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

by Remington Kane

  “Tanner did it himself, that’s how they’re designed. I broke into his car and placed it on the brake pedal. The second he stepped on it, it became embedded in the bottom of his boot.”

  “Won’t it just fall off?”

  “No, he would have to cut it out. This is real hi-tech spy stuff. Ha, and wait until you see the bill for the tiny little bugger.”

  “Where’s the tracker?”

  “There’s no device, just a satellite link. I sent you the code by email. You can even install it on your phone as an App.”

  Duke’s hands were free, and he tore away the last of the tape.

  “God that hurts and I won’t have any arm hair for a while.”

  Sara patted him on the shoulder. “This was risky, but you did it and I’ll show my appreciation with a bonus.”

  “Thanks, but you’d better go talk to that boyfriend of yours. He looked really pissed.”

  “He’ll calm down, and once I prove to him that Tanner can’t be trusted, he’ll thank me.”

  Sara found Johnny putting on his suit jacket as he prepared to leave the apartment.

  “Where are you going? I thought you were staying?”

  “And I thought you could be trusted.”

  “What’s that mean? I said I wouldn’t try to kill Tanner, I never said that I wouldn’t have him followed.”

  Duke came out of the bedroom, looking disheveled and a bit sheepish.

  “I still can’t believe Tanner spotted me following him. I must be getting old.”

  Johnny shook his head in disgust. “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you, and if he had, I wouldn’t blame him. Tanner is not a man you want to play games with.”

  Duke opened the door. “I’ll leave you two alone. I have to go home and soak this glue off my skin, goodnight.”

  Duke left, and Johnny placed his hand on the door to leave as well, but he stopped when Sara hugged him.

  “Don’t go. I know you don’t agree with what I did, but I don’t trust Tanner. I’m surprised that you do.”

  Johnny took his hand off the door and sat on the sofa. When Sara sat beside him, he spoke to her.

  “Tanner killed my Uncle Al, you know that, of course, you were there, but did you also know that when Richards cancelled the hit, he told Tanner he could keep the fee?”

  “I was aware of all that, but so what? You think that Tanner ignored Richards and killed your uncle out of a sense of honor, out of a need to keep his word? Because, if that’s what you think, you’re wrong. Tanner has no honor, just a need to kill, and a desire to outsmart everyone. By pretending to want to make peace with me, he’s outsmarted you.”

  “How do you figure that? If he wanted us dead, he could have murdered Duke and then killed us as we walked in the door.”

  “He won’t be that obvious. He wants me dead, but he doesn’t want you or Pullo coming after him. My guess is that he’s planning on making my death look like he had nothing to do with it, either that, or he’ll remove you from the equation first, and in a manner that won’t make Pullo suspicious.”

  “That sounds too sneaky for Tanner. He’s clever, yeah, but he’s not a weasel. Joe trusts him, and I trust Joe’s opinion.”

  Sara smirked. “Joe might be too trusting where Tanner is concerned. When we were at the clinic, Tanner and that blonde doctor had a bit of a scene. There’s history there. She told me she was dating Joe, but she seemed very interested in Tanner.”

  “Laurel is Joe’s girl. What are you saying, you think she and Tanner have a thing going behind Joe’s back?”

  “I think the potential is there. If Pullo were out of the picture, they wouldn’t even have to sneak around.”

  Johnny kissed her. “You have quite an imagination, but here’s what I think. I think you’re not ready to let things be, but you’ll have to, you gave Tanner your word and you have to keep it. Let the past be, so that the two of us can move forward.”

  Sara wanted to argue the point but knew it would be useless. She smiled at Johnny and gestured toward the bedroom.

  “Weren’t we in the middle of something before finding Duke?”

  Sara stood and took his hand to lead him toward the bedroom, but Johnny pulled her back onto the sofa and into his arms. After kissing her, he stared into her eyes.

  “I think I’m falling in love with you, Sara Blake. What do you think of that?”

  Sara’s breath caught in her throat. When she spoke, there was a touch of awe in her voice.

  “You’re not alone in feeling that way, and I thought I would never love again.”

  They kissed once more, before rising as one and making their way back into the bedroom.

  249

  Just One Of The Guys

  Tanner watched as another cab let out a passenger in front of the Rutherford Hotel.

  This man, like the rest of them, was big, looked fit, and carried a suitcase. For a hotel that was closed for renovation, the Rutherford was doing brisk business.

  The men were mercenaries that Heinz was bringing in to help take over. Not counting the man getting out of the taxi, Tanner had seen four men arrive in the time he’d been watching. All of them had been greeted at the door by the same man, an old guy wearing an open bathrobe over a pair of faded blue boxer shorts.

  The late arrival of the men told Tanner that Heinz ordered them to come as soon as possible, otherwise, why not arrive at an earlier hour and let the old man at the door get his sleep?

  Tanner was watching from the roof of a small warehouse that sat across the way from the six-story hotel and could hear snatches of conversation. All of the arriving men had spoken German to the man greeting them. All but one, that is, and that man was able to speak some German, but conversed better in French, which the old man also spoke.

