by Carl Henegan
He placed his ear to the door and listened closely. He heard them go from room to room talking to one another. When they mentioned Perez’s name more then once he smiled. The satisfaction of now knowing who was after him made all the difference. Now he could devise a plan to get out of this and the price of payback was going to cost some lives.
* * *
While still standing in the doorway to Garcia’s suite, Perez made a call to his men at the hotel on the other side of the river.
“What happened?” Perez said.
“We had him locked in sir but someone fired shots from below. It spooked him and he ran back inside,” his guard answered.
“Who was shooting, Michael?” he asked.
“No sir. It was someone hiding along the river walk but we couldn’t see them.”
“I see. Where are you now?”
“We’re already making our way from the La Mansion back to meet you at the Waterfront.”
“Good, when you get here cover the entrance. Make sure Mr. Garcia does not leave this hotel,” he said.
After disconnecting the call Perez frowned at the shadow that materialized behind him. Garcia’s monotone voice filled Perez’s ears. “Time to call on your God to save your sorry soul my friend.”
No time remained for Perez to reach for his weapon. Garcia’s knife tore across Perez’s throat. The gurgling sound of blood soaked vocal cords drowned any words that tried to escape from his mouth.
Perez’s body weakened then buckled but was held up by Garcia. Perez’s hands went to his throat as the world he once knew faded fast. Garcia’s whisper echoed over and over till the words dissolved as the very last connection he had to mortality.
* * *
Garcia released Perez allowing his body to collapse to the hallway floor. Perez stared up at Garcia in his half conscious state. “Maybe your God will call you,” Garcia offered. “As for me, he never calls. He lost my number a long time ago my friend.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
By the time his guards returned to the doorway, their bosses’ lifeless body laid partially into the hallway with his legs extended through the doorway’s entrance. One of the men pointed at the door that led to the stairwell then placed a hand to his ear. Footsteps echoed down the stairs vanishing away to another floor.
On a hunch they rushed over to the suite next to them but it was locked. They banged on the door. Nothing. The gash across Perez neck made all of them cringe and the men took just a few seconds to think, to morn.
As if they were given an unspoken command from beyond, they snapped to attention. Both ran to the door that led to stairwell. No words were said about the next move because silently they understood. Even without their leader, boss and friend the mission would continue.
The men had no personal vendetta against Garcia; they hardly knew him, just knew of him. However the endeavor took on an above the ground roots level. Their bosses’ vendetta had been tossed into the universe and the wheels of destiny spun into motion.
They couldn’t abandon the mission. Personal pride accompanied a last allegiance to the man they had tremendous respect for so the mission became a personal commitment.
Inside the stairwell the sound of hurried footsteps descended to the lower floors. They knew it had to be Garcia. Several options were available and Perez’s guards weighed every one as they rushed down the stairs.
They proceeded with extreme caution. Garcia could be hiding inside one of the many dark crevices carved into the walls causing them to walk right into a death trap. He could have also exited into the hallway on one of the lower floors or just pretended to throwing them off of his trail. The possibilities did not slow their resolve of pursuit. The determination to find Garcia outweighed the potential of any personal risk.
* * *
On the opposite side of the river, inside of the Watermark Hotel’s lobby, a large group of conventioneers stood marveling at its interior. They paced the grand lobby speaking among one another and discussing the various works of art. Their voices elevated in unison when they would spot a particular item that excited them.
The Watermark gave the visitors a lot to gawk at with rich oil paintings that adorned the walls depicting various representations of early Texas life. Fixed around the paintings were exquisitely hand-carved wooden frames with gilded moldings. The wood’s naturally dark hue complimented the warm colors specifically chosen to blend in with the wall’s rich deep cream paint. The lobby, like most lobbies, served the sole intent of being inviting and warm.
The welcoming ambiance however greatly contrasted with the developing events that took place in the hallways of the hotel. Perez’s guards split apart to take separate floors in their deadly search. Each guard carried a weapon and an attitude.
“Just take the elevator down to the second floor and work your way up the stairs,” one of the guards said to the other. “Garcia won’t have time to make it all the way to the lobby.”
The guard rushed to the elevator while the remaining one made his way down the stairs. Stationed outside of the hotel were the rest of Perez’s men watching every single person who exited the doors. Garcia would not slip past them.
Except for the two that were Garcia’s room, none of the remaining men had any idea that they were now unemployed. The chief executive officer of the underground mafia had died.
CHAPTER SEVEN-EIGHT
Several feet away Mike gathered everyone together. He hid them all inside of a restaurant along the river walk. After seeing that they were all safe for the moment he made his way to the Watermark Hotel.
“Kelly keep everyone here ok?” Mike said already making his way out of the restaurant. “You guys should be safe here, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He rushed out with his thoughts set on finding and destroying the man who tried to kill his son. The fight had now become for lower then dirty and Mike was ready to tunnel through any amount of mud to get to Garcia.
