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

by Remington Kane

  After grabbing a bottle of juice from the mini fridge, Alexa sat beside Tanner, and Sara told them about Cole McManus.

  “A drunk?” Tanner said.

  Sara shook her head.

  “No, but he does seem headed in that direction. I only told you about the drinking because I want you to know as much as you can. It may help tomorrow.”

  “Yes, but can he be trusted?” Tanner said.

  “I don’t see why not, if he betrayed us, Adams would have him killed as well. My biggest concern is whether Adams will even be on that yacht tomorrow, we may be chasing another of his doubles, or he may travel by using some other mode of transportation, or even stay put wherever he is.”

  “It’s all we have right now, so we’ll go with it. What time will the yacht be leaving the dock?”

  “There’s no way to know, but Cole believes it’ll be headed towards the US.”

  Alexa leaned into Tanner, resting her head on his shoulder, as she spoke to Sara.

  “Is the yacht under surveillance?”

  “Yes, by Burke’s security people here, but it’s a very loose watch, so that Adams doesn’t catch on. They may miss his arrival, but if the yacht leaves in the middle of the night we’ll be alerted.”

  “Whenever it leaves, we follow it,” Tanner said. “Then, I’ll use the Seabob to reach it once McManus sends up a signal.”

  “About that, I spoke to Deke on the way over here and he told me about the changes you wanted to make to the Seabob, are you sure it will be safe?”

  “Yes, but it’s just a precaution.”

  “Against betrayal by Cole?”

  “Or a leak somewhere else.”

  “And if I hadn’t talked to Deke, would you have told me about the changes?”

  “Yes, Blake. If I didn’t trust you at all, I wouldn’t be here.”

  Alexa yawned.

  “To show how much I trust you, I’m going to leave you alone with Tanner while I go off to bed.”

  Sara stood.

  “I think we’re done, and I could use some sleep myself. I just stopped by to make sure that you were both okay.”

  Tanner picked up his gun and walked Sara to the door.

  “Get some sleep, Blake. I think tomorrow will be a big day.”

  “And with any luck, it will also be Julien Adams’ last day.”

  Tanner smiled.

  “It’s just a matter of time.”

  CHAPTER 27 – It’s a go!

  The following morning dawned clear and unseasonably warm.

  Tanner was still wearing an insulated wetsuit, because despite the sunny weather, the water temperature in the Atlantic Ocean was cold. Tanner had no way of knowing how long he might have to be in the water, or even if he was going in at all.

  Adams’ yacht, the Sea Beast, left London early and set a course for Virginia in the USA. Tanner, Sara, Alexa, and Deke, followed at a distance in a sleek racing boat.

  They would stay on the trail of the yacht, and just out of sight, until it dropped anchor, and then they would await McManus’ signal.

  Tanner wore the wetsuit, although due to the warmth of the day, he had it unfastened to the waist. As soon as they saw the smoke signal, he would take to the water with the Seabob.

  He would don the bulletproof vest as well, and ferry the C4 explosives over to the yacht. Deke assured Tanner that the blast would sink the yacht.

  Once they left the explosives behind, Tanner and McManus would have only minutes to get clear of the area around the yacht.

  ***

  The speedboat was much smaller than the sailboat they had used while in Greece, and with the temperature being up, Sara, Alexa, and Deke were all dressed in swimwear. Deke had loaded extra fuel aboard the boat. They would need it if they wanted to stay with the yacht, which had huge fuel tanks and dual engines.

  Candace had supplied them with coffee in two thermoses along with a stack of sandwiches and fresh fruit. She had no real idea what they were all doing in London, only that they were there for Mr. Burke, and so they were treated as VIP’s.

  Especially Deke, who had gone out twice with Candace.

  ***

  In the late afternoon, the yacht dropped anchor. Deke stopped the boat and drifted, as Tanner lifted a pair of binoculars and looked over at the yacht on the horizon.

