Debt Collector - Vengeance (Book 2 of a Jack Winchester Organized Crime Action Thriller) (Jack Winchester Vigilante Justice Thriller Series)

by Jon Mills

  It was one of those moments where he kind of wished he’d brought his gun along just for the heck of it. Instead, he would have to deal with it the old-fashioned way. Jack slowly released his grip. The moment Danny was loose he turned and laid into Jack with what he must have thought was a fierce beating. Jack almost felt like laughing. Danny had about as much strength in those arms as a baby bird flapping its wings for the first time. That was the thing with tweakers, they spent so much time jacking up that they forgot to eat. Their muscles were barely able to control their joints.

  “Now get on the fucking floor,” Danny yelled.

  “You want me to do it?” one of the other men said, stepping forward then bouncing back in excitement.

  God, I hate junkies, Jack thought.

  “Not in here, Danny. I don’t want to clean up the fucking mess,” the girl added.

  “Drag him outside then,” Danny yelled.

  As the two men stepped forward and took a hold, Jack moved so fast, the expression on their faces said it all. He head-butted one of them. He then twisted the gun out of the hand of the one closest to him and pulled him in close by his long beard.

  “Now put the fucking guns down,” Jack said.

  There was a moment where none of them said anything.

  “Listen to him,” the man pleaded as Jack tightened his grip on him.

  None of them knew what to do. They were each pointing a weapon at Jack. Their arms were jerking up and down. Their eyes wild and out of control.

  Jack lifted the gun under the guy’s chin.

  “I’ll blow his fucking head off.”

  “Danny. Do as he says,” the guy yelled.

  The girl dropped hers, and the others reluctantly followed suit. They weren’t made for this. He imagined that in a town this small, the amount of resistance they got to their demands was very little.

  “Kick them over.”

  The skinniest of them stepped forward and slid them across the room with a quick kick.

  “That right. Now go get the money,” Jack demanded.

  Jack kept his gun tightly fixed below the bearded guy’s chin while Danny nodded to the skinny guy who reminded Jack of Gollum. The tweaker raced out back and returned with a metal lockbox. Danny opened it and tossed Jack a large wad of notes.

  “Okay. See. That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

  “I swear you are fucking going to pay for this,” Danny said.

  “Really? And here I was, going to walk out of here with the money and tell Keith what nice folks you were.” He paused. “Now you have until the end of the week to get out of Keith’s condo, or I’ll be back and you don’t want me coming back. You understand?”

  They nodded fast. Jack scooped up the guns and tucked them into the small of his back. He pushed the bearded guy to the ground.

  “You guys shouldn’t be playing with big boy guns. You really could get hurt.”

  He chuckled to himself as he backed out and returned to his truck. There it was. The thrill again. It was a piece of cake. Nothing like what he encountered in the city. In the city he would have taken out the girl before the others came out, but these were no killers. They were just college drop-outs who thought they were big-time drug dealers.

  He slipped into his truck, cast a glance back at the house. Danny was outside glaring at him. Jack tipped his head before pulling away.

  2

  Dana was in the middle of winter proofing the upstairs windows when she heard the knock at the door. The house was beginning to show its age. The wind coming off the ocean had battered its walls for years. It was to be expected that things would eventually decay, or break. She usually had it all done weeks before the snow hit, but with everything she had been going through with Jason as of late, it had taken a back seat.

  “Be right there,” she called out.

  By the time she had come down, she found the guest had already let himself in.

  “Jack?”

  “Dana.”

  He gestured over his shoulder “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not. What brings you out?”

  “Jason. I told him I would take him out to the bowling alley.”

  “Oh, right. I completely forgot.”

  It had become routine, Thursday afternoon bowling. Though it had been a while since they had been out together. Not long after the event, it had been a way for the two of them to reconnect. It also wasn’t long before Dana and Jack were back to seeing each other again. It started slow. A coffee at Sophie’s, then a meal at the house. A few drinks and they found themselves back in each other’s arms. That had gone on for months. And maybe it would have remained that way but then the arguments started.

  It wasn’t anything that Jack had done. It was what he wasn’t telling her that bothered her. If they were to have any form of relationship, there could be no secrets. But there were always conversation topics he would steer clear of. Anything related to the Mafia, his work, or lives he had taken. It seemed to trouble him. But it had troubled Dana even more.

  How could she trust someone who wouldn’t open up to her? She had told him everything about herself. Nothing had been held back. But he was a different case entirely. It was if he couldn’t stand to face what he had done. That had only got worse when she heard rumors that he was doing favors for a few people in the town. Helping them to collect on money owed. She had confronted him about it. He’d waved it off as nothing. Changed the subject. But she knew it was more than that. He had promised that his old life was behind him. That who he was in New York, would never be seen here. Then why was he hiding this from her?

  That’s when she felt it was best if they took a break. She didn’t want to cut ties with him, but she needed her space and until he could be honest it felt right to slow things down.

  She knew that troubled him.

