The Harry Starke Series: Books 1-3: The Harry Starke Series Boxset

by Blair Howard

  He wasn’t the least bit perturbed. In fact, I truly think he found it all a big joke.

  “Get outa here, Starke. You’re pathetic. Show him the door, Tony.” He turned away, placed his elbows on the bar, and hunched over his drink.

  Tony was not quite so dismissive, nor was he enthusiastic about showing me out. I’m sure he remembered only too well what had happened to him the last time he’d tried it with me. More to the point, he was there when I pumped two hollow points into his one-time partner, Gino Polti. Anyway, he looked at Sal, got no reaction, and I could see by the look on his face that he didn’t know what to do. His new partner, however, was a different story. He started to rise from his stool.

  “Sit down, Pancho,” I said. “I don’t want to have to hurt you. By the way, you need a haircut. You look like a neglected poodle.” He glared at me, his eyes narrowed, his mouth twisted in a snarl. I slid my right hand under my coat and felt for the grip of the M&P9.

  “Take it easy, both of you,” I said. “I know my way out.”

  Jesus lowered himself back onto the stool.

  “Just a word of advice, Jesus. Talk to your friend, Tony, here. Ask him what happens to turds like you that think they’re better than me. Ask him about Gino.”

  I turned my back on all three of them and walked confidently toward the door. Confident was not exactly how I felt, though. The back of my neck itched. I could feel their eyes boring into me as I walked. Yeah, it was bravado, all for show, and about as stupid a sham as I’d ever pulled. The fact that I got away with it is no kudos to me. I just got lucky, that’s all.

  When the door closed behind me, I took a deep breath, and shook my head, appalled at my own stupidity. Then I grinned, unlocked the car door, and got inside. Damned fool. Why the hell didn’t you just hand De Luca your damn firearm?

  Yeah, I’d gotten away with it, but for how long? De Luca wasn’t one to make idle promises. I’d need to keep my wits about me, and so would those near and dear to me. That bothered me a whole lot, just as Sal had intended it should.

  For myself, I wasn’t that worried. Kate? I wasn’t worried about her either. She was more than able to look after herself. Amanda? Not so much. I’d need to talk to them both, but Amanda I’d need to teach a few of the basics. My staff? Bob, Heather, Jacque, Mike, I could handle them. Our two secretaries, Leslie and Margo, they were going to cost me. Oh hell. I need to get everybody together.

  I looked around, up and down the street. Where the hell are Kate and Lonnie? Oh, I see.

  They were parked about a hundred yards away, at the far end of the street, in a lot where once a building, now demolished, had stood. I looked at my watch. It was a little after three-thirty. I hit the Bluetooth and called Kate. Then I called the office.

  “Jacque,” I said when she answered the phone. “How many of the staff are in the office right now? All but Heather. Okay. Don’t let anyone leave. Get them all together in the conference room. I need to talk to them. I’ll be there in... oh, less than ten minutes.”

  I hit the starter button.... Oh shit.... I closed my eyes and held my breath. Nothing. I heaved a sigh, shook my head, and swung the Explorer out into the traffic. You gotta think, Harry boy. Next time there’s likely to be an unpleasant surprise.

  I parked the car in the office lot, took a deep breath, opened the door, and very carefully eased myself out of the car. Whew. Nothing. Geeze, Harry. You’re damned paranoid. Yeah, better that than spread all over the lot. This needs thinking about.

  I locked the car and looked around; Lonnie’s cruiser pulled in through the gate and he parked beside the Explorer. I waited for them, and then headed for the office door. I breezed in, headed straight for the Keurig and punched up a cup of Dark Italian Roast, then the three of us headed for the conference room, followed by a worried-looking Jacque Hale.

  “Okay, everyone,” I said, as I sat down at the head of the table and looked around. “We have a problem. Kate, Lonnie, I asked you here because I wanted you to be aware of what’s going on.

  “As I said, we have a problem; at least I do, but I’m sorry to have to tell you, it affects all of us. I’ve just been to see Sal De Luca. It was not a pleasant meeting. He’s planning on revenge for the damage I did back in August. He made threats against me, and by proxy, that means he made threats against all of you, too.”

