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

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  The Cheeseburger and Wooden Clint trudged off set, chastised into compliance. “We didn’t even get to speak, Clint.”

  “Damn it! I’m calling my agent!”

  “I’d call mine, but he’s the one giving us the bum’s rush off the set.”

  * * *

  Dev and Jesse picked us up at the airport hangar after we put away the turbo prop. Dev was so happy while we were loading our gear into the limo, even Tommy was wondering what the hell happened so he could jinx it.

  “Dev-”

  “Shut the hell up, T,” I warned him. “I don’t know why Dev’s so happy, but I know you want to piss on it. He’s been jinxing us ever since we left, guys.”

  “Rose is out of the hospital, and moving around real good,” Jess explained. “Dev took Rose and her kids out to dinner last night to celebrate.”

  “Even T couldn’t ruin it,” Dev added, while helping to get the gear stowed for the trip to Pain Central. “She was beautiful last night. Her kids are terrific. Rose wants to keep seeing me.”

  “That is so cool, Dev!” Lynn hugged him. “Let me know if she wants me to sneak in and slit that scumbag’s throat for her. We can do that, right Cheese?”

  Yeah, we probably could. “I’ll think of something. That may not be the type of welcome out of the hospital type present she would enjoy though, Lynn. Anyway… congratulations, brother. Hey… would all of you like to have Thanksgiving at Pain Central? I bet Rose won’t want to cook after just getting out of the hospital. We have that huge living and entertainment room all fixed up with the state of the art kitchen. What do you think?”

  Dead silence. Lynn tried to comfort me, putting an arm around my waist, while leaning her head on my shoulder. “You are so cute, Cheese. First off… no we’re not doing Thanksgiving with your in-laws. Secondly… I just tortured Vicky to death there. Doing Thanksgiving in the same place is a little out there even for me.”

  I tried begging, much to everyone’s amusement. Tommy rolled the final rock into place. “It ain’t happenin’, Cheese. My advice, stockpile the Bud and Beam brothers, and turn on whatever the hell football game they’re televising. Drug Tess, and you’ll be good as gold.”

  “Damn it!” My dejection received no compassionate support whatsoever.

  * * *

  I ushered Denova into Pain Central, where Denny sat drinking coffee with Quays Tannous. I had told the others to take off. I noticed Quays’ hand still trembled when lifting a cup. He blinked with an open mouthed stare when he saw Gus Denova. Denny was happy with the silent results of our introduction.

  “Well, I see you two know each other,” Denny said. “I also know both of you know Lynn Montoya intimately. That fact in itself will save us a lot of time. We’ll be launching a major at sea operation to stop the Muslim Brotherhood from transporting weaponized anthrax into our country. You two have volunteered in a way to help us. Do either of you have any doubt about what Lynn will do to you if we get double crossed or hindered in any way?”

  “I…I understand exactly, Sir,” Gus said.

  Quays shook his head. “No you don’t, Gus, and believe me, you don’t ever want to know. I see you have had a taste. We will help in this with our very souls, and I will kill my friend Gus here if I think he is even considering a betrayal.”

  Denova made no pretense to not knowing Quays. They had done deals together in the past we had on record from both of them – obtained under duress of course. “That will not be necessary, Quays. I am here to prevent this thing too… with my very soul as you say.”

  Gus looked at me. “May I have a coffee, Mr. Harding?”

  I turned him loose, and pulled out a chair at our table for him. “Sure, Gus. Have a seat, and we’ll discuss the end of the Muslim Brotherhood’s nasty plan.”

  Denny started us off, because ground rules are important when enlisting killers with no moral or nationalistic code whatsoever. “We have a band of brothers… and sisters here on the West Coast. You both have an inkling of our dedication and skill set. We answer to no one. If I asked John to snap both your necks, there would only be moments of life left for the two of you. Our crew is more dangerous and cruel than anyone either of you has ever dealt with. Our sister to this band of brothers, Lynn Montoya, is without doubt, the scariest woman I have ever met. We want to enlist you both, because Lynn has seen a spark in both of you she likes. I trust her judgment completely. You two will have to prove yourselves or die an agonizing and unspeakable death. I have faith you will not fail us.”

