“What’s that pay?”
“About thirty-five thousand a year.”
“That’s peanuts! And I’ll bet you work your ass off to earn that. Be smart, Joshua. Now that you know the truth, there’s no reason why you can’t become a recruiter.”
“There’s a reason.”
“What damn reason?” Naya asked, her expression one of annoyance.
“Unlike you two, I have a soul.” Joshua set the lamp on the nightstand and backed away from the bed, while keeping the gun trained on them. “Get dressed. You’re coming with me to get Haley and find her some help.”
In the heart of the beleaguered city, two men watched as Tanner, Franny, and Wendy made their way toward the building where Tanner had left Jake. The two were the same men that Franny had run into earlier. They had been part of the group helping Sobol, and the rapists Franny had killed.
They recognized Franny and Wendy and were intent on having the weapons they were carrying. They were also interested in getting revenge for Franny making them feel like cowards. In their earlier encounter, they had pleaded not to be shot and had run away from Franny. When they returned to the building, they saw that Franny had killed their friends.
One of the men had a beefy build while his companion wore a bushy beard. The man with the bushy beard spat on the ground.
“I want to get that bitch. And we could use those guns too.”
The other man was shaking his head. “They’d shoot our asses before we ever laid a hand on them.”
“Yeah, if it was just us. But what about us and twelve other guys?”
“You mean Mike and the rest of the gang?”
“She killed Arthur. He was Mike’s cousin. Mike will want payback for that.”
“He and the guys are up ahead in the same direction that bitch is traveling. We’ll beat them there and tell Mike about them. He’d love to get his hands on more guns too, and we can all have fun with the women.”
The beefy guy nodded. “Let’s do it.”
They took off running, certain that themselves and twelve of their friends would be more than enough to overpower one man and two women. Had they known who the man was, they would have sprinted in the opposite direction.
14
Come And Get It
Tanner was leading Franny and Wendy back toward the lawyer’s office where he’d left Jake. It was a trek through a nightmare. They had already walked by the bodies of two men who’d been beaten to death. It looked as if someone had delighted in bashing their heads in; the funerals would have to be held with closed caskets. Screams of rage and fear resounded often, lightning flashed with increasing frequency, and the air was hazy and choked with the scent of smoke.
Lawlessness and barbarism were on full display and there didn’t seem to be a single storefront that hadn’t been broken into or set on fire. When Franny spoke, she echoed Tanner’s thoughts.
“I’ve seen scenes of rioting on the news, and they never looked this bad. It’s as if the rioters were deliberately trying to destroy the city. I might understand their venting their rage if Kyle Anderson had been found innocent, but he wasn’t. The jury found him guilty.”
“It does look like planned destruction,” Tanner said. “And I saw armed groups of men wearing ski masks who were breaking into a Credit Union. They had an acetylene torch to get through the security gate. It struck me then that they seemed too prepared.”
“The man in the alley had been wearing a ski mask when we first saw him,” Wendy said. “And he wanted to break into the lawyer’s safe.”
“Interesting,” Tanner said. He pointed up at a light pole where a camera was mounted. The light on the camera was out, indicating that it wasn’t working. “I haven’t seen a working camera yet. I think they were sabotaged.”
As he was speaking, Tanner caught a glimpse of a moving shadow up ahead. They were walking down a deserted avenue that had only one streetlight lit. Whatever had taken out the camera had also affected some of the streetlights. There had been a fire blazing when he’d passed through the area on his way to find Franny and Wendy, but that fire had burned itself out and the building, which had housed a laundromat, was a smoldering pile of charred timbers.
Two more shadows flitted by, and Tanner detected whispered voices coming from their right and left. He held up a hand, indicating to the women that they should stop walking.
“We’ve got company.”
