by Jo Leigh
“I need you to take over. I’m leaving for a while.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’ve got to find T.J., that’s all.”
Molly put her hands on her hips and started to say something else, but Kate was out the door before she heard it. Walking didn’t cut it and she jogged to her room and grabbed her purse. By the time she reached the parking lot, she was shaking.
She finally unlocked the wagon door and slid behind the wheel. Before she put the key in the ignition, she took a deep breath. Alice hadn’t been sure. Maybe nothing was going to happen at the Stop-N-Go. But she needed to tell T.J. about it nonetheless.
How was she going to find him? He could be anywhere. But she hoped he was by the high school.
T.J. hadn’t moved for five minutes. He listened harder than he ever had, trying to hear the words underneath that blanket of music. It was useless.
He put his gun hand down by his side. No use fooling himself, he wasn’t about to go out there like Dirty Harry. Kate wouldn’t like that. He smiled. No, she wouldn’t like that at all.
What he would do was hang tight, keep low. Wait for an opportunity. The gang would move out sometime. And he’d be right on their tai—
The music stopped. T.J. couldn’t believe the depth of the silence that followed. It was nearly as deafening as the music had been. Voices came to him after a moment. He scooted closer to the corner.
“How we gonna do it in the daytime?”
T.J. didn’t know that voice.
“Just like always. No sweat.”
That one he knew. Danny Arcola himself. He almost expected to hear him say “police man” in that slow, cynical drawl.
“But—”
“You don’t want to come, then you stay here, little girl.”
“Shut up.”
“You shut up.”
“Aw, man.”
The voice he didn’t recognize was weaker. Were they moving? He snuck another look. Yep, they were climbing into the car. Danny behind the wheel. Two of them, kids he’d seen at the center, were heading his way.
He was off like a shot and in his car before they rounded the corner. He grabbed his visor and swung it toward the side of the window so they wouldn’t see his face. They might recognize the car, but he didn’t think so.
He started the engine and drove slowly, watching the two boys on his right. One of them banged his fist on the trunk and he jumped. Then they were gone and he caught the tail end of the Chevy turning on to Fourth.
Following them wasn’t difficult. The car was distinctive and not just because of the rust stains. It had been lowered and any small bump caught the rear end with a spray of sparks. It also had the words “Hell Raiser” in elegant script across the back window.
He’d just see about that. No hell would be raised on his watch.
They turned on Pacific and headed east. T.J. kept about four cars between them. It wasn’t hard, the streets were busy here in front of the mall. On Twelfth Street he got caught at a long red, but he snaked his way through the traffic again before Danny turned.
The neighborhood was more familiar to T.J. now. They were heading toward Harbor Bay High School. Home of the Yellow Jackets, national basketball champions 1975-76. He’d been a guard on the team both years. This was his old stomping grounds. If he remembered correctly, there was a Stop-N-Go just a few blocks from here. He would bet the farm that’s where they were headed.
Kate parked a block away from the convenience store. If Danny showed up, she didn’t want her car tipping him off. She locked it then hurried down the street. Just before she got to the small parking lot, she stopped. What if they were already inside? What if T.J. hadn’t found them? He could be across town for all she knew. If they were inside, what was she going to do about it? Try to stop them? With what?
She looked around and found her answer. There was a public telephone booth on the corner. She peeked around the side, checking the lot. There was a van parked in the handicapped space. No Danny. No T.J.
Still it would be foolish to assume nothing was going to happen. She headed for the phone booth, feeling like a walking target. This was not the fun part.
Finally she made it. She found a quarter in her purse and reached for the receiver. When she put it to her ear, there was no dial tone. She toggled the switch hook a few times. Nothing. She put the quarter in the slot, but it just came out again. Damn. She’d have to call from inside the store.
One more quick look around and then she was inside. There was a woman at the counter buying a pack of cigarettes. She was on her cellular phone and barely looked at the woman behind the counter.
Kate thought about borrowing her phone, but she was afraid the woman would spray her with Mace if she even looked like she would interrupt her call.
The other woman, the owner she assumed, was in a wheelchair. That explained the van. The woman with the phone bumped into Kate on her way out. The glare she sent made Kate glad she hadn’t asked to borrow a darn thing.
“Excuse me,” Kate said to the woman in the wheelchair. “Is this your store?”
She nodded. She looked to Kate to be in her fifties, heavyset, with blond hair.
“Yeah.”
“My name is Kate Dugan. I was wondering if a man had been by here today. T.J. Russo. He’s a little over six feet tall, dark hair, dark eyes. Too handsome for his own good?”
The woman smiled. “I woulda remembered that.”
“Yes, I think you would. What about a boy, Hispanic, seventeen. His name is Danny Arcola.”
The smile disappeared. “You a cop or something?”
“No. I run the youth center.”
“Yeah? How do I know that?”
“I’m not here to cause trouble. I heard something through the grapevine about this store. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but I don’t think we can afford to ignore it. I think Danny Arcola and his gang are going to come here. I think they’re going to set fire to the store.”
The little bell above the front door tinkled. The sound shot a bolt of fear straight down Kate’s back. When she saw the woman behind the counter pale, she knew her instincts were right.
