“Okay,” said his boss, “we’ll send another unit out to check them out. Do you think the perps noticed all this activity on their street?”
“I don’t know how they could miss it. It’s like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade out here.”
Inside The Pretty Puppy, Pablo and T-Max took turns monitoring eavesdropping equipment while Stella took turns brushing and walking dogs around the block. Stella owned two dogs a Yorkie and a Wheaton Terrier. Reina had a Miniature Poodle. The dogs thought this stakeout was a great idea. They were happy for the attention and the walks. Dressing them in different costumes, she alternated walking first one dog and 20 minutes later another. Walking down the partially shoveled sidewalks past the U-HAUL, the A&C Oil Company truck and the Fisher house she chatted casually on her cell phone as she took copious photographs.
Inside the Fisher house, the killers were relaxing. For the first time in months, they felt rested and well fed. They were among friends. Their gang was larger. They had a good base from which to operate and they were ready to plot their next move. Slim was delighted because the drugs were free for the asking. Custer loved cooking good food in a real kitchen. Ray’s aunt was nice and friendly and he enjoyed spending time with her. Her eyes were bad, but her memory was great, as she taught him recipe after recipe. Jake was interested to find out what Ray and JoJo had learned about Reggie. He had called them as soon as he found out Reggie was in Chicago and worked out a deal with them. They started following her around, but had not been able to find out where she lived. She was being escorted to and from the hospital by some kind of service and they had not been able to follow the driver’s evasive maneuvers. They decided that Reggie aka Gina didn’t drive to work so that led them to conclude that she used cabs a fair amount. They clipped a picture of her from the paper began checking out cab companies. At the fourth cab company, a driver recognized her. Pocketing 2 Benjamin’s the driver told them two things. The first was Dr. Gina Reynolds aka Reggie Lee Raines’s address. The second piece of information was a surprise. Jake nearly jumped for joy.
The plan was for them to split up. To minimize risk they would take turns scouting out her condo. They had a variety of uniforms to choose from ranging from pizza delivery man to dishwasher repairman. They were planning their next step when JoJo came loping down the steps, “Got a call from Wishbone, said he drove by here and that we’ve got stuff going on out there.”
“What kind of stuff,” Jake asked rising from his chair. JoJo motioned to the front window where they parted the curtain slightly.
“Which stuff you talking about?” Jake asked.
“Well the U-Haul for one thing,” Ray commented coming to look out.
“What else?” Jake probed. “Well there was an oil truck there all day. It’s gone now, but I think those folks are away somewhere so I don’t know what the truck was doing there.” The three men were silent for a moment looking out the window.
“Seems busy out there,” Ray commented.
“It’s Party Time,” Jake announced, grabbing his coat and walking toward the back door, “Let’s go!”
The road in back of the house was an alley, really, unpaved and barely one lane wide. Everyone’s chain-linked fence backed onto it with small indentations in the yards for driveways. In the back of the Fisher’s house, JoJo’s black truck sat in this space. They piled in and headed downtown.
Stella saw it first. Walking Reina’s poodle for the third time that day, she saw them running from the back door past the boarded up sheds toward the alley. She phoned T-Max, scooped up the poodle and raced back to The Pretty Puppy. Several things happened at once. Pedro and T-Max leapt from the pink van ran to their SUV and sped off. The U-Haul sprang to life and drove off leaving sponge rubber cement blocks squashed in the snow. The officer watching Stella called in the action. Three squad cars were dispatched to intercept JoJo’s truck. Stella took photos of the action, climbed into The Pretty Puppy and drove off.
Unaware that he was being followed, JoJo pulled into an Exxon station. When he saw 2 squad cars and the U-Haul speed by he laughed and reversed directions. Their first stop was Gina’s condo. Dressed as a UPS man, Slim carried a package up to the 8th floor and feigning confusion about the number he walked past her door several times. He noticed that there was a new camera pointed at her door. None of the other doors on the floor had cameras; he also noticed that new bolt locks had been installed. This was enough to convince him that Gina had help, lots of it. With a new respect for their quarry and a heightened level of alertness, he skipped down the stairs to the street. In his apartment, on the second floor, Gil watched Slim on his monitors, notified his team, checked his weapons and moved to intercept Slim at the entrance. The call from T-Max came just in time.
