Young Guns 3: Beyond Limits Read online

  YOUNG GUNS 3

  Beyond Limits

  Remington Kane

  Contents

  Join My Inner Circle

  Introduction

  1. The Fastest Gun In The West

  2. More Than Meets The Eye

  3. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

  4. A Call From The Past

  5. On Your Marks…

  6. Hit The Hitter

  7. So Far, So Good

  8. The Safari Twins

  9. Feed Me!

  10. Freedom

  11. Nor Any Drop To Drink

  12. Letter From A Friend

  13. A Pain In The Neck

  14. Three Little Words

  15. A Promise Of Violence To Come

  16. Finish Line

  17. Goodbye And Good Luck

  18. A Well-Earned Rest

  19. My How You Have Grown

  20. Older And Wiser

  21. House Hunting

  22. Bad Timing

  23. Head Hunting

  24. Boundaries

  25. You’re A Vegetable

  26. Double Trouble

  27. Purple Drapes!

  28. Cookies And Milk

  29. Go Wee-Wee

  30. Boom!

  31. Hello, Mr. Smith

  32. All Eyes On You

  33. Pissy Pants

  34. A Word To The Wise

  35. Psst, Over Here

  36. The Choice

  37. You Have My Word

  38. Failure Is Not An Option

  39. Goodbye Again

  40. Fancy Meeting You Here

  Coming Soon!

  Afterword

  Join My Inner Circle

  Bibliography

  Make Contact

  Join My Inner Circle

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  Introduction

  In 1998, Cody and Romeo train hard, then face tests that will decide their fate.

  In the present, Tanner seeks vengeance on a man who once tried to kill him.

  1

  The Fastest Gun In The West

  BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO, MAY 1998

  Cody and Romeo completed a fifteen-mile run through tough desert terrain and were pleased to see that they finished in less than two hours. In their first attempt weeks earlier, they had taken over three hours to make the trek.

  On their first outing, which had only been six-miles, the boys had marveled at how difficult running in sand was compared to moving upon a regular surface. They needed to grow accustomed to not only the uneven terrain, but also the Mexican desert’s humid climate, and also its high elevation. They were well over three-thousand feet above sea level and their lungs had to adjust.

  Romeo made another adjustment when he asked Spenser to cut his long blond hair to a regular length. The long hair had been making the back of his neck sweat or was getting in his eyes as he ran. With his hair cut, Romeo looked more mature.

  The first few runs had been only six miles. Spenser had doubled that to the twelve-mile mark after only a week, then later to fifteen, and he was making another change.

  “Thirty miles?” Romeo said. “Dude, that’s more than a marathon, and you want us to do that every day?”

  “You’ll adjust,” Spenser said, “and it won’t be every day, just every other day.”

  “Will we be going the same way twice or do you have a new route planned out for us?” Cody asked.

  “There will be two new routes, which you’ll alternate on. You’ll be walking separately from now on as well.”

  Romeo smiled as he sensed a challenge. “We get to race each other, cool.”

  Spenser winked. “A little competition should make you both move faster.”

  “All this running is leading up to a test, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, Cody,” Spenser said, “and that test will determine if your training continues.”

  “Will we get to practice with the sniper rifles on the days we don’t walk?” Romeo asked.

  “Yeah, along with more handgun training. Both of you are good shots, but you can improve. Now go take a shower, then we’ll have lunch.”

  After lunch, Spenser handed out holsters and handguns.

  “Before we move on to the sniper rifles I want to see you practice with pistols. While aim is important, so is speed, and that’s what we’ll be working on today.”

  Romeo smiled. “You want to see if we’re quick on the draw?”

  “Being quick is just half of it. Once the gun leaves the holster you have to be able to shoot what, or who, you’re aiming at. They’ll also be shooting at you.”

  Once the holsters were secured, Spenser pointed at Romeo.

  “Let’s see how fast you are.”

  Romeo whipped his gun from the holster before the eye could blink, then saw Spenser smile in approval.

  “You’re quick, Romeo. That’s good. While most can improve at it, being fast on the draw seems to be a natural ability that we’re either born with or not.”

  “Are you quicker than anyone?” Romeo asked.

  Spenser drew his gun in answer and was faster than Romeo had been.

  “I’m fast, but I’m far from being the fastest. Tanner Five was faster than me, and he said that Vince Ryker was even faster than he was.”

  “Vince Ryker?” Romeo said. “That’s the dude who almost became a Tanner before you, right?”

  “Ryker had all the skills to become a Tanner, but he didn’t have the heart of a Tanner.”

  “What’s that mean?” Cody asked.

  “Never mind Ryker. Let’s see how fast you are, Cody.”

  Cody drew his weapon. At least, Spenser assumed he drew the weapon from the holster, because he never actually saw it. All the eye could make out was a blur of motion and then Cody was holding the gun.

