Young Guns Box Set

by Kane, Remington

  35

  To Protect And Serve Up

  THE BRONX, OCTOBER 2018

  James looked through the peephole in his apartment door and saw a face he hadn’t seen in years. It was a friend of his who had left the neighborhood after being sentenced to a juvenile detention facility. Michael was wearing his hair in cornrows and a tattoo was visible on his neck.

  James opened the door with a smile on his face.

  “Mike, damn man, I haven’t seen you in years.”

  “Yeah, brother, after I did my time for stealing that car my mom sent me off to live with my cousins in Brooklyn.”

  “Well come on in, man and we’ll catch up.”

  “Nah, James, you come outside. I got something you need to hear.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Michael looked around the hallway. “I guess this is private enough. I came here to tell you that you got a shitload of trouble coming your way. James, Maurice Biggs wants your ass dead.”

  “Biggs? The guy that runs the Boulevard Bloods? I don’t even know him.”

  “Man, your brother Hakeem killed Biggs’s little daughter during a drive-by. Now Biggs wants to pay Hakeem back, and he wants blood for blood.”

  “You’re saying that Jerold killed a little girl?”

  “A bullet meant for Biggs went through a window and hit his daughter. I heard she was only four.”

  James moaned as he hung his head. “Jerold never was any damn good, but to kill a child. Oh man, my mom is going to be sick when she hears about this.”

  Michael grabbed James by the arm and stared at him. “Your mom is going to be dead if you don’t get her and your own ass away from here. Biggs won’t fuck around. He’ll try to kill you.”

  “I, I don’t know where we could go. We don’t have money for a hotel or anything.”

  “Just run, James. Run and hope that someone puts Biggs down soon. Otherwise, you’ll be running for the rest of your life. The man wants you dead.”

  * * *

  James’ mother was named Debra. She worked as an assistant in a podiatrist’s office. Debra looked ill after hearing about the vile act her elder son had performed. When James told her about the threat on their lives, Debra insisted that they go to the police.

  “I don’t think they can protect us,” James said, “and what if Biggs owns some of the cops? We could be walking into a trap by going to them.”

  “What other choice do we have, James?”

  James couldn’t think of an answer, so he agreed to go to the police station.

  * * *

  At the local cop shop, the detectives assigned to investigate gang activities, Detective Rayna Owens and Detective Scott Pearson, saw an opportunity to nail Maurice Biggs by using James and his mother as bait.

  The female detective, Rayna Owens, was white, thirty-three, newly-divorced, and had been a cop for eleven years. She had dark hair, green eyes, and was attractive. Her male partner was not attractive. Detective Scott Pearson was white, fifty-eight, married, and had been a cop longer than his partner had been alive. Pearson’s graying hair was thinning on top and the pack a day smoker had a gut.

  They had placed James and his mother inside a large interview room that had a one-way mirror. The two stood at the glass looking in at James and Debra while discussing their options.

  “Do you really think Maurice Biggs would try to kill them himself?” Owens asked.

  Pearson straightened his wrinkled tie over his round stomach.

  “He might. I just got off the phone with the detectives who investigated the shooting where Biggs’s daughter died. They claimed the man was incensed and made threats against the drive-by shooter who killed his kid.”

  “What? You’re telling me a gangbanger talked to the cops and gave them Jerold Washington’s name?”

  “It was more like he was venting in front of them. No, Biggs and the other witness never named Washington. The last thing Biggs would want is for us to pick up Washington and move him out of his reach.”

  “Then how do we know that Washington is the shooter?”

  “Jerold Washington’s name was gathered from a police informant. Biggs might not kill Jerold Washington’s family himself, but I bet you he’ll murder Washington, and probably take his time doing it.”

  Owens looked through the glass and studied Debra.

  “The mother looks scared to death, but hey, she raised Jerold, who started this whole mess, so I have no sympathy for her. All right, let’s use them as bait. We’ll send them back home with a uniform, then you and I will take the night shift. If Biggs makes a move on them, we’ll have him red-handed.”

  “It’s the right move, Rayna, and even if Biggs sends his gang members around, at least we’ll take them off the street for a while.”

  * * *

  James watched as the detectives entered the room. Despite the seriousness of the situation and the threat hanging over himself and his mother, James still noticed that Rayna Owens was a good-looking woman. She had a great smile as well, and she displayed it before issuing them assurances.

  “We’ll protect you of course, but we don’t feel that we need to uproot you from your home. We’ll be sending you back with an officer to guard you. My partner and I will be along later as well.”

  Debra looked relieved, but James had a question.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to move us somewhere where Biggs can’t find us?”

  Pearson laughed, and it made his jowls quiver.

  “We’re not the Feds, kid. We don’t have safe houses or witness protection. But don’t worry, we’ll keep you and your mom safe.”

  James nodded his understanding, while not liking the fact that they would still be where Biggs or one of his people could find them.

  * * *

  James and his mother were back home twenty minutes later with a patrolman in the corridor. The cop was white and stuck out like a cactus in a field of wheat.

