The TANNER Series - Books 7-9 (Tanner Box Set Book 3)

by Remington Kane

***

  When she was eleven, Alexa dragged Rodrigo to the park every day for a week. He had been suffering from allergies, and the park was the last place he wanted to be.

  On the seventh day, Alexa pointed to a man sitting alone on a bench and reading a newspaper. It had been Emilio.

  “Go talk to that man.”

  “What?”

  “The man on the bench, go talk to him, I don’t know his name, but it starts with an E.”

  “You are a very strange child, have I told you that?”

  Alexa giggled.

  “Every day, Papa, now go talk to him.”

  Rodrigo did talk to Emilio, and they had been together ever since.

  ***

  Rodrigo walked back over to Alexa and gestured for her to stand, when she did, he embraced her.

  “You do what you have to do.”

  “Thank you, Papa.”

  “It serves me right for raising you to think for yourself.”

  “Alexa?”

  “Yes, Emilio?”

  “This man, Tanner, you say that he’ll be an ally, but how will you find him?”

  Alexa looked thoughtful, and then she spoke.

  “We will find each other.”

  CHAPTER 15 – The sky’s the limit

  Rico was fighting sleep by the time the artist finished the drawing, but he smiled with delight when the man showed him his work.

  “How’s that look, Mr. Nazario?”

  “Excellent, that is him. That is Tanner. Make copies of that and send them out everywhere, and don’t forget, the price on his head is now half a million dollars.”

  Juan Alvarado entered the room just as the artist was leaving. Rico had spotted the guard drawing while the man was on his break, and asked him if he could draw someone if they were described to him. The guard turned out to be a talented artist, and now Rico had a better rendition of Tanner’s face than the one seen in the mugshot.

  The guard sent the picture to Rico’s laptop, and Juan stared at it.

  “That’s a lot better than that blurry mugshot. But Tanner doesn’t look like much, and his eyes are weird.”

  “Those are the eyes of the devil,” Rico said. He then smiled at Juan, as he tried to avoid having him grow suspicious.

  “I’d like to know more about the local players. Do you have files on them?”

  Juan rolled his eyes.

  “I’ve got files on everything. The Cartel becomes more like Microsoft every day, do you know how many office workers and accountants we employ, it’s insane.”

  “I’d like to see those files if you don’t mind. It’ll help me pass the time until the new men arrive.”

  “I’ll send them to you,” Juan said, and then he made a face as he looked at the staples in Rico’s head. “They look painful.”

  “They are, but I’ll make Tanner pay for it.”

  Juan left, and ten minutes later, Rico had the files he wanted. When he came to a photo of Sophia Verona, he sighed.

  “What a waste, she was beautiful.”

  His eyes were very near to closing on their own when Rico found what he’d been looking for. It revitalized him, and after pouring a cup of strong coffee, he sat back on the sofa and came up with a plan. It was going to be a long night.

  ***

  Staten Island, New York, 1:28 a.m.

  Mike Conti, the leader of The Calvino Crime Family stirred awake.

  Someone was calling his name.

  Mike reached out, turned on the light beside the bed, and saw Rico Nazario seated in the chair he kept by the dresser, and Rico was pointing a gun at him.

  “Who are you?” Mike said in a scratchy voice, the sleep still evident in his tone.

  “My name is Rico. I’m a member of The Alvarado Cartel.”

  “Oh shit,” Mike said, and this time his voice was clear. He kept a gun in the table beside the bed, but knew he’d never reach it before being shot.

  “I’m not here to hurt you; I’ve come to talk.”

  Mike let out the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, and sat up straight in bed.

  “I’m listening.”

  ***

  Minutes later, they were in the kitchen.

  Rico had rendered the two men watching the house unconscious. One had been sleeping when he came upon them, while the other was listening to earphones. He assured Conti that they would recover, but likely not awaken for another hour or more.

  Conti slid a beer across the kitchen table to Rico and then sat opposite him with a glass of milk.

