Begley’s posture relaxed as he considered his friend’s words.
“I guess you’re right, but I want to go down there and look for the bodies. While I’m doing that, you and Mike assess the status of the men.”
Serge placed a hand on Begley’s arm. “Mike won’t be doing anything, Jack. He caught some shrapnel from that grenade that was thrown at us.”
“Then get the doctor up here; Mike could still make it.”
Serge’s grip on his boss’s arm tightened.
“Jack, the shrapnel ripped his chest open. Mike’s dead.”
Begley grunted from the emotional distress he was feeling at having lost a friend, then he steeled himself and pointed at two of his men.
“Simmons, Aquilla, you two are with me. If we come across anything moving down there, we kill it.”
The men answered in the affirmative and Begley headed toward the door to go inside the Citadel. He would take an elevator down to the level of the water, while Serge tallied up the dead. No matter what the final count might be, Begley knew the Citadel had suffered its worst losses yet, and under his watch, no less. The truth of that made him seethe with anger.
* * *
After their leap into the cold water of the Pacific, Cody and Romeo ripped the ski masks from their faces and scrambled over to the base of the cliff while convulsing from shivering. They had planned an escape in case things went bad in a hurry and were now using it. To say the least, the plan was imperfect, but they thought it would be enough. When they heard the voices of the men atop the cliff drift down to them, they knew they had guessed right.
From the top, no one could see the very base of the cliff because of the angle. It was hoped that the Citadel’s guards would assume that they drowned. The boys edged slowly along the cliff while keeping their backs pressed against it. Their dive into the water was still affecting them and they walked stiffly over the rocks while shivering.
“They’ll still send men down to check,” Cody whispered to Romeo. That was when he noticed the blood dripping off the fingers of Romeo’s left hand. “You were hit?”
“My shoulder got cut on one of the rocks. If I had fallen a foot to the left it would have sliced open my throat.”
Cody held up his left hand, which was beginning to swell and bruise. He had bashed it on a rock while hitting the water. “I got off lucky too, but it still hurts like hell.”
The boys kept moving, and as they did, their bodies warmed, and their movements became more fluid. By the time they made it back to the point along the shore where they’d left their vehicle, the chills had ceased. Behind them, Jack Begley was following the footprints they had made in the sparse sand along the bank.
* * *
One of Begley’s men spotted the footprints and the pursuit began. Although Cody and Romeo had a good head start, they had been slowed because of the toll their leap into the water had taken on them. Begley had reasoned that out and knew he still had a chance to catch and kill the men who dared to invade the Citadel’s grounds. Begley wanted them dead more than he’d ever wanted anything.
“Faster,” he told his men, as they jogged along the shoreline, while running between the outcropping of rocks. He attempted to reach Serge on the radio and have him join the hunt by sending out two jeeps, but his radio failed to make contact. It was the cliff. The rock blocked the signal. Begley made a mental note to ask Abadandi for cell phones again.
He had requested such standard equipment before and been denied. Contact with the outside world was extremely limited, and so cell phones were taboo.
“There!” said one of the men. When Begley looked to where he was pointing, he saw a black pickup truck in the distance. The truck’s engine roared to life as Begley took aim and fired at the vehicle’s rear windows.
When nothing happened after he and his men had fired a dozen rounds, Begley realized they were out of range.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” Begley shouted, as the truck rolled away, taking the men who had breached the Citadel’s security to safety.
* * *
Romeo was in the passenger seat of the truck and gazing out the back window, as he peeked around the corner of his seat.
“They must have crappy weapons. They weren’t that far away but they never hit us once. I can’t be sure, but I think they were using revolvers.”
“It’s a good thing for us. That was close.”
Romeo turned and sat up in his seat. “We were close too, and we’ll make it inside next time.”
“Oh yeah, this was just Plan A, there’s still Plan B.”
“You mean attack the guards when they go out to gather supplies?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t like that plan. There are too many risks since the guards are always on high alert at that time.”
“You’re right, the plan is risky, but I’ll be damned if I’ll give up.”
“Oh, hell no, Cody. We’re not giving up. I just wish we had a better Plan B.”
“Yeah, and maybe we’ll think of something. In the meantime, we’ll rest a little and let things calm down at the Citadel.”
“I guess we’ve lost our chance at Kabell. He’ll probably have moved on by the time we’re ready to make another attempt.”
“Maybe. If so, we’ll go after the Citadel’s next client. The contract isn’t important; it’s the Citadel that will make our reputation, and we’re getting in there one way or another.”
“Damn right,” Romeo said. “We’re Tanners. We don’t quit, and we don’t fail.”
Cody smiled as he said, “Fuckin’ A.”
* * *
Inside the Citadel, Ann had been passing by the guests’ quarters when she saw Cindy poke her head out the door. The girl was wearing another modest dress, a blue one, and had matching ribbons in her hair. Ann smiled at the girl while thinking how very young she looked.
“Hi honey, do you need something?”
“What was that alarm I heard?”
