An Element of Risk

by Don Easton

  “You’re going to shoot them?”

  Lance nodded. “Yes, but anyone could walk into their place and blast them. If we did that, they’re liable to think someone in the United Front did it. My plan won’t leave any doubt it was us and probably prevent retaliation.”

  “What’s your way?” Jack asked.

  “They live in some one-room dump with two other guys,” Lance said.

  “I’m listening.”

  “I want to have them taken out after they all go to sleep.”

  “The four of them?”

  “No, only the two rats.” Lance smirked. “My guys will use silencers. The other two kids won’t be disturbed.”

  “Oh, shit,” Jack said as he imagined waking up and finding the person beside you had been murdered while you slept. He looked at Lance. “I’m pretty sure they’ll get the message.”

  “That if you decide to fuck with us, you won’t sleep well,” Lance stated.

  “Your two-man team knows what they look like, I presume?” Jack said.

  “Linquist said the other two have beards, so the two rats will be easy to identify. The idea is to sneak in quiet … real quiet if you guys have the place bugged, get the job done and slip away.”

  Jack noticed Lance studying his face when he spoke. “I couldn’t tell you if it was bugged,” he replied.

  Lance shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I doubt anything will be heard until the other two wake up. Ought to make their assholes pucker once they see what happened when they were in la-la land.”

  “I’m sure it’ll give them something to talk about over their Fruit Loops,” Jack said. “Same for everyone else in the gang.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  “You’ll know as soon as it’s done?”

  “Yes, I’ll give you a call.” Lance paused, appearing to think about something, then shook his head. “Kids these days … seems like they’ve never been taught to respect anyone or —”

  Jack held up his hand for Lance to stop as he answered his phone.

  “Jack, it’s Nicole. Kondrat and Pratt left the house.”

  “Any indication why?”

  “No, Kondrat said … ‘that’s it.’ Then they left. The other two are still home. Sounds like they’re playing video games.”

  “Keep me appraised if you find their whereabouts,” Jack said as he sprinted toward his car.

  “I take it we’re done!” Lance yelled.

  “Call me when you hear,” Jack replied. That’s if I don’t kill them first.…

  Chapter Twenty

  “Laura,” Jack said tersely when she answered. “I want you over at Ana’s house ASAP. Wear your vest. I’m on my way there now.”

  “Ana?”

  “The prosecutor who had her mother’s door kicked in by the Death Heads. I just spoke with our friend. Kondrat and Pratt were the ones who did that and it sounds like they’re planning to kill her. They both left their place about a ­minute ago and we don’t know if they’re going to Ana’s or not.”

  “Oh, man.”

  “No worries. Even if they drive straight there it’ll take them at least forty-five minutes. I’m fifteen minutes from my house, but if I hustle I’ve still got time to go there and grab my vest and the shotgun. We’ve each got time to be there ahead of them.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “I’ll give you the address. From your place you’re maybe thirty minutes away. We’ll probably arrive at the same time.”

  “You calling VPD or backup?”

  “Can’t. It’d throw too much heat on our friend if they were arrested and it went to court. Defence council would be all over us. If Kondrat and Pratt are planning this on their own, it’d be obvious that our source was in the bikers. Only a few people know, and it wasn’t mentioned on the room bug.”

  “So it’ll only be you and me,” Laura said.

  “This is only for tonight in case they show up. There’s more happening that I’ll tell you about when you get there.”

  “I take it that if they do show up, you don’t plan on arresting them?”

  Jack paused. “You ready to copy her address?”

  “Oh, man … yeah, go ahead.”

  * * *

  Jack had retrieved a shotgun from his house and was nearing Ana’s house when he decided to call her. She answered over the background noise of Isabella crying.

  “Ana, sorry, I hope I didn’t disturb you. It’s Jack Taggart calling.”

  “Oh … hi. Give me a moment. Issy woke up screaming and Pietro’s at a seminar in Ottawa. Hang on a sec.”

