Tanner- Year One Page 14

  “Isaac had taken that dirt road his body was found on?” Pullo asked.

  Briggs nodded. “That’s the only reason I caught up to him. That road heads uphill. As he climbed it, Isaac’s headlights were sporadically visible through the trees. If I hadn’t spotted them, I would have headed into town. After changing direction, I found the road and headed up it with my own headlights off. After a few minutes I saw that I was gaining on Isaac and figured he had come to a stop. I slammed on the brakes and cut my engine an instant before his headlights went out.”

  “You were on foot from that point on,” Tanner said. “How far away was he?”

  “Isaac was only a few hundred yards away, if I had continued in the truck, he would have heard me coming.”

  “Isaac was going to rape me… before killing me,” Gracie said. “When he took me from my apartment, I was only wearing a nightgown. As he drove, he kept turning his head to stare at me, then he said he couldn’t wait any longer and stopped right in the middle of the road. He was using his knife to cut the nightgown off me when Briggs grabbed him from behind.”

  “I was attempting to choke him out. We struggled, and Isaac accidentally killed himself.”

  Gracie shivered. “It was awful; the blood went everywhere.”

  “Isaac had luggage in the Tahoe. I grabbed clothes from a bag that Gracie could put on and we got out of there. Before leaving, I searched Isaac’s body, then his vehicle. Afterward, I drove a couple of hundred feet, then sent the Tahoe rolling down a steep hill. It smashed against a tree, but it was out of sight. I was going to move the body as well… but Gracie needed me.”

  “I was freaking out,” Gracie admitted.

  “I would have been too,” Kate said.

  “Nick knows that I was in his office, Kate, but I don’t know if they suspect you too. And… Isaac destroyed the thumb drive. He ranted as he was going up the hill and said that he placed my evidence down the garbage disposal. By now, I’m sure Nick has also deleted the files from his computer, and… it was Nick who told Isaac to kill me.”

  Pullo stared at Tanner. “If you don’t kill Nick Cannon I will.”

  Briggs held up a hand. “No one is killing anyone. This will be handled by the law. It’s why my superiors sent me here in the first place.”

  “You were investigating Cannon for selling women?” Kate asked.

  “No, I was sent in to get proof that the militia was dealing in illegal weapons. I accomplished that within a month, then I got wind that something bigger was going on, and that it involved Shasta Shah’s cult.”

  Kate wiped away tears as she spoke. “I believe they sold my sister and two other women to be used as sex slaves.”

  “You found evidence of that?” Briggs asked.

  “Yes, and they also have plans to sell fifteen more women.”

  “They were going to send them to New York City on a bus, a few at a time, to prove they left the cult,” Gracie said. “Isaac told me he was going there to supervise things after he—once he was done with me. He sounded happy that Nick had chosen him to oversee the project, as if selling women into slavery was something to be proud of. Oh God, if the militia is tainted with this, we might all be prosecuted.”

  “That’s why you didn’t go to the police?” Briggs asked.

  “Nick is holding a meeting at the mess hall tonight to discuss what happened to Marcus and Miranda at the cult’s compound. I was going to hijack that gathering to expose Nick. I wanted the militia to handle the situation themselves. We’ve always controlled things ourselves; we’re a community.”

  Briggs made a face of disgust. “That’s not justice, it’s vigilantism. And how were you planning on punishing Cannon?”

  “Nick would have been kicked out of the militia with nothing, and it’s all he’s ever known.”

  “The man belongs in a prison cell.”

  Pullo laughed. “That’s too good for the bastard, three meals a day and a nice soft bed. That’s your idea of justice, Briggs?”

  “I didn’t say that, but it is the law. And believe me, I’ll make it happen as soon as I find a way to gather proof of his crimes.”

  “We already have the proof,” Kate said. “The files I downloaded.”

  “Isaac destroyed the thumb drive, remember?” Gracie said.

  Kate grinned. “He destroyed a thumb drive, but I also copied the information onto the second data stick you gave me, Gracie. I was trained to always back up my work, and I did.”

  “Do you have it on you?” Briggs asked.

  Kate’s grin faded. “No, but I can tell you exactly where to find it.”

  Kate explained how she and Gracie were nearly caught by Linda as they were leaving Cannon’s office.

  “While Gracie was talking to Linda, I hid inside that little powder room attached to the office. When I became worried that we might be caught, I decided to hide one of the thumb drives.”

  “Why only one?” Briggs asked.

  Tanner answered him. “If they were caught by someone and they found nothing, they would suspect Kate hid it and search for it until they found it. By keeping one and hiding one, they would be satisfied if they discovered the single thumb drive on them.”

  Kate kissed him on the cheek. “That’s right.”

  “All right, so where is it hidden?” Briggs asked.

  “It’s sitting above one of the ceiling tiles inside the office’s powder room. I stood on the toilet bowl to shove it up there.”

  “I have to get that evidence,” Briggs said.

  “With a warrant?” Gracie asked.

  Briggs grimaced. “There’s no basis for a warrant. Damn it, if I could have brought Isaac in for questioning this whole thing would have been busted open. I not only want Nick Cannon; I also want Shasta Shah.”

  “And what about the militia, Briggs? Are you going to paint all of us with the same brush?”

