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

by Remington Kane

  “I don’t trust the emotion of love, not romantic love.”

  “Love doesn’t always end badly.”

  “Maybe not, but why take the chance?”

  Maria laughed. “What else in life is worth the risk?”

  Tanner thought about that and found he didn’t have an answer.

  204

  Red Sauce

  STARK, TEXAS, SEPTEMBER 1997

  Okie, Pug, and Slim made their move on Claire in the supermarket parking lot.

  While Cody was securing the food into the bed of the pickup truck, Claire was fastening the baby into his car seat. Cody had just enough time to see the masked figures of Pug and Slim grab Claire, before sensing Okie rushing up on him from the rear.

  Okie had been aiming his blackjack at a spot behind Cody’s right ear, but the boy moved at the last second and the sap only caught him a glancing blow on the shoulder.

  Okie raised the blackjack high in preparation to deliver another blow and Cody smashed a large jar of spaghetti sauce against his forehead.

  Okie cried out in agony, as shards of glass penetrated the stocking he wore over his head and a sliver entered his left eye. In the meantime, Cody had looked back to see Claire struggling to get free.

  Pug kept one hand clamped over Claire’s mouth, as he lifted her and prepared to toss her into the back of the van they’d stolen. Slim followed along, as he tried to keep his hold on Claire’s kicking legs.

  Cody fought the urge to run toward them and fight. Instead, he headed for the cab of the pickup, where his rifle was secured in its rack.

  Pug noticed him first. As Cody sighted over the roof of the truck, he cried out a warning to Slim. “The boy’s got a rifle!”

  Both men dropped Claire unceremoniously to the parking lot pavement as they reached for the guns stuck in their belts. Pug kept his weapon secured behind his back. He barely managed to clear it before Cody’s first shot removed the top of his head and sent it landing inside the van. Slim did a bit better. He was an instant away from pulling the trigger when Cody sent two into his chest and shredded his lungs and heart.

  A shot pinged off the door frame and ricocheted into the pickup’s windshield, shattering it. It was Okie, with the stocking removed. He was firing at Cody with his one good eye, which was set in a face covered with spaghetti sauce and blood. The two liquids were distinguishable only by their texture, as the color of the fluids matched.

  Cody swung the rifle around and fired a shot that entered Okie’s remaining eye. It sent the big man crumbling to the ground with the back of his head blown away.

  “My baby!” Claire shouted. She scrambled to her feet, while her shoes slipped amid the blood of her would-be captors. Baby James was wailing in the aftermath of the chaos, but he had been uninjured by gunfire, or the shattered glass of the windshield.

  Cody walked over and kicked the gun from Okie’s hand, despite knowing that his shot must have killed the man. Slim and Pug had dropped their weapons as they fell. Cody let them be and walked back over to Claire, who was trying to calm the baby cradled in her arms.

  Claire had scraped her left elbow after being dropped. The wound was bleeding, but she seemed not to notice. She gazed about and took in the scenes of death surrounding her, while the other shoppers in the parking lot began converging to gawk.

  “Are you all right, Claire?” Cody asked, as he laid his rifle on the truck’s front seat.

  “You… you killed them?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh my God!”

  “It was them or us. How is James doing?”

  “He’ll be all right, but I want to go home.”

  Cody pointed toward the street, where a police car was rushing toward the supermarket entrance.

  “I think we have to deal with him first.”

  Seconds later, the police car skidded to a stop near the truck and County Sheriff Emory McKay stepped out with a gun in his hand. He was Andy McKay’s older brother and resembled him, but the sheriff was shorter and had gray hair. He was also Claire’s former brother-in-law. The first words out of his mouth were directed at her.

  “What kind of shit have you caused now, Claire?”

  Cody raised his empty hands in the air where everyone could see them. He spoke to the people in the crowd. “You people see that I’m unarmed, right?”

  The sheriff walked over and got in Cody’s face. “What are you trying to say, boy? You think that I would shoot you without cause?”