  “Hernaldo Vanga and Silvio Ruelas are in our custody,” Denny continued. “They partnered with Victoria Lydia Voltaire. They were rulers in Cartel business they will never rejoin. We would like you two to convert them to our cause. Our cause is the United States of America.” Denny leaned forward toward our guests. “We pledge to keep the citizens and our country safe. I want Vanga and Ruelas on board with this or I want them dead. I have plans for you two and the others, but I need absolute loyalty to us and the flag. Think it through, boys. Don’t say yes now, and no later, because we’ll find you. I will make certain Lynn keeps you alive for three days minimum or until she tires of you. Are we clear?”

  “Si, Cabron. I am dedicated to your plan,” Denova stated.

  “My life is yours,” Quays said. “I would rather be fed into a wood chipper than be restrained under Ms. Montoya’s hand.”

  “Good start. We’re giving you two the keys to our kingdom here, except for our command central room. You will have free reign to visit with our other two guests, and move about in here as you will. While I have no doubt of your intentions, you will both wear an ankle bracelet. It’s an important first step. I’ve come to realize we will need people like you four to stay on top of the Cartels’ intentions. You’ve both moved in the higher echelons of Cartel circles. We will allow and provide you with all the necessary backgrounds for anything you require on paper to further the ruse. Drug distribution, or anything else will not be part of your cover. Those will be alluded to as needed, but your criminal pasts will be behind you from now on. Don’t worry about this guy or that guy not believing this or that. If we hear from you about an unbeliever, that person will cease to exist. Any questions?”

  When Denny only received fervent negative shakes of the head from our new recruits, he continued. “The fake operations and all other business will be conducted from here. This will be your home from now on until I am certain of how our needs in guarding America by you two are being met. Your jobs will entail taking care of prisoners we house here, and keeping this entire facility shipshape. In return for now from us, you will not be skinned alive, and trolled through the Bay to be eaten by sharks. At some point, we hope you will be doing your jobs because we have shown you both something to believe in.”

  “I believe now, Sir,” Quays replied. “I will prove it to you at your command.”

  “And I too, from here to eternity,” Gus vowed.

  “Very good,” I said. “How would you guys like to have Thanksgiving dinner with me and the family?”

  Gus started to make positive reactions to my invitation, but saw Quays give him a very small negative head shake. Damn it!

  “Quays? What have you heard? It’s a very generous invitation… a hand extended in friendship during the holidays.”

  Tannous would not meet my Cheeseburger stare. “I…I have heard of the in-laws visiting. Would not our presence cause deep resentment? I have no wish to offend before I have even begun to prove my worth.”

  Gus dived right in with the same lame avoidance. “Yes, Mr. Harding. It is exactly so. I do not wish to offend either.”

  I took a deep breath as Denny enjoyed the hell out of their answers. These two killers would do anything rather than be at my house with the in-laws. “Okay, fine! Stop laughing, Denny, or I will stop you.”

  That statement at least ended the merriment at my expense.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Holiday Decisions

  I watched the hust
le and bustle of Thanksgiving Day with a jaundiced eye at disaster. I had no coffee when I woke up at 5am as is my usual time. The early hour allows me time to think in solitude before the voices from outside my control invade my head. Without coffee, I figured my tolerance level would stay steady without having to sneak sips of liquid courage. It worked in an unusual way.

  Al awakened on her own at a little after six. I usually had to poke her out of bed to make school on time. I guess the holiday excitement was taking over. She entered the kitchen like a hundred watt bulb. “Hi Al. What the heck stirred you into motion so early?”

  “It’s Thanksgiving Day! A time where people wring their hands, spill stuff all over, snap each other’s heads off, and sometimes burn their houses down. Aren’t you excited?!”

  Good God, this kid is like a walking entertainment system. “You’re hovering between the annoying and the entertaining right now, Al. How about we tone it down before any adults start showing up?”

  “You’re no fun, Cheese.”

  Another crack up. “It’s a good thing your Mom’s not down here to share in this disrespectful palaver about the holiday dinner. One of my associates suggested drugging your Aunt Tess.”

