Hard Case IV: A Violent Life (John Harding Series Book 4)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “I’m moving on Voltaire and her guests,” Casey said. “I see them. Both guys have guns. I’ll hold until Hamburger Face decides to take out the last soldier. Today, John… today.”

  Tonto joined me in the hallway opposite the locked door. I drove into the door, hinges bursting apart from the wood. Tonto went in low to the left as I drew automatic weapons fire. A scream of pure agony, followed by a weapon clattering to the floor meant the end of our last bandito. I tossed aside the shattered door. A bloody mouthed Tonto, tail wagging, ran up to be petted. Yes, our damn dog is also a monster. I petted and roughed him up with affection, while moving to his victim. Once I determined he didn’t have a throat anymore, Tonto and I hurried to where Clint and Casey were positioned with the courtyard hot tub in sight. Tonto slid in next to Clint, laying his bloody mouth across Clint’s knee where his master crouched. We donned our black masks. It was captive time.

  “How many times have I told you not to wipe your bloody mouth on me, Tonto?”

  Tonto immediately ran over to me and wiped his mouth on my leg. Great another special trick, courtesy of Lynn I’d wager. I pointed at him. “You’ll be over a hundred when you get another steak from me, you ungrateful cur.”

  “Very cool, trick, Clint,” Casey added. “Want them to surrender or should I blow a piece out of the two armed ones?”

  “I’ll check.” I called out to them in Spanish. “Throw your weapons down, and kneel on the floor with hands clasped behind your head! Do it now or we will have to give you a demonstration of what happens if you don’t.”

  “You will kill us anyway!” One of the guys shouted back.

  “If we wanted you dead, you would already be dead.” I turned to Casey for the demo and nodded. He clipped a piece off the speaker’s left calf.

  The target screamed, and dropped his weapon, collapsing to grip his injured part with both hands. Voltaire screamed and knelt with her hands behind her head without any more demonstrations. The third member of the hot tub party put his weapon down and joined her. They were all wearing white robes over their bathing apparel. Black masks in place, we stood up to collect them.

  “Spanish only, guys,” I reminded them.

  “You look much better now, Hamburger Face,” Casey complimented me.

  Clint chuckled and patted Tonto, who loped into the courtyard, sliding down into an attack posture, fangs showing. “We’re ready Laredo. Bring the bus around.”

  “I’ll be waiting, Clint, mask in place.”

  We bagged the three after I did a quick triage on our wounded warrior. Five minutes later, we had them loaded into the cargo area of our vehicle, a converted prisoner transport. Casey rode up with Laredo, while Clint and I sat on the benches with our prisoners. Tonto supplied his usual menacing self for the entertainment of our guests. Denny was already at our safe house where we’d be dropping them off, and proceeding directly to our next appointment destination: The Palms.

  Denny took us into another room for a conference after we had secured the prisoners. He glanced at his watch. “Your timing is impeccable. You all hit Voltaire the moment the contingent of Jihad idiots headed out for the Palms perfectly. I have all your dress-up stuff on the rack against the wall. Samira still has a half hour until her speech, so you guys can be in place with time to spare. You bunch are the best. I can’t wait until Lynn introduces herself to Voltaire back in the Bay. Now that’s entertainment. I’ll be on with you guys constantly from here on out. Anything looking hokey or out of place, hit the alarm. The drawback to this op at the Palms has always been them possibly wiring up one of their contingent for a suicide bombing run at Samira.”

  That ain’t happening on our watch. “We’ll get dressed, buzz over there into position, and do some very intense politically incorrect profiling.”

  Denny paused for a second, thinking God knows what. “You guys pulled off the op so smoothly, I’m now concerned that-”

  “Shut up!” Clint torpedoed Denny’s self-flagellation. “This is Lynn’s gig, and we’re going over there to make it work. The only reason the first part happened was because of her idea. If I have to cut off a couple heads to make the second part work… so be it.”

  Denny glanced at our smiling faces and waved us off. “Make it so. I’ll be on com. Take Laredo and the transport. I’m thinking an in house bust with this bonanza, if you guys can take our jihadists down, without them trying to go banzai on the people there. Leave Tonto with me.”