  “What kind of threats?” Bob asked.

  “He said he’s going to make me pay for what I did to his hand and for killing Gino. Seems he was a cousin. He didn’t say how or when, which was part of his strategy: a form of terrorism. It worked, too. I had a couple of nasty moments out there.”

  “So how does that affect us?” Ronnie asked.

  “I’m not sure that it does, but he could decide to get at me through one of you. Whatever, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Bob asked.

  “First off, we’ll need to take precautions, all of us. Then we need to handle the problem, which is De Luca.”

  Bob nodded, his face set, serious.

  I continued, “As I’ve said many times, the parking lot gates are to be kept closed and locked at all times. Yeah, I know. I’m the worst offender, but not anymore. It’s a pain in the ass, but it has to be done. Jacque, make a note; see what it would take to have an automatic gate installed out there.” Why the hell haven’t I thought of that before?

  “Second,” I continued. “From now on, everyone, except for Mike and the girls, carries a firearm at all times; you, too, Jacque. Mike, you go for weapons training starting tonight. Kate, can you fast-track him through the carry permit procedure?”

  She nodded.

  “Bob, I’m sorry, buddy, but you’re gonna have to babysit Leslie and Margo to and from work. When you can’t do it, I’ll do it.”

  “Are you sure all this is necessary?” Jacque asked.

  “Nope. Not really, but I’d rather do it than be sorry later. Now, before I move on, any questions?” There were none.

  “Now, I said the gates to the lot must be kept closed and locked at all time, and I meant it. If any one of you violates that rule, until further notice, I will suspend you without pay. Got it?” They all nodded.

  “I hate to frighten y’all, and if anyone wants to quit their job, I’ll totally understand; your jobs will be waiting for you when this is all over. You need to be frightened. De Luca is a psychopath; he has no conscience and won’t hesitate to kill or maim if he thinks it will hurt me. Now, does anyone want to quit? No. So be it. Bob and I will do our best to protect you.”

  I reached for my coffee, sipped on it, thinking, wondering if what I was about to do next was over the line. Screw it. They need to know what we’re up against.

  I looked at each one of them in turn, then said, “Most of you already know this, but for those who don’t, I’ll go over it. Car bombs come in several types, any one of which Sal De Luca is quite capable of using. There’s the basic type that goes off at the turn of the ignition switch or press of the starter button. The second is a pressure-operated switch usually located under the driver’s seat; it could be triggered when you sit down or when you get up off the seat. The third is, of course, triggered remotely, either by a wireless switch or a cell phone.”

  I looked at their faces. Mike’s was white, so was Leslie’s.

  “Look. I’m probably making more of this than I should,” I said, “but we do need to take care. Make sure you put your cars away at night; lock your garage doors. Don’t leave them anywhere unattended. If you do have to leave them, try always to have someone with you; have them stay in the car until you return. Jacque, call Tom Skerrett and have him set up surveillance cameras in the parking lot, and to cover the streets both ways, front and rear. I want them installed today. If he can’t do it today, find someone who will, and I want an answer on the feasibility of an automatic gate today.” Inwardly, I shook my head. I didn’t want the crew to have any idea how really worried I was. Yep, you really are paranoid, Harry...
. Am I taking this too far, I wonder? Nope. Don’t think so.

  “Okay. That’s it for now. Bob, Kate. My office, please.” I got up from my seat and walked though into my refuge. Bob followed me, still limping slightly, with the aid of a stick.

  “What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Harry?” he asked as he lowered himself into one of the leather easy chairs.

  “It was something I went looking for,” I said, dropping into the seat beside his. “I had a call from Benny Hinkle; a warning. Couldn’t believe it. Benny isn’t, after all, my best friend.”

  “Oh, it was a back-handed gift,” he said. “He’s paying De Luca protection. Maybe he thinks you can get him off his back.”

  “Now that’s something I didn’t know, but why would I? Where did you get it from?”

  “It’s general knowledge. Benny does a lot of business. You know De Luca. He wants his cut. So, Harry. Tell me what the hell is going on. What are we up against?”