  “No way!” Romeo said. “Cody, that was freakin’ awesome.”

  Cody smiled. “I’ve always been quick, ever since I was a little kid. My grandfather bought me a toy gun when I was three and I used to practice the quick draw all the time.”

  “Do it again,” Spenser said.

  Cody placed the gun back in the holster and let his hand drop to his side.

  “Say when, Spenser.”

  “Go!” Spenser said, and as if by magic Cody was holding the gun out in front of him.

  Spenser let out a little gasp. “I’ve never seen anyone move that quick. Let’s see how you do at hitting a target afterward.”

  Spenser had rigged up a makeshift shooting range for handgun practice by placing empty tin cans on boards set atop sawhorses. The three of them settled about thirty feet from the cans. There were groups of six cans for each one of them.

  “When I say go, we all draw. Without taking careful aim, see how many cans you can hit.”

  Spenser gave the signal and the firing commenced. When it was over, all the cans had been blown off their perches.

  Spenser walked over and studied the cans. Both Romeo and Cody had placed every shot near the center. Spenser began laughing, and soon tears formed in his eyes from the mirth he felt.

  “What so funny?” Romeo said.

  Spenser wiped at his eyes.

  “Tanner Five spent decades looking for the right apprentice. I’ve only been a Tanner for a few years and I’ve already got two of you, and you’re both as good as I was at this stage.”

  “This test you’ve got planned for us,” Cody said, “it’s tough, isn’t it?”

  Spenser’s expression grew somber.

  “It’s make or break tough. If you fail it, you’re done.”

  “Wha
t is it?” Romeo asked.

  “I’ll tell you when the time comes, until then, train as hard as you can.”

  Two days later, the boys each set out for their first thirty-mile run, and they would be alone. Spenser had driven the routes with them the day before and showed them where he would be leaving provisions for them. They would each have access to plenty of water and food, but it would be far tougher than the fifteen-mile runs they’d grown accustomed to doing.

  The two routes started from the same position and ended at the same point. The terrain was hilly in spots and offered little shade, while the shifting sand made walking or running a strenuous effort. Being only May, the temperature wasn’t brutal, but there was little relief to be found from the sun.

  The boys wore light-brown hiking boots that resembled sneakers and were rather bland in their appearance. The tough boots were made for desert conditions and were also lightweight. Over the boots they wore cloth gaiters, which covered the boot and kept out the sand.

  Cody and Romeo each carried a canteen, along with a combination watch and compass. Strapped around their waists were small packs that contained first-aid kits, a change of socks, spare shoelaces, and salt tablets.

  The packs contained one other item, a small pistol. Spenser wasn’t about to send them off unarmed, despite how unlikely it was that they would meet trouble.

  They left just after dawn. Cody finished first, and over eight hours had passed. Romeo came straggling in just minutes later.

  They were both quiet as they climbed inside Spenser’s air-conditioned pickup, and they gulped greedily at the cold water left on the seat for them.

  “Running twice as much seemed four times as hard,” Cody said.

  “It’ll get easier,” Spenser said.

  “You trained like this?” Cody asked.

  “I did.”

  “What was your best time running the thirty miles?”

  “Under four hours,” Spenser said, “and I ran full-out the whole time.”

  “No way,” Romeo said.

  “That came after weeks of training and on a cloudy day. Had there been full sun I would have been moving much slower.”

  “I’ll get faster,” Cody said.

  “Me too,” said Romeo.

  Spenser smiled. “I don’t doubt it for a second.”

  2

  More Than Meets The Eye

  NEW YORK CITY, MARCH 2018

  Tanner, going by the name of Thomas Myers, approached the door of his neighbor, Eric Tang. Tanner was wearing the unique glasses that refracted light in such a way as to thwart facial recognition technology. The lenses had an added bonus of softening his intense gaze.

  He was dressed casually in a pair of tan chinos and a black V-neck sweater. In his hand was a bottle of wine that Sara had picked out.

  “Never visit anyone empty-handed,” Sara had said. Tanner smiled when she said that. It had been one of his mother’s sayings as well.

  He was visiting Tang at the man’s request for a game or two of chess. Circumstances had delayed the visit for weeks, but Tanner was looking forward to it. He’d liked to play chess ever since he learned to do so in Russia years earlier, but he’d had little opportunity to do so as of late.

  The door was answered by Tang’s wife, Beth Tang. Beth was blonde, petite, and in her thirties with amber-colored eyes. When she spoke, it was with an English accent.

  “Mr. Myers, please come in.”

  Tanner handed her the bottle of wine and saw her smile.

  “You didn’t have to bring a gift, but I’m glad you did. This is one of my favorite wines.”