Two dark shapes on a roof separated from the deeper shadows that had cloaked them. Their outlines revealed that they were holding rifles. Tanner brought his gun up and fired a series of shots. He hit both snipers and was rewarded by hearing their grunts of pain. One man toppled from the roof and tumbled onto a fire escape. The second man was slumped on the roof’s edge and his rifle fell beside the body of the other man.
As Tanner had been taking care of the threat from above, men emerged from each side and charged at the three of them. Tanner managed to shoot two of the men but ceased firing as knives were placed to the throats of Franny and Wendy.
Michael Kemp was the “Mike” whom the burly man and the bearded man had been discussing when they were planning to attack Tanner and the women with him.
Kemp had a ruddy complexion, a too big nose, and a jutting chin. He had started life as the son of a successful commercial fisherman in Crescent City but never wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. He’d always had a wild streak that got him into trouble. The easy money he’d earned as a teen from breaking into houses set him on a course to become a career criminal. His father had run a string of fishing vessels and employed over a dozen men. Kemp ran a gang of thieves. When the riot broke out, he and his gang considered it to be party time.
Kemp pulled up behind his men in a black pickup truck and joined them where they were holding the women. One of his men passed him the rifle Wendy had been carrying.
The men on the roof Tanner had killed had been Kemp’s best men, which is why they had been given the two rifles the group had. Kemp had started the day with a gang consisting of eighteen members. Franny had killed four of them, and Tanner had just dispatch four more, including the only two men who had guns.
Kemp was disgusted by his losses, but wasn’t worried, because he was holding a rifle taken off one of the women, and the man to his right, the man with the bushy beard, had ripped a pistol from the hand of the other woman. Kemp was standing behind Franny and using her as a shield while one of his men held a knife to her throat. He called over to Tanner.
“If you don’t drop that gun, I’ll have my men slit the women’s throats.”
Wendy had recognized the man with the beefy build who had grabbed her earlier. She pointed at him. “Franny, he was with the men who were raping the women at the office building.”
The man grinned at her. “Your turn is coming, sweet thing.”
Kemp repeated his order for Tanner to drop his gun. “We’re keeping the women, but if you drop that gun we won’t shoot you, and I’ll let you run away.”
“Check the rifle you’re holding; it isn’t loaded.”
“What?”
“Check it. The gun is out of ammo too.”
Kemp examined the rifle then checked the magazine. When he looked over at the man with the bushy beard, he saw him nod at him.
“The gun is empty too, Mike.”
Kemp released the useless rifle and cursed as he gazed up at the fire escape where his loaded rifles lay out of reach. All he had left were baseball bats and knives, and he was facing a man who had a gun. Fortunately, he was holding the women as hostages, and they outnumbered the man. If the guy wanted the women to keep breathing, he’d have to give up his weapon. Kemp stepped out from behind Franny and tried to appear as if he were in control.
He pointed at Tanner. “Hey hotshot, how do I know your gun isn’t empty too?”
Tanner shifted the position of his gun hand and placed a round into the head of a man who was holding a machete. The body dropped to the ground with a thud
as the machete clanked against the pavement.
“Does that answer your question?”
Kemp brought his hands up and gripped the sides of his head. “You son of a bitch.”
“Let the women go and we’ll be on our way. Otherwise, I’ll kill you.”
Kemp pointed at him. “I want your gun. If you don’t give it up, we’ll kill the women.”
Tanner holstered his weapon. “There are nine of you. If you want the gun, come get it.”
Kemp grinned. “You heard the man, boys. Go get that gun.”
Joshua was wearing a black hoodie that belonged to Miller. He could hide his face within the folds of the hood when he passed through the gates. The leather vest he’d been wearing over his T-shirt lay on the living room floor beside the whiteboard. Joshua wanted nothing further to do with Die Fistulous. He was done being played as a useful idiot.
Joshua had spoken to the security guards earlier while wearing a mask. They wouldn’t recognize him, but he still wanted to avoid having his face being seen by any of them, wearing the hood could help with that. He had allowed Miller and Naya to get dressed, but he insisted that they do so while he kept them in sight.
