The Tanner Series - Books 1-11: Tanner - The hit man with a heart

by Remington Kane

  “Damn impressive,” Tanner muttered. He became further impressed as the man drew closer and he saw that the marksman was even younger than he was. The kid was probably no more than sixteen or seventeen, with dark hair peeking out from beneath the cowboy hat he wore.

  At least, he looked young if you didn’t consider the boy’s eyes, which broadcast more experience than they should have.

  “That was some damn fine shooting, kid.”

  The boy glanced at him and Tanner could tell that the kid had spotted the bulge of the gun on his hip, beneath his untucked shirt.

  After giving a loud whistle for the dog, the animal came over to the boy and rubbed against his legs, while still shaking from fright.

  When the boy slung the rifle onto his back by its strap, Tanner could see that it was a Remington 760 with a scope. The pump-action rifle was older than the kid, since they stopped making them some time ago, although the one across the kid’s back looked to be in good shape.

  After squatting down to pet the dog, the boy looked up at Tanner.

  “Are you passing through, mister?”

  “More or less, but maybe you can help me. I’m looking for the McKay Ranch.”

  The boy stood again, and Tanner realized he was almost his height and over six feet tall.

  After looking Tanner over again, the boy asked a question. “What kind of work is McKay paying you to do?”

  “Well, that would be between him and me, wouldn’t it?”

  The boy just stared at him. So intense was his gaze that Tanner felt the weight of it as he stared back. The boy broke eye contact and pointed down the road in the direction that Tanner’s car was facing.

  “Go another three miles and you’ll be on McKay’s land.”

  Tanner nodded his thanks, then turned to walk back to his car. As he did so, he spoke over his shoulder. “What’s your name, kid?”

  “I’m Cody Parker, what’s yours?”

  “Call me Tanner.”

  “Hey, Tanner.”

  Tanner stopped walking and turned back to look at the boy. “Yeah?”

  “I’m not a kid.”

  Tanner smiled. It was only several years earlier that he was the boy’s age. He remembered that he hated being called a kid too. It was the main reason he grew the beard.

  “I’ll remember that, Cody, and maybe I’ll see you around.”

  Cody Parker tipped his hat and walked off with the dog at his side.

  Tanner took one more look at the bodies of the three coyotes and nodded his head slightly.

  “Damn fine shooting,” he muttered, then he headed for his meeting with Andy McKay.

  191

  The Old And The New

  While seated, Tanner checked the pockets of the cargo pants he was wearing and felt the money he had placed inside one of them. It was a little less than five thousand dollars. He looked over at the old man and saw him smile.

  “That’s quite a bundle of cash you’ve got there.”

  “You went through my pockets?”

  “Yeah, and if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have found those antibiotics you had on you. Those pills saved your life, you know? I think it was just enough to fight off the fever and infection you had.”

  Tanner touched his wound. “You took the bullet out and stitched me up inside a moving train car?”

  “I sure did. I keep a needle and thread in my pack. And lucky for you the bullet wasn’t too deep and hit nothing vital.”

  Tanner counted out two thousand dollars and passed it to the old man, whose eyes bulged at the sight of so much cash headed his way.

  “That’s payment for helping me.”

  “Damn, son. I haven’t seen this much cash at one time in years.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “You can call me Doc.”

  “Are you a doctor?”

  “I was, but that was many years ago. Now I’m just an old man making it day by day.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police when you realized I’d been shot? That way, you could have also taken my money.”

  The old man chuckled. “I hate the damn cops. All they ever do is hassle you. And you look like a man who would hold a grudge and come looking for me someday.”

  Tanner thought about pointing out that, given how sick he had been with the fever, the old man could have easily murdered him and taken the money.

  The fact that some people never considered killing someone, no matter how expedient it would be, always puzzled Tanner. He had never had a problem with killing anyone if he thought it the best course of action. But then, his conscience, his sense of right and wrong, had always differed from that of others.

  “What’s this depot like? Will there be heavy security there?”

  “Maybe, but I doubt it. A train yard is like everywhere else these days, fewer people doing more work. Most of the time, the guards stay in their shack and keep out of the sun. Besides, I know how to avoid the cameras.”

  “I need a place to wash up.”

  “There’s a truck stop a mile from the depot, you can even shower there.”

  Tanner studied the old man. “Why were you headed to Stark, Texas?”

  “I heard there was work. I can’t do much at my age, but I can still muck out a stall. Of course, thanks to you, I no longer need the money.”

  “One of the ranches is hiring?”

  “Yeah, the Reyes Ranch, a Mexican family owns it.”

  Tanner looked out at the passing scenery and spotted the highway in the distance.

  “That’s Highway 16, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah and the ranch is not far from it.”

  “Are you from this area?”

  Doc nodded. “Originally, yeah.”

  “The Reyes Ranch, what did it used to be called?”

  The old man’s back straightened. “Oh, so you know about that, huh? Yeah, it’s the same ranch. The Reyes Ranch used to be called the Parker Ranch, and after the… tragedy, I guess you might call it, the place just sat there for years.”