“Oh, it’s nothing to be concerned about. Can I help you with anything else?”
Cindy pointed into her quarters.
“There are dirty dishes inside from the evening meal we were served. The master hates filth of any kind. I don’t want him to see them when he awakes from his meditation.”
Ann bridled with disgust upon hearing Cindy refer to Kabell as her master. She stepped past the girl and saw the metal cart the mess hall used to deliver the guests’ meals.
“I can wheel that out. Did you say that Kabell was sleeping?”
Cindy walked in and went over to the cart. When she lifted a bottle, Ann saw that it was single-malt Scotch, and nearly empty.
“He’s meditating, this bottle contains the master’s meditation potion. He often meditates for hours after drinking from it.”
A loud snore came from beyond a nearby doorway. It was the sound of Kabell “meditating” after having imbibed too much Scotch. Ann stifled the laugh she felt, then she spoke to Cindy in a conspiratorial tone.
“Does Kabell ever hurt you?”
Cindy looked at Ann as if she had spoken blasphemy.
“The master loves me.”
“I just bet he does,” Ann said. She walked over to the cart and began rolling it toward the door. When it was out in the corridor, Ann turned and spoke to Cindy. “My name is Ann. Come find me in the east wing if you ever need anything, okay?”
“Thank you, Ann, but the master gives me everything I need.”
Ann sent Cindy a tight smile and wheeled the cart away. When her eyes fell on a steak knife, she imagined jamming it into Kabell’s crotch. The man was an obvious pedophile and was being allowed to molest a child on Citadel grounds.
Helping criminals flee prosecution was one thing, aiding and abetting the defilement of a child was another. Ann decided right then and there that she was leaving the Citadel as soon as possible. If her husband wouldn’t join her, well then, the hell with him. Enough was enough.
* * *
“What do you mean they got away? How the hell did you let them get away?” Abadandi asked Begley.
They were in Abadandi’s office, standing together by the desk. The doctor was there as well. Calavechi sat slumped on the sofa with a bottle of beer in his hand.
“They jumped off the cliff and into the water, then they made it back to their vehicle.”
Abadandi rubbed at his temples. “At least they didn’t get inside. Still, now the word will spread that we’re vulnerable, and others will attempt to make it up the cliff. By the way, how the hell did they do that?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“You don’t know much, do you, Jack?” Dr. Calavechi said. “You don’t know who the men were, you don’t know how they got up the cliff, and you don’t know where to find them.”
Begley walked over and snatched the beer bottle from the doctor’s hand.
“I know there are three wounded men in the infirmary waiting for you to treat them. You’ll also find the bodies of five guards.”
Dr. Calavechi had been reddening with anger, but his face paled at the mention of the bodies.
“Five men were killed?”
“Yes, damn it, and Mike Hodges was one of them.”
The doctor stood and headed for the door.
“I’ll be in the infirmary, Richard,” he told Abadandi, then left.
When they were alone, Begley took out his service revolver and sat it atop Abadandi’s desk. It was a .32 Smith & Wesson that was almost as old as Begley. The Citadel’s arsenal hadn’t been upgraded since Abadandi opened the place back in the seventies.
“I might have had a chance at killing those men tonight if we had better weapons. It also would have helped if I’d had more men.”
“You had a force of seventeen going up against two. I’d say that you had plenty of men, as for weapons, yes, I’ll acquire different ones, but only six for now. Send me a memo with your suggestions.”
“And what about more men? I’ll need to replace those that were killed tonight.”
“Yes, I suppose, we’ll address that too. For now, go to your quarters and get some rest.”
Begley laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“I doubt I’ll sleep tonight, and I’ve more to do topside. I still have to investigate how those men made it up the cliff. We don’t want a repeat.”
They left the office together and arranged to meet at noon the next day. As Begley was walking toward his quarters to fill Ann in on what had happened, he saw Irina walking toward him wearing a white terrycloth robe, with pink slippers.
The concern in her eyes was genuine as she looked Begley over for injuries.
“I’m so glad to see that you weren’t hurt, Jack. And I was so sorry to hear about Mike.”
“Thank you, but why aren’t you helping the doctor in the infirmary?”
Irina sighed. “Abadandi told me he needs a little nursing of his own before I report for duty.”
“Why do you do that? You’re a nurse not a hooker.”
“Why are any of us here. It’s the money.”
“I still don’t like seeing you being treated like a whore.”
Irina stood on her toes and kissed Begley on the mouth. The Captain of the Guard didn’t resist, and in fact, responded. As Begley was placing his arms around Irina’s waist, she backed away from him.
“Uh-uh, Jack. Not here, and not now, but you’re welcome to visit me in my quarters anytime.”
Jack wiped his lips, as if it would erase the kiss along with the lipstick it had left upon his mouth.
“That shouldn’t have happened.”
Irina opened her robe. Beneath it she was wearing a red negligee made from sheer material that was designed to reveal what it covered.
