by Mike Ryan
“Then you make it possible. Right now, I’m a little pissed off, and if I start getting the runaround, I’m gonna go on the warpath, and I’m gonna take out everyone that’s in my way, whether they were responsible for this or not. You understand me?”
“I got it.”
“I’m coming over there, and I’ll be at the usual spot in thirty minutes. You make sure he’s there.”
Recker didn’t wait for a reply and hung up. He was still seething.
“Mike, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Mia asked.
“I’ll be fine.”
Mia took a breath to make sure she properly got her point across. “I know you can handle yourself. But if they were responsible for this, here you are walking in there, with no backup. And they know you have no backup. Who’s to say they won’t make it three for three?”
“Mia may have a point,” Jones said.
“Why can’t you just talk to him on the phone instead?”
“Because he could lie to me on the phone and I wouldn’t have any idea,” Recker answered.
“He could do that in person too.”
“No.” Recker shook his head. “At this point, when I’m looking him in the eye, I’ve got a good idea about when he’s hiding something from me. If he’s holding something back, I’ll know it.”
“That’s all well and good, and I’m kind of sorry that you actually know him well enough to be able to do that, but that still doesn’t take the first option off the table. If he’s the one responsible, you’re walking right into it.”
Recker looked her in the eye, and although he knew she had a legitimate point, didn’t think she was right on this one. And he really couldn’t articulate why. Maybe deep down he really didn’t believe that Vincent was involved. Maybe he felt that he’d built up enough goodwill over the years that Vincent wouldn’t have him shot on sight, even if he was the one responsible. Whatever the reason, Recker had learned to trust his gut over the years, even when something didn’t seem like the logical thing to do. This was one of those times.
“It’ll be fine,” Recker said.
That wasn’t good enough for Mia, though. “I don’t see how you can say that. One of your partners is dead, the other, our friend, is fighting for his life, you don’t know who is responsible, and you’re going to a meeting with the crime boss that threatened the man that was killed. I’m not seeing how you think this is fine.”
Recker took a breath, not really wanting to waste time by standing there and arguing about it.
Jones finally chimed in. “I have to say that I think Mia makes a very valid point.” Recker gave him a look. “I know emotions are high right now, for all of us. I think it may be beneficial if we just take a step back and examine things more carefully before we act on any decisions.”
“The sooner we know who’s responsible, or we know who to eliminate that didn’t do it, the faster we can figure this thing out.” Recker’s focus shuffled between the two of them. “And I’m not just gonna sit here and twiddle my thumbs and hope something eventually falls in my lap.”
“Mike, we may lose Chris. I’m not losing you, too.” Mia wasn’t giving in.
“You’re not losing me. I wouldn’t go if I thought there was a chance I wasn’t coming back.”
“How can you put so much faith in someone who has their best interests at heart, not yours?”
“I’m not putting my faith in them. I’m putting my faith in myself, that I know how to read people.”
“Does it even matter if we find out who’s responsible?”
Recker gave her a look, like he couldn’t believe she asked the question. “Of course it matters. If they did it to Chris, they could try with me, or even David.”
“This may be the wrong time to say this, but maybe it’s time to close up shop. Maybe it’s…” Mia stopped herself from going further. “I’m sorry. Now’s probably not the time for that.”
Recker smiled at her and held her hand. “It’s OK. Like David said, emotions are high right now for all of us.”
“But you’re still gonna go?”
“Trust me. Even if Vincent was responsible, he’s not gonna do that to me. At least not here and now.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because that’s not how he operates. Out in the open. He’s gonna think I’m not coming in blind. Even if I don’t have Chris watching my back, Vincent’s gonna assume I’ve got another trick up my sleeve, just in case. He’s also gonna realize there’s David still out there. All of which will work in my favor.”
Mia stopped fighting and finally gave in. She knew she wasn’t talking him out of it, no matter what she said. She looked down. “OK. Just do me a favor?”
“What?”
“Just be as careful as you’ve ever been.”
“I will.”
“Even if you know he is responsible, or you suspect it, don’t do something stupid.”
“She’s right,” Jones said. “Save it for another time.”
“I give you both my word,” Recker replied. “I’m not starting a war tonight.”
Recker then left the office and drove over to Vincent’s warehouse. It never even occurred to him that Vincent might not show up. It was rare for Recker to give ultimatums, especially to someone like Vincent, so when he did, whoever was on the receiving end knew it was serious.
Recker was let in through the gate, and he drove up to the building like usual. Malloy, understanding the seriousness of the situation, was already waiting there for him. As Recker got out of the car, Malloy came right up to him. He stuck out his hand to shake. Recker looked at it for a second, but he wasn’t in the mood to be friendly.
“So that’s how we’re playing this?”
“Until I know whose side everyone’s on,” Recker said.
“Mike, I give you my word. Whatever happened to Chris and Phillips, I wasn’t involved in it.”
“Maybe you weren’t. Maybe others were.”
Malloy shook his head. “Wouldn’t happen. It’d run through me. He wouldn’t keep me out of the loop on something like that. Not when it’s as big as killing… people you work with.”