  The hotel was much older than the buildings surrounding it, which were warehouses, and judging by the ornate brickwork and Old-World styling, it was likely built over a hundred years ago.

  From his darkened perch across the way, Tanner had a murky view of the lobby, because there was beveled glass set above the entryway doors.

  As he watched, the men who had arrived earlier were leaving the hotel together. The new man said something that Tanner couldn’t make out, but when one of the other men answered while pointing down the block, Tanner guessed what they were discussing. It was food, and they were headed to the restaurant on the corner, which was still open.

  The new arrival went inside, where he received a key card for a room from the old man. Then he left his bag by the front desk and exited the hotel at a run to catch up with his new companions.

  Tanner nodded to himself. A late-night snack sounded like a good idea.

  Tanner arrived at the restaurant just a few minutes after the others had taken a table.

  He wore glasses, had combed his hair differently, wearing it slicked straight back, and had a pack of cigarettes displayed prominently in his shirt pocket. The cigarettes were a German brand named HB, which he had purchased earlier along with the eyeglasses.

  The place was quiet, with only a few couples around, other than the table where Heinz’s men sat.

  They stared at him with interest when he walked in. The men were all clean-shaven, save for one, who had a bushy red mustache.

  Tanner called to them in German that had not a trace of an American accent.

  “The man in the robe said that you would be here. I just arrived.”

  One of the men waved him over, and he gave them a name that sounded as phony as theirs did. Tanner had no doubt that their passports were all fakes, but of excellent quality. They had come to New York to slaughter other men for money. They would not be traveling under their true names.

  The men talked sports, admired the few women who were about, and drank. Tanner ingratiated himself with the others by buying a round of drinks and being agreeable.

  There was hushed talk about an elite hit squad that was set to arrive in the morning from Brussels.

  The other
men made derisive comments and said they could kill anyone as well as the men coming from Brussels. Heinz was just wasting money by hiring the so-called elite team of assassins.

  Tanner asked who the men were coming to kill. The man at the table who did most of the talking, the one with the mustache, gave a shrug, and said, “Some American asshole who thinks he’s Rambo.”

  By the time they left the restaurant two hours later, the six of them were talking loudly and laughing like old friends.

  The man in the bathrobe shushed them to be quiet as he let them in, after they’d awakened him again. Tanner rode up in the only working elevator with the others to the third floor, while taking note that none of the lobby cameras seemed to be working, and that the monitors inside the security office were all dark.

  The old man who let them in never gave Tanner a second look. He was just eager to return to bed.

  Tanner pretended to swipe a key card and waved goodnight as he grabbed the door handle, but after everyone else had entered their rooms, he went exploring by using the stairs.

  He came across Heinz’s suite on the top floor and figured that the rooms were also in use as the man’s office. There was an armed thug sitting at a small table outside the door, but he was leaning on an elbow while reading a magazine.

  Tanner debated whether to kill Heinz or wait, and decided to wait and gain information, because he couldn’t be certain if the man was inside the suite.

  With that decided, he found an unlocked room on the fourth floor. It was a level of the building that the renovation had yet to touch. It still contained the old furnishings, and the room had a musty odor and the carpet showed stains.

  After stacking bottles from the mini fridge in front of the door to act as a makeshift alarm system, Tanner undressed and went to sleep in the belly of the beast.

  He was just another hired gun, and to the men he’d met and drank with, just one of the boys.

  250

  Saint Brian

  The following morning, after Johnny left to go home and change, Sara agreed to meet her sister for breakfast.

  They met in a coffee shop near Sara’s apartment. Jennifer had arrived first, and when Sara appeared, Jennifer hugged her.

  “I’m sorry about the other day, but I wanted you to know how I feel.”

  “I think we both spoke our minds,” Sara said, as she took a seat.

  The two talked about the rest of their family as they ate, with Jennifer filling Sara in on what’s been happening. Jennifer reached across the table and gave her sister’s hand a squeeze.

  “I’m so glad we’ve made up before I left on my trip. I have to fly down to Guambi tonight and I may not be back for weeks. The charity is setting up an aide center to help the victims of the typhoon they had.”

  Sara looked concerned. “Couldn’t you send someone else? It’s dangerous there.”

  “I run the charity and the danger is minimal. I learned yesterday that President Urray, the new leader, has firmly taken control of the government, and there are elections planned for later this year.”

  “What about Jake?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you really trust him enough to be separated for weeks? And don’t give me that look, I know the man. It’s asking a lot for him to be celibate while you’re gone.”

  Jennifer’s mouth opened in shock. “That, that is so rude. I trust Jake, and unlike Johnny Rossetti, he doesn’t work in an environment where naked women are the norm. God only knows what goes on inside that club.”

  “Those women are dancers, performers, not hookers. Maybe you shouldn’t judge them without knowing them.”

  Jennifer balled up the napkin she was holding, but then her hand relaxed.

  “You’re right. I shouldn’t judge or jump to conclusions, but you shouldn’t be so quick to judge Jake either. He’s changed, Sara. He nearly died thanks to you and it changed him.”