  “I’m surprised it’s not a six-pack of beer.” Those words were spoken by Eric Tang, who approached from a hallway. Tang was Asian, about Tanner’s height, but a decade older. He wore his hair short and walked like someone who’d seen military service. His back was straight, and his shoulders squared.

  “I can’t take credit for the wine,” Tanner said. “Sara picked it out.”

  “Would you like something to eat, Mr. Myers?” Beth asked.

  “No, thank you, and please, call me Thomas.”

  “Thomas it is,” Beth said, “and I’ll leave you two to have a good time.”

  “Chess isn’t fun, Beth, it’s more like war,” Tang said.

  His wife rolled her eyes. “Go play your game… and be nice, Eric.”

  Tang ushered Tanner down the hallway he’d entered from and into a den. The room was spacious and contained a large oak desk, which was placed near a window that had a view of Central Park. Atop the desk were three monitors, one of which was showing video of a television program that looked back over the previous week’s stock market activity.

  “Are you into investing, Tang?” Tanner asked.

  “I am, but mostly in foreign markets.”

  “And you run a chain of appliance stores?”

  “No, I own a chain of appliance stores. I hired someone else to manage them. The stores were left to me by an uncle.”

  “I see,” Tanner said.

  On the opposite end of the room was a wooden table with a chess set on it. The chess set was impressive, as the board was made from hard woods while the pieces were carved from marble. Tang walked past the chess set and behind a bar that was in a corner of the room.

  “Would you like a drink, Myers?”

  “I’ll have what you’re having.”

  “You’re in for a treat then, as I’m in the mood for a special bottle of cognac I recently acquired. It’s been aged for thirty years and goes down smoothly.”

  As Tang poured the drinks, Tanner studied the volumes in a bookcase and saw that there were books in five different languages, including Mandarin.

  Once they had their drinks in hand, Tang settled himself on the side of the board with the white pieces, signifying that he would make the first move.

  “I hope you’re a good player, Myers. I haven’t been challenged in some time.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Tanner said.

  Tanner’s best was enough. He placed Tang’s king in check twice in the first game they played and won the second. After an initial look of shock, Tang was all smiles when Tanner checkmated him.

  “Well done! At last there’s someone in the building who can play the game.”

  “You’re good too, Tang, and I enjoyed the match.”

  Tang checked his watch and frowned.

  “Ah, it’s too late to play another game, but we’ll have to do this again.”

  “I’d like that,” Tanner said.

  Beth Tang entered the room. When she saw that her husband was smiling she knew what must have occurred.

  “Thomas must be good at the game, you only smile like that when you’re challenged.”

  “He’s a good opponent and we’ll be playing again soon,” Tang said.

  Beth picked up their empty glasses and placed them on a serving tray. As she turned to leave the room, one of the glasses slipped off the tray. Tang’s hand shot out as quick as a serpent. He caught the glass in midair and placed it back on the tray in one smooth motion.

  Tanner’s eyes widened behind the special lenses. Tang’s reflexes rivaled his own.

  “You react quickly,” Tanner said.

  Tang laughed. “I played a lot of tennis when I was younger. It develops hand speed.”

  Tanner stood and smiled at Beth.

  “Thank you for your hospitality.”

  “Come earlier next time and bring Sara along. We’ll have dinner and you can meet the children.”

  “That would be good,” Tanner said.

  After leaving the apartment, Tanner stood at the elevator while waiting for it to arrive. He wondered if Eric Tang was more than he seemed. If so, that would make two of them, for he himself was simply playing at being Thomas Myers.

  When the elevator arrived, Tanner stepped on, while still thinking about Eric Tang.

  3

  Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

  BAJA CALIFORNIA, ME
XICO, JUNE 1998

  After having completed over a dozen of them, the thirty-mile treks were, if not routine, at least easier to accomplish. Neither Cody nor Romeo had been overweight in the least, but their new routine had taken pounds off each of them.

  Spenser had lost weight as well. While he didn’t run nearly the distances the boys traveled, he was still covering over sixty miles a week as he supervised Cody and Romeo and walked the various routes he’d set up for them. This was on top of his regular running routine.

  On the days they weren’t running Cody and Romeo were learning desert survival tactics, such as finding sustenance in the desert. Both boys liked the thorny fruit of the pitaya cactus despite its sour taste. The stinging nettle plant was also edible, and palatable when steamed, as were other plants.

  But, of course, the great concern in the desert was adequate water, which was scarce. The boys learned to follow the path of birds, as the birds knew where all the water sources were. They also practiced long-range target shooting.

  Cody, who had been proficient with a rifle since the age of ten had an advantage over Romeo. However, Romeo was motivated to reach his level and spent more time on the range. Romeo’s skill with a rifle had improved dramatically. It was Cody who helped him to raise his score.