“That’s it, Brick; crush the life out of the murderous bastard. Kill Tanner!”
***
Tanner stretched his neck forward while also bending his left leg upward, and when it was close enough, he bit down hard on the shank of wood still stuck in his leg and yanked it free.
The pain in his leg was blinding and competed with the agony in his ribs, but Tanner stayed conscious, reared his head back, then jerked it to the left, and the bloody pointed tip of the wood tore into Brick’s neck.
Brick’s grip disappeared and Tanner fell to the ground.
***
Alexa heard Ariana whisper the word, “No,” as they both watched Tanner free the jagged splinter from his own leg and use it to spear Brick’s throat.
Knowing that Ariana was distracted, Alexa ducked her head, and then spun around and grabbed Ariana’s gun arm, while trying to get a better grip on the knife in her own hand. She had been holding the knife by its tip in preparation to throw it, but needed to get a grip on its handle.
Ariana saw what Alexa was doing and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the knife. The women struggled for a second, then, they stumbled backwards into Brick.
Alexa managed to free her hand after the impact, and she slashed out at Ariana and cut her face from right to left, ripping her open from lip to brow, even as Ariana and Brick tripped over Tanner, who was still down on one knee.
The slashed and bleeding pair tumbled down the short hill leading to the stream and splashed into it only an instant apart. Ariana let out a scream as Brick bellowed, and then the current carried them swiftly out of sight.
***
Tanner grabbed his rifle from where it had fallen and used it like a crutch to help him stand, as Alexa came to him.
“How badly are you hurt?”
“He nearly broke a rib, but I think my leg is the bigger problem right now.”
Alexa looked down at Tanner’s leg and saw that it was bleeding freely.
The side door was still sitting open, and she helped him inside. After handing him something to press against the wound, she climbed behind the wheel.
“I’ll drive us somewhere else and then treat that leg, or do you think you need a doctor?”
“You do it, and if you can’t stop the bleeding we’ll try an emergency room.”
Alexa drove the van back behind the bowling alley and then went to work treating the wound. She had to clean the wound twice before stitching it closed, but she got the bleeding to stop.
“You’ve had medical training?” Tanner asked.
“No, but when you’ve trained with edged weapons as much as I have you learn to treat cuts.”
However, Alexa could do nothing about Tanner’s ribs, and after checking to make certain that none had broken, she handed him a bottle of painkiller.
Tanner read the label and frowned.
“These will make me drowsy.”
“Yes, but they’ll also kill the pain. Take them. I’ll drive us to the cabin and keep an eye out for any more trouble.”
Tanner relented and took the pills. He would likely sleep anyway during the drive to the cabin, because he had barely slept the night before.
“Tanner?”
“Yeah?”
“You tensed up right before that woman and her pet giant attacked us. Why was that, did you sense them at the last moment the way I did?”
Tanner grinned.
“No, Alexa, but I did smell Ariana’s perfume.”
“Oh.”
“I guess that sixth sense of yours comes in handy, hmm?”
Alexa smiled.
“It helped me to find you.”
Tanner fell asleep atop an air mattress an hour after taking the medicine, and Alexa drove while occasionally looking back at him in wonder.
A Tanner, no, my Tanner.
There had been an instant while Brick was attempting to crush the life from Tanner that Alexa had believed he would do it, that he would kill Tanner, and that the woman at her back pressing a gun against her head would pull the trigger and kill her.
But then, Alexa had looked at Tanner’s face. She glimpsed pain there, but no panic or even a trace of fear. Tanner then turned the tables by never giving up and using his mind to find a way to win. That was the legend she had heard growing up.
Rodrigo had always spoken of his Tanner, Tanner Five as if he were more than a man, and she had thrilled when he told her stories about the things he had seen the man do.
Those stories had inspired her in her quest to kill Alonso Alvarado, although deep in her heart, she knew there lurked doubt that she would ever be able to do it.
Alvarado lived in a virtual fortress, was protected by a personal army, and had the wealth and resources to survive any attack and vanquish any foe.
Alexa grinned.
Almost any foe.
Alvarado would not survive this Tanner, her Tanner, and together she and Tanner would have their revenge.
She gazed back at Tanner’s sleeping form once more while stopped at a traffic light.
He was injured, but he would heal soon, and then they would travel to Mexico and kill Alvarado. And after that?
Alexa smiled. After that would come pleasure, there would be peace, and perhaps, just perhaps, there might be love.
Alexa drove on into the night towards the cabin, and for the first time in many months, her thoughts were about something other than gaining revenge.
CHAPTER 33 - Two
Amy breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the shower turn on.
She had spent the last few hours covertly looking around the cabin for the drawing of Alexa she had earlier, and after she couldn’t find it anywhere, she realized that she must have left it inside the other cabin.
She thought about telling Spenser about her mistake, but he was wary enough about bringing her along, and if she admitted to leaving the flyer behind after they searched the cabin, he might insist that she head back to Wyoming.
She chastised herself again for having been so careless, and as Spenser took his shower, she snuck out the front door and headed over to the cabin Alexa had rented.