  “All right, so what you’re offering me is a chance to step in if things go to hell?”

  “Yes. Although your Family is much smaller than Michael Krupin’s mob, and since your war with the Giacconi Family in the ‘80’s you’ve been relegated to the minor league.”

  Conti bristled at that characterization, but before he could protest, Rico held up a hand.

  “I meant no offense, but it is a fact that The Giacconi Family runs New York, but with the Alvarado Cartel behind you, you would rule.”

  Conti glared at Rico.

  “Your people killed a friend of mine, Sophia Verona.”

  “That was unfortunate, and Tanner was the true target.”

  “Ah, is that what this is about? You expect me to hand over Tanner? If so, you’ve got the wrong guy. I barely know him and he wouldn’t trust me.”

  “I don’t want you to hand us Tanner, but I do want you to give us Pullo.”

  “A double-cross?”

  Rico appeared perplexed.

  “I understood that while still a boy, Pullo killed the founder of your Family, Albertino Calvino. It seems to me that you would simply be repaying him for that.”

  Mike Conti laughed.

  “You know your mob history, but that was a long time ago, and Joe is a friend.”

  “Pullo is your boss, whether you admit it or not. What I’m offering is a chance for you to be your own boss.”

  Conti downed the last of his milk as he thought things over. He then had a question.

  “What if I hand you Pullo and Krupin stays in control; what do I get then?”

  “We’ll let you handle distribution for the Giacconi’s pot business. That’s worth many millions.”

  Conti ran a hand over his face.

  “I could get to Joe, but the second I shot him, his men would kill me.”

  “I’m not talking about a suicide mission. We just need to know where he’s hiding out.”

  “Hmm, I could do that, and I know he’ll be at Sophia’s funeral.”

  “That’s no good. Federal Agents will be there just waiting for something to happen, and I have to believe that Pullo will have his troops there as well.”

  “I know, and I also know he won’t allow himself to be followed, but... I could probably slip a GPS device on him or one of his men. Would that work?”

  Rico held up his beer bottle as if to make a toast.

  “That’s perfect.”

  “Hey listen, if I did take Krupin’s place in this deal, what kind of money are we talking about?”

  “We would instantly double your Family’s wealth, power, and influence, and after that, the sky’s the limit.”

  Conti grinned.

  “I hope Tanner rips the kid apart.”

  And although he didn’t say it, Rico wished the same fate for Juan Alvarado.

  CHAPTER 16 – Boy Cody

  The following morning in Texas found Laurel riding a horse for the first time in years.

  She was a little nervous in the beginning, but she had ridden often as a girl and the skills returned quickly.

  By the time she and Romina had covered two miles along the ranch’s perimeter, it felt natural for her to be in the saddle.

  They found one section of fence that needed repair and Romina stopped to send a text off to the ranch foreman.

  As she was doing that, Laurel looked around and spied something odd.

  “Romina, what’s that fencing ov
er there at the edge of the pasture?”

  “Oh, that’s a family cemetery, but not ours... it’s the Parker family.”

  “Someone named Parker owned the land at one time?”

  “Yeah, um, I’ll tell you the story while we ride over.”

  ***

  Laurel stood looking down at the graves of the Parker family as she wiped at tears.

  “That story is so incredibly sad, and what kind of monster would kill a baby?”

  “It is sad, even Tanner teared up a little.”

  “What?”

  “Tanner, he was touched by this.”

  “Really?”

  “Um-hmm, and he came here just before he left us. I guess he wanted to say goodbye.”

  Laurel reached out and touched the tombstone engraved with Cody Parker’s name.

  “That doesn’t sound like Tanner, but tell me, are there any pictures of the Parkers?”

  “No, they were all destroyed with the house, oh but wait; there is one picture of Cody Parker.”

  “Can I see it?”

  “It’s at the library, inside a new display they just put up; someone came across it in their family photos and realized who was in the picture.”

