by Mark Nolan
“And your friends were breaking every law in the book.”
“Correct. The mission was similar to some work I’ve done for the US government. Against current laws, but morally justified and top secret.”
Pierce shook his head and drummed his fingers on the desk.
Jake noticed the pale scarring on the knuckles of his right hand. Four tattooed letters had been removed with a laser, one near each knuckle. Jake thought about something Terrell had once said. When Pierce was a young man, he’d belonged to a violent criminal gang. It gave Jake a risky idea.
“Chief Pierce, are you trying to help me avoid going down the wrong path, because you did that in your youth? If so, I want to thank you, sir. I give you my word I won’t become a gang member.”
Pierce’s face darkened with anger. He glanced at his right hand and made it into a fist. His neck turned red.
Terrell shifted in his seat.
Cody got to his feet and kept his eyes on Pierce’s hands.
Jake felt Cody’s change of mood. “At ease, Cody. This is Gunnery Sergeant Pierce. He’s in command of us Marines right now. After this debriefing, we’ll get some chow.”
Cody relaxed his shoulders when he heard the familiar words, but he still kept watch on the unknown man who was challenging his handler.
Pierce stared at Cody for several seconds, then turned and glared at Terrell. “Is this a war dog?”
“Yes.”
“Has he ever killed anyone?”
“Yes.”
“Does he have PTSD?”
“Well … yes … sometimes.”
“You brought an unstable military weapon into my office that might go off unexpectedly?”
Terrell sat up straight. “Your orders were to bring Jake and Cody here, and I followed those orders. Did I misunderstand you, or did you change your mind?”
Pierce scowled at Terrell. “You’d better not be picking up Wolfe’s smart-mouthed attitude.”
Jake put a hand on Cody’s back. “Terrell knows Cody is nonviolent, as long as everybody else is nonviolent.”
Pierce looked Jake in the eye. “Do you have him under control?”
“Most of the time, but he definitely has a mind of his own. I’d sit perfectly still and smile for a minute if I were you.”
Pierce cracked his knuckles and then held a finger hovering over one the buttons on his desk phone.
Jake shook his head at Pierce and said, “Please don’t.” He turned to Cody. “Be friends, Cody, and lie down.”
Cody shook out his fur from head to tail, and lay down on the carpet next to Jake. He grinned at Pierce and let his tongue hang out.
Pierce nodded at Jake and took his hand away from the phone.
Chapter 60
There was a knock at the door. Pierce scowled. “I’m in a meeting.”
Roxanne spoke from the hallway. “It’s Sergeant Roxanne Poole. I want to join the meeting. I’m part of the investigation and I have something you need to see.”
Terrell said, “Rox was indispensable, as usual.”
Pierce waved his hand. Terrell got up and opened the door. Roxanne entered the room.
Jake stood up. “Here, Rox. Take my seat next to Terrell. These are police chairs, and I’m a civilian.”
Roxanne sat down and held up a tablet. “I have some evidence you’re not going to like, sir.”
Pierce pointed at a TV monitor on the wall. “Put it on the big screen.”
The TV lit up with an image of an office wall covered with photos, maps, and notes, along with a kill list. Chief Pierce and his wife were on the list. Terrell and Alicia were too. The list went on and on, featuring Jake and Cody, Beth and her son, Roxanne and many other cops, some FBI agents, and the mayor.
There were photos of faces, homes, schools, cars, and license plates. Lists of work schedules, weekend habits, and notes about the best way to kill each target.
Roxanne tapped on the tablet and zoomed in on a photo montage that showed Chief Pierce’s house and his wife and children. There was a map with the driving route to his kids’ schools.
Pierce’s face darkened with blotches of red. He put both hands on the desktop and took deep breaths to control his rage. “Where did you get this?”
“At the heroin warehouse, in a meeting room.”
“What else do you know about it?”
“The gang was preparing for a surgical strike against all their enemies in the city. They were going to blame it on a terrorist attack.”