  I really appreciated that he had said, ‘we’.

  Kate looked first at Bob, then at me, but she didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to. The expression on her face said it all. She was angry, very angry.

  I told them about my visit to Sal and about the threats he’d made. They listened carefully to every word. When I’d finished, Bob leaned his head back in the chair, steepled his fingers, and stared up at the ceiling.

  “We’ve got to put a stop to it,” he said. “We can’t operate like this, not for long, anyway, looking over our shoulders.”

  “That’s what he wants,” I said. “It may all be bullshit. He may have no intention of doing any one of us violence, just to put the fear of God into me, but.... Well, it’s working. That son of a bitch is capable of anything.”

  “So. Do you have a plan?” Kate asked.

  “Short of killin’ his ass? Nope. What about you, Bob? Any ideas?”

  “Killin’ his ass sounds good to me. Just gotta do it right. Leave it to me.” He started to get up out of his seat.

  “Oh, Jesus Christ,” Kate said. “I didn’t need to hear that. Goddamnit, Bob.”

  “Hey, whoa; she’s right.” I all but shouted it at him. “What the hell do think you’re doing? You can’t just go kill him.”

  “Now did I say I was going to do that? No! Of course I didn’t. Thing is though....”

  “NO! Absolutely not. I mean it, Bob. We’ll both end up in Brushy Mountain for the rest of our days. We’ll let it play out for a while; see what, if anything, he has in mind. Right?”

  He was standing now, leaning on his cane, looking down at me, smiling, and I didn’t like it. I’d seen that smile before, and it boded no one any good.

  “I mean it, Bob. We’ll do nothing, for now; play it by ear; see what happens.”

  He nodded, reluctantly, I could tell, and then, still smiling, he turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. Oh my God. He’ll do it.

  “Shit, Harry,” Kate said. “You’ve stirred up one hell of a hornet’s nest. Bob’s even crazier than you are, which is saying something, but if he kills De Luca.... I’ll do what I can, but I won’t be able to protect you.”

  “Kate, you know me, better than most. Over the years I’ve been accused of all sorts of misdeeds, and of skirting the law by a lot of people, including the DA, the chief of police, the sheriff, and even the FBI. I’ve been hauled in for interrogation... once by you, and I’ve even been locked up, but none of it ever stuck. I can handle this. De Luca has called the play. I have to protect my people; I’ll do whatever it takes. I won’t let Bob loose, not if I can help it.”

  “That’s the point, though, isn’t it? He’s just like you. He’ll do what it takes to protect you, whatever it is. You won’t be able to stop him.”

  “Kate, you’ve known me a long time. You have to have faith. You have to trust me.”

  She just shook her head, got up out of her seat, looked down at me, turned, and without a word or a backward glance, walked out of the door. I leaned back in my chair, put my hands behind my head, and closed my eyes. Oh my God. This is not good.

  I looked at my watch. It was after three o’clock. She’ll be at the station, preparing for tonight’s broadcast. I wonder....

  I grabbed my iPhone and punched the speed dial. She answered on the second ring.

  “Hello, Harry,” Amanda said. “Is it important? I’m editing.”

  “Yep, it is. I need to see you. See if you can get someone to cover the eleven o’clock broadcast for you. I’ll pick you up at the station after the six o’clock broadcast. Okay?”

  “Well... yes, but... what is it? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing to worry about, not right now, at least. Just trust me, okay?”

  She hesitated, then agreed. I said goodbye and disconnected.

  Chapter 14

  I was waiting for her when she exited Channel 7’s front door. As always, she looked stunning: same white parka, gloves, wooly hat, boots; this time she had on black furry earmuffs and was clutching a leather handbag big enough to house my Explorer. She looked like she’d stepped right off the front cover of Vogue Magazine.

  “Hey. Over here,” I shouted out of the car window.

  She turned, cocked her head to one side, spotted me, smiled, and hurried over. “Whoa, nice ride, Jimbob. That all they had?”

  “Hey. It’s discreet, right? Hop in. We’ve got stuff to do.”

  “What about my car?” she said, looking round at her Lexus.

