Conviction

by Dwayne Gill

  “Did you meet the woman?” Cane asked.

  Jordyn seemed thrown off for a second but must’ve figured out who he was referring to and shook her head. “I only saw doctors and nurses. When I got my memory back, I saw a therapist. Then they moved me here.”

  “Is your dad still out there? He never got arrested?” asked Natalie.

  “No,” said Jordyn. “They told me it would be dangerous to go to the police. No one thought I was alive or knew I woke up.”

  “There was only so much the doctors could do,” said Calvin. “She made an amazing recovery, but I think she needed a normal life again. And a friend,” he added. He was referring to Taryn.

  On cue, Taryn entered the French doors, the three guards right behind her. The sentries looked around the room, checking out the newcomers. Cane noticed their gaze lingering on him longer than the others; they seemed to recognize where the potential danger would originate, if from anyone. They were professionals, Cane could tell. The girls were in capable hands.

  “Jordyn, are you okay?” Taryn darted across the room and put her arms around her friend, noticing she’d been crying.

  “I’m fine. Just recalling dark memories,” said Jordyn.

  Taryn continued to hug her then released and looked at her visitors. “I’m Taryn. Nice to meet you.” She looked at Cane. “You must be Cane. You remind me of Daniel, kind of. You have that same look.”

  Cane nodded.

  “We’re just discussing things,” said Calvin. “Why don’t you and Jordyn go get cleaned up?”

  Taryn shot him a look. “No way. We want to be here. They’re here about Daniel.”

  Calvin sighed and gestured to Cane, Lynks, and Natalie. “Daniel’s rubbed off on her. She gets more stubborn every day.”

  Taryn smiled and took a seat beside Jordyn.

  “Marcene said you know more about the marked men than she does. Is that true?” asked Lynks.

  “Well, to be honest, Daniel knows more than I do,” said Calvin. “Or he’s seen more, you could say. I know things he let me in on, but Daniel always tried to shield me as much as he could.”

  “We suspected these men were more than just some brotherhood, that they were getting orders from someone higher up,” said Lynks. “We know they’re ordinary guys, like Jordyn’s dad, and they change. They abandon their families and sometimes go crazy, like Ben, the shooter.”

  “Oh yes, that part I could’ve told you,” said Calvin. “They’re not just a brotherhood. And they are most definitely taking orders.”

  “Amos is giving orders,” said Cane. “Who else?”

  Calvin started to say something but stopped, and Cane waited.

  “Let me tell you about Daniel before I share what we’ve seen,” said Calvin. He shifted in his seat and got comfortable. “I know little about his childhood, but when he was seventeen, he started working for an Italian mob boss. He lived in his home, learned mechanic’s skills, and of course, offered his muscle. A few years later, the marked men raided the house and killed his boss and a lot of his crew.

  “That’s how Daniel’s quest for vengeance began. He was obsessed. He spent a lot of time trying to find them, and he figured out how elusive they are.”

  “How’d you become involved?” asked Lynks.

  “Everyone knew he was looking for the marked men, and I knew where to find them. He helped me get out of the mob, and I helped him get vengeance.” Calvin looked on the verge of becoming emotional, but he paused and continued. “Daniel is fearless and stubborn, but he’s the most honorable man I’ve ever known. He just can’t control his rage. Once he has it in his head, there’s no stopping him.”

  “Did he ever hear the name Amos?” asked Cane.

  Calvin shook his head. “That name never came up. Another one did though.”

  Cane waited for him to answer.

  “Rick,” said Calvin. “We found their connection to the Russian mob. The Russians were smuggling in the old guns, putting them right in the hands of these marked guys. We found one of their warehouses, and Daniel stormed it.”

  “Stormed it?” asked Lynks.

  “Yeah, stormed. Daniel has no stealth. He barged in and started killing guys, which was fine until Rick showed up. Daniel never went into detail about what happened with Rick, but this guy had to be a real badass. He almost killed Daniel, though it wasn’t a one-on-one fight. Daniel said he was a, quote, ‘quick little bastard.’ He somehow got out of the situation and called me, and I found him near death. I got him patched up and brought him to a safe house, and that’s where he met Taryn.”