  He’d left that night and for a month after they never spoke. Even the bowling had fallen by the wayside. Not that he hadn’t tried eventually to get back into her good books, but she wouldn’t let him in. She left his phone messages unanswered and didn’t answer the door when he showed up. As the months went on, she eventually warmed up to him again. It wasn’t like she had many prospects in this town. Besides, Jason got on with Jack like a house on fire. In many ways Jack had become the father that Jason really needed. Someone who was attentive, someone who turned up and showed interest when his own father never had. And yet despite all of the good, she couldn’t overlook this part of his life that he refused to discuss; his life in the Mafia, his line of work.

  Still, as much as she tried to keep her distance, when he was around she felt her walls crumble. She wanted to overlook his past, but the thought that it could in some way endanger them again, ate away at her constantly. That Mafia didn’t just walk away. What made him think they would now, after all that had happened? After all the lives lost?

  “Oh. Jason’s out,” Dana said.

  “Where?” Jack asked.

  “I can’t be sure. Can I get you a drink?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

  She led him into the kitchen where she put a pot of coffee on. Jack wandered around before picking up a magazine off the coffee table. He flipped through it.

  “I know I’ve been out of the loop the last couple of months. With work and all.”

  “Yeah, I heard you were back to your old tricks again,” she replied.

  She saw him roll his eyes.

  “Look. I didn’t come here to fight, Dana.”

  “No, but you still haven’t let go of what you used to do.”

  “Dana. It’s a few favors.”

  “I thought favors didn’t involve money?”

  He never replied. He must have thought she was stupid. Word had got about that if you needed anything sorted out, Jack was the man to come and see. Even the police held him in a good light. In the short time he had been in the town of Rockland Cove, crime had gone down. The police had received less calls because so many problems were being
handled by Jack.

  “A man’s got to earn a living, Dana.”

  “Isn’t that why you took the job at the marina?”

  “It’s winter. You know it slumps.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t see the other guys banging on doors for money.”

  He tossed down the magazine. “They don’t have the same skillset.”

  “You mean roughing people up?”

  He groaned and ran a hand across his stubbled chin.

  “I’m not killing anyone.”

  She let out a laugh. “Oh well then, that makes it all better.”

  “Dana.”

  She poured out two cups of coffee. Steam swirled above the mugs as she brought his over.

  “Jack, why don’t you just get a job in the shop? You know, repairing boats or heck, even Sophie, I’m sure she could give you something to do for a few months.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, maybe I could be a bouncer on her door.”

  She gave him a slap on the arm.

  He took a sip of the hot coffee. “I guess old habits die hard.”

  “Maybe it’s time to quit.”

  “Unfortunately they don’t hold hitman anonymous meetings.”

  She shook her head, her lip curled up. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “I could think of a few things.”

  Her eyes widened as did her smile. It had been a while since she had been out on a date with him, or jumped in the sack. She could use a release.

  “Anyway, what’s going on with Jason?” he asked, leaning back in the chair.

  “You don’t even want to know.” She curled her feet up.

  “Try me.”

  The past few months he hadn’t been around much. This wasn’t just Jack’s fault. The death of Jason’s father had affected him more than Dana figured it would.

  “You know it’s strange. Matt was a royal asshole. He never showed Jason the time of day, and yet Jason looked up to him. It really killed him inside when he found out about his father’s death. He didn’t say it did, but I know. He’s been struggling since.”

  “Why didn’t he say something to me?” Jack asked.

  “You’ve not been around.”

  Her response was like opening Pandora’s box. Right then and there he could have got into a blaming match, but he didn’t.

  She took a sip of her hot coffee, grateful that they didn’t start arguing whose fault that was.

  “He doesn’t get home until after seven most days. I have no idea where he is, or what’s going on. He refuses to speak. He wears dark glasses and has dyed his hair.”

  “Sounds like your typical adolescent behavior,” Jack replied.

  “No, this is different, Jack. It’s like he’s trying to hide something.”

  “You not picking him up from school?”

  “He’s sixteen, Jack. He doesn’t want his mother picking him up. He finds his own way back.”

  “Does he have a vehicle now?”

  “You really have been out of the loop.”

  He let out an exasperated sigh.

  “He’s fallen in with a group of kids.”

  “Who, Luke Evans?”

  “No. He doesn’t hang around with him anymore. No, they dropped him off the other night. Tore out of here before I got outside. It was a red Pontiac.”

  Something changed in his expression.

  “You know them?”

  “Let’s say I’ve had a run-in with them.” He took another sip of his drink.

  “You think you might know where he is now?”

  “Yeah. You want me to go check them out?”

  “Jack. No. The last thing I need is to have him thinking I’m spying on him.”

  “I’ll just…”

  “No, Jack. I’ve got to work this out between me and Jason. Find out what’s going on.”

  “Sure.”

