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

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  Denny gave Devon Constantine a slight nod. Dev continued the ploy. Of course we all knew it wasn’t a ploy, but Denny liked the looks he was seeing the Albanians were trading back and forth.

  “Jess and I clean up after Cruella, Dhamo… you moron. We don’t even stay to watch what she does,” Dev added. “We’re not like you guys though. Most times if Cruella gets the info before she gets her knife out, you get a quick ending or prison. I doubt you bunch will ever see a prison, but man, take my word for it: there are things worse than death.”

  “How can you people do this!” Dhamo was trying to get up. Casey helped him the rest of the way.

  “We have a volunteer for the tow line,” Case said. He tousled Dhamo’s hair. “He would have been my first choice anyway.”

  “Mine too.” Lynn smiled, patting Dhamo’s cheek. “He thinks this is all a game we’re playing for our own amusement, which in a way is true. Once I gut him, and we’re towing him ever so slowly along in the water, Mr. Dhamo here will be an object lesson his buddies on the deck won’t ever forget.”

  I could tell Denny was satisfied with the progress.

  “Let’s get off, and let them get started,” Denny said. “We’ll see you guys in LA. You have the satellite hookup, so send anything you have to Jafar. If we can hit those places the moment you reach port, so much the better. Any info you get on the way down will help us cordon off the areas we’ll be hitting.”

  “We’ve done this route before. With the current in our favor, we’ll make LA in about two days,” I replied. “I don’t want the guys to miss anything when we’re trolling for Jaws, so we’ll wait for first light before questioning them. Lynn will have targets a little while after that for you guys to confirm. If you find out they’re lyin’, give us a call, and we’ll ask them a little less politely.”

  “Oh, wait a minute, Dev,” Clint said, stopping the group as they were getting off. “You and Jess better let me know what Tommy wants done with his pug while he’s with us. We don’t want him to miss his training.”

  “Yeah, brother!” Dev and Jess were enjoying that offer. Dev pointed at my scowling face with enthusiasm. “We’ll have T map out exactly what he wants John doing while out at sea. How long can he stay in the water without dying?”

  Clint rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Quite a while. It’s probably pretty warm all the way down… maybe fifty to sixty degrees. I figure he could do an hour in there.”

  “What!?” Okay, this was not funny, although everyone else was laughing except for the Albanians. They still thought they were in the Twilight Zone, which in a way, they were. “I’m not being tortured. What is it you want to know? I’ll tell… I’ll tell.”

  “Don’t be a pussy, John,” Dev told me. “You have to be ready for The Destroyer. Tommy will know exactly the right regimen for you in the water. Maybe Clint can hold the boat steady while Cruella beats on you.”

  Oh, they were really getting into it now. I grinned. “You remember what happened to Van Rankin when he tried to tap out on me, Dev.”

  “Bye, John.” Dev turned immediately with Jess a heartbeat behind.

  Clint was still laughing as the rest of our compatriots cleared the boat, but Lynn looked confused. “Wow, you sure turned Dev’s water off. What was that about?”

  “Dev and Jess train John. They’re his sparring partners. Tapping out means the same as with us fooling around with holds. I watched John’s UFC fight with Rankin. Poor old Van wanted to tap out, but the Dark Lord twisted him away from the referee’s sight and snapped his neck. I think Dev and Jess probably don’t want to test out the tapping out after too many smartass remarks.”

  Lynn turned to me. “Damn, DL, you killed that Rankin guy on purpose, huh? What was that about?”

  I shrugged. “He was blowing kisses at Lora in the audience.”

  Lynn got a big laugh out of that answer. “Definitely… a killing offense.”

  “We’d best get moving,” Clint said. “You want to drive for a while, John?”

  “Sure, but don’t think I’ve forgotten about you butting in to offer training suggestions, you prick. Cast off the lines.”

  “Are you stupid? I didn’t just fall off the turnip cart yesterday.” Clint grinned at me. “The moment those lines come off, you hit the gas, and I hit the water. I don’t think so.”