  * * *

  “Come on, John,” Clint said. “Are you good on this bait and switch Lynn came up with?”

  I smiled. This was really good. Clint thought I was reticent about Lynn’s plan even though the only reason we could be this far in it was because of Lynn’s plan. Casey started laughing, and Clint shrugged, popping back against the van wall seat. “Jesus… I’m whipped… even Tonto knows it. I think he only obeys me out of pity.”

  Man, did we get a hearty har-har out of that admission with Laredo eavesdropping and nearly plowing us into a telephone pole. I grabbed Clint’s arm. “Will you for God’s sake join us here on this plane of existence, brother! You are so dangerous Casey and I have to take a couple of Valium before we go on an op with you. Is it dangerous for this many assholes to be congregated in the same place at the same time – hell yeah. Is that where we want them to be – hell yeah, and all because of Lynn. Sure, this may go sideways, but not if we handle it in our usual way. These guys will be expecting apologetic pussies to confront their stupid asses. How will that work out for them?”

  Clint looked at us sheepishly. “I know you’re right, John. I’m losing my edge. Potential fatherhood, laced into making Lynn happy has turned me into the weirdo pussy I laughed at before. You guys probably need to shit-can me out of this crew.”

  “I don’t think so, buddy. You’re in for the duration. We took a head count when you were out of the room, and voted you to take over as Denny Light.”

  Clint grimaced. “I may be whipped, but I’m not that much of a pussy, Hamburger Face.” He took a deep breath while at least Casey enjoyed his little comeback. “Okay… here’s how I see it. Although Lynn was right about these clowns not being able to resist disrupting Samira’s speech, she thinks they’ll be grouped together, and the three of us know that ain’t happening.”

  “They’ll split up into groups of probably three or four, spread out in different sections of the Palms,” Casey agreed. “It will be the same playbook as the trial runs they do on the airliners – different sections, stir up trouble and fear, while masking a main threat. I’m certain that’s why Denny wanted us there too. Lynn will be at Samira’s side. I’ll take Jess with me. You take Jafar with you, Clint. Lucas and Dev will be our third team. Hamburger Face will have to stay out of sight near the fourth group, ready to move when things go down. If they catch sight of his mug, we’re screwed.”

  “Prick.” I waited for enjoyment of my Hamburger Face role to pass. “Good plan. It still means coordinating the locals to grab the runners, but we’re golden either way. We know where they’ll be headed. That’s not exactly a sanctuary for them right now. Laredo’s hacked their transports to the Palms. You said you can shut them down, right?”

  “Done deal, John,” Laredo replied from the front. “The timing will be a little flaky. If you guys get things wrapped up pretty fast inside, we should have no problem picking up strays. It’s still hard to believe that an American citizen would sell out her country to a murderous sect of bandits. Voltaire already had a fortune in cartel money. Why in hell would she screw with the only place she’d ever exist for two seconds doing what she does?”

  “I’ll have Lynn ask her, brother,” Clint replied. “I’m betting she’ll get a truthful answer. I doubt it will make any sense to us, but it will probably be money as usual.”

  “You feeling okay, John?” Casey was watching me uneasily. I probably looked a hell of a lot worse than I felt. “It’s hard to judge through your Hamburger Face persona. Want to bypass this shit t
onight? We can handle it without you.”

  I decided to pout. “I know I’m not pretty anymore, but you guys are just mean.”

  “At least put on some lipstick,” Clint said.

  Chapter Three

  Bait and Provocation

  Back stage at the Palms, Clint and Casey were regaling Lynn, Samira, and the rest of our crew on their ‘Hamburger Face’ aces. Laredo and I did a conference with Denny, letting him know our plan. Laredo gave him complete descriptions of the vehicles being used by the banditos, and likely routes away from the Palms.

  “Perfect,” Denny said. “They can’t get into the Palms with guns, so if any of them make their escape, I’ll have the locals with vehicle ID’s ready to nab them when you shut off their rides.”

