by Mike Ryan
“Wouldn’t do it if I didn’t.”
“You know, he didn’t admit to that mom-and-pop store robbery,” Vincent said.
“You really expect him to?”
Vincent grinned. “No. I highly suspect that you’re correct though.”
As they continued talking, a minute later Malloy’s phone rang. He answered it, though the conversation only lasted about ten seconds.
“He’s here,” Malloy said. “They’re showing him in now.”
Vincent and Malloy took a seat at opposite ends of the long rectangular table, as Recker took a seat in the middle, ready to go face to face with his new adversary. Another minute went by, then the door opened, Billings standing there. He looked at each of the men in the room, before his eyes finally settled on Recker. He didn’t take his eyes off the man as he sat down across from him.
“I guess you must be the famous Silencer.”
“Guess so.”
“From your reputation I figured you’d be a little taller.”
“From your reputation I figured you’d be a little wider.”
Billings laughed. “Funny. I like a man with a sense of humor.”
“Well, now that you two have been introduced, the rules of the road are that this will be a civilized meeting,” Vincent said. “There will be no physical altercations or shouting. Jimmy and I are here in no capacity other than to observe and make sure both parties follow the letter of the deal that was arranged. We will not interfere or interject in any way unless it’s to bring the discussion back to an acceptable level if it should get out of hand. Agreed?”
“Yep,” Recker said.
“Agreed,” Billings replied.
“With that being said, have at it,” Vincent said.
“So, what’d you wanna talk about?” Billings asked.
“I know you guys pulled that job that killed the Govindo’s,” Recker replied.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Lying to me doesn’t change the fact that I know you did it.”
“And if we did, what’s it to you?”
“I got a problem with it.”
“What’s your deal, man? You run around all over the place, trying to protect little old ladies from crossing the street, things like that. You got some superhero complex or something? Maybe you need some tights and spandex.”
“The only thing I’m trying to do is get rid of scumbags like you.”
“You talk a big game.”
“And I back it up.”
“You got something to say or not? I didn’t come here just to hear you go on and on.”
“Yeah, I got something to say,” Recker said. “I’m gonna make you an offer.”
“Can’t wait to hear it.”
“If you leave now, move on to a new city, I’ll forget about what happened and let it go.”
Billings smiled, appreciating the audacity of the man. “Oh, you will, huh? And if we don’t?”
“Then I’m gonna kill every single one of you.”
Vincent and Malloy looked at both men, the tension ramping up quickly. They thought it might get to this point by the end, but they didn’t anticipate almost leading off with it.
Billings laughed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I don’t make threats I can’t back up.”
“You know, I’m almost inclined to stick around just to see how you go about accomplishing this.”
“You don’t want me for an enemy.”
“I could say the same for us. As far as I can see, you’re just one man.”
“So was Rambo.”
Billings laughed again. He then briefly looked at Vincent and Malloy. “I love this guy. I really do. Dude, I would really hate to kill you when the time comes, I really would.”
“Can’t say the same about you.”
As they were talking, Haley was on the perimeter of the property, trying to find a way to get to Billings’ car. It was parked in front of the building, and there must have been ten of Vincent’s men either around it or walking around nearby. There was no way he was going to be able to get to it without anyone knowing. Not unless he created some kind of diversion. And the only thing he could think of that would work would be to throw a bomb in the other direction to get everyone’s attention. That was obviously going to an extreme that he couldn’t and wouldn’t go to. With not knowing how long the meeting was going to last, Haley quickly made the decision to abandon Plan A. He scurried back to his car so he could move to a different position where he could follow Billings on the way out. He called Jones to let him know.
“David, I can’t plant the tracker right now. Too many people around.”
“So, what do you plan to do now?” Jones asked.
“Just like we said. I guess I’ll follow him when he comes out. Wait for a better opportunity.”
“Just make sure you’re careful. He may be on the lookout for something like that.”
“I will. I’m pretty sure I’m better at this sort of thing than he is.”
“Just don’t take him for granted. He’s still dangerous.”
“Will do.”
Recker and Billings were continuing to throw threats around at each other.
“How ‘bout I make you an offer?” Billings asked. “How ‘bout you leave the city, and I’ll make sure you don’t get killed. How ‘bout that?”
“I’ll pass.”
“You’re unbelievable, man, you know that? You got some gall. You realize who you’re talking to?”
“Sure do.”
“We got over eighty card-carrying members, man. What are you, one man? You really think you can stand up to us? You want a war with us, and we will squash you like a bug.”
“Maybe. I just wanted to let you know, that if you stay, and members of your group start dropping like flies, you’d know who was responsible for it.”
Billings smiled. “You’re unbelievable. I know you got some fancy reputation for taking care of people, and maybe it’s deserved, I don’t know. But I guarantee you that you have never gone against someone like us before.”
