BLOOD TIES (Decklan Jennings Thriller Book 1)

by Philip Duncan

  “The show isn’t over yet, sweetheart,” she said. “I have one last surprise for you.”

  He couldn't imagine what it could be, considering she had no more clothes to take off. So he waited patiently to see what it was. She started working her way down his body, placing herself in between his legs. She went for his belt, trying to unbuckle it, but he’d had enough. He jumped to his feet, accidentally knocking the girl backwards.

  “What the hell?” she yelled. “Something wrong with me?”

  “I'm sorry. I just don't feel comfortable with all of this. I have a wife. I shouldn't be in here with you. I shouldn't be here at all. Here, take the money,” he said as he pulled out a stack of cash from his wallet. “I don't know how much you normally get paid, so just take it all.”

  She took the money and stepped out of his way, allowing him to make a beeline for the door. Once outside, he felt like he could finally breathe. Being in that room with someone other than his wife made him feel like he was suffocating. He quickly made his way back to Langley so he could relay the information.

  At least something good came from all that, he thought to himself.

  “Jesus, Decklan, are you all right?” Langley asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

  “I'm fine. I got what we need,” Decklan replied.

  “Great. What’d she’d tell you?”

  “He's here right now,” Decklan replied. “He's in one of the private rooms with his girl Candy.”

  “Shit. Nice work,” Langley said. “Did you find out if he's the same guy we saw the other night?”

  Decklan took a moment to try and gather himself, as his heart was still racing like a derby horse making the final turn.

  “I don't know for sure, but I know what room he's in so we will be able to confirm once he comes out.”

  “Great work,” Langley said. “Wait right here. I need another drink.”

  Decklan sat down at the table by himself, waiting on Langley to get back, when out of nowhere he heard a quiet voice directly behind him. “I heard you were looking for Vladimir.”

  His heart immediately dropped from his chest down through the floor. The stripper must have told someone I was asking questions, he thought.

  He turned around slowly but stayed seated so he didn't come off aggressive. Just as he suspected, it was one of Vladimir's guys. It had to be. He looked just like the rest of them. Only this guy was much larger than the two guys they took out. This one looked like a silverback gorilla in a suit. Decklan needed to tread lightly because he didn’t want to start anything, especially inside a strip club where his only backup was Langley, who was busy getting another drink.

  Decklan finally replied to the giant, “I’m an old friend of his and I heard he was in town for a while and I just wanted to catch up.”

  He couldn’t tell if the guy bought his story or not.

  “Friends from where?” the guy asked.

  “We did a couple of jobs together a few years back,” Decklan answered.

  “What jobs? I don’t remember you from any jobs Vladimir has done.”

  “Like I said, it was years ago. Perhaps you weren’t around yet.”

  He was typically able to stay cool under pressure, something he learned in the forces, but this whole night had him off his game. He was surprised that he had been able to lie his way through to this point without shit hitting the fan.

  “I’ve been around for a while. I would remember you,” the guy said.

  “I guess I just got one of those faces that’s easy to forget. No worries, though, I will just catch up with him another day,” Decklan said as he attempted to stand up so he could get back to Langley, his only backup in the entire place.

  Unfortunately, this guy had other plans as he put his ape-like hand on Decklan’s shoulder and forced him back down into his seat.

  You have got to be kidding me. First a tiny stripper and now a gorilla of a man, both forcing me to do something against my will. This night sucks.

  “Here comes your friend now,” the guy said, looking over at Vladimir as he appeared from the private hallway. “Let’s go have a chat and see if you are telling the truth. You better hope for your sake that you are.”

  Decklan finally got eyes on Vladimir and he could now confirm that he was exactly who they saw the other day. This was the head honcho. Mr. Ivanov in the flesh.

  Only a few minutes had passed but so much had managed to unfold. Langley was just starting to make his way back to the table when he saw Decklan being escorted over to a different table. Vladimir’s private table.

  Oh shit, this isn’t good, he thought. But he couldn’t risk just running over there and intervening. Unfortunately, Decklan was on his own for this one.

  “Sit,” the guy said. “You wait here and don’t move.”

  Decklan had no intentions of moving because he knew any situation he could imagine would result in him and Langley being grossly outnumbered, and it would run the risk of getting the police involved, which he absolutely didn’t want.

  Vladimir took a seat directly across from Decklan. Neither one spoke at first, and Decklan wasn’t going to be first.

  With a heavy Russian accent, Vladimir finally spoke.“What can I do for you, my friend?”

  Decklan tried his best to keep his composure so he didn’t appear nervous or suspicious.

  “It’s been a long time,” Decklan replied, hoping that being polite might help him. “I heard you were in town for work.”

  “Excuse my curiosity, but my memory isn’t as sharp as it once was. Where exactly do we know each other from?” Vladimir asked.

  “We did a few jobs together years ago. It’s been a while, so I completely understand you not remembering me.”

  “Ah, I see,” Vladimir replied. “Please, do refresh my memory.”