  “They have rented Escalades, all with OnStar,” Laredo added. “I can shut the suckers off right next to a cop car. I’m set up backstage, with all three signals checked. I have vehicle data, and the works. Jess and Dev have the flakes staked out. When Samira goes out, we’ll know exactly where to deploy. Except for Hamburger Face, the whole crew can filter in right next to these clowns while they’re concentrating on Samira.”

  Denny grinned. “Very good. Just do what you can HF. Voltaire already gave up the exact number. There are nineteen jerks. She told me one of them remained behind at the estate to meet up with her two guests. He was important in the group, but he’s toast now, so no need to spend time thinking about him.”

  Nice to know. “At least we won’t be combing the countryside for his ass. With the exact number, we’ll know when we have them all. Are you still going to have Lynn talk with Voltaire, or is she already cooperative enough?”

  “I simply warmed her up. She’s going back to the Bay with her friends for a boat ride. I want every iota of data I can get out of her about this planned operation, including who sold her the deal. No holds barred – she disappears without a trace after. I’ll let you guys get to it. I have an open channel to Laredo, so if you need last minute alterations, let me know, John.”

  “Will do.” I clipped a chuckling Laredo in the head. “That’s for the HF sendup with Denny, you pirate. Let me know if you need anything, or you lose com for any reason, we immediately go old school on these guys. The finesse part only works if we’re in complete control over this. Anything hinky, and we open up. Are the Palm’s security guys alerted to hold back away from this op once we take them down?”

  “They’re not happy about it, but Denny pulled the Homeland Security and FBI special unit card on them. They got told they cooperate or else.”

  “I may need a little extra help when it comes time.”

  Laredo nodded. “I figured to keep a closer look at your group. If they’re completely distracted during the speech, you’ll be able to slink in with them. I doubt we’ll have any UFC fight fans, so chances of getting recognized by patrons at the speech are slim. Once I’m certain they’re all rounded up, I pack up and head directly to our plane, so we can get the hell out of here fast. We’ll stash our prisoners with Denny, Clint, and Lynn before I fly you guys back to Vegas for the wrap up.”

  “I’m glad I have a room for Jafar and Samira next to mine. I know Jafar will keep an eye on Lora and Al. Tommy, Jess, and Dev will watch out for all our other extended family. This is as tight as we can get it, brother. See you later.”

  I approached the crew, nodding that everything was set. “You look very nice, Samira. I know you’ll be a hit. Lynn will be like your shadow.”

  “I am very excited to speak here. Lynn says it is already a packed house. Only five minutes to go before show time. I will be fiery and very annoying to the ones we wish to make mental.”

  “I sent the digital of where the four guys are you’ll be handling to your iPhone,” Clint said. “We should have some time before Samira either pisses them off into action, or she wraps up her speech, and does the question and answer phase. I wish this op didn’t have to double as a statement, but this is a chance to show these fanatics in their true form. It will also make a very public statement illustrating our willingness to meet this idiocy with violent determination.”

  “Thanks, guys,” Lynn spoke up, putting her arm around Samira. “They did indeed split up as Clint had suggested they would. C’mon, little Sis – time for you to raise the bar on women’s rights.”

  Samira kissed Jafar before uncharacteristically pumping her fist. “My speech is to last nearly half an hour. They will be insane by the twenty minute mark.”

  Lynn hugged her. “That’s my girl. Let’s do this!”

  * * *

  I confess I’m not a fan of speeches, even from people I know and love. Words have power, but they so often spew out of lunatics and posers’ mouths, I now ignore speakers, especially of the professional kind. Samira speaks with passion. She also has a day-job working hard for Oakland Investigations under Lora. As I mentioned before, she spent her early childhood in Afghan caves trying to stay alive.

  When she reads of honor killings, female genital mutilation, women stoned to death because they were raped, and women beaten for the crime of simply walking alone in a country ruled by Islamic law, Samira gets mad dog mean. Her husband, my adopted kid brother Jafar, tries his best to add caution to her words and actions. As he admitted to us though, Jafar knows he’s along for the ride, whether she follows his advice or not. Samira’s courage drew Jafar to her from their first meeting. He believed in her words. It was love at first sight. We other monsters in our unique group also believe in her words.

