Until events become increasingly awkward.
The arrival of the three Americans from the mainland made Tasker realize his deal might not continue as he would have liked.
And Oscar Kalikani, assigned to liaise with the newcomers, made life uncertain.
Kalikani was a damn good cop and had been assigned to the HPD Task Force. He was street smart, and Tasker knew there was no way the man could be swerved from his duty. Tasker had informed Chi, through Yeung, about the new team. Almost before Tasker knew it, the Americans were digging, along with Kalikani, into the very incident Tasker was keeping Chi informed about.
When Kalikani and his new buddies were attacked at the Maunakea Market by one of Yeung’s hit squads, they had shown how good they were. At the docks, following their investigation into the sinking of the King Kamehameha, they again had overcome the opposition. Though one of them was snatched and taken for interrogation by Yeung, the man had broken free, killing his Korean watcher and escaping.
Yeung had had a lucky break that day. The phone call he had received—Chi raising a query—had taken him away from the warehouse. He had then called Yun to inform him and, as an afterthought, ordered him to dispose of the American. That had proved unfortunate for Yun.
In desperation, urged on by Chi’s displeasure at the way things were going, Tasker had concocted the bogus meeting that sent Oscar Kalikani to the Wiseman apartments. The intention was to have the Hawaiian cop crippled and put out of action. It didn’t work. Not only did Kalikani survive, but he and the female cop Tasker had been forced to send along had taken down both of the hit men.
The writing started to show on the wall. Tasker had the sense to realize he was stepping close to the edge. Kalikani was putting the pieces together. Despite being injured and away from the actual field of work, Kalikani was making the jumble of facts clearer. Tasker knew he had made a bad mistake by drawing Kalikani to a fake meet. His agile mind would bring him to an inevitable conclusion.
When he heard what had gone down at the airfield, Rudy Tasker made his decision to get out before it became too late. He had left the job behind, driven home and packed what he needed to leave the island.
* * *
“THIS IS NOT GOOD,” Rudy Tasker said.
He was pacing his living room, his agitation showing. His tie was askew, hair mussed where he had been running his hands through it. He turned to face the lean, silent Chinese man watching him pace.
Kai Yeung.
“I have already explained, Tasker, that the exercise is over. The Hawaiian police and the American security team were responsible for ending the matter. Macklin and his team are dead. So are my comrades. Only Xian Chi survived, and he is now in custody.”
“Exactly,” Tasker said. “Chi is alive, and if I know anything about human nature, that son of a bitch is going to do everything he can to save his ass. Including naming names. He will talk, Yeung. The cops, the FBI, Homeland Security will all be getting a list of names. And you know what? I’m afraid my name will be right there at the top. And most likely yours.”
“You understood all of these possible setbacks when you became a willing assistant. The chance of discovery was always there. But you chose to join us and risk that when you took the money we offered.” The man stared at Tasker. “I believe you are wrong about Chi. He will not betray us. I will do my best to help to have him released when I reach home.”
Yeung spoke quietly. No agitation. Simply telling Tasker how it was. He could see the fear in the eyes of the gweilo. His greed for the money Xian Chi had offered had overcome any future risk—but now that the risk had become reality, Tasker was showing another side to his character. It was a trait Yeung despised. The American had no strength of character. Now the inevitable had happened, and knowing the possibility of discovery, the man had panicked. Had walked away from his position and was preparing to run, believing that putting distance between himself and his misdeeds would protect him.
* * *
TASKER HAD CALLED Kai Yeung, demanding they meet at his home, telling Chi’s negotiator he wanted his final payment so he could leave.
Rudy Tasker saw little ahead except a long jail sentence, and he knew, if that happened, his life behind bars would be one long term in Hell. There were certain crimes that were openly hated by convicted felons. At the top of the list were any involving children; child molesters were despised and the perpetrators could expect the worst kind of treatment. A close second were crooked cops; a cop behind bars became a target the minute he walked in. Life expectancy became short, and it took a special kind of cop to survive in prison.
Tasker knew his limits. He knew he wouldn’t last long on the inside. He made the instant decision to pack his bags, take his money and vacate Hawaii. It was a decision born out of pure fear. He didn’t think it through, because his terrified mind couldn’t think that far ahead.
Once he walked from his job, he would mark himself as guilty. He would in effect become a fugitive. Wherever he went, his face and description would be passed out. A BOLO would be issued. He would be a wanted man, and cops wherever he went would know he had been involved in a crime that resulted in the slaughter of fellow officers. That would be his epitaph.
Rudy Tasker—cop killer.
“I need to get off the islands. As far away as possible,” Tasker said. “You have to help me, Yeung. I did good work for you. Provided information. Helped you get what you wanted.”
“But we did not actually get what we had expected.”
“Yeah, I know, but that wasn’t down to me exactly. Am I to blame for all that?”
Tasker knew he was starting to babble. Sounded alarmist.
Okay, so the plan fell through.
He couldn’t be blamed for that. His dealings with Xian Chi and the rest had been good. His information had always been sound. He had consistently given Chi and the North Korean, Tak, what they had requested. Their own internal squabbles had not been because of Tasker. That had been their business.