  Decklan could see the skepticism in Vladimir's face. He was hoping for one last Hail Mary lie to keep his cover intact. His life could depend on it. These guys were serious trouble and if the corpse rolled up in his living room rug was telling the truth, then one wrong word could end in disaster.

  “It was probably five or six years ago. You recruited some local guys to help move your product and I was one of those guys. You found out I was ex-special forces so you put me in charge of a couple of deals.”

  Vladimir kept his eyes directly on him like two daggers waiting for an opportunity to strike. “You were special forces?” Vladimir asked. “So was I. Spetsnaz, Russian special forces. What’s a guy with your skill set doing running drugs?”

  Somehow, Decklan felt more relaxed now that he was talking to another special forces soldier, even if it was with the Russians. But this feeling was brief.

  “I assume the same reason anyone does, including you,” Decklan said. “I needed the money after I got out. It was hard fitting back into society and even harder finding steady work. All I’ve ever known was the military.”

  Vladimir’s demeanor completely changed. His tone went from direct and cautious to light and welcoming.

  “Yes, my friend. I know exactly what you mean. Guys like us aren’t normal. We can’t fit in with the rest of the world. We have to find our own way.” he said.

  Then he whistled at one of the girls to come over. “Sweetheart, bring us your best vodka; we are celebrating.”

  Decklan was confused and had no idea what to think. Whatever he did or said apparently worked and he could feel his blood pressure starting to come back down to earth. He looked back over to the bar to see if Langley was still there, and he was. He hadn’t moved a muscle. He was waiting and watching, prepared to jump in if needed.

  The girl came back with the vodka and Vladimir started pouring drinks for Decklan and himself.

  Vladimir held up his glass. “Cheers, my friend.”

  Decklan knew better than to refuse a drink from this guy. He could handle just one and then he would find a way to get the hell out of that
booth.

  “Cheers,” Decklan replied. “But I think it’s time for me to go. My friend over there has had a few too many and his wife will kill me if I don’t get him home in one piece.”

  Vladimir looked over at the bar where Decklan was pointing. Something in his eyes changed.

  “That is your friend? The tall one?” Vladimir asked.

  “Yes, why do you ask?” Decklan replied, confused why it would matter.

  “No reason, I am just a curious man,” Vladimir replied, sipping his vodka.

  Decklan could tell something was off. It was almost as if Vladimir had seen Langley before, but didn’t want to press him further. He just wanted to get out of there, while he still could, and he could ask Langley once they were in the clear.

  “Thank you for the drink,” Decklan said while sliding out of the table. “Maybe we will see each other again.”

  “I would like that, Mr…” Vladimir paused. “I am sorry, but I didn’t get your name.”

  Shit, Decklan thought. He didn’t like the idea of giving someone like this his name, but then again, if he was the one responsible for his family, then there was a good chance he already knew. The truth was the best option right now.

  “Decklan Jennings,” he said.

  “Have a good night, Mr. Jennings. I will see you around.”

  Finally, he was free from that suffocating table and back to the bar with Langley.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Decklan said.

  He noticed that Langley and Vladimir had been locked in on each other the entire time, not breaking eye contact for even a second.

  “Langley, what are you doing? Let’s go. Now,” Decklan said, pulling Langley toward the door.

  CHAPTER 13

  “What the hell was that?” Decklan said as they were heading back to the house. “Do you two know each other?”

  “It’s a long story,” Langley replied.

  “So you do,” Decklan said.

  “Listen, Decklan, I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I didn’t just happen upon your doorstep. It was intentional and there’re a few details that I left out.”

  Decklan couldn’t begin to know what the hell Langley meant. “What are you talking about?”

  “Me and Vladimir have a history, and not a good one,” Langley said, finally admitting they knew each other.

  “Did you work a case that involved him or something?” Decklan asked.

  “Sorta, but not in the traditional sense. You see, I am not actually a detective. Well, not anymore.”

  Decklan just stared at Langley, waiting for his explanation.

  “After I got out of the Navy, I wanted to do something to make a difference. You know, try and make the world a better and safer place, just like we did in the military. So I became a police officer. With my skills and background, I got fast-tracked to detective and ended up working directly with the DEA.”

  “So that’s how you know who Vladimir is? Because he was running drugs in your town?” Decklan asked.

  “That’s right, but some things happened that changed the whole game. I had just lost my wife to cancer about six months before I was put on Vladimir’s case, and I was still struggling to deal with her being gone. This was causing some issues at work and people were trying to get me to take some time off.”

  Decklan knew exactly how this felt. He could relate to his pain in a way that only a widower could.

  “Working was the only thing that was keeping me from blowing my brains out. I figured if I could help bring someone like this in and get some drugs off the streets I would feel better…if that was even possible. About a month into the case, I got a call that a college party from the night before had resulted in five overdoses of meth. Once I got there, one of my colleagues told me it would be better if I didn't go in. One of the aspects of being a lead detective meant I had to see each body, which was something you never get used to, no matter how many times you do it. After seeing the first four, all college students, they brought me to the last body that was lying in the kitchen. They pulled back the cloth, and in an instant, my whole world came to a crashing halt as I looked at the bloodless face of my only child. My son was dead at the hands of Vladimir’s drugs.”

