by Mike Ryan
“Almost like you were expecting us,” Recker said.
Thrower smiled. “Almost. Come on in.” Thrower stepped aside and let his guests inside, closing the door behind them. “Have a seat.” As the others sat down, Thrower came in and sat across from them. “I’d offer you something, but since I just checked in, I don’t have anything.”
“It’s quite all right,” Jones said.
As Jones and Thrower started discussing matters, with Jones telling him exactly what they were looking for, Recker was studying. He studied Thrower’s mannerisms, the words he used, and the way he said them, and his body language. All of which would paint a picture for Recker. After Jones was done explaining the situation, Thrower looked at Mia.
“So you’re my client?”
Mia grinned. “That’s me.”
“Is that a problem for you?” Recker asked.
“Nothing’s a problem,” Thrower replied.
“I work in a hospital,” Mia said. “Is that going to hamper you in any way?”
Thrower shook his head. “Nope. What part do you work in?”
“Babies.”
“So if you’re like most hospitals, only hospital staff and families get into that wing, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So while you’re in there, you’re good. When you leave the floor, you text me, and I’ll come up and escort you wherever you’re going. Whether you’re going to lunch, going home, whatever.”
“You need to be on your guard at all times,” Recker said. “It wouldn’t be the first time she was targeted there.”
“I’m always on my guard. Before we go any further, though, I need to know a few things.”
“Which are?”
“First, I need to know what you guys do.”
“Why do you need to know that?”
“I have my own personal code.”
“Your own code?”
“I need to know exactly what’s going on and why. Because I don’t protect people I don’t think deserve it. I’ll put my life on the line for anyone that I think’s been dealt a bad hand. But I won’t protect criminals, bad guys, or people who are just flat-out crazy.”
Mia snickered. “Sounds familiar.”
“She’s a nurse,” Recker said. “Does she seem like a bad guy?”
Thrower laughed. “Even nurses have criminal records or can be married to the head of a mob.”
“Well, I don’t…”
Jones put his hand up to stop Recker from going further. “Much of what we do must remain secretive. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of The Silencer, but if you have, then you will know all you need to.”
“The Silencer?” Thrower looked at Recker. “That you?” Recker nodded. “I’ve heard of you before.”
“Great. Look, I’m not usually combative, but she’s my girlfriend, and I’m very distrustful in putting her safety in someone else’s hands. Especially when we’re going up against The Scorpions.”
Thrower scrunched his eyebrows together, not sure he heard right. “What?”
“I said she’s my…”
“No, the other part. Did you say The Scorpions?”
“Yeah, why? You know them?”
Thrower chuckled. “Yeah, I know them. I’ve come up against them before. A few months back I was protecting some accounting in Jersey who’d run afoul of them.”
“How’d that turn out?”
“I did my job and I’m still here.”
“So you know what these guys are like.”
Thrower nodded. “Yeah, I do. They can be relentless and ruthless.”
“If you’ve come up against them before, I assume you’ve got some skills.”
“I just came back from Chicago. I was helping some people there go up against a mobster named Wilson Ames.”
“Ames? I heard about that. There was some major stuff going on there, wasn’t there? You were part of that?”
“Yeah. Took a knife in my leg for my troubles.”
“Money is no object,” Jones said. “Whatever your rate is, we can pay it.”
Thrower shrugged it off. “Money’s not my main concern. Protecting those that need it are.”
“Needless to say, I’ve checked your resume before contacting you. Plus I’ve heard of your reputation as well.”
“I assume there were no red flags?”
“No. If there were, we wouldn’t be sitting here. You were in the military, you’re considered an expert in mixed martial arts, you’re a crack shot, single, and a bunch of other things that I pulled up from your military file.”
“My military file? How’d you get that?”
“Well, let’s just say I have a specialty in acquiring secretive things.”
“Look, you’ve obviously got a big reputation,” Recker said. “My main goal in meeting you was making sure that the job wasn’t too big for you. It seems like it’s not, but if you’ve gone up against The Scorpions before, you know what they’re like. So if you know them, you know what you’re walking into. This isn’t gonna be a walk in the park, or protecting someone from a distance. If you take this job, it’s likely you’re gonna be thrown into the deep end fairly quickly.”
“I’m not afraid of them.”
Jones took over the interview. “Now, we would also be remiss if we didn’t mention there’s other people who are… let’s just say… not our biggest fans. There’s a man named Jerrick who leads his own criminal enterprise, and while he’s not in our immediate sights, he also is someone to be aware of.”
Thrower nodded. Nothing he was hearing phased him. “I’d appreciate you guys giving me all you got on whoever I may face. I like to study my opponents, know their strengths, tendencies, numbers, everything I can get.”
“I can give you everything you need.”