  Jack listened as Ana tried to soothe Isabella. It was met with partial success.

  “I’m back,” she announced. “No, you didn’t disturb me. I was about to pour myself a glass of wine and run a bath. You heard there was a conviction, right?”

  “I heard. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. I take it you’ve got that authorization ready that you spoke about?”

  “No, this is something else. I’m pulling up to your house now. We need to talk about something.”

  A moment later, Jack parked on the street. He then hid a Bushmaster shotgun with folded stock inside his jacket and clamped it in place with his arm. He then took in the surroundings as he approached Ana’s house, noticing which cars were already parked nearby, what bushes planted near the house could be used to conceal someone. He was glad to see that the drapes in the living room were already closed.

  The front door opened when he neared and he saw Ana holding Isabella in one arm.

  “That was quick. Come on in,” she said cheerily.

  Jack entered the foyer and closed the door behind him. He smiled at Isabella, who briefly hid her face in her mother’s neck before turning to peek at him.

  “Let me take your jacket,” Ana said. “We can sit in the living room.”

  “Hello,” Isabella said, pointing her finger at him.

  “Hello,” Jack answered back.

  “Well, your mood has brightened,” Ana noted as she looked at Isabella before turning her attention back to Jack. “You said you have two boys. Do you think children can get nightmares when they’re this young?” She stood bouncing Isabella in her arms.

  “I’m not sure. Did you ask her?”

  Ana flashed a smile. “That sounds like the appropriate thing to do, but she doesn’t articulate that well yet.”

  “My boys are ten and eleven. They definitely have nightmares on occasion.” No thanks to me. “I can’t remember how old they were the first time,” he added, trying to ignore the pang of guilt he felt about the stress he put his family through.

  “I guess it’s all part of growing up,” Ana concluded. “Coffee?”

  “Uh, no thanks,” Jack replied, hesitating with his arm clamped over his jacket.

  Ana noticed and gestured to his arm. “Did you hurt yourself?”

  “No, I’m fine. It’s in relation to what I want to talk to you about.”

  “Oh?”

  “I don’t want you to be alarmed, but, uh, I’m carrying this.” He reached inside his jacket and retrieved the shotgun.

  “Oh, fuck,” Ana blurted out.

  “Oh, fuck,” echoed Isabella in a high-pitched voice that caught their attention.

  Ana stared open-mouthed at her daughter.

  Jack hid his smile. She cares more about what Isabella said than the fact that I’m holding a shotgun.

  “Pietro is going to kill me,” Ana said.

  “I’ve slipped up with my own sons when they were that age. I think the best approach is to ignore it and not give them any attention.”

  “Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck,” Isabella repeated.

  For Jack, the sound of a car rapidly approaching from the end of the block brought an immediate sense of urgency. “Get back out of sight,” he ordered, while flicking off the foyer and front porch lights.

  Ana’s gasp was audible as she retreated with Isabella while Jack opened the door a crack and peered out.


  The car slowed as it neared, then Jack felt the tension ease from his body. “It’s okay,” he shouted as he turned the lights back on. “False alarm. It’s my partner.”

  Ana peaked from around a corner. Her face and her voice betrayed her fear. “What’s … what’s happening?”

  “A threat was made against you, but now that my partner’s arrived, everything’s under control.”

  “A threat?”

  “Yes. It may have only been false bravado, but we need to talk.”

  Without taking her eyes off the shotgun, Ana said, “What should I do with Isabella?”

  “You can put her back to bed if you want. Really, I’m not going to let anything happen to you … or her. Trust me, you’ll be safe.”

  Ana swallowed nervously. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Before you go, is your back door locked and any shades or curtains closed?”

  “Yes. All my outdoor lights are on, too. I always make sure I do that when Pietro’s away. I also have an alarm ­system.”

  “Great. This looks and sounds worse than it is. Everything is going to be okay. The problem is only temporary and I expect it will be cleared up overnight.”

