Young Guns Box Set

by Kane, Remington

  “Ann is your wife. You must know where she would run to,” Abadandi told Begley.

  “I have several ideas about where to find Ann, but I’m afraid that she would drop Cindy off at the authorities, some child care agency.”

  Abadandi released a groan. “I think you’re right, which means we’ll never get the girl back, and she’ll be talking about the Citadel with countless people. This is a disaster, Begley, an absolute disaster, and I blame you for it.”

  Begley placed his palms on the desk and leaned forward.

  “I might still have a chance to make things right if I leave now. Ann only has a few hours head start and maybe she’s kept the girl by her side for some reason.”

  “Grab one of the jeeps and go find them. Take Serge with you. He can drive back the jeep your wife stole.”

  Begley straightened up again as he made a request.

  “While I’m in the city, why don’t you see about hiring more guards? We’re down to a dangerously low level of security right now.”

  Abadandi sighed. “I’d almost forgotten that we’re still under the threat of those two assholes who keep attacking us. Damn it, but the problems keep piling up. All right, I’ll hire ten more guards, and I should find a new mechanic as well.”

  Begley opened the door to leave while speaking over his shoulder.

  “I’ll call when I find them.”

  “Just find them, or don’t bother coming back.”

  Begley shut the door behind him as he left, and Abadandi and the doctor could hear his footfalls move briskly down the corridor.

  Dr. Calavechi looked over from his seat on the sofa and caught his cousin’s eye.

  “He’s not coming back in either event, is he?”

  “Of course not, George. Begley and his wife have both outlived their usefulness. I should have had Ann handled when she asked to leave, but I liked having her around.”

  “You’ve called Clark?”

  “Yes, and he’ll follow Begley and Serge to Ann, then kill them all.”

  “Why send Serge along to be killed?”

  “He’s loyal to Begley. When I bring in a replacement for Begley, Serge might make trouble or asked too many questions.”

  “Richard, why don’t we cash in now? We’ve more than enough money, and we’re not getting any younger.”

  “You’ve said that before, but it’s so hard to leave considering how much we’re raking in every year.”

  “But what good will the money do us if we can’t enjoy it? I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of living here. I want to lie on a white sand beach surrounded by some very lovely and very young ladies.”

  Abadandi leaned back and considered things for a moment.

  “Maybe you’re right. With the attacks, Ann’s betrayal, and having to need so many new guards, it might be the right time to cash it all in.”

  The doctor stood. “Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

  Abadandi laughed and held up a hand.

  “Not that soon. There are preparations to make. I also want to see if Begley locates the girl. If he doesn’t, we’ll have even more reason to leave. Ann or the girl might lead the authorities back here. If that happened, we could be trapped in here with dwindling supplies.”

  “What if Begley does find the girl, what then?”

  “I gave Clark orders to kill them all.”

  “Is he really bloodthirsty enough to murder a child?”

  “Clark Hawthorne isn’t bloodthirsty, he’s a psychopath. Murdering that girl will mean no more to him than the killing of a fly would concern us. He did want more money for her though.”

  “I hope he does kill her. Then we’ll be free to leave and put this tomb behind us.”

  Abadandi looked around. “This place was a great scam, but yes, it’s time to retire.”

  “And what happens to the people we leave behind?”

  Abadandi gave his cousin a perplexed look, as if the answer to his question was obvious.

  “They’ll all have to die. You know that, otherwise they would be loose ends.”

  “Even Irina?”

  “The hell with her. Where we’re going, and with the money we’ll have, women like her will be fighting each other to sleep with us.”

  “And money can buy many young girls there too.”

  “You’re a pervert, George, you know that?”

  “I know.”

  Abadandi laughed, then took a bottle of bourbon from his bottom drawer.

  “Let’s toast to our impending freedom.”

  * * *

  In Portland, Ann was enjoying her own freedom as she rode along in the jeep she’d stolen.

  Cindy still slept beside her, however, the girl had displayed signs that the drug was wearing off. Ann left the highway and drove into the parking lot of a large multiplex theater. The lot was empty in the early morning hours, except for a street sweeper that was gathering up the previous night’s debris.

  Another few minutes passed before Cindy awoke. Ann spoke soothingly to her as the girl gazed about with a look of confusion lighting her innocent face.

  “How did I get here?”

  “I smuggled you out of the Citadel, honey. I had to get you away from Kabell.”

  Cindy jerked about in her seat as she looked for Kabell.

  “The master isn’t here?”

  “No, he’s back at the Citadel. I know you must be frightened and that you don’t understand why I took you, but honey, it will all be for the best.”

  Cindy spotted a mountain range in the distance and pointed at it.

  “Is that where we came from? Is the master back there?”

  “In that general direction, but—” Ann stopped talking when Cindy began clawing at her seat belt. When she’d managed to remove it, Cindy opened her door to leave.

  Ann reached out and grabbed her wrist. “No. I’m taking you to get help. Kabell is not your master, he’s a monster who has been molesting you.”