  “Holy shit. I’m so sorry,” Decklan said, understanding the pain of losing a child.

  Completely ignoring Decklan’s sentiment, he continued, “As you can imagine, I started to spiral out of control. I was so hell-bent on tracking him down and killing him myself, I forgot that I had a job to do. After a couple of weeks of me showing up late and ignoring protocols, I was finally asked to hand over my badge and gun and take some time off. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew this was them politely telling me I was fired, but at that point I didn’t give a shit. That was seven years ago and I have been trying to track him down and make him pay for what he did ever since. I followed him here and I had been in town for a few weeks trying to plan my next move when I heard about what happened to your family.”

  Decklan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What were the chances that one guy was responsible for taking so much from two people who had never met? He didn’t believe in fate, but he didn’t know what else to call it.

  Langley wasn’t sure how Decklan was going to respond, seeing that he had lied to insert himself into his life.

  “I get it, man.” Decklan said. “A man who loses everything will do whatever it takes to find some semblance of peace. I don’t care that you lied to me and I’m even relieved that you're not actually a detective anymore. All I care about is putting a stop to this guy, once and for all.”

  Langley was a little surprised by this response, but happy to hear it.

  “Thanks. And no more lies moving forward, I give you my word,” Langley said.

  “I trust you,” Decklan said, surprising himself, considering he didn't trust most people.

  ***

  They were back at Decklan’s house and now they had to figure out a long-term solution for the dead guy in his house. They couldn’t keep him here because dead bodies had a certain way of smelling after a while. They needed to figure something out fast because they were certain that Vladimir was now on high alert after seeing Langley.

  “Any ideas?” Decklan asked.

  “Any chance you have a deep freezer?” Langley replied.

  “Yeah, down in the basement. It’s where I keep all my meat from hunting. It’s got about a year's worth of elk in there right now. Why? You’re not thinking about putting him in there, are you?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” Langley said. “It’s the only way we can get him out of sight and control the smell.”

  Decklan didn’t exactly love this idea, but they needed to do something fast and he didn’t have a better solution.

  They both bent down to pick up the rolled up carpet and headed down to the basement. They laid him down in front of the freezer so they could take all the elk meat out to make room for the body.

  “We will have to get some coolers for the meat once we get this shit taken care of,” Decklan said.

  Langley nodded in agreement. The freezer was now empty and ready for the body. They kept him inside the rug so they didn’t have to find a way to dispose of it as well. Despite the drug dealer not being a big guy, it wasn’t all that easy getting him to fit inside. After all, this freezer wasn’t designed for a human body. Finally, they got him situated inside well enough to be able to close the top. Now, Decklan needed to go into town and pick up some coolers and ice for the meat.

  “I will go grab the stuff for the meat; you stay here and get yourself cleaned up,” Decklan said. “I’ll do the same when I get back. We smell like booze and cheap hookers.”

  Langley made his way back up to the living room to grab some clean clothes from his bag and head for the guest room shower down the hall. Once clean, he crashed on the couch and pu
lled out an old, worn leather notebook. It was where he kept all of his notes from his case with Vladimir, including ones from after he was fired.

  He opened the notebook and started reading.

  Smart, cunning, and never alone. Ruthless and evasive, with tons of resources. Tons of firepower. Never in one place too long, but always leaves a trail of corpses. Drug of choice is always meth, or glass as it is known on the streets. Doesn’t seem to ever try his own product, which means he stays alert and ready for anything.

  These notes didn’t leave him feeling confident. But he also knew Vladimir inside and out. He knew how he moved, how he dressed, and what kind of people he targeted for selling. Unfortunately, he had been running around the same circle year after year, never getting the opportunity to bring him down or take him out. Sure, there were moments when he could have just opened fire in hopes of hitting him and possibly killing him, but he couldn’t take the risk of possible collateral damage. Every chance he ever got involved too many civilians around. In order to take this son of a bitch out, he was going to have to get him alone, which up to this point seemed impossible.

  But he felt more confident this time. He had Decklan, a Special Forces Army Ranger with a skill set that very few men possessed. And more than that, a similar reason for revenge.

  Surely we can find a way to get this done. This has to be the place where I finally nail this bastard down, Langley thought.

  An hour had passed and Decklan was back with the supplies. “Hey man, can you help me get the stuff out of my truck?” he asked.

  “Sure thing,” Langley replied, getting off the couch.

  They brought in three huge coolers and a hundred pounds of ice. They took it down to the basement and placed all of the meat inside and covered it with ice. They had a few bags left over so they decided to dump the rest on the body, just to be safe. They placed the three coolers on top of the freezer to make it harder to access, not that they planned on anyone coming down here.

  They went back upstairs and locked the basement door behind them.

  “I picked us up some burgers and fries, if you’re hungry,” Decklan said, walking over to the couch.