  Tanner stared at the old man. “Tragedy? That’s one way of putting it.”

  The old man squinted at Tanner. “Were you around here back then?”

  Tanner ignored the question and stood as the train began to slow. “Show me where this truck stop is, and after that… I guess I’ll go to the ranch with you.”

  Doc smiled. “Fine, I could use the company.”

  They left the train yard without being harassed and walked across the wide sandy field that separated them from the highway.

  The old man wrinkled his nose as the breeze carried Tanner’s scent.

  “You’re a bit ripe, son, fever will do that. They sell a little clothing at the truck stop too, nothing fancy, but you might consider getting new clothes before you shower.”

  Tanner looked down at the black shirt he was wearing. It was ripped and bloody, and he could smell the stink coming off it as well.

  “New clothes sound like a good idea.”

  “I’ll also change that bandage for you. But say, how did you get shot?”

  Tanner smirked. “I underestimated a very devious woman.”

  “Your wife?”

  “No, and tell me something, this store inside the truck stop, do they sell phones?”

  “I don’t know, but the last time I was here, they still had a pay phone.”

  “Good, I need to make a call.”

  “Say son, what’s your name?”

  Tanner thought for a moment, as he tried to recall one of the fake names he’d chosen, but he had burned through so many of them recently that he decided to just use the one that had been handed down to him by his mentor.

  “I’m Tanner.”

  “Well, Tanner, I hear the ranch is hiring security. Judging by the way you handled that dude on the train, I’d say they’ll hire you on.”

  “Why would they need security?”

  “The story I heard is that some local big shot is hassling them.”

  �
��That sounds familiar.”

  Doc stopped walking. “You’re thinking about what happened back when it was the Parker Ranch, but don’t worry, the way I hear it, this thing isn’t that serious.”

  “Has the law gotten involved?”

  “Maybe, but I don’t know much about it.”

  The Highway 16 Truck Stop turned out to be a massive complex that housed a restaurant, offered truck repair, and had a shop where Tanner outfitted himself in a new pair of jeans and a black T-shirt.

  The store also sold cheap cell phones. After showering and getting his bandage changed by Doc, Tanner stepped outside and made a call.

  After eight rings, a cautious voice answered. “Hello?”

  “Tim, it’s me, Tanner.”

  “Oh, thank God. Madison and I were worried about you. The newspaper in Ridge Creek wrote a story that said you’d been shot. What happened?”

  Tanner gave Tim Jackson a quick explanation of what had occurred over the last few days, including the events in Ridge Creek.

  “I guess the farm is burned now that the FBI is looking at it?” Tim said.

  “No, I have an idea about that, but I’ll need you to find someone.”

  Tanner told Tim what he wanted to do, and Tim said he would handle it.

  “I’ll find him, but are you certain he’ll do it?”

  “No, I’m not sure. But once you find him, get a number where I can call him.”

  “I will, and I’ll send out those materials you want too.”

  “The sooner the better,” Tanner said, as the “materials” Tim mentioned, were Tanner’s newest fake ID.

  After talking to Tim, Tanner joined Doc at a booth inside the restaurant. As he ate, Tanner felt his strength returning. He downed three glasses of orange juice with his meal as well, as the fever had left him dehydrated.

  Along with the bandaged gunshot wound, Tanner also wore a wrapping of gauze around his midsection, as his leap into the train had injured the ribs on his left side. He had also been wounded on his right leg, but the bullet that caused it had barely touched him and left behind only a purple bruise.

  Once he finished eating, Tanner leaned back and asked Doc what he knew about the town of Stark, Texas.

  Doc stifled a burp and began talking. “After the… thing out at the Parker Ranch, the town started to die. The Parkers were gone, but so was McKay, and between the two of them, they employed a lot of men. Without that revenue, the town shriveled up.”

  Tanner pointed out the window beside their booth. “That’s Stark over there in the distance, and I see three tall buildings that weren’t there years ago, so I guess the town made a comeback.”

  “It sure did, and you can thank a dude named Chuck Willis for that. He came here from San Antonio, bought up the McKay land and started building an office complex. It’s a huge place, like a college campus. And along with it, he built the housing so that his employees would have someplace to live.”

  “Why didn’t Willis buy the Parker Ranch too?”

  “He was too late. Reyes had already bought it cheap and started breeding horses.”

  “Horses? No cattle?”

  “The cattle business dried up around here. Reyes, whoever he is, must be doing well breeding horses, because he’s refused to sell his land to Willis.”

  “But Willis doesn’t take no for an answer. Is that why Reyes is hiring security?”

  “What I heard is that a horse was poisoned and nearly died. They raise quarter horses, racehorses, and those animals can be worth a pretty penny. Plus, some of the ranch hands got hurt in accidents. The thing is, though, the accidents weren’t accidents. The story I heard is that one guy fell from a ladder that had a top rung sawn through. He broke his arm in the fall.”

  They left the truck stop and walked across more desert scrubland, as they headed toward the town of Stark, Texas.

