Hard Case: Boxed Set Books 1,2 & 3 (John Harding Books)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “Interesting idea, Dark Lord. Take off and make the attempt at a night out. My advice is to rent a movie Al wants to see and order a pizza.”

  Probably a good idea. “Thanks, Den. See you later.”

  Chapter Eighteen: Outside Agitator

  While I’m driving home, pondering my predicament as the butt of a Company management joke, I see my young neighbor Darin McBride being stalked by a herd of idiot gang-bangers. I’m upset, because after Darin helped me out with the setup of the now deceased gang-banger, Terry Nelson, I had made a few permanent adjustments to the adult supervision trying to make everyday citizens’ lives miserable in Oakland. I couldn’t single out Darin because that would be like putting a target on his back. Something about this gang shenanigans bothered me. I smelled trap. Darin was walking while looking back over his shoulder uneasily, but the bangers weren’t approaching any closer. I called my nearest West Coast Avengers neighbor, Devon Constantine. He answered on the first ring.

  “Dark Lord?”

  I heard muffled laughter in the background. “Is that Jess with you, Dev?”

  “Yeah, brother, what’s up?”

  “I have a situation here. You and Jess want to come over and be bait?”

  “Give us the 411 and we’ll be there. What do you want us to do?”

  “I have a herd of gang-bangers stalking a neighbor of mine, a kid you two know who lives up the street from me, named Darin McBride. I have a bad feeling this is an extension of the hit put out on me and Jafar. I don’t want my young neighbor to die because he’s connected to me. They’re following him along 38th Avenue toward our street on Lyon. They’re at Penniman now.”

  “We’re on our way. We’ll load up.”

  “Front the bangers. I have your back on what happens after.”

  “By your command, DL.”

  I listened to the muffled laughter with the hope I was wrong about this. “Stuff it, Dev. I’m on point, and I am armed. You and Jess make sure you are too. DL out.”

  I kept back from the event. I had parked for a time after spotting it. No way would I ever allow Darin to get jumped without me interceding. These bangers following him weren’t kids from his school. They had the look of hard corps made bangers over the age of what I think of as youth stupidity. If they moved on him, I knew there would be a hot time for John Harding today. Darin was under my protection. This was a bad situation. It meant that either I was being followed, or my car was bugged, and whoever ordered it knew me far too well.

  I took out my .45 from under the driver’s seat while I waited. Then I spotted him. He trailed the herd by about twenty-five yards. His slacks and thigh length leather coat were black. A thin material black hoodie covered his head and parts of his face. Dev and Jess arrived in front of the herd next to Darin. Jess motioned for Darin to get in the car. He knew my two friends. With a relieved look, Darin jogged across the street, and slipped in the back seat. The bangers stopped, starting to do some catcalls while moving toward Dev’s car. Jess and Dev got out of Dev’s GMC Terrain. They leaned against the hood with their arms folded.

  By that time, I had exited my car and come up on Mr. Hoodie from his blind side. He hesitated, trying to make sense out of the new kink in the scene, because it wasn’t Dev and Jess he wanted. I Gronked him. The straight right I threw into that tender bunch of nerves at the base of the skull dropped Mr. Hoodie like he was shot with a cannon ball. He was unconscious before he hit the sidewalk face first. The Uzi he had his hand on under the coat clattered to the walk too. The bangers were stunned.

  I plastic tied Mr. Hoodie’s hands behind him while watching the herd. After my play on Hoodie, Dev and Jess ran over to bookend the bangers with weapons in hand. Once my hunch about a setup proved true, they knew there were no innocents here. With Mr. Hoodie on my shoulder, I jogged over to my car and stuffed him into the trunk.

  * * *

  “Stay here with your head down Darin,” Jess said. “Bait up, brother.”

  Dev smiled over at his long time friend. They served together in the same sandpit overseas. “Let’s set up out front, Jess. That should attract some attention away from the Dark Lord.”

  “On it.” Jess exited and took up his position next to Dev in front of the car. “Have I tol’ you how sick I am of these pants down, pathetic excuses for humanity?”

