Young Guns Box Set

by Kane, Remington

  “You had your chance,” Tanner said. “Now I think I’ll let Kayla and Zoe have you.”

  Zoe jerked hard on the cuffs and Harvey winced as he made it to his feet. Before Harvey could act to avoid it, Zoe kneed him in the groin.

  “Asshole! I could have used the extra money Russell would have brought in, not the measly five-thousand you’re worth. On top of that, you kept me away from my girls for another day.”

  Harvey had no comment to make. He was busy moaning.

  * * *

  They had walked Harvey back to the van and secured him in its rear when a phone sounded off in Tanner’s pocket. It was Harvey’s phone. When Tanner checked it, he saw that Russell had left a new message.

  “He wants to meet at Janet’s house,” Tanner said. “Is that his ex-wife?”

  Harvey nodded.

  “Where does she live?” Kayla asked.

  “She lives in Bagdad,” Harvey said.

  “Iraq?” Zoe asked.

  “Not Baghdad where the Arabs live, Bagdad, Arizona,” Harvey said. “It’s a mining town that’s about four hours from here.”

  “She must have moved,” Tanner said. “Russell mentions an address in the Phoenix area. This is good. If Russell is planning to kill Harvey for threatening him, he’ll have to show up to do it.”

  “He won’t show himself unless he sees me first,” Harvey told them. “If you hand me over to the cops you might never find Russell.”

  Tanner was thinking about that when Zoe made a sighing sound.

  “Please tell me you’re not considering using Harvey again.”

  “If Harvey ran, he wouldn’t get any farther than he did the first time.”

  “I’ll help you, Tanner, I will, but I want these two to swear that they won’t turn me in afterward.”

  “If you lead us to Russell Graves we’ll let you go,” Kayla said.

  “What about you, Red?” Harvey asked Zoe.

  “Yes, we’ll let you go. And if you do run again I’ll hand your ass over to the cops so fast it will make your head spin.”

  Harvey grinned. “It’s a deal, now take these cuffs off.”

  Tanner shook his head. “The handcuffs stay on until we get to Phoenix.”

  “That’s what you get for running,” Zoe said.

  Harvey stuck out his tongue at her, which caused Zoe to laugh.

  * * *

  A short time later, Tonya was talking to Russell and learning about the change in plans.

  “Why send him to your ex-wife’s house?”

  “I’m not, I’m sending them into a trap. I know a guy who lives in Phoenix who will take care of all of them. The dude was a mercenary in Africa for over ten years. He’ll have no problem handling things.”

  “Damn it, Russell, I told you that I would take care of them.”

  “It’s too risky, Tonya, just come on back here.”

  “Are you trying to order me around?”

  “I’m worried about you. How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve got a fever.”

  “It’s that damn cat bite. I told you it was infected. If you’re not careful that poison will travel to your heart. Go see a doctor.”

  “I don’t need a damn doctor and I’m not coming back either. I’m going to find Harvey and kill him and the others.”

  “The guy I hired will take care of them. His name is Kuper. He had me send them the address of a house he knows that’s sitting empty.”

  “How much did you pay him?”

  “Nothing. He owed me three grand, so now we’re even.”

  “He’s willing to kill four people for only three thousand dollars?”

  “He likes killing, and we go way back to high school too.”

  “Does Harvey know what this Kuper looks like?”

  “Yeah, they met a couple of times.”

  “What if Harvey spots him first?”

  “So what? Harvey doesn’t have a gun.”

  “The man he’s with does, I’ll bet you that much. The dude is named Tanner. I think he’s that hit man.”

  “Tanner, Tanner?” Russell said.

  “He could be.”

  “Shit, but wait, how do you know who he is?”

  Tonya smiled as she looked down at the floor where Brenda lay unconscious, and with a cut over her left eye.

  Tonya had gone to Brenda’s house after she saw Tanner’s car leaving with the van behind it. Brenda hadn’t wanted to say anything that might get Harvey in trouble, but Tonya changed her mind.

  “Your stepsister told me everything Harvey told her. Those two women he’s with are bounty hunters.”

  “Damn Harvey. He’s trying to lead them right to me.”

  “That’s okay, in a few hours they’ll all be dead.”

  “Right, Kuper will take care of them.”

  “Not Kuper, me,” Tonya said, as she ended the call.

  13

  Banished

  AUSTRALIA, NOVEMBER 2001

  Spenser and Willow were back in Sydney, where they ate a late lunch at a diner on Abercrombie Street. Willow had only a slight appetite, but Spenser ate well while she relayed her story to him.

  “Greg and I broke up six months ago, but he fought the divorce.”

  “Why did you want to end the marriage?”

  “I found out he was sleeping around. Greg has a temper and so do I, believe me, the neighbors heard our arguments, and the police were called once.”

  “Was he violent?”

  Willow looked away as she said, “I hit him… with a lamp. He needed stitches.”

  “And this Jock Martin knew about that and decided to frame you for your husband’s murder?”