  Laurel cocked her head as she stared down at Cody Parker’s tombstone. Years ago, while they were still lovers, Tanner had told her that he had grown-up on a ranch in Texas.

  “I think I’ll stop by the library later.”

  ***

  While at the hospital, Ivanov had passed along the location of more than a dozen Russian street soldiers.

  They all lived together in an apartment building that Krupin owned.

  Tanner watched it from the roof of a nearby building and noticed that the men seemed complacent. They were not expecting to be attacked, because they thought that all the focus would be on their boss, Michael Krupin.

  Still, they took precautions when they traveled, by staying in packs. Tanner had seen that strategy before. By always leaving the building as part of a group, it made them harder to kill or capture, and if one or two of them were going off to guard Krupin, the pack could cover them against being followed, by watching in every direction for a tail.

  After observing the building for several hours, Tanner knew that there were at least eighteen men living inside it; he also knew that they would not be living much longer.

  ***

  Laurel entered the Stark Texas Public Library with Romina, who led her over to a glass display case.

  There were words written above the case: THE HISTORY OF STARK — 1865 to Present.

  Romina leaned over and looked at the old photos displayed behind the case, after a few seconds of searching, she pointed to a photo that was in the lower right-hand corner.

  “There he is; that’s Cody Parker.”

  Laurel bent down and squinted through the glass.

  The faded Polaroid picture showed a little boy of eight standing beside a girl of the same age who was wearing a birthday hat. Someone had scribbled words on the photos white border. CODY AND GINNY ON GINNY’S EIGHTH BIRTHDAY

  The birthday girl, Ginny, was standing to Cody’s left on what looked like a front porch, and she was holding Cody’s hand. On Cody’s right, there was a blonde woman, and a dog was laying at the boy’s feet.

  The boy resembled Tanner, but he was so young that his features had yet to form fully. The woman was another matter. The face was most definitely feminine, but she looked like Tanner, so much so that Laurel said the words aloud.

  “His mother...”

  Romina nodded.

  “Um-hmm, that’s Cody’s mother, and they say she died not long after that picture was taken. The woman that died during the massacre, Claire, she was Cody’s stepmother. But hey, Laurel, I see a friend over there by the computers, so just come find me when you’re ready to leave.”

  “I will, and thank you.”

  Laurel continued to stare at the picture, as she struggled to understand the mystery behind Tanner. Was he really Cody Parker, and if so, how had he survived?

  “Can I help you?”

  The pleasant voice startled Laurel from her reverie, and she turned to see an older woman smiling at her. The woman wore a pin that had the word STAFF printed on it.

  “Hi, um yes, I was interested in that photo of Cody Parker and his mother. Are there any other photos of them?”

  “I’m afraid not, but that photo has been digitized. Would you like a copy?”

  “Yes, absolutely.”

  When Laurel left the library, she was carrying a piece of Tanner’s past.

  CHAPTER 17 – A new record

  Tanner met with Duke at the same bar they were at the day before, and he noticed that the man seemed nervous.

  “Why the jitters, Duke?”

  “No offense, Tanner, but being near you is not exactly a safe place to be. Did you know that The Alvarado Cartel has placed a half a million bounty on your head?”

  Tanner smirked.

  “That’s a new record.”

  “Yeah, well I hope you’ll understand if I stay away from you after this. I have my health to worry about.”

  “I don’t blame you, but did you get what I need?”

  “I did; they’re in the same car I put the rocket in, and did you ever put that to use, I saw the scenes of that jet crash on the news.”

  “Yeah, and I’ll put the new items to good use as well.”

  “Be careful with that stuff, and remember, the blue ones are harmless, but the red ones cause death.”

  “Blue and red? That reminds me of a movie.”

  “What movie?” Duke said.

  “Nevermind.”

  Tanner made Duke start the engine and open the trunk again. When he was certain the car was all right, he handed Duke an envelope.

  “What’s this?”