  Ana took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Okay, I’ll put her to bed and be right back.”

  Jack watched Ana go up the stairs to the second storey, then let Laura in. A moment later Ana returned without Isabella and introductions were made. They then went to the living room.

  “Okay, let me begin,” Jack said, from where he sat in a chair with the shotgun laying across his lap. “Laura and I have a high-level informant, one that you’re familiar with from Connie’s wiretap application.”

  Ana nodded.

  “Tonight he told me that Kondrat and Pratt said they were going to kill you.”

  “They actually said that?”

  “I believe their words were that they were going to put you away. In their language, that means to kill you.”

  “Did they tell your informant for sure that it was me they were after? Last time —” Ana couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, opting instead to look up the stairs to where she’d put Isabella to bed.

  “The threat relayed to my informant was only about you. Nobody else.”

  “Relayed?” Ana questioned. “This isn’t first-hand?”

  “No, but —”

  “Was there anything on the wiretap to corroborate what your informant told you?” Ana asked anxiously.

  “No. If it hadn’t been for my informant we wouldn’t know about it. He’d also be in jeopardy if the bad guys found out we know, which is why I haven’t notified anyone other than Laura at the moment.”

  “Still, your informant is getting this second-hand,” Ana noted, grasping on to hope. “Perhaps it isn’t as accurate as —”

  “It’s accurate,” Jack said. “The person they told works for my informant. It is the same prospect and the veracity of what was said would be the same as what I presented in Connie’s wiretap application. I can assure you that what Kondrat and Pratt said to the prospect would have been repeated to my informant word for word.”

  Ana went from feelings of denial to anger — at Jack. “You told me to maybe expect a rock through my window,” she said harshly.

  “I know. We discovered that the person who was controlling the Death Heads was replaced by Kondrat. Things change. I’m sorry.”

  Ana pursed her lips, perhaps in an attempt to control her emotions. It didn’t work and tears formed in her eyes.

  “I can assure you that you will not be in any danger,” Jack said firmly.

  Ana gave him a look of exasperation. “How can you say that?” she demanded. “What do you plan to do? Provide round-the-clock protection for God knows how long?”

  “That won’t be necessary. I’d like to stay in your house tonight while Laura monitors from outside. I’m confident that the threat against you will be taken care of by morning.”

  “Taken care of? Like you did last time? How do you know they won’t change their minds again?”

  “No, it won’t be taken care of like last time. Kondrat and Pratt did something tonight that for them was far more dangerous than threatening to kill you.”

  “They killed someone else?” Ana blurted. “They’re going to be arrested?”

  “No, what they did wasn’t a criminal act. What they did was show disrespect.”

  “Disrespect?” Ana repeated, looking puzzled.

  “Disrespect in the world my informant lives in is viewed as a serious matter.”

  Ana’s mouth gaped as she stared at Jack. When she recovered, she simply said, “Oh … I see.”

  Do you? You realize that I didn’t say they’d be murdered to protect you if something is made of this later? Jack cleared his throat and continued. “I can tell you that I-HIT was successful in getting a room bug in where Kondrat and Pratt live.”

  “Are they home now?” Ana asked.

  “No, that’s why we’re here. They left their place about forty-five minutes ago and we don’t know where they went. That was at the same time I found out that they’d made a threat against you earlier in the evening.” Jack did his best to give a reassuring smile. “We are here likely in an overabundance of caution. In my mind, if they were going to come after you, they’d wait until after their guy was sentenced, but I can’t be sure.”

  “No disrespect, but with only the two of you, it doesn’t seem like you’re using an overabundance of caution to me.”

  “There are only two of them, and they won’t be expecting anything.” Jack tapped the shotgun. “Trust me, if they show up, they’ll be leaving in body bags.”

  “A pleasant thought,” Ana said disdainfully. “Wouldn’t that then jeopardize your informant because it would be obvious you had advance knowledge?”

