by Jon Mills
“I’m heading upstairs,” she whispered. There were two floors to the apartment. The kitchen, living room and balcony were all on the first floor, her bedroom and bath were upstairs. She flicked the light on.
“I got you,” Romero told her. “We’re monitoring your position.”
Romero and two other members of the task force were in a high-tech, unmarked vehicle located on Scott Street, a minute from the apartment. To anyone looking on, it just looked like another ordinary van, but inside it was jam-packed with tech and had a communication hook-up to Hudson as well as two police snipers. The rest of the operational team was out patrolling the streets. There were only so many officers they could assign to watch over her. They figured that if he was going to strike, it would be in the evening, under the cover of darkness. Of course Dickson had told her that if another murder occurred tonight, she’d be called out. That was the just way it worked. The work train didn’t stop for anyone, not even her.
Once all the lights were on and she’d cleared her room, her closet and the bathroom she felt the tension in her shoulders disappear. She rolled her head around and gave the all clear to the team. C’mon, asshole, she thought. Despite her nerves she was hoping he would show up. Now it was a waiting game.
Chapter 24
He’d never been one for following rules. He certainly wasn’t into waiting for the right moment. Vinny couldn’t believe Angelo wanted her released. She’d seen their faces. She could identify them. Threats meant little. Murder, that was the only thing people understood. It would only be a matter of time before Gilbert made her way to the cops and then the streets would be crawling with them. Sitting in a vehicle keeping tabs on some bitch wasn’t what he signed up for.
“Let’s go,” he said to the two other men that had come along with him. He pushed out of the vehicle and then ducked his head back inside. “Did you not hear me?”
“But Angelo…”
“Fuck him. He’s not the one out here risking his neck. We are getting her now.”
“But the cops.”
Vinny reached under his jacket and pulled out a Sig Sauer P226 with suppressor. “I’m sorry, officer, I appear to be lost, would you mind?” He smirked and Marko shook his head. “Now get your ass moving.”
The two cops were oblivious to them approaching. They were too caught up in showing each other shit on phones. That was the upside to a world obsessed with technology. More accidents had occurred because folks weren’t paying attention, as for killing, that had just got a lot easier. Vinny approached the driver’s side, while Marko and Luca crouched down behind a vehicle, just a few feet away. Vinny staggered a little acting like he’d had one too many, he came up to the driver’s side window which was down and slurred his speech.
“Excuse me, officers—”
Their eyes lifted to him and out of view, his thumb shot up.
“I’m just visiting the area but I appear to...”
Distracted, they didn’t even see the two men stroll up, pull their guns and squeeze off multiple rounds through the passenger side window. Simultaneously he withdrew his piece and punctured the officer’s skull with one round. It was fast, and over within a matter of ten seconds. Their bodies slumped over each other and Vinny gave a nod for Luca to go around back while they tackled the front. He took the steps two at a time and didn’t even bother ringing the bell. Vinny brought up a leg and pummeled the door three times until the frame gave way, and it burst open.
* * *
Two minutes earlier, Dana had been sitting having a glass of wine to ease her nerves. She had moved from the kitchen into her bedroom and was seated at a small table scrolling through forums discussing the recent shootings in San Francisco. The comments made by people ranged from caring to complete disrespect. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy for Jack to find this individual, he had his work cut out for him but if anyone could, it was him. Before leaving her apartment he’d given her two phone numbers to contact him on if a problem arose. The detectives had all but threatened to arrest her for protecting him if she hadn’t made that call to him. The only reason Dana agreed to do it was because she knew it would allow her to warn him. She glanced at her phone beside her and contemplated phoning the second number but she didn’t know if the cops were working with her phone provider to tap the line. If they’d posted two officers outside, they weren’t cutting corners.
Not having much luck, and feeling emotionally drained by the toll that Jason’s death had taken on her, she got up and was about to run a shower when she heard what sounded like glass shattering. She frowned and strolled over to the window, and looked out just in time to see three men heading towards her residence. Her eyes darted to the police vehicle. The two officers weren’t moving. She dropped the glass of wine and it hit the hardwood floor and smashed. Dana staggered back, her mind under assault.
She didn’t own a gun.
Dana scooped up the phone just as she heard the door downstairs burst open. She ducked into a closet and pulled the door shut and shrank back inside, turning on the phone. No, no, no. She’d forgotten to charge it, and the power meter was now in the red.
She didn’t bother to call the cops, instead, Dana tapped in the second number Jack had given her. She heard it ringing while at the same time hearing the men stomping through her house talking to each other. C’mon, c’mon, pick up.
“Dana?”
“Jack, they’re in the house.”
“What?”
It sounded like he was in transit and was having trouble hearing. She repeated herself but the connection was really bad. She’d hear his voice then it would go all garbled.
The sound of boots pounding against the stairs meant they were coming up. Fear gripped her. Her voice went to a whisper as she tried to tell him what was happening. She had no clue if he could hear her as the line was terrible.
“Jack, there are three of them.”
“Where are you?”
“At home, in the closet. They killed the officers.”