  Al threw herself over the kitchen table toward me with hands clasped in prayer like form. “Please, Dad! Please!”

  While she lost herself, giggling uncontrollably, I had a moment to regret making a statement like that. “I guess we couldn’t just pretend I didn’t say that out loud, huh?”

  “Not likely. I also heard you signed onto fight that Rattler guy again. Are you mental?!”

  Uh oh. We used to have an agreement not to talk about my cage stuff. Since Al decided to launch during my last fight, I guess that puts my cage career up for her okay too. “Leave the Rattler alone, little one. Tommy and I have a plan of action.”

  “Does it have some outcome other than the morgue or being labeled Cheeseburger?”

  I pointed the fickle finger of fate at her. “You could be more supportive, you little wart.”

  “You could learn how to block a few punches, Cheese.”

  “Okay…” I tried to stammer out witty rebuttal in the midst of her giggling onslaught. After ten seconds I settled for, “Yo mamma.”

  That cracked her up for a few moments. Then she nailed me with the one she could have only gotten from Tommy. She pointed at me with a grin. “At least I know who my momma is, Cheese.”

  Damn it! Apparently, Tommy’s big mouth is finding other outlets. Now, I’m getting aced by a kid aged in less digits than my fingers. “Truce. You bested me this morning due to cheap shots. We need to plot together about how this Thanksgiving can progress smoothly.”

  “You’ve already taken drugging Aunt Tess off the table. What other plot do you have? You could do the ‘Robot’.”

  “Very funny. We need something with more staying power during the day. You know what will happen when your Mom, Aunt Tess, and Grandma get up and start guzzling coffee. They’ll start cooking together, and criticizing each other’s every move in the kitchen. Shortly after, war will be declared with you, me, and Uncle Cal the only casualties.”

  “I’m like Switzerland… a neutral nation, and untouchable. As a noncombatant, I will retreat behind the borders of my room, and play video games until dinner.”

  “You traitor!” Al had just removed the only ally I could use once the bullets started flying. She was enjoying her brilliant, and well thought out plan when Lora waltzed into the kitchen, looking at me with suspicion. Naturally, Switzerland didn’t even get a glance. “Good morning, Hon.”

  “Okay… what are you two planning out here?”

  “Nothing. Al just hung me out to dry for the day. I’ve run out of ideas how to keep the other women staying here from tearing into each other during a caffeine laden cooking frenzy. That leaves me defenseless without any choices. I surrender. Do with me as you will. I invoke the Geneva Convention as a prisoner of war though. No cruel or unusual punishment, right Switzerland?”

  Al, the little nine years old midget adult, straightened up in imperious stance to confront Lora. “Yes, as a declared neutral party, I must insist on all rights granted the prisoner of war under the Geneva Accords.”

  I took a stand next to Al, both of us with folded arms over chests. Lora had grinned at first, but was now giving us the furrowed brow look of retribution. She jabbed a finger at us with attitude. “You two will do what I say, when I say to do it. I own you slackers today. God help you if I call your names at any time without an instant response. Any more speeches, Ms. Smarty, and I’ll ground your butt until you graduate high school.”

  “Bye, Dad.” Just like that, Switzerland fled the theater of war leaving only a vapor trail.

  “How about you, Cheese?”

  I received the hands on hips challenge from my wife with growing annoyance. Lora looked good, her robe falling open a little as she glared at me. My defiant stance was ruined as my body betrayed me, mind casting a slide show of last night’s very intense truce between warring factions, leaving me with no option other than attack. In moments, I had the Lora war machine neutralized into a panting participant in forbidden collusion with the enemy. We adjourned to the downstairs bathroom, where at least for a few moments, I wrested control over the war zone into my hands.

  “Good Lord… what am I going to do today?” Lora clung to me in a satiated state of conflicting emotions: fulfillment and desperation.

  Then it hit me – the perfect alternative. Sure, I’d be a kitchen slave, but peace would reign supreme. “I’ll help you cook everything. We’ll order the others into watching movies and playing games while you and I get the bird in the oven. We won’t allow any intrusions until all the courses are ready for popping in the oven so as to be done when the bird is.”