“Do you have any more evidence?”
“Yes, witness testimony. We arrested three people at the warehouse. They all required medical treatment. One of them was soon high as a kite on pain meds, and we talked him into answering our questions.”
Pierce consulted a report on his desk. “I’m guessing this is the guy named Abhay, who gave the statement: Jake Wolfe punched my boss in the face repeatedly, and the dog tried to bite his dick off.”
Cody panted, Ha-Ha-Ha.
Roxanne held up a phone in a plastic bag. “In addition to the videos taken by Gene Stephens, we have Pavel’s phone, full of incriminating evidence. He was one of the top bosses and heroin dealers in the Russian mafia.”
“Was?” Pierce asked.
“He was gunned down in his luxury suite above the dance club he owned.”
“What evidence do we have against Elena?”
“The USB drive has a video of Elena giving orders for her men to commit murder. She is also seen walking past pallets of heroin, stashes of assault rifles, and a dead body.”
“Was she the ringleader?” Pierce asked.
“It appears that she and Pavel became partners in the drug dealing scheme,” Roxanne said.
Jake said, “I’m glad Cody found the thumb drive for you, Chief. It was the key to everything.”
Pierce glanced at Jake and exhaled loudly. “Jake, tell me your side of the story, and make it good.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I’ll have to take the Fifth Amendment. However, I will say this much. We were all on that kill list—yet we’re all still alive, and the killers are dead. Any questions?”
Jake saw that the threat to Pierce’s wife and kids had awakened something in him—something personal. Pierce looked Jake in the eye, and the two of them reached an unspoken understanding. They would fight to the death to protect their loved ones.
Chief Pierce pointed a scarred finger at Jake. “Are you admitting you’re responsible for that warehouse filled with dead bodies?”
“No, sir. I admit nothing, but I believe the cops have a phrase for this kind of situation: public service homicides.”
The desk phone rang. Pierce tapped the speaker button and answered, “I told you to hold my calls.”
“The Secret Service is on the phone, and they won’t take no for an answer. You also have a Secret Service Agent and a U.S. Marshal here to see you.”
“Put the call through and send the feds to my office.”
“You’re connected.”
“Chief Pierce.”
“Chief, this is Secret Service Agent Shannon McKay.”
“We’ve spoken once before.”
“Yes, and I need to participate in your meeting.”
“You’re on speaker, McKay. I’m here with Terrell Hayes, Roxanne Poole and Jake Wolfe.”
Cody barked at Pierce.
Pierce frowned. “And a dog named Cody.”
“Sergeant Poole, can you hear me?” McKay said.
“Yes, I can hear you,” Roxanne said.
“I wanted you to know that Jake Wolfe’s black phone and his Jeep are property of the Secret Service and you are not to investigate or tamper with them in any way. Understood?”
Roxanne looked at Pierce. He nodded. “Understood,” she said.
“Chief Pierce, I’m calling to ask the same favor I did the last time we spoke,” McKay said.
“Regarding Wolfe?”
“Correct, I’m asking you to let Jake Wolfe go free and not pr
ess any criminal charges against him. He should have a letter with him, on White House stationery, that says he’s not to be detained or arrested.”
“I saw a copy of that letter once, but your troubleshooter seems to have lost it.”
“One of our agents, named Easton, is bringing a copy to you now. He’s being accompanied by the U.S. Marshal who recently deputized Wolfe.”
Pierce looked at the badge Jake was wearing. He put his hand on the back of his neck and turned his head from side to side, cracking his neck. “If Wolfe is qualified to be in law enforcement, that means hell has frozen over.”
There was a knock at the door and Pierce gestured toward it, irritated.
Jake opened the door and let two men into the room. “Chief Pierce, this is Secret Service Agent Easton, along with U.S. Marshal Garcia.”
“We’ve met before, haven’t we, Easton?” Pierce said.
“Yes, sir.” Easton reached into his suit jacket and took out his badge, credentials, and a business envelope printed with the presidential seal. He displayed his creds and then handed the envelope to Pierce.