Why should he have to be blamed because they screwed each other over?
That was the trouble with the Asians. They were all too ready to double cross each other. Always looking to do the dirty. ChiComs. Koreans. They were all the same. Not to be fully trusted. So very polite. Respectful on the surface while they waited quietly to cut your throat.
Well, this time the whole bunch had ended up the losers.
No big surprise. Just a goddamn mess all around. As far as Tasker was concerned, they had deserved it.
His regret was his own part in it. The man in the middle. He should have seen it coming and got out before the foul-up. Now it was too late. So all he could do was try to save his own skin.
Unfortunately he was going to have to depend on Yeung. It wasn’t as if he actually trusted the guy. Yeung was Chinese himself, and Tasker was wary of having to be dependent on him. A poor choice, but the only one available.
“Yeung, you have the contacts to get me out of the country. I need to get away. Those agency guys and HPD will come looking for me. I don’t have a lot of time. Look, you’ll be leaving yourself now. Yes? Let me go with you. Away from Hawaii.”
“Tasker, you are starting to sweat,” Yeung said. His voice still calm. Controlled. “Are you hot?”
“No. But I am bloody scared. There. Isn’t that what you want me to say? Right now HPD will be painting a target on my back. If I don’t jump pretty quick, I’ll be behind bars. Or dead in the street with a bullet in my skull.”
“Then it seems you have a problem, Mr. Tasker.”
Tasker didn’t like the Mister part. It moved the relationship to a different level. One he wasn’t too happy about.
“We starting to be a little formal, aren’t we, Yeung? We not friends anymore?”
“Were we ever friends? I think not. More employee and employ
er, and within that criteria, there should always be distance. Not familiarity.”
“Yeah, okay, so we won’t ever be best buddies and share a beer while we watch baseball on TV. That doesn’t mean not helping out in an emergency.”
No response. Yeung’s focus remained on the American, his stare hard. He had maintained his motionless pose for some time.
“If this whole mess has gone down the drain, Yeung, why did you take my call and come visit me? Chi is out of the picture. We’re both out in the cold. So you must want something from me. What is it?”
“I considered walking away and forgetting you exist,” Yeung said. “Then I realized that you have influence. As a senior police officer you could help me through official channels. Like custom checks.
“I would like to leave Hawaii this evening. My association with Xian Chi was always, as we say, under the radar. But with his arrest the authorities may have tightened up checks and such. So I need insurance.
‘The plane Chi had arranged will have been impounded by the HPD. But there is a backup aircraft at Honolulu International Airport they do not know about. A flight plan for one of the other islands. As a police officer you could get us both on board, away from here. There is a hire craft waiting to sail from a marina. A fishing trip.
“Out at sea we will rendezvous with a larger boat to take us out of reach. Help me through any difficulties, and I am sure I could find a place for you on that vessel. We will be gone before anyone becomes aware.
“When we land in Hong Kong, I will turn you loose. Then you will be on your own to go where you wish.” Yeung indicated the attaché case he had brought with him. “In there is the completion of your fee. Plus a much larger amount. Enough to give you an extremely comfortable life in a place of your choosing.”
Tasker nodded. He wasn’t sure how grateful he should feel. Yeung’s manner was cold. Indifferent. Tasker decided not to stretch his luck. Right at that moment he knew that leaving was his only chance. Before his deceptions were exposed. There were no guarantees—except the one that would ensure he went to prison if he was caught.
“I can be ready in a few minutes. Won’t be taking much with me.”
Yeung said, “That is what I expect.” He turned to look out the window. “We will take only my vehicle. Leave your car here. Do not forget your passport.”
He stepped toward the window, then paused as he stared outside and reached under his jacket for the autopistol he carried on his hip. Tasker heard him mutter something as he exposed the weapon.
“What is it?”
“That policeman we tried to have killed. Kalikani? He is approaching the house on foot. And he is armed.”
“Where?”
Tasker stepped forward and saw Oscar Kalikani moving up behind the parked cars. He had his service pistol in his right hand.
“What does he want?” Yeung said, his voice angry for the first time.
“Son of a bitch hasn’t come looking for donations to the HPD orphan’s fund,” Tasker said, a heavy lump forming in his stomach.
“Then he is looking for you.”
“No shit,” Tasker said. “Yeung, I can tell he’s looking for trouble, because Oscar Kalikani only draws his weapon when he’s about to use it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CLOSURE
Kalikani spotted movement behind the picture window at the front of the house.
Two men.
One Chinese.
And he recognized Tasker standing beside the guy.
The bad cop held his position for a few seconds, then turned and said something to the Chinese.
Kalikani was covered by the parked vehicles but still in the open, and once he cleared the cars, there was nothing between him and the house. Thin choices. Make a run for the protection of the building, or stay where he was and hope Tasker and the Chinese came to him. They would want to get to the cars to make their escape. The cars were their way out.
A slow smile edged across Kalikani’s face. He raised his S&W and fired into the closest front tire on each vehicle. The 9 mm slugs punctured the rubber, raising small puffs of dust as they ripped through. Kalikani saw the pair of vehicles sink onto their respective rims as air escaped.
