meat,” Lucas put in.

  “Ditto,” Casey added.

  “She is. See you guys on the flip side.”

  Tonto busily checked bodies on the ground, only giving us a perfunctory glance as we made our way out of the compound area. We had come down to back up the dog, but he didn’t need it. We let Lucas lead at his own pace, him being the oldest, which we never let him forget. I packed his fifty along with my own sniper rifle and MAC-10. Lucas glanced back at me for a moment.

  “Think he’ll be okay, John?”

  I shrugged. “He’ll make it. We need to get out of here and regroup at Antelope Wells. If things go bad we can launch back across from there. I’d like Jafar to monitor Clint’s favor for Denny with Laredo. They can network and keep us informed.”

  “I never figured Clint would fall for some dame this hard,” Casey said.

  “You and me both, partner,” Lucas agreed.

&
nbsp; “She must be one fine, deadly lady,” I concluded.

  * * *

  Lynn Montoya dove to the floor as a shot shattered the window, and pulped the head of a bodyguard for Louisa Medina. She kicked off her strapped high heels, slithering rapidly to the corner of the room, watching the chaotic scene unfold with detached interest. She knew if it were a rival cartel attacking Medina’s holdings, they would kill everyone. Lynn spotted Louisa propped against the bookcase against the far wall with a stunned expression as she cowered fearfully. Lynn crawled in rapid movements toward Medina with a smile of satisfaction. She would either barter Medina for a few seconds of life or choke the life out of her with the last breath she took on earth. Explosions began ringing out in staccato succession as Lynn gained the side of Medina, clasping her right hand in both of hers reassuringly. Medina gasped in shock until she recognized Lynn.

  “Oh God, Lynn!” Medina hugged Montoya gratefully. “When they get here, we will both be bought women, brought here for the weekend. We can possibly be spared if they believe us.”

  Lynn patted Medina’s back. “Of course, my lover – we will fool them.”

  Hope spread over Medina’s features. “Yes… we will have to convince them. If we get free, I will make you a princess. You will want for nothing the rest of your life.”

  Lynn kissed Medina’s forehead tenderly. “Cara Mia, we will break free of this. Let me lead. I am very proficient with my sexual skills. The key will be convincing them we are whores of the cartel. As I say, let me lead.”

  “Of course… my darling. It will be as you say.”

  The two women remained in each other’s arms through the sporadic gunfire and explosions that followed in the next hour. The chaos deteriorated into silence, broken only by an isolated shot at uneven intervals over the next half hour. The door swung open to their room, revealing nothing as the two women watched, one cringing in anticipation, while the other prepared to make calculated decisions. After a brief moment, a kaki clothed apparition lurched in fast to the right of the room, his face obscured by the thin black mask he wore. Lynn stared in disbelief at the blue/grey eyes scanning the room.