The TANNER Series - Books 10 -12 (Tanner Box Set Book 4)

by Remington Kane

  His eyes were taking in the swell of her breasts, which were practically spilling out of her bikini top, when Alexa’s voice made him jerk his head up.

  “I see you found a way to amuse yourself while I was gone.”

  Tanner stood.

  “Alexa, this is Sara Blake. She’s a...”

  Sara stood as well, and offered Alexa her hand, as she smiled at Tanner.

  “Tanner and I are old friends.”

  “I see,” Alexa said, as she released Sara’s hand. “But why are you here?”

  “I work for Conrad Burke. Mr. Burke wants to contract with Tanner for a certain service.”

  “A hit?” Alexa said.

  Sara looked at Tanner with surprise showing on her face.

  “She’s aware of your profession?”

  “Yes, Blake, Alexa and I both took down Alvarado in Mexico.”

  “Ah, she’s that woman, and the two of you are still together, interesting.”

  Alexa crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Why is that interesting to you?”

  “It’s just that I assumed you had met here and were just involved in a little... playtime. Tanner doesn’t seem the type to have a long-term relationship.”

  “Blake, get to the point of your visit,” Tanner said.

  “All right, Mr. Burke would like to know when you’ll be ready to work.”

  “We were planning to leave Hawaii in two days,” Tanner said. “You can tell Burke that I’ll be available after that, but I’ll want details before I agree to anything.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll leave a package for you at the front desk that will contain an encrypted cell phone. When you’re ready to talk, just call the number in the phone’s directory.”

  “Who will answer?” Tanner asked.

  “I will, but tell me, when you leave here, will you be headed back to New York City?”

  “No, we were thinking of going to L.A.”

  “That’s good; New York holds too many bad memories for me.”

  Tanner saw that Alexa’s hands were empty.

  “I thought you went off to buy more sun blocker?”

  “When I was halfway there my little voice told me to return to you. Now I know why.”

  Sara looked back and forth at them.

  “Little voice?”

  “Alexa is psychic.”

  Sara grinned. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” Alexa said, with a sneer in her voice.

  Sara offered Tanner her hand. He took it and found that she had a firm grip.

  “I’ll expect that call, and it was good to meet you, Alexa.”

  Sara walked off, and both Tanner and Alexa watched her until she disappeared back into the hotel.

  “She’s very beautiful, were you two ever lovers?”

  “No.”

  “Really? Because I sensed very strong emotions between the two of you.”

  Tanner smiled bitterly.

  “It’s a long story. Let’s go into the bar and I’ll tell it to you.”

  ***

  At a corner table inside the hotel bar, Alexa leaned back in her seat and blew out a sigh.

  “That’s quite a story, Tanner. Are you sure you can trust this Sara?”

  “Despite everything that’s happened between us in the past, yes. I trust her to a degree. Which means, I don’t think she still wants to kill me.”

  Alexa made a face.

  “Her emotions may have swung the other way, or why else show up dressed in a bikini?”

  “This is a vacation resort and we were at a pool, so why not? Believe me, Alexa, Sara Blake may not want me dead any longer, but she’s also not looking to hook up with me.”

  “I’m not so sure, but let me ask you a question. What are your feelings for her?”

  “I used to feel annoyance and pity for her, but I’m glad to see that she’s starting over. Burke likely gave her this assignment because he knows that the two of us worked together in Guambi to save Sara’s sister.”

  “Maybe she wasn’t assigned; she might have asked to work with you.”

  “Maybe, and as much as she once hated me, she never doubted my skills. She knows I’ll be successful if I decide to take the contract, and that success may help her rise in Burke’s organization.”

  “Will you take the contract?”

  “That depends on the details.”

  Alexa grew quiet and looked out at the ocean through the enormous picture window that made up the left side of the bar. When she had finished thinking about the situation, she reached across and took Tanner’s hand.

  “Call this Sara Blake and invite her to dinner. I want to get to know her better, and perhaps we’ll learn more about the contract.”

  “You mean tonight?”

  “Yes, the more we know and the sooner we know it, the better I’ll feel.”

  Tanner gave Alexa’s hand a squeeze.

  “Don’t worry. Blake isn’t a threat. If she still wanted to hurt me, there would be no way for her to hide her feelings. She’s a woman of strong passion.”

  Alexa smiled bitterly.

  “You said that she was once full of hate; that sort of emotion doesn’t just disappear.”

  Tanner took out the encrypted phone Sara had left for him. He had retrieved it from the front desk before entering the bar.

  Sara answered on the fourth ring, and she knew it was him.

  “Hello, Tanner.”

  “Let me guess, I’m the only one you gave this number to?”

  “Yes, both your phone and mine are strictly for work.”

  “Alexa and I want to take you to dinner tonight, Blake. We’re both curious about what Burke wants me to do.”

  “Dinner sounds good, but it will be on me; after all, I’m the one with the expense account.”

  “Fine, any preference?”

  “There’s a steakhouse just off the lobby; will that do?”

  “That’s good for us, what time?”

  “I’ll call and make a reservation for eight o’clock.”

  “We’ll see you then,” Tanner said, and he ended the call.