“Well, look who’s here.”
She heard the voice, the unmistakable voice, and slowly turned around.
Danny Arcola stood in front of his gang; four of them had guns. His gaze started at her feet and climbed up her body inch by inch. By the time he reached her face, she wondered if arson was the only crime about to be committed.
T.J. pulled his car to the side of the road a block away from the Stop-N-Go. Although he hadn’t seen Danny turn into the store’s parking lot, he knew that was the target.
He reached into the glove compartment and got his cellular phone out. After plugging it into the cigarette lighter, he waited for the dial tone then punched in the number of the Harbor Bay P.D.
Fleming, the old son of a bitch who had busted T.J. all those years ago, answered the phone. Despite his hatred for the man, there was no time to ask for someone else. Fleming started to give him a hard time, but finally gave in and said he would send out a car. Now all T.J. had to do was make sure nothing happened until the cavalry arrived.
He got out of his car and checked around to see if he could spot the Chevy. When he didn’t, he started walking toward the store. That wasn’t good enough and he picked up the pace. They were inside the place, he felt it.
His instincts had always been good. Hell, he’d been taught from the inside. This little market was just like the ones his father had robbed. Just like the one where he’d been killed by Gus Sarducci.
He was running now. No more time for trips down memory lane. He turned the corner and there was the store. A van was parked in the handicapped zone. The rest of the lot was empty. When he looked at the store itself, his muscles tensed and he reached for his gun.
The shades were down and the sign in the door said Closed. Danny was inside, all right.
It wouldn’t do h
im any good to storm the place. The door would be locked, of course, and he would just get shot. Moving as quickly as he could, he went around to the alley.
It was deserted and T.J. raced to the back entrance. He grabbed the knob but it didn’t budge. He bent low and saw the dead bolt wasn’t engaged, just the lock on the knob itself.
He reached into his pocket and got out his credit card. He jimmied the lock just like his father had taught him. A small click and he was inside the storage room.
He heard muffled voices. He smelled gasoline. They were going to torch this place any minute now. They weren’t even going to wait for nightfall. Was Arcola that confident, or that stupid? He would bet on the former.
Moving carefully around big boxes of motor oil and dog food, he made his way to the door. He got a better grip on his Magnum, then bent low.
“...haven’t cooperated with us. We gave you your chance. This is what happens when you don’t play the game.”
It was Arcola.
“Danny, stop. Don’t do this.”
T.J. froze. Damn it all to hell, that was Kate’s voice. What was she doing here? He leaned out until he could see at least part of the room. At first he thought maybe he was nuts, then he saw a leg. There wasn’t another woman alive who had a leg like that. Those were her shorts, her shoes and socks. He wasn’t insane. She was really here and Danny Arcola had her in his grasp.
Slipping back into the safety of the storeroom, T.J. had to force himself to think calmly and not just rush in with his gun blaring. Above all else, Kate’s safety came first. Why the hell had he called the police? The minute those thugs heard the siren, they would have only one use for Kate. Hostage. T.J. doubted Arcola would hesitate to kill her if things didn’t go his way.
Somehow he had to get her out of here. In one piece.
“Danny, I mean it. Don’t do this. The police know about you.”
“So what?”
“There’s already a warrant out for your arrest.”
“Screw the warrant. They can’t touch this.”
He moved toward her, taking each step deliberately and slowly, working on her fear. The other boys, Banger, Fast Eddie, Calhoun, those were the ones she recognized, were staring at her lasciviously, but none of them could equal the feral hunger in Danny’s eyes.
“Come on, you guys. I know you don’t want to spend the rest of your lives behind bars. Calhoun, you’ve been there. Tell them.”
“We ain’t goin’ to jail, Kate.” The way Calhoun said her name made her want to throw up. “Danny’s got that covered.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we ain’t in this alone.”
Danny turned to Calhoun. “Shut your damn fade.”
The older boy looked at his shoes.
“Who’s in this with you?” Kate asked. “A cop? Is that why you’re not afraid?”
“Don’t you worry about that, Legs. Don’t you even think about that.”
He was right in front of her now. She didn’t back away, even though she desperately wanted to. If she showed her fear, the game would be over. It might already be over, but damn it, she wasn’t going without a fight.
“The problem is, Legs, you dissed me one too many times. I put up with it for a while. But it’s gone too far. You get me?”
“I didn’t diss you, Danny. All I did was expect the best from you.”
He laughed. His hand went out and up as he touched her hair.
She held steady. He wasn’t going to get to her.
“You are one tall female,” he said. “One hot babe.”
“Stop it, Arcola.” She knocked his hand away.
“Hey,” Fast Eddie whispered. “Someone’s coming.”
Danny smiled at her before he left her side. The smile held a promise, one she prayed he couldn’t keep.
Moving to the front of the store, Danny lifted aside the shade to see who had arrived. It must have been someone he was expecting, because he immediately unlocked the door.
Kate turned to the woman in the wheelchair. She looked utterly petrified. “Move,” Kate whispered. “Get behind something. A box or the counter. Try for the storeroom.”
