“Spenser… Spenser, Romeo needs you.”
The tone of Spenser’s voice changed after having heard Cody speak. In a soft voice he asked, “What’s happened?”
“Ryker,” Cody said. “Vince Ryker is alive.”
* * *
After making the call, Cody returned to the living room to find it empty. When he looked out the open doorway, he saw Romeo placing Emma into the rear of his truck. After using seatbelts to keep the body from sliding onto the floor, Romeo shut the door then rested his forehead on the truck’s roof.
“I’m so sorry, Romeo,” Cody said.
Romeo lifted his head and looked at him with reddened eyes.
“We need to leave here.”
“Yes,” Cody said. “And… we can’t leave behind a trace.”
Romeo nodded in understanding and returned to his house. By the time he emerged, May Ling had changed into fresh clothes and was sitting in Cody’s truck.
Cody had warned her, had explained to her what they needed to do, but he saw her anguished expression as he set fire to her home and car.
The rain was down to a mist. Fueled by gasoline, the fire would burn well. Romeo had also set his house ablaze. As they were leaving the property, Cody paused to get out and grab the chainsaw he had taken from the tool shed, before also burning that. He used the saw to fell a tree that would block the driveway. The barricade would slow the firefighters and ensure that the homes burnt fully. They didn’t need their prints being recovered by the authorities.
As May Ling wept beside him, Cody followed Romeo.
* * *
Emma’s body was left inside an ambulance that was parked outside the emergency room entrance of the local hospital. It was the best they could do for her. Cody could only imagine the pain Romeo was suffering through and knew his friend was in hell.
At the marina, they parked the pickup trucks in the rear corner of the parking lot, then lugged their bags over to Romeo’s boat. By the time they were ready to set sail, the trucks were sending two plumes of black smoke into the air.
Their exit from the dock went unnoticed as the burning trucks riveted the attention of everyone else present. Romeo took them out to sea as his tears mixed with the misty rain.
* * *
HOURS LATER
The boat drifted without anchor under what had become a clear sky full of stars. Romeo was below deck enduring his grief as Cody and May Ling sat huddled together beneath a blanket near the wheel.
With the passage of time, Cody assumed that a search was on for them. They would be wanted for questioning concerning the massacre at the jobsite, the arson fires, and the murder of Emma. They were now fugitives.
It ached Cody to know that he had dragged May Ling into it. When he suggested that she turn herself in and blame everything on him and Romeo, May Ling held onto him tighter.
“I don’t care what happens as long as we’re together.”
“You didn’t bargain on living a life on the run, and that’s what we’ll be doing.”
“For how long?”
“Forever, but I don’t think anyone will continue looking for us after a time. We also have the resources and contacts to get new identities.”
May Ling turned toward him and stared into his eyes.
“Let’s do that, just the two of us. Let’s get new identities and begin a whole new life. We could live in Europe and no one will ever find us.”
“You mean now?”
“Yes, Xavier, forget this feud you have with Ryker and start over. Emma’s dead because of that man and you and Romeo nearly died too. I want us to go off together and start over. Will you do that, please?”
“May Ling, I can’t, not until Ryker is dead, and even then… I have obligations.”
“Who are you obligated to?”
“Romeo for one. I can’t just abandon him.”
“I understand how you feel, and I know it’s selfish, but I don’t care. I want us to get away from all this violence and hatred. I want to live a normal life and grow old with you someday. I love you, Xavier. I don’t want to risk losing you.”
Cody kissed May Ling while tasting her tears. “I love you too, but I won’t abandon my friend or run from a fight. Ryker will be handled, trust me.”
May Ling rested her head on his chest “I’m so scared of losing you.”
“You won’t lose me. I’ll take anything Ryker throws at me and come out on top.”
“You said you called your mentor; when will he be here?”
“Soon, but he was some distance away.”
“Good, the more help you have the better.”
“Spenser is more than help. He’s a Tanner.”
“What does that mean?”
Cody’s features hardened. “It means Vince Ryker will soon be dead.”
133
Friends Helping Friends
CAMAS, WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 2004
Cody called Roy Hutchins to ask if he knew of a place where they could hide a boat. Hutchins used his contacts to locate a private boat house that the boys could dock the boat in for a small fee to the absent homeowner. He also said that he would have a vehicle delivered to the same address that the boys could use. The fee for the car wasn’t small, but they couldn’t risk driving around in a stolen vehicle.
“If you need help with anything else just name it,” Hutchins said. “Bev and I owe you boys for handling Fisher.”
“I do need a favor, Roy,” Cody said, “and it’s a big one.”
* * *
They arrived at the house in the late afternoon.
Cody and Romeo would be out searching for Ryker, possibly for days, and Cody didn’t want to leave May Ling alone in a hotel someplace. Not only could the police find her, but Ryker or Vivian might track her down. If she stayed at Roy Hutchins’ house, May Ling would have company, and also a degree of protection.
Bev opened the door to welcome them. When she saw Romeo’s face, and the deep grieving reflected in his eyes, she reached out and gave him a hug.
“Roy told me what happened; I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, Bev,” Romeo muttered.