“Let’s see how far you get now,” Kalikani said.
* * *
TASKER LET OUT an angry yell as he realized what Kalikani had done. “Shit, what do we do now?”
“We deal with your impetuous friend,” Yeung said. “Then replace the wheel on one of the vehicles and leave.”
“Easily said. Don’t think for a minute Kalikani has come alone. HPD will be on its way. If we don’t clear up this mess, Yeung, we are screwed.”
“Not until we are dead.” Yeung pointed toward the rear of the house. “We can go out through the back way and circle. One from each side, then engage your irritating friend.”
“Don’t you have any backup you can call in?”
“There is no one else. Xian Chi’s defeat, along with his team, means there are no additional reinforcements ready to come to our aid.”
“Where are all those millions of Chinese we’re always hearing about?”
Yeung allowed a thin smile to show. “In China, Tasker. Not here.”
Tasker checked his weapon. “Let’s get this done.”
They backed up through the house and exited by the kitchen door. Tasker moved left, Yeung to the right. They skirted the rear and moved the length of the building. Tasker had the attached garage at his side. He reached the front corner and edged forward, peering out across the open area. He could see the parked cars, but no sign of Kalikani.
Where the hell are you, Oscar?
Tasker crouched and looked for any sign of Kalikani under the body of Yeung’s rental. At first nothing. Then he saw a flicker of movement.
Yes.
Kalikani was there. Concealed by the bulk of the parked cars.
Tasker aimed his pistol at a low angle. If he could get a shot beneath the car... He gripped the pistol in both hands, surprised to find they were shaking. He drew a breath to calm his nerves and aimed again. When he eased back on the trigger and the 9 mm fired, Tasker was surprised at the loud sound it made. The muzzle rose. He heard the metallic ring as the ejected shell casing hit the paving stone at his feet.
The slug hit one of the stone slabs under the chassis. It made a sharp sound as it bounced off the slab and struck the underside of the car.
Damn.
Tasker made to fire again, but Kalikani’s shape had moved, putting the rear wheel of the car between himself and the shooter.
Now what?
If Kalikani stayed under cover, it was going to take better than one abortive shot to flush him clear.
And where was Yeung?
This strategy was getting them nowhere. Tasker was reminded of his own words inside the house.
HPD will be on its way. We are screwed.
He still believed the fact was true. Oscar Kalikani may have been prone to impulsive action, but he was also a smart cop. Backup would be on its way. HPD cruisers could show at any time. Once that happened, Tasker and his new partner would be surrounded.
If Kalikani got off a clear shot in the meantime...
Tasker leaned against the side of the garage. This was a colossal mess. He had been an idiot to allow himself to be drawn into the affair. Looking back, he realized the large amount of money he had been handed meant nothing. What good was the money once he was locked up?
Or even dead?
No damn use at all. His disenchantment with his career, which had been going nowhere, had allowed him to be seduced into believing money would enhance his life, enable him to live high. All it had done was bring him here, to a situation that had no golden light at the end of the tunnel. As far as Ta
sker could see, it would all be black if it wasn’t done right. There was no good way out. Even if he tossed his gun and walked out with his hands held high, there was no Rewind. No wishing himself back in his office, juggling crime statistics and drinking stale coffee; Tasker had plowed his own road, and now he found himself unable to climb out of the ruts.
Gunfire came from the far side of the house.
Yeung had made his move.
It was time to end this, Tasker decided, and brought up his own weapon....
* * *
“THERE,” LOPAKA SAID. “HPD cruiser.”
She swept up her arm as the distinctive vehicle came into view. Lyons coasted up behind the car. He and Lopaka exited the 4x4, drew their pistols and moved to the opposite side of the road as they closed in on Tasker’s property.
They were a hundred yards from the driveway when they heard shots.
“Go,” Lyons said.
They moved together, angling in toward the house. Saw two parked vehicles. And Oscar Kalikani crouching between them. He had got himself in a bind.
A Chinese guy leaned around the corner of the house, then made a dash for the front of the SUV parked nearby.
* * *
YEUNG HAD TIRED of waiting. Tasker was not able to get a clear shot at the hidden policeman. If they delayed much longer, it was possible other police cars would arrive. Once they were confronted by stronger odds, escape would be blocked. Yeung had no desire to be captured and locked away in an American prison. He had heard stories about the way prisoners in the USA were treated and wanted no part of that.
He checked the position of the parked cars. From where he stood, he should be able to move around the big SUV and be hidden until he reached the gap between the cars. All he needed was a clear shot. He would place himself in danger. That did not worry him. He was young and moved quickly. If he closed in on the hidden Kalikani, he had a good chance of firing before the Hawaiian cop could react. It was a chance. A calculated gamble, with his own life at stake. Yet it was a risk he needed to take.
Yeung took a steady breath, bent low and ran for the parked cars. He reached the front of the SUV and pressed close. His heart pounded in his chest. There was almost a flush of excitement as he braced himself again and moved across the front of the big utility vehicle.
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