Recker liked what he was hearing. Thrower seemed like a confident guy. Confident, but not arrogant. He seemed like he knew how good he was, without flaunting it in anyone’s face. He was the tough guy who never felt like he had to prove how tough he was.
“What’s this thing you have only protecting certain people?” Recker asked.
Thrower shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe it’s my military training. Maybe it’s my upbringing and how I was raised. My dad was a lifelong soldier as well. When I was in, my mission was to serve my country, and protect those who needed it. I guess it’s still my mission.”
“As I said, money will not be an object,” Jones said.
Thrower smiled. “Good. I’ll charge you double. I’ve got a house on the beach I’m looking at.”
Jones realized he was kidding, though he wouldn’t have batted an eye even if he wasn’t. “You’ll also have anything else at your disposal that you need. Whether it’s equipment, weapons, cars, whatever it is, if you need it, just ask, and we’ll get it.”
“Good to know. Thanks.”
“Are there any other questions that you have?”
“When do you need me to start?”
Jones looked at the others. “Would tomorrow work for you?”
“Tomorrow’s fine. Now, do you need me to just guard her at the hospital? Or are there other places too?”
“Right now, we’re probably living out of a hotel room until we get a new apartment,” Recker said. “So to and from there to the hospital. If I’m with her, then you can take off so you can get some rest.”
Thrower smirked. “Don’t worry about my rest. I’m used to working on three or four hours. Don’t bother me.”
“I know you’ve said you’ve gone up against these guys before, but I just want to make sure you know what’s going on here. These guys have already killed one of us. Another of us is in the hospital, fighting for his life. If you take this job, your life is in immediate danger.”
Thrower didn’t seem bothered. After all, it wasn’t the first time. Nobody called him for cupcake jobs. He only got called when someone’s life was in immediate danger. “All part of the job. Bring it on.”
“Don’t
worry, they will.”
“So, I take it we have an agreement then?” Jones asked.
Thrower nodded. “We do.”
“Mike?”
“I’m fine with it.”
“Mia?”
Mia nodded. “It’s fine.”
“OK, then. I’ll have everything you need by the end of the day.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Thrower said.
Everyone stood up, and they began shaking hands. As Recker and Thrower shook, the bodyguard had a message.
“I give you my word nothing will happen to her. I’ll give up my life for hers.”
“Just make sure she stays as healthy as she is today,” Recker replied.
“I’ll protect her like she’s my own sister.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
13
Once the trio got back to the office, they began discussing the man they just hired.
“Are you sure you’re good with it?” Jones asked.
“You really think I would have hired him if I wasn’t?”
“No, I suppose not. His reputation is impeccable.”
Recker nodded. “I have to admit, he was more impressive than I thought he’d be. I didn’t expect to like him as much as I did.”
“I guess this is one instance in which the file does the man justice.” Jones then hung his head. “Unlike some other hires that I’ve made.”
“Hey, stop beating yourself up over that. You made the best decisions that you could at the time you’ve made them. Take it from me, I’ve second-guessed a lot of things over the years, beat myself up, doesn’t wind up doing you any good. You make the best decision you can and live with the results. It’s all you can do.”
Jones sighed. “Yeah. I just wish that Chris didn’t pay the price for it.”
Mia went over to him and gave him a hug. “Chris is going to make it. He will.”
Jones forced a smile. “I sure hope so.”
“Let’s get to work, huh?” Recker said.
“Before we get to that, with all that’s been going on, I’ve neglected to ask how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine.”
“I mean, really. You came back earlier than you intended.”
“I was probably coming back soon, anyway.”
“Regardless, you went out there to… unwind, I guess we could say. Did you get what you hoped for in going there?”
Recker looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. I think so. I feel more… at peace with myself. I’m not sure what I was hoping to find out there, but… I think I found whatever I needed.”
“So it was good for you, then?”
“Yeah.” Recker smiled. “Just what the doctor ordered.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
“Now, let’s see if we can order something up for The Scorpions. Give them a taste of their own medicine.”
“I’m all for that.”
The following day, Recker was as anxious as he could ever recall being. He didn’t like the fact that Mia was going back to work, but he respected her wishes for wanting to go back. Though she was also a bit nervous, knowing that she was likely a target, and the fact that she’d been targeted before, she also wasn’t going to live her life being afraid. And she wasn’t going to live it in hiding.
That didn’t mean she wouldn’t have been relieved if nothing happened, but she knew everything was being done that could be done in order to protect her. She trusted everyone involved. And that was good enough.
After Mia was done getting ready, Recker escorted her out of the hotel room they were temporarily staying at. He walked her to her car, and gave her a kiss before she got in. Recker looked a few spots down and saw Thrower sitting in his car. The two men gave each other a nod. Mia started the engine, then rolled down her window, giving her boyfriend another kiss.