  Although the apartment was small and located in an old building, Debra Washington had done her best to make it look homey and attractive.

  Their hand-me-down living room furniture was a gift from Debra’s employer. Although old, the expensive furniture looked good and was comfortable. The dining room area, which was nothing more than a corner of the living room, was wallpapered and partitioned off by a decorative railing. The tiny kitchen was organized and cleaned daily after the evening meal. On one wall in the living room hung a painting of Jesus.

  James looked through the peephole at the officer, while speaking to his mother.

  “They should have found a black cop and put him in plain clothes.”

  “No, James,” his mother said. “It’s better this way. Maybe his uniform will scare anyone sent here to hurt us.”

  “Mom, gangbangers aren’t scared of cops. If they were, they wouldn’t join gangs in the first place.”

  Debra sighed. “Like your brother did.”

  James took his mother’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “I know he killed a child, but it was an accident.”

  Debra’s head shot up and James saw anger in her eyes.

  “It was no accident. You heard that woman cop describe what happened. Your brother drove down a street where children were playing and fired off a gun until it was empty. It’s a miracle he only killed one child.”

  “You’re right, Mom, and I’m tired of making excuses for my big brother. The way things look now, he’ll probably be spending the rest of his life in prison.”

  The anger left Debra’s eyes as tears flowed from them.

  “That will only happen if Maurice Biggs doesn’t kill Jerold first.”

  James had no words to allay that worry, because it was true. Jerold would likely be dead soon, shot to death by Maurice Biggs.

  36

  Training & Planning

  OUTSIDE PORTLAND, OREGON, JANUARY 2003

  Cody and Romeo were in the Portland area to assault the Citadel, but as a cover they had bou
ght a fixer upper to renovate and flip.

  The old house needed a ton of work. It had been purchased for its secluded location which had twelve acres of land. When they weren’t working on the house, Cody and Romeo were training for their assault on the Citadel.

  The boys had decided to scale the cliff. They had rented a boat and anchored it off the coast where the Citadel was located. With the use of a powerful telescope they could make out the bolts that had been driven into the cliff face by the men who had attempted the assault in the past. Hutchins said the men were Canadians and experienced climbers. They had failed, but it was on their mistakes and earlier work that Cody hoped to succeed.

  * * *

  A large white pickup truck came onto the property. It had the name of a lumber company on the side of it. The young woman driving the truck was named Tara, she was cute and had dark hair and blue eyes. Tara flirted with both boys whenever she brought them supplies, but Cody could tell that Tara liked Romeo best.

  Tara lowered her window and stuck her head out of the cab of the truck. She was wearing a man’s flannel jacket that was a size too big on her along with a pair of jeans that hugged her curves. Her hair was long and tied back in a ponytail; it shone under the winter sun, while the temperature was in the mid-fifties.

  Tara sent the boys a smile as they walked over to her.

  “I got a load of framing lumber for you guys. I guess you decided to replace that deck in the back, huh?”

  “That’s right,” Romeo said. “It’ll be a lot of work, but the home will sell faster with a new deck.”

  Tara stared at Romeo for a few moments while smiling, then placed her truck in gear.

  “I’ll pull around to the back.”

  “Cool,” Romeo said.

  As Tara drove slowly toward the rear of the home, Cody spoke to Romeo.

  “She likes you. Why not ask her out?”

  “I’ll do that, and I’ll see if Tara has a friend for you.”

  They went to work unloading the lumber, then Romeo stayed by the truck and spoke with Tara. Judging by the smiles she was giving Romeo, Cody figured his friend had gotten a yes to his offer. However, Tara had other plans. Romeo filled Cody in as they watched Tara drive away.

  “She wants to go on a double date with a friend of hers, but Tara says she has to talk the friend into dumping her boyfriend first.”

  “I guess Tara doesn’t like the girl’s boyfriend.”

  “The dude hit on her, and her friend knows it, but she was willing to give the guy another chance. Tara says that it’s just a matter of time until her friend kicks the jerk’s ass to the curb. She thinks you two will get along well.”

  “What’s the friend like?”

  “Her name is Mandy. Tara said Mandy is beautiful and athletic.”

  “All right then, maybe we’ll have dates soon.”

  “It can’t be too soon for me,” Romeo said. “I really like Tara.”

  * * *

  Hutchins called later that day with news. The Citadel was rumored to be getting a new client.

  “His name is Kabell,” Hutchins said. “The guy was a cult leader who treated the female members of the cult like sex slaves. Get this, he was said to have over a hundred wives.”

  “What happened?” Cody asked. “Did the Feds go after him?”

  “A female D.A. in Tennessee had a niece join the cult. When she learned that the girl was pregnant with Kabell’s child, she got her friends in D.C. to look into the so-called religion.”

  “So, this Kabell is on the run,” Cody said. “And you think he’ll go to the Citadel?”

  “The Feds say he’s headed this way. Why else would he come here? I’ll bet you the good Reverend Kabell is looking for refuge, and likely a new face.”

