by Dwayne Gill
“Yes. Now,” said Hart.
“I don’t know how to reach him,” said Quinton. “I didn’t even know back then. He contacted me.”
“He must’ve lived around here somewhere. Come on, you gotta give us something,” said Barkley.
Mason thought for a moment. “He didn’t have a place in Miami, I know that for sure. I don’t know where he lived, I swear, but I know it was over near the panhandle. It took him about seven hours to drive here.”
Hart and Barkley made eye contact. Kristy lived in Tallahassee, which was a seven-hour drive from their current location.
Looking For Trouble
Sunday, 9/10/2028, 9:00 p.m.
Pullman Industrial District, Chicago, Illinois
It wasn’t hard to spot the facility they were looking for. As they drove through Pullman, past the police station, the road dead-ended, leaving a lone path that weaved around a large section of unused land. It looked like it was being prepared for something, though it left no clues as to what.
After they took a wide berth around a large embankment, the facility came into view. It was massive; it looked like some kind of military stronghold. In the distance, towers loomed, and just ahead of them was a guard station. They knew they wouldn’t be able to pass through.
“What the hell is this place?” asked Calvin.
“I have no idea,” Lynks said. He’d searched for all the information he could about it, but there was little available. It made no sense to Lynks. It wasn’t as if anyone could hide a place this big.
“Turn around, Calvin. Let’s get out of here,” said Cane. He didn’t like the look of the place, and it wasn’t as if they’d be sneaking in.
Calvin did a three-point turn and drove away. “What now?” he asked.
“Well, we’re only looking for Larry Wembly, right?” said Lynks. “He has his own office in downtown Chicago.” He looked at some notes he’d made on his phone. “At 401 North Clark Street.”
“What about his home?” asked Cane.
Lynks frowned. “He’s likely there with his family, but we don’t want to do that, do we?”
Cane shook his head, ashamed that he’d suggested it. It was instinctual. “Especially when this guy’s just a button-pusher,” he said.
“So the office then?” asked Lynks.
“What are we looking for again?” asked Calvin.
“If Wembly has a computer at his office, I could search it, maybe even hack into any others he uses,” said Lynks.
“I know the area, guys,” said Calvin. “Unless you know how to disable an alarm system, we’ll never get in. The police response would be quick.”
Lynks certainly knew how to disable one, but whether it was worth it or not was the real question.
“Let’s wait until morning,” said Cane. Lynks and Calvin looked at him.
“I didn’t mean the daytime would be a more ideal time,” said Calvin. “The place will be crawling with people.”
“The building will be open and these guys don’t like making scenes,” said Cane. He knew from experience it was easier to maneuver around people than alarm systems, even if it meant losing the cover of night. Police would respond in an instant to an alarm at night.
“I agree,” said Lynks. “Wembly won’t be there tonight, and I’d hate to do this for nothing. Without him, I may not be able to access his computer.”
“Okay. So where to?” asked Calvin.
“Let’s stay close to the downtown area,” said Cane.
Lynks pulled up a map and checked. “There’s a cheap hotel about twenty minutes away and a four-star on the same street.”
“Let’s do the cheap one,” said Cane.
“Roughing it,” said Lynks.
Calvin smiled. “Can’t be worse than the shack I’ve been staying in.”
◆◆◆
9/10/2028, 9:05 p.m.
“A car passed the first checkpoint, then turned around and left. It looks like the guard station spooked them.” Jerry had been watching from a distance and called it in.
“Did you get the plate number?” asked Amos.
“Yes, sir,” said Jerry.
“Great. Send it.” Amos hung up. Mick was beside him and had been listening.
“You want to send someone to follow them?” asked Mick.
“No,” said Amos. “That didn’t work out so well last time. Besides, I know where they’re going.”
Amos looked at Larry Wembly, who was also in the room, seated at a computer desk. “Someone looked at Larry’s decoy page,” Amos told Mick.
“Decoy page?” asked Mick.