Amy knew she had to hurry, because Tanner and Alexa could come at any time, and Spenser wouldn’t be in the shower forever.
She entered the cabin through the unlocked rear door and used her phone like a flashlight to look around.
She had been searching for over a minute and was becoming frustrated, when she remembered where she must have left the flyer. Amy entered the bedroom, opened the closet door, and jumped when the closet light came on automatically.
***
Alexa stopped the van out on the road, and was blocking the lane that led to the three cabins.
She had seen a light come on in their cabin and knew that someone was lurking around inside. Alexa cut off the headlights, moved the van very slowly, and reached for a knife.
***
Amy smiled as she spotted the flyer sitting atop the closet shelf.
She had laid the flyer there when she went through the duffle bag that Alexa had left on the closet floor, and then had forgotten to take it with her.
She closed the door, and then once again, she used her phone to navigate the darkness. She left by the back door, moved towards the front of her own cabin, and saw Alexa’s van.
Amy panicked and ran for her front door as Alexa slammed on her brakes.
***
Alexa threw the van in park and called out to Tanner.
“Tanner, wake up!”
She didn’t wait to see if he’d heard her, she had her eyes on Amy.
Amy was inside her own cabin and closing the door when Alexa smashed into it, causing Amy to scream as she fell backwards.
Alexa was on her in an instant, and Amy struggled until Alexa placed a knife to her throat while holding her from behind.
She was about to ask her who else was in the cabin when a bearded man wearing only an eye patch and a towel came from a room down the short hallw
ay.
Other than the eye patch and the towel, Alexa noticed two other things about the man. He was undoubtedly in great shape, and he was holding a gun and pointing it right at her.
The man had just walked past the open doorway when Tanner appeared. Alexa felt Amy inhale to speak, to warn the one-eyed man, and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her words.
***
Spenser had just dried himself off and was wrapping a towel around his waist when he heard Amy scream. He scooped his gun off the bedside table and found that Alexa and Amy were on the floor in the living room, and that Alexa was threatening Amy with a knife.
When Amy opened her mouth to speak, Alexa clamped a hand over her lips, but then Amy’s eyes grew large with alarm as she stared at something behind him.
Spenser realized that Amy was trying to warn him. This thought was instantly confirmed when Amy kicked her foot out to change the angle on the flat screen TV, and with his good eye, Spenser saw Tanner reflected in its blank surface.
***
Alexa watched Tanner enter the room and wondered just how drowsy the pain pills had made him. He was limping into the cabin, but had kept his gun in the holster on his belt.
She was about to shout to him to defend himself, but she was too late, and the man with the eye patch turned towards him swiftly, however, even as the man did so, he lowered his gun, and then to Alexa’s shock, Tanner and the man shook hands warmly amid huge grins.
***
Tanner raised up a hand and spoke to Alexa.
“Let her go. She’s on our side.”
Alexa blinked rapidly. “What?”
“It’s all right, Alexa, they’re friends.”
Alexa released Amy and the two women stood up. Spenser took Amy by the hand and pulled her over to be near him.
“What happened, Amy?”
Amy pointed to the drawing of Alexa. It had fallen to the floor while they struggled.
“I left that in their cabin when we were there earlier, and while you were showering... I snuck back in to get it. When she saw me coming out, I panicked and ran, and she ran after me.”
Alexa walked over to Tanner.
“What’s going on?”
“As I said, they’re friends of mine, or at least Spenser is, this is the first time I’m meeting Amy, although I’ve heard good things about her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you knew these people?” Alexa said.
“I trusted you, Alexa, but I had to be sure. Spenser followed you from Oklahoma City to here, and then from here back to Oklahoma City. If you weren’t who and what you said you were, that would have been an ideal time to make contact with someone, when Spenser told me that you made no stops other than for gas and groceries, it confirmed what I believed, that I could trust you.”
Alexa’s face screwed up in confusion.
“You had someone follow me? But no, I would have seen him.”
Tanner shook his head.
“Not Spenser you wouldn’t, he’s too good to allow himself to be spotted.”
Alexa sucked in a breath as a pained expression darkened her face.
“I thought you trusted me when you sent me here, but you were just testing me? Goddamn it, Tanner, what do I have to do to prove myself to you? Should I let Alvarado kill me, would that convince you?”
Alexa rushed out the open doorway and back to her van. After parking it in front of their cabin, she just sat inside it.
One tear escaped, then two, she wiped them away in anger as Tanner limped over towards her.
When she looked at him, he sent her a shrug.
“I won’t apologize for testing you, but I do want you to know that I trust you completely now.”
Alexa reached out the window, gave him a weak slap across the face, and called him several unflattering names in Spanish.
“Are you through now? Because if you are, I want you to come inside and see Spenser.”
Alexa smirked.
“If that towel had slipped any lower, I would have seen all of Spenser.” She stepped from the van and looked Tanner over. “How do you feel, do you need to see a doctor?”
“The leg hurts some, but the ribs are worse. Still, I’ll heal, and we need time to plan our attack on Alvarado in any event. Spenser convinced me that if I rushed into Mexico without a plan, I might never get out alive.”