“There are 5 of them out there in a black Ford truck, probably all armed and dangerous. Do not try to intercept on your own. We’re 8 minutes out.” Gil said “They’re heading uptown” and ran toward his car. Pressing a programmed number on his cell phone he said, “Conference.”
The odd ringtone sounded minutes after her last patient’s session ended. The Chicago Branch of Chevra Hatzolah was on conference call. “Lost them,” Gil said at once, “they were headed uptown, any ideas where they’re headed?”
“Maybe back to the hospital to see if she’s there.”
“Maybe they’ll wait to see if she goes back to the condo.”
“If these two guys joined up with them, maybe there’s stuff they’re doing for those guys.”
“No, Jake would be in charge. No matter what, they’re on his agenda. I say the hospital.”
“Something doesn’t feel right to me,” Elisabeth interjected, “something’s off! They aren’t going to the hospital. They know she’s not there. Locations everyone!”
“I’m at Headquarters.”
“Pablo and I are on 94 heading uptown,”
“Sammy and I are with our protectee,”
“I’m en route to the farm….”
“Plan B!” Elisabeth commanded just as the door to her office crashed open and a scar-faced man stood in the doorway pointing a Sig Sauer at her.
Elisabeth dropped her cell phone on the floor and kicked it under her desk. “Who are you?” she asked.
“Who were you talking to?” the man demanded.
“No one,” she retorted. “I heard voices,” he snapped.
“You heard one voice,” she said, “mine. Sometimes I talk to myself, that’s what happens when you get old,” she added conversationally.
“Do you know who I am?” Jake snarled menacingly.
“I believe I do. You are Mr. Jake Gennett,” she said standing, “and you are here without an appointment!”
Jake burst out laughing, “You are one gutsy old broad,” he said approaching her and said, “Don’t play with me, Lady!”
“Young man,” she said, “I’ve dealt with men far scarier than you.”
“Yea,” he challenged her, “like who!?”
“Like Hitler!” she retorted.
Jake was speechless. This woman had met Hitler? “You’re lying, you didn’t know him,” Jake said.
“Oh, I knew him well enough,” she replied.
“Yea, well I think you’re lying,” Jake declared, “you’re a lying bitch and I’m gonna cut your throat.”
“Now why would you do that, Mr. Gennett?” Dr. Reinhardt asked calmly, “It doesn’t benefit your situation, does it?”
“It will help me find Reggie,” Jake answered.
“Really? With me dead? How do you figure that?” Elisabeth asked blandly, “I’d be lying in a pool of blood. You’d have blood on your hands, all warm and sticky, and you’d be no closer to her than you are now.”
“Just tell me where she is! Tell me and I’ll leave you alone,” Jake offered.
“We both know that’s a lie, Mr. Gennett. I wish I could help you, but I actually have no idea where she is. She’s a busy woman. An important doctor, you know, very accomplished.”
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“WHERE IS SHE?” Jake screamed stalking across the room.
“You know, Jake, I have no idea where she is” Elisabeth shrugged, “She has an appointment for some time this week, let me check that for you,” she said casually. As she moved toward her desk, opened her appointment book and ran her finger down the list of names, she opened a narrow drawer and pressed a pewter button concealed in the molding.
“What are you doing over there?” Jake demanded striding toward the desk shoving her back into her desk chair.
“Just getting my glasses, Jake, see” she said lifting a pair of wire rimmed reading glasses from the drawer. “My, but you’re jumpy,” she observed. Jake grabbed her by the shoulder and was about to smack her when she said, “Wait! I see it now,” Dr. Reinhardt said shrugging him off, “her next appointment is tomorrow at 4. You can have a seat in the waiting room, if you’d like.”
Jake grabbed her and spun her around. “You think this is some kind of joke, old lady. Well it’s not. You are fooling with the wrong guy. Now, you’re going to tell me where Reggie Lee is,” he growled.
“Oh, I think you mean Gina,” Elisabeth said helpfully, “She changed her name, you know. She’s called Gina now.”