“I get an alert when someone accesses my profile online,” said Wembly. “Someone accessed it today, so I plugged in false information to throw them off.”
“Can you tell who looked at your profile?” asked Mick.
“No, sir,” said Wembly. “But I list this facility in my profile, and I think the car belonged to the person who viewed it.”
“You think it’s Cane?” Mick asked Amos.
“I do,” said Amos. “I think Lynks looked at the page, and it’s Cane in the car. Or it could be both of them.”
“How do you know where they’re going?” asked Mick.
“Because Larry gave a false work address in downtown Chicago,” said Amos. “Lynks would’ve seen it if he knew to search for Wembly. I’m willing to bet they pay the address a visit.”
Mick smiled.
Amos’s phone rang. Mick’s smile disappeared, replaced by a look of anxiety. It was Vinson. Amos gestured for Mick to keep calm and answered the call on speakerphone so they both could hear.
“Hello, Vinson,” said Amos.
“How are things?” Vinson asked.
“Well, we had a bit of luck,” said Amos. “I think we may have cornered Cane.”
Vinson sighed. “Amos. Mick. I’ve told you both to stop worrying about the assassin. You’re spending too much time and effort.”
Amos disagreed, but didn’t say so. Mick stood with his head down.
“Well, this time he came to us,” said Amos. “We weren’t searching for him.” He told Vinson what happened.
“You’ll be setting up an ambush at this decoy address?” asked Vinson.
Amos already knew where this was headed. “Yes, sir,” he said.
Another heavy sigh. “Amos. I’ve told you,” said Vinson. “Our biggest enemy right now is discovery, not an assassin. You’ve been leaving a trail of bodies lately, and each time you do, it brings us further into the light. I need this to stop.”
“So you want me to let him walk?” Amos asked.
Vinson was quiet a moment, considering the action. “If you can take him out, do it. Don’t use our people though. Use the Russians.”
“I don’t trust the Russians to get the job done right,” said Amos.
“The last three didn’t get it done right,” said Vinson. “And they were your guys.”
Amos was tempted to point out that the first two at the hotel didn’t even have real weapons, but he let it be.
“Why would Cane be in Chicago?” asked Vinson.
Amos was wondering the same thing earlier. “I’m not sure yet,” he said.
“Marcene’s been in contact with Cane,” said Vinson. “Chicago was where we had the trouble with Daniel, but he’s in jail. But you know who isn’t in jail?”
“Calvin,” said Mick.
Vinson was silent, but Amos was certain Mick was correct.
“What if Cane knows about Daniel then?” asked Amos. “What if he intervenes?”
“Calm down,” said Vinson. “If Cane is just now getting around to asking Calvin questions, he’s still in the dark. If he knew anything that posed a threat to us, he wouldn’t be wasting his time in Chicago. Everything is right on schedule. We’ve been preparing for this all our lives. Relax. You’re letting the conspiracies get to your heads.”
Vinson was right. Amos blamed his increasing paranoia on Mick. He was giving too much unde
served respect to Cane, and maybe Daniel too. Neither of them could be a threat to what they had planned, even if they were endowed with all the details, which they weren’t. He needed to calm down and relax. “You’re right,” he said. “We’ll try to handle this more delicately. What if I send in Connor and one of the Russians in case they show up to the address?”
“That’s fine,” said Vinson. “If they can take him out, believe me, I want him out of the way. I don’t want a loud mess. Speaking of loud, make sure our guys use Eguns and no EMPs. The EMP from the hotel is already causing trouble. And if they recover too many of these traditional guns, it’ll just make smuggling them here harder for us.”
“Understood,” said Amos. “Thank you, sir.”
“I still haven’t told you the good news,” said Vinson.
“Good news?” asked Amos.
“Foster found someone special to Cane,” said Vinson.
Amos perked up. “What do you mean?”
“Cane saved a girl’s life a few years ago,” said Vinson. “Foster’s sending Hart to interview her.”