The desertion of time hovered in Mike’s head. Garcia would not wait around to see what would happen next so Mike knew he needed to do the same. With a missed target Garcia would vanish into the night only to return later and finish the job. Mike had no intention or desire to wait for that to happen.
As fast as he could, he maneuvered through the crowd. Confusion and panic gripped the atmosphere as tourist scattered in every direction trying to make sense out of the unfamiliar sound of real gunfire.
Mike arrived at the Watermark’s lobby only to find it crowded and filled with guest. He made his way through the large room by moving along its outer perimeter. He could see the elevators across the lobby but there was no quick way to reach them. The route took him through some back hallways then to a side exit.
As Mike rounded the corner he got turned around. He started to retrace his steps till he spotted someone exiting out of the side door. The person’s back was to Mike but he recognized them just before they slipped away into the darkness.
Garcia...
A rush of adrenalin shot through Mike’s body. He leaped forward to catch up with Garcia. While in full stride he drew his weapon out flipping off the safety switch.
Garcia made his way from the back of the hotel into the tourist traffic of the River Walk. As soon as he surfaced, the single sniper that remained on the balcony of the La Mansion spotted him. Mike spotted him before Garcia looked up just before the first shot was fired.
A trail rapidly fired shots followed Garcia as he ran along the aged brick wall that connected to the line of small shops. Chips of concrete exploded from the wall spraying debris in all directions. Garcia scurried in swift and erratic movements making him a difficult target.
Mike trailed at a safe distance. The shots stopped when the glass behind the sniper shattered. More shots landed through out the area where he was posted forcing the sniper to dive behind the balcony’s short wall.
Mike fell back even more and pressed against the wall. A large ma
n stood in the center of the sidewalk returning fired shots at the sniper.
Mike recognized him as the same man in the store with the attractive brunette. He made his way down the street to protect Garcia. Mike also saw the attractive brunette a half a block away.
Her bags were dropped along the sidewalk. She stood watching the exchange of gunfire with wide-eyed shock. Garcia moved back to join in as he too fired at the upper balcony. With all of the chaos around her, the woman remained frozen in place.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
X fired return shots the moment he spotted Garcia being shot at along the river walk. When the shots stopped, X ran back to get Anna then returned to the spot where Garcia was taking cover.
Once united, all three were rushed down the cemented path that follows the scenic river’s course. Mike emerged from the back ally just in time to spot them headed east along the river. He followed in hot pursuit with his gun drawn and ready to fire.
He wasn’t sure if Garcia spotted him but that didn’t matter. He also didn’t bother with trying to remain unseen. Timing and linked events had all arrived to the current critical point. Like the 10:30 p.m. time frame at his nightclub, the point of no return arrived. Anything that could happen was about to happen.
Mike followed the trio as they made their way further from the central tourist area. The visitor traffic became more and more scarce till they passed all of the occupied and leased buildings. The quiet area lined with sections of yet to be leased spaces that remained dark and vacant.
Mike steadied his pace at a safe distance. Mike could have sped up and easily caught them but that wasn’t the plan. For him the light jog was just fast enough to maintain a visual and wait for them to make an error.
Their pace seemed to decrease so he adjusted his. An opportunity would arise where he would take advantage of their fatigue so he had to remain patient. The girl lagged behind Garcia and the large man as she clutched her chest for air. Garcia and his accomplice never even noticed that the third person in their party was no longer with them.
Mike slowed his pursuit moving closer to the walls while maintaining his close observation. He hid in the shadows dipping within the brush cloaked by the night, out of view. The distance between Garcia and the girl expanded so far that if he turned around she might not have been seen.
They waited far too late to check on her.
Mike came to a complete stop. Out of the shadows someone reached out and snatched the girl. Mike moved into a carved section of the wall then remained in the distant obscurity waiting for the next events to unfold.
Whoever grabbed the girl was swift. The fast moving hand covered her mouth and in a flash just before they vanished. Just ahead of the scene Garcia and the large man finally stopped.
Mike listened close but their voices were too far away to hear. The men talked as Garcia motioned for his accomplice to return. He waddled back slowly calling her name while looking all around.
“Anna! Anna! You ok?” he said.
Garcia remained in place. The small flame sprung from his lighter then moved to the end of the cigarette. He took a few steps to follow behind the guard and in the direction where Mike was hidden. The large bodyguard arrived at the exact spot where Mike witnessed the girl disappear.
A female voice shot from the dark. “That’s close enough!” she said.
Out of the shadows a tall woman stepped out with a pistol pressed into Anna’s back. Garcia’s guard looked back at his boss for guidance. Garcia walked leisurely closer to them then settled next to his bodyguard.
“My, my, my,” Garcia began. He dropped the cigarette to the ground then extinguished it with the tip of his foot then looked over to his guard. “This is awkward now isn’t it?”