Joshua had the gun trained on Miller. The man looked to be in decent shape and was taller and bigger than he was. Joshua wasn’t sure he could take him if they fought. Miller wasn’t acting aggressive and seemed as if he wanted to get things over with. Joshua told them that if they helped him get Haley to a doctor that he’d let them go and they would never see him again.
As for Naya, she glared at Joshua with murderous intent. She had not liked being burned with the hot bulb and Joshua believed she wanted payback. He didn’t care. He’d already been away from Haley for too long.
Judging by the increasing flashes of lightning and the rising volume of thunder, the black clouds overhead were getting ready to burst open and release a deluge. If they hurried, he might be able to have Haley in a doctor’s care before that happened and avoid dealing with the storm.
Naya finished dressing by sliding her feet into a pair of stylish boots, then she and Miller looked at Joshua expectantly.
“What now?” Miller asked.
“I know Naya drives a sports car. What do you drive, Miller?”
“A Mercedes sedan, E-Class.”
“That figures. We’ll take your car.”
They had to make a stop at the gates on their way out. Joshua was in the back seat with the hood pulled up. He held Miller’s phone in one hand and looked down at the screen as if he were playing a game on the device.
The gun was in his other hand and hidden from sight. He had warned Miller and Naya that he would shoot them if they attempted to signal the guards that they were in trouble. Miller had promised that he wouldn’t try anything, while Naya had just sneered at him.
One of the guards approached the driver’s side and motioned for Miller to lower his window. When it was down, the guard offered some advice.
“It’s insane out there, Mr. Miller. And they’re saying on the radio that the National Guard is about to take over the city. You might want to stay up here and hunker down.”
“I understand but it can’t be helped. The cell service is down in the area, and I have an important phone call to make. I’ll just drive far enough to pick up a new cell tower, make my call, and come back here.”
“Me and a couple of the guys could come with you. Having a little firepower out there wouldn’t hurt.”
“There’s a gun in the car,” Miller said. “And I’m not afraid to use it.”
“You know best,” the guard said, and sent a wave to one of the guards in the booth. A moment later, the iron gates parted, and Miller was driving them down the hill.
Joshua lowered the hood and spoke to Miller. “You did good. When you get to the bottom of the hill, make a sharp right onto the grass, then follow the stream. I’ll tell you where to stop.”
“You want me to ride on the grass? There are rocks down there; I could damage my undercarriage.”
“You were bragging about making seven figures. That’s more than enough money to get the car fixed.”
Miller smiled at him by using the rearview mirror. “I guess you’re right.”
Joshua didn’t like that smile. It made him think that Miller might have something up his sleeve.
After a bumpy ride along the bank of the stream, they arrived at the spot where he’d left Haley. Joshua had Miller position the car so that the headlights were aimed at the trees. Joshua was relieved to see that Haley was still there, although she appeared to be unconscious.
“You’re coming with me, Miller. You can carry Haley while I keep the gun aimed at your back. Turn off the engine and give me your key fob. Naya, you stay here. Once we get Haley to a doctor, I don’t care what you two do.”
“We’re doing everything you say, Joshua,” Miller told him as he handed him the key fob. Afterwards, he leaned toward Naya and kissed her. As their lips separated, Miller whispered to her. “Look in the glove box.”
“What did you say to her?” Joshua asked.
“I told Naya that I wouldn’t let you hurt her again. We’re following your orders. Are you really going to let us go?”
“Yes.”
Miller opened his door. “Then let’s go get your girlfriend.”
As Joshua and Miller were walking away from the car, Naya opened the glove box and peered inside. She saw a jumble of papers that consisted of receipts, paper napkins from a fast-food restaurant, and an unpaid parking ticket. Pushing those aside she found the car’s owner manual. When she lifted that up, a gun was revealed. It was a small gun, a two-shot Derringer that was loaded with .45 ammo. Naya knew little about guns, but she understood that the one she was looking at could end Joshua’s threat. She reached into the glove box, removed the gun, and left the car. She had never killed anyone before, but she was looking forward to placing a bullet into Joshua’s heart.