  Dev chuckled. “Many times, my brother.” Dev waved at them, a circular motion with rolling finger meant to say ‘bring it on’ in body language.

  “I think you upset them,” Jess said, mimicking his partner, as the bangers became more virulent with their gestures. “One or more of them probably has a gun.”

  “Oh… Jess… I’m so scared. The Dark Lord has his nasty ass .45 Colt in hand even as we speak. You’ve seen him shoot. What’s chances anyone at this distance from where DL is sneakin’ up on that dimwit in black, survives raisin’ a weapon on us?”

  Jess snickered in appreciation of that word picture. He straightened. “Uh oh! DL has seen enough.”

  Dev cringed. “Oh shit! He Gronked him. Let’s move.”

  Jess rushed to the inner sidewalk side, weapon aimed. “Hands on the top of your heads, my little thugs! Don’t make me tell you twice or someone gets knee capped!”

  One of them reached, but by that time Devon was five feet away with his 9mm Glock pointed in his face. “Yeah, kid, draw that piece right on out. I’ll pump half my clip through your head, but hey, it’s your call.”

  Devon’s person of interest slowly eased his hands up to the top of his head. Jess pointed at Mr. Hoodie getting transported to the trunk of Harding’s car. “Looks like we’re collecting today, Dev.”

  “Shit! That means he’ll be calling Satan’s Spawn for the rest of these pixies.” Devon waved a warning finger at the group. “Listen up! Drop down on your knees. Keep those hands locked behind your heads.”

  * * *

  I called Strobert after loading my trunk, and taking out a pair of Nitril gloves.

  “Hey, John. Miss me already?”

  “Check this guy out, Den.” I give him a close up face-time with the i-thingy after pulling back the hoodie and positioning my trunk occupant’s somewhat sidewalk scratched face. “He had seven bangers following a neighbor kid of mine, while setting up behind them with an Uzi.”

  I face Denny back with me while shutting the trunk. He considers it all for a few seconds.

  “I’ll send Casey over to pick up the trunk luggage. His face looks familiar. We’ll have to let the PD take the bangers. I’ll see if Taylor and Rodriguez are on today, and send them with a meat wagon over to pick them up. We’ll have to use a Homeland Security angle to keep them incommunicado until I check out this situation. It looks like Alice had good instincts about not moving out of the safe-room just yet.”

  Yeah, she did. “Agreed. Can I tell the PD anything about Mr. Hoodie and his Uzi or are you going to make him disappear. They won’t know how serious this was without some explanation.”

  “Tell them everything, John,” Strobert replied. “We can tell anyone looking into what happens to Hoodie we did a rendition to Saudi Arabia or something.”

  I like it. “Good call. Talk to you later. You don’t need me over at pain central, do you?”

  “Nope. I’m going to see if Lynn wants to do a little lab work.”

  Denny disconnected, and I went over with Dev and Jess. “I’ll do the frisks, guys. I have my gloves. Spawn is gathering the PD for a pickup.”

  “Do Punky Brewster here next to me first, John,” Dev says, pointing at the guy kneeling near him. “He was going to reach for something when we threw down on them.”

  I laughed when I found a .22 auto in Punky’s pants-down back pocket. “Wow, kid, Dev would have made you eat this if you’d pulled on him.”

  “They use the .22’s for execution, John,” Jess pointed out. “How bad’s the guy in your trunk?”

  I continue my rough pat downs. “Bad enough for some special encouragement to tell us what this gig w
as all about. Spawn will be using Homeland Security to keep these boys incommunicado until he finds out. He plans to let our new daughter of darkness do the honors.”

  “Sucks to be him,” Jess states with solemn surety. “That girl gives me the creeps.”

  “The grapevine has it her and your buddy are having a ‘War of the Roses’ at their new home,” Dev adds. “Fifty says he ends up in the Bay.”

  That cracks me up. I have to take a moment before resuming my banger frisk-a-thon. “Best not to presume to know what goes on between those two, brother.”

  The sirens start wailing toward us from off in the distance. I finish my task, and plastic tie my little prayer group’s hands behind their backs. They don’t like it, but I can tell in their eyes they recognize me. When I finish, I help them get sat down on the sidewalk where we’re beginning to draw a few gawkers. Once I have them in place with Dev and Jess keeping an eye on them, I walk over to Darin. He waits for me to speak attentively. Like I said, he’s a good kid.