She heard the roar of an engine and tires screeching as if he’d changed direction.
“Hurry, Jack.”
“Stay on the line.”
Right then between the slats of the closet door she saw one of them. He approached the bed and looked underneath. It was only a matter of time. She looked to her side and saw a clothes hanger, she scooped it up and twisted the metal hook until it came loose. She held it tightly between her fingers, with the sharpened end sticking out, and prepared for the worst.
“You got anything, Luca?” a voice bellowed from downstairs.
“Come on, you bitch, we know you’re in here somewhere.”
She swallowed hard, keeping the cell phone up to her ear.
“I’m five minutes away,” Jack said.
Dana heard him curse and smack a fist against the steering wheel as his horn blared. Sweat trickled down her back, her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the man get up and move over to the one closet and yank it open, then he appeared ahead and yanked the second closet open. Before he had time to register her, she lunged forward screaming and plunged the steel directly into his face. He cried out, and fell backwards collapsing to the floor as she burst over the top of him and tried to make a beeline for the door, scooping up the gun he dropped. Her legs fired like pistons as she bolted for the stairs only to find another one coming up. A look of sudden shock transfixed the man’s face, and she had enough time to raise her arm. She squeezed off two rounds. The crack echoed loudly, and wood spat as the first one missed and struck the staircase, the second clipped the guy in the shoulder spinning him down the steps. She was operating on pure adrenaline. Just as she was about to sprint down the stairs, the corner of her peripheral vision caught a dark mass. The strike was hard, causing her head to whiplash off the wall.
* * *
“What the fuck is going on?” Vinny yelled hurrying from the back of the house to the stairs to find Marko on the ground gripping his shoulder and Luca at
the top of the stairs with blood pouring down his face. “One woman? You couldn’t handle one woman?”
“I didn’t see her until it was too late. She was like a rabid dog. My fucking eye!”
“Oh shut up about your eye. Have you killed her?”
“No, I knocked the bitch out. But I can kill her if you want.”
He pried his gun from her hands.
“Just get her out of here. This place is going to be crawling with cops.”
Luca hauled her up and flung her over his shoulder like a rag doll and trudged down the stairs. Vinny gave Marko a hand, and they stumbled out into the night, returning to the vehicle. Outside, a few concerned citizens tried to confront them while others looked on in horror. Vinny flashed his piece, and they took cover behind a line of cars. Marko popped the trunk and Luca threw her in, and they got the hell out of there, as a police siren wailed in the distance.
* * *
The sound of her scream tore through Jack. The following echo of gunshots and voices enraged him. His foot meshed against the accelerator as he careened around vehicles into oncoming traffic. It was the only way to get there fast enough. The streets were crammed with traffic bumper-to-bumper. Horns honked and several vehicles collided in a desperate attempt to avoid a head-on collision with his truck. He ground his teeth and fixed his eyes on the road ahead.
She should have been safe.
This shouldn’t have happened.
He berated himself for having left her at the house but he had no other choice. It was too dangerous with Marabelle’s men crawling the streets looking for him. He just didn’t expect them to go after her. He racked his brain. Had he mentioned her name? No. It didn’t matter. That’s how the mob operated. They had eyes everywhere. For all he knew, they had someone with the department — someone who knew about his connection. Police were already on to him for the murder of Wyatt. Jack slammed a fist against the horn in anger as the truck took the curb and rejoined traffic on the right side of the road.
By the time he made it to her street, he could already see flashing lights. There were four cop cars and an EMT van outside. He eased off the gas and pulled into a parking spot and watched from a distance. He shook his head in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not again. He couldn’t lose her. Two dead cops were carried on stretchers by medics. Uniformed officers went in and out but there was no sign of her. Had they killed her?
He killed the engine, and his headlights went out. Jack slunk down into his seat and waited. He wasn’t sure how long he remained there. The EMT van tore away. Within forty minutes, those that were on scene returned to their cruisers, and rolled out leaving yellow police tape all over the front door. Jack gave it another ten minutes before he pushed out and jogged down to her home. He cast a cautious glance up and down the street and then approached the house. He pulled away the tape and entered looking at the lock on the door that was busted up. He saw blood on the hardwood floor at the bottom of the stairs. Was it hers? He hurried through the house, his eyes scanning for any message they might have left behind. He figured they would have done the same thing as they did with Wyatt.
The repetitive music from a neighbor’s home boomed loudly, a heavy bass that drilled into his skull making it hard to think.
On the way up the stairs he noticed a bullet hole in the wall. At the top of the stairs, he noticed a trickle of blood on the wall. He recalled the sound of a thud over the phone. He relived it in his mind as he made his way into her bedroom and into her closet. There, on the ground, hidden slightly by a top that had fallen, was her phone. He powered it off and tucked it into his pocket.
Jack rose to his feet and stared blankly at the empty room.
His mind was in turmoil.
Right then behind him he heard a shuffle.
Jack’s head jerked sideways.
“Show me your hands. Slowly!”
Jack grimaced. Fuck.
Two uniformed officers stood at the doorway with their guns drawn. He hadn’t heard them because of the neighbor’s music blaring away.
