by J. M. Dabney
“A lovely analogy.”
“Good advice, though.”
“Advice you didn’t keep. Maybe you should hit that bar, see if maybe someone noticed someone who may have paid more attention than the others. I’m sure they flashed a picture of Raul when they went to the bar.”
He knew she was right. He hated to admit that people noticed when a rough, biker-looking brown man was hitting on a pretty white boy bartender. The area where the motel and truck stop bar were located wasn’t in the best part of the county. It was positioned right off the highway. No one would notice a stranger as truckers and travelers were in and out every day. Familiar faces such as Raul’s would be remembered, and they hadn’t used a picture lineup. The investigators took a single photo and then had them come in to look at a lineup in person. Raul would’ve stuck out.
“They showed a single picture.”
“Well, that was amateur behavior. Why didn’t Peaches try to get the lineup thrown out?”
He tossed the file aside. A friend had somehow worked out a way to get him a copy of everything they had so far on the investigation. “I guess she had her reasons.”
“Baby, you need friends, call someone, at least Gage, maybe Little.”
“I can do this on my own.”
“I won’t bitch about it anymore, just promise to think about it.”
“I will, I promise.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
“You want me to drive you to the airport?” She was leaving her car so he’d have a vehicle to get around in and they hoped if the plates were run, her name wouldn’t cause any immediate red flags.
“No, I have a car coming to take me. As soon as I land, I’ll call you. Remember, the safety deposit box has your new IDs and passports, along with your prepaid phones and cards. I pulled some more cash. There’s also a rental in your alias at long-term parking.”
They’d rented the vehicle and used a magnetic hide-a-key. He appreciated everything she was doing, but she was dishing out a lot of the operation’s expenses.
“Mom, that’s your savings.”
“How many years have you taken care of me? How many times did you pay for my books or school? I know you can afford it, but me shifting around some money won’t make any waves. You, son, are the one who’s going to be making a lot of people nervous. I want you to have your escape plan. Not that you’re going to need it.”
“Nice save.”
“Nicolas, you know I’m going to worry, it’s what I do. Unless there’s an emergency, I’ll see you when the trial starts. I already put in the time off at least for the beginning of it. Gotta use all that vacation and personal time.”
He hugged her tight but didn’t want to let her go. But her phone chiming to let her know her car arrived forced him to release her. He kissed her cheek and gave her a small smile when she placed her hand around his right side where his tattoo was hidden.
“Remember the words, son. And if the worst happens, they need nurses everywhere. Raul will never be alone.”
To keep himself from reaching for her, he crossed his arms as she backed away. He was tired and frustrated—his body felt like it weighed a ton. His ribs ached constantly. He hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in over a month that wasn’t induced by painkillers.
He removed his t-shirt and slipped on his vest, securing the straps as he cursed the twinges in his side. His hand hesitated over the bail enforcement badge. He took a deep breath and slipped the chain around his neck. Covering it with his t-shirt. He checked his weapon and slipped it back into the holster, then he clipped it at his waist. He needed to get out, clear his head, and maybe get his brain to start working.
On his way out the door, he grabbed his keys, phone, and hoodie. He set the pressure sensor under the welcome mat and tested it to make sure it alerted his phone. A tiny camera would send footage of anyone who came to his door while he was out. He slowly made his way to the lobby and out onto the busy neighborhood street.
He snorted as he clocked the undercover tailing him before he made it to the steps of the next building. He scanned the area, paused when he reached a shop, and made a show of looking through the front windows. There were at least three people following him
A car screeched to a halt at the curb, and he removed his weapon while flipping the safety. Screams sounded around him, and people began to scatter.
A big guy in an expensive suit and sunglasses that cost a pretty penny stood from the front seat. “Warner, Benito sent us and your man said he was still keeping track.”
The back door popped open.
“Or do you want to meet your new friends?”
He slipped into the backseat and held his forty-five Glock and his trigger finger at the ready.
“Nero,” the guy introduced himself, “Catch, and that’s Moe. Benito said we were to show you the utmost respect and hospitality while you vacation in our cesspool of a city.”
“I’m sure that would bring the tourist running. Why are you so interested in helping?”
“We ain’t. We owe a debt, and he called in a marker,” Nero explained while the other two men remained silent.
They kept checking rearview mirrors and glancing out the back window.
“And I’ll admit to a certain…curiosity. Benito would rather kill someone than breathe the same air.”
“I know a few people like that.”
He took mental notes of streets, how many turns they made, and all at a normal rate of speed. No traffic laws to get them pulled over, except for the occasional wrong turn signal, then they cut hard to head in the opposite direction.
“This is for you.” Nero handed him a large brown envelope.
He holstered his weapon and quickly removed the contents. The names on the list were familiar, a list of the who’s who of America’s Most Wanted Crime Bosses. “And what am I looking at?”
“Your man is good, but your line of work doesn’t, well, it ain’t making y’all friends. These are the heads of families that have ended up in prison or had a close relative earn a life or death sentence. There’s one on there that you should pay close attention to, Marilee Corza. The most vicious Mafia Princess to ever run her own Crew. Her old man sent her to England about ten years ago when he got hit with racketeering and murder charges.”