  Tonight, Samira held the room in her fists, with passion for a cause all common sense, logic, and decency demanded an outlet for. Women under Islamic law, treated as virtual slaves, forbidden an education, mutilated, beaten, and all too often killed for the smallest offense, have in many instances been broken to their lot in life under the barbaric code. Not so with Samira. She would never be broken, because we monsters had her back. Courageous people, fighting against a powerful entity, must be protected so their message is not murdered with them.

  Samira’s words tonight lanced right into my brain as she spoke. This was not the first time I had heard her speak. Always impressive, tonight she hooked me in a way very different than before. Her whisper soft recounting of a murderous event where the naked bodies of two women were found hanged in an Afghan province this very year chilled the hushed crowd. When her voice became strident in the telling of an honor killing of a sixteen year old girl by her father in St. Louis, I noticed my own fists clenched, and rage ripping through me. She had me along with the rest of her audience. Laredo’s voice in my ear woke me up.

  “Your guys are getting ready to have their heads explode, John.”

  Shit! He wasn’t kidding. They were stirring, and not in a good way. Their grumblings were becoming audible enough to be heard where I was, and they were getting annoyed looks from the audience members around them. They of course responded with angry epithets in Arabic, which if a few guys around them understood the language, I might have been in a position to referee the outcome, rather than take part in it. I didn’t have to worry about them noticing me from their table seating. They were fully engaged with insulting Samira and the crowd around them. I walked up to their table and told them in Arabic that their mothers suck dick in hell.

  The first two leaping up, I dropped like afterthoughts at a school dance. I smiled and pointed at the other two. “Get on your knees slowly, and lace your hands behind your heads. You have five seconds before you two join your friends.”

  It must have been my hamburger face along with how quickly I drilled those two dodos lying in unconscious heaps under the table. They looked at each other, back at me, and then slid down on their knees. The little lambs were probably thinking of ACLU lawyers, and pulling the Islamic outrage card. Yeah, that’ll work out real well for them. Samira had halted her speech, because the rest of my guys were in the process of handling the others. It didn’t look like anyone was going to make an escape tonight. To my surprise, the a
udience members uttered no screams of dismay or angst. In fact there were yells of encouragement and laughter as a few of the group got zapped. Lucas picked one up and body slammed him to the floor, earning a smattering of applause. I quickly restrained the conscious and unconscious while enjoying the show myself. Common citizens were sick to death of the whack-a-mole terrorist operation here where they show up to obliterate us, and we kiss their asses. They want more whacking and a lot less ass kissing.

  I poured a glass of water on my unconscious ones. When they sputtered into coherent thought, I dragged all four to their feet. I spoke fluid Arabic to the lambs. “You will now walk out quickly and quietly in single file, or I will start kicking you out the door. Move!”

  Clint circulated amongst the patrons after our group was gathered, showing his FBI and Homeland Security ID’s to everyone. “Please stay seated. We’re very sorry for the interruption. Your speaker will continue with her talk in a moment. Thank you all for your cooperation.”

  Lynn waved to him. She would be staying until Samira until she finished. Tommy met us outside, where we had our transport parked. “I see you all have guests. It will be okay then to allow Samira to finish, and do the question and answer part?”

  “Yeah, T. Clint and Jafar will go in with you after we load this bunch up. No need for all of us to go on the drop-off.” I stopped for a moment. “Laredo… pack it up. We have them all, so you may as well come along with us.”

  “Be right out, John,” Laredo replied in my ear.

  “Thanks, John,” Jafar said, as he and Clint marched their lambs into the meat wagon.

  Lucas eyeballed me with annoyance.

  “Now what Lucas?”

  “I hope you know you’re cleanin’ the blood out of the transport from those two you smashed, Hamburger.”

  I played along for the others’ enjoyment while we loaded all of the unhappy guests accompanying us. “It’s the only way that ‘One riot, one Ranger’ shit works Lucas. I had to get their attention. I’ll ride with our lambs in the back. Case, you mind riding shotgun up front with Laredo?”