  They sat there for the next twenty minutes having coffee and chatting. Conversation circled around the latest goings on in Rockland Cove. Rumor had it that the new sheriff was investigating a group of bikers that had taken up residence in the town. They were from the same group that Jack had a run-in with. So far he hadn’t heard or seen any of them. But then again, he knew how they operated. One or two of them set up shop like crime families. Initially it was an enterprise. Something legit; a mechanic’s shop, or restaurant or café. It was all smoke and mirrors. Once it was running, the others would move in. This had only added to the fear and worry that Dana had. Retaliation by the Mafia and bikers had been weighing on her mind. Now Jason. It was all becoming a little bit too much.

  It was a little after six when Jack returned to town. He’d dropped off the money he got from Danny with Keith. Keith was ecstatic. For making the collection, not only had he given Jack some money off the cost of storing his boat in the yard over the winter, but also he allowed him to sleep there.

  It was the strangest thing ever.

  All the boats were wrapped in outside storage covers except his. His was the only one that was being used. Keith had hoisted it up onto a dry rack.

  After getting the address of Keith’s condo, the one Danny had been renting, Jack took a little trip out there. It was in town, just on the outskirts before you left. A nice place. The condo overlooked a section of the harbor. Keith owned four of them. He usually rented them out to tourists. It was good business in the summer. And for the most part, he had good tenants until Danny came along. Keith was worried he was going to trash it now they had collected. But Jack had reassured him, a guy like that wouldn’t touch it. They were all bark and no bite.

  Jack parked out the front. The white condo was lit up inside. Its glow cut into the darkness. They must have turned on every light in the place. It had stone foundations, and the rest was made out of clapboard. Approaching the place, Jack noticed the red Pontiac muscle car. Now this was going to be interesting.

  He hadn’t been here before. But he’d heard the heavy bass noise that frequently came from beyond its walls. It wasn’t that far from the marina. And he’d heard a few people in town complaining about it. That was the only time police came out. Music played here at all hours; a continual stream of dance music at deafening volume. He could literally feel his body vibrating the closer he got to the door.

  Outside were two guys. They weren’t skinny like the others he’d encountered. These guys looked like they popped steroids for breakfast. When they saw Jack approaching, only one of them got up. They must have figured that it wouldn’t take two of them. Jack didn’t bother to stop, he slammed the edge of his hand into the guy’s throat. The hulking man gripped his over-tanned throat. Coughing and spluttering.

  “Oh don’t cry, I barely touched you.”

  Before the other one could unwind his hulk-like frame from one of the Adirondack chairs out front, Jack pulled a gun and aimed it at him. He gestured for him to leave. The guy didn’t hesitate. He darted off with all the speed that could be mustered from someone whose thighs were rubbing together because they were so large.

  Jack shoved the other one out of his way and continued into the house. His senses were immediately attacked by the aroma of weed and the pounding of techno music. Lying around on the floor were several teens. All of them looked as if they had just shot up. Their eyes were rolled back in their heads. Jack had to literally step over bodies to make his way through to the next room. He scanned the ground looking for Jason.

  The walls inside had been sprayed with bright pink neon paint. One of the wooden doors looked as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it and busted a hole in it. A broken glass window had been patched up with a piece of cardboard. Keith was not going to be pleased. The damage had to have been in the thousands.

  The next room wasn’t much better. It was if people had been searching for anywhere to get high. Some of them were just smoking from a bong, but the largest group had shot up with needles. Jack was about to enter the adjoining room when a familiar face from earlier that day appeared. The one with the beard c
aught his eye.

  “Oh shit.”

  “Oh shit, all right. Where is Jason?”

  “Who?”

  “Sixteen years old. Dark hair. Has an attitude.”

  “How the fuck should I know?”

  Jack grabbed hold of him by the ear. Twisting and yanking hard.

  “Ah shit man, do you have to be so heavy-handed?”

  “Where’s Danny?”

  “Through there.”

  He pointed towards the kitchen. Jack kept a firm grip on the kid while he navigated his way around the mass of drugged-out bodies. This was Thursday. What the hell did the weekend look like? He knew the town had a drug problem. The inflow of drugs hadn’t stopped after Matt. They were still making their way in. They always would. How and where? That was anyone’s guess.

  Once inside the kitchen, Jack found Danny tangled up with some girl. He had her up on the counter while she was running her hands through his hair.

  “Danny,” his friend said.

  Danny turned and the color drained from his face. He immediately started backing up with his hands raised as if he expected to get a bullet in the head.

  “Where is Jason Grant?”

  “Upstairs. Upstairs, man. Second door on your right.”

  Jack nodded and tossed the bearded guy to one side.

  “If I find him with a needle in his arm. I’m going to…”

  Jack didn’t even get a chance to finish what he was saying before Danny and the other fellow had bolted out the back door.

  Getting up the stairs was like trying to wade through thick mud. People had passed out in any space they could find. When he reached the top he located the room and went in. He shook his head. A naked girl was on top of Jason, riding him. She turned. It was the same one from earlier.

  Jason looked shocked. “Jack? What the fuck?”

  “Put your clothes on.”

  Jason pushed the girl off him, she cursed him and dashed out but not before Jack grabbed her arm and looked at the needle marks.

  “Sort yourself out.”

  “Fuck you, man,” she replied.