  “Two of his hooligans broke into my house as I was sitting down at my computer. A few days ago, I noticed that the carving knife was missing from a knife set I have. Martin told me that he buried it in Greg’s chest.”

  Willow stopped talking, as she wiped away tears. “I knew what Greg was and that he led a dangerous life, but he didn’t deserve to die at the hands of a bloke like Martin.”

  “You still loved him?”

  “Maybe, but the marriage was over. I told him, ‘If I can’t trust you, I don’t want you.’”

  “This Jock Martin, do you have any idea how many men he has left?”

  “No. I never asked questions about the gang. I do know that Greg had broken off from the group and started his own along with many of the men.”

  “Maybe you should go to the cops and tell them about Jock Martin.”

  “I’ve got a record. I served two years on a drug charge when I was younger, and I was in trouble for hurting Greg with that lamp. I doubt they’ll believe I was framed.”

  “You said your ex started his own group. How do we get in contact with them?”

  “I don’t know, but I do know a woman who might help. She’s the wife of one of the members and we were friendly. Her husband was one of the men who left the gang to join Greg.”

  “We need to get in touch with her and contact the group.”

  “We? Why are you helping me?”

  “At first, to save your life, but now I want to find Jock Martin. I traveled here to end one vendetta; I don’t want to leave here with a new one to worry about. I need to find Martin and put him down.”

  “Tanner?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you, I… I would be dead right now if not for you.”

  “You’re welcome. Where do we find your friend?”

  “She’s south of here in Campbelltown.”

  “Then let’s go see her.”

  * * *

  INDONESIA

  Despite the fact that they saved his life and the life of his daughter, Bagus was furious at the boys. After bringing the boat back in. The four of them returned to the house. While Nadya and her mother cleaned the fish they had caught, Bagus spoke to the boys in private near his old boat.

  “Do you know what would happen if you were found with those weapons on you? You wou
ld be locked away for years. And to bring them on my boat, I could have been arrested for gun smuggling.”

  “For two automatics?” Romeo said.

  “This is not America. The gun laws here are strict.”

  “Our guns saved your life,” Cody said.

  “With acts of murder, and, and slaughter performed so casually. What sort of men are you?”

  “We’re men who know how to fight back,” Romeo said.

  “About that,” Cody said. “Does that gang have more men?”

  “I don’t know, perhaps, if so, I’ll deal with them.”

  “We’ll help you,” Romeo said.

  “I want you two gone. I am grateful for what you did today, I am, but you can’t stay here, not with those weapons on you.”

  “No, Ayah, they have to stay. You need them,” Nadya said, from where she was hidden behind a palm tree.

  Bagus gestured for her to join them, when she did, he placed an arm around her shoulders.

  “I told you to stay with your mother.”

  “I’m sorry, but I had a feeling that I should come out here.”

  “What did you tell your mother?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Good, I will explain things to her, and these men must leave.”

  “You need them, Ayah. There might be more danger.”

  “Maybe, and if so, it won’t be handled with guns. I will file a complaint with the authorities. Perhaps that will scare any new men away.”

  Cody shook his head. “Bagus, men who are willing to chop up a child aren’t intimidated by the law. They only fear violence greater than their own.”

  “Gather your things and leave, Xavier, Romeo. I want you gone now.”

  Nadya began pleading with her father in their own language. It ended when Bagus raised his voice in what sounded like a command.

  Nadya hung her head and began crying. “Ya, Ayah, I will keep silent.”

  “We’ll go, dude,” Romeo said. “We’ll move back into the hotel we were staying at. Call us if you need us.”

  “I will not be calling, and I do not want you to come back here. Please, I have to think of my family.”

  “Romeo,” Nadya said.

  “What, little chick?”

  “I’ll miss you.”

  Romeo grinned. “I’ll miss you too, honey.”

  The boys packed up their few belongings into their rental and headed out to find a new home. Before leaving the area, they went to the dock to pay a visit to Chance Cramer.

  * * *

  Chance Cramer was in his forties, muscular, with long hair. The hair was turning white, giving it a salt & pepper look.

  Cody and Romeo boarded his boat without permission and found Cramer with two other men. One of the men was blond, while the other had a dark crew-cut. They were seated in deck chairs and drinking beer from cans.

  Cramer was working out with metal dumbbells while performing arm curls. He was thick with muscle and the weights he was curling each weighed a hundred pounds.

  “Who the hell are you two?” Cramer asked them in his Kiwi accent.

  “We’re friends of Bagus, the man you’re trying to run off,” Cody said.

  Cramer put down his weights, shrugged his huge shoulders, then flexed his biceps.

  “If something has happened to the guy I don’t know anything about it.”

  “Bagus is fine,” Romeo said, “but those six scumbags you hired won’t be around anymore. The same thing will happen to you if you don’t leave Bagus alone.”

  Cramer walked over and put his face inches away from Romeo’s.

  “Are you threatening me, boy?”

  “You’re being warned,” Romeo said. “If you’re smarter than you look, you’ll back off and leave Bagus alone.”

  Cramer grinned at him. “I could break your skinny ass in half.”

  “Go for it,” Romeo said, as he leaned closer.