  “If you’re anything like your brother you would.”

  Three seconds later, Cody was slammed onto the hood of his truck and having his hands cuffed behind his back.

  205

  Punk Ass

  Javier rushed toward the truck with Doc following behind him, as Maria and Tanner arrived back at the ranch house.

  “I tried calling you, Mom. Where were you for so long?”

  Maria checked her phone and saw that she had forgotten to turn it on. “Oh sorry, I had it turned off. Tanner and I stopped for lunch.”

  “And drinks,” Javier said, after catching the scent of alcohol on his mother’s breath. He walked over to stand in front of Tanner. “What are you up to? Are you trying to get in my mother’s pants?”

  “I’m not her type, but that would be up to her, wouldn’t it?”

  Despite being still in his teens, Javier was taller than Tanner, and bigger. Those two facts gave Javier courage, despite knowing that Tanner had recently defeated two men who were each even larger than he was.

  “I want you to stay away from my sister too. She doesn’t need a babysitter when she runs.”

  Maria clapped her hands together to grab Javier’s attention, but the young man just kept staring into Tanner’s eyes in an attempt to intimidate him.

  “Javier, leave Mr. Tanner alone. You should be thanking him for guarding Romina this morning. If he hadn’t been there, who knows what the Harvey brothers might have done.”

  Javier broke eye contact and shrugged. “Maybe you’re right, Mom.” Javier turned away from Tanner, but then spun back to deliver a punch to Tanner’s face.

  Tanner had seen it coming, ducked the punch, and backhanded Javier with a swat at his nose, which caused it to bleed.

  Javier scurried backwards in shock, touched his face, then stared in surprise at the blood on his fingers. “You broke my fucking nose!”

  Doc came over and told Javier to tilt his head back. When he touched Javier’s nose, the boy let out a cry of pain.

  “It’s not broken, but it is likely to swell up. Maybe that will teach you not to throw a sucker punch. Not everyone is a sucker.”

  Javier pushed Doc away. “Fuck you, old man.”

  “Javier!” Maria cried, but the boy kept walking toward the house.

  When she turned to look at Tanner, she sent him a sad smile. “Thank you for not hurting him worse, and he needed to be taught a lesson. He’s been getting out of hand since his father passed away.”

  “He’s still young,” Tanner said, and let it go at that. What point would there be in telling the woman that her only son was a punk?

  Tanner picked up Romina from school without incident. Later that afternoon, he was pleased when Tonya Jennings showed up at the ranch to tutor Romina.

  Tanner had been seated on the porch with Doc, teaching the old man how to clean a gun. When Tonya arrived, Tanner introduced her to Doc. She joined them around the folding card table they were using.

  “I haven’t been shooting in months,” Tonya said. “And I’m better with a rifle than a handgun.”

  Doc pointed at the rifle leaning on the wall near Tanner. It was an old Winchester Model 70, which had belonged to Maria’s late husband. Tanner had cleaned it earlier, after buying fresh ammo for it.

  “You should see this dude shoot. I lined up a bunch of tin cans on a fence post earlier and damn if he didn’t hit every one of them.”

  Tonya smiled, but then grew pensive. “I used to visit this ranch often when the Park
ers owned it, and Cody Parker was the best with a rifle I ever saw. But then there was that one time when the Parkers had a man staying here, and he tied Cody when they were shooting soda—” Tonya stopped talking in mid-sentence and stared at Tanner. “Have you ever been to the Reyes Ranch before, Tanner?”

  “No, this is my first time.”

  Tonya cocked her head slightly as she studied his face. “Did you have a beard when you were younger?”

  “No.”

  “And did you ever meet Cody Parker?”

  “No,” Tanner said, “I never met the boy.”

  Romina appeared, walked over, and kissed Tonya on the cheek. “Hi, Miss Jennings. Are you and Tanner getting to know each other better?”