  “I don’t want to, Gracie. I’ve gotten to know everyone there in the months I’ve lived there. I can’t say that I agree with their anti-government stance, but you’re all good people outside of Cannon’s group of mercenaries. When I file a report, I’ll make sure to stress that.”

  “What do your superiors know?” Tanner asked.

  “I didn’t give any details in the latest report I filed this morning. I wanted to have something positive to give them before admitting that I was involved in Isaac’s death. Once I have that thumb drive, the story will go down easier.”

  “The best time to break into the office would be during the meeting tonight, since Cannon and Logan will be at the mess hall,” Gracie said.

  “You won’t be there,” Pullo told Gracie. “You need to stay out of sight until Cannon is handled.”

  “You’re talking about Briggs having him arrested?” Gracie asked.

  Pullo said, “Yes.” while glancing at Tanner. He knew the hit man would put Cannon down before he ever saw the inside of a jail cell. The same fate would befall Sullivan. Pullo would make certain the thug paid for killing Al Bellini.

  It was decided that Kate would be safer staying with Gracie, as there was a chance that Cannon knew of her involvement.

  Tanner would tell Logan that Kate changed her mind about joining the militia and headed home to Maryland. If they didn’t suspect her, it would sound plausible. If they were suspicious, it still made sense that she would run off after Gracie went missing.

  “What time is the meeting scheduled for?” Briggs asked Gracie.

  “It’s scheduled for eight-thirty, after the younger children are put to bed.”

  Briggs nodded. “Then I’ll be breaking into Nick Cannon’s office at the same time.”

  “Joe and I will have your back,” Tanner said.

  Briggs stared at him. “I still don’t know your part in this.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “And they say you killed Marcus and Miranda.”

  “It was self-defense.”

  “I heard that too. All right, you two can act as
lookouts while I gain access to Cannon’s office, but when this is over, I’ll have more questions for you.”

  Tanner nodded, placating Briggs. The undercover agent could collect all the evidence he wanted, in the end, Tanner would force the truth out of Nick Cannon before he killed him. Briggs was all about the law and following its dictates. Tanner was concerned with getting answers and the fulfilling of a contract. There was also his obligation to help Pullo get vengeance for a friend.

  He looked over at Kate, knowing that he would have to leave soon and never see her again. He liked her, and he’d miss her, but he had made a vow to himself that he would never fall in love or grow close to a woman again. It was a pledge he intended to keep.

  28

  Of All The Nerve

  Tanner and Pullo returned to base with Briggs while Gracie and Kate stayed at the motel.

  Having been awake and on the move since the previous morning, Tanner and Pullo decided to grab a couple of hours of sleep before the evening meal was served.

  Since proving themselves by killing the bikers, Logan removed them from working on the construction project. They were now on the fast-track to become new members of the Inner Core.

  Tanner and Pullo slept with their guns within easy reach. They had also set up an alarm system near the tent’s flap by attaching empty beer cans to it. While it was a crude warning system at best, it was better than nothing.

  After rising, they traveled to the mess hall where the topic of discussion was Gracie’s disappearance and Isaac’s death. No one seemed upset that Isaac was dead but concern for Gracie was palpable. Throughout the meal, Pullo was asked if he had any idea what had happened to her.

  He answered politely and appeared concerned. No one suspected him of foul play because it was known that he had been away from the camp when Gracie went missing.

  As they were leaving the mess hall, Sullivan approached them as they came off the steps. Tanner could feel Pullo tense up as the ginger brute grew nearer. Pullo planned to kill Sullivan after the base meeting that was hours away, while Tanner would be fulfilling his contract on Nick Cannon. To have Sullivan so close made Pullo’s bloodlust rise.

  “Not yet,” Tanner whispered, and Pullo gave a slight nod in response.

  “Hey, you two, Nick wants to see you at the house.”

  “What’s it about?” Pullo said.

  Sullivan sneered. “Just get your asses over there.”

  “What’s your problem, Sullivan?” Tanner said.

  “Marcus was a friend of mine, that’s my problem, asshole.”

  “And what about Miranda?”

  “I liked her too.”

  “And Isaac?”

  “He was another friend of mine.”

  “Life must be lonely for you these days, huh?”

  Sullivan shot out an arm intending to grab the front of Tanner’s shirt. Tanner slapped away the hand while pivoting and sending a side kick into Sullivan’s middle. Sullivan grunted from the impact and stumbled backwards.

  Tanner was awaiting his next move when a voice shouted out. “What the hell is going on?”

  It was Logan, he was coming out of the mess hall with a toothpick in his mouth, after having eaten.

  Sullivan pointed at Tanner. “He started it.”

  Logan glared at Sullivan. “What are you, five years old? I don’t give a damn who started it but there will be no fighting on base, understood?”

  Tanner said yes, as Sullivan grunted and stalked away.

  Logan began walking toward the main house. “You two come with me. Nick said he wanted to see you after chow time.”

  “Is something up?” Tanner asked.

  “For one thing, what happened to that girl of yours? She didn’t show up to work in the kitchen.”

  “Kate’s gone for good,” Tanner said. “She said militia life wasn’t for her.”

  “Too bad for you; she was a hot one.”

  Logan exchanged salutes with the man guarding the front door and escorted Tanner and Pullo into the main house. Tanner had expected to be led to Cannon’s office, instead, Logan guided them to the home’s living room.

  Tanner and Pