I smiled. Yeah, I probably would. I’ve got a vest on. Naji doesn’t. “Let’s go play this hand. Tommy and Jesse will be waiting for us near the Ferry building. Lucas and Casey already have eyes on us now. We’ll have over an hour before the riot’s to take place. It’s possible we’ll spot these turds before anything goes down. They’ll have to have picked a spot with the greatest chance of success. I plan on figuring where that spot is while we’re sightseeing. It’ll be near the water. If I were doing it, I’d want a fast boat near the dock ready to go. The dock in front of Scott’s Restaurant is perfect. It’s out of sight unless you look over the railing. If they’re as well informed about this excursion as we suspect, they know we were thinking of taking the ferry over to Pier 39. Near the ferry launch is where I’d take Samira. They have the timing down pat. The ferry leaves in an hour and a half. Precisely when the riot is to take place, Amtrak runs a train down Broadway. Its horn/whistle is loud enough to wake the dead, perfect cover in sync with the riot noise.”
Denny nodded in agreement. Lucas and Casey murmured a vote on my side too on their com units. Dev looked around at me from the driver’s seat.
“You still want me with the limo instead of in the crew?”
“Yeah, Dev. We want you to get Denny, Jafar, and Samira the hell out of here once this goes down. Denny has our EMT van parked where the rest of us can gather up our little friends and disappear. This may get messy so we need to concentrate on the basics – get on the road with Samira.”
“I’ll be listenin’.”
“They won’t be in place yet. Too suspicious,” Denny said. “I’m figuring they’ll have one lookout trailing us to make sure we’re on time and in the right spot. We’ll escort Samira around while Casey and Lucas scan the crowd. If they spot someone, we’ll meet up with Tommy and Jesse before heading into that restaurant with the outdoor serving area near the ferry and have a coffee. We’ll stay there until the riot breaks out. You can go inside the restaurant and out another exit to join up with Lucas and Casey, John. The rest of us will stay put until you have their whole crew zeroed in.”
I liked it. “Sounds good, Denny. You get all that T?”
“Jesse and I will be at the restaurant waiting,” Tommy replied in my ear.
I opened the limo door once again and stepped out. “Let’s go do this.”
By the time we’d walked down to the pier next to Scott’s Restaurant Casey’s voice spoke up in my ear. “I got ‘em, John. Lucas sent the wife and girlfriend home so we’re workin’. They were right in the middle of the palm tree square - four broke away heading inside Scott’s, three men, one woman. A fourth is tailing you. I’ll stick with the Scott’s crowd. You on the trailer, Lucas?”
“On it. Heads up. This guy’s intercepting not trailing. Want him done now, Denny? If he’s got a vest you bunch are toast. They may have changed the plan from kidnapping to killing. He’s coming up fast, behind and to your left, black parka, jeans, black tennis shoes.”
“I got this, Denny.” I spun around, spotted the guy, and jogged up in his face. He stopped with a surprised look, but then held out his hand with a picture. I took it from him. It was a picture of Tess. That makes twice Tess has become collateral damage. Even if I get her out of this in one piece I think our business dealings may be deader than Ted Kennedy. Sizing this guy up, the sneer he’s trying to hide in the fading light means he’s confident in the plan.
“We have your woman, Harding. Hand Karim over to us and we leave Ms. Connagher in the restaurant unharmed. Refuse and we will slit her throat right at the table and take Karim anyway.”
I keep eye contact with the hostage negotiator while finding out some facts. “Casey? Any line of sight between where your charges are and where I am?”
“No, John. No line of sight – repeat – no line of sight.”
I nod my head affably for my audience and then kick him right in the nuts. The kick lifts him off his feet before dropping to the walkway his scream so high pitched it sounded like a train whistle. I drop down and chop him across the throat to quiet him down a bit. His hands cradling his package switched to clawing at his own throat as if trying to stuff air in while he rolled around in agony. I relieved him of his weapons and personal belongings. Denny is flashing a badge while quieting passersby and keeping them moving. Tommy and Jesse already have Jafar and Samira bracketed.
I hear Casey chuckle. “No reaction, John. They’re sitting at a table now with no view your way, but definitely nervous.”
We pack up the negotiator while Denny makes a hurried call on his cell. I pluck our stricken kidnapper on a park bench near the pier. He can only squeak now, his legs still trying to curl up like an accordion. His mouth hung wide open and gasping.
Denny gets off his cell-phone. “I called in a cleanup crew I had on standby to move in when things get messy. John, I-”
“Forget it, Denny. Tess signed on. The bill’s come due. Tell cleanup to be ready outside Scott’s restaurant. Stay with this guy. I’ll take the bait with me and get the other three. You join up with Casey, Lucas. Find a couple spots where you can back my play. Leave any to me that don’t pull a weapon.”
I hear their acknowledgement while I’m heading toward Samira and my crew. Samira heard everything. I can tell in her face she’s ready. Jafar is not on board with my play. He moves in front of Samira as I approach. The kid has balls. I’ll give him that. Samira gently pushes him aside, patting his arm.
“Do not interfere, Jafar. John knows what he is doing.”
Yeah, I do. Whether it works or not is anyone’s guess. I kneel down and pet Naji. I wish I could take him along. Maybe next time. “When we get near to their table, drop to the floor immediately when I touch your hand, Samira. Scramble away quickly. Stay with T and Jesse, Jafar. Stay, Naji.”
The dog sits and obeys instantly while Jafar appears ready to get a piece. Tommy puts a reassuring but steady grip on his shoulder. Jesse does the same at his other side. Samira and I walk toward Scott’s restaurant. I’m plotting movements I will make when close enough to do damage. Casey and Lucas are pros. Anyone drawing a gun at the table is dead. I’m hoping the cutthroats play their usual game with a blade. That way Tess will have a fighting chance.
“I will not fail you, John.”
“Nothing will happen to you, Samira. Look appropriately frightened right up until I touch your hand. After that it will only be a matter of how many casualties.”
“I hope your friend will not be hurt.”
“So do I. She’ll bitch at me either way.”
“They see you, John,” Casey informs me. “They’re staying still. No weapons visible but one closest to the lady now is sitting real close to her with his arm around her shoulders. The dummy has his other hand on a coffee cup. One of the others may be very quick, John.”
“Let’s not play then guys. When you see me get to five feet away from the table pull the plug on the other two, weapons or not. We’ll have to settle for two live ones.”
“Understood.”
We walk in the restaurant and a smiling greeter moves to help us. “We’re joining another party, Ma’am. I see them. Thank you anyway.”
She moves away with a curt nod while Samira and I walk toward the table. Tess looks like smoke will be pouring out of her ears any second. Her mouth is a tightlipped slash. Good, maybe she won’t do anything stupid. Samira and I reach our launch point seconds later. Two popping sounds followed by one head hitting the table in a pool of blood and the other pitching backward off his chair distracted Tess’s bosom buddy. My right fist slammed squarely into his face. He flew over the back of his chair into a heap, spurting blood from his shattered nose everywhere. People at adjoining tables fled away from our set to with vigor, screams and all. Cleanup arrived moments later with sirens blaring and Homeland Security badges flashing. Our cleaning crew collected the dead and alive while I hustled Tess and Samira back out of the restaurant. Tess did not speak. I’m wondering if she was remembering my w
arning about getting involved with Government Inc.
Denny meets us outside at a dead run. He motioned me to the side because Casey and Lucas had our backs. “I had to do a quick info gathering session with the first guy. He agreed to call in and tell his buddies on the boat the deed is done. They’ll be coming to pick up the prize any second at Scott’s pier.”
“What’s chances he tipped them off instead?”
Denny grinned. “I’ll go with your crew and get out of here with Tess and Samira. Do you want backup at the pier?”
“No. We have two live ones. Do we need more?”
Denny shrugged. “If you can, then do. If you can’t, we’ll have to make do with what we have. Weapons free. Let’s keep Cleanup out of this other than cleanup. Get moving.” Denny gestured toward the Jack London Square gateway where a noisy crowd was forming before looking at his watch. “It looks like their distraction has arrived. As you figured before, the Amtrak train will be roaring down Broadway in about eight minutes.”
“Can you keep a lid on all this?”
“Who knows, John? We do what we do. Fallout from terrorist kidnapping attempts should be minimal. As to interrogations, the ones we have can disappear discreetly. The ones coming by boat would be tricky to question after public arrest.”
“I’ll think of something. Want us to meet you at the warehouse?”
“Yeah. I’ll drop everyone else off and get Tess under guard.”
I gave Denny a little salute and jogged toward the front of Scott’s where we figured the boaters would be arriving. I avoided Tess completely. Casey and Lucas popped out from different areas near the restaurant. Casey handed me an M-10 machine pistol and three clips. Nothing was in sight yet on the water so we kept watch near the upper railing looking down on Scott’s pier. Daylight fled us with each passing minute, emphasized by the rent-a-mob’s growing roar out front. Sirens and squad cars assembled quickly to quell what they didn’t know was a manufactured disturbance.
“What’ll it be, John?” Casey asked.
“I’ll front them. Denny says prisoners would be tricky to get custody of anyway so we can take what we can or not. I’ll be the good cop when they arrive.”
Lucas chuckled. “You’ll get yourself killed playing that shit. Casey and me ain’t playing any games so you better get busy if things go South or you could be a friendly fire incident.”
“Duly noted. You guys need a distraction. I’m it. Pick your spots and I’ll go down on the pier. There’s no backup. Cleanup will be hanging around but I can tell Denny doesn’t want them involved. Weapons free.”
“Okay Champ, go play decoy,” Casey ordered as he and Lucas headed in two different directions. “Say the word if you want to go preemptive on their asses.”
A muffled roar in the distance announced the Amtrak train heading our way. “I hear that train a comin’. It’s rollin’ round the bend.” My Johnny Cash gets a few laughs as Lucas and Casey jog away. I hustled down onto the pier and positioned myself to look like a security guard. With hands and M-10 clasped against my back I stood at parade rest in front of Scott’s restaurant. I was hoping our new arrivals would think I was assigned there by the restaurant. Boy, was I wrong, proving this decoy business is an inexact science.
The Amtrak train thundered down Broadway in front of Jack London Square with whistle blaring. A sleek speed boat in the thirty-five foot range raced into sight with four guys on deck. The driver slid that baby up smooth as silk along the pier while the occupants opened up on me. The first burst pinged into the perforated decking while another burst nicked my arm and stitched across my chest. I went with the force as I gasped and fought the familiar blackout. Seconds later, everyone on the speedboat was either rolling around in a pool of blood or not moving at all. I sucked air, got my numb feet moving, and dived onto the boat before it could drift off. Still sputtering like a three pack a day Lucky Striker with lung cancer I secured the boat as it drifted away from the pier. Casey and Lucas being Casey and Lucas I only found the driver still feebly breathing. His brethren leaked blood, brain, and tissue matter in various postures of death. I grinned in appreciation as I flipped the driver over. They’d clipped him in both shoulders and knees. Man, I love working with pros.
The pros from Dover showed up on the pier a moment later, keeping the hatch to the lower deck of the speeder in their sights until I eased the boat back alongside the pier. They jumped aboard and I headed out into the wide open ocean at a leisurely pace while Lucas threw a flash bang into the compartment below deck. We were rewarded with a scream of agony. It took only moments to bring the only other member of the crew up on deck. He cried real tears, screamed whenever a significant pain reached his brain, and eventually whipped his head around searching our faces for… I don’t know… maybe compassion. Yeah, he came up a little short.
“So, Princess… how’s it hangin’,” Lucas asked him.
Our passenger went into immediate Punjabi which I understood. I cut him off at the outrage track. I answered the prick in the language spoken “Hey, we’re not playing that here. I know you speak English. Quit pretending and start talking. You will not live beyond our voyage. Who sent you and who do you work for?”
“Why then should I speak? You will kill me anyway.”
I grabbed him up by the throat because I really didn’t care one way or another what he said. We had another live one with holes Lucas was busily patching up. “Who said anything about killing you? Casey here is a friend of mine with special skills. He and I play a game called Simon Says every so often when we get a nitwit like you to question. Casey… show our buddy here how the game works.”
