“And if we help Tanner, Pullo will have no reason to come after us either.”
Kate removed her phone from her purse. “I’m going to call Trevor.”
“Why?”
“He’s wanted us to join Ordnance Inc. for a long time, maybe the offer still stands. If so, we’ll be better able to infiltrate the organization from the inside.”
“And lose our independence?”
“It’s better than losing our lives, Michael.”
Barlow pushed aside the coffee he’d been sipping on and signaled a waiter. He needed a stronger drink.
4
The Commission
Pullo traveled to Chicago the next day. Accompanying Joe were Sammy Giacconi, and Bosco, who was the Underboss of the Giacconi Crime Family. Sammy was in his mid-twenties, while Bosco was a decade older. Both men had dark hair, but Bosco was tall and broad. The three men expected to be in the city for no more than a day.
They were met outside their hotel by the driver of a stretch limo who escorted them to the car. To Pullo’s surprise, the entire five-member mob commission was inside the vehicle.
The oldest member was a man in his seventies named Jerry Magdalena, or Jerry Mags. He was seated across from Joe. The youngest and newest member was a guy of twenty-eight with a dark-complexion named Shane Silva, he was seated to the left of Magdalena and looking down at his phone.
Pullo had never met Silva before, but had known his late father, Sullivan Silva. Sully Silva had been a big-mouth who often spoke before he thought. Joe hoped the trait didn’t run in the family.
Introductions were made quickly. When Magdalena shook Sammy’s hand, he held it in a firm grip before releasing it.
“You’re the spitting image of your grandfather, and I miss him very much.”
“I miss him too,” Sammy said.
“You didn’t all have to come out to welcome me to Chicago,” Pullo said.
“It’s a precaution,” Magdalena told him. “The damn Feds are always bugging our meeting places, but we’ve had the limo checked out six ways to Sunday. It’s safe to talk here.”
“What’s that mean?” Shane Silva asked Magdalena, as he looked up from his phone, “That six ways to Sunday shit, what’s that mean?”
“It’s an old saying, kid. It means we were thorough in checking for listening devices.”
Silva smiled at Pullo. “He says shit like that all the time, all those old-timey phrases.”
“That’s because I’m an old man,” Magdalena said.
The limousine left the airport while heading east on I-190. As they drove toward their destination, Pullo recounted the events that led to Tanner killing Moss Murphy.
It was clear that Liam Murphy was to blame for the rift that had developed between the New York and Boston crime families. His takeover of the town of Killburry, Connecticut, which was a part of Pullo’s territory, was an act of war. As were Liam’s forays into New York City to rob Joe’s people.
Pullo had shown restraint by not reciprocating with aggression. Instead, he had agreed to a meeting with Moss Murphy to work out a deal. An agreement had been reached, then, Liam Murphy had escalated things by attempting to kill Pullo, and Tanner.
“That was when Tanner had enough and went after Moss,” Pullo said. “If not for Finn Kelly, Moss would have died then.”
“Kelly switched sides like a rat,” Shane Silva said. While Pullo had been talking, Silva had continued to stare at his phone while sending out text messages to his girlfriend.
“Finn didn’t switch sides until later, but he did put an end to things by bringing Liam to me.”
“But Kelly works for you now, correct?” Magdalena said.
“He’s one of my best,” Pullo said.
“All right, so Tanner messed up Moss’s kid and the trouble between you two ends. What happened then?” Magdalena asked. The question was more for the benefit of the others in the limo; Magdalena and Pullo had already discussed things over the phone.
“Moss went after Tanner by hiring an outside contractor to locate Tanner’s family. He wanted to hit Tanner where it hurt. That crossed the line in my book.”
“Who was the outside contractor, another hit man?” Silva asked.
“It’s a group of mercenaries called Ordnance Inc.”
Silva’s eyes left his phone as they lit up in recognition of the name. “Yeah, I’ve heard of them. And Tanner jacked-up Liam good from what I hear. Moss was just paying the hit man back for messing with his son.”
“Liam is one of us and the reason for all the trouble; Moss was targeting civilians. When that backfired on him, Tanner tracked him down and killed him.”
“Did he kill Liam too?” Silva asked. “He’s disappeared.”
Pullo stared at him. “You and Liam are friends?”
Silva looked up from his phone again. “That’s right.”
“He’s not dead, not yet, but if Liam ever sticks his head up, he won’t be around for long.”
“You mean Tanner will kill him?”
“That’s right.”
The limo grew quiet as the commission members absorbed what Joe had said. Silva placed a stick of gum in his mouth and chewed it noisily. When he noticed Sammy staring at him, he asked a question.
“What are you looking at?”
“You’re young, about my age. I was wondering how you’ve earned a seat on the commission already.”
“It’s because I’m the best there is, kid. My family earns big in Chicago.”
Magdalena smiled. “Shane is a medium-size fish in a rapidly shrinking pond, Sammy. Things here aren’t like they are in New York City. Our territory has been dwindling thanks to the gangs moving in. If we didn’t make deals and go into partnership with the larger gangs, we might have been pushed out altogether. Shane is good at making deals with these creeps.”