  “It might cause some suspicion, but the blame could be directed at Kondrat and Pratt for having done or said something to have alerted us.”

  “Particularly if they’re not alive to refute it,” Ana said, while casting a hard look at Jack.

  Now you’re getting the picture. “With luck, they won’t even show. The people who were disrespected are taking immediate action.”

  “You’re talking about Satans Wrath.”

  “Yes.”

  “By immediate action, you mean tonight?”

  “Yes, tonight.”

  Ana took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

  Is she relieved that the assholes are going to be murdered? Or concerned that she knows about it and could be in trouble for not stopping it?

  “Again, I cannot stress how important it is for my informant’s survival that our knowledge of this not get out,” Jack said firmly.

  Ana appeared to mull things over, then asked, “This disrespect you talk about, is it because Satans Wrath told the Death Heads to leave me alone and they’re not?”

  “Basically, that’s what prompted it, but, again, if word got out it would jeopardize my informant.”

  “So, what is going to happen tonight is because of me? All because Kondrat and Pratt are disobeying the order to leave me alone?”

  You sound like you’re blaming yourself. “Only partially,” Jack replied, emphasizing his words. “They both showed a lack of respect with not only how they delivered the message to Satans Wrath, but by telling them that their advice would no longer be heeded.”

  “How they delivered the message?” Ana questioned.

  “They weren’t polite enough.”

  “I knew I should have gone into corporate law,” Ana stated, sounding less angry and scared. She looked at Jack a moment. “Do you have any thoughts on how Kondrat and Pratt intend to kill me?”

  “My guess is they would wait for you to back your car out of the garage in the morning, then block your exit and run up and shoot you.”

  “That’d be far easier than trying to kick in the door to your house, wondering if you had a gun because of what they did before,” Laura added. “Not to m
ention, you live in an upscale neighbourhood. These gangs have a lot of experience when it comes to breaking into homes. I’m sure they’d figure your place was alarmed and worry about you hitting the panic button. They’d know your call would be treated with priority.”

  Providing they don’t know how to dismantle the alarm from the outside. He looked at Ana. Guess she doesn’t need to hear that.

  “You’re thinking of something,” Ana said as she stared back.

  “Yes, if they don’t return home tonight, we’ll play it by ear, but I’ve got a couple of options. Tomorrow morning I may get Laura to back your car out of the garage with me hiding either nearby or in the back seat.”

  “What if they’re waiting at my mother’s place?” Ana asked.

  “That brings me to another option. If they’re lurking around your mother’s place, then I might contact my informant and mention where they are, simply to confirm with him as to whether or not Satans Wrath has changed their minds on doing to Kondrat and Pratt whatever it is they intended to do.”

  “Satans Wrath would then know where they were and …” Ana stopped talking and stared at Jack.

  “As I said, we’ll have to play it by ear. Things could change by —” He felt his phone vibrate. “Hold on, incoming call.” The room became silent as Jack reached for his phone.

  “Jack, it’s Nicole. Kondrat and Pratt are back. Sounds like they made a booze run and picked up a pizza.”

  Perfect. Jack felt instant relief. “Thanks, Nicole. If they take off again before you go, let me know.”

  “Will do. I suspect they’re in for the night, though. Sounds like they’re sucking on a pipe, as well. Don’t know if it’s pot or crack.”

  “Good,” Jack replied. It’ll make it easier to kill them.

  “Good?” Nicole asked.

  “I meant that I know where they are,” Jack replied. He then ended the call and told Ana and Laura what he’d been told by Nicole.

  Ana swallowed. “Are you both leaving then?”

  Jack shook his head. “We’ll still be your bodyguards tonight. If they’re getting drunk or high, it’s still possible they’ll decide to do something stupid.”

  “Likely more possible,” Laura noted.

  Jack tried to give Ana a smile of assurance. “I’ll stay inside and Laura will cover from outside.”