Cody introduced May Ling to Hutchins and Bev. She sent the couple a nervous smile.
“I appreciate you letting me stay with you. I’ll try to be no bother.”
Hutchins smiled back at her. “We’re glad to have you, May Ling, and Bev is happy to have another woman around the place for a change.”
Bev agreed with that and offered to show May Ling to the room she would be using upstairs. As the women climbed the steps, Hutchins asked about Ryker.
“Just how bad is this dude?”
“He’s about as lethal as they come, Roy,” Cody said. “But there’s no way he’ll be able to track us here. By the way, I gave Spenser this address. He should be meeting us here in a day or two.”
Hutchins grinned. “I haven’t seen Hawke since he was about your age. With the three of you after him, I’d say that Vince Ryker’s days are numbered.”
Romeo’s hands balled into a pair of quaking fists.
“I’ll make him pay for killing Emma. She didn’t deserve to…” Romeo’s voice broke and he turned toward the door. “I’ll wait for you in the car, Xavier.”
“I won’t be long,” Cody said.
After Romeo went outside, Hutchins pointed at the door.
“That boy is in a world of grief. You look after him, you hear?”
“I am, but there’s no way to help him. Emma’s gone, nothing will ever change that.”
“Don’t you worry about your lady; I’ll guard her with my life.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Roy.”
“Nonsense, it’s like you said about handling Fisher, we’re friends, and friends do favors for friends.”
Cody looked at the staircase. “I’ll go say goodbye to May Ling, then we’ll head back to look for Ryker and his daughter.”
Hutchins made a face of displeasure. “I don’t envy you having to
kill a woman. I only ever took a contract on one of them. She was a nasty piece of work. I still didn’t like putting her down.”
Cody shook his head. “I won’t have that problem, not with Vivian. Killing her will be a pleasure.”
* * *
At that moment, back in Robbin’s Cove, Vivian was on her motorcycle and following behind Ryker’s truck. They were headed toward the far right corner of a movie theater parking lot to have a meeting with Jorge Garcia.
Garcia had reached out to Ryker again, and Ryker had reconsidered using Garcia to help with Spenser. Garcia was down to three men. They were all young and Vivian had played cards with one of them when she was in Dallas. As Vivian parked her bike, they swarmed around her while smiling.
As his men made passes at Vivian, Garcia climbed into Ryker’s black pickup truck. After settling in his seat, he tossed a thumb in the direction of Vivian.
“I hope you do not take offense at my men talking to the girl.”
A thin smile appeared on Ryker’s face.
“I told you before, she’s not my woman.”
Garcia nodded, then used his chin to gesture at the newspaper sitting on the dash. On the front page was a photo of the demolished home below the headline—MASSACRE!
“Yesterday’s… disaster with my other men made big news. I also understand that a woman was killed who was involved with Zane and Slade.”
“My daughter killed Slade’s slut as a way to get some justice for my son’s murder.”
Garcia looked back at Vivian. “Ah, a daughter, that is why she’s not your woman, and she is ruthless too. Had it been me, I would not have killed this other girl. Had you grabbed her, you could have used her to bring our enemies to you, and on your terms.”
“I thought about that, but I just wanted blood… and, I still have an ace up my sleeve.”
“I’ll kill these boys for free, but I’ll want money to help you with Spenser Hawke.”
Ryker pulled an envelope from the inside pocket of his denim jacket and passed it over to Garcia.
“That’s ten-thousand. Once Hawke is dead, I’ll give you another ten.”
Garcia took the envelope and shoved it into his side pants pocket.
“Zane and Slade will be looking for you. Do you and the girl have a place that is safe?”
“We do, but they might come hunting for you too.”
“I don’t think so. You killed one of their women, that places me on… the back burner, as you say here. I’m sure they want you dead more than anyone in the world.”
“I feel their pain,” Ryker said, “and it’s one of the best sensations I’ve ever experienced.”
* * *
The boys arrived back in the Robbin’s Cove area and began their search for Ryker. May Ling had seen the black pickup truck he’d driven away in. It had a license plate from a different state, however, she hadn’t been close enough to see which one it was.
The boys remembered that Vivian had a motorcycle and were keeping an eye out for it. As they searched, they were also being sought by the police. It made it that much more difficult to track down Ryker.
At a motel where they were asking about Ryker and Vivian, Romeo saw that there was a flyer on the desk. It was an alert for anyone checking in using the names of Xavier Zane or Romeo Slade. There were no photos of him or Cody, but it did list a detailed description. After that, they decided to stop entering motel and hotel offices and concentrate on spotting black pickup trucks with out of state plates.
* * *
Ryker’s truck was parked at the Robbin’s Cove’ marina, as he prepared to pilot a boat to One-Man Island. After he’d turned off the engine, a text came in.
On Ryker’s phone was the address of Roy Hutchins’ house in Washington State. Cody and Romeo had tucked May Ling away there thinking she’d be safe. Ryker was certain that it would also be the place where they would meet up with Spenser Hawke.