  “How did she sound?” Alexa asked.

  “Normal.”

  “There’s nothing normal about her. She’s here to ask you to kill someone.”

  Tanner smiled.

  “For me, that’s normal.”

  CHAPTER 3 – Solo assassin

  The steakhouse served excellent food atop linen tablecloths, while the silverware was heavy and the lighting muted.

  Tanner and Alexa had arrived on time to find that Sara was already waiting for them. Sara was wearing a simple black dress with a short hemline that also revealed a hint of cleavage. Alexa was dressed much the same, only her dress was blue, while Tanner wore gray slacks with a black polo shirt.

  They kept the conversation light at first while discussing their impressions of the hotel and the island, but once their appetizers arrived along with their second drinks, the talk turned to business.

  “Tell me about the target,” Tanner said to Sara. He was seated directly across from her at their round table while Alexa sat on his right and between them.

  “His name is Julien Adams. Have you ever heard of him?” Sara asked.

  “No, why, is he famous?”

  “Not famous, but he is known in financial circles. Julien Adams is fifty-two, never married, no children. When he was twenty-eight he inherited real estate holdings worth seventeen million dollars. Adams quadrupled that fortune inside ten years and then turned his attention towards the stock market. After ten more years had passed, the man was worth half a billion.”

  “Matthews said that the man was involved with terrorists, is that true?”

  “Yes, but the government believes that Adams is funding terrorists as a means to increase his personal fortune. With advance notice of who will be attacked and what will be destroyed, Adams is able to short stocks in certain industries and profit by their declines after an attack. As far as
they know, he’s never profited from an attack that’s taken place on American soil, but he’s made millions by shorting overseas stocks in foreign markets.”

  Alexa interrupted.

  “I’ve heard the term ‘shorting a stock’ for years, but I don’t know what it means.”

  Tanner attempted to enlighten her.

  “Let’s say that you believe that the stock of ABC Corporation will lose value in the future. You would call your broker and ask him to find 100 shares of ABC Corporation that you can borrow for a short sale. The current price of ABC Corporation is $50 a share. That would make your 100 borrowed shares worth $5,000, right?”

  Alexa nodded. “I’m with you so far.”

  “Now remember, your account is being credited with that $5,000, although you haven’t paid for the stock. So, a week later, the price has dropped and shares of ABC Corporation now trade for $40 a share. You now pay back the 100 borrowed shares, which covers your short position, for $40 each, spending $4,000, and your profit on the trade is $1,000, which is the difference between the beginning value of the 100 shares at $50, and the value of the shares when you paid back the 100 shares at $40 a share. Get it?”

  Alexa smiled.

  “I’m more confused than ever.”

  “Talk to a stockbroker,” Tanner said, as he returned her smile.

  Sara cleared her throat and continued.

  “Anyway, the government has been unable to prove that Adams is funding terrorists in order to have information on future attacks, but there’s evidence from four separate sources that point to Adams as profiting by acts of terrorism.”

  “Wouldn’t doing this leave a trace behind in his portfolio transactions?” Tanner asked.

  “Yes, but Adams is too smart to make the moves himself, and the government has four witnesses that say they were used by Adams as front men. They gave him up as a way of avoiding their own legal troubles.”

  “All right, so why has this man proven to be so difficult to kill?”

  “For starters, he’s incredibly hard to locate. He owns dozens of properties and has access to many more through a network of equally rich business associates. All of these homes are in secluded locations and Adams surrounds himself with security.”

  “Then I’ll have to find him first. That shouldn’t be difficult if you can point me towards someone who knows him well.”

  Sara stared at Tanner for a moment before continuing.

  “You should know that three men have already died while trying to kill Adams. Two of them are presumed dead, while the third man, an ex-Navy SEAL named Cameron Bonds was later found on a beach in Barcelona. Bonds’ body had been ravaged by its time in the water, but the cause of death was drowning.”

  “Did the body have any ligature marks on it?” Tanner asked.

  “No, nor were there any other signs of a major trauma. Cameron Bonds simply drowned and it’s being theorized that he was just left abandoned in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. If the same sort of thing was done to the other men, then it’s no wonder that their bodies haven’t been found.”

  Their steaks arrived and they ate while talking little. Tanner noticed that Alexa and Sara kept eyeing each other during the meal.

  Tanner knew that Alexa didn’t like Sara, but had no idea how Sara felt about Alexa. He supposed that she might be annoyed by her presence during the talk about the contract and target, but Tanner trusted Alexa and Sara would have to do so as well.

  When all three of them finished their meals, Sara gave Tanner a bit of mystifying news.

  “The former Navy SEAL whose body was recovered, Cameron Bonds, he was in contact with a mole inside Adams’ organization. In their last communication, Bonds stated that he had killed Adams by blowing the man’s head off. Since that time, the mole has seen Adams from a distance and stated that Adams is healthy and shows no signs of injury.”

  “Curious,” Tanner said. “And I doubt an ex-Navy SEAL would lie about completing a mission.”

  “No he wouldn’t, and so it’s been theorized that Bonds was forced to lie about killing Adams for some purpose, but what that purpose was, no one knows.”