  The grin died on Cramer’s face and he backed away while waving a dismissive hand at the boys.

  “I want you two off my boat, and I mean now.”

  “You’ve been warned,” Cody said. He looked at the other men. “That includes you two. If anything happens to Bagus, we’ll be back.”

  The man with the crew-cut sent them the finger, while the blond man eyed them carefully.

  “Get the fuck off my boat,” Cramer snarled.

  The boys left Cramer, while knowing if they ever returned, they would be there to deal death.

  14

  Ambush

  INTERSTATE 10 WEST, OUTSIDE PHOENIX, ARIZONA, AUGUST 2018

  Harvey remembered where Russell’s ex-wife Janet worked. When Kayla called the number and asked to speak to her, the woman came on the line.

  “No, I don’t know where Russell is. Are you another cop?”

  “I’m an investigator, and I need to find your ex-husband.”

  “I haven’t seen him in over a year and I don’t ever want to see him again after what he’s done. We divorced because he wouldn’t stop being a criminal, and now he’s turned violent. I thank God we never had a kid.”

  “Do you own property in Phoenix?”

  “No, is there anything else? I have to get back to work.”

  “Where would Russell go to hide?”

  “The police asked me that too, but I don’t know anything. Russell and I have barely seen each other the last six years.”

  “All right, and thank you for your help.”

  “If you see Russell…”

  “Yes?”

  “Never mind,” Janet said, and hung up.

  Kayla dialed Tanner and relayed the conversation to him. He was driving his car in front of the van, as they neared their destination.

  “We’re definitely headed toward a trap,” Tanner said. “When we get nearer to the location, park on the side of the road and we’ll make plans.”

  “Right,” Kayla said.

  * * *

  They arrived about half an hour later and settled along a dirt track. The old farm road was parallel to the cracked roadway that led to the home Russell had directed them to. There was a wide spot off to the side that was big enough to park the van. Scattered about were beer cans and cigarette butts, with here and there a used condom. Someone liked to party among weeds, likely high school kids.

  Tanner brought out his camera, and after climbing atop the van’s roof, he was able to view the home in the distance.

  It looked to be fairly new but unoccupied, as the grass surrounding it was high and filled with weeds. Inexplicably, bales of hay were stacked nearby along with lengths of concrete sewer pipe. The pipe was placed end to end, as if waiting to be put in the ground.

  A hundred yards from the house was a wood-framed structure of a home that had yet to be built. It looked abandoned, and vegetation was climbing the framing.

  Then, Tanner spied a sign that explained the reason for what he was seeing. The sign was touting the construction of sixteen new homes. The completion date on the sign had come and gone over a year earlier. The hay wasn’t food for cattle, horses or goats. It was mulch hay used on construction sites to make it easier to navigate over muddy ground.

  Tanner climbed down from the van just as Zoe was taking the handcuffs off Harvey.

  “How many houses are there up ahead?” Kayla asked Tanner.

  “Just one; it looks unoccupied. I think it was a model home built for a construction project that later died. Harvey, how well does Russell know Phoenix?”

  “I don’t think he does, at least we never came here together.”

  “Then I find it strange that he would have knowledge about a failed construction project.”

  “Maybe his partner, Tonya, knows the area well,” Zoe said.

  “That could be, or it could be that Russell has brought in someone to help him, someone who lives in the area and has time to set up an ambush.”

  “What do you want to do?” Kayla asked.

  “You two stay here with Harvey while I go scou
t the area. If I think it’s safe, then you can send Harvey in with my car.”

  “Russell could still be coming here,” Zoe said. “The meeting time isn’t for another hour.”

  “Let’s hope that he does. If that happens, I’ll be waiting for him,” Tanner said.

  * * *

  Tanner traveled to the property on foot and made a circuit around it. There were no fresh tire tracks visible and the home appeared empty. After taking a set of folding binoculars from his pocket, he scanned the terrain while hidden behind the cover of a concrete sewer pipe. He saw nothing, and told Kayla to send Harvey in.

  “But let me talk to him first.”

  When Harvey came on the line, Tanner made him a promise.

  “If you try driving off in my car instead of coming here, I won’t hand you over to the cops, I’ll kill you.”

  “I won’t run. I just panicked earlier.”

  “Give Kayla back the phone and get over here.”

  * * *

  Hidden under the cover of camouflage a quarter mile away from Tanner was a man named Kuper. He knew about the defunct building site because he had worked as a day laborer on the project before the contractor went bankrupt.

  As Russell had told Tonya, Kuper had been a mercenary for years in Africa, and he enjoyed killing more than anything else. He was a thin man with a scraggly beard and thinning brown hair that was turning gray. Kuper had lost count of how many people he had killed a long time ago.

  Harvey drove up and was told by Tanner to leave the engine running and the door sitting open. When he joined Tanner by the sewer pipes, he looked jumpy. He would have been infinitely more nervous had he known that Kuper was looking at them through the scope of a high-powered rifle.

  15

  Smile When You Say That

  AUSTRALIA, NOVEMBER 2001