Tanner- Year Two Read online

  TANNER: YEAR TWO

  Remington Kane

  Contents

  Introduction

  Join My Inner Circle

  Acknowledgments

  1. Foreign Aid

  2. A Loser Hits The Jackpot

  3. Suspicion

  4. Monica

  5. You Can Kiss Your Tip Goodbye

  6. A Fresh Start

  7. One By One

  8. Escape

  9. The Heist

  10. Hunted

  11. Tracked

  12. The Unexpected

  13. Complications

  14. A Change Of Plans

  15. The Lesser Of Two Evils

  16. A Night Of Killers

  17. Not Worth Killing

  18. Death At The Depot

  19. Omen Of Death

  20. A Gathering Of Fools

  21. Rebirth And Ruin

  22. Change Of Plans

  23. Tanks A Lot

  24. Aftermath

  25. The Second Time

  TANNER RETURNS!

  Afterword

  Join My Inner Circle

  Coming Soon

  Bibliography

  Make Contact

  Introduction

  TANNER: YEAR TWO

  In 2005, Tanner stumbles across a gang intent on committing a major robbery and comes to the aid of a young mother and her little girl. Meanwhile, the failed security chief of Tanner’s last target is determined to hunt him down and make him pay.

  Caught between two groups out to kill him, Tanner must outsmart them both while keeping his innocent charges safe.

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  Acknowledgments

  I write for you.

  —REMINGTON KANE

  1

  Foreign Aid

  NEW YORK CITY 2005

  Tanner was out on a date with a Swedish blonde named Ursula. He had met her the previous week while on a contract in Scandinavia.

  Ursula loved New York City and Tanner had enjoyed showing it to her. They had two more days together and then it would be time for Ursula to return home.

  After entering a restaurant for dinner, Tanner spotted a pair of familiar faces. It was Joe Pullo and Joe’s girlfriend, Gracie James. Gracie had dark hair, a pretty face, and was wiser than her years. She and Joe had been dating for months although they lived in different states. The arrangement wasn’t ideal but neither Joe nor Gracie wanted to move away from their homes or end things. Half a relationship was better than none, Tanner supposed.

  Joe spotted Tanner and waved him over as Gracie welcomed Tanner with a grin. As Tanner introduced Ursula to the couple, the waiter appeared.

  “Why don’t you two join us, Tanner?” Joe said. “We just got here ourselves.”

  Tanner and Ursula accepted the invitation and soon everyone had a drink and were waiting for their food to arrive. When Gracie asked Tanner where he and Ursula had met, she was surprised to learn that he had been to Sweden.

  “Do you speak Swedish?”

  “I do, but not well, Ursula has been helping me with that.”

  “And what are you helping her with?” Joe asked.

  Tanner didn’t answer, but Ursula blushed a bright red.

  After their meals had been eaten, the two women went off together to the bathroom while Tanner and Joe remained at the table.

  “I was going to call you, Tanner. Sam wants to see you. He knows about a contract you might be interested in.”

  “Is it local?”

  “No, it’s in California. Some guy out there has been thumbing his nose at the mob and set up his own shop. He’s selling meth and making a mint. That kind of money buys a lot of security. The California mob has lost eight guys trying to hit him. They opened up the contract to independents like yourself and three of them have disappeared.”

  “That sounds like a challenge. I’ll go see Sam tomorrow and get the details.”

  “Okay, but you be careful out there; I wouldn’t want to hear that you’ve gone missing too.”

  “The meth kingpin will be the one missing once I get there. Given how hard this guy is to kill, I’m guessing that the job pays well, am I right?”

  “Sam said the contract went up to a hundred grand; that’s a nice piece of change.”

  “It is, but I’m more interested in finding out how challenging the contract is. It sounds like whoever is protecting the target knows what he’s doing.”

  “Yeah, and Sam will give you all the details.”

  “Thanks for letting me know about this, Joe.”

  “When Sam heard that the mob out in California was having trouble killing a guy, we both thought of you right away. You beat everyone to the punch when you took out Vincenzo Rigoletto last year and you’ve never failed yet.”

  “If I ever fail, you’ll know, because I’ll be dead.”

  Joe nodded. “Makes things simple, don’t it?”

  Tanner met with Sam Giacconi the following afternoon inside the funeral parlor the mob boss owned. Giacconi was in his seventies but still retained his vitality. Tanner had found him to be wise as well as smart. He also liked Giacconi personally, as the man was a straight shooter.

  The two of them settled across from each other at Sam’s desk.

  “This is no easy hit, Tanner. The guy has a damn fortress out in the Mojave Desert. It’s a small place but well-guarded. The problem is that there’s no way to sneak up on them because there’s nothing else around for miles.”

  “What’s the target’s name?”