  “Where did you pick up this bunch?”

  “I noticed them right after I crossed the freeway overpass, John. I don’t recognize any of their faces. Do you know what they want?”

  “Me, I’m afraid. When the cops get here, tell them what happened. I’ll get this straightened out.”

  “I haven’t had any trouble since Nelson.”

  “Sit tight, Darin. I’ll send the cops over when they get here. I promise to end the trouble.”

  “I like Alice. She’s really cool.”

  Figures. “Now, you are in trouble, kid.”

  Darin snickers. I push his head back inside the car, and walk over to meet the arriving squad car. I catch a break when I see it’s Earl and ‘Rique. They know the score, so the preliminaries should be short. I know Denny warmed them up. Dev and Jess had already put away their weapons after I finished plastic tying the crew on the sidewalk.

  “I don’t know these guys, John,” ‘Rique said. “Strobert warned us they might have been shipped in.”

  Earl gestures at the plunder I had set out in front of their owners. “That looks like a jackpot. They decided to bring a little of everything, including the drugstore. Have you asked them anything yet?”

  “I’m leaving that to Strobert. He’s calling in HS for a meet at the station once he gets a little background music from the one in my trunk.”

  “This can’t be good, John,” Earl states the obvious. “Imported bangers following your neighbor kid down the street as cover for an Uzi packing assassin waiting to spray you – I can imagine what’s going through your head. We already got briefed on your house attack. What’s next, a bombing?”

  Good question. “I’ll have to get back to you on that, Earl. I doubt these guys know anything other than they were recruited for a nice payday, but we’ll know more when Strobert gets to talk with trunk-man.”

  “If it’s all the same to you, John, Earl and I are going to load these guys up, take your neighbor kid’s statement, and then get the hell away from you.”

  It’s hard to argue with logic like that. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “From afar, I hope,” Earl zings me.

  “Prick.”

  * * *

  Lynn looked around at the plastic coated lab interior and the naked figure strapped onto the table in front of her with an appreciative smile of malice. She saw the eyes of her intended subject darting around in frantic recognition of the setting he was in. Montoya had picked out a skintight black outfit with her hair tied tightly at the back of the head. No mask was needed, because her subject probably would never leave the table alive. If he did, it wouldn’t be anywhere he’d be identifying anyone. A tray of frightening utensils lay on a portable stainless steel table next to the strapped down former assassin. His head was free to move. He moved it enough to take in his environment. Lynn took a deep breath as the realization of how turned on she was filtered into her mind.

  She whipped out her butterfly knife, click-clacking it in and out of fully closed to fully open position with an expertise Lynn knew her buddy on the table recognized with undisguised fear. “Hi, cupcake. Don’t pay attention to that surgical table. I’m old school. Drugs and shiny stuff don’t get me off. I need a more subtle appreciation of my talent. Screams soothe my black soul, so don’t hold back, honey.”

  Lynn played her part as Strobert entered the room, striding past Montoya as she clacked her knife back into neutral with obvious reluctance. “C’mon, Spawn. What the hell? I haven’t even started… damn it!”

  Strobert waved her off. “We allow our captive audience some leeway, Lynn. Mr. Ghassan… nice of you to join us. We’re here to ask you a few questions. Let’s not quibble about details. Get me on your side with who sent you.”

  Ghassan didn’t answer swiftly, prompting a quick click-clack and slice across his groin area as Lynn darted in without orders. Ghassan screamed as he watched the blood welling up.

  Strobert smiled at Lynn while Ghassan’s eyes were tightly closed. “Lynn! No cutting unless I say so!”

  “Quit babying this prick! Let me flay him for a while. He’ll tell us anything you want to know. So what if he speaks in an octave higher?”

  Denny walked over to grasp Ghassan’s hand. “Sorry about that Kamil. My employee incorporates all the usual traits a cold blooded torturer needs, but she lacks restraint. Was there something you wanted to share with us?”

