by Mike Ryan
“Well, I would hope not. But I know how you are. You don’t like being cooped up in one place for too long.”
“I guess you’re right about that, but not in this instance. I couldn’t think of a better spot or person to be cooped up with than you.”
They began passionately kissing, which probably would’ve led to some other things, but Recker’s phone started ringing, which Mia had put down on the kitchen counter. They stopped kissing, and Mia hung her head, putting it on Recker’s chest, disappointed that they were interrupted.
“And so, it begins,” Mia said.
“I don’t have to answer it.”
“No, answer, I doubt they’d be calling you if it wasn’t important.”
Recker smiled at her and gave her another kiss before walking over to his phone. He picked it up, expecting to see Jones or Haley’s name on the screen. He was a little perplexed to see Darnell calling. He knew something had to be up.
“Darnell? What’s going on? Everything OK?”
“Mr. Recker, I’m so glad to finally get through. I tried calling you a few times already. I wasn’t sure what was going on.”
Recker could tell by the sound of his voice that something bad had happened. Darnell had a slight tremble to his voice. “What’s the matter?”
“It’s my brother. Tyrell.”
A sick feeling immediately came over Recker, afraid of what he was about to hear. “What about him?”
“You don’t know yet?”
“No. What is it?”
“He’s been shot,” Darnell said. “He’s in the hospital.”
“Is he gonna be OK?”
“He’s in recovery right now, but the doctor just talked to me and my mom, and they think he’s gonna make it.”
Recker let out a huge sigh of relief. “That’s good. What happened?”
“I don’t know. Tyrell isn’t really talking much right now. They want him to conserve his energy. All I know is last night he told me he got a message from you and he was going out. Then Mr. Jones and Mr. Haley came over a little later asking where Tyrell was. Then in the middle of the night we got a call from the police saying Tyrell was shot and was at the hospital.”
“Is he allowed visitors right now?”
“No, not right now, not for a little bit.”
“OK, well, as soon as he is, you let me know and I’ll be over, OK?”
“I will. Who would wanna do that to him?”
“I don’t know. But I promise you I will find out.”
As soon as he hung up, Mia knew it was about Tyrell. Remembering the call she got the night before from Haley, it would be the only reason Darnell was calling. She too was worried about him, though she didn’t want to tell Recker about it before she thought he was well enough to handle the news. Now it appeared she didn’t have to worry about it since Recker seemed back to normal.
“Is Tyrell OK?”
“He was shot last night,” Recker answered. “He’s in the hospital but the doctors think he’ll be OK.”
“Thank goodness. What happened?”
“They don’t know yet. Something about getting a message from me.”
“Yeah, Chris called last night saying something about that. He didn’t go into details though. Just that they were looking for him.”
“I gotta figure out what’s going on here.”
“Oh yeah,” Mia said, remembering more of the details of her conversation with Haley. “And Chris said he got shot at and his car blown up.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. That’s what he said.”
“I go away for a few days and it feels like World War Three started.”
A disappointed look came over Mia’s face. “I guess that means you’re going back to work today.”
Recker took her in his arms. “I have to. My friends are getting shot at and blown up. I can’t sit on the sidelines and let it all happen.”
“Just make sure you’re careful please.”
“Aren’t I always?” he said with a smile.
Mia looked at him like she couldn’t believe he even asked. “Just try to be more careful.”
“I promise.”
They sat down and finished eating breakfast. Once they were done, Recker gave Mia a kiss and left for the office. He thought about calling Jones first to see what was going on and to let him know he was on the way, but then thought he’d rather surprise him by just showing up without any warning.
Jones and Haley were already at the office, both typing away on their respective computers. They seemed to have a lot on their plate. They were keeping an eye on Tyrell’s condition, trying to track down Kirby and his crew, and trying to get a connection to Nowak in all of this. When they heard the door open, they quickly jumped, not knowing who it was, and not figuring on Recker suddenly appearing.
“Hey, look what the wind blew in,” Haley said with a smile, walking over to Recker as he walked in the door to shake hands and welcome him back.
“Yeah, just never know what’s gonna crawl in here.”
“Michael, I take it you’re fully recovered,” Jones said.
“Good as new. Feel fine.”
“I hope you got a clean bill of health from Mia. She does know you are here, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, David, my doctor cleared me to resume all activities. I’m good to go.”
“Good.”
“So, who wants to tell me about what’s going on?” Recker asked.
“Going on?”
“Yeah, you know, about Tyrell being shot, Chris’ car being blown up, being shot at, you know, that.”
“Oh, you know all about that already, huh?”
“Mia doesn’t miss much.”
“Indeed, she doesn’t,” Jones said. “Well, pull up a chair and we’ll go over everything in detail.”
Recker and Haley went over to the couch and sat down as Jones sat behind the desk. Jones and Haley then alternated telling different parts of the story, remembering every detail exactly and not leaving the slightest bit of information out. After they were finished, Recker was silent for a minute, staring at the wall and letting everything soak in.