“I’m a friend of Dana.”
“Get down on the floor.”
“Look…”
“I said get down!”
An officer hurried forward and slammed him against the wall before kneeing him in the leg so he’d buckle to the floor. Once he was down, one of the officers drove his knee into his shoulder while he handcuffed him. The other one got on the radio.
“What’s your name?”
“Jack Winchester.”
He heard the crackle of the radio and the one officer talking away to his sergeant. “We have a male. A Jack Winchester.”
The message that came back was loud and clear. “Bring him in.”
Jack gritted his teeth as he was hauled to his feet and they slammed him against the wall so they could frisk him down.
“You wanna tell us why you are in here?”
“I know her. She phoned me and told me there were three guys breaking in. I tried to get back here in time but I was too late.”
He felt a hand grasp the Beretta.
“You know open carry of a gun in San Francisco is illegal?”
“My bad,” Jack said. They strong-armed him out of the room and down the stairs. He’d contemplated taking them out but he didn’t want to make the situation any worse than it already was, besides, he had a better idea.
* * *
A little after eight-thirty at night, the Italian restaurant was empty. He’d closed up early so he could wine and dine a new woman in his life. A couple of his men stood by the front and back doors, their backs turned to them. All the chairs in the restaurant were turned over and on the tables. He and the young brunette were tucked into a booth enjoying a plate of pasta and some pinot noir wine when they came stumbling in the back door. At first it was just Marko gripping his shoulder, then he caught sight of Vinny.
“Boss, we need a word.”
“How many fucking times do I need to tell you not to interrupt me? Besides, what the hell are you doing here?” He wiped his lips with a napkin and excused himself. He grabbed a hold of Vinny and shoved him out back, giving him a slap around the back of the head. He cast one glance at Marko’s shoulder and he knew they had screwed up. The question now was, how badly?
They led him out into a storeroom where he locked eyes with the woman. She was gagged and bound, her hair was a mess and tears were streaking her face.
“So you managed to grab her.”
“Yeah.”
He then noticed his cousin Luca was holding a hand over his eye, and his hands were stained in blood. “What the hell?” He went over and pulled the hand away from his face.
“You want to explain?”
“We had a little trouble.”
“Two officers are dead,” Vinny added.
“What?” he stammered. “Were you followed?”
“No, boss.”
Angelo went to the rear exit door and popped his head out and scanned the area. He closed the door behind him. He pointed at Vinny and shook his finger. “You fucked up.”
“How? I got the girl, didn’t I?”
“At what expense? Look at these two fools, bleeding all over my floor. Now I’m going to have cops banging on every one of my establishments.” He ran a tired hand over his face and looked back at the woman. This was all Nico’s fault. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t listened to that rat. Angelo went over to the woman and grabbed her by the jaw and moved her head from side to side. She let out a muffled cry.
“Where is he, huh?”
He crouched down and untied the gag from the back of her head. The second he removed it, she spat in his face. In an instant he saw red and backhanded her. She let out a cry, and he grabbed her by the face. No one touched him, especially not some mediocre-looking whore.
“Where is Jack Winchester?”
“Screw you.”
He slapped her again, then held her face. “This can go real bad for you, so
I strongly advise you to stop being a bitch.” Her cheek went a bright red. He rose to his feet and went to head back in to finish his meal.
“Boss, what do you want us to do with her?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Get her out of here? What do you think?”
“By all means,” Vinny said turning his head towards her.
“And Vinny, you ever bring anyone here again, and I will have your head on a stick. You understand?”
He didn’t reply so Angelo walked over, pulled out a gun and pressed it against his head.
“Have you lost your tongue?”
He gritted his teeth and shook his head slowly. “Where do you want her?”
“Take her to the warehouse at the harbor. Now we wait. He’ll show.”
Chapter 25
The last thing he needed was a manhunt but Jack couldn’t afford to get stuck behind bars. He already figured that Angelo had a man on the inside, someone who seeped out information so he could evade the law. It was how the mob managed to stay one step ahead of the police. Have a few lawyers, judges and cops in your back pocket and it was clear sailing. The only times they’d managed to take down those at the top was when the FBI got involved. It was rare to have anyone in the agency willing to risk their career for a mobster, but a dirty cop making fifty grand a year? It was more common than people knew.
As Jack sat in the back of the cruiser, he knew they’d made one big mistake. Though they’d frisked him for a gun, they didn’t think to check him for anything else. While Jack didn’t carry a skeleton key with him, he always made a point to carry a thin sliver of metal. Because of the gravity of his job, he couldn’t take chances. Too often he wound up in precarious positions. They hadn’t even made it three blocks from Dana’s home when he leaned forward and extracted the thin steel from his back pocket. It was no wider than a matchstick, for good reason. Jack kept handcuffs at his home, and in his off time from his job, he would handcuff himself and practice inserting the small piece of steel between the teeth. There were several ways to get out of cuffs; some could slip out if they had small wrists, another was the use of a skeleton key, and another was to jam a flexible, thin piece of metal between the cuffs’ teeth.