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

by Jon Mills

  But he couldn’t do that. That only became even more evident after what happened next. Now maybe it had been the wrong thing to do. It completely went against his better judgment but Eddie took it upon himself to show up at Jack’s father’s apartment after he’d given Jack a severe beating. Jack’s back was cut to bits. He’d used a belt and the metal had torn into his skin. Jack had fought back. The first time he’d ever turned and planted one on his father. That punch cost him. He’d hit him so hard that a part of his bone was showing.

  Eddie found Jack outside his apartment. He was slumped in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. Eddie dumped the groceries in his hands and carried him up.

  “It’s alright, kid, I’ve got yah.”

  Jack didn’t even have the strength to make it up the stairs. His legs were cut to bits. His father had beaten him within an inch of his life.

  Eddie lost it that night. He’d never felt so much anger.

  After he’d tended to Jack’s wounds and made sure he was comfortable, he stepped out into the rain that night with only one thing on his mind. Revenge. When he arrived at the home of Jack’s father, rage took over and he murdered the man. He’d killed people when he was in the military but it had always been justified as protecting his country. But this was straight-up murder. Even now, years later. the only way he could justify it in his mind was to remind himself that he was protecting Jack. He was sure that his father would have killed him had he returned.

  That night he disposed of Jack’s father in the Hudson River. His body was found a week later. He never mentioned it to Jack but he kind of figured that Jack knew. After that night Jack moved in. His sister Milly stayed for a while but was eventually taken into treatment for physical and sexual abuse. Eddie thought he could help but she was damaged far beyond what Jack was.

  Perhaps that’s why Eddie understood Jack more than anyone else. He knew where he came from, what he went through, and how easily he had been sucked into the mob life.

  Over the following years Jack came and went as he pleased. They never really spoke about his work with Gafino. Though Jack knew he didn’t approve. In order to give him some sense that he would be okay, Eddie taught him how to fight. At first it was just a little hand-to-hand combat; a means to protect himself. Then he taught him a combination of Krav Maga and Aikido. With that and boxing, Jack knew how to handle himself with or without a gun. It instilled a sense of confidence in him.

  Eventually he got a place of his own and Eddie saw him less. Their conversations were kept to phone calls. Occasionally Jack would send him some money. He didn’t need it. In many ways he believed Jack did this to repay the favor. At first he thought he got an apartment because Gafino had told him to stay clear of Eddie. He soon realized that wasn’t the case. He figured Jack had started to understand the danger involved with being part of the mob. His association with anyone would mean placing them at risk.

  That became even more evident when Jack did time. The only one that visited him in those four years inside was Eddie. He often wondered if the kid would have got through it, had he not shown up. None of Gafino’s men including Roy visited him. Prison had taught him what Eddie could never drill into him. The Mafia was not his family. They would cut you off in a heartbeat if they thought for one minute you were going to squeal on them.

  Now as Eddie sat across from Milly at his table, he wondered how they might have turned out had he been there for their mother. One thing for sure, they would have never been as damaged as they were. They were good kids and neither of them deserved the life they had been handed. His only consolation was in knowing that Jack was no longer involved. He had finally come to his senses and seen the extent that the mob would go to in order to get what they wanted. There was no loyalty among them. They were cold-bloodied killers.

  Milly spoke only occasionally. When she did it was quiet and short. A yes or a no. She mainly communicated with a head gesture. Though that had been a vast improvement over her years of silence. Once the treatment center started to see improvement in her, they were open to have Eddie take her out for a weekend. Jack had made a point to never to give out his address to the center. It would have been the first thing the mob would extract from them. Even Eddie had been careful, he gave them an old post office box over in New Jersey, and a phone number to an answering service.

  “So Jack will be coming. It’ll be nice. We’ll head out and watch the ball drop in Times Square. You’ll get to see the New Year in with your brother. What do you think about that?”

  In her usual fashion she would raise her eyes then nod.

  “You want some more juice?”

  She moved her cup over to him.

  “Well, how about that?”

  It had been the first time he’d seen her respond beyond a nod.

  As they sat at the table quietly eating, little did they know the danger that was nearly upon them.

  5

  Friday morning the weather was better than the day before. The sky was a deep ocean blue. Gone was the blustery wind and constant snowfall. However, it was still cold. He leaned out from under his covers and banged on the electrical heater that was starting to give up the ghost. By the time Jack crawled out of bed, Dana had already left him a text. It read:

  What time do you want to leave for New York?

  He flipped on the TV, stumbled into the cramped washroom, and splashed cold water over his face. He’d got used to his small living quarters on the boat. Though the thought of being able to iron things out with Dana and move in with her again was a welcome one.

  In the background the news reported on another string of terrorist attacks that had taken place in Europe. It never seemed to end. Jack took a quick shower and then put on a pot of coffee.

  As it was percolating he took out a small duffel bag and filled it within enough clothes to last a couple of days. It was a good eight-hour drive into the city. He knew it would give them plenty of time to chat. They needed to catch up. For the past few months he’d kept himself busy. Sometimes he lost track of the days.