“Well then it should be gratifying when the last of you are put underground. Because make no mistake, I’m not coming to put you in jail, or drive you away, or make you look bad in the court of public opinion. I’m coming to bury you.”
“I’ll make sure they put that on your tombstone. Here lies the man who bit off more than he could chew by messing with The Scorpions.”
“I think I’ve said all I wanted to say,” Recker said. “I believe we understand each other.”
“We do.”
“We’ll be seeing each other again very soon.”
“Can’t wait.” Billings then looked over to Vincent. “You got a hand in this?”
“What happens between the two of you is on you both. I will not interfere or invest a stake in it. I will caution the both of you, that if a war between you gets out of hand, and the police get involved, that will be bad for all parties, including me. And if I have to get involved, both of you will be unhappy, is that clear?” Both men nodded. “You better make sure none of my property is damaged in whatever you guys decide to do.”
“No need to worry. It won’t take long. If this guy comes looking for us, he’ll be eliminated before the week is over.”
Vincent snickered, though he was careful to keep it inside. Billings had no idea what he was getting himself into. He was secretly hoping that Recker would make good on his threat, though he had to give the public image of being neutral. At least for now. If at some point in the future it made sense for him to get involved, if Recker had eliminated over half of them for instance, then Vincent might throw his weight behind the Silencer. But not yet.
“We done here?” Billings asked.
“I’ve said all I need to,” Recker answered.
A little hot under the collar, Billings got up and stormed angrily out of the room. He wasn’t used to being threatened and didn’t take very kindly to it. After he’d left,
Recker looked to his two hosts.
“That went well,” Recker said.
The three remaining men got up and walked toward each other. Vincent was still a bit puzzled as to the merits of the meeting. It didn’t seem to him like it accomplished anything.
“Can I ask why you asked for this meeting?” Vincent asked.
“Just wanted to meet the guy in person,” Recker said. “Let him know I was coming.”
“Seems like a peculiar move for you.”
“How so?”
“A group such as this, I find it odd you would want them to know you’re coming and be actively looking for you. I’ve known you a long time now. It seems to go against everything you usually do. You’re a man who likes to operate in the shadows. This was anything but that.”
“Sometimes you have to change tactics. Be a little unpredictable.”
“What do you think this meeting actually accomplished?”
“Not much.”
Vincent knew there was more to the story, but he wasn’t going to press him on it. He knew he wouldn’t get an answer anyway even if he did. And if he got an answer, it probably wouldn’t be the right one.
“Well, I’ll be seeing you guys,” Recker said.
Vincent and Malloy stayed put as they watched Recker leave the room.
“What do you think that was about?” Malloy asked. “Didn’t make much sense. He had to know The Scorpions weren’t gonna leave just because he wanted them to.”
“No, this had a deeper meaning behind it.”
“But what?”
“This benefitted him somehow,” Vincent said. “He’s obviously planning on taking them on full steam. This somehow gave him an edge. There’s no other reason for it.”
“I’m not seeing it.”
“When it comes to our friend, there’s quite a bit that we don’t see.”
“I dunno, I think maybe he’s getting in over his head this time,” Malloy said. “I mean, he’s obviously as good as there is, but if he’s planning on going up against eighty guys by himself, I have a feeling this may not end well for him.”
“He’s got help.”
“Even so, the odds are still against them.”
“I don’t think he concerns himself much with the odds,” Vincent said, continuing to think of what Recker was planning. “That’s what this was about. Somehow, this lowered those odds.”
Malloy scratched his head. “I dunno. I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
“If there’s one thing we know about him… he doesn’t do anything haphazardly. There’s always a reason.”
“Well, if The Scorpions assume it’s just him, that’ll let Haley sneak up on them. It’s still just one man though.”
Vincent squinted, his mind becoming clearer as his thoughts focused in on what Recker’s plans were. “One man.”
“What’s that?”
“Perhaps this meeting was just a diversion for something else.”
“What kind of diversion?”
“Well if we both agree this meeting was basically meaningless, and there was obviously another reason behind it, put yourself in his shoes. If you were him, why would you do this? Don’t forget you are not alone in this pursuit.”
Malloy thought for a moment. “I would try to get ahead of these guys. Start hitting them where they don’t expect it. Lower the odds.”
“And how would you do that if you didn’t know where they were?”
“Put the word out. I’d figure someone out there’s gotta know something about where they are.”
“And if you didn’t want to wait for what possibly may not come?” Vincent asked. “What if you wanted to be more proactive?”
“I’d probably find a way to…” Haley looked at his boss, thinking he finally put his finger on it. “If I had a partner, I might figure out a way to tail them so I can find out where their base of operations is.”
Vincent nodded, pleased that his underling was thinking along the same lines as him. “I agree.”
“You think that’s what’s going on? You think Haley’s out there too?”
