ROBBIN’S COVE, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 2004
The following morning, Ryker’s phone rang. He was in Robbin’s Cove and having a late breakfast with Vivian at the local diner. Ryker recognized the number as belonging to Garcia. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he answered the call.
“There’s been… trouble. I need medical attention,” Garcia said. “Do you know a place that won’t ask questions?”
“I can do you better than that. Vivian has medical skills.”
“Really? Can she stitch up a deep cut on my chest? I’ve tried bandaging it, but it keeps bleeding.”
“Yeah, Garcia, Vivian can handle that with no problem. Tell me where you are, and I’ll send her to you.”
Garcia gave him the location of his new accommodations. As Ryker wrote it down on a napkin, he smiled at Vivian. After ending the call, Ryker slid the napkin over to her.
“Garcia has a lone stab wound that needs company; see that it makes new friends.”
Vivian laughed. “He has out-lived his usefulness. I’ll also find out if he has any of the money left that you paid him.”
“If you find any, keep it. We’ll call it a bonus.”
“Once I’ve taken care of Garcia, what then?”
“Come back to the island. Today is the day.”
Vivian sat up straighter and grinned wide.
“How are you going to do it?”
“First Zane, then Slade, and finally, Hawke.”
Vivian slid out of the booth. “I’ll deal with Garcia quickly,” she said. When she looked at the address written on the napkin, she pouted. “Damn it, he’s on that resort north of here, Cork Island. That means I’ll have to take the ferry. I’m surprised that resort isn’t closed down for the winter.”
“Most of it probably is, but I bet people still fish there. Garcia said that bungalow he’s in is the last one at the end of the beach. This time of year, there won’t be many people around.”
“And one less when I’m done there,” Vivian said. After grabbing her helmet off the seat, she went off to kill Garcia.
* * *
Miles away, Cody looked out at the water from a second-floor window. He was at the house where they had hidden Romeo’s boat.
The home sat on the water in a small inlet and was one of ten homes used mainly for summer entertaining by their wealthy owners. So far, Cody could tell that only two of the other houses were occupied. Upon arrival, Spenser had made short work of disabling the home’s alarm system and had also stocked it with enough food for days.
After Cody and Romeo arrived, Spenser went to work in the boathouse. He skillfully altered the registration numbers on Romeo’s boat so that it wouldn’t reveal who actually owned it. Painfully, for Romeo, the boat’s name had to be changed as well.
Romeo had christened the boat Lady Emma. Seeing her name come off the vessel made Emma’s death somehow more real.
Spenser told Cody that he should stay with May Ling while he and Romeo searched for Ryker. Cody hated to sit on the sidelines, but there was no way he would leave May Ling alone until the danger had passed.
Romeo had taken his boat to check out the resort islands in the area, while Spenser drove his truck, to search more motels and hotels for Ryker. Spenser would also rent a boat and keep it on standby in case he was needed to assist Romeo on one of the islands.
* * *
Cody thought May Ling might be distant after her recent brush with death. She surprised him by joining him in the shower that morning, and later taking him back to bed to make love.
After the lovemaking, May Ling had grown quiet, and she barely uttered a word as the four of them ate breakfast together. However, once Spenser and Romeo had left the house, May Ling approached Cody and led him to sit with her on the bed.
The modern home had four bedrooms. Cody and May Ling had been given the master suite which had its own bathroom complete with sauna.
While still holding his hand, May Ling spoke.
“I know you said no to the idea before, but I want us to leave here together.”
“And you know I can’t do that.”
“Not can’t, won’t, but I want you to reconsider before it’s too late.”
“Too late for what?”
May Ling wiped at sudden tears. “I’m so afraid that you’ll be killed, Xavier. If we stay here, if this keeps going on… leave here with me, please?”
Cody hugged her. “I can’t leave here and let Spenser and Romeo handle Ryker alone… but you can leave.”
May Ling broke free of his embrace and looked at him.
“What are you saying?”
“There’s no reason you can’t get far from here and take yourself out of harm’s way. I should have suggested it when Emma was killed… I guess I was being selfish.”
“You mean just leave you to go off and hide somewhere?”
“It would keep you safe and I don’t want anything to happen to you. I… I can’t lose another loved one, May Ling. Even losing Emma hurt me more than I let on. She was Romeo’s girl, but she was my friend and I failed to protect her. My whole life has been about becoming good enough to shield the people I love from any threat, and, and yet Emma is dead… I failed her.”
“But you don’t have to go through life fearing that you’ll lose me, Xavier. We can leave right now and start over; don’t you see that?”
“I know it seems possible to you, but I’m not built that way. We will start over somewhere, but first Ryker has to be put down. The man is too dangerous to let live.”
May Ling’s tears increased.
“It’s not fair. We were so happy, so good together, and oh how I love you so much.”
Cody placed an arm around her and pulled her close again.
“I love you too, and we’ll get through this, you’ll see.”
Cody’s words seemed to make May Ling cry harder, and she sobbed within his arms.
