Vigilante Assassin

by Mark Nolan

  Jake said, “You just quoted my high school algebra teacher, word for word.”

  Yuri picked up a rubber hose and began beating Jake about the chest, stomach and thighs. His temper flared as he swung the hose again and again. “You. Killed. My. Brother.”

  Jake took the beating, staring straight ahead without flinching.

  Chapter 56

  Terrell went inside the warehouse and found dead bodies littered everywhere, along with pallets stacked with plastic bags full of white powder. He smelled the sharp, pungent odor of exploded grenades and expended ammunition.

  Beth and Roxanne arrived, along with a number of Black-and-whites, with lights flashing and sirens wailing.

  Terrell patted Roxanne on the back. “Good work, Rox. This is a bust that will go down in SFPD history.”

  Beth gave Roxanne a fist bump.

  Roxanne shrugged modestly. “I just got lucky.”

  Terrell raised an eyebrow. That reminded him of something Jake would say. He saw dog prints on the concrete floor and felt his heartburn flare up. “It looks like maybe everybody is dead.”

  “Let’s search upstairs,” Beth said.

  They went into the offices with weapons up and ready for battle. Searching room-to-room, they found Abhay, Elena and Banks in the main office, hog-tied with a crazy number of zip ties, including one around their necks. Elena cursed at them.

  Abhay gasped. “I’ll testify against Banks in exchange for immunity, but I have favors to ask.”

  “Beggars can’t be choosers,” Beth said. “You’ll be lucky to avoid the death penalty, or life in prison.”

  Roxanne was pumped up on adrenaline and working on zero sleep due to her endless computer-hacking work. She drew her pistol and pointed it at Abhay’s face. “That’s right, bitch-boy. I’ll pop a cap in your head unless you give me one reason not to!”

  Beth’s eyebrows went up and she pushed Roxanne’s hand away. Turning her back on Abhay, she whispered, “Whoa, girl. I’m only playing, to make him talk.”

  “Yeah, I knew that,” Roxanne said, but the look on her face indicated otherwise. She stared at her pistol in surprise and put it back in her holster.

  Abhay said, “The information I have will help you put Chairman Banks away for a long time. Can you offer me witness protection? But I don’t want to live in Point Roberts.”

  “How about Sedona, Arizona?”

  “I like warm weather. Do they have any Indian restaurants?”

  “You wouldn’t be allowed to go to restaurants, but maybe your handlers could get takeout.”

  “Now we’re talking.”

  “Or, maybe they’ll send you to Nome, Alaska, where you can eat whale blubber and seal stew while you freeze your ass off.”

  Abhay groaned.

  Roxanne saw a purse on a desk, and gloved up to search through it, finding Elena’s clutch wallet, Pavel’s phone and a pistol. She tapped on the phone, nodded her head, and opened the wallet to check the driver’s license. She looked from the license photo to Elena’s face and back, making positive ID. “The owner of this phone was shot with a pistol that fired nine-millimeter rounds. You have his phone in your purse, along with what might be the murder weapon.”

  Elena shook her head. “Impossible.”

  Terrell officially placed Banks under arrest.

  Banks scoffed at Terrell. “Where is all the cash, you fool?”

  Terrell looked around. “Cash?”

  “Yes, millions of dollars in small bills. It looks like the police have been robbed of a forfeiture fortune.” Banks laughed heartily at Terrell.

  Terrell scowled. “Go ahead and laugh it up, on your way to jail.”

  “Hardly. I’ll live like a king in a federal country club prison. I’ll bribe the guards to have gourmet food and liquor brought in, conjugal visits from beautiful women—anything I want. My life will be better than yours, with your low-income police paycheck and working-woman wife.”

  Terrell grabbed Banks by the upper arm and perp-walked him to his vehicle. “You weren’t arrested by the feds. I’m with the SFPD. You’ll be processed at the nearest police station and transferred to the San Francisco County Jail to begin spending quality time in a shared cell while you wait to be tried for murder.”

  “You can’t be serious. I demand my rights.”

  Terrell shoved Banks into the backseat of his police SUV and locked him inside.