Pierce opened the envelope and removed a letter on White House stationery. He read the terse note, and said, “McKay, I have the document and it appears to be genuine.”
“Are you on board with giving Wolfe a pass?” McKay asked.
“Although I’m sorely tempted to toss Wolfe in jail, I don’t have any pending charges against him at this time. We’re concluding a debriefing where he agreed to drop his lawsuit against Sergeant Denton, and the City of San Francisco.”
Jake shook his head. “I only agreed to think it over.”
“And he won’t file one against Sergeant Kirby for false arrest, assault, battery, false imprisonment, and more,” Pierce said.
Jake held out his hands. “How about this—I won’t sue the city if Kirby agrees to get in a boxing ring with me.”
Pierce scratched his chin. “Settle it the old fashioned way? With your fists?”
“Yes, a fair fight, with boxing gloves, a referee and you as a witness,” Jake said.
“Win or lose, you agree not to sue Kirby or the city?”
“Yes, sir. That’s my offer.”
“All right, I’ll tell Kirby you challenged him to a fight. His ego won’t let him refuse,” Pierce said.
“Fair warning, I’m going to knock his head off the way I was taught to in Marine Corps bootcamp,” Jake said.
Terrell shook his head. “Kirby is so screwed.”
McKay interrupted. “Chief, we currently have a situation brewing, and Wolfe might be needed to assist as an off-the-books asset.”
“Is that why he’s been deputized into the U.S. Marshals Service?”
“I can’t say any more, only that it’s a matter of national security. You’ll get a briefing from Homeland.”
“Understood … and, McKay, the next time you’re in town be sure to stop by and have a cup of coffee.”
“I look forward to it. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“You’re welcome. I’d also like to go on record that the Secret Service now owes a favor to the SFPD. Agreed?”
There was a pause. “Fair enough. Easton will give you his number. Take care.” McKay ended the call.
Pierce looked at the letter on his desk. “Wolfe, your get out of jail free card is still working, I see. I’ll need an authenticated paper-and-ink copy of that for my files.”
“Keep that one,” Easton said. He reached into his coat for another envelope and handed it to Jake. “Try not to lose that one, Wolfe.”
Pierce said, “Jake, don’t ever put me in the position again where I’m forced to make a split-second decision about whether to let the police sniper shoot you in the head.”
“Good advice. Thank you for not having me shot,” Jake said.
Pierce stared hard at Jake. “Don’t make me regret my decision.”
Marshal Garcia spoke up. “Chief, we met once, when I deputized Terrell Hayes.”
“When he was subpoenaed in a lawsuit?”
“Right. Somebody tried to dig into the secrets of a little-known … device. We deputized Hayes, took your files to our offices, and that was the end of it.”
“Are you here because of Hayes or Wolfe?”
“Because of Wolfe. As much as it pains me to say this, I deputized his ornery self, and that currently remains in effect. The request to deputize him came from the highest levels of the federal government.”
Pierce glanced at the letter with the White House seal. His desk phone rang again. He punched the speaker button. “What now?”
“Congressman Anderson is on the line. He said he wants to put in a good word for Jake Wolfe.”
Jake smiled. McKay was going all out on his behalf.
Pierce shook his head, tapped a button and connected the call. “Chief Pierce.”
“Chief, this is Congressman Daniel Anderson. I’m a big supporter of the SFPD.”
“Yes, you are. Thank you. We appreciate that. Now you’re going to tell me what a great guy Jake Wolfe is, right?”
“Have you been getting some calls?”
“Yes, and visitors,” Pierce said. “Don’t worry, I’m going to release Wolfe from custody.”
“Thank you. Even though Jake attracts trouble like a magnet, Kat and I owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Jake spoke up. “Chief, please ask Daniel how his wife, Katherine, is doing.”
Pierce asked, “How is Katherine? We all have her in our thoughts and prayers.”