Jake slapped her across her face. A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth. Reaching for a tissue she blotted the wound.
“Where is she?” he demanded slapping her again. “Isn’t she at the hospital?” Dr. Reinhardt asked blotting her face with a tissue.
“No, she’s not! She’s not there! She’s hiding!” Jake snarled veins popping.
“Well, no wonder you can’t find her,” Elisabeth answered matter-of-factly, “Maybe you will find her when she stops hiding.”
Jake raised his fist to punch her, “Oh look,” she said pointing toward the doorway as Slim and Ray appeared. “Looks like your back-up crew has arrived,” she quipped, “Slim and Raymond, I presume.”
The three men stared dumbfounded. Slim muttered, “What the ….”
“How did you know who I was?” Ray blurted, but Jake grabbed her collar and demanded, “Who are you, Lady? You a cop?”
“Not exactly, Jake.”
“Not exactly,” he shrieked, “What the hell does that mean, you old crow?”
“Why don’t you gentleman have a seat and I’ll tell you all about it,” Elisabeth suggested coolly waving her hand toward a carved love seat.
“You think you’re smart, don’t you!” Jake taunted her.
“Not really,” Elisabeth sighed, “but I do read a lot.”
“She reads a lot!” Jake turned to his buddies, “do you believe that?”
“Want us to tie her up, Jake?” Slim asked reaching into his pocket for some rope.
“Really, you don’t think three big guys like you can handle an old crow like me without ropes?” Elisabeth teased, “I’m not really all that strong, I think between the three of you, you guys can manage.”
Jake screamed “Where the Hell is she?” Slim rose and was headed across the room as the doorway concealed in the bookcase swung open and Gina walked into the room holding a Beretta.
“You looking for me, Jake?” she asked. Gil McCray stood beside her. Pablo and T-Max appeared in the waiting room door, their guns leveled at Slim and Ray.
A big grin spread across Jake’s face! This was perfect. He loved violent confrontations. It made capturing his prize all the more exciting. He could almost feel her in his arms struggling against him.
“Reggie, Babe…,” he crooned, “it’s been too long. Come on over here and let cousin Jakey give you a kiss.”
“I don’t think so, Jake,” she said. Glancing at her therapist she asked, “Are you okay?”
“Sure,” Elisabeth shrugged, “just a scratch.”
Jake interrupted. “I’ve been looking for you Reggie Lee,” he said.
“So I hear,” she retorted, “It’s been on the news.”
“Still the same little smartass, aren’t ya? I’ve been waiting for the day when I could see you again. Have a little fun, have a little payback,” he grinned fingering his bumpy scar.
“You know what they say, Babe,” he muttered, “payback’s a bitch…”
“You know what I say, Jake?” Gina hissed, “Payback cuts both ways.”
CHAPTER 66
JUGGERNAUT
JoJo was tapping nervously on the steering wheel and whistling tunelessly under his breath. Custer slumped in the passenger seat eyes darting between the side mirror and the street ahead. He looked up at the windows of the Bank Building. It had been too long. Something had happened. They should have been out already. How much time did it take to overpower some old broad and get what they needed? Three of them were up there now. Three of them for one old lady? A shrink no less? Something was wrong. Maybe that taxi driver was wrong about the doc coming to this address, but he seemed certain she’d called at least once from that office number. JoJo checked his rear view mirror and noticed an old U-Haul sticking out of the parking lot beyond the Limousine rental place. He squinted trying to see if it was the same one that had parked on his street earlier that day. He couldn’t be sure. I really need to get my eyes checked, he thought for the hundredth time this week.
“Should we go up and get them?” Custer asked.
“Give it a few minutes,” JoJo responded squinting at the U-Haul; they were shocked when two faces appeared at the front windows pointing guns at them.
“We want our stuff,” said the man on the driver’s side.
Custer raised his hands and said, “Hey guys, I’m new around here, I don’t know what you want. I’m not from around here.”
“Give it up, you slimy liar,” snarled the shorter man, glaring at JoJo.
“What’s this all about man,” Custer asked JoJo. “Give these guys what they want,” he urged.
“You shut up,” JoJo snapped at Custer.