  At the jail, two guards escorted Banks down a long hallway. He was wearing his orange prisoner clothing, handcuffs, and leg chains. Dozens of other prisoners yelled at him, whistled, ridiculed him, and made threats.

  Banks tried to offer money to the guards, but they put Banks into a jail cell, took off his restraints, slammed the iron bar door closed, and walked away.

  In the cell, a giant of a man was sitting on the lower bed. He had a nasty bruised lump on his forehead. He looked Banks up and down. “They call me Party Animal. We need to have a little talk.”

  Chapter 57

  Vito drove to the Victorian house where Sarah rented a studio apartment, pulled up and parked in front. “Sarah, take Cody inside with you. Lock your door and keep your pistol nearby. I’ll stay parked here and keep an eye on the street.”

  Sarah got out of the car. Police sirens wailed off in the distance. She shook her head at Vito. “No, Cody should stay in the Jeep and wait for Jake to call you. I’ll be fine. My part in this is over.” She walked away and went inside her building.

  Vito said, “Well, Cody, I guess we’ll guard Sarah’s building.”

  Cody barked once.

  Vito sat there in the car, reached for a cigarette and realized he’d left his smokes in the cab of the container truck. Maybe Jake had a pack of gum. He opened the glovebox and the center console, rummaged through the contents, and then stopped cold.

  What was this? A U.S. Marshals badge? Was Jake working for the feds?

  Vito felt a chill go down his spine as he put the badge in his coat pocket and sent a text to Anselmo.

  Vito: I have to talk to you. Alone.

  Anselmo: My office. Leave the dog in the car.

  Vito: Send someone to protect Sarah Chance.

  Anselmo: ETA five minutes.

  A car roared up and stopped. Two men in dark suits got out. They spoke briefly to Vito. One stood in front of Sarah’s building, the other went around to the back.

  Vito nodded, satisfied that Sarah was well protected. He drove to the restaurant and parked. “Stay here, Cody, I’ll be right back.”

  He walked into Anselmo’s office, feeling a weight on his heart. If Jake was a traitor to his oath and to the Family, Anselmo would order a hit on him, and Vito would be the one who had to kill Jake the Knife.

  Yuri swung the hose one last time, hitting Jake across the face, raising a red welt on his cheek and making his nose bleed. “Feeling funny now, wise guy?”

  Jake stared straight ahead and didn’t reply.

  Yuri turned his head and gave an order in Russian, pointing at a two-wheeled cutting torch cart.

  One of his men wheeled the cart close to Jake.

  Yuri put on a pair of leather welding gloves with long cuffs. “I run an auto supply business. We steal cars, chop them up and sell the parts. Now I’m going to chop you up and drop your parts into a barrel of sulfuric acid.”

  He turned the knob on the acetylene tank, lit the torch, and held the bright flame near Jake’s face. “What should I cut off first? Your ears? Your nose? Your fingers? Maybe put this torch up your ass? Oh, wait, I know the perfect thing.”

  He held the torch down near Jake’s crotch, shooting the flame between his thighs, and then leaned his head in and sneered in his face. “Say do svidaniya to your manhood. I’m going to make you a eunuch.”

  When Yuri’s face was close, Jake gave him the head-butt from hell, knocking him back on his heels.

  Yuri staggered and fell down, raised his hands to his injured forehead and burned his face with the cutting torch.

 
For a moment there was chaos as Yuri screamed in pain and rolled on the floor. One of his men turned off the torch, another tried to help him get up, but Yuri punched him in the face.

  Jake turned his head and bit into the square knot of the rope that held his right wrist. He loosened it, slipping his hand through the loop.

  He reached behind his waist and drew his knife, cut the rope free of his other hand, and then squatted and cut the ropes around his ankles. He drew a pistol from an ankle holster and began to shoot the gang members, one by one.

  A uniformed SFPD policewoman ran into the garage, firing a suppressed assault rifle. She shot the men at the same time Jake was shooting them, then dropped her weapon and walked over to Yuri.

  Yuri groaned as he lay bleeding from the torch injury and the bullet wounds. He tried to draw a pistol from his waistband.