  “Musa El Mofty!” Ghassan gasped out. “I know I am… dead. Leave me intact! He despises Samira Karim and her father. El Mofty blames Harding for why she is not dead. Because of his hatred, we have lost our only…”

  “Oh yeah, baby!” Lynn was at the assassin’s side in a heartbeat when he hesitated. “Don’t tell this bad man anything. We’ll work it all out after he leaves.”

  “Lynn.” Strobert shook his head. “Kamil just wanted to catch his breath. I won’t let her hurt you. Take your time. If you prove valuable enough, I might even keep you where I have a few other helpful ex-terrorists. When a situation arises here or overseas, I get my consulting group together, and they come up with likely scenarios. That sound like something better than being eviscerated by Lynn here?”

  Ghassan’s face brightens. “Is there such a thing?”

  Strobert shrugged while Lynn glared at Ghassan. “It is if you have some very interesting information. If the info is just mildly amusing, I’ll still give you a painless death. Take a shot. Impress me.”

  “El Mofty is in the country. He will be in San Francisco later today from New York!” Ghassan looked at Strobert expectantly.

  Lynn patted Ghassan’s cheek. “Aw, that’s so sweet. You think after giving up El Mofty’s name that we won’t know everything about him and every movement he makes.”

  “So far you’re not exactly blowing my skirt up, Kamil,” Strobert added.

  “He… he knows he has lost assets on the West Coast. El Mofty plans on bringing up recruits through Mexico. One of the cells lost during the attacks on Harding and Karim was his only asset in the Los Angeles area. I had to contract those young hoods from Hayward to run interference for my attempt on Harding. I am the last one alive from our cell in the North Bay Area.”

  Strobert smiled. “That’s more like it. Who was to meet El Mofty today? I assume he is flying in. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to be seen with you, but does he usually have a limousine service pick him up at the airport?”

  “Yes, I contracted SFO limousine service to meet him at baggage.”

  Lynn started giggling. She patted Ghassan’s hand. “Oh, that is just the best. You have a better limo service than that one, right boss?”

  “Indeed I do.”

  * * *

  Denny face-timed me while I was riding in our limo with Jafar next to me. Devon and Jesse were up front. “Forces of Darkness Limousine Service, the Dark Lord speaking.”

  I elicited laughter from my cohorts in the limo and the ones already networked with me, but Denny had his game face on.

 
; “Are you sure it’s a good idea to meet him in person, John? I think Clint or Lynn would have been better.”

  “You said yourself we don’t know how many bodyguards El Mofty has with him. Jafar will be out on the side with his El Mofty sign. Clint and Lynn will be inside the baggage claim area counting bodyguards. Lucas and Casey are outside baggage claim ready to stuff bodyguards. They can’t be armed, so we have this covered. I know you don’t want to lose your new kingpin of terrorists. Jafar will load El Mofty, and the rest of our posse will coral the bodyguards. Tommy’s waiting in an SUV to swoop in for all the rest.”

  There were assenting grunts of approval from the rest of our players all linked up to us.

  “Sorry, John… I want El Mofty so bad I can taste it. Call me after you land the big tuna.”

  “Will do.” I reached over and grabbed Jafar’s chin, checking out the makeup job Samira did on him. “Your wife did a very credible job covering up the facial you got from Azim. How’s it feel?”

  Jafar grinned. “Loose, but I’ll tape the nose after we get El Mofty. Samira immediately called her father after I came home. He was very pleased I had beaten Azim to death. He forced me to give him every detail of Azim’s killing. Badee called me son.”

  More laughter in my ear as everyone heard of my young friend’s intercourse with his father-in-law. “Good one, kid.”

  “Moffy’s flight’s on the ground,” Clint informed me. “Case has your spot zoned and airport security informed. You can park it.”

  Devon nodded his head in the driver’s seat. When we came around, he pulled into the spot with Casey’s direction. Casey then moved into position again.

  “Wait until they see him leaving baggage claim, Jafar. Get out then with your sign. Guide him in and follow the Moff inside.”

  “Okay, Jafar,” Lynn’s voice said. “Coming at you. He only has two mooks with him.”

  “I’m on approach right now,” Tommy said.