Thinking of Cody, Romeo wondered how his friend was doing. He had no fear that Cody had been harmed, rather, he wondered how many men Cody had killed.
Romeo went through a file cabinet hoping to find something that might help him locate Emma. All the thing held was receipts for the commune’s mundane supplies.
After wiping down the office to eliminate his prints, Romeo placed his backpack in the fireplace and set it ablaze. The bag was too bulky to drag along and held nothing of value. When he was certain the fire was going well, Romeo grabbed Canterbury and hefted the thin man onto his left shoulder. It was time to get to the rendezvous spot and rejoin Cody.
Carrying Canterbury and the rifle was awkward while passing through the narrow rear door, but Romeo managed. He was soon behind the row of structures and into the trees.
Setting off the silent perimeter alarms couldn’t be helped, so Romeo hustled and moved as swiftly as he could. It was not easy given the weight he was carrying.
He was nearing the rendezvous point when he heard the sound of a jeep nearby, Romeo dropped Canterbury to the ground and readied himself for a battle. None came, as the jeep sped past him and toward the commune.
A look in that direction revealed nothing, as too many trees blocked the view. Romeo grabbed Canterbury again and made it to the spot where they’d hidden their vehicle. Cody was not there, and Romeo wondered what had delayed him.
When gunfire erupted back at the commune, and was answered, Romeo knew that Cody was still inside the settlement and in a battle for his life. Leaving the bound and gagged Canterbury where he’d dropped him near the vehicle, Romeo rushed toward the commune. He was going back to aid a man who was closer to him than a brother.
95
A Proposition
THE BOUDREAUX FARM, LOUISIANA, JANUARY 2019
By the time Tanner returned from his meeting with Randolph Grey, Jake was asleep, while Kendra was in the kitchen making a fresh pot of coffee. Tanner took a cup and settled beside her at the kitchen table.
“Did Brett run to Randolph Grey like you thought he would?”
“He did, and Grey agreed to back off.”
Kendra smiled, but it faded quickly.
“What if he was lying?”
“We have to assume he was and prepare for another attack. I would normally take the fight to them, but I don’t know where it might come from. Gator might show up with more bikers or Grey might hire mercenaries.”
Kendra placed her head in her hands. “I just want to raise my boy in peace, not wage a war.”
“Jake told me what you were going to do inside the barn before I put out the fire. He said you were willing to sacrifice yourself for him.”
“Like my granddaddy did for me. And you were right, Tanner. I would have gladly died to save my son. Granddaddy must have felt the same way.”
“Why don’t you get some sleep? We have another long day and night ahead of us.”
“I will, but what about you?”
“I’ll catch a few hours later.”
“Okay, oh, and Jake is staying home from school today.”
“I was going to suggest that, in case Grey tried something stupid.”
“If anyone touches my son, I’ll kill them.”
“Or Jake will, the kid has guts.”
“Of course he does,” Kendra said. “He’s a Boudreaux.”
* * *
Later that day in New Orleans, a horde of bikers descended on the job site where Tanner had confronted Grey. They were more Dixie Devils, but of the Miami variety. There were fifty of them, including their leader, Drake. Although, many of the men were young and raw recruits.
Drake was a huge man in both width and height with a red beard that reached to his navel. Flash was dressed in a blue suit. When Drake saw him and took in his clean-shaven appearance, he laughed at him.
“Look at you, Flash. I’ve never seen anyone so pussy-whipped.”
“Watch your mouth, Drake.”
“Or what? You gonna kick my ass? That’s not ever gonna happen, boy.”
Grey came out of the job trailer. The work day had ended. Other than the traffic passing by out beyond the fence, there was no one around to observe the bikers’ arrival. When Grey approached Drake, he found he had to look up to meet his gaze. That was an uncommon event for Grey, who was six-foot-four.
“You certainly look as if you can handle Tanner, Drake, but I thought the same about Gator.”
“Gator is a badass, but he charged at Tanner straight on. From what I hear, Tanner is one tricky mutha.”
“He is,” Gator said, then he proceeded to fill Drake in on what had happened at the farm the night before.
Drake laughed. “Shit, that must have been a sight, but don’t worry, the Miami Dixie Devils are here, Tanner’s ass will be dead by midnight.”
“The man may set-up more traps,” Grey said.
Drake smiled. “I know; I have a plan to deal with that.”
Grey looked out at the dozens of bikers who were scattered about the job site.
“I have an idea. If it works, we might avoid going to war.”
“What sort of idea?” Drake asked.
Grey took out his phone. “I think we’ll let the law have a crack at Tanner first.”
“You’re talking about Chief Cross?” Flash asked.
“That badge he wears may give him an edge on Tanner, an element of surprise. All he’ll need is for Tanner to turn his back on him.”
Flash smiled. “A cowardly attack might work at that, but you should send me instead. I don’t need to be sneaky. I’m just faster than Tanner will ever be.”