15
The Gauntlet
Franny was holding her breath as she watched eight men armed with knives and baseball bats close in on her employer and friend, Cody Parker. It seemed a certainty that Cody was about to be seriously injured or killed.
When she searched her friend’s face, Franny was shocked. Cody appeared calm. He was standing with his knees slightly bent, head swiveling to take in all threats, and his gloved hands were held up in front of him like a boxer, but with unclenched fists. His eyes, those unusual eyes, appeared fiercer than ever, and there wasn’t a trace of fear in them. What he broadcast was confidence. There was something else as well, some indefinable quality that made Cody seem like a different man to her. As the men drew closer to Cody, Franny realized what that trait was. It was the predatory glint in her friend’s eyes. Cody Parker’s bearing wasn’t the mien of someone about to be preyed upon, no, he had the look of a predator about to feast.
Franny herself was being threatened by Kemp. He had told the two men who’d been holding Franny and Wendy at knifepoint to join the others in attacking Tanner. Kemp held Wendy by the wrist in a tight grip while keeping the tip of a blade hovering beneath Franny’s chin. The three of them stood watching as Kemp’s remaining eight thugs moved in on Tanner.
Wendy spoke in a voice was little more than a whisper. “Oh God, they’re going to kill him.”
Franny, having registered the lack of fear in Cody Parker, found herself smiling. “He’ll be all right.”
Cody Parker had trained to defend himself for decades, ever since he became the apprentice of Tanner Six, Spenser Hawke. High-level self-defense had been a part of his instruction and also an obsession. Cody had been forced to watch his family die when he was a boy of sixteen. After suffering that horrendous loss, he made a vow to himself that he would never again be defeated by superior odds, and that he would someday become the deadliest man alive. He had kept that vow and proven himself many times.
Facing off against eight men armed with knives and clubs wasn’t a challenge for him. If their
numbers were to triple, they would not defeat him. Cody Parker, Tanner Seven, wasn’t simply the deadliest man alive, he was the deadliest man who’d ever lived.
An attacker holding a baseball bat high over his head released a war cry and came at Tanner from his right. He was the man with the bushy beard. At that same moment, a man at his back lunged at him with a knife. Tanner crouched low, ducked beneath the thrust of the blade, and grabbed the hand holding the knife. The blade was forced into an upward angle where it sank into the abdomen of the man bringing the bat down, and the knife-wielder’s arm took the brunt of the blow delivered by the baseball bat. The power delivered by the bat broke a bone while forcing the knife to slice downward. Both men released screams as one had his stomach ripped open and the other had a broken arm.
When Tanner straightened to his full height, he was gripping the bat with one hand while holding it at arm’s length. He swung it while turning in a circle. The thick head of the bat moved in a blur of motion. It caught one charging man on the mouth with a vicious strike, broke another’s nose, and Tanner finished the swing low to smash it against the knee of a third thug holding a knife; he was the beefy man who Franny had encountered earlier.
While those men were reacting to the fresh pain of their injuries, Tanner brought the bat down hard against the skull of the man with the broken arm, the one with the bushy beard. The guy had been attempting to reclaim his dropped blade with his left hand. He was out of the fight, as Tanner had cracked his skull.
His next move was to use the bat one-handed again as he whipped it around. It connected with the hand of a man holding a Ka-Bar knife and broke three of his fingers. The thug let go of the blade.
One man was down for the count, another was attempting to keep his intestines from spilling out, and four others had injuries that had them spitting out teeth, bleeding from the nose, cradling a wrecked hand, and moving with a limp. Tanner wasn’t through. He was just getting started.
Lit Fuse (A Tanner Novel Book 44) Page 9