  Cindy whimpered as she struggled to get free, but Ann was too strong for her. In desperation, Cindy leaned over and bit Ann’s hand. The pain it caused was enough to weaken Ann’s grip and Cindy bolted from the car and toward the highway. As the girl ran, her eyes were focused on the mountain in the distance.

  “No, Cindy, stop! Stop!”

  Cindy didn’t stop, and neither did the truck that she ran in front of. The driver stood on the brake, but the weight and momentum of his vehicle was too great to bring to a sudden halt. Cindy was slammed onto the roadway with enough force to shatter her skull before her body was mangled by the truck’s massive tires.

  Ann, who had leapt from the jeep to go in pursuit, gaped at the scene in shocked horror, then fell to her knees and vomited.

  Traffic came to a standstill in the aftermath of the tragedy. Then, someone pointed Ann’s way. When she became aware of the eyes on her, Ann gathered herself and went back to the jeep. The emotional toll she’d suffered left her weak, and she weaved as if intoxicated.

  The shout of voices faded as she drove toward the rear of the parking lot, where she found an entrance used by delivery trucks.

  Ann slowed the jeep two minutes later on a street lined with single-family homes and pulled to the curb with tears blinding her. She had only wanted to save Cindy and give her a chance at a normal life. Now the girl was dead.

  Ann cried until she could weep no more, then drove off to reconnect with old friends.

  59

  Let’s Meet

  THE BRONX, OCTOBER 2018

  Maurice Biggs was enraged by Tanner’s attack on his cash drop and intended to kill the hit man. Randy and his whispery friend had reported what Juan had told them. It made Biggs feel like he had an ace up his sleeve, one he intended to play to win the game.

  Tyrese joined him at his townhouse again. Melon Head was present as well. Tyrese was surprised when his boss asked him to phone Tanner.

  “You still got that throwaway he gave you?”

 
; “Yeah.”

  “Then phone his white ass and tell him I want a meeting. He can pick the time and place.”

  “Are you going to try and kill him?”

  “Only if he tries something first.”

  “So why meet with him?”

  “Why you think? Do you know how much money we lost? And the bitch killed a bunch of Bloods too. You were right, Tyrese, Tanner is no one to mess with. Talk to his ass and set up the meeting. I’ll tell him that Jerold’s family don’t have to worry anymore.”

  Tyrese was nodding and smiling in appreciation of the good sense his boss was displaying.

  “I’ll call him and see what he says.”

  “Do that, and how’s the new cash drop coming along?”

  “Good, but I need to get back there and supervise things, since so many of the people doing it are new.”

  “Just let them know that if they try to steal any of the money they’ll wind up dead.”

  “Oh, they know that. We already caught a man slipping money into his sock. I slit his throat in front of the others.”

  “Good, that should stop that shit, and make that call and get back to me.”

  After Tyrese left the room, Melon Head had a question for Biggs.

  “Tanner won’t be leaving the meeting alive, will he?”

  Biggs looked at his chauffeur. “You know something, Melon Head, you’re not as dumb as people think. Hell no, I ain’t giving in to Tanner, and I’m going to kill his ass too.”

  Melon Head was frowning.

  “Who says I’m dumb?”

  “Tyrese for one, but there are others.”

  “I don’t like Tyrese, and I don’t trust him either. Why did Tanner go to him anyway?”

  Biggs looked thoughtful as he said, “Now that’s a good question.”

  His phone rang. When he answered it, the voice on the other line belonged to a gang member named Nicholas. He gave Biggs some good news.

  “We know where Sara Blake lives, but the building has a doorman and the bitch owns the penthouse. We’d be better off killing her when she’s out on the street.”

  “Not yet, just follow her for now. I’m setting up a meeting with Tanner, when I know where he’ll be and when, then it will be safe to kill his woman.”

  “Tanner will really be out for blood then.”

  “Shit, his ass will be dead. We’ll kill him and his bitch at the same time.”

  “Bloods rule!” Nicholas said.

  “Damn right,” Biggs told him. “Hey, how many brothers you got with you?”

  “There’s three of us, more than enough to handle a woman.”

  “I was told by one of the cops I pay off that she’s an ex-FBI agent and carries a gun, so watch your ass.”

  Nicholas laughed. “I’ll put the bitch down before she knows what happened.”

  “And I’ll do the same to Tanner,” Biggs said.

  * * *

  Inside the penthouse, Tanner was introducing James and his mother to his neighbor, Eric Tang. He had already explained to Debra and James that the people in the building knew him as Thomas Myers.

  “If Sara and I need to go out at the same time, Tang will stay with you, just in case.”

  Tang smiled at Debra, then asked James a question.

  “Do you play chess, young man?”

  “No, but I would like to learn.”

  “If we spend time together I’ll teach you the game.”

  “That would be cool,” James said.

  Sara walked into the living room, when she saw Tang she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and asked about his wife and daughters.

  “Beth is doing great, as are the girls.”

  When Tanner explained why Tang was there, Sara said it was a good idea.

  “I actually just made plans to go out soon. I received a call from the same client I turned down the other day. She wanted me to spy on her husband, but I don’t do divorce work. Now she says she has another job for me. I’ll be meeting with her tomorrow evening. Can you drop by then, Eric?”