Grey hit the send button on his phone. “I’ll send the chief first; he’s expendable.” The call was answered, and Grey smiled into the phone. “Hello, Brett, I have a proposition for you.”
96
Dire Straits
THE MEON VALLEY, ENGLAND, OCTOBER 2003
Two of Cody’s victims had been stumbled across. The discovery of Evans and the damage done to the entrance to the arsenal and shooting range soon followed.
Canterbury’s whereabouts was a mystery, and so a call went out to the men who had the jeep, along with what were now the only available assault rifles.
As those men sped back into the commune, Cody jumped out from behind an old pickup truck and fired a round into the driver’s chest. That was followed by more rounds aimed at his two passengers. The driver, although severely wounded, managed to bring the vehicle to a safe stop against a curb, as his friends returned fire.
Cody had wounded both men in his initial assault, but they were still able to fight back. That was all right, for he had planned for that possibility. Prior to emerging from behind the pickup truck, he had crawled beneath it and used his knife to cut through the gas line leading from the tank.
Petrol flowed from the vehicle and toward the spot where the jeep sat. Cody used a lighter to ignite the gasoline and the flames moved along the flow and toward the jeep. One of the men had been standing in the fluid and the cuffs of his pants caught fire.
His scream distracted his partner and Cody took advantage of it to place a bullet in him. The other man died while attempting to pat out the flames eating at his ankles. He was bent over, and Cody’s round passed through the rear of his neck.
As for the driver of the jeep, he had died from the chest wound. Cody plucked the driver’s assault rifle from off the seat and checked the magazine. It was loaded. With the magazines removed from the other rifles, Cody was ready to finish what he’d begun.
Three men emerged from a building down toward the other end of the commune. They had rifles, but they were not of the configuration of the one Cody held. He assumed that they were the hunting rifles that Kay said were found by the authorities.
They had the numbers, while Cody had superior firepower and training. In less than a minute they were dead.
* * *
Romeo crouched down as he heard the sound of someone approaching throug
h the trees. He was only a hundred yards from the commune.
A distinct whistling of three notes told him that it was Cody coming his way, and Romeo met his friend with a huge grin.
“You got away, thank God, but how many are on your trail?”
“None,” Cody said.
“What?”
“No one else is alive, that is, if you killed six and have Canterbury, did you?”
Romeo nodded. “Yeah, I took out six and Canterbury is at the rendezvous spot, but Cody… are you saying you killed the rest of them, all nineteen?”
“I just kept going until there were no more left.”
Romeo stared at him in awe, then he noticed the splotches of blood on Cody. The stains covered him from the bottom of his jeans to the collar of his shirt, with a smear marring his chin. The man had been performing butchery on a group of terrorists but had not a mark on him. After looking in the direction of the commune, at the place where Cody had single-handily killed nearly a score of men, Romeo spoke in a tone of acceptance.
“You’re better than me.”
“What do you mean?”
“At killing, at what we’ve spent the last five years training to do, to be. You’re better than me, Cody, hell, you might even be better than Spenser now. You deserve to be the next Tanner.”
Cody searched for something to say, a way to deny Romeo’s assertions and allay any feelings of inferiority or resentment he might be feeling. But there was nothing to say. He was better than Romeo.
“You’re more than good enough to be a Tanner, Romeo,” Cody finally said, and he meant every word of it.
Romeo turned to him with a smile on his face.
“Cody?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re going to be the next Tanner. I accept that, and brother, you’re going to be the greatest assassin ever too.”
Cody smiled back at him. “It’s all I want out of life. I want to be so good that no one and nothing will ever beat me.”
“You’re already there, and the scary thing is you’ll only get better.”
Cody began walking toward their vehicle. “Let’s find out what Canterbury knows.”
They had to stop once when they spotted a couple off in the distance with a pair of frolicking dogs. The people were obviously locals from the nearby town. Given their calm demeanor, the boys were certain that they hadn’t been close enough to hear the recent shooting.
Once the couple was out of sight, the boys continued on. They were nearing the rendezvous spot when Romeo asked Cody a question.
“Is being the best really all you want out of life… or has May Ling joined that list?”
Cody grinned as he thought about May Ling, then realized something that made him stop in his tracks.
“What’s wrong, bro?”
“May Ling… she may be at the top of that list now.”
“You really love her that much?”
Cody looked confused as he answered, “Yeah, I do.”
Romeo laughed and threw an arm around his friend’s shoulders.
“Welcome to the club, bro. Now let’s find Emma.”
* * *
SOMEWHERE NORTH OF LONDON, OCTOBER 2003
Joe’s sexual assault had left Emma with a swollen lip and a black eye.
When Hart emerged from the drug-induced stupor he’d been under, he’d cried after seeing his daughter’s condition.
“Oh Lord, what did they do to you?”
It took Emma time to assure him that while she had been attacked, she had not been raped. She’d left out the part about Joe’s finger finding its way inside her. It caused Emma to shiver in revulsion whenever she thought about it, as did memories of Joe’s slimy tongue.