“I’m the only reason we still have power in this city,” Silva said.
“Yes, we have influence, but it’s nothing compared to what it was. When I was your age, we owned Chicago, now, we survive here. And that brings us to the reason for this meeting.”
“Yeah?” Pullo said.
“We want to meet with Tanner in person to settle things. We want you to set it up.”
Silva made a sound of disgust. “I want everyone to know that I’m against this. A meeting? Why meet with him? Why not just have him killed? He’s one damn guy.”
“There are five men in a New York City morgue who tried doing that the other night, Silva,” Pullo said. “I was told you know something about that?”
“Yeah, I sent those guys there to kill Tanner. Why not? It was worth a try before Jerry here kisses his ass. I mean he’s one damn man. How hard can it be to kill him?”
Bosco spoke for the first time, and he did so after chuckling. “There are a lot of dead men who have asked that same question, including Frank Richards, Alonso Alvarado, and whoever ran The Brotherhood.”
Silva sent Bosco a hard stare, then had to look away first. He gestured at Pullo.
“Your boss here could kill him. They say you and Tanner are tight, Pullo. Why don’t we order Pullo to kill the bastard, Jerry?”
“I wouldn’t do it,” Pullo said.
“You would if we ordered you to.”
“No, kid, I wouldn’t. Moss was wrong and he got killed for his stupidity. If you’re reckless enough to go to war with Tanner, make out your wills. He’s one guy, yeah, but he’s not like anyone else. We threw everything we had at him when the Conglomerate was running things, including Lars Gruber. Tanner went through Gruber, shot me up, killed my crew, then aced Frank Richards. Tanner’s only a man, yeah, but he’s not a man you want against you.”
Silva spoke through clenched teeth. “Don’t call me kid, Pullo.”
“I meant no offense,” Joe said absently.
“Can you set up a meeting?” Magdalena asked.
“I think so, but if it’s a trap you’re setting up, I want nothing to do with it.”
“No trap,
just talk, and you’re right, we don’t need a war. Moss was a made man and a Don, that’s true, but avenging his death could come at too great a price. This is also not the first time we’ve faced a situation like this.”
“What do you mean?” Pullo asked.
“It was before your time, and even Sam was still a street soldier back then, but something similar happened in New York in the seventies.”
Pullo appeared confused until he remembered a story Sam Giacconi told him a long time ago.
“You’re talking about that private eye, Jake Caliber?”
“Yes, the old man was something back then. Tanner reminds me of him.”
“Sam told me that story when I was just a boy. I thought it was a myth.”
Magdalena sighed. “We don’t advertise it… for obvious reasons, but it happened. It brought peace, and that’s what I hope to do now.”
“Tanner would buy that. He’s not looking to go to war either.”
“We’ll go over the details when we reach our destination. When you return to New York, present the deal to Tanner.”
“He’ll be wary. He has no reason to trust you.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Sam trusted you, so yeah, Jerry, I trust you too.”
“And Tanner has faith in you. If you give him your word it’s not a trap, he should agree to the meeting.”
“I think you’re right.”
“I’m a man who likes to learn from other people’s mistakes, and I have no intention of becoming the next Frank Richards.”
“Richards was an empty suit,” Shane Silva said. “We’re mobsters, goddamnit. We shouldn’t make deals with one damn guy. We should snuff his ass out like a candle.”
“Shane,” said Magdalena, “shut up, and put that damn phone away.”
Silva called the old man an unkind name, then sulked in silence for the rest of the trip.
5
To Be Me Once Again
In New York City, Tanner was in the penthouse and seated behind the desk in his home office. He was talking to his brother Caleb by computer. It was a video phone call. Tanner could see the sadness in Caleb’s eyes.
“I’m going to miss that old man so much, Cody.”
“I can imagine.”
“The funeral won’t take place for several days. John made a lot of friends over the years, some are flying in to attend.”
“Sara and I would like to be there too, but there’s something I have to deal with first.”
“I’ll understand if you can’t make it, but it would be great to see you two again.”
“One way or another, we’ll get together soon. We still have to coordinate my return to Stark.”
“Reclaiming your name will be huge. Have you thought of a way to do it yet?”
“I’ve several ideas, but none seem right to me. It’s not just me coming back, it’s also me disappearing, if you know what I’m saying.”
“Tanner.”
“Yeah, somehow, I have to make it impossible to tie one identity to another, the way Ordnance Inc. did.”
“But you said they were only able to do that because of Alonso Alvarado. He had known you were Cody Parker because he met you when he… that night.”
“The night he killed our family, yes.”
“Hey, Cody?”
“Yeah?”
“One good thing came out of Moss Murphy’s attack on you—it brought us together.”
“Knowing I have family has changed me, Caleb. It means I’m no longer alone.”
“And you have Sara too.”
“She’s another miracle, yes.”
“I hope you can make it for the funeral.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Love you, Brother.”
“Same here, Caleb, and again, I’m sorry for your loss.”
“John’s at peace, he lived a good long life, and he left behind people who love him. What more can we ask for at the end?”