  Cane saw Taryn smile, and Calvin glanced at her before he continued. “He couldn’t stay out of trouble long enough to even heal completely. He went hulk mode on Taryn’s mom’s live-in boyfriend and his circle of criminal friends one night. And now he’s in jail.” Taryn’s smile evaporated.

  “The thing is,” said Calvin, “he could’ve gotten away, but he let himself get caught. I think he was tired and felt like he’d never sort out the mystery. Maybe he thought Rick was his last chance, or he finally felt like something he did had a real purpose. To be honest, Taryn saved his life. He would’ve died trying to kill Rick and whoever else got in his way.”

  “The two of you found a lot of the marked men?” asked Lynks.

  “Not a lot. Some. They appear to move after they’re recruited,” said Calvin. “The men disappearing from the Chicago area we never found here. Apparently, Jordyn’s dad was an exception. The ones we found around Chicago were always from other parts of the country.”

  “The ones that go crazy appear to be the unwanted exception. They send in a cleanup crew when things go south, like they did with Ben,” said Cane.

  Calvin nodded. “They don’t like being noticed, that’s for sure, so the crazy ones would be a liability.”

  “Amos told Ben, before he killed him, something like, ‘You made a mess, I have to clean it up.’ Then he said, ‘I wish it could’ve worked out,’ or something like that,” said Jordyn.

  “Marcene thinks these guys are genetically altered, which sounds plausible, as crazy as it seems,” said Lynks.

  “Brainwashed too? Jordyn’s dad didn’t seem to recognize her,” said Calvin.

  “We’re sounding like the conspiracy theorists,” said Lynks.

  The room got quiet.

  “Are you going to help Daniel?” asked Taryn, speaking to Cane.

  “Break him out of jail?” asked Natalie. She looked at Lynks. “Can he do that?”

  “He’s done worse,” said Lynks.

  “He won’t have to,” said Calvin. “I got another tape today. Daniel’s being moved. Transported somewhere.”

  “Where?” asked Taryn. She didn’t seem happy about this latest development.

  “I don’t know,” said Calvin. “But I assume it’s not for a field trip. It involves the feds too. I made a few calls earlier. I didn’t find out anything groundbreaking, but I think they’re performing tests on him.”

  “Testing him for what?” asked Lynks.

  Calvin stiffened. “Daniel always felt self-conscious about this. In fact, he’s still convinced that the men who killed his boss were after him. I thought it was crazy talk. But he has a birthmark. Not like the marked men; it’s different. His is three crescent moons in a triangle. Maybe the government sees a connection.”

  Cane got up, and when he did, he noticed the three guards, still standing, tense up. He liked them. He took off his leather trench coat and revealed his own birthmark on his right forearm. “Does it look like this?” he asked.

  Calvin gasped then fell back in his chair. “That would be the one.”

  There was a heavy silence in the room as everyone tried to wrap their heads around this latest revelation.

  “I don’t get it. Marcene has answers she’s not giving us, I know it,” said Lynks.

  “Maybe it’s too much to process all at once?” said Calvin, and shrugged. “So now what?”

  “We get Dan
iel,” said Cane.

  Taryn screamed and sprinted into Cane, wrapping her arms around him. Cane flinched slightly but didn’t move.

  “They don’t want to test him. They will kill him,” said Cane.

  “They’re moving him because they can’t kill him in jail,” said Calvin. “They tried once already and failed. I think they’ll want to drive him somewhere remote, maybe put a bullet in his head while he’s in his cage.”

  “You said they like to keep a low profile,” said Lynks. “I think they’d rather do this quietly. Maybe drive him to one of their facilities, where they take the other men, and make him disappear,” said Lynks.

  “They’ll intercept the transport,” said Cane.