“Maybe he figures you’re too close to us to do it. Maybe he thinks you’d balk. Maybe all the times we’ve worked together…”
Malloy didn’t let him finish. “Too many maybes. It’d still run through me.”
“You’re a loyal and devoted man, Jimmy.”
“A second ago I’d balk, and now I’m loyal and devoted?” Recker sighed. “Look, I get it. You’re mad, pissed off, and ready to light the world on fire. When I heard about Chris, I was mad, myself. I’ve always liked Chris, you know that.”
“What about Phillips?”
“Listen, I’m not gonna pretend to be upset about that one. The dude had it coming. Anybody who’s been around would be able to see that. And you’re no dummy. You saw how he was before you left. He didn’t change any. That’s a guy that’s gonna piss off a lot of people. And he did.”
“So who’d he piss off enough to do that?”
Malloy shrugged. “Can’t say I know. But if I find out, you got my word you’ll be the first on my speed dial. For Chris’ sake.”
“Is he inside?”
Malloy nodded. “He is. He blew a few things off to be here. He knows how important this is to you. But he’s gonna tell you the same thing.”
“I still need to hear it from him.”
“I understand.” Malloy turned around and led Recker into the building. “When’d you get back?”
“About an hour or two ago.”
“Get any updates on Chris yet?”
“He’s out of surgery. Still critical.”
“He’s tough. He’ll pull through.”
Recker didn’t respond. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. Haley was already fighting an uphill battle. Once they finally reached the office, Malloy opened the door, letting Recker inside. Vincent was sitting at the table. Once Recker was in, Malloy closed the door as h
e stepped outside. Recker stood there, glaring at Vincent as if he were trying to burn a hole through him. It’d been a long time since Vincent had seen that kind of look on Recker.
“Mike, have a seat.” Recker complied, though his disposition didn’t change. Vincent was going to do everything he could to put Recker at ease as soon as possible. “I can tell by the look on your face that you’re hot under the collar, and you have every right to be. I’d expect nothing less. But let me start this conversation right off the bat and leave no doubt in your mind that I had nothing to do with what happened with Chris and the other fellow.”
“The other fellow has a name.”
Vincent shook his head. “Not in my book. Whatever happened to that guy was well deserved. I won’t beat around the bush and pretend that I’m saddened by his passing. The guy was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. At some point, he was going to explode and take someone with him. Unfortunately, he did.”
“Chris isn’t dead yet.”
“Thankfully. But so you know what I’m saying is true, I’ll repeat it. Phillips’ death doesn’t bother me a bit. I won’t act like it does and insult your intelligence. We didn’t care for each other, and I’m not surprised that this was the end result.”
“Just because a person doesn’t like something, doesn’t mean they didn’t do it. Chris may not have been the first target, and maybe he was collateral damage, or the wrong place at the wrong time…”
“No. Not at my hands. I give you my word right now, the situation was not of my doing. Now, I also won’t pretend that something similar might not have happened in the future, at least in regards to Phillips if he kept breathing down my neck. But I’d make sure Chris was not in the wrong place at the wrong time. Think about it, Mike. I assumed you’d be back at some point. Do you really think I’d risk ruining everything we’ve built up by trying to kill your partner?”
“As I’ve heard, you did make a threat recently, did you not?”
Vincent threw his arm up. “Just words. I just wanted Chris to lean on the new guy a little harder, that’s all. To make sure he kept the guy away. If you think I’d lift a finger against Chris, you’re off base. It wouldn’t happen.”
“So who do you think did?”
“I don’t know. But if you want my help in finding out, you’ve got it. I’ll use all the means at my disposal in trying to identify who’s responsible. And if I do…”
“If you do… then I want it.”
Vincent nodded. “Consider it done. I’ll put my men on it immediately. And when we find these sons of bitches…”
“I’ll make them pay.”
8
Mia came out of the bathroom and immediately noticed Jones with his head down on the desk, his arms folded underneath it for support. She walked over to him and sat down next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
“Are you OK?”
Jones remained stationary for a moment, then lifted his head up and looked at her. He gave her a grin, though it was obviously forced. He looked exhausted. Like he’d just been through hell. Of course, he had. Mia rubbed his shoulder for a few seconds.
“I know it’s rough.”
Jones tried to steer the conversation away from his feelings for the time being. “I’m sorry for bringing you guys back so unexpectedly.”
“Don’t even worry about that. I could tell Mike was starting to get restless anyway.”
“Still. Not the easiest of circumstances to come back to.”
“It’s not your fault, David.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Of course not.”
“I’m not sure I would agree with that.”
“There’s nothing else you could have done.”
Jones hung his head. “I’m not sure I agree with that either.”
“David, there was nothing else you could do. You give them the tools, you give them the information they need, and you support them as best you can.”
Jones rubbed his forehead. “But is that enough? Is it just that simple?”
“What do you mean?”
“There are many ways to look at it. Did I do as good a job as I could have?”
“I’m sure you did.”