  As they waited to see what would happen, Alexa held up a sandwich and teased Deke.

  “Your girlfriend makes a good sandwich.”

  “They’re from a pub. I doubt Candace can boil water, but she has other talents.”

  “You’re going to miss her when we leave here.”

  “I might at that, and her accent drives me crazy.”

  Alexa attempted a British accent and was so bad at it that she began laughing after only uttering a few words.

  Deke laughed along, as did Sara, but Tanner was focused on the yacht, which was barely visible in the distance. He looked as though he were trying to will wisps of smoke to rise from it.

  Sara settled beside him. She was dressed in a flesh-toned bathing suit.

  “Why don’t you eat something? I can watch the yacht.”

  “I got this, Blake.”

  “You haven’t eaten all day, and I’m sure we’ll be able to see any smoke if—”

  Tanner turned his head and glared at her.

  “I said I got this.”

  Sara looked surprised by his anger and stood, to move away. Tanner called to her.

  “Blake... sit back down.”

  Sara retook her seat beside Tanner, and he sighed.

  “I’m used to working alone. All this, help... it takes a little getting used to.”

  Sara smiled.

  “But we have been helpful, haven’t we, Deke and I?”

  “Yes, along with Garber.”

  “Good, that’s why we’re here, and can I ask you a personal question?”

  “You can ask me anything, it doesn’t mean that I’ll answer.”

  “You’re getting a million dollars for this hit, but I don’t think you really care about the money, am I right?”

  “Yes,” Tanner said, surprised that Sara understood that the money was a secondary consideration at best.

  “You asked for that much because you believe you’re worth that much, and that was before you took down Alvarado.”

  “Yes.”

  “I agree. You’re worth at least a million dollars. At your level, it’s more a matter of the target being worthy of your time.”

  “You keep flattering me, Blake, and you’ll give me a swelled head.”

  “I’m only speaking the truth. But that Sicilian hit man, Maurice Scallato, did you know that one million is the minimum that he’ll accept for a hit?”

  “No, I didn’t know that, but where did you learn that?”

  “Brad Grant told me, which means that I should take it with a grain of salt, besides, there are no pictures of any of the Scallatos. They might be a myth; a family of hit men certainly sounds like a myth.”

  “They’re real. I know someone who had dealings with them years ago.”

  “Who would that be, your mentor, Tanner Six?”

  “I see that you’re still researching me, or is it a form of stalking?”

  “I’m curious about you, and Alexa gave me some background on the Tanners. So was I right, did Tanner Six have a run-in with the Scallato family?”

  Tanner nodded, even as his eyes drifted down to take in Sara’s body. The swimsuit wasn’t overly revealing, as it was a one-piece, but its flesh toned color gave the illusion that she was naked. Tanner returned his gaze to her eyes and answered her question.

  “Yes, it was Tanner Six, he once went after the same target as Maurice’s father, but it was a friendly contest.”

  “I don’t have to ask who won, not if Tanner Six was anything like you.”

  “No more compliments, Blake, or I’ll think you’re after something.”

  Sara leaned closer to Tanner, and spoke in a voice that bord
ered on sultry.

  “There is one more thing that I’d like you to know.”

  “And what would that be?”

  Sara grinned.

  “There’s smoke rising from the yacht.”

  Tanner turned his head and saw that she was right, a thin wisp of white smoke was rising into the sky above the yacht. He looked back at Sara, whose eyes were twinkling as she smiled at him.

  “Go get that bastard.”

  Tanner stood and reached for the vest.

  “It’s show time.”

  CHAPTER 28 – Blast it all

  Aboard the yacht, Sea Beast, Cole McManus felt bad about the treachery he was about to commit, but orders were orders and so he would carry them out.

  Julien Adams had cut a deal with the CIA just after midnight. Part of the agreement was that he’d be allowed to deal with the threat that Tanner posed.

  The agency agreed, and after all, they weren’t the ones in the US Government who wanted Adams dead. They had always been of the opinion that Adams was far more useful as a source of information than an object lesson for other traitors.