* * *
Vivian took a ferry to the island Garcia was staying on. As the ferry barge made the trip, Vivian had sat straddled atop her motorcycle. She was wearing black jeans and boots, accompanied by a midnight leather jacket that had a sheepskin lining. Beneath the jacket was a white blouse.
Cork Island had a resort that hosted parties during the summer months. With the water temperature hovering in the fifties, the beaches were quiet.
Vivian’s motorcycle was the first vehicle to depart the ferry. After taking a wrong turn, she found her way to Garcia’s bungalow by riding along the narrow strip of asphalt that ran parallel to the beach. That path allowed her to be seen by fewer people.
The slender lane was prohibited to normal traffic and meant for the golf carts used by the beach patrol. Vivian saw two people walking a dog and a lone man strolling along the shore. The sky was a gray mass of clouds and the weather cool.
Garcia’s bungalow was a squat one room building that had a tiny kitchen and an even smaller bathroom. However, it boasted a queen-size bed and a console TV. To make things look good, Vivian had stopped at a drugstore and grabbed a bagful of medical supplies.
Garcia greeted her with his usual passive expression, although he was happy to see her. His efforts at stopping his wound from bleeding had been haphazard at best; he had awoken to a bloody T-shirt. On the back of his neck was a wide bandage where glass from the pickle jar had cut him.
Vivian took off her jacket, then smiled and asked to use Garcia’s bathroom, so she could wash her hands.
When she came out, she was wearing a pair of latex gloves and had donned one of those cheap plastic raincoats that come folded up in a small package. The thing was a bright iridescent blue and made a crinkling sound at her slightest movement.
Garcia pointed at her. “Why are you wearing that?”
“I have a date after this and I don’t want to get blood on my new blouse.”
“A date? You must realize that Zane and Slade are out looking for you.”
Vivian smiled as she reached into the ba
g of supplies.
“I don’t fear them. Now here, hold this while I examine that wound.”
Garcia took the object Vivian had handed him, then realized it was the tracking device he had placed in Ryker’s truck.
When the knife slipped between his ribs Garcia thought Vivian had punched him. The truth became obvious when she withdrew the blade and he saw that it was coated with blood.
Vivian managed to stab him once more before he shoved her away. Garcia, weakened from the blood he had already lost, was slow in his movements. His gun was laying atop the dresser. Vivian beat him to it, then buried the blade in his stomach.
“You fucked with the wrong man, Garcia. Planting that bug was stupid.”
Garcia backed away from her while taking a swing. Vivian blocked the feeble blow with her arm and slashed the knife across Garcia’s face. The blade opened up his right cheek and sliced open a nostril. Garcia turned to run into the bathroom, bumped into a corner of the bed, and went down. Vivian pounced on him and stabbed him repeatedly in the back as he tried to crawl away. For once, the expression on Garcia’s face was easy to read. He was terrified.
137
Blood Will Out
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 2004
At the bay home they were using as a base, May Ling muted the TV and eased herself off the sofa. Cody had fallen asleep while sitting beside her and watching a movie.
May Ling stared down at Cody for over a minute before she went into the bedroom. When she came out again, she had a travel bag in one hand and a note in the other.
The note explained to Cody that she was going away so that he wouldn’t have to worry about her. May Ling wrote that she would contact him the next day and not to worry about her or try to find her.
As May Ling exited the home quietly through the door leading to the attached garage, there were tears in her eyes.
The homes along the street had been constructed in such a fashion so that their ground floors sat higher than street level. That precaution was taken to prevent flooding when the waters of the inlet rose during a storm. Consequently, the driveway slanted downhill toward the street.
May Ling put their vehicle in neutral and let it coast down and away from the house before starting the engine. She had to fight the urge to turn back as she drove away wiping at tears.
* * *
While out searching for Ryker in resort island bars, Romeo heard the tracker activate. After using the device to home in on the location of the transponder, Romeo spotted Vivian climbing on her motorcycle. She was parked beside a bungalow. After shoving her helmet on her head, Vivian started her engine.
Romeo had wheels, but they were unfit to give chase. After docking his boat, he had rented one of the scooters tourists used to get around on the island. He did so by using a phony I.D. Spenser had supplied him with. As much as he ached to attack Vivian and make her pay for killing Emma, he was willing to let her go. Bigger game was on his mind. Romeo was wondering if Vince Ryker was inside the bungalow Vivian had just left.
Vivian took off without noticing him. Romeo had expected her to leave by driving up to the street that ran behind the line of bungalows. Instead, Vivian rode her motorcycle across a cobblestone path and onto the strip of asphalt that bordered the beach.
Romeo left his scooter at the curb and approached the bungalow with his gun hanging loosely at his side. The only rear window in the bungalow was small and set high. Romeo guessed it was in the bathroom and he could see that a thick curtain was pulled across it.
As he moved around toward the front, he passed a Lincoln Town Car with Texas plates. He recalled that the men Spenser killed outside Hutchins’ house had carried Texas driver’s licenses.
Garcia, Romeo thought, and the disappointment of Ryker’s likely absence made his shoulders droop. Once he was at the front of the bungalow, he had to conceal his weapon and wait for several seconds, as a couple on the beach went by. They were young, and the woman bore a casual resemblance to Emma.