  Lynks’ eyes lit up. “Guards from the prison will drive Daniel, and there will be an FBI escort, if what Calvin says is true,” said Lynks. “I doubt they have the cooperation of everyone involved with the transport, unless the conspiracy reaches further than we think, and in that case we’re probably all screwed, anyway. But I think they’ll want to make it look like a robbery gone wrong or something. Maybe send marked men to take out the prison guards and kill Daniel in the transport. There’d be no witnesses. It makes sense.”

  “We need to find out where that transport is going,” said Cane.

  “The warehouse that Daniel almost died at. Do you know where it is?” Lynks asked Calvin.

  “I do,” said Calvin. “Why?”

  “Cane, call Bowman,” said Lynks. “I’m gonna run names through some databases. We’ll find something that sticks.”

  Cane stepped out back by the pool and made the call.

  “Your old pal is coming to see me,” said Bowman.

  “Who?” asked Cane.

  “Hart,” said Bowman. “He called me earlier to make sure I’d be home. Is there anything I should know?”

  “I don’t care what you tell him,” said Cane. “Just don’t get yourself in any trouble covering for me.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” said Bowman. “They can all kiss my ass.”

  “I need those names, Bowman,” said Cane. “Have you had any luck?”

  “I talked to my CIA friend. He has a great memory, and good thing, because the records from back then aren’t around anymore. There seemed to be some central figures involved. Amos, of course, being one, but the biggest name that floated around back then was Vinson. No one ever knew their last names, which means those are useless unless there’s another lead somewhere.”

  “Any others?” asked Cane.

  “There were others. Some Russian names, like Drugov and Rugov. We always suspected a Russian connection, but it was probably bigger than we thought. There were names, common names, which means they’re likely fake, but he remembered a Mick, Rick, and Travis. Those were the suspected leaders giving the orders, though there could be more.”

  “I’ve confirmed that with another source too,” said Cane, and he told Bowman about his visit with Calvin.

  “Daniel’s got the same marking as you? That’s interesting,” said Bowman. “What are you gonna do now?”

  “You know what I’m going to do,” said Cane.

  Bowman fell silent for a moment then said, “I can help. You may need men, Cane. I know a handful of guys we can trust. And I’ll try to shake Hart up when he comes. If he knows anything, I’ll be able to tell.”

  When Cane came back inside, Calvin was sitting at a small table with Lynks while the three girls sat on the floor, talking and laughing. Cane walked over to the table to join them.

  “Rick was a name Bowman got from his CIA friend. It’s just a first name, though. It doesn’t have to be the same guy.”

  Lynks nodded. “I agree. We don’t have enough information to go on from that angle. However, I got Calvin to show me where this facility was that Daniel broke into, and I think I may be able to locate another one.”

  “They shut the other one down after the incident with Daniel,” said Calvin. “Not surprising. But if they’re dealing weapons in this area, they have to find another spot somewhere close to the other one. Right?”

  Cane shrugged. “It’s a good place to start.”

  “I looked through the records of the other facility and found a few guys that are alive now,” said Lynks. “I figured Daniel killed all the marked guys that night, but the more technical guys weren’t there. This guy may not even have a birthmark.” He pointed to the computer.

  Cane looked at the screen, which displayed a picture of a nerdy-looking American. He looked like a kid there to program a computer. Below the photo was the name Larry Wembly.

  “I think if I can find this guy,” Lynks said, pointing at the photo, “I can get into their network and find other facilities in Georgia.”

  Calvin smiled. “That’s brilliant. They’re bringing Daniel to a location like that to kill him.”

  Lynks nodded. “I think it’s our best bet. At least we could narrow it down.”

  “You found another facility?” asked Cane.

  “Yes,” said Lynks. “I found one Larry Wembly frequents, but I only have a location. I can’t even find a satellite image. But we don’t care about the actual facility; we want Mr. Wembly and his computer.”

  “If we’re going in there, we’ll need something better than that,” said Cane.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” said Lynks. “I have time to look. We don’t want to be there before dark, anyway.”

  Cane hoped, with some luck, that this location would hold answers; maybe they’d even run into Rick.