Amos grimaced. “Where does this girl live?” he asked.
“Tallahassee,” said Vinson. He paused a moment. “Amos, I know what you’re thinking, but listen. Foster wants to do this by the books, and I agree with him. It’s less risk for us. This girl may know nothing, and if you rough her up, it won’t do any good. Let Hart see what she knows. Maybe she knows how to contact him. If Hart fails, we’ll talk about it.”
Letting Hart and the FBI handle it was sickening to Amos. If he had the girl, he could get to Cane.
After the call ended, Amos made another. “Ed,” said Amos. “I need a favor.”
“Name it,” said Ed.
“I need a tail on Hart, the FBI agent. I want him followed everywhere he goes.”
“For how long?” asked Ed.
“Until I say otherwise,” said Amos. “I’ll call you when I get to Florida.” Amos smiled and looked over at Mick, who wore a very solemn expression.
“You heard Vinson. You shouldn’t mess with the girl,” said Mick.
Amos shook his head. “I won’t touch her. I want to make sure Hart does his job right. Can you handle this situation here?”
“Yes,” said Mick. “I’ll get one of the Russians to post up at the address.”
“Not just any Russian. Get the Ox,” said Amos. The Ox was a huge man known for his brutality. “Get Connor too.” Connor would be the more competent, smarter one, just in case the Ox couldn’t handle it.
“Vinson’s okay with this? Are you sure?” asked Mick.
“You heard him, Mick,” said Amos. “I told him what I was planning on doing.”
What Amos didn’t tell him was the location of the address. It was in downtown Chicago.
◆◆◆
Getaway Hostel, 10:00 p.m.
The Getaway Hostel was a cheap option, but the place wasn’t bad. Cane, Lynks, and Calvin settled into their own rooms and agreed to meet first thing in the morning. Cane showered and relaxed, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Kristy. It would be awhile before he could see her and Helen again, but he could talk to them. He pulled out his phone and made a video call.
Kristy picked up the call, and judging by her expression, she was happy to see him. Her hair was in disarray; it looked like she recently showered and blow-dried it. It didn’t matter; Kristy could look nothing other than stunning, as Cane learned a few years ago. When he first saw her on that remote highway, dirty, bloody, and frightened, her beauty still shone through.
Tonight, she had a huge smile plastered on her face. “Cane!”
Cane couldn’t help but smile. He was just as happy to talk to her, although he didn’t show it the same way.
“I couldn’t believe it was you making a video call,” she said. “It’s so nice to see you.” Cane rarely called, and he’d never video-called her or Helen before. Tonight, he wanted to see them; sometimes voices weren’t enough.
“I’m sorry I missed you the other night,” said Kristy. “I had to work the next morning, so I went to bed early. I should’ve known you were coming by.”
“It’s no problem,” said Cane. “I’m glad you’re working. How do you like your job?”
Kristy was tousling her hair, apparently just realizing how disheveled it was. “I love it. I’ve been working the teller’s window, but I want to be a loan officer. That’s what I’m shooting for.”
So she works at a bank, Cane thought. “You’ve had no trouble? Your mom said you’ve been doing better.”
She was still playing with her hair, frowning as she failed to adjust it how she wanted. “I’ve been making progress. I still have minor episodes now and then, but I’m becoming a different person.”
Cane could tell how much confidence she had, and it filled him with more happiness than he could describe. Years of recovery and therapy were finally paying off for her.
He wished he could express how proud he felt, like others, that he could communicate like Lynks, or better yet, Calvin, and make her laugh and feel special, only for a moment. But with every attempt he made to think of something more meaningful to say, he’d stall and look foolish. “I’m glad to hear it.” Really? That’s the best you can do? Sometimes he wanted to hit himself.
Kristy smiled like he’d just said something profound. At the side of the screen, Helen’s face popped into view.