  In return for that information, Adams would be given a new life in South America, allowed to keep his wealth, and deals would be made inside the Washington corridors of power that would insure no other assassins would be sent after him.

  The catalyst for the deal was the fact that Omar Ali Rashid’s influential brother was blaming Adams for Rashid’s death.

  When Adams made contact with his bosses, McManus was stunned. Then, he shocked Adams by telling the man that he was a CIA agent, as he was instructed to reveal himself to Adams by his superiors. McManus was also ordered to help Adams in any way he could.

  So, he revealed Tanner’s assassination plans to Adams and suggested that he fly out of London immediately, before Tanner could get to him.

  Adams refused, saying that turning the plan against Tanner would be the perfect way to be rid of him. And so, McManus stood on the deck of the Sea Beast, burning paper in a metal trash basket to lure Tanner to his death.

  As the smoke rose into the sky, McManus looked over at Adams and saw that the bastard was smiling.

  If I had more balls, I’d grab a gun off one of the bodyguards and shoot the scumbag in the head. McManus thought.

  But he wouldn’t do it, and when it was all over, he intended to get blind stinking drunk.

  ***

  Adams watched McManus send up the signal as he sat in a lounge chair surrounded by eight armed bodyguards.

  After Tanner nearly killed him in Greece, Adams called Rashid’s home and left a threatening message on the Arab’s phone, because Rashid was the only one who could have given his island location away.

  Then, when Rashid’s body was found by the police the night before, Adams learned from his contacts that Rashid’s brother was blaming him for Rashid’s death.

  Surviving one set of assassins was difficult enough. If Rashid’s brother was also sending men to kill him, then Adams knew that he wouldn’t last out the month.

  Besides that, the two close calls he suffered in Greece put fear in his heart.

  He had stared into Tanner’s eyes and saw pure death looking back at him. Had he not been in disguise and without one of his doubles, he would be dead, dead and buried.

  The CIA was always hungry for information about the players in the Middle-East terrorist community, and Adams would gladly tell them all he knew for a fresh start. He even agreed to set up a CIA trap for some of them to walk into, and from which the CIA could gather more information.

  When the CIA told him that they already had a mole in his organization, Adams knew he had made the right choice. His enemies had been drawing near. It was time to cash in and find a new game to play.

  He could always make deals behind the scenes and increase his wealth in other ways.

  Adams smiled. Cyber warfare was a growing field that offered advancement in both wealth and power, perhaps it was time to become a player in that arena.

  He signaled to McManus to put out the fire, and watched as the flames were extinguished with seawater. Tanner must have seen the smoke by now and would be on his way to them. Adams rose to get into position, and sent McManus a nod.

  McManus walked over to the starboard side and back towards the stern, where he tossed a knotted rope overboard.

  Adams turned and walked down into the cabin where music played, and where he would be out of sight and the line of fire. Four of the bodyguards followed him while the others hid in strategic spots atop the deck.

  Adams grinned. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Tanner’s face.

  ***

  The look on Tanner’s face was one of determination, as he held on to the Seabob and aimed it towards Adams’ yacht.

  The C4 could get wet and still work, but he had the detonators secured against his waist and inside a waterproof pouch.

  Deke had rigged a small inflatable ring onto the Seabob that would keep the machine afloat once the ring filled with air. At Tanner’s request, Deke had made other alterations to the Seabob, but Tanner hoped that he wouldn’t need to use them.

  He stayed below the surface while traveling the last two hundred yards and was glad to see the end of a knotted rope dangling near the stern, just beneath the water’s surface. Even with the sound of the water slapping against the hull, he could hear voices and music drifting from the cabin.

  He had just finished rigging the Seabob with the added precautions he and Deke had made, and was reaching for the rope when a face peeked over the railing at him.

  It was McManus, who matched Sara’s description well, and he looked nervous, as he called down to him in a loud hoarse whisper.