  Tonya nodded. “Yes, I think I do know him better than I thought. As for you, young lady, it’s time to study.”

  “Can’t we talk with Tanner for a little while first?”

  “Don’t procrastinate, and say goodbye to Doc and Tanner.”

  Romina said goodbye reluctantly, and she and Tonya entered the house.

  Doc turned in his seat and watched them go. “My teachers sure weren’t that pretty, and I think she’s got her eye on you.”

  “She already has a boyfriend.”

  “Have you ever let that stop you?”

  “No.”

  Doc laughed. “I like you, boy. How’s that wound coming along?”

  “It’s healing and my ribs barely hurt.”

  Doc looked around and sighed. “I like it here. I asked Maria if there was a chance I could stay on after the trouble passed.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said she’d think about it, but I wouldn’t blame her if she said no. She probably figures my old ass isn’t good for much and will hire a younger man.”

  The screen door opened and slammed shut, and Javier stood staring at them.

  Doc called to him in a friendly voice. “How’s it going there, Javier?”

  Javier gave him the finger and sent a second one Tanner’s way, before heading down the steps and straddling his motorcycle. It was an old Harley Davidson Road King that had seen better days.

  “Being young doesn’t give a man worth,” Tanner said, and Doc flipped Javier the bird back as the boy rode off.

  Romina made certain that Tanner and Tonya were seated beside each other during dinner, and Tanner noticed the teacher giving him sideways glances throughout the meal.

  Maria made a point of thanking Doc for fixing several things around the property, such as leaky faucets and a cracked windowpane. Tanner thought it bode well for the old man and his desire to stay on the ranch.

  After dinner, Tanner walked Tonya out to her car, a ruby red Ford Fusion. The teacher asked him a question.

  “Have you ever been married, Tanner?”

  “There’s no Mrs. Tanner, no, and by the way, I met Trey Broderick.”

  “You’ve met Trey? What did you think of him?”

  “Not much.”

  Tonya fought back a smile. “Are you always so honest?”

  “I find it keeps things simple.”

  Tonya stared into his eyes. “Oh, I think you are anything but simple. You’re more like a mystery or a puzzle.”

  “Do you like puzzles?”

  She moved closer. “I adore them.”

  “Why don’t we go have a drink somewhere?” Tanner said.

  Tonya took a step back and shook her head. “I can’t. Trey is coming by and I have to get home.”

  “I see.”

  She opened her car door, gave him a look as if she were going to ask a question, but smiled instead.

  “You have a good evening, Tanner.”

  “You too.”

  And as he watched Tonya drive away, Tanner wondered if she remembered him.

  206

  Hero

  THE PARKER RANCH, SEPTEMBER 1997

  Tanner was certain that if Sheriff Emory McKay wasn’t wearing a badge, Frank Parker would have kicked the man’s ass clear down to the Gulf of Mexico.

  Three employees from the ranch owned by the sheriff’s brother attacked Parker’s wife and son, and McKay had the nerve to handcuff Cody for defending himself and keeping his stepmother safe, not to mention the baby, who also could have come to harm.

  “My brother said he knows nothing about this attack. He also said that he doesn’t hold a grudge against Claire, or you either, Frank.”

  “Your brother is lying,” Tanner said.

  The sheriff narrowed his eyes, as he looked Tanner’s way. There was just the four of them in the living room: Frank Parker, Cody, the sheriff, and Tanner. Cody sat in a chair biting his tongue, as his father had told him to remain quiet.

  “Let me see some ID, Tanner.”

  Tanner handed over his driver’s license and the sheriff made a face. “This says your name is Tucker Coe, so why do you call yourself Tanner?”

  “I don’t know. Your name is Emory McKay, so why do you call yourself sheriff?”

  “Are you getting smart with me, boy?”

  “No, but I can tell you for a fact that your brother wants Claire Parker dead, because he tried to hire me to kill her.”