“Nowak orchestrated this whole thing, huh?” Recker asked.
“How big a long shot was this though?” Haley said. “I mean, what made her think we’d be at that jewelry store? And then everything after that?”
“You’re assuming this was the only card she’s been playing. What if she’s been putting stuff like this out for weeks or months? Trying to find out who’s leaking the information, where we’re getting information from, everything about the operation. She might have reenacted that exact scene for weeks with different people, waiting to see who bites. Then when we finally show up, she’ll know where and who that information came from.”
“Makes sense. That’s a lot of effort though, isn’t it? Especially when she’s cranking up the war on Vincent. I mean, why take us both on at the same time?”
“Maybe she assumed she’d be taking us both on at the same time anyway,” Jones said. “Considering our history with Vincent, that’s not an unreasonable assumption to make.”
“Plus, if it worked, she wouldn’t have had to worry about it,” Recker replied. “She almost got both of us. Me in the alley, Chris in that house.”
“And she didn’t even get Tyrell either,” Haley said. “A lot of almosts but not quites. If her plan was to take us out before getting to Vincent, she failed miserably.”
“Well, we’ll just have to make sure she pays, won’t we?”
Jones looked at Recker, knowing he had vengeance in mind. Not that any of them could be blamed for it, but Jones hated the fact that they were getting drawn into another conflict with a criminal element. In his mind, it just took attention and focus off of people that could have really used their help. That’s what bothered him the most. The people who might slip through the cracks because their concentration was diverted elsewhere.
For the next couple of hour
s, the three of them began discussing different options that were on the table. After going through various scenarios, they finally settled on something they all could agree on. They wouldn’t rush into anything, instead, making sure that they moved as quickly and as quietly as possible so as not to alert Nowak they were coming for her, even if she now suspected they would be anyway. They didn’t want to engage in some long war, taking months or years to get to her. They wanted to get into a position where the first chance they had at her, they would succeed at taking her down. In order to do that, they’d have to move quietly, almost make it seem like they weren’t coming at all. And when she least suspected it, then they would pounce. Just before they were about to leave the office, Haley got an idea that would be beneficial to all parties.
“I just thought of something,” Haley said.
“Yeah?” Recker replied.
“Why don’t we just tell Vincent that we’ve changed our mind and will help him in getting rid of Nowak?”
“Why?”
“So he thinks we’re doing it to help him and will owe us one down the road. He won’t know we’re doing it as much for ourselves as for him.”
Recker thought about it for a minute, looking over to Jones to see what he thought. By the look on Jones’ face, he could tell he wasn’t enamored with the idea.
“I don’t know if I want to get into bed with Vincent over this,” Jones said. “Even if it is beneficial to do so, at some point we should probably break free of him, or else we will always be exchanging favors.”
“The question is whether that time is now?” Recker asked.
“Honestly, he’s probably got more info and dirt on her than we do right now,” Haley said.
“Perhaps,” Jones said. “But that is only temporary. Give me enough time and I’m sure I will have mountains of information above what he does.”
“I say we do it,” Recker said, looking Jones in the eyes. “I don’t like anyone gunning for us. As far as I’m concerned, right now, it’s all hands on deck. The more people we have against Nowak, the better off we are. Everything else takes a back seat to that. Or else, who knows what happens next time? Maybe she actually succeeds in knocking one of us off.”
Jones nodded, understanding his point.
“And let’s not forget that she’s gonna get word at some point, if she hasn’t already, that Tyrell isn’t dead,” Haley said. “She might try for him again.”
“Well then let’s make sure that doesn’t happen,” Jones replied.
“Agreed,” Recker said. “Let’s pay Vincent a visit.”
Recker got out his phone and was about to call Vincent when his phone started ringing first. It was Darnell again.
“I just wanted to let you know that Tyrell is now stable. He’s talking and can have visitors now.”
“That’s great news,” Recker replied. “I’ll leave right now to come down.”
“Good. He was asking about you. I’ll tell him you’re on the way.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
After Recker hung up, he relayed the news to the others. All of them wanted to go see him.
“Should one of us stay here and start working on things?” Jones asked.
Recker shook his head. “No, an hour or two isn’t gonna set us back much. After all he’s done for us, I think he deserves all of us to be there.”
“I would agree.”
“We’ll visit Tyrell first. Then we’ll start working on payback.”
12
Once Recker, Jones, and Haley arrived at the hospital and were directed to Tyrell’s room, they quickly went to his room, eager to see how he was doing. When they went in, Tyrell was just lying there with his eyes closed. No one else was there. Tyrell heard his visitors come in though and opened his eyes and turned his head to look at them. Recker, Jones, and Haley each approached the bed and shook Tyrell’s hand, who was genuinely glad to see the trio.
“Where’s your mom and Darnell?” Recker asked as he sat down on a chair next to the bed.
“Oh, they only allow a couple people in here at a time so when I told them you were coming, they went down to the cafeteria for some food.”
Jones and Haley also took a seat, towards the end of the bed.