“If I was a betting man, I’d probably be putting down some money on that.”
“So, what do you wanna do?”
“Nothing. Let it play out.”
“What if they start hitting The Scorpions and they think we’re involved? It’ll drag us into it right away, long before we’re ready to engage.”
“That’s why I was clear to mention that we were staying neutral in their altercation.”
“But are we?”
“For the moment,” Vincent replied. “But like I told Recker before, if there’s something we can do quietly to help, we’ll give it to him.”
“Why not just stay out of it completely and let him handle it on his own?”
“The whole devil you know versus the devil you don’t know thing. Although I suppose in this case that we know both devils. It’s just that one of them is one that we know we can work with and the other one is one that we know will eventually kill us if they get the chance.”
“We don’t even know where The Scorpions are setting up shop yet. Recker’s gonna beat us to it.”
“Seems very likely at this point. We’ll continue to remain in the background, waiting for an opportune time. In support of that, have our friends in the police department get ready. We’ll keep them abreast of what we know.”
“Will do.”
“I may not be ready to personally lift a finger against The Scorpions right now, but I’ll be damned if I’m just gonna let them waltz into my city and take over.”
9
Recker drove back to the office, though he kept in communication with Haley as he did. Haley let him know that he wasn’t able to plant the tracking device and was following Billings instead. It’d been about twenty minutes and Haley reported that they still hadn’t come to a stop yet.
“Where’s this guy going?” Recker asked.
“I dunno. Doesn’t seem like he does either,” Haley said.
“You think he’s made you?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“He’s probably just being extra careful.”
“Could be. Either that or they’re setting up base a good distance away.”
“Yeah, could be. I’m just about at the office. Let me know if anything changes.”
“Will do.”
Recker arrived at the office five minutes later. Jones was standing near the door to let him in, waiting for him to get back.
“I just talked to Chris,” Recker said. “He’s still tailing Billings.”
“Yes, I know. I just talked to him as well.”
Recker could see something was bothering Jones by the worried expression on his face. “What’s the matter?”
“Oh, it’s nothing really.”
“Don’t give me that. I know when something’s on your mind too you know.”
Jones went over to the desk and sat down. “I guess I’m just worried.”
“About what?”
“Just about Chris. I’m just hoping that he’s not being led into a trap or something along those lines.”
“A trap?”
“Yes,” Jones said. “What if Billings knows he’s being followed and is leading whoever it is into an ambush?”
Recker really didn’t think about that possibility. Or he didn’t put much thought into it if it ever entered his mind for even a second. “Chris is too good to let that happen. He knows how to trail someone without giving himself up. I’d bet my life on it.”
“Hopefully, he doesn’t have to.”
Recker figured Jones was being a bit melodramatic. He always was a bit of a worrywart. Still, Recker guessed he had reason to. It was good for one of them to worry more than the others, he thought. Three people who were always gung-ho and charged right ahead on everything probably wouldn’t work out too well. Jones’ patience was the perfect balance for the team. They anxiously waited for Haley to check back in. They didn’t
want to keep talking to him and risk him losing his concentration and take the chance of getting spotted, so they just sat there and tried to keep busy until he called back. It turned out to be a long wait. It was another thirty minutes until Haley called back. Recker answered quickly.
“Hey, you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” Haley answered.
“Where you at?”
“Cheltenham.”
“Cheltenham? What the hell are you doing there?”
“I dunno. This is where Billings went.”
“So, he did go out of the city. Where’s he at?”
“I assume it’s his apartment or something. Either that or it’s a friend, girlfriend, another member of the group, something like that. Whatever the case, he’s at an apartment complex.”
“Considering he just came from a meeting, I kind of doubt it’s a friend or girlfriend,” Recker said. “It’s gotta either be his own place or some type of business.”
“Yeah, he just went inside about two minutes ago. I’m kind of hanging back a little. I don’t wanna get too close and blow it.”
“You still got that tracking device, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t you just walk by his car and plant it? Can you do that?”
Haley waited a second before answering, looking at his surroundings. “Uhh, maybe. I’m not exactly sure what apartment he went in, so I don’t know if he’s looking at it or not.”
“Might have to take a chance.”
“I’ll give it a few minutes, just in case he’s watching to see if he was tailed. If he’s not out in ten minutes, I’ll probably give it a shot.”
“All right, let us know.”
Recker turned to Jones to let him know, but he was already ahead of him. Jones was listening and started working as soon as he heard Recker repeat the area.
“I know, he’s in Cheltenham,” Jones said.
“A little outside of the city.”
“But not too far. It would make sense not wanting to be directly in the city, so they don’t inadvertently step on Vincent’s toes, but still close enough to do some damage when they want to and be right on the doorstep for when they decide they want to take more territory.”
“Really didn’t anticipate him going to an apartment after the meeting,” Recker said.