  Damn it. “Fine, I’ll cast off. Start up the diesels. You gangsters get down on the deck. Show them their lovely parting gift when they don’t comply instantly to orders, Lynn.”

  Cruella reached into an equipment bag and pulled out a special eighteen inch long nightstick. She fired off an arc. “You boys don’t move fast enough, I massage your balls with this. Any questions?”

  Dhamo dived immediately to the deck.

  “Good boy,” Lynn complimented him. “Okay, I think we’re ready, but give me a minute to put on some boating clothes.”

  “Sure, I’ll warm up the engines.” Clint went forward while Lynn took some clothing into the main cabin.

  I watched the guys on the deck. It didn’t take a mind reader to know our Albanian Mafia representatives thought we were not only nuts, but that we would do exactly what we threatened. They were eyeing each other, wondering which would pop first. I knew without a doubt Dhamo would tell us everything by morning. Having to cruise along the rest of the night, thinking about being shark bait with your intestines hanging out would make for a very bad night.

  The diesels kicked on in a low roar with the usual clanking reverie. Lynn emerged from the cabin dressed in jeans, blue hoodie sweatshirt, heavy socks and tennis shoes. She gave me a little wave. “Cast off, ye landlubber!”

  “I thought you agreed I was Captain,” I reminded her.

  “That’s only if I’m not on board, ye varmint! Cast off I say, or feel me lash!”

  That was good pirating. “Aye, Captain.”

  I went out to cast off, looking up at the night sky, the harbor marina filled with boats, the lights on shore. I knew this was not supposed to be a pleasure cruise, but we were going to have some fun when we weren’t scaring the crap out of our guests. This was one part of what we do. On the flipside of the same coin we were about to take a voyage along one of the most beautiful coastlines on earth. I planned to lock our Albanians down for the night, and sip a couple up on the fly deck as we coasted along on our way. After that damn night swim to take the boat, I figured I had that and more coming to me. With the lines cast off and secured, I gave Clint a wave we were set. I stayed where I was, enjoying the view, as he steered out to sea. Holding tight to the railing at the bow, the jaunt out of the marina was a good one.

  After we reached the beginning part on our route, Clint used the already plotted course entered into the navigation unit for returning to LA. He gave Lynn a quick course on shutting down the boat if anything happened while he and I took care of our duties as prison guards. We gave each one a chance to stretch, use the bathroom, have a little to eat and drink, and whine about their treatment. One warning from Cruella was all it took to curb the complaining. Clint and I then secured the Albanians in suitable manner that they would have needed someone to parachute on board to get them loose.

  “You thinking what I’m thinking, DL?”

  “I am indeed, brother. This boat is well stocked with sipping whiskey, and mixes. I’m not having a mixer. I’m having a sipper.”

  Clint agreed. “That’s golden with me. Hey, Cruella? What would you like to drink? DL and I are going to sip an adult beverage up on the fly deck while we put the boat on slow cruise. We need the Captain here to come up with a name for our new boat.”

  “You call me Cruella one more time, pork chop, and… and… oh hell, just bring me a glass of wine.”

  Clint looked at me with knitted brows. “That’s the first time she ever asked for wine. Do we have any wine?”

  I went back to the bar. “Yep. There’s white or red.”

  “Go with the red,” Clint directed. “I’ll get the Jim Beam and our glasses
.”

  It was only five minutes later we were all up on the luxurious fly deck, cruising at a few nautical miles per hour. I wanted to savor these moments tonight. I toasted my companions. “To more moments like this.”

  “Amen, brother,” Clint said.

  We sipped with the breeze in our faces, and it was good.

  Lynn reached over and popped me playfully on the forehead. “I bet that went right to your toes after the sea attack, huh DL?”

  “Correcto,” I replied, pouring another.

  Lynn sat up. “I figured it would be pretty obvious soon, and this is a perfect time to share it. I’m pregnant.”