  The cop took a straight razor out of her pocket, grabbed Yuri’s hair and pulled his head back. She looked Jake in the eye as she slit Yuri’s throat and tossed him aside. She then wiped the razor on the dead man’s shirt, stood up and faced Jake.

  Jake stared at the polished blade. “Are you Razor?”

  She put the razor in her pocket. “Were you responsible for the deaths of dozens of foreign gang members tonight?”

  They studied each other.

  She waved her hand at the men she’d shot. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead now, or wishing you were.”

  Jake shook his head, holding up his pistol, keeping it pointed away from her. “I was doing all right, but thanks for the help. What’s your real name?” He looked at the name on her uniform: Martinelli.

  “Anselmo said you took the omertà.”

  “Yes, I took the oath.”

  She shook Jake’s hand. “Tammi Martinelli. You can never tell Terrell Hayes about me.”

  “And you can never betray Terrell. He’s my brother, and that makes him family.”

  “That black man is your brother?”

  “Yes, we’re blood brothers. Literally. He once donated his blood to save my life.”

  “I’ve never betrayed any of my police coworkers. The Family just helps me dispense street justice where I act as judge and jury.”

  “Understood.”

  “You owe me. I came to your defense. Keep my secrets and I’ll keep yours.”

  “You’re invited on a boat trip out on the Bay one of these days. I’d like to talk with you in private about some things.”

  “I have to go. I was never here.”

  “See you around, Razor.”

  She went out the door. Jake heard her car door slam. The engine started and she drove away.

  He retrieved his pistol from the backseat of the cab, got into the driver’s seat and drove toward Sarah’s apartment while sending a text to Vito, saying he was on the way.

  Vito replied that plans had changed. Sarah was at home. Cody was safe in the Jeep, which was parked at the restaurant.

  When Jake arrived at the restaurant, Vito was standing next to the Jeep. Jake got out of the cab and looked in the Jeep window. Cody barked at him. “Did Cody behave himself?”

  Vito nodded.

  “I called Sarah when I was in the cab. She’s doing fine,” Jake said.

  Vito nodded again.

  “You’re awfully quiet, Vito. What’s going on?”

  “Who hit you?”

  “Pavel’s brother, Yuri.”

  “And the taxi?”

  “Stolen from one of Yuri’s snitches.”

  “Are Yuri and his crew going to come here, shooting?”

  “No, they’re dead.”

  Vito tapped his phone. “I’ll get rid of the cab.”

  “Thanks. Can you send someone out here with a few meatballs for Cody?”

  “Sure.”

  “Not warmed up, no sauce, just plain and cold from the fridge.”

  Vito went inside the restaurant.

  Jake watched him walk away. He had an odd feeling about Vito’s mood.

  A black sedan dropped off a young man. He nodded at Jake, got into the cab and drove away.

  Jake opened the door of the Jeep and sat in the driver’s seat. “Hey, Cody, did you miss me, buddy?”

  Cody barked once, pushed between the two front seats and placed his front paws on the center console. He sniffed Jake’s face and shoulder, then whined and licked his bloody cheek.

  “Yeah, I had a painful detour on my way here.”

  Jake tapped on Elena’s phone for a moment, scrolling through her contacts, texts and emails—and finding a hidden document listing dozens of passwords. It was fascinating. She had millions of dollars in offshore bank accounts.

  A waitress came out to the Jeep and gave Jake a take-out container filled with several meatballs. “Just plain and cold, no sauce? Our sauce is legendary.”

  “These are for my dog.”

  She laughed and went back inside the restaurant.

  Cody sniffed the air. Jake opened the container, set it down on the center console and held onto it. Cody gobbled the meatballs, then licked his snout and looked at Jake.

  “That’s all for now, Cody. Too many would upset your stomach.”

  Terrell drove up in his SUV and stopped with a screech of tires. He got out and walked directly toward Jake, frowning.

  Jake had been hoping to avoid this confrontation, but Terrell appeared as if he was going to punch him.