  From beneath his bed he pulled out a black suitcase. It was thin because it contained only a Glock 17 and a few magazines. After walking away from his life in the mob, he was going to dispose of it. He didn’t imagine he would have much need for it. But he could never quite bring himself to do it. His gun had become a part of who he was. While he didn’t always use it back in the city, it was never out of reach.

  The thought of returning to the concrete jungle had weighed heavily on his mind. There was risk involved. Even though the streets would be filled with thousands of people looking to see the New Year in, it didn’t mean he couldn’t be spotted. If anyone from the mob got wind that he was back, it was liable to get dangerous.

  He was pretty sure he’d been seen entering and leaving Gafino’s. He fully expected them to put two and two together and seek him out for a little payback. The men who had shown up in Rockland after Gafino’s death were proof of that. Their attempts to find him were weak at best. He knew the kind of men they sent weren’t ready to jeopardize their life. Had they seen him that day, they might have tried to fire off a round or two, but that would have been it. Few of them nowadays would risk their lives the way he used to.

  Jack picked his phone up and sent a text to Dana.

  How did you convince Jason?

  She replied almost instantly.

  He doesn’t know yet.

  He didn’t bother sending a message back. He was staying out of this. He knew the kid was having issues. Who wouldn’t after finding out your dad was a drug dealer and the mob had killed him. The repercussions of that night would stay with him for a long time. If he had been in Dana’s shoes, he might have run for the hills. The fact that she had given him the time of day spoke volumes about the kind of person she was.

  As he tossed a pair of shoes into the bag he thought about what Eddie had planned. Nothing seemed to faze him. Not the police, the mob, or even death itself. In many ways he’d been a li
feline for Jack. He wasn’t sure what he would have done without him. His willingness to keep a close eye on Milly had made him wonder if Eddie really was their real father.

  He had considered the rumors.

  It wasn’t that they even looked alike. There were similarities but Milly didn’t look anything like him.

  Dana had been pacing back and forth for the past five minutes. Jason had returned late that night. His frequent trips out with these guys were starting to worry her. Then to have Jack tell her where he’d found him. It had been too much. Jason just wouldn’t listen. It was if everything she said went over his head. She was worried that one day she would get a phone call that he had overdosed. He said he wasn’t using, but she had her doubts about that.

  She knew things weren’t right after he stopped showing up for his job. When he turned sixteen he’d taken a job working at the local supermarket. He’d only been there two weeks when Bob Diamond got in contact to say that Jason hadn’t shown up for his past two shifts. She knew right then something was amiss. He hated her rooting around in his room, but the day she came across the paraphernalia and the wads of cash, she was just cleaning up. He had three rolls. In total, it came to over three thousand dollars.

  Flashbacks of Matt’s involvement in drug dealing came rushing in. She felt her chest become heavy. That was the beginning of the arguments. For a while when Jack was around Jason was doing good. Of course, he had his days when he had an attitude but nothing that would have given cause for alarm. Since Jack had moved back to his boat everything had gone downhill. It seemed without a male figure in his life, Jason was prone to go off the rails.

  “What time did you get in last night?” Dana asked Jason.

  He shrugged. “I dunno.”

  She stared at him as he crossed the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and a box of cereal from the cupboard.

  She tapped her fingers against the granite countertop. “I want to talk about last night.”

  Jason groaned. “I just woke up, can’t this wait?”

  “No.”

  “Look, I’m not going to rehash it.”

  “I don’t get it, Jason. Why? Why go down that road? You saw the way it ended for your father.”

  “You are starting to sound a lot like Jack.”

  “Jason, you are sixteen. While you are under this roof you will return home when I tell you to.”

  He remained silent, continuing to pour milk. As he took a seat, she couldn’t take it anymore. She slammed her open hand down on the table. She hit it with such force that the milk from his cereal spilled over the brim of the bowl.

  “Are you listening?” she yelled.

  With that he just turned and left the room. She had never felt this out of control. She charged after him. By the time she reached the top of the stairs he was already in his room with his music blaring. Dana burst through the door and pulled the plug on the unit.

  Jason bolted upright with his hands out. “What do you want?”

  “I want my kid back.”

  There was silence.

  Jason stared apathetically at her, then sighed before lying back on his bed.

  “Listen, I know it’s not been easy.”

  Jason rolled a small stress relief beanbag in his hand. “Why did you kick him out?”

  “Who? Jack?”

  “Who else?”

  “I didn’t. We just thought it would be best. His involvement in helping people around here hasn’t exactly been seen as helping by everyone. After your father and everything that’s happened, I just…”

  “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is that why you want to move?” Jason asked.

  She shook her head and took a seat on the edge of his bed.

  “I just want to do what’s best for us. We don’t have the hotel to worry about now.”

  “But I thought you liked it here.”

  “Oh hon, I do. But there’s just too many bad memories.”

  “And what about Jack? You just going to walk away from him too?”