  Sara narrowed her eyes. “He’s holding a grudge against me, isn’t he?”

  “Jake? No, he likes you.”

  “Maybe not, and maybe he’s with you as a way to pay me back.”

  “Sara, Jake and I being together has nothing to do with you. I find it insulting that you would think so.”

  “Oh, honey no, I know he’s attracted to you, any man would be, but he knew that I didn’t want him to date you and he went after you anyway. That makes me even more afraid that he’s planning on breaking your heart, as a way of getting back at me.”

  Jennifer grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped at her eyes. “I’m going to leave before I say something I’ll regret.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Jenny, and someday you’ll see that I’m right about Jake.”

  “Because I couldn’t possibly be enough for him, right?”

  “Oh, Jenny, no, it’s not about you, I just think that—”

  Jennifer stood, rummaged in her purse, and when her hand came out, it was holding money. She tossed the bills on the table and stared at her sister.

  “I’ll call you when I get back from my trip.”

  “Jenny? Don’t be mad. I just know Jake better than you do.”

  Jennifer shook her head slightly, started to walk away, but then turned back.

  “You’ve built your life around this insane quest to get revenge for Brian’s death, but let me tell you something, the man was no saint.”

  Sara jerked in her seat, shocked by the vehemence in her sister’s voice.

  “What are you saying?”

  “The Fourth of July party, remember? Brian gave me a lift home.”

  “Yes, so?”

  “After I opened the door of my apartment, he made a pass at me.”

  “That’s a lie!”

  “No, it’s the God’s honest truth. He kissed me, and after I pushed him away, he apologized. When I told him that I thought he’d had too much to drink, he agreed to take a cab to your place and left his car.”

  “I remember him taking a cab, but he said he had car trouble.”

  “No, he had trouble keeping his hands to himself.”

  “You must have misunderstood. He was… he was just being friendly.”

  “Of course, Saint Brian would never do anything wrong.”

  Sara’s face reddened with anger. “Don’t talk about him like that. And what is this? Are you saying that I don’t have a right to seek justice?”

  “You would have had justice in Las Vegas if you had simply done your job. That man Tanner would be rotting away in a prison right this minute. But no, your bloodlust had to be satisfied and it nearly cost Jake his life.”

  “You don’t understand, Jenny, but that’s no reason to make up lies about Brian.”

  “I’m not lying. The man practically stuck his tongue down my throat.”

  Sara stood, and the chair she was in made a scraping sound that caused the coffee shop’s other patrons to look their way.

  “Brian loved me. I know he did.”

  Jennifer nodded. “I think so too. It’s why I accepted his apology for kissing me and chalked it up to too much alcohol. It’s also why I never said anything to you.”

  Sara stared down at the floor. “It didn’t happen; you must have misunderstood.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Liar,” Sara said, but there was no force behind the word.

  Jennifer sighed. “Goodbye, Sara.”

  After Jennifer walked out, Sara sank back down into her chair, took out her phone, and gazed at a photo of Brian Ames.

  251

  Dead Men Driving

  Tanner wiped down the room he had slept in, obliterating his prints, and went downstairs to the hotel’s dining room, where several of the men from the night before were gathered at one end of a long table.

  It was mid-morning and the word was going around that the hit team from Brussels would be arriving soon.

  There were no servants in the hotel, but Heinz had given some of his people the tasks of working as such. Tanner watche
d as one man rolled a cart of coffee and pastries onto the elevator.

  The food was going up to the top floor. Heinz’s suite was up there, but there was a second suite of rooms, and also a conference room for meetings.

  When the four-man hit team arrived with Heinz, Tanner realized he had glimpsed the bald German before. It was the day he had killed Frank Richards. Heinz had been one of the men trapped in the room with the automatic gun.

  Now Heinz was looking to take Richards’ place and the four men with him were hired to help make that wish a reality.

  All four men looked fit, were Caucasian, and were already armed, judging by the bulge of holsters beneath the jackets they each wore. The jackets were made of black leather and had a distinct design on their backs in white. There was also a smaller version of the same illustration over the front breast pocket in red. It took Tanner a few moments to realize what the design was, and when he did, he nearly rolled his eyes.

  It was the Chinese symbol for death.

  The biggest of the men was well over six feet tall and had a shaved head, while the smallest was two or three inches shorter than Tanner was, and wore his long dark hair tied back in a ponytail.

  The other two men were Tanner’s height and sported buzz cuts, one blond, one dark, although the blond one also wore a black baseball cap with the words, Deutscher Fussball Bund, which translated to, German Football Association. Apparently, the man was a soccer fan.

  Heinz looked over the assembled crowd, which Tanner had counted as being twenty-five men. The bald German showed no glint of recognition as his eyes passed over Tanner in his glasses and slicked back hair. This, despite the fact that Heinz was holding a picture of Tanner aloft for all to see.

  It was the mugshot of Tanner taken earlier in the year by Mexican authorities. The only thing exceptional about the face in the photo were the eyes, which burned with rage at having been betrayed and captured. Heinz spoke while moving the photo from side to side, so that everyone in the room could get a look.