  As they drew closer, Tanner’s mind again filled with memories.

  192

  Indecent Proposal

  STARK, TEXAS, SEPTEMBER 1997

  Tanner was escorted into Andy McKay’s office.

  The large room was masculine in every aspect, from its wood paneling to the genuine bearskin rug that covered the floor in the center of the room.

  A large wooden desk sat before a wide window that looked out on a green pasture, upon which a score of cattle could be seen grazing in the distance. A console TV sat in one corner of the room by the door, while a smaller desk was in the opposite corner and had a computer sitting atop it.

  The computer was one of many Tanner had seen inside a home recently. He thought that the machines were rapidly gaining in popularity, although he himself had never used one. That would change, as he was always ready to learn a new skill.

  The man who escorted Tanner into the office was tall but had a gut that made him look fat. Tanner could tell the man believed his girth and height made him intimidating. He was also aware that the man didn’t like him, and believed he knew why. McKay was bringing Tanner in to handle a problem that the fat man thought he could do himself and the man felt resentful.

  The man had told Tanner that his name was Jack Sheer, right before asking Tanner how old he was. Sheer was in his forties and no doubt thought that anyone under thirty wasn’t worth a damn. Tanner didn’t care what Sheer thought. He just wanted to know who McKay wanted dead, so he could do the job and head back to Dallas.

  Despite having grown up in a succession of rural environments, Tanner liked cities, and he wanted to leave Stark as soon as possible.

  From behind his massive wooden desk, McKay studied Tanner as the hit man walked in and took a seat. Tanner guessed that McKay was in his early fifties and could see that the lean man was in good condition. Judging by the stern expression on his face, McKay was a man who took things seriously.

  McKay was graying at the temples, and his lined and sun-browned skin told Tanner that McKay spent more time outdoors than inside the office. After reaching across the desk to shake hands, McKay told Jack Sheer to close the door on his way out.

  Sheer hesitated to leave. “Don’t you want me to sit in, Andy?”

  “No, but go see to that other matter we talked about.”

  “I got Dave and his brother handling that.”

  “I want you to handle it; it has to be done right.”

  “All right, I’ll go see to that,” Sheer said, and then Tanner was alone with Andy McKay.

  McKay looked Tanner over. “You’re younger than I’d thought you’d be.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I heard about you from two men; one was Robertson, the man that sent you here. But there’s another fella I know real well who said he hired you once, only that couldn’t be you, because the man named Tanner that he hired was older, and that was ten years ago.”

  “That man your friend hired was my mentor; when he died, I took the name Tanner, just like he did when his mentor died.”

  “What’s your real name?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I guess not, but I hope you’re the man I need, because what I want done will take guts and it’s… complicated.”

  “You want someone dead or I wouldn’t be here. Tell me who it is and why you want them dead. If I agree to take the job, I’ll kill them. It’s just that simple.”

  “What if I want you to kill more than one?”

  “I’m sure that Robertson told you my price, just multiply that and you have my fee.”

  McKay took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and leaned across the desk.

  “Here’s the thing…”

  Less than a minute later, Tanner was out of his seat and headed for the office door. McKay left his desk and trailed behind him.

  “I thought you were a professional, Tanner. Why won’t you take the job?”

  “I gave you my answer, McKay. Go find somebody else. It shouldn’t be hard to do; the world is full of maniacs.”

  Tanner stopped to open the door and McKay spun him around.

/>   “I thought you were supposed to be a stone-cold killer, but you’re just a boy still, aren’t you?”

  “My age has nothing to do with it. I’m a killer, yes, but not a butcher or a madman. Listen to me, if you go through with what you want, the law will pin it on you. Hiring outside help won’t stop them from tracing it back to you.”

  McKay looked him up and down, as disgust covered his face. “You’re just a gutless punk.”

  Tanner opened the door. “Goodbye, McKay. Forget that we met.”

  Tanner strode down a hall to the front door, where he went down porch steps and into the wide driveway, while looking for signs of trouble. Then he was in his car and driving toward the graveled path that would take him back to the county road.

  Inside the ranch house, McKay grabbed a walkie-talkie from off a table. “Jack, come in.”

  There was the sound of static, followed by Jack Sheer’s voice. “What’s up, Andy?”

  “Tanner is headed your way. You boys kill that son of a bitch and I’ll give you two grand each.”

  “You got it.”

  After rounding a curve on the graveled drive that connected McKay’s ranch to the road, Tanner stopped the car and stepped out into the hot afternoon sun. He had refused to kill for McKay because what the man wanted done was madness. Insane or not, McKay wasn’t stupid. Tanner knew he would not be allowed to just ride away once he knew McKay’s plans.

  That “other matter” of which McKay had spoken about to Jack Sheer was no doubt an ambush. The driveway was lined on both sides by jacaranda trees that were still in bloom with their purple flowers, and beyond them was white fencing, followed by flat arid land. However, the road leading out of the ranch curved in both directions from where Tanner stopped the car and it placed him out of the line of sight.