“Thank you. Her medical treatments are extra difficult when she’s pregnant, but Dr. Brook says Kat and the baby are doing fine so far.”
Jake nodded. “Thank God.”
Pierce said. “Congressman, let’s have lunch one day this week. You, me, and Katherine.”
“Call me Daniel. Yes, let’s meet for lunch. My staff will call back and schedule a time.”
Pierce ended the call. “Jake, you’re free to go, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on you from now on.”
Jake stood up. “Thank you, sir. It’s always a pleasure to meet with you. The SFPD is an honorable organization, staffed with superb people dedicated to the protection of their city. The fishing trip on the Far Niente is this Saturday. You’re all invited, and I hope you can make it.”
Jake walked to the door, then stopped to look Chief Pierce in the eye for a moment, nodding his head.
Pierce met his eyes and nodded in reply. “Stay out of trouble.”
“I’ll try, sir—and you try to spend that two million dollars wisely.” Jake left the office and went out into the hallway. As he closed the door behind him, he heard Pierce say, “Easton and Garcia, I have some questions for you.”
In the hallway, Beth was arriving. “Jake Wolfe, you turn up everywhere.”
“I’m like a bad penny, Beth. You’ll see me again soon.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
They smiled at each other, and Jake walked down the hall with Cody by his side. He rode the elevator down, stopped at the front reception window and collected his weapons. He nodded at the curious cop behind the bulletproof glass, and exited the building.
Jake sighed as he and Cody walked down the street in the dark. “As Terrell often says, being a good man is a thankless job.”
Cody barked once.
“Being a good dog is a thankless job too.”
Cody barked again.
“Why do we do it?”
Cody had no reply.
Taxi cabs passed by, but Jake ignored them as he continued walking and mulling things over. Sometimes he just had to walk and think. Maybe he’d wander into a new pub and try a new beer. Maybe he’d cruise down the coast to San Diego. Right now he just wanted a shower and a shot of whiskey.
His black phone buzzed with a call from McKay. He answered, “Thanks for keeping me out of jail, McKay.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. “Now I need you to do something for me.”
�
�I’m afraid to ask what it is,” Jake said.
“It’s simple, just keep an eye on the Golden Gate Bridge, at dawn and at dusk, for the next several days.”
“Go boating and fishing twice a day? No problem.”
“Keep your eyes open for trouble. If you see anything suspicious, call me at once,” McKay said.
“You’ve got it.”
The phone went dark. Jake put it in his pocket and continued walking.
After a while, a blue sedan pulled up next to them and stopped. The front passenger window was down and Jake saw a cute black woman behind the wheel. Alicia waved at him. “Come on, you two bad boys, hop in the car.”
Jake opened the back door for Cody and then got into the front passenger seat. “Does your husband know you pick up questionable-looking hitchhikers?”
Alicia smiled. “Terrell asked me to give a ride to a pain-in-the-butt troublemaker, and a dog who’s too smart for his own good. And to ask them to come over to the house for dinner tonight—along with Sarah Chance, who should know better than to date Jukebox. Did I get the right guys?”
“You did, indeed. Thank you, Alicia.”
Cody pressed his paw on the window control, lowered his window and put his head out—sniffing the intriguing scents of the evening as the car drove along.
Chapter 61
Dmitry sat in his rental car near a restaurant, watching Wolfe’s Jeep and waiting for him to show up.
A blue car arrived, dropping off Wolfe and his dog. They got into the Jeep and began following the car.
Dmitry sat there until the Jeep was several blocks away, then followed from a discreet distance, tracking it by a beacon he’d placed underneath.
When the beacon came to a stop, he saw its location on a map on his dashboard. He waited a few minutes and then drove slowly through a residential neighborhood until he spotted the Jeep parked in front a house.
He found a spot down the street where he could sit in his car and observe the house while waiting for his target to show himself. There was no point in harming anyone else in the home. He was only being paid for the one target, and collateral damage wasn’t his style.