  She stated it in such a matter-of-fact manner, it took a moment to register. Clint dropped to his knees, enfolding the laughing Lynn in his arms. These two must have been planning this behind the Dark Lord’s back. Lynn hugged Clint with all her might. It never seemed possible these two would ever reach the marriage stage. Now, they went and skipped right to the kid stage. I sipped my whiskey, simply enjoying these two monsters sharing at least the most touching moment of their lives. The incongruous fact Lynn could walk down right after announcing she was having a baby, and cut the heart out of a trussed up Albanian made this scene so surreal as to be unimaginable… for most people. For me, it seemed just about right.

  I reached over and clasped Lynn’s hand. “Congratulations. You know you didn’t have to come with us. Clint and I could have handled this.”

  “What, and miss announcing it here in a setting like this? I couldn’t think of a more beautiful place to tell Clint. It’s a boy, by the way. I’m not much of a mystery fan. I needed to know, so I could get my head around it.”

  Clint stroked her face. “You’re amazing. Did the doctor say anything about possible complications?”

  “Nope. All the inner parts are working fine. I’m not far enough along to have an amniocentesis test done yet. I missed a period, and checked right away. I’m only about five weeks along.”

  “Between now and our clearing up this slave trade mess, with my next fight tacked on, you’ll probably be into your third month on the honeymoon cruise at the rate pork chop here is setting up info on our prospective hit.”

  Clint took my jab with a grin. “You forget we’re still waiting on support from Senator Braxton. She’s being very careful, in spite of Denny garnering some very important figures at our back thanks to recent successes. The whole op is ready to go with or without her help. Denny already received a guarantee for drone support when we hit the home base. We’re playing hard to get right now, letting the hook float for the time being. I’m figuring you and I will go in and light up the target, once we make initial contact with the Wolf. I’ll even make sure you have a wetsuit this time, John.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “I don’t like that our honeymoon cruise hinges on the Dark Lord surviving his fight with that damn yeti,” Lynn said.

  “They write John off all the time,” Clint replied. “He’ll be okay.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  “Besides, Denny said if he gets killed, we’ll train Dev to fill in.”

  I listened to the two of them yuck it up over Clint’s ace. “Good one.”

  “I don’t like the name of this boat: Tirana. What the hell does that mean,” Lynn asked.

  “It’s an Albanian city the mobsters down below seeped out of. That’s our next order of business.” Clint filled our shot glasses. Lynn refused his offer of more wine. “I think we ought to go with your cage name: The Hard Case.”

  “Nope. I’m christening it Lora. Tommy already thinks I’m pussy-whipped, so that will really piss him off. Besides… I am pussy-whipped.”

  When we finished laughing at that one, Lynn leaned over and patted my hand. “I heard from Lora that you’re flirting with the young moms on the way to taking Alice and the Sparks’ Twins to school. Want to confirm or deny that accusation?”

  “I have a couple of the aforementioned moms flirting with the Dark Lord. I do not flirt back, but Lora’s Minnie-me rats me out as if I do anyway. She gets a kick out of her Mom nearly going mental, trying to figure out which one it is by Al’s description.”

  “I’m never letting Clint walk the boy to school.”

  “Huh?” Clint nearly spilled his shot. “You don’t trust me?”

  “You’re weak, and I’m vulnerable to violent action. It would be too dangerous.”

  Clint chuckled. “Okay, I can understand that reasoning, but I think being a mommy will round off your edges a little. I’ll probably have to fight for time on your schedule with my kid.”

  “It’s neat listening to monsters talk about being mommy and daddy monsters.”

  “Think of it this way, DL,” Lynn pointed out. “The kid won’t be afraid of monsters in his closet. He’ll be afraid for the monsters in his closet. He’ll be warning them off.” Lynn pantomimed her son huddling on the bed pointing at the closet. “Clint junior will be like ‘don’t come out of there if you know what’s good for you, or my Mom will slice you up like sushi’.”

  That was funny. “Yeah, I can just imagine the PTA meetings with you two in attendance.”

  The satellite phone rang next to me. It was Denny. He cut right to the chase. “Forget about turning over those four. Jafar found a property out in the desert owned by those maggots. Case and Lucas went out to investigate. It’s a burial ground. We called in the local PD with cadaver dogs. They’ve dug up eleven bodies so far, even with it being night.”