  Terrell stood next to the Jeep and started yelling as if Jake was in boot camp. He held his hand out with his fingers straight and chopped the air in between them with a “knife hand” gesture, like a drill instructor.

  “Chief Pierce wants to know where the money went. He said my job is hanging by a thread. You’re going to tell me—and you’re going to tell me right now!”

  Jake felt bad for Terrell. He hadn’t counted on the police finding out about the money. “I’m sorry, my brother. I don’t… I can’t… I won’t lie to you.”

  “Tell the truth, dammit,” Terrell said.

  “That was the truth. I can’t say anything, ever.”

  Terrell reached into the car, grabbed Jake’s right hand off the steering wheel and looked at it. He saw the cut on his thumb, and the bloodstain from when he’d made the imprint. He threw Jake’s hand down as if it was poisoned. “You went and did it. You became a made man, and I thought we were brothers, both on the right side of the law.”

  “We’ll always be brothers, and I’ll always be on your side.”

  “Criminals are my enemies. You joined my enemies?”

  “No, these are businessmen—capitalists who are willing to go the extra mile.”

  “They have no respect for the law, or for me and my fellow cops. They kill people as part of their business plan.”

  “I respect you and everyone in law enforcement; you know I do. Besides, how many people did you and I kill in combat?”

  “That was different.”

  “Listen, I had to take the oath. I thought Sarah might die a horrible death. I was desperate to save her.”

  “Tell me where the money went.”

  “If I do, I’ll be killed. Sometimes they kill your best friend too. In my case, that would be you.”

  “Pffft, those pussies can’t touch me.”

  “I’m not going to take that chance.”

  “You want to go to jail, is that it?”

  “I’ve been there before, and I’ll go back if I have to. What other choice do I have?”

  “What crimes are you going to be working on now, for the Family?”

  Jake hung his head and sighed. “That’s not funny, Grinds.”

  “I wasn’t joking, fool.”

  “I don’t work for them. I only took the oath of secrecy. Yes, I know where the money went. No, I can’t tell you where.”

  Terrell gestured at the restaurant. “Well, you can inform Chef Boyardee that Chief Pierce will go after the drug money, under forfeiture laws, to help the SFPD fight crime in this city. Anselmo can hand it over immediat
ely, or else we’ll take it and every other dime they have.”

  “Do you know what you’re saying?”

  “Yeah, read my lips. Pierce said he’ll start an all-out war on organized crime in Little Italy. The Amborgetti Restaurant will be closed—tomorrow. The entire North Beach area will be crawling with cops and informants—forever.”

  “And you want me to deliver this bad news? Thanks a lot.”

  “It serves you right. Don’t ever call me again. You’re no longer welcome at my house.”

  “Grinds, please don’t do this.”

  “Goodbye, Jukebox, my former brother.”

  Terrell turned his back on Jake and walked to his car, then drove off and didn’t look back.

  Jake cursed and put his forehead against the steering wheel. Cody pushed his head against his shoulder.

  Jake drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “Sometimes I understand why Stuart used drugs to dull his feelings.”

  Cody barked twice and shook his head. He took Jake’s hand in his mouth, not biting it, just holding it.

  Jake nodded. “Don’t worry, buddy. No matter how bad life ever gets, I’ll never do that. You’re stuck with me for the duration. Grinds will get over it, I hope.”

  Jake sent a text to Alicia. Just now, Terrell said goodbye to me forever. But I can’t survive without my brother. Please talk to him. Help us. Thank you.

  Alicia replied. Oh no, Jake. I’ll see what I can do.

  As he sat there thinking, Jake came up with an idea. The cops probably didn’t know how much money had been in the warehouse. Jake’s half of the four million take might appease Chief Pierce.

  He sent a text to Terrell. Tell the Chief I’ll take the two million away from the Family and deliver it to him.

  Terrell replied. Yeah, sure. In your dreams.

  Jake looked over at the restaurant. “Cody, we have to go take my two million dollars in cash away from the Family. Are you up for this?”

  Cody barked once and growled at the nearby building.

  Chapter 58

  Jake and Cody got out of the Jeep, went inside the Amborgetti Restaurant and were greeted by the hostess.