“Your friend is right, and we’ll plan while your ribs heal, but one way or another, I will see that bastard Alvarado dead.”
They returned to Spenser’s cabin and found that Spenser had dressed. He was wearing boots, jeans, and a green short-sleeve sweatshirt.
Alexa found him to be handsome, and thought that the eye patch gave him a mysterious air. When Amy walked up to her and extended her hand, Alexa shook it, and then smiled.
“I didn’t like going through your things, Alexa,” Amy said. “But Spenser thought it was necessary.”
“I was angry before, but I understand your need to be certain about me,” Alexa told Amy, and then she spoke to Tanner. “Will Spenser and Amy be coming with us when we go to see Tanner Six?”
Tanner smiled.
“Alexa, Spenser Hawke is Tanner Six.”
Alexa stared at Spenser, and then back at Tanner. When she looked over at Amy, Amy just shrugged.
Alexa gave a little laugh.
“Tanner Six, oh Spenser, you’ve got to meet my Papa, he would love to talk to you. He knew Tanner Five.”
Spenser studied Alexa.
“Your last name is Lucia?”
“It is now, because I took the name of the man who raised me, but I was born Alexa Cazares.”
“The man who raised you, is he Rodrigo Lucia?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“Tanner Five mentioned him on occasion, I think he was happiest when he lived with Rodrigo’s mother and traveled with their circus, he said that he even did an act as a trick shooter while he was with them.”
“Yes, Papa mentioned that,” Alexa said.
Spenser looked over at Tanner.
“How did you get injured, was it the men I warned you about?”
“Yes and no, I injured the leg while avoiding a grenade blast by one of the men sent to kill me, but the ribs were caused by a brute working for someone else.”
“I assumed this brute and his keeper were handled?”
“For now, and if they pop up again they’ll wish they hadn’t.”
Spenser laid a hand on Tanner’s shoulder.
“It’s so damn good to see you, boy, and I’ve missed you.”
Tanner smiled.
“I’ve missed you too, old man.”
“Old?” Amy said. “Spenser’s only forty-three.”
“It’s a sort of joke,” Spenser said. “Tanner and I have a father and son vibe going, and someday, Amy, I want you to meet my other boy, Romeo.”
“I saw him and Nadya recently,” Tanner said. “He told me that they’ll be here next year... after the baby is born.”
Spenser grinned. “Yeah, he told me about that.”
Amy laughed.
“That means I’ll soon be dating a grandfather.”
***
Tanner and Alexa said goodnight and entered their cabin.
Alexa pointed at the sofa.
“I should make you sleep on that for taking so long to trust me, but since you’re injured I’ll show mercy and let you share the bed with me.”
“You’re very kind,” Tanner said, and kissed her. When the kissing grew more passionate, Alexa broke off from Tanner and headed for the bedroom.
“I need a shower, but you shower first, and then I’ll place a better bandage on that leg wound.”
Tanner followed and leaned in the bedroom doorway.
“Alexa.”
She had been unpacking her duffle bag, but she turned and looked at him.
“Yes?”
“I don’t really understand how you found me, but I’m glad that you did.”
Alexa smiled brightly at him.
“I’m here and I’m staying.”
They kissed once more, and then Tanner limped into the bathroom.
CHAPTER 34 – What thing?
At St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, Nurse Marion Brown had just finished thinking about what a quiet night it had been so far. That was when the giant American Indian walked in with what looked like a stick jutting from his neck.
The man’s clothes were damp, although it wasn’t raining, and he carried an unconscious woman in his arms who had a nasty cut on her face.
Marion called for an orderly to bring over a stretcher, and watched as the Indian laid the woman gently upon it.
“Oh my God, sir, what happened to you two?”
Brick smiled.
“It’s just a mild case of Tanneritis.”
A second orderly brought over a wheelchair, but when Brick tried to sit his massive frame down into it, the handles became wedged around his hips. He pushed the chair aside and spoke to Nurse Marion.
“I’ll walk; it’s good exercise.”
“Yes,” Marion said. “And then we’ll have a doctor remove that thing in your neck.”
Brick gave her a perplexed look.
“What thing in my neck?”
Marion looked unsure how to respond to that, and Brick let out a loud laugh before he followed along behind Ariana’s stretcher.
***
Tanner came out of the bathroom after showering and sat on the side of the bed. He was only wearing a pair of black boxers, and Alexa got down on her knees between his legs.
Tanner smiled at her.
“I thought we might kiss first, but I’m not complaining.”
Alexa laughed as she reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the sterilized gauze and antiseptic cream.
“I’m down here to place a fresh bandage on your leg.”
“I see,” Tanner said.
Alexa bandaged the wound in his left leg and then stood, leaned over, and kissed him.
“I’m going to take a long hot shower so you might as well go to sleep.”
Tanner’s eyes flicked to the gap in her blouse and the view pleased him.
“I think I’ll stay awake and see what develops.”
The TANNER Series - Books 10 -12 (Tanner Box Set Book 4) Page 13