“Hey, look who it is! We see you!” Helen waved, and Kristy joined in. They both looked so happy. They were as close as mother and daughter could be, and Cane was thankful to share in their lives, if only occasionally. The two of them had persevered through so much together and never lost their will to live and laugh through it all.
“Can I talk to Cane for a minute, please?” Helen asked Kristy, who nodded reluctantly.
“Bye, Cane!” she said as she kissed the palm of her right hand and pressed it against the screen. Cane waved.
Helen waited until Kristy left the room. “What’s up, Cane?” said Helen. She seemed suspicious of his call, likely thinking something was amiss.
“Just checking in,” said Cane.
Helen glared at the screen. “If you had a middle and last name, I’d be calling you by all three right now. You checked on us a few days ago. Is something going on?”
Cane never would’ve told her anything in front of Kristy, although she may have handled it fine now in her rejuvenated state. He didn’t want to tell Helen, either, but he’d always been honest with her. Plus, he felt like she could see through him. She’d know he was lying. “I’ve been after some bad men,” he said. “I need to let this all blow over, and until it does, I can’t come around.”
Helen frowned. “How long?”
“I don’t know,” said Cane. “It may be awhile.” He was never on any set schedule to visit; there were sometimes months in between, but this seemed to be the best way to disclose what he needed and give a plausible reason for his call.
“Is there anything we should be worried about? Are you okay?” she asked. He could hear the concern in her voice.
“No one knows about the two of you,” said Cane. “As long as no one follows me to your house, you’ll be fine. I’m just being cautious.” He thought about the tape player he found on the night he visited them. Although he was reasonably sure Marcene wasn’t a threat to him or the Campbells, it was still unsettling.
“I understand,” said Helen. “Thanks for letting me know.”
Cane learned very early on that Helen appreciated honesty and transparency, and he vowed to always provide both. There was a brief silence; Helen glanced over her shoulder to make sure Kristy wasn’t around.
“I’m sorry about the other night,” she said. “I had too much to drink.”
“There’s no need to apologize,” said Cane.
“Well, I do anyway,” said Helen. She looked at the screen now, and her eyes softened. “I remember most of our conversation. I wish I had been sober for it.”
Cane remembered too and now was riffling through it in his mind, curious what she could be referencing.
“I know you’ve done a lot of bad things,” said Helen. “You feel inadequate and like you don’t belong. You carry around a lot of guilt with you, and it weighs you down. I can see the burden in your eyes every time you’re here. I want you to stop living in the past, Cane, and live in the now. Forgive yourself for who you’ve been and embrace who you are. In our eyes you’re wonderful, and we love you like our own. Maybe you’re not like everyone else. You may not be as funny or charming, but you saved my baby girl, and you still watch over us. We accept you for who you are, Cane, and you should too.”
Cane took a moment. She’d never talked to him in that manner, and it surprised him how easily she saw through him. He could elude the most dangerous, resourceful men in the world, but Helen could read him like a book and see his innermost anxieties. He loved her for it. “I know you’re not one to open up and share things,” she said, “so I wanted you to know… I see. I’m aware of what you’re dealing with, and I’ll always be here for you. Now, go get those bad guys. But after that, you come home. Okay?”
Cane could only nod. He’d never known what having a mother felt like, but he couldn’t imagine there being a better one than Helen in the world. She thought of him as her own son, even invited him to view her home as his own.
Helen smiled; it was the warmest smile he’d seen from her, and it made him feel like a normal life might not be as out of reach as he once thought.
◆◆◆
Monday, 9/11/2028, 7:00 a.m.
401 North Clark St., Chicago, Illinois
Cane, Lynks, and Calvin sat in the car a block away from Wembly’s building and watched. There was a steady stream of people walking past, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Cane looked at the different offices in the building through a small telescope, trying not to be too obvious.
“What are all the other suites in the building for?” asked Calvin.
“There are lots of empty offices, but the ones being used are for payday loans, real estate, a travel agent, your typical stuff,” said Lynks.