  “Eli Ippolito, and they say he’s a mean bastard. He killed a bunch of smaller rivals and took over their turf. Now, he’s stupid enough to go up against my people out there. A guy like this has to be made an example of.”

  “Is there any information about who’s running his security?”

  “I don’t have a name but he’s some sort of ex-military type. He organized Ippolito’s street punks and has them working like a unit.”

  “Street punks? Are you talking gang members?”

  “Yeah, Ippolito was once part of some South American gang, but he came up to the states through Mexico to start his own thing.”

  “I’d like to have more details about the people guarding him. They must have a weakness; once I figure out what it is, I’ll use it against them and get to the target.”

  “The guys in California have all that, not that it did the other hitters any good.”

  “I’m better than they are.”

  Sam nodded. “From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t doubt you’ll kill Ippolito. You were the one guy I thought of when the word went out that California had a problem.”

  “I’m guessing there’s no money up front on this, hmm?”

  Sam laughed. “When the first two hitters disappeared, the up-front money they were paid went with them. Don’t worry though, I guarantee you’ll get paid once you kill Ippolito. I wouldn’t be surprised if they give you a bonus too. They really want this guy dead.”

  “Okay, I’m in. Let me know who to see out there and I’ll leave in two days.”

  Giacconi sat back in his seat and studied Tanner. “You’re a young guy, but you’ve been doing this for a while, haven’t you?”

  “I started young, yeah.”

  “It shows, and you’ve got a lot of guts. In some ways, you remind me of Joey.”

  “Now that’s a compliment; Joe Pullo is the real deal.”

  “He’s like a son to me, and someday he’ll probably be running the Family.”

  “Joe would be a good leader. He’s not a hothead and he’s smart.”

>   Giacconi sighed wistfully at Tanner. “It’s too bad you’re not Italian, you’d be a great goombah.”

  “Nobody’s perfect,” Tanner said.

  2

  A Loser Hits The Jackpot

  Tanner arrived in California, settled in a hotel, then called the contact number Sam Giacconi had supplied him with.

  The man on the other end of the line was glad to hear from him and they made plans to meet in the parking lot of a bowling alley in Palmdale.

  The contact from the California mob was a guy named Giovanni Russo. He was in his forties, looked fit, and wore his dark hair long. He was dressed in loose white linen slacks and a yellow shirt which was untucked; instead of shoes, Russo was wearing a pair of sandals. The car he’d arrived in was an old black Corvette. The vehicle gleamed in the sun with the San Gabriel Mountains as a backdrop.

  Tanner wore a white dress shirt with a black suit and black boots. There was no tie and the collar of the shirt was unbuttoned.

  When Russo saw how young Tanner was, the mobster pursed his lips and gave voice to his doubt about Tanner’s chances of success.

  “The other three mechanics we hired were all more experienced than you, kid. What makes you think you can handle Ippolito when they couldn’t?”

  Tanner reiterated what he had told Sam Giacconi. “I’m better than they were.”

  “You’re a cocky bastard, hmm? How many guys have you whacked?”

  “I don’t keep track.”

  “I’ll bet it’s less than five.”

  “You’d be wrong,” Tanner said, as he moved closer to Russo. Russo had been standing with his hands hanging loosely at his side. As Tanner invaded his space, Russo tensed up, and one hand moved toward the gun holstered under his shirt.

  Tanner locked eyes with him. “I’m here to do a job and I was told you were going to assist me by supplying information. If you don’t want to help, then don’t, but I’m here to fulfill a contract and I’ll do it with or without you.”

  Russo broke eye contact first, as a smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

  “You’re not as young as I thought you were, Tanner.”

  “What I am is serious and committed. I’ll kill Eli Ippolito for you. There’s no other outcome now that I’ve taken the contract.”

  Russo pointed at the bowling alley. “It’s hot out here; let’s go inside and talk over a drink.”

  “You’re buying,” Tanner said.

  Russo laughed. “I’ll even throw in a burger and fries if you’re hungry.”

  Tanner took Russo up on the offer of food and had a hamburger but nixed the fries. The information Russo had on Ippolito’s desert compound wasn’t comprehensive, but it did paint a picture of what Tanner would be up against. Russo had grabbed a folder from his car before they went inside. He opened it as he talked, and Tanner saw that there were photos.

  “The head of security at the compound is a guy named Brandt,” Russo said, as he placed a photo atop the table. It showed a man around forty who was tall and muscular. He had dark hair, light-colored eyes that were maybe gray, and even in the single photo there was a sense that he was former military.

  “What’s his background, do you know?” Tanner asked.

  “I’d say army, maybe even a Marine given the way he’s organized Ippolito’s ragtag bunch into real guards.”

  “What about the target, Ippolito?”

  Another photo was placed on the table. It showed a man in his early fifties. He was balding, had muscular arms, and a fat belly. The expression on the guy’s face could only be described as mean.