Romeo ached for Emma. It was a longing that would go unsatisfied for the rest of his life. Once the couple passed without glancing his way, Romeo peered around the corner and into a window of the cottage.
Garcia lay on the floor near the entrance to the bathroom. His head was turned to one side, displaying the gash on his face and a single unseeing eye. Garcia was shirtless and bloody from the numerous knife wounds across his back. The weapon that had killed him was beside him, covered in blood. The scene brought to mind Emma’s murder.
Romeo gazed off in the direction Vivian had taken as hatred burned inside him.
* * *
Bart Rodgers grinned as he watched May Ling walk toward his boat. He kept looking past her to make certain she was alone. He had heard that her boyfriend and his buddy were wanted for questioning having to do with a bunch of murders and arsons. If he caught sight of them, he’d call the police.
“Hello there,” Bart said, as May Ling grew closer. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
“I need help,” May Ling said. “Will you help me?”
Bart stared at her legs as he answered. “You got smart and left that boyfriend of yours?”
May Ling nodded. “I need to get away, and I can’t use my I.D. to rent a car.”
“The cops are looking for you, do you know that?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
Bart smiled. “I believe you.”
“Can you give me a ride on your boat?”
“Come aboard, May Ling. I’ll take you out of here.”
May Ling climbed onto the boat, then reached out and touched Bart on his arm.
“Thank you.”
That single touch birthed wild fantasies in Bart’s lustful mind. He couldn’t wait to be alone out at sea with May Ling.
* * *
Vivian moved along the utility road while lost in thoughts of what was to come. After months of planning, scheming, and patience, Xavier, Romeo, and Spenser Hawke would finally die. A smile came to her lips as she thought of Xavier being dead. Vivian had never liked him. It was his eyes, those unique eyes that seemed to stare into you and pierce your soul.
She had never met Spenser Hawke, but she couldn’t imagine that he was more formidable than Xavier. If the truth be told, Vivian feared Xavier; she was glad that she wouldn’t have to go up against him.
She was approaching the last mile of the road, where it rose up and joined the street above it. That was near the end of the beach where a fifteen-foot high rock wall had been erected to separate the shoreline.
Beyond that wall were multi-million-dollar homes and private beaches.
As Vivian became lost in thought about what the day ahead would bring, she was startled from her thoughts by a loud sound behind her. By the time she recognized the growing rumble as the approach of an engine, it was too late.
* * *
Romeo, behind the wheel of Garcia’s Lincoln, slammed into the rear of Vivian’s motorcycle while going over sixty miles an hour.
The impact of Romeo’s attack sent Vivian and her bike into the air. She left the narrow utility road and landed hard atop the sand near the base of the wall. The force of the crash left her dazed, and Vivian was disoriented. When her motorcycle landed on her right leg it fractured her femur and broke her tibia bone. Vivian tore off her helmet and moaned from the pain in her neck. Getting hit from behind had injured the tendons there. Her leg would cause far greater pain, but she had yet to feel it and was numb and dismayed.
Things became very clear to her when she looked to her right and saw Romeo coming down off the roadway at a run.
Vivian shouted, “No!” while reaching into her jacket for the small gun she had. Vivian brought out the weapon then screamed in distress as Romeo slapped it out of her hand.
Romeo had a gun, but he wasn’t holding it. Instead, he was wielding the knife Vivian had used on Garcia. A knife similar to the one used on Emma.
Romeo kicked her in the face. “Emma trusted you,
loved you as a friend, and you killed her!”
Vivian swallowed bits of her own front teeth as her lips split open and sent blood down her throat. After gagging, Vivian held up her hands in an effort to fend off the knife. She mumbled pleas to Romeo from her wounded mouth while professing her innocence.
“Don’t! Don’t do it. I didn’t kill her! I didn’t kill Emma.”
“You lying bitch,” Romeo said, as he kicked her again.
Stunned into silence and fighting to remain conscious, Vivian’s hands dropped to the sand. Her eyes regained focus just in time to see Romeo raise the knife high.
“This is for Emma.”
The knife came down and entered Vivian’s chest, puncturing a lung. A dozen knife wounds later, and Romeo paused to look at his handiwork. Vivian was gasping for a breath that would never come as her lungs were ruined and her heart had been nicked by the knife.
“Go to hell, Vivian!”
Romeo buried the blade in her forehead.
* * *
Bart Rodgers looked around warily while out at sea and saw no other boats in sight. He left the wheel to let the boat drift, then went below to the cabin, where May Ling was sitting in the vessel’s small galley. A shelf above the table held a few of Bart’s bodybuilding trophies. Bart had offered May Ling a drink, but she’d declined it.
“Are we almost there?” May Ling asked.
Bart only stared at her while licking his lips.
May Ling was seated in a small booth. Bart slid in beside her, trapping her, and placed his arm around her shoulders.
“Why don’t you and I have some fun, hmm?”
May Ling struggled to get away as Bart laughed. She was on his boat, out at sea, and nobody knew she was there. And with her legal difficulties, she couldn’t go to the cops. Christmas had come early.
Young Guns Box Set Page 61