“This name wasn’t in my files.”
“It wouldn’t be…neither of them had a price on their heads. Martinez grabbed a witness that ran. Brought him back to testify, all secretive and shit. The operation he freelanced for back then had a deal that he’d take care of off-the-books assignments and the D.A. and cops would look the other way on occasion. The guy he brought back snitched and got a clean break, probably lazy in suburbia somewhere.”
“A decade is a long time to hold a grudge.”
“True. But let’s just say that there’s been some shit going around that some serious money changed hands and there’s rumors of a new trial. Seems Daddy’s Princess wasn’t Corza’s kid. His old lady cheated. Seems Corza got rid of the wife and brought his underage stepdaughter into the bedroom to replace the cheating bitch. There ain’t nothing she wouldn’t do for him, and he sent her out of the country to keep her safe. Corza would do anything for that girl. A month ago, she took up residence in the family home, and she’s rebuilding the empire.
“Can’t say for sure, but a few people have whispered that she slit her nanny’s throat for looking at Corza a second too long. She was twelve. Imagine that ten years later, and the princess is looking to become queen.”
He thumbed through the photos of a girl with a sweet face, but that level of physical and emotional abuse and conditioning could warp anyone.
“Raul just brought a witness back. He didn’t take the stand.”
“Don’t make no difference. They want him gone. Corza is due to be returned to prison here in preparation for motions for his retrial. He can’t take the chance the witness spilled to the bounty hunter.”
“Where Raul is await
ing trial?”
“Yep.” Nero glanced back at him. “Loyalty is an amazing thing, man, but in this case, she’s about to rain down hell on these streets. She’s determined to get her daddy out and then take over the entire city just like in the good old days.”
No fucking wonder they hadn’t found anything. Raul probably didn’t do more than take the assignment, complete it, and move on to the next. They never worried much about what happened after their jobs finished. Beyond the payday, their involvement ended after they signed the paperwork. If all of this were true, he needed an army, and that was something he didn’t have.
He needed a plan and a lot more firepower. In order to succeed, he needed to remove the head of the snake or at least the one walking the street. The woman needed to be taken out. That also meant he was going to need to thin her crew a bit.
“You have someone who could help me out with some equipment?”
“As long as you got the money to spend, I can find you whatever you need.”
“Let’s find a place for dinner, and I’ll make you a list.”
THEY COULDN'T HIDE FOREVER
“Y a gotta be fucking kidding me?” He tried not to destroy the letter in his hands, but the paper crinkled where it was clutched in his fists. His boy had just hung up on him in the middle of Raul telling him to get his ass back to Powers.
This was not what he needed, and the call he’d made to his boy had met with stubbornness. He punched in Trenton’s office number and Gage’s extension. He waited impatiently for the man to answer.
“Gage.” The man growled into the phone.
An inconvenienced Gage wasn’t the man to ask for help, but he was out of options. Especially when his boy was going to start a one-man war, and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop him. Not when he was locked up with no allies to call.
“Don’t hang up.”
“Not in much of a position to be giving orders.”
He rubbed his hand over his face and tugged at his longer goatee. “Don’t start.”
“What the fuck do you want? Since your boy up and quit, pulling a complete disappearing act, and you, well, we know where you are.”
“Pure’s about to make an exit.”
“I’m listening.”
“I did a job about a decade ago. As far as I knew it was just your usual grab a runner, bring him back for a nice payday. Seems I dragged a witness back to testify against a crime boss. Name’s Corza.”
“And?”
“You’re not helping me here.”
“Give me a reason.”
“You need to find my boy and make sure he doesn’t”—he sighed—“I’m gonna lose him, Gage.”
“Where’s he staying?”
“Don’t know. He uses a P.O. Box, but I got a landline number. All I know is he’s in the city.”
“Give it to me.”
He recited the number. “Pure’s out in the cold. I got him a few people to watch his back, but he’s gonna go solo on this job.”
“He’s smarter than that.”
“My boy is too enraged. He’s out for blood.”
“You should control your boy better. I would’ve suggested some extra correction and less letting him get shot.”
“Quit being a dick and help me. I can do my time or die, doesn’t matter to me as long as my boy is still breathing.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’m sure Pure’s running everything under an alias.”
“I know Jenn was staying, but I think she had to get back to work.”
“I’m due for a visit. She’s been asking for a spanking for two months.”
“She’s packing, man.”
“And she’s lethal, but I know her weakness. Just cover your ass.”
“I’m trying. Thanks, man.”
“Don’t thank me. This is for Pure. He was sane until you gave him the dick.”
“I missed you, Gage.”
He pulled the receiver away from his ear as Gage hung up on him. He was feeling the love today. He folded the note and exited the room where the phones were kept. He hurried to find Benito and get info about the men watching his boy. He jogged to Benito’s cell and stopped outside.
“Who’s watching him?”
The man stood up from his seat on the bunk and came to lean on the wall next to the opened cell door.