  “I don’t know.” She sighed. “He’s invited us to spend New Year’s Eve in New York with him.”

  “But that’s… like tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, he wants to leave today.”

  “And you were going to tell me… when?”

  “Do you have something better to do?” she asked.

  “No, but…”

  “You like Jack, yeah?”

  He smirked. “Yeah, he’s alright… for a mobster.”

  She shook her head and let out a chuckle. She patted his leg before jumping up.

  “C’mon, I’ll make us a proper breakfast, then we’ll get our bags packed.”

  “I have a couple of things I need to do after breakfast.”

  Dana raised an eyebrow.

  “No. Nothing illegal.” He tried to reassure her. “I just have to drop by Rachael’s place.”

  “All right, but make it quick. I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

  “When are we leaving?”

  “Good question,” she replied.

  After breakfast Jason got a ride with Danny Regan back into town. His mother glared out the window as the sports car tore up the gravel and charged off across the breakwater. Danny wasn’t just ruining her child, he was destroying her driveway. She would have told him to his face if he wasn’t in such a hurry to leave.

  Danny was the older brother of Rachael. He was twenty-one. He’d never worked a day in his life. Well, if you could call selling drugs, work. That’s how Jason got to know him. He’d been dating Rachael for close to eight months. It was the first steady girl he’d had. Prior to that he’d been with a few other girls but it hadn’t lasted.

  At first when Jason learned they were dealing drugs and that Rachael was using he had second thoughts about continuing to see her. But as usual she convinced him that she was trying to kick the habit. But it wasn’t just that. In all honesty her brother scared him.

  He’d seen Danny put a kid in the hospital using nothing but his bare knuckles. The guy went by the nickname Meat Sticks. No idea how he got the name. He’d been selling for Danny since the beginning. He’d brought more money in than anyone else, and by all accounts he was considered one of Danny’s closest friends.

  Problem was, he thought it would be okay to skim off the top.

  It didn’t take long for Danny to figure it out.

  That same evening Danny had made sure that everyone who distributed drugs for him was there. Jason knew something was going down because Rachael had been bouncing off the walls about it all that day. She was hyped up and seemed to feed off her brother’s power over others.

  “He’s going to kick his fucking ass. This is going to be something else.”

  Jason just assumed he would knock the kid about a bit. Make him embarrassed in front of the others and give him a black eye. He never imagined it would end with the kid on a life support machine. The worst part — he got away with it as no one said anything. That was the kind of power he held over other teens in the town.

  Everyone sold for their own reasons. For some it was a way to feed their own drug habit. For others it was a power trip. Having Danny Regan on your side meant no one would touch you. But for most, it was all about the money. And oh, how the money had been flowing.

  There really wasn’t anything to it. Danny handed out a bag every Sunday evening. He called it his goodie bag. It was filled with a variety of drugs. Weed, LSD, cocaine, speed, and heroin. Everyone knew the danger of getting caught with it on them, that’s why some came up with creative ways of stashing it. There was one kid who shoved the bag up his ass, and would only deal out of the school toilets. That seemed a little extreme. Kind of sick as well. The truth was, Jason never imagined it would sell. Of course he knew about kids smoking weed, but heroin? LSD? Crack?

  The entire bag Danny had given him was gone by the end of the first day.

  That was the moment he knew there was money to be ma
de. It was just too simple. Too tempting.

  And so was Rachael. He wasn’t sure which had more power over him. The money or Rachael.

  “So you got the money?” Danny asked. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth. Rachael sat in the back seat with Marko. Marko was a complete freak. Marko wouldn’t have thought twice about slashing anyone from ear to ear. There wasn’t a day Jason hadn’t seen him on drugs. He was always wired.

  “Yeah,” Jason yanked out two rolls of cash and Rachael took it. It took her less than a minute to count it.

  “It’s all there.”

  Danny nodded. “You are doing good. Keep it up. Now what’s up with this guy? The one that pulled you out?”

  “Jack?”

  “Yeah, fucking guy is going to end up with a bullet in his skull.”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to do that.”

  Danny swerved hard to the side of the road.

  “What did you say?”

  “I said, you don’t want to do that.”

  “So you are telling me?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” Jason replied. He could feel a lump form in his throat. Now any normal person would have asked why. Not Danny.

  “Danny, he was just explaining,” Rachael added.

  “Shut the fuck up.” His eyes bore into Jason. “Now is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “He’s seeing my mother.”

  He burst out laughing. “Oh that’s fresh.” He pulled back out onto the road. “Mind you, your mother’s got quite an ass on her. I wouldn’t mind doing her myself.”

  Jason locked his jaw tight. If he wasn’t so afraid of Danny he might have said something, instead he remained silent. Marko slapped Jason on the shoulder, joining in the laughter.

  “Anyway, as I was saying. He’s not the kind of guy you want to mess with.”

  “Nor am I,” Danny said, acting all macho and shit.

  “No, he used to work for the mob.”

  “What?”

  “New York Mafia,” Jason replied.

  “Well, you are just full of surprises, aren’t you, kid?”