“What have they told you about your prognosis?” Jones asked.
Tyrell smiled. “It’s good to see you, Prof. I wasn’t sure you were gonna come down here for little old me.”
“Please. You’re like family to all of us. Nothing would keep any of us away.”
“Good to hear. Anyway, they say I’ll be all right. Probably be in here for another week or two, depending on how I feel, I guess. I dunno, they keep saying stuff, and it kinda goes in one ear and out the other. Too much doctor speak, you know?”
“So, what happened?” Recker asked.
“I got shot.”
“I know that. But why? Why did you go? You know I never send a message to you through a third party. Why would you fall for that?”
“I didn’t,” Tyrell answered. “I knew it wasn’t you.”
“Then why’d you go?”
“I wanted to see what was going on. I figured if someone was calling me, telling me you sent them, then that meant somebody knew we was working together. I wanted to see who it was and how they knew it.”
“Why didn’t you just wait for us to check it out?”
“I dunno. I figured I could handle it on my own.”
“Too risky, man.”
Tyrell laughed, though it hurt to do so, and he covered his ribs with his arms. “Now you’re telling me. Yeah, if I had to do it over again, I probably wouldn’t go. But at the time I thought I could handle it.”
“I’m sorry,” Recker said. “It’s my fault.”
“Hey, you didn’t tell me to go. That was my own doing.”
“Yeah, but if you didn’t know me then you wouldn’t be here.”
“Hey, don’t start up with that,” Tyrell said. “I knew exactly what I was doing and what I was getting into when I hooked up with you guys all them years ago. You ain’t gotta treat me with kid gloves, man, I know the risks. I’ve been taking them long before I ever knew you. It’s just part of the deal, we all know that.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“If you really feel bad and wanna help me, then you’ll find out who did this and make sure they never get a second chance.”
“You know I will,” Recker replied. “What can you tell us about what happened?”
“Got a call from someone, said no caller ID on the phone, told me you were busy and wanted to meet down at Rittenhouse.”
“Did they say my name specifically?”
“Yeah, they said Recker wanted me to come down for a meet.”
“Man or woman?”
“It was a guy,” Tyrell answered.
“Recognize the voice?”
“Nah, never heard it before.”
“Any idea who shot you? Description? Anything?”
Tyrell shook his head. “Never saw the dude. Shots came from behind. Never saw what hit me. Could’ve been one guy or twenty for all I know.”
“I’m gonna need the name of the guy who told you about that jewelry store thing you told me about.”
“What? Why?” Tyrell asked, never letting the name of one of his informants slip out before.
“I think he set us both up.”
“What? You’re crazy, man. What are you talking about?”
“Just think about it,” Recker said. “Whoever slipped that information to you, was looking to see if you knew me. I went there, I got shot. We tracked the group to a place in the northeast where Chris got shot at and his car blown up.”
“What?” Tyrell asked, looking at Haley, the first he was hearing about it. “You got your car blown up?”
“Yeah, long story,” Haley said. “Happened only a few hours before your incident.”
“See? Fits the pattern,” Recker said. “They wanted to see who the guy on the ground was
who was working with us. Once I rolled on that call, they knew it was you. They tried to take me out, tried to take Chris out, then tried to take you out.”
As Recker continued explaining his theory, Tyrell was intently listening, thinking it all made sense. By the time Recker was done, Tyrell was convinced he was right. They all got set up.
“Jerome,” Tyrell said. “That no good mother…”
“Jerome? That’s the guy?”
“Yeah. Thought I could trust him.”
“Apparently not,” Recker said.
“Yeah, just wait for me to get out of here and kick that dude’s ass myself.”
“Well, as much as I’d like to give you that opportunity, we’d kind of like to talk to him before you get out of here.”
“Saving all the fun for yourself?”
“If it makes you feel any better, I promise we won’t kill him.”
“Yeah,” Tyrell said, his face lighting up at the prospect of working the guy over. “Yeah, leave a piece of him for me. I got some words, along with some other things, that I wanna say and do to him.”
“You know where we can find him?”
“That weasel might have buried himself into the ground now for all I know.”
“Well, we’re gonna need to talk to him.”
“I can send him a message letting him know I’m alive and well and wanna talk about something.”
“You think he’d respond to that?” Recker asked.
“Oh yeah. He ain’t gonna think that I’m on to him or nothing. Just let me know when you’re ready, time and place, and I’ll send him a message.”
“OK. It’ll probably be sometime tonight. I wanna move quickly on this.”
“Sounds good. I can text him before you guys leave here. You know who’s behind all this?”
“We think it’s Nowak. She either thinks we’re with Vincent or she just wants to take us out independently of him. Either way it’s clear she thinks we’re a threat to her.”
“What about that jewelry store?” Tyrell asked.
“I think she just hired a crew and told them what to do. We’re on their trail too, but there’s nothing in their background that suggests they’re capable of pulling something like this off. Plus, we’ve never had a run-in with them before, so there’s no reason they’d be targeting us or you.”