  “Tanner, get your ass up here before someone sees us.”

  Tanner gazed over at the Seabob and saw that it was staying put against the side of the yacht. Along with the inflatable ring, Deke had added a patch with a strong adhesive to a section of the Seabob’s outer casing. That small section was an add-on and not an original part of the machine.

  When it came time to leave, Tanner could detach the Seabob from it with ease and take off.

  But until he returned to the water, the Seabob would stay in place. If all went well, Tanner and McManus would be going back over the side and using the craft to leave the area before the bomb detonated.

  Tanner climbed up the rope. He had to mostly use his arms, as the side of the boat was slick from the sea spray.

  His broken right pinkie finger was more annoying than painful, but it didn’t interfere enough to affect his grip on the rope, and after reaching the rail, McManus helped him over the side by grabbing his hands and tugging.

  When McManus kept gripping his hands, Tanner stared at him, and McManus held on to him while whispering the words, “I’m sorry, man.”

  Two armed guards appeared, then two more, and McManus released Tanner and moved away fast.

  “Get back from the rail motherfucker or we’ll blow your ass into tomorrow,” one of the men said.

  Tanner put his hands in the air and remained silent. The man told him to walk towards him. Tanner followed orders, but when the man told him to sit in front of the railing near the cabin door, Tanner, with his hands still raised up high, walked over to the port side of the yacht before sitting down.

  The man rushed over and kicked him on the leg.

  “When I tell you to sit, I mean sit, not walk. Now, very slowly hand over the detonators.”

  Tanner complied and removed the pouch, and as he did so, he took a look at his watch and saw that there was just over two minutes left.

  The man then instructed him to take off the vest and to slide it over towards McManus, who had reappeared and was standing to Tanner’s left holding a pair of handcuffs.

  The handcuffs would be a problem, but not an insurmountable one, since Tanner saw McManus place the key to the cuffs in his right front pocket. McManus cuffed Tanner’s left wrist to the brass railing at his back, and Tanner asked him
a question.

  “Is Blake a part of this?”

  “Sara? No, and she’ll want my balls for souvenirs once she’s learned what’s happened.”

  “Where’s Adams?” Tanner said, “The real Adams.”

  “I’m here,” a voice said, and Julien Adams walked out of the ship’s cabin and glared down at Tanner.

  Tanner stared back at him and asked a question.

  “You’re a tough man to kill Adams, but how do I know that you’re not another double?”

  Adams grinned, grabbed his bottom lip, and pulled it down so that Tanner could see that there was no tattoo there. Tanner took another glance at his watch and saw that there was less than a minute left.

  “I’m the genuine article. The man you killed in Greece was one of three doubles. I sent the last one to Dubai, where he’ll likely be slain by an angry Arab who believes I had his brother killed.”

  “How much did it cost to get McManus here to sell out?”

  “Oh, you misunderstand, McManus is just doing his job. The CIA and I have come to terms, and you, Tanner, you were part of the deal.”

  McManus was checking out the vest while Adams talked, and he became confused by what he found.

  “The packets in this vest aren’t C4, they’re just common modeling clay.”

  A check of the watch revealed that there were only twelve seconds left.

  McManus moved directly in front of Tanner and held the vest up.

  “What the hell is this?”

  Tanner bucked his hips up off the deck and locked his legs around McManus’ waist.

  A guard shouted, McManus struggled to break free, and the C4 attached to the Seabob exploded. The blast rocked the yacht while blowing a hole in its side that you could drive a car through, which caused the vessel to lean sharply starboard.

  The line of guards all stumbled backwards into the rail, with more than one of them firing rounds into the air as they lost their balance. Most of the men fell over the rail and into the water below, but one man managed to hold on, while dangling over the side.

  Adams had fallen to his knees, and then slid on his stomach into the side of the cabin wall, thudding his head into it. The yacht canted increasingly towards starboard while sinking lower into the sea.