  “Thanks for the tip, Hutchins. When will those weapons you’re getting for us be ready?”

  “That’s the second reason I’m calling. You can stop by and get them in two days.”

  “We’ll be there,” Cody said.

  When the call ended, Cody relayed Hutchins end of the conversation to Romeo, who then had a question.

  “Do you think we’re ready to scale that cliff this soon?”

  “I do, but I also want to take another lesson and spend a few more days practicing. We won’t be allowed a mistake at the Citadel.”

  Romeo grinned. “This is some intense shit, brother, but it’s what we trained for, right?”

  “We’re getting inside the Citadel one way or another, then we’ll be able to pick and choose our contracts.”

  “And we’ll make Spenser proud too. That means something to me.”

  “Me too,” Cody said.

  * * *

  The next day, after suspending their work on the home to practice their climbing, the boys impressed another of their instructors. Her name was Amanda. She was born to parents who had met on the summit of a mountain and she had learned to climb at an early age. Although only twenty-three, Amanda was a certified instructor of the highest caliber.

  The boys had done some climbing while in Europe but needed to increase their skill level, and so they hired Amanda.

  Cody liked the blonde a great deal but knew that she was already involved with someone. Despite that, he did notice Amanda giving him appreciative glances at times.

  “You two are quick learners, and it helps that you’re both in such great shape. What do you do for a living?”

  “We flip houses,” Romeo said.

  Amanda looked perplex by the answer.

  “How do you flip a house?”

  “We buy homes, fix them up, then resell them for a profit,” Cody said with a smile.

  Amanda smiled back at him, while appearing to be embarrassed. “I was thinking that you actually flipped them over somehow.”

  “That would be demolition,” Romeo said.

  “Anyway, you guys climb well now. I’m not sure I can teach you much more.”

  “About that,” Cody said. “This will be our last lesson.”

  Disappointment showed on Amanda’s face. Cody hoped it was there for more than the fact that she was losing a client.

  “I’ll miss seeing you guys. You were good students.”

  “Maybe I’ll call you sometime,” Cody said. “You know, just to keep in touch.”

  Amanda smiled, but it faded as quickly as it appeared.

  “I have a boyfriend, Xavier, remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  * * *

  After the climbing lesson, the boys rode out to the area where the Citadel was, although they were miles away from the property, they could see the cliff in the distance.

  “We’re going to make history, Romeo.”

  “Or die trying,” Romeo said.

  “I’d rather be dead than live my life as average.”

  “Me too, but I do want that someday. You know, a wife, kids.”

  “Really?”

  Romeo pointed at the cliff in the distance.

  “That’s an adventure, Cody, not a life. When I’m sixty, I don’t want to be alone with only a bunch of cool memories. I want people around me.”

  Cody said nothing in return, although while growing up, he had always wanted the same future. However, the people he ached to have around him was the family he had already lost.

  Romeo turned to face him, and it was as if he had read Cody’s mind.

  “You can make another family of your own someday, dude. You can’t get back the people you lost, but you can have another family.”

  “Maybe,” Cody said. “Yeah, maybe someday.”

  37

  A Gift From A Friend

  THE BRONX, OCTOBER 2018

  With all that had happened in so short a time, James’ mind was in a fog. He didn’t realize until the next day, Saturday, that he would be unable to start his new job on Monday.

  When he called Sara and Tanner to let them know the circumstances, Sara insisted on coming over and talking to James.

  The cop
in the hallway was different from the one who had been standing guard the day before. His name was Jude Collins. He was white, blond, and had been in the navy. The detectives gave the okay for the visit, and Tanner and Sara entered James’ apartment.

  Debra greeted Sara with a smile and thanked her profusely for helping James to find such a good job.

  “Of course, with what’s going on, I suppose he’s lost it.”

  “No, Mrs. Washington. James still has the job. I explained things to my father and he said that he’ll hold the position for James for a few more weeks. Daddy also said that he would have one of his staff represent James’ brother if needed.”

  “Why would Mr. Blake help my brother?” James asked. “He doesn’t even know him.”

  “Blake knows you, James,” Tanner said. “And he likes you.”

  Debra’s hand rushed to her mouth as she realized she hadn’t offered her guests anything.

  “I’m sorry for forgetting my manners, would you two like coffee? I’ve already brewed a pot.”

  “I’d love some,” Sara said, “and we’ll talk in the kitchen while you serve it.”

  As she was leaving the room with James’ mother, Sara exchanged glances with Tanner, and he sent her a nod. Tanner stayed behind with James to get the story on Maurice Biggs.

  “How serious is this, James?”

  “It’s no joke, Tanner. Biggs is the leader of the Boulevard Bloods and he’s killed before. My brother must have been crazy to try to murder him. Now, it’s got me and my mother targeted.”

  “Sara thinks the cops should have moved you somewhere, and I agree. They’re using you as bait while hoping that Biggs shows himself and tries to kill you.”