Hart expressed a rage similar to that which Emma felt toward their captors. Despite his hatred toward the men, he lowered himself four times, as he begged through the locked door for water, if not for himself, then please, for his daughter. His pleas had been answered with either angry shouts to shut up or with derisive laughter.
* * *
Emma was seated on a dirty mattress while huddled together in a cold room with her father. Hart was holding her in a protective embrace although he knew he could do nothing to help her or himself.
“I hope Mum is all right. She was struck hard with that gun.”
“Something else I owe them for,” Hart said.
Emma turned her head to study his face. “When you were in the navy… did you ever kill anyone?”
“No, dear, but I could bloody well kill someone now.”
“I feel the same way, and I can’t imagine being regretful about it. These men, they’re, they’re inhuman, worse than animals.”
Hart kissed his daughter on her forehead. “They’ll be dealt with by the authorities after we’re rescued.”
“Will they, or will they be fed and kept warm for the rest of their useless lives?”
“I’m not a fan of the criminal justice system either, and I agree, prison is better than these blighters deserve.”
Emma grew tired. She was weakened from lack of food and water. She rested her head on her father’s chest; it gave her comfort to hear the steady beating of his heart.
“Dad?”
“Yes, honey?”
“We’re going to die here, aren’t we?”
Emma heard a wet intake of breath and the escalation of her father’s heart rate. Without looking she knew that there were tears in his eyes.
“We will be rescued, Emma. I have to believe that.”
“But the odds aren’t good.”
“I know we’re in dire straits, honey, but don’t lose faith. We will be rescued.”
Emma didn’t argue, nor did she believe they would be rescued. She was going to die in a room with dirty walls and a soiled mattress, after being denied food and water. The hatred she felt for her captors was only eclipsed by the regret she felt over her treatment of Romeo.
Romeo would never know how much she still loved him and that she had never gotten him out of her mind. Emma cried, and the tears were liquid she could scarcely afford to squander. She fell into a fitful sleep within her father’s arms, then dreamt of Romeo rescuing her.
97
Double Cross
THE BOUDREAUX FARM, LOUISIANA, JANUARY 2019
“That’s the new plan?” Kendra asked Tanner. “That sounds worse than the trench and the fire.”
“It is, but I’ll only use that option if I’m forced to.”
“More dead bodies,” Kendra said. “The farm is turning into a battlefield.”
“There’s always the chance that Grey was telling the truth and he’s backed off.”
“Do you think he has?”
“No.”
“Damn.”
It was after nine p.m. and they were in the barn, or rather what was left of it. Tanner had placed his extra supplies on a high shelf and they had survived the fire, and the flood of water from the tower. One other item had fared well. It was Benjamin Boudreaux’s antique Harley.
“You really like that old bike,” Kendra said.
“I like that it belonged to your grandfather, maybe you should pass it on to Jake.”
“Maybe, if I ever find the money to have it restored.”
The motion detectors sounded the alert that someone had entered the property. After checking his phone and the feed from the security cameras, Tanner spoke to Kendra.
“It’s Chief Cross; it looks like he’s alone.”
“I wonder what that loser wants.”
“He wants you.”
“He had his chance and blew it.”
“Let’s go see what this is about.”
* * *
Chief Cross was sweating as he got out of his vehicle, although the day was a cool one. Randolph Grey had sent him out to the farm to kill Tanner. Cross had killed before, but that was in the army. He had never just walked up to a man and blown his brains out, which is what Grey wanted him to do. Cross recalled their conversat
ion.
“He won’t be expecting it. Afterward, you can claim it was self-defense.”
“You’re asking for a lot, Randolph.”
“And I’ll give a lot. I’ll pay you a ten-thousand-dollar bonus, and once I’m the mayor of New Orleans, you’ll have a position on my staff.”
“You’re running for mayor?”
“I will be the city’s next mayor. Now are you with me or not?”
Cross had agreed to kill Tanner. He was an ambitious man who hated hard work and had always gotten by on his boy next door good looks. If he killed Tanner, his fortunes would rise once more.
It will work if I can just get him to turn his— The chief’s thoughts were interrupted by Tanner’s voice.
“Grey sent you here to kill me, didn’t he?”
The chief wondered if Tanner had been reading his mind. After wiping his hands on his pants, he gave a little laugh.
“What are you talking about, Tanner? That’s crazy.”
“Is it? Look in a mirror, Chief. You’re sweating despite the cool weather and you keep touching your gun. What were you going to do, try shooting me in the back?”
“I, no! I just came here to plead with Kendra one more time.”
Kendra looked the chief up and down. “Tanner is right. I see the guilt in your eyes. Grey really does own you, doesn’t he?”
The chief slid his hand onto his gun and Tanner pointed at him.
“You saw how fast I was inside that trailer this morning, Cross. You pull that gun and I’ll shoot you dead.”
The chief made a sound of distress as he removed his hand from his weapon. Tanner walked up to him and stared into his eyes.
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