The guard chuckled at the statement. Garcia rested his hand on the man’s thick shoulder to share another laugh.
“So looks like my wife has caught me with the mistress.”
While the girl they called Anna looked panicked and confused the tall woman maintained a straight-faced appearance. She held the gun to Anna’s back but said nothing to the men.
Garcia moved away from his bodyguard circling around to a new but calculated position.
“Get away from there,” Mike warned under his breath.
The woman had no idea what Garcia was doing but Mike knew exactly why he changed positions. Separated from his guard was a way to create a safety net. Spread apart, she would not have a chance to shoot all three.
Sensing the danger, the woman moved to her right using Anna as a buffer between her and the men.
“Here’s the catch, my Marsha,” Garcia continued. “I think that you were so caught up on tracking me down, that you didn’t take enough time to figure out what you would do with me once you did.” Garcia lifted this pistol from the holster inside of his jacket then pointed it directly at the women. The tall woman he called Marsha shifted further behind Anna.
“You do remember how much I loved to play chess right?” Garcia added. The woman didn’t respond. He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe not, it has been awhile. Anyway, using my little Anna here as a shield was pretty good.” Garcia nodded his head approvingly. “It’s almost like placing a valuable chess piece in front of another for protection. The problem is, my dear Marsha unlike most chess players, I have no problems sacrificing my queen.”
After the last words escaped from his mouth, the sound of the single gunshot raced through the darkness. Garcia placed a bullet right through Anna. The hot led penetrated her small frame then tore into Marsha’s stomach.
Both women dropped instantly silenced forever by the impartial hand of death.
CHAPTER EIGHTY
Instead of a loud splash, the sound of the dead bodies was more like quiet sadness. The large bodyguard unceremoniously tossed the bodies one by one into the river. Garcia stood by and watched on as he lit another cigarette.
Mike could no longer remain in the shadows. He slammed his hand against the wall he was hidden behind. He should have done something, anything, but now two women were dead. For the first time in years he had thoughts of his friend Dexter.
As if his legs decided to take action without the consent of his mind, Mike bolted from his hiding place. He fired his pistol rapidly alternating shots from Garcia to the large bodyguard who instantly reacted.
The first shot missed both but the second hit Garcia’s guard causing him to buckle to the ground. Garcia jerked his weapon out and fired back. The guard regained his composure and also returned shots at Mike with one hand gripped his shoulder.
Mike ran toward the river with bullets racing all around him. He felt the bullets race over his head missing him by mere inches before jumping into the water. He dipped under the surface then moved in the first randomly picked direction below the dark waters.
Unable to hold his breath any longer, Mike eased to the surface lifting his face just above the water level. He took great effort to make the least amount of noise possible. With his head tilted back, only his nose and mouth broke the surface pulling in the much needed oxygen.
Partially exposed he felt vulnerable. He remained as still as possible, half anticipating another onslaught of bullets to pepper the river’s surface. There were none.
He opened his eyes to find himself staring up at the flawless San Antonio night, a perfect night. The same perfect night he and Kelly admired earlier that evening. Now, however, the sky seemed less pure, tainted, and further away.
He lowered his head to see across the still waters and on to the edge. His eyes scanned the vicinity trying to see if Garcia and his guard were waiting to finish the task. He moved his head slow and cautiously searched for Garcia.
The level of quiet he tried to maintain was shattered in an instant. “Oh Shi-!” Mike’s released a verbal reaction to what appeared in front of him. The dead open eyes of Anna stared right back at him. He looked around again quickly to see if he had been spotted or heard. No one was around.
Mike eased out of the water hardly noticing the cold temperature. He made his way to the same area that he was before. There he felt safe, securely hidden in the vacant seclusion. He leaned his body against one of the dividing walls and tried to listen for a sound, any sound.
Within minutes Mike heard heavy breathing on the opposite side of the dividing wall. He listened close and the breathing seemed to grow heaver and labored. A trail of claret liquid led from the center of the sidewalk then vanished on the opposite side of the wall. The trail ended right were the heavy breathing could be heard.
With no regard for what could possible go wrong he made a bold move. Mike grabbed the edge of the wall then catapulted his body around the opposite side feet first. The hard kick landed directly into the upper body of the bodyguard flinging him backwards on to the unforgiving concrete.
To avoid any chance of recovery Mike pounced on top of him. Ferocious blows landed into his face like a jack hammer locked on automatic. His accumulated rage spilled out in the form of continued punches. Javier’s semi conscious state went quickly into a total blackout.
Wetness covered Mike’s knuckles. The thick blood drained from his hands down his right arm. The sensation was enough to make him stop the delivering the blows.
When Mike stood, he noticed the pistol lying next to the large guard. Since his gun was somewhere at the bottom on the river, he picked up the weapon and shoved it into the small of his back just under his belt. He walked east again along the river walk knowing that it was the only way Garcia could have gone. I’m coming after you.