Begley took in the details of her body as his mouth parted slightly. When Irina closed and fastened the robe again, he felt as if he were awakening from a dream.
“I’m sure I’ll see you soon, Jack, and I can’t wait.”
Irina moved past Begley, while headed for Abadandi’s quarters. The thought of Irina being with the old man filled Begley with jealousy. And the fact that Abadandi was delaying her from helping the wounded enraged him. After shaking himself and regaining his composure, he headed toward his own quarters to see his wife. He had to deliver the bad news about what happened up on the cliffs.
43
Making Plans
UPPER MANHATTAN, OCTOBER 2018
Sara checked the address she had typed into her phone earlier against the number on the storefront the taxi had stopped in front of. They were the same, although the building looked as if it were under construction.
“Are you certain this is the right address,” she asked the driver.
“It’s what you told me.”
When a middle-age woman stepped out the front door of the building, Sara opened the door and called to her. “Are you Susan Thomas?”
“That’s me, and you’re Sara Blake?”
“Yes.” Sara paid her driver and stepped out into what was a crisp autumn day. She was glad she had worn her coat, as the hour was early, and the sun had yet to rise high.
Susan Thomas had dark hair, wore a pair of stylish glasses, and was dressed in a business suit with slacks. She offered Sara her hand while smiling.
“I apologize for the appearance of my boutique; it’s in the middle of undergoing a renovation.”
“I thought it was closed.”
“It will be for another week or so, but the new look will attract a higher caliber of client. At least, that’s the plan.”
They weaved their way through the narrow but long space and Sara saw that the shop had been stripped down to the wall studs. When they reached an area with what looked like exposed wiring hanging down from the ceiling, Sara paused.
Susan Thomas noticed her caution and grinned as she pointed up at the wires.
“They’re not live, and they’re too high to touch us anyway. My contractor is waiting on a new panel box to arrive, you know, those things that hold the circuit breakers. The city recently changed the codes on what’s allowable and the construction trade is scrambling to become compliant.”
“I read something about that in the paper,” Sara said. “Along with the fact that the change was made so that the mayor’s cousin could profit by it.”
“How would changing a building code help the mayor’s cousin?” Thomas asked.
“He owns the company that manufactures the new style panel boxes.”
“And the mayor thought that no one would catch on? I thought he was smarter than that.”
“He’s claiming ignorance and said that he didn’t know what sort of business his cousin owned.”
“I thought he was brighter than that too, he should have told the city council to rescind the change and then taken the heat. In a week, everyone would have moved on to something else. See, that’s the trouble with men, they don’t take responsibility for their actions. They make a mistake and then they worsen things by trying to hide it by lying.”
As she spoke, Susan’s eyes became misty. Sara stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her arm.
“Mrs. Thomas, Susan, are you all right?”
Susan Thomas wiped away a tear while taking in a deep breath, after exhaling slowly, she smiled sadly at Sara.
“My husband is cheating on me but denies it. I was hoping to hire you to get proof for me.”
“Oh, but as I told you on the phone I don’t handle domestic cases or divorce work.”
“I know you said that, but you also came highly recommended by a friend of mine, Michael Walston.”
“I did some work for Michael, yes, but that involved a fraud case.”
Susan’s face grew rigid with anger. “I consider what my husband is doing to be fraud. He’s claiming to be a loving spouse while he’s actually running around with someone behind my back. That’s fraudulent, isn’t it?”
More tears flowed, and Sara took Susan’s arm again, to lead
her toward the small office visible ahead. Once inside the office, Susan sat at her desk and grabbed a tissue to wipe her eyes.
“I’m sorry for breaking down this way, Miss Blake, but I’m just at my wit’s end. I love my husband and I could forgive him, but he won’t even admit that he’s strayed.”
“I can recommend another agency that does the sort of thing you want. I believe Caliber Investigations handles domestic work.”
“Jake Caliber does divorce work?”
Sara smiled. “I was referring to Caliber Investigations, not the detective agency, but they are located in the same building.”
“Thank you, Miss Blake. I’ll give them a call, and I apologize for wasting your time.”
“It’s all right, and please, call me Sara.”
* * *
Sara returned home to find Tanner in the office. After sharing a kiss, she told him about her meeting as they sat together on a leather sofa.
“Too bad it turned out to be nothing. I know that you were looking forward to working.”
Sara sighed. “I was, and I wasn’t. I know I’ve only been a private investigator for a short time, but it’s lost its appeal already.”
“You want to do something else?”
Sara leaned over and kissed him. “How would you feel about starting a family right away?”
Tanner reached out and began unbuttoning her blouse. “I would like that very much.”
Sara giggled, then took his hand. “I’m serious. I think I’m ready to have children.”
Tanner gestured at the room, while indicating the entire penthouse.
“You once said that you wouldn’t want to raise a child here, has that changed?”
“No, although I love the city, I would want to raise my children in a small town.”
“Like Stark, Texas?”
“Yes, your home town. Now that you own the ranch, we could make it our home.”
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