  “A bonus, and it comes with advice. Leave the city until things cool down.”

  Duke peeked inside the envelope.

  “Nice, and you watch your back, Tanner; I know guys that would kill for half a buck, nevermind half a mil.”

  “Yeah,” Tanner said. “But it feels good to be wanted by so many.”

  ***

  Joe was in the hotel bar and talking on the phone with Mike Conti. Conti had ostensibly called to discuss Sophia’s funeral, which would be held the next day on Staten Island. However, his real intention was to get a feel for how Joe was thinking.

  “I’ll be there, and so will Sammy Giacconi.”

  “I never met the kid. I still thought Sophia was with Tanner.”

  “Yeah, so did the cartel.”

  “Does Tanner blame himself for Sophia dying?”

  “No, Mike, he blames The Alvarado Cartel, and they’re going to wish they stayed in Mexico.”

  “Joe, be realistic. You can’t win this war. The cartel has ten times the men you have and a hundred times the money.”

  “They don’t have as many men as they had yesterday, and tomorrow they’ll have even less.”

  “Listen to yourself, you sound crazy. There’s no way you can win a war against them, and your boy, Tanner, he’ll be dead soon.”

  “Never count Tanner out.”

  “Again, be realistic. The man is worth half a mil dead. Someone will collect that money; it’s just a matter of time.”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “Make peace. Give them whatever they want and walk away while you still can.”

  There was silence on the line. It lasted so long that Conti broke it.

  “Joe? You still there?”

  “Yeah, Mike, I’m here, and I’m staying.”

  Conti sighed.

  “They’ll kill you, Joe. These bastards will kill you.”

  “Thanks for the advice, Mike. I’ll see you at the funeral.”

  Joe ended the call and sat staring off into space.

  Bosco, his wounded arm still in a sling, was sitting at the bar nursing a beer. He called over to his boss.

  “Is somet
hing wrong?”

  “Yeah, I think I smell a rat. Are you sure the limo will be ready by tomorrow?”

  “It’s ready now. I sent Tony and Benny to get it.”

  “They know what to do?”

  “Yeah, don’t worry; they’re not stupid enough to park the thing out front.”

  Joe picked up the phone again.

  “I need to make a change with our travel arrangements.”

  Bosco stood.

  “You need me to leave?”

  Joe pointed to the chair that sat across from him.

  “Have a seat.”

  Bosco smiled as he sat down.

  “You can trust me, Joe, you know?”

  “It’s why you’re still here.”

  “So what are these new plans?”

  “Mike Conti knows we’re coming to Sophia’s funeral.”

  “Yeah, and the cartel can probably guess the same thing.”

  “Right, so it wouldn’t be too smart to just drive up to the cemetery.”

  Bosco pulled at his collar.

  “There’s a toll booth too, and I think of that scene in The Godfather every time I drive through one.”

  Joe laughed.

  “Yeah, well, I don’t plan to wind up the same way.”

  Joe had dialed, and when his party answered, he spoke into the phone.

  “Yes, Anywhere Air, I need to rent a helicopter.”

  When Joe looked across the table, he saw Bosco give him the thumbs up sign.

  CHAPTER 18 – Missing in action

  Brooklyn, 1:41 a.m.

  Tanner made just enough noise to make the Russian take notice and turn his attention to the left.

  Tanner was on the roof of the apartment building where Krupin’s troops were housed, and he needed to take out the man guarding the door to the stairway. Normally, he would do the deed himself, but he was not alone.

  As the man peered into the gloom on the left side of the roof, Joe Pullo came up on his right. The Russian felt a stab of pain at the base of his skull, and then his world faded to black.

  Tanner walked over, smiling.

  “I see you haven’t lost your touch with a blackjack.”

  “Some things you never forget,” Joe said.

  Like Tanner, Joe was dressed all in black. Also like Tanner, there was a small pack strapped to his back. The packs contained two of the items they had procured through Duke.