  Tang said he could, then asked Tanner if he would be out at the same time.

  “Yeah, I’ll be having a meeting too,” Tanner said, referring to the sit-down he had planned with Maurice Biggs. Tanner had received the message that Tyrese left on his phone, but he had yet to reply.

  The doorbell rang, and when Sara answered it, Tang’s oldest daughter was there. Her name was Cinda. Cinda had her mother’s blonde hair but there was an Asian cast to her features which gave her an exotic look. After greeting Sara, Cinda spotted James, and the two smiled at each other.

  “Why are you here, honey?” Tang asked her.

  Cinda held up Tang’s phone. “You left this on the kitchen table, and Mom said you were expecting a call.”

  “Thank you, yes, and I guess I’ll go back downstairs with you, but first come over here and meet Mr. Myers’ guests.”

  Cinda did as her father said, and she and James could barely keep their eyes off each other. When Tang and his daughter left to return to their apartment, Sara and Debra headed into the kitchen, where Debra was teaching Sara how to make buttermilk cornbread.

  Debra had made some the night before and Sara loved it. Debra had been cooking since learning that Jerold had been killed. She said cooking and baking always made her feel better.

  Although he was saddened by his brother’s death, James wasn’t shattered by the loss. He and Jerold had never been close and didn’t have much in common. Because of Jerold, he and his mother were on the run and had no home to return to even if it was safe to do so.

  James followed Tanner into the home office and settled on a leather sofa.

  “How often does Cinda drop by?”

  “I think this is the first time she’s been here,” Tanner said.

  “The girl is hot.”

  Tanner smiled. “Tang owns a gun, James. It’s why I asked him to guard you.”

  James sat up straight. “Mr. Tang wouldn’t have a problem with me asking her out, would he?”

  “When he knows that there’s a street gang out to kill you? Yeah, he might.”

  James slumped in his seat.

  “Damn, I had almost forgotten about Biggs after seeing Cinda, and I’m sick of hiding from the man.”

  “You won’t have to do it much longer.”

  “Why not?”

  “I think Biggs will be dead soon.”

  James was silent as Tanner made a list to give to Duke, the man whom he often bought unusual supplies and equipment from. Tanner would be ready for his meeting with Maurice Biggs.

  “Tanner.”

  “Yeah, James?”

  “I saw on the news where a bunch of Boulevard Bloods were killed and profits from their drugs sales were burned up.”

  “Yeah, I saw that too.”

  “And now you say Biggs will be dead soon.”

  Tanner looked up from his list. “Do you have a question you want to ask me?”

  “No, I was just making conversation.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Debra’s voice carried from the kitchen, as she called for James.

  “I’d better go see what Mom wants.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Tanner said. As James left the room, Tanner knew that he would have to have a talk with the smart kid soon.

  60

  …But They Don’t Check Out

  PORTLAND, OREGON, JANUARY 2003

  Ann stood transfixed as she stared at the burnt remains that had been the home of her friends, Gary and Sylvia.

  The damage didn’t appear to be very recent. Ann wondered why Gary and Sylvia wouldn’t have rebuilt, since they always loved the area. That’s when it occurred to Ann that they might not have survived the blaze.

  * * *

  It was Sylvia who had clued them in about the Citadel, after Jack couldn’t find a decent job and the unemployment payments ended. At the time, the dealership where Ann had been working as a mechanic had shut down, and she was also out of
a job.

  The story was that Gary, who had been a Marine, had reenlisted and was overseas. The truth was more interesting.

  “What’s the Citadel?” Ann asked, but Jack had known, although he had thought the place a tale of myth.

  “It’s real all right,” Sylvia told them, while brushing back her auburn curls. “Gary signed on for a two-year tour, and it’s tough not being able to see him or talk to him, but the pay is fantastic.”

  “How fantastic?” Begley asked.

  “More than double what Gary had been making, and tax-free, since the Citadel doesn’t exist on paper. The downside is that he won’t get paid until his tour is up.”

  “No money for two years? How are you making ends meet?” Ann asked.

  “We took out a home equity loan to hold me over until Gary returns.”

  “But why aren’t you two allowed to talk on the phone or have visits?”

  “Those are the rules, Ann, and yes, it’s a sacrifice, but when he finally gets out, we’ll have enough to build that extension onto the house we’ve been wanting. Gary still writes me though.”

  “Who hired Gary?” Jack had asked, and Sylvia referred them to an employment agency. “They hired several of the guards from the prison, Jack. With your experience, they might snap you up.”

  Ann hadn’t liked the idea of living without her husband for two years, so she applied at the agency too. When the man who interviewed them said he didn’t know what they were talking about, Ann and Begley left the office thinking Sylvia had been playing a weird prank on them.

  However, when they returned home, they received a call that evening. The voice on the phone belonged to Richard Abadandi.

  “Several people here had good things to say about you, Begley. I want to meet with you.”

  “I’d love to. The Citadel sounds fascinating, but sir, my wife will be coming along too. We want to be hired as a team, so we’re not separated.”

  “That would be unusual. Does she have any experience in the security sector?”

  “No, but she’s a top-notch mechanic.”