“I found Paxton very quickly. Much faster than I did the others. Did I screen the candidates enough? Did I scrutinize Paxton’s background enough? Should I have waited longer to bring another man onto the team? Was I so fearful about possibly losing Mike permanently that I rushed into a decision that I may not have made otherwise?”
“You can’t beat yourself up over what’s in the past.”
Jones made a face. He agreed with the sentiment. It was tough putting it into practice, though. He did feel guilty. “If I had waited longer… perhaps I would have taken a step back and reevaluated things. Maybe I would have come to the conclusion that Paxton wasn’t quite the right fit. Maybe I would have chosen someone else.”
“You picked who you thought was right.”
Jones nodded, but he still felt responsible. “Then there’s the whole issue of compounding a mistake. Instead of listening to Chris, instead of trusting my own eyes and instincts, instead of seeing that Paxton wasn’t quite fitting in, that maybe he really wasn’t right for the job, I kept insisting that he was. I kept pushing it, insisting that he would eventually find his way.”
“And he might have if given more time.”
“Perhaps,” Jones solemnly said. “And perhaps I should have seen this coming. Everything Paxton had done since he arrived has been an indication that an incident like this was coming. And I just didn’t listen. I didn’t trust the signs that I was seeing. I kept pushing what I wanted to believe, instead of what was actually there.”
“David, this might have happened even if Paxton was everything you wanted him to be. How many times have Mike and Chris been in tough spots? I’m sure more than even I know about.”
Jones sighed. “I’m the one that created this team. In the end, everything that happens is ultimately my responsibility. If I felt that I made a mistake in bringing Paxton in, I should have rectified it and let him go before something like this became a reality.”
Mia knew no matter what she said, Jones was going to continue blaming himself. All she could do was try to lessen his pain as best she knew how. Not that it seemed to be working. They continued talking for another twenty minutes, but Jones' attitude didn’t change any.
Recker came into the office and immediately noticed the two of them sitting there. By their posture, he already had a good idea what was going on. Mia turned her head to look at him, though Jones never did. He had his hand on his head and didn’t move a muscle. Mia forced a smile at her boyfriend, instantly letting him know that she was having a hard time in making him feel better. Recker went over to them and tapped Jones’ shoulder in support as he walked past him.
Recker had texted them on the way back, letting them know his meeting with Vincent was over. So they were already expecting him and knew the meeting had turned out like Recker expected. But Recker didn’t give them any details on the way.
Jones stopped thinking about his own issues and inquired about the meeting. “So what is your verdict on our… I’m not even sure what to call them anymore. Friends? Business partners? Associates? Acquaintances? People we know?”
“I get the feeling that it’s not them.”
“You don’t sound totally convinced.”
“Well, in this business, a hundred percent of anything is a rare thing.”
“It certainly is.”
“But I feel confident in thinking that they weren’t involved.”
“What makes you think that?” Mia asked. “Just because they said so?”
“Mia, in this business, it’s not always about what someone says. It’s how they say it. It’s whether they hesitate in answering a question, how their eyes move or dart around the room if they don’t want to look you in the eye, or they’re trying to avoid something. There are as many clues in the way someone ta
lks or acts as the words coming out of their mouth.”
Mia raised her eyebrows. She trusted his instincts. After all, with his experience, he knew more about that world than she did. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“Now, don’t mistake me saying that I don’t think they were involved for me saying they’re sorry about it. Because I don’t get that sense at all. Well, partly, anyway.”
“What do you mean, partly?”
“They’re not shedding any tears over Phillips. I did get the impression they might have done it themselves at another point in time.”
“But not this one?”
Recker shook his head. “Not on Chris. I got the sense that Malloy was pretty ticked off in his own right about him.”
“Ticked off that it happened?” Jones asked. “Or ticked off that he was aware of it, or even helped accomplish the task? Vincent did make a veiled threat.”
“I asked the same thing.” Recker took a few steps around the room. “And you know what else bothers me about this? I was thinking about it on the way over.”
“What’s that?”
“Vincent wouldn’t have taken Chris out.”
“How can you be so sure?” Mia asked.
“Because he wouldn’t want to deal with an enraged me.”
“Dealing with one of you is better than dealing with three of you.”
Recker shook his head. “No. Look, as far as he was concerned, I was out of the picture. He knew I was gone for a while. If he took out Phillips, he might figure I wouldn’t come back for that. I didn’t know him all that well. I don’t have any connection with him. But Chris… Chris is another story. If Vincent took out him too, he’s gotta know I’m coming, and I’m coming hard.”
“Mike is right,” Jones said. “That’s not how Vincent would play it if he was involved. If he wanted Chris eliminated, or Mike too for that matter, he would wait until they were both together, and do it in a spot where neither would suspect it.”
Recker nodded. “Look at every other person or entity he’s ever dealt with. That’s always his pattern. The Italians, Jeremiah, Nowak, The Scorpions, he always waits. He hopes something happens so that his competition is eliminated without him having to do much. And when he does get involved, it’s usually in the background unless he’s got no choice.”