  The sheriff tossed the license back at Tanner. “The hell you say!”

  “It’s a fact. And since you’re his brother, I’m betting you already know what a sick bastard he is.”

  The sheriff made a move toward Tanner, but then stopped himself and took several deep breaths.

  When he was under control again, the sheriff held up a finger.

  “All right. My brother does harbor bad feelings toward Claire, and who can blame him? But as near as I can tell, those three men acted alone. Now, I will go as far to say that they may have thought their actions would please my brother, but he did not order them to attack Claire.”

  “Think what you want, Emory, but what about my son?” Frank said.

  “The boy is in the clear. The evidence and several witnesses back up his story.”

  Tanner smiled at Cody. “The boy, excuse me, the man is a hero.”

  The sheriff glared at Cody. “The boy has a smart mouth.”

  After the sheriff left, Frank headed upstairs to see to Claire and his other children. He stopped halfway up the stairs and looked back at Cody.

  “Son?”

  “Yeah, Dad?”

  “Thank you, boy. I’d have died if anything happened to Claire.”

  Cody smiled. “She’s beginning to grow on me too.”

  Frank laughed and then continued up.

  Tanner walked over to Cody and stared down at him. “You did what had to be done, but how do you feel about it?”

  “Killing those three men didn’t bother me. They were trying to hurt Claire, and stepmother or not, she’s a Parker. Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it.”

  Tanner tapped the gun he was wearing on his hip. “I think I’ll keep this close, just in case.”

  “You don’t think McKay is done, do you?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t know,” Cody said. “Maybe after what happened today, he’ll back off.”

  And even to his young ears, the words sounded like false hope.

  At the McKay Ranch, Jack Sheer was getting ready to tell McKay about his meeting with Martillo in Mexico, after having learned about Okie, Slim, and Pug’s misadventure.

  “The boy?” Sheer asked.

  “The boy,” McKay answered. “Cody, the kid killed all three of them and Emory says the boy was as cool as ice about it.”

  “I don’t know what Slim, Pug, and Okie were thinking, but because of them, Parker will be on the alert. You’re sure that Tanner is staying there too?”

  “He is. These men you hired, are they going to be enough?”

  Sheer smiled, as he tried to look more confident than he felt. “Tanner might be a pro, but he’ll be going up against four men just like himself. And as far as the kid, Cody, he just got lucky today.”

  “You best be right. When
it goes down you and I will be away from here, and we’ll make sure we have people who can verify we weren’t anywhere near the trouble.”

  “People will still suspect that you had it done.”

  “Let them, my damn brother included, but I can’t go much longer without paying that bitch back.”

  “People around here will be talking about what happens to the Parkers for years.”

  McKay smiled. “The Parkers should all thank me; I’m about to make them famous.”

  The two men laughed, but if they knew how it all would end, they’d have cried.

  207

  Sorry Hurts Too Much

  Tanner walked out to the road to look around, but as he came back, he saw movement on the porch. It was 1:13 a.m., Maria and her brood should all be sound asleep.

  He had taken to getting four hours of sleep after dinner and then keeping watch all night, in the belief that if anything happened, it would take place in the early hours before dawn. That was usually when violent death came. And as he patrolled, he thought of the Parkers. Tanner could almost hear the echoes of history as he trod across the land that once bore their name, and where generations of their family had lived and died.

  After staying to the shadows cast by the nearby trees, Tanner crossed over to the porch and saw the figure seated in a wicker chair. It was Romina. She was crying softly, the sound like a whisper, when contrasted with the sonorous echo coming from the stable, as one of the horses snored in his sleep.

  Tanner made a point of stepping on a section of the steps that he knew creaked. Romina looked over at him with a start, before wiping her eyes with a tissue she took from a pocket of her robe.

  “Oh, Tanner, you scared me. What are you doing up?”

  “Standing watch, just in case.”

  “All night?”

  “Yeah, now tell me, what’s got you crying?”