  So much for the lighthearted night cruise. “What would you like, Den?”

  “Never to see that bunch walk the earth again. The cops have issued an all points for them, but they have no clue where they are. Make sure they never find out. I don’t want those bastards getting three hots and a cot for the next twenty years while this chicken shit state wonders what the hell to do with them.”

  “Understood. We’ll call you with the other info if Jafar doesn’t already unearth it.”

  “Talk to you then.”

  I looked at my fellow monsters who had been listening in. “Let’s get the info, and put them down if it checks out. That sound okay?”

  “That works for me,” Lynn replied. She held up her wine glass. “I’ll have a bit more, cowboy. The kid won’t care.”

  * * *

  I got up at five, and nearly ran into Clint. He grinned with a wave.

  “Time for the prisoner’s last meal, partner.”

  “Yeah… boo hoo.”

  Clint laughed. “That pretty much describes my feelings. You know Cruella is secretly hoping they won’t tell us anything.”

  I stuck out my hand, and Clint gripped it. “Great news last night, brother. Lynn is one hell of a woman. She’ll never be saddle broken, but she’ll have your back forever.”

  “That’s how I see it.” Clint shook his head. “I’m going to be a Dad. What universe can that be true, Uncle Dark Lord?”

  “Right here in River City, partner. You have the house with the picket fence and a hell of a dog. Now you have the final piece to the puzzle coming soon. How’s the master cabin?”

  “Oh man, that is nice. Although I haven’t been allowed to see it, I hear the master cabin on the Wolf is even better.”

  “It is indeed. Let’s go take care of the dead men, and then have coffee up on the fly deck.”

  “Oh yeah.” Clint led the way.

  * * *

  Lynn paced in front of our Albanian mobsters with impatience. She had a full night’s sleep, her hormones were raging, and she knew these guys couldn’t pay back in full for the horror they had caused. “Okay, boys, here are the facts. Take them any way you want. We’ve found your burial ground in LA. I won’t sugar coat it for you. That means the death penalty. It’s Davy Jones’ locker for the four of you.”

  Of course the howling, moaning, and denials went into hyper drive, which we had anticipated. Clint went down the line, stun gunning each one of them into silence. They were not happy boys, but we weren�
��t conducting this exercise to make them happy. Lynn waited for a few moments while they vibrated and writhed on the deck. Then she began to methodically kick each one of them until they got the silent message to kneel in line quietly.

  “Now that I have your bullshit out of the way, let’s get started with the deal. If we immediately get all the information about your operation, slave houses, and drug deals, we’ll take you four up on the fly deck. We’ll put you in comfortable chairs with the sun and the sea to guide your miserable monstrous asses to hell peacefully. If we don’t get what we want, or you lie, I will skin each one of you alive. Then we will bait you behind the boat, letting the salt water make you scream, just before the sharks arrive. This is not a court of law. We know all of you are guilty. We’ve found your killing grounds. What? You turds think we’d just let you walk if you told us everything? Forget it. Easy death… unimaginable death? Take your pick, because I will get started in the next few minutes no matter what.”

  She had them. They believed her. I could tell they wanted to beg for their lives, but when Lynn stares at you with the easy death/unimaginable death face, you get the message she doesn’t give a crap what excuses you have for what you’ve done. Save your breath and decide. They decided to go out with the sun in their faces. It took a bit longer to find out if what they gave up was the truth, but Jafar mapped it all out before noon. Lucas and Casey confirmed the information without tipping off the bad guys. It took longer than anticipated with cementing in the facts given us by our Albanians. It didn’t matter. Whether our mobsters died in the sun or the clear night sky really wasn’t all that important.

  Once we found out they had given us everything involved in their slave, weapons, and drug trade, we then moved on to the financials. We had Laredo standing by in Oakland. Once we relayed the info to him, he transferred all the Albanian money in offshore accounts into our private holding funds. With that final exercise, Clint and I transferred the Albanians into their final seats. Then the outrage began.

  “You are all common thieves!” Dhamo spat on the deck as he was placed in his seat.