Casey chuckled in that diabolical way only he can do. “Simon says break our good buddy’s left ring finger.”
Quick as a flash I gripped and busted tough guy’s left ring finger, shards of bone sticking out. He passed out after the initial scream of agony. We woke him up by dipping him upside down into the ocean. After a few surface dives he came up spluttering and gagging, trying to reach his injured finger. I threw him down on the deck so he could catch his breath and have better luck breathing.
“Well, Flash, tell us something that will persuade my friend not to start playing our special game. Make it real good, because your buddy over there with the bullet holes looks anxious to please. I think your initial Simon Says performance has him considering his options more carefully. We already know you wished to take Samira Karim. I want the names of your cell and all who helped you in this pursuit.”
His face a mask of pain while holding his damaged hand, he nodded silently when looking up into Casey’s smiling face. “I will give you all I know.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
***
Denny picked up on the first ring. “I heard you got dinged.”
“The rest went smoothly and I’m only missing a piece of skin. Lucas is busily sewing me up as we speak. He said he gets an extra five hundred for being fill-in medic because he has training. Did you get the file?”
“We’re already moving on it. We’ll let the suits pick up the rest, John. Tell Lucas I said bite me. Any problems with cleanup?”
“We had a burial at sea. Your crew took charge of the boat when we reached shore.”
“So I heard. Reddig doesn’t need any visitors. I couldn’t shut him up. Are you guys still at the Square?”
“Yep. Thanks for leaving our van. Otherwise, Lucas would have slapped iron to my wound and told me to man up. We didn’t know if you’d need help with Benny boy. Want me to tell the guys to go home?”
“Yes. I’ll tie up loose ends. Jafar’s at your house. Your crew has been paid, my treat. Ms. Connagher went home. We have her under surveillance until everyone on our list is dead or in custody. She left word not to contact her. Leave the van when you get finished. I’ll have it picked up within the hour. Samira would like to try again on an outing day after tomorrow. It should be much less exciting.”
Small doubt about that. I won
der if Tess meant for now or forever. “See you then, Denny.”
“Don’t you want to know what’s happened to Reddig?”
“Nope.
Denny laughed and hung up. Lucas applied a topical bandage to finish off his patch job on my arm. “We’re good to go home. Denny didn’t need any help with Reddig. Did you guys have a ride here or should I call for one?”
“I have my new GMC Terrain in the parking lot.” Casey watched Lucas finish with professional interest. “I don’t think you made the stitches tight enough. John’s goin’ to have a scar.”
Lucas laughed with us. “You wait until I need to sew you up, Case. You’ll wish you had Captain Ahab doing the honors with a harpoon. Want us to drop you somewhere, John?”
“Drop me off at the Warehouse Bar if you guys have time. I think a small celebration is in order. Want to join me?”
“Me and Lucas are already in the doghouse over our ruptured dinner plans. We have to go make things right.”
“Rain-check then anytime you want. Maybe we can down a few together at a port-a-call over in Somalia when Denny sends us over there with our new boat to wipe out the pirates.”
Lucas jumped up with his hands in the air with Casey laughing like hell. “Damn it, John, now you’ve went and done it. You know that prick probably has the van wired. He’ll take that remark to mean we’ve volunteered for duty.”
I got up and put an arm around Lucas. “C’mon. Take me to the bar. If family has dulled your edges, me and Casey will handle the Somalia gig. You know it’s coming.”
“Don’t insult me, punk! I’ve been thinking about it ever since Denny hinted at it. Remember the Americans those slime-balls executed when the US tried to negotiate. If Denny wants a trap set… then oh baby is he goin’ to get one. We goin’ to have some fun then, boys.”
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about, Lucas,” Casey slapped hands with his partner enthusiastically. “I bet we get some dynamite fishin’ in while we’re baitin’ the trap too on our new boat along with a very nice payday. We’ll give my pard here the master cabin, John, seeing as how he’s old and decrepit.”
Hell on Earth Page 54