“My cousin, Nero, and a couple of his friends.”
“Name Corza mean anything to you?”
“Wow, when you fuck up, you go all out. No wonder these motherfuckers been preparing like they ‘bout to meet God.”
He rolled his shoulders as he tried to ignore the way the pressure built behind his eyes as his blood pressure started to skyrocket.
“I know what info my boy sent me, but what about his daughter?”
“I don’t know what you want me to tell ya, rumors of a hitlist been making the rounds, but it’s all speculation. Corza and his daughter cross some pretty fucked up lines. Their partnership is what Hell looks like. If you fucked over Corza, I hope you made your peace and said goodbye to that pretty boy of yours.”
“You’re not fucking helping—”
Benito raised his hand to cut him off, and he clenched his teeth and tried to keep his fists from clenching.
“Nero’s been mentioning that she’s back in the city and is making plans to have the organization rebuilt and stronger than before Corza got locked down. My former employer has been very interested in the developments. With Corza gone, it left room for lower-level bosses to quickly climb the hierarchy.”
The man glanced left, then right to check to make sure they didn’t have an audience. The man hadn’t shown an ounce of worry in the weeks he’d known him. He remained silent and waited for the man to find his words. If he was going to be of some help, he needed to know what his boy was walking into out there.
“Corza’s been in solitary for most of his sentence to keep him from making any calls and only allowed visits from his lawyers. Those who don’t fear he’ll slit their throats want to be on his good side when he makes it back into the world. Now, loyalty only goes so far…power and money have a way of changing priorities.”
“So, his loving daughter is working to get him out to take over?”
“Wouldn’t put it past her. Corza trusts no one but her. What’s the best way to take down an organization?”
“From the inside. You break down the trust inside, and everyone looks at each other as an enemy. Until they destroy each other while the guilty one just stands back and waits.”
“Men can get stupid when they’re addicted to their piece. Corza is obsessed with that girl, always was, even before he knew he didn’t share DNA.”
“Where can we find her?”
“She’ll be easy to find. There’s a townhouse on S. Vernon, or there’s an estate outside the city. A nice quiet place where all the bodies get buried.”
He needed to make another call, but there wouldn’t be anyone picking up on the other end. He knew his boy, and Pure was already in the field doing recon and mission planning. His boy would have schematics and blueprints, intel on the players. He’d have everything plotted out down to the weather, mostly wind speed and direction.
Curses slipped past his lips at his uselessness. His boy shouldn’t be out there alone. He was the only one who should be at his boy’s side. One fucking job, one stupid bounty, and a decade later, his boy was paying for his mistake. If not for Benito, he wouldn’t even have a name because all he remembered about jobs was if his check cleared.
“Keep your head, man. You ain’t gonna do anyone any good. If Corza is headed here, then he planned this down to the smallest fucking detail. He’s the type of man to handle his own business…it sets an example. Shows his people that he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. When he comes, you’re gonna take the King’s crown. Your boy got it handled in the street. Destroy them both.”
“What’s in it for you?”
“The occasional favor. Nothing mor
e. And to be honest, I’ll owe ya for taking Corza out for me. You’re the only one who’s gonna be able to get close.”
“Fair enough.”
He narrowed his eyes as Benito’s lips curved into a smile that made his skin crawl. Whatever was about to come out of the man’s mouth was about to terrify him or piss him off.
“Nero said he took your boy shopping, and from what I hear your boy with a sniper rifle got my straight cousin’s interest. Maybe I can meet this boy of yours one day.”
“Not in this lifetime, Benito.”
“Shame. Always had a thing for vicious boys and girls when I was on the outside.”
“Well, my boy is all mine.”
“Can’t blame a fucker for trying.”
“If I make it out, I’ll work with Peaches to see about getting you out.”
“Appreciate the thought, man, but I gave up that hope a long time ago. Go get some rest or whatever…you’re about to go to war.”
He nodded and straightened, heading back to his own cell. He stepped inside and rolled onto the bottom bunk. The upper bunk had been empty since he’d arrived and he wondered if someone was watching his back—if Benito had pulled some strings to get him locked up solo.
His brain started analyzing every detail. And it brought back nights of the conference room at Trenton with him and his boy planning their jobs down to the minute detail. Or evenings with take-out on rooftops scouting the perfect sniper post. His boy was handsome and sweet, intelligent and loyal. Years he’d kept his distance out of some sense of decency. He’d wanted his boy to find that dream—the one he’d waited to show up.
He had regret for the time wasted, but Benito was right. They’d separated them, tried to break the team up in an attempt to make them weaker. Only he was more determined to take care of Corza, and he looked forward to telling Corza his empire had fallen.
Gage would take his boy’s Six for him. Gage and the team Benito sent would make sure his boy had backup. He’d feel better with the whole Trenton Crew, but that wasn’t going to happen. Once Pure’s trust was broken, he couldn’t forget. He trusted Gage, enough to talk about private matters. Hopefully, that got Gage inside because he wouldn’t relax until he got word his boy was safe. They couldn’t hide forever. Eventually, their enemies would have to come up for air.