  “You can leave it here. I’ll bring you to work in the morning. Okay?”

  “Smooth, Harry. Very smooth. Okay, but I need to let the front desk know. Back in a jiffy.” She hurried away, still clutching the big bag to her. She was back in less than a minute and climbed up into the Explorer beside me.

  “So, what the hell is so urgent?”

  “You’ll see. We’re going to have some fun. Then a nice meal, and then I’m going to take you home with me and treat you like a princess.”

  “Hmmm,” she said, looking at me sideways. “Nice meal sounds good; not sure about the princess thing; slut might be better.”

  I grinned at her. “That, I can manage.” Then I punched the starter and pulled out of the lot.

  Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the lot in front of Shooter’s Depot on Shallowford Road. They carry a wide selection of firearms and they have an indoor firing range. I’ve been doing business there for years.

  “Harry....”

  “It’s okay, just bear with me okay?” I parked right in front of the entrance, where the car could be seen by the staff inside.

  “Come on,” I said. I waited until she climbed down and joined me, then I locked the door, took her arm, and escorted her into the store; she was still clutching that damn great bag.

  “Harry, please tell me what’s going on.”

  “I told you. We’re going to have some fun, and then... well, we’ll see. Take off your gloves.”

  She pursed her lips, rolled her eyes, and did as she was asked.

  “I’d like to see a Glock 26 and a Sig P239, please,” I told the clerk. The two handguns were duly placed upon the counter and the cases opened. I took the Glock, inserted the mag, and handed it to her.

  “How does that feel? Comfortable?”

  She held it away from her, as if it would bite.

  “Here, like this.” I took it from her, grabbed her right hand, fitted the weapon into the palm of her hand, and wrapped her fingers around the grip. “Now how does it feel?”

  “I hate it. Why are you doing this?”

  I didn’t answer. I took the Glock from her and handed her the Sig. “Try that one.”

  “I hate it, too.”

  I took it from her, turned to the clerk, handed it to him, and said, “We’ll take the Glock. Gimme some shells and a loader and start the paperwork. It’s for her.”

  “No, Harry,” she said. “I hate guns.”

  “I know you do, sweetheart, but this is important. Plea
se trust me. I’ll explain later.”

  Reluctantly, she nodded her head and filled out the paperwork. Five minutes later, she was approved, and we headed for the range.

  The nine millimeter Glock 26, some call it the Baby Glock, came with two mags. I loaded both of them, put them both on the shelf next to the weapon, handed her a set of ear protectors and safely glasses, put my own over my ears, sent the target to the five-yard position, and pulled my own M&P9. I looked sideways at her. She looked terrified. I grinned at her, worked the slide on my nine, and emptied the mag into the target.

  “Not too bad. Six-inch group, a little loose, but not bad,” I said, as I hit the switch and brought the target home, and then looked at her. I almost laughed out loud. She had her hands clamped over the cups of the protectors and her eyes screwed tight shut.

  “Hey,” I said, loudly, and tapped her on the shoulder. She kept her hands on the protectors, twisted her head sideways, opened one eye, and squinted up at me.

  “Finished? You ass,” she yelled, taking off the glasses and protectors.

  “Your turn,” I said, loading a clip into the Glock and working the action.

  “Not on your life, Harry Starke.”

  I could see she meant it, so I sighed, removed my glasses, and pulled her to a seat along the back wall.

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll explain. I have a problem, a very big problem, which means everyone close to me also has a problem.”

  “Oh my God. What have you done?”

  “Me? Nothing. I did, however, have a rather nasty encounter with our friend, Sal De Luca. He swears he’s going to make me pay for killing Gino, and for the loss of his pinky finger. I believe him. It means that anyone connected with me is in danger. I have everyone, well almost everyone, who works for me carrying a firearm. I want you to carry one, too. Kate will expedite the carry permit.”

  She stared at me, eyes wide, face pale. She was frightened and, at that moment, the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

  “It’s okay. We’ll—”

  “It’s not okay, you friggin’ idiot. You can’t protect me all the time and I’m scared to death of guns.” There were tears rolling down her cheeks. I felt like a total shit.