  “Perhaps Adams found out that he had a spy in his organization and was trying to make the mole reveal himself,” Alexa said.

  “That is one theory,” Sara agreed. “If so, it failed. Bonds only had a way to pass messages back and forth. He never knew the mole’s identity.”

  The women indulged in dessert while Tanner only had coffee. Once she finished eating her chocolate mousse, Sara wiped her mouth and asked Tanner if he was taking the contract.

  “Yes, because it sounds like a challenge, and also because Adams is the worst sort of dirt bag, the type that profits off other people’s misery.”

  Sara smiled at his answer.

  “Excellent, and our first stop after leaving Hawaii is to fly to Burke’s US corporate headquarters in Connecticut. They’ll have the latest intel waiting for us and Mr. Burke will also be there, as well as your back-up support.”

  “I work alone, Blake, you know that.”

  Sara gestured at Alexa.

  “If you work alone, then why is she here, and why was she in Mexico with you?”

  “Alexa and I had a mutual desire to see Alvarado dead, but I’m a solo assassin and I won’t be burdened with one of Burke’s flunkies.”

  “The man isn’t a flunky, he’s an arms specialist. I asked Mr. Burke to assign him to you so that you would be equipped with the best.”

  Tanner nodded.

  “That could be a good thing, if the man knows his stuff.”

  “I’ve been assured that he does, however, there is one more thing.”

  “Here it comes,” Alexa said.

  “What do you mean by that?” Sara asked her.

  “I mean that I don’t trust you. Not after Tanner told me about your past actions. I’ve been expecting you to drop something nasty on us ever since I learned about you.”

  “You know nothing about me,” Sara said, and then she turned back to Tanner. “I’ve voiced my disagreement with the decision, but there is someone at the Burke Corporation who wants you to give a demonstration before we finalize our arrangement.”

  “Who is this someone?”

  “He’s Burke Corporation CFO Sloane Lennox. The demonstration consists of making it through a gauntlet run by his personal bodyguard, a man named Brad Grant, and some of Burke’s elite security personnel. It’s not targeted at you, Lennox even put the ex-Navy Seals through this stupid test.”

  “I won’t do it,” Tanner said.

  Disappointment filled Sara’s face as she let out a sigh.

  “So you’re not taking the contract?”

  “No, I’ve already said I’ll kill Julien Adams, but I won’t take a test. I’m not a job applicant, I’m the best killer in the world and I don’t need to prove that to anyone.”

  Sara smiled.

  “You are the most confident man I know.”

  “You admire him?” Alexa asked.

  Sara ignored her and spoke to Tanner.

  “I’ll send pictures of Julien Adams to your phone soon, along with details about our departure from the island. We’ll all be flying together on one of Mr. Burke’s jets. Do you have any other questions?”

  “No.”

  Sara gave a curt nod.

  “Good.”

  After paying the bill, Sara left the table first, as Tanner and Alexa watched her walk away.

  “Be careful around that bitch, Tanner.”

  “Of course I will, but I don’t believe she wants me dead.”

  Alexa turned back around and looked at him.

  “Maybe she just wants you.”

  “No, Alexa, Blake would sleep with the devil before she’d ever touch me.”

  “Maybe,” Alexa said, “Or maybe not.”

  CHAPTER 4 – There’s no such thing as nothing

  After Alexa fell asleep on the plane ride to Connecticut, Tanner got up to use the restroom.<
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  As he was walking back to his seat, Sara asked him to sit beside her.

  Tanner did so, and Sara held up her phone to reveal a new photo of Julien Adams. Adams was blond, with pale skin, of average height, and had full lips. His eyes were brown, but looked hooded, as if he were always on the verge of falling asleep.

  “Where was this taken?” Tanner asked.

  “In Madrid, two weeks ago. An Australian tourist posted his vacation photos on Facebook when he returned home and Adams was in the background of one of the photos.”

  “The government’s facial recognition software discovered this?”

  “Yes.”

  Tanner grimaced.

  “I hope I stay off their radar. Technology is making it harder and harder to evade the authorities.”

  “I know that photo is two weeks old, but maybe Adams is still in Spain.”

  “Maybe, but I’ll need to verify his current location.”

  “How do you plan to do that?”

  “I’ll ask Adams’ suspected terrorist contact, Omar Ali Rashid. Rashid’s current location is known.”

  “Rashid has never been officially tied to terrorists, however, the evidence is overwhelming that he is sympathetic to certain extreme organizations. If the man’s brother wasn’t a diplomat, I doubt that he would be allowed in the country.”

  “He may wish to leave when I get done with him.”

  “If you kill him that could lead to problems.”

  “I won’t kill him, if that file you gave me concerning him is accurate, I won’t have to.”

  “All right, but won’t he simply call Adams and warn him once you’ve talked to him?”

  Tanner smiled.

  “Leave that to me.”

  They sat quietly together for a moment, but then Sara spoke.

  “I’m sorry you lost Sophia.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I also read in the paper that Laurel and Joe married.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, Tanner, that must have hurt, even if you and Joe are friends.”

  “It was the best thing all around.”

  “Because you’re not the marrying type?”

  “I suppose not.”