  He looked at the three girls, who were now piled on the sofa, still talking. Natalie seemed to like Taryn and Jordyn. They shared a bond, survivors swapping stories and giving each other encouragement. Cane envied them, in a way. Though he’d come a long way since the days when he couldn’t understand certain emotions, he still lacked something he couldn’t put his finger on. As he watched them laugh, looking carefree, they reminded him of his emotional limitation and wondered if he could overcome it. Would he ever feel the urge to laugh, to cry, and to do so naturally?

  He took a seat in a recliner and kicked up his feet, relaxing while there was still an opportunity. If he listened closely enough, he could hear the girls’ conversation.

  “He slaughtered the whole house. Everyone there. I saw him right before he walked inside.”

  It was Taryn, talking about Daniel. She was telling Natalie what happened. Cane could see in her eyes how much she cared about Daniel; he hoped that Kristy felt the same way about him. But as he listened to Taryn describe Daniel, he already sensed a vast difference between them. Daniel seemed to be able to connect to her emotionally. He seemed to offer her more than safety. She made him sound like a friend.

  For the first time in his life, Cane longed to be a companion to someone other than Lynks. Even his friendship with Lynks was more of a working partnership. How could he consider forming a connection with anyone when it was a challenge to do so with someone he knew and cared for all his life?

  Cane considered his life; he could outline the years with the deaths he’d caused. Was this his only purpose? Did he have anything else to offer?

  He drifted off and slept hard, and when he woke up, Lynks and Calvin had joined the girls on the couch. He didn’t open his eyes, just listened.

  “He burned that one guy’s face off.”

  It was Natalie, describing the scene at the hotel.

  “He did what he had to do. You wouldn’t be here if not for him,” said Lynks.

  “I know,” said Natalie. “I’m thankful. He’s just so scary. I’m terrified of him.”

  “Daniel was scary too,” said Taryn. “But after I got to know him he was like a big teddy bear.”

  “Except when he slaughtered all those people,” joked Natalie, and there was a round of laughter.

  “I know he can seem rough. He is rough,” said Lynks in a whisper. “But I promise you that if you ever want someone there by your side when things go south, it’s him.”

  There
was Lynks, his faithful old friend, defending him. Cane could remember the days when they were young, and it was the other way around. Cane protected him from the bullies then, but when was the last time he did something for Lynks, beyond the scope of a job they were doing? He couldn’t remember. Lynks’s compliment, thoughtful as it was, didn’t have the desired effect on Cane. Instead, it was what was missing from it that had the most effect. He mentioned nothing about Cane’s character or loyalty, just referenced his raw ability to kill, and he was right.

  But for now, that side of him was necessary. They had work to do. He stirred loudly on purpose so everyone would know to stop talking.

  “About time, sleepyhead,” said Calvin. “You want coffee?”

  Cane sat up and looked around. The three guards were sitting in various places in the room, still looking alert. Professionals.

  “We need to get on the road,” said Cane.

  Lynks nodded, and Calvin stood. “I’m going with you,” he said. Lynks looked at Cane, who shrugged.

  “What about the girls?” asked Lynks, referring to Jordyn and Taryn.

  “No, you can’t go,” said Calvin, looking at them both. “They’re in good hands here,” he said to Lynks.

  “I’ll stay with them too,” said Natalie. “If that’s okay. I’d just be in the way.”

  Cane thought it was a great idea; they wouldn’t have to balance the mission with keeping her safe.

  “Let’s get moving,” said Cane. Calvin was laughing.

  “What?” asked Lynks.

  “I’m not a tough guy, at all,” said Calvin. “But somehow I end up in the company of some bad hombres.” He was looking at Cane. “I need to start training or something.”

  Discussions

  Sunday, 9/10/2028, 12:15 p.m.

  West Park, Florida

  West Park was a quaint suburb thirty-five minutes north of Miami, an ideal neighborhood if one wanted to be close to the city but have the feel of a rural area. It was a safe neighborhood where you could still see kids riding their bikes and playing in the street.