  “Eli Ippolito, the target. They say he was one tough bastard before he got fat and lazy. All he does now is hide out in that fortress of his and count money.”

  “Does he have a woman, and does she ever leave the compound?”

  “No woman, now and then he’ll have Brandt bring him a whore, at least, we saw one pro go in there about a month ago. A lot of what we know about the layout of the place came from her.”

  “Let me see what you have on the compound itself.”

  Russo passed over crude line drawings of the fortress. There was a central gate through which everyone came and went, but no rear exit. Tanner didn’t doubt there was one and thought it was likely hidden from everyone except Ippolito. A man smart enough to go up against the mob successfully wouldn’t be foolish enough to trap himself inside his own home.

  Russo tossed a small pile of photos on the table beside the others. “Those are the guards. There are six of them. There’s also a woman who does the cooking and cleaning. She’s the girlfriend of one of the guards, the swarthy one with the mustache.”

  “There are only six guards?”

  “I know, it doesn’t sound like shit, right?”

  “I thought there would be more.”

  “The six have been enough so far, and it’s because they’re so well-trained. If anybody comes to the gate they’re spotted when they’re still miles out. We sent a group of guys out there early on and they got their asses shot up before they ever reached the gate.”

  “Someone has a sniper rifle and the training to back it up.”

  “Yeah, he killed all but one from over half a mile away and disabled the cars. One of the crew managed to hide. He said a couple of diggers showed up later on and everything was buried; the cars, the bodies, everything, just dumped in a hole and covered up. Once it was dark, the guy made it back out to the main road and hitchhiked back here. We lost a lot of guys that day.”

  “Is anyone other than the prostitutes permitted to enter the compound?”

  “No one, but there was a pizza delivery guy allowed up to the gate. I guess they called him and were expecting the pizza.”

  “Do you know what pizzeria it was?”

  Russo handed over a few sheets of paper with handwritten notes on them. “It should be in there somewhere.”

  “Who took these pictures and scribbled the notes?”

  “It was the last guy who had the contract. He was about twice your age, had a long list of kills and was recommended by the guys in Chicago. He staked out Ippolito’s compound for weeks while lying in the desert camouflaged. The last time we met he gave me these photos and the notes and said Ippolito would be dead the next day. I was impressed as hell and believed him… but, no one’s seen him since.”

  Tanner looked over the notes and found something interesting. The pizza guy had been there twice. Both times it was on a Friday night between six-thirty and nine. A note written in the margins stated that the security chief, Brandt, was away from the compound every time. The note writer conjectured that ordering pizza was probably not allowed and a breach of security protocols. Still, when the cat’s away, the mice will play.

  “How much help can you give me?” Tanner asked Russo.

  “We’re not losing anymore guys on this; you’re on your own.”

  “I don’t want a guy; I want a woman, a young pro. I’ll need her to distract someone and get them out of the way for a while.”

  “Who, one of the guards? That wouldn’t work. If some young tail shows up there out of the blue, Brandt would know something was up and beat her until she talked.”

  “It’s not for a guard; I’ve someone else in mind.”

  Sometimes Trevor Cosgrove wondered how he had become such a loser. He had been popular in high school and a member of the football team. While he never dated a cheerleader, he did lose his virginity by the time he was sixteen. He scored a few more girls during the two years he’d attended college but hadn’t had a date in over a year.

  Now, at twenty-four, he still lived with his mother and was a pizza delivery guy. Even worse, women barely gave him any notice. Trevor looked down and saw the reason why his success rate with women had declined. Trevor’s beer belly had been well-earned during the keg parties he’d attended while in college and it had grown since then.

  Trevor pulled up to room number six at a motel where he was making a pizza delivery. He almost dr
opped the pizza when the door opened, and he got a look at the girl who had ordered it. She was blonde with huge breasts testing the limits of a red halter top and had long legs exposed by a mini skirt.

  When she smiled at Trevor, he felt his knees go weak.

  “Hi, what’s your name, handsome?”

  “I’m, uh, I’m Trevor.”

  “I’m Carla, and thanks for bringing the pizza so fast.”

  “No problem; it’s my job.”

  “Come on inside and place the pizza on the table.”

  Trevor did as asked. When he was two steps into the room, Carla closed the door behind him. Trevor wondered for a moment if he was about to be robbed. But no, there was only Carla in the room, and he could see inside the empty bathroom.

  Carla took a seat at the table and the skirt rode up nearly to her crotch. Trevor cleared his throat as he felt himself grow aroused.

  “Have a seat, Trevor; I could use the company. My boyfriend ran off with his old girlfriend four days ago and I’ve been so lonely.”

  “Someone left you?” Trevor said. The amazement in his voice made Carla laugh.

  “Sit down, Trevor, or are you going to make me eat alone?”

  “I wish I could, but I’ve got three more pizzas to deliver.”