“Not a damn thing,” Tanner said.
After the call ended, Tanner sat at the desk thinking about his plans to become Cody Parker again. He had promised Sara that he would find a way to come back from the dead without endangering them. It was a far more puzzling problem than he’d imagined it would be. He had spent less time outlining intricate assassination plans against targets with impregnable defenses.
The trick was to divorce himself from the Tanner persona while also maintaining his identity as Tanner. The leadership of Ordnance Inc. knew that Cody Parker and Tanner were one and the same. Even if he managed to separate the identities, that threat was still hanging over his head.
He told Trevor Healy that he wouldn’t assault Ordnance Inc. as long as they left him alone. He was tempted to go back on that deal, but he never reneged on his word. If they were to attack him first, it would almost be a relief.
Talking with Caleb made Tanner think about the Parker ranch. He and Sara had plans to travel there soon. Tanner thought he might ask her if she’d like to go there earlier than planned. He felt more at peace when he was there.
Tanner brought up the web page for the Stark Gazette. The small-town paper had a decent website that survived on the revenue the ads brought in. Two familiar faces appeared on the screen, and they were front-page news in Stark.
HARVEY BROTHERS FOUND DEAD IN THE NEW PARK. POLICE SAY IT WAS MURDER.
Tanner had a run in with the Harvey brothers, Rich and Ernie, when he’d first returned to Stark after many years. The two men had been low-level drug dealers who kept the town supplied with pot.
Another familiar name leapt out at Tanner when he read the story. The new chief of police in Stark was Steven Mendez. Tanner thought it probable that Mendez was the boy he was friends with back in Stark, before he went away. In fact, Steve had been his best friend.
The Harvey brothers being dead was a good thing for Tanner, since they knew him by that name, and could have been trouble. However, the circumstances, that someone had murdered them, could signal difficulty for the town.
If they were put down by a rival drug gang, it might mean that bigger players were moving in. If so, Tanner would take care of them once he returned to the town and reclaimed his identity.
Tanner rose from behind the desk to walk onto the balcony, where he looked out over the city. One way or another, he would be Cody Parker again.
6
Peek A Boo
After Pullo returned to New York, Tanner met with him inside his office at Johnny R’s.
“You don’t think it’s a trap?”
“No, Tanner. Magdalena gave me his word. Sam always said Jerry Mags’ word was good.”
“And what about the other commission members?”
“The only one I don’t trust is Shane Silva. He’s too much of a hothead like his father, and he’s a friend of Liam Murphy.”
“That’s what I heard.”
“From who?”
“I have someone researching the commission members.”
Pullo laughed. “You have a research department now?”
“I do, and I’ll be adding personnel. The way the world is advancing, you can’t go it alone anymore.”
“Hell, my people have known that forever. It’s why we formed the crime families.”
“I’m doing the same, on a much smaller scale.”
“And you’re the seventh Tanner. Will there be an eighth?”
“I think so, once I find him.”
“Any candidates show up?”
Tanner smiled. “I met a kid named Henry a while ago who would make a good apprentice, only he’s too young.”
“You might have a son someday that you can train.”
“That was how the Scallatos did things. I’m still impressed that they were able to make it last for so many generations.”
“As much as I love the Family, I don’t want Johnny following in my footsteps.”
“He may want to anyway, like Sammy followed his grandfather into the mob.”
“Sam never wanted this for him, but Sammy’s a man, and a man makes his own choices. That kid will lead the Family someday.”
“Tell me more about this meeting Magdalena wants to set up.”
“He wants it to take place on his yacht. He says they’ll be miles from anything or anyone else, so that you won’t have to worry about a sniper.”
“There’s a way to work around that, but I’m one of only three men who could pull it off.”
“Who are the other two?”
“My mentor, and another of his apprentices.”
“That guy Romeo you told me about?”
“Yeah, and Spenser, the man who trained me.”
Pullo shook his head in wonder. “It’s hard to believe there are two more like you.”
“Who will be on Magdalena’s yacht?”
“Other than the crew that’s needed to operate it, you, me, and the commission members. And oh yeah, Jerry wants to have two men there to act as guards.”
“Why the guards?”
“You’re not the only one who might have a reason to hurt them.”
“Fine, let him have his two street soldiers. How many of the commission members are coming?”
“All five of them.”
“Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“If one decided not to show I would suspect a double-cross.”
“I don’t trust Shane Silva, but I think Magdalena is telling the truth.”
“Silva can’t be trusted. He wants me dead and I don’t think he’s bought into the truce. My spy inside Ordnance Inc., Billy Price, he sent me a message about a new client they have. It’s Shane Silva.”
Pullo rubbed his chin. “Why would Silva get mixed up with Ordnance Inc.?”
“Maybe he has his own agenda for the meeting.”
“That could be, which means I should tell Jerry Mags.”
“Don’t tell Magdalena anything; he could be involved. No, I’ll handle things when I get to Chicago.”
“Does that mean you agree to meet on the yacht?”
“It does, and what is this called again?”
A Man Of Respect Page 3