“Just make sure you’re…”
“I’ll be careful,” Mia said, already knowing what was coming out of his mouth. “I could say the same to you.”
“Could.”
“And I will. Don’t take any unnecessary chances.”
“I won’t.”
Mia kissed him again, then drove off. Recker stood there, watching as her car drove out of the parking lot. Thrower’s car soon followed her. Recker continued to stand there for a few seconds until both cars were out of sight. He took a deep breath, hoping he was doing the right by letting her go back to work. Mia was her own person. She could do, and often did, whatever she wanted. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was letting her walk into a hornet’s nest.
He also hoped they made the right decision in hiring Thrower. On paper, it looked like a solid move. But wars weren’t fought on paper. They were fought in the trenches, in dark alleys, behind closed doors, and against people who wouldn’t flinch in causing as much damage as they could. Recker had to hope that Thrower would live up to his reputation.
From there, Recker went straight to the office. As the day progressed, he had a hard time concentrating on his own business. Recker’s mind continuously went to Mia, hoping she was safe. It felt like he texted her every twenty minutes to make sure she was OK. When he wasn’t texting her, he was communicating with Thrower, asking if he was seeing anything. Between the two of them, he didn’t get much done.
Recker’s phone was constantly in his hand as he paced around the office. The fact wasn’t lost on Jones.
“Mike, why don’t you just go to the hospital yourself and see what’s going on?”
“I don’t want it to seem like I’m worried.”
Jones snickered. “Yes. We definitely wouldn’t want anyone to think that. You’re obviously all business today.”
“Well there’s nothing for me to act on yet. We still don’t have any leads for me to do anything. Vincent doesn’t have anything, Tyrell’s got nothing, we haven’t heard from any other contacts, we’re coming up dry so far.”
“I’m painfully aware.”
“How did these guys slip back into the city so quietly?”
“I don’t know.”
“And how is it that we never got word they were building their numbers back up?”
“I cannot say. While we’re waiting, why don’t you go to the hospital and take some stress off?”
“Why would that take some stress off?”
“So you can see for yourself that everything is OK.”
“I don’t want it to seem like I’m checking up on them, or make it seem like I don’t trust Thrower.”
Jones snickered again. “Yes, because you definitely don’t give off that impression now.”
Recker sighed as he walked around the edge of the room. “Did I do the right thing in letting her go back to work?”
“As it seems to me, it’s not your call to make.”
“I know. She’s her own person, she’ll make her own decisions, but… still, I could’ve objected louder than I did.”
“Mike, you can’t put her in a bubble forever.”
“I could try.”
“She’s accepted the life she’s in now. When you two became involved, she knew there would be risks. She embraced that, for better or worse.”
“But that doesn’t mean I should send her out there with a bullseye on her back.”
“And you can’t hide her in a closet for the next few months, either. She doesn’t want to be cooped up while all this is going on. I can understand that.”
Recker shook his head. “Still.”
“Mike, we’re giving her the protection she needs.”
“Yeah, but is it enough?”
“I believe it will be.”
“And what if we’re wrong?”
“Have some faith.”
“Having faith in Phillips didn’t help him. Faith isn’t helping Chris. Why should I have any more?”
“Because it’s all we have. We’re doing what we can.”
“Are we? What if one guy isn’t enough? Maybe we should hire more?”
“I mea
n, I guess I could look into more if you prefer.”
“Maybe it’d be a good idea.”
“I can do that.”
Recker went over to the window and looked out again. By his demeanor, Jones detected that something else was bothering him. It was a good thing that Recker’s back was to his friend, that way he couldn’t see his eyes getting glossy.
“Is there something else?”
Recker cleared his throat before answering. “What makes you think that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I would like to think that words don’t necessarily need to be spoken between us anymore to know what’s going through each other’s minds.”
Recker continued looking out the window. He wasn’t ready to say what was going through his. That wouldn’t stop Jones from asking, though. From his friend’s silence, Jones knew that it was something.
“What is it? And don’t tell me nothing. I know better.”
Recker took a deep breath before starting. “A week ago, Mia was on a beach, smiling, happy… as happy as I’ve ever seen her.”
“And now?”
“And now I’m fearing for her life. Again.” Recker shook his head. “It’s not right.”
“It’s usually not right when we’re dealing with the people that we do.”
Recker sighed as he stared at a few of the cars in the parking lot. “That’s not what I mean. I mean it’s not right of me.”
“In what way?”
“That I keep putting her in these types of situations.”
“She’s going to work today because that is what she loves to do. She is helping those who need it. That’s who she is.”
Once Recker finally got his emotions in check, he turned around to face his friend. “No. It’s not right that she has to face this type of thing again. She puts up with it because she loves me. But what does that make me?”