While the woman nodded and inched her way back, Kate headed toward the center of the store. She needed to distract the gang and give the owner time to get out the back way.
The front door swung open. The tinkle of the bell sounded foolish in the oppressive tension of the room. Her gaze went to the newcomer and it didn’t surprise her one bit to see the black uniform of a Harbor Bay police officer. It wasn’t a surprise to see which police officer it was, either. Even though she’d only met him once, that had been enough. It was Fleming. The cop who’d busted T.J. all those years ago.
Chapter 16
“Where is he?” Fleming said as he scanned the group.
“Who?” Danny relocked the front door.
“Russo.”
“He ain’t here,” Danny said. “But his girlfriend is.”
Fleming turned on Arcola furiously. “You idiot. He called the station. He knows you’re here. He knows everything.”
“How?”
Danny’s gaze went to Kate, all the lust she’d seen just moments ago replaced by a hatred so fierce she felt burned by it. “You told him?”
She shook her head. “He must have figured it out all by himself.”
“Oh yeah? How’s he gonna like it when he gets here and finds you dead?”
“Listen up, you morons,” Fleming said. “Get on the phone. Get that bastard’s little brother out here. Now. Tell him we’ve got Russo and we’ll kill him if he doesn’t show up.”
Then he looked up and nodded at the lone security camera. “Get rid of that, too.” He turned to Danny and nodded toward Kate. “And her.” As Calhoun passed him, he said, “Russo is here, dammit. He said he was calling from just down the street. Have you checked the back room?”
Calhoun shook his head.
“Well, do it!” Fleming yelled.
Kate couldn’t make her legs move. Everything had changed. She’d never known fear like this. It felt as though her blood had turned to ice water. T.J. was here. He was here! Please God, at least give me a chance to say goodbye.
T.J. pulled the old woman’s wheelchair the rest of the way into the room. He leaned close to her and whispered, “Get out. Get help.”
She didn’t move.
“Go!”
She leaned toward him. “I pressed the alarm,” she whispered.
It took him a moment to register what she’d said. Help was on the way. Thank God. He nodded and she turned her chair quickly around and headed for the back door. T.J. forgot about her and concentrated on what was going on in the store.
Fleming. He was behind everything. How he must have laughed when he figured out he could frame Bobby for arson and murder. The bastard.
T.J. pushed the thoughts away. Someone was coming into the storeroom to find him and he had to move. Now. He crouched as low as he could get and looked out the door. The way was clear for the moment and he took advantage of it. He ran past the counter to the canned food aisle. Still crouching low, holding his gun steady, he watched as one of the gang went into the storeroom. The sound of breaking glass and tumbling boxes told him the search was on.
His only goal now was to save Kate. She was all that mattered. The thought of losing her was more than he could bear. He’d been so stupid! A world-class jerk. How could he have ever thought of leaving her? He didn’t even want to live in a world without Kate. The thought that someone was pointing a gun at her filled him with rage he’d never experienced before. If Danny touched one hair on her head, he would be sorry he’d ever been born.
A flash of memory swept through him. Standing in his room, his suitcase open and half-filled. Kate telling him he was a good guy, and always had been. That the only thing he needed was to see himself clearly.
This was one hell of an attitude adjustment.
T.J. listened as hard as he could to locate
Fleming and Arcola. He would take out Arcola first. He was younger and faster. But then he would have to go for Fleming and not miss.
He closed his eyes and calmed his breathing. Although he hadn’t prayed in years, he did now. The words were simple, and right to the point. Don’t take her from me. Not now. Not when I’ve just found her.
Kate watched as Danny reached into his pocket. Instead of a gun, he pulled out a knife, a dagger. It reminded her of the one on the pier, the one on T.J.’s shoulder, only this one was longer, shinier, deadlier.
“You should have stayed at the center,” Danny said, taking a step toward her. “You should have minded your own business.”
“Danny, don’t. Fleming can’t protect you from this.” She moved backward until the counter blocked her way. “You’ll end up dead.”
He shook his head. “Too late, muchacha. It’s all over. For you and the police man.”
Fleming pounded his fist on the counter just inches away from Kate. She jumped, the sound too much like a gunshot to leave her with any breath at all.
“Just get it over with, Arcola. Stop screwing around.”
Danny nodded slowly.
She could see beads of sweat on his forehead and upper lip. He held the dagger steady, though. She had to do something, or that blade was going right into her heart.
A gunshot made T.J. jump up before he was ready, terrified that he’d waited too long. The sound of breaking glass barely registered. As if his gun knew where to point all on its own, he had Arcola in his sights. Just as he squeezed the trigger, he saw that Kate was in the line of fire. He jerked his hand, praying he’d caught it in time.
The bullet missed her. Arcola’s knife wouldn’t though.
T.J. took a step toward her, then he was sidelined, smashed from the back and thrown against the stacks of cans. The wooden racks fell, and he fell with them, cans, boxes, jars flying around him like shrapnel. His Magnum flew from his hand.
Fleming’s fist in his gut took his breath, but he managed to get his leg up and his foot planted on the cop’s chest. He shoved him backward and gasped for air.