At last, Hawke would be within Ryker’s reach. Once Cody and Romeo were taken out, Ryker knew that it would come down to a battle between himself and Spenser. Tanner against Tanner, with only one man walking away.
Ryker cleared the text from the screen and called Vivian. When she answered, he told her where the boys were and where Spenser Hawke would soon be.
“We’ll leave here tomorrow and drive up there in my truck.”
“How early do you want to leave?” Vivian asked.
“There’s no rush, and I’d rather strike at them during the night.”
“I’m on my way; I’ll meet you on the island and we’ll make plans.”
* * *
Not far away, Jorge Garcia was so pleased with himself that his lips nearly formed into an uncharacteristic smile. While it made no sense that Ryker may have orchestrated the debacle at the jobsite, Garcia had taken precautions against being blindsided again.
When he had been sitting in Ryker’s truck, he had planted a listening device that doubled as a tracker. Having overheard Ryker’s conversation with Vivian, Garcia now knew where Cody and Romeo had placed May Ling.
His men had attached a second tracking device onto Vivian’s motorcycle as they distracted her with their flirting.
While Ryker was content to wait for Spenser Hawke’s arrival at Hutchins’ home, Garcia didn’t give a damn about the man. Garcia’s targets were Xavier and Romeo. If he grabbed Xavier’s woman, Garcia reasoned he would have an advantage that could turn the tide in their next encounter.
After fueling his Town Car and having a good meal, Garcia pointed his vehicle toward Washington State, and the home of Roy Hutchins.
134
Too Late To Save Her
CAMAS, WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 2004, 7:14 a.m.
Jorge Garcia’s Lincoln Town Car was parked down the street from Roy Hutchins’ home. The wintertime sunrise was still minutes away, but night was fleeing rapidly.
Garcia had sent one of his men to check out the home and the cars parked near it. The man was coming back now; Garcia could tell by the expression on his face that he was pleased by what he’d seen.
“There’s a guy in a wheelchair and a woman in the kitchen. I could make them out through a crack in the window blinds.”
“How old is the woman?” Garcia asked.
“Not too old, but I saw her kiss the guy in the wheelchair, so Zane’s girl must be upstairs.”
“What about the men, any sign of them?”
“No, and there are no cars on the block with California license plates.”
Garcia studied the quiet street. Other than a man going the other way while walking a dog, no one was moving about.
“All right, we go in hard, move fast, and we’ll have the girl and be back on the highway in less than a minute. One more thing, we leave no witnesses behind.”
Garcia’s men took out their guns while nodding their understanding. After starting his engine, Garcia coasted slowly toward the house.
* * *
Inside the home, May Ling looked out the window of the bedroom she was in. The sun had yet to rise fully on what was a cold winter morning.
The window gave May Ling a view of the rear of the home. There was a meadow which glistened dully in the gray dawn. Beyond the meadow lay an area filled with trees, and past that, the highway and an off-ramp that led to the home she was in. May Ling gazed out at the section of highway she could see and willed Cody to appear there. She’d had a nightmare in which he was dead at the hands of Vince Ryker.
The clouds filling the sky reflected May Ling’s mood. When she thought of Emma’s death, she pushed the thought from her mind, then went downstairs to say good morning to her hosts. Before leaving the room, May Ling grabbed her phone, along with a neon green change purse with keys attached.
* * *
Bev and Hutchins were in the home’s tidy kitchen where Bev was cooking breakfast. Hutchins greeted May Ling with a smile and gave her good news.
“Your boyfriend called about twenty minutes ago; he said that they would be
back here soon.”
May Ling grinned. “I’m glad. I’ve missed him.”
Bev asked May Ling if she liked oatmeal and May Ling said that she did. Bev filled a measuring cup halfway, then she added more water before sitting the cup inside the microwave to boil the water.
“We have eggs and bacon too, hon, but Roy and I both like oatmeal and juice as an appetizer. We usually have a big breakfast and skip lunch.”
“I’ll just have a little oatmeal; I’m not very hungry,” May Ling said.
Bev pointed at the small broom closet she had converted into a pantry. She asked May Ling to grab the container of oatmeal she kept on the third shelf from the top. After placing the oatmeal in the bowls, Bev used an oven mitt to grab the hot measuring cup from the microwave.
As Bev was pouring water into the first bowl, one of Garcia’s men kicked in the back door and pointed a gun at Hutchins. Hutchins was armed, but he was too slow to free the gun he kept strapped to the side of the wheelchair. The man fired and hit Hutchins in the stomach.
Bev screamed as she tossed the remainder of the boiling water into the punk’s face. It burnt him on his right cheek and dribbled along his neck. May Ling saw the skin bloom bright red from the contact, then noticed the man’s three gold teeth as he grimaced from the pain. After letting loose with a string of Spanish curses, the man shot Bev twice in the chest.
As Bev collapsed to the floor, Hutchins let out an incoherent scream and fired at the thug. His shot struck the guy in the same spot the hot water had, while causing far more damage. Blood and brains erupted in a spray of gore from the man’s head and he toppled backwards. His feet were in the kitchen, but his ruined skull leaked brains into the yard.
Young Guns Box Set Page 59