“Get out of the car,” one man ordered.
“Who are these guys?” Custer whispered to JoJo.
“Some drug guys,” JoJo hissed back.
“Get out,” the drug guy repeated.
“Okay, Okay,” Custer agreed, then he swung the door wide, knocked the man over, pulled his gun and fired twice into the man’s body. At the same time JoJo flattened himself across the seat and exchanged bullets with the other man, shattering glass. The sound of gunfire rang out. People on the street yelled and scattered in all directions. Sirens blared. Lou Fairmont, the CBI and the CPD charged into the gang on gang conflict and arrested everyone. Ambulances shrieked. JoJo and one drug dealer were wounded. One was dead. Custer was unharmed, slung across the hood and handcuffed.
In the front 3rd floor office, Ray rushed to the window fearing for his brother’s life, Jake and Slim exchanged looks. Jake flew forward to grab Gina; Slim flew forward to grab Dr. Reinhardt. Gil raised his gun and shot Slim in the chest; Pedro squeezed off a shot and hit Jake in the leg as Jake leaped on Gina and dragged her backward to the hidden passageway. T-Max rushed Ray at the window and Pedro turned around and rushed out the front door.
“Lookey there,” Jake said with a drawl, “your wetback buddy got scared and ran off. That’s loyalty for ya,” he scoffed. “Now move out of the way or I shoot her,” he commanded Gil.
“Okay Fella, don’t get all edgy now, I’m moving out of your way.” Gil stood arms up watching Jake limp backward, pulling Gina to the narrow staircase. Gil could see her eyes steady on his, waiting. As Jake and Gina neared the bottom step Gil made a swirling motion with his finger. Gina bucked, knocked Jake off balance, turned and kicked him in the mid-section, his gun went off bullets hitting the ceiling as Chester and Pedro tore through the back door and grabbed him. Gina collapsed on the bottom steps, a smile of relief spreading across her lips as she watched as her life-long nemesis being cuffed and read his rights.
CHAPTER 67
PAYING THE PIPER
He lay flat on his back totally still eyes squeezed shut arms straight at his sides. The thin
blanket barely covered him and gave off no warmth. He could hear men all around him, talking, yelling, singing, crying. Custer felt afraid; very afraid not knowing what would happen next. For the first time in his life, he felt totally alone. There was no one to tell him what to do, no one to rely on. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He felt tears sting the corners of his eyes and roll down his cheeks. He was confused. There was nothing to do but lie here and think. He remembered all that had happened. Slim was gone. Shot dead in a therapist’s office in downtown Chicago. How weird was that? He didn’t know who had shot him. Maybe he’d never know what happened up there. Maybe it didn’t matter in the long run. In the long run, he was caught. They’d seen him shoot that drug dealer on the sidewalk. He guessed he couldn’t get away with that. But maybe it was self-defense, after all that guy approached him and he was holding a gun. Maybe he could get off on that charge. The rest of the stuff, well, he could blame those things on Jake and Slim. He could testify against Jake and maybe they’d let him go. Cut a deal with him so he could serve a few years and then go free. Although he was scared and in prison, he had to admit he felt a bit of relief that he was out of the gang. It was a relief to be away from Jake, out from under his iron thumb. But then, he wondered if this was really any better. He had another iron thumb over him now. The prison guards, the other prisoners, the justice system. Those were more iron thumbs. Custer sighed, he was doomed. He’d been under someone’s thumb ever since he was born. He saw it now. He’d just traded one ‘under thumbed’ situation for another. First his father, then his brothers, then Jake and Slim and now this, it was the story of his life.
Tamms Correctional Center was Illinois’ premier maximum security facility designed to house the most disruptive, violent offenders. Surrounded by a 12 foot high double barbed-wire security fence and top notch armed guards, it was chosen as the best temporary location to house what was left of the Parkland Killers gang, until the police and court systems could figure out how, what and where to charge them. Because so many jurisdictions wanted to prosecute them and there were so many crimes with which to charge them it would take years to sort it all out. Given the nature of their crimes they were held apart from the general population.
Relentless (Elisabeth Reinhardt Book 1) Page 37