  Lora squealed in surprise, hugging me tightly. “That’s wonderful, John! I’ll be able to… no… wait… we’ve already… oh.”

  Yes! The Cheeseburger triumphant!

  * * *

  Black Friday arrived with all the troops on their way to new wars at the stores. They left early with poor Cal driving the Amazonian horde to the buying frenzy before dawn. He knew I had aced him with Thanksgiving Day’s tour de force as the kitchen slave supreme. We had a great holiday dinner after the rules of no kitchen interference were enforced by the Cheeseburger, who hustled everyone invading the kitchen area right back out.

  After the horde left in Cal’s care, I headed to Pain Central. Our plans for an at sea operation would be gone over in detail, along with a scheduled conference with the overseas faction arranging the anthrax container transfer. Lynn and Tonto met me at the entrance with a grin. She seemed pleased in a way only brutal violence or Clint can make her. I petted Tonto while waiting for Lynn to announce what she was hiding.

  “We only have three prisoners now, Cheese.” She tugged me into our conference room where Quays, Gus, Denny, and Clint were already seated.

  “How did Thanksgiving Day go, John?”

  “Pretty good, Den. What’s this I hear about a reduction in our prison population?”

  “Vanga didn’t survive the Thanksgiving holiday,” Denny replied.

  “He could not understand why we did not simply betray all of you,” Gus explained. “Hernaldo planned to wreck this conference call you have set up for today. Silvio told us this morning. Vanga tried to recruit him to help last night. I reasoned with him this morning, but he jumped me. I choked him out.”

  I nodded. These killers knew cooperation was the only thing that would keep them alive. We wouldn’t have time to separate the loyal from the disloyal. Any sign of a betrayal, and all of them would die… horribly. “Is everything else proceeding okay?”

  “The conference has been agreed to at noon,” Denny replied. “Everyone will be here to assist, including Jafar and Samira. Laredo, Jafar, and Clint will work the computers. It will all be on a delay, so if there is a problem, we can end the conference instantly under the cover of a broken signal.�
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  Lynn smirked at Clint. “You owe me a hundred, cowboy.”

  “I’m good for it.” Clint shrugged at me. “We bet on which one would make it through Thanksgiving. I bet on the Vanga horse. He didn’t cross the finish line.”

  “This could work out reasonably well. We didn’t have an excuse for Gus to be in the Bay Area. Now we do.” Even Denny was staring at me in confusion. “Look. You know the Brotherhood will be wondering why they aren’t getting any word from their Southern Cosco connection. They will also be suspicious of Voltaire being dead. Quays can link Voltaire with Vanga as accomplices who were on the verge of turning over the whole plan to the FBI. We’ll have Gus here with Quays and Silvio to reinforce Quays’ words. They make the Brotherhood understand they had to warn Gus, and thought it would be prudent for him to join them up here until the container transfer was made to the City of Hope. Then, Gus can pipe in guaranteeing he would be back in place to meet the members of the cells he needs to spread out over the Southern drug network. Quays and Silvio would be the logical choices to replace Voltaire.”

  “Damn, Cheese, that’s deep,” Lynn said.

  “Yes!” Gus became animated, standing up from the table. One motion from Lynn and he sat back down. “Sorry… I am to check in on a regular basis. This will allow me to do it from here, and…and make the Brotherhood less suspicious of Voltaire being dead. It is very good, Mr. Harding.”

  “I agree,” Denny replied. “That was quick, John. You must have had a good holiday.”

  “I came up with a way to stop any holiday battles,” I stated proudly. “I became a kitchen slave. Lora and I fixed everything, and exiled the other combatants to games and movies.”

  “Cheese! You big bugger, you,” Lynn said. “Hell… if Clint and I had known you were turning into a mastermind of all scenarios, both domestic and criminal, we would have brought Danessa and Tonto over for dinner.”

  “Let that be a lesson to you, Cruella,” I said with smug acceptance of her backhand compliment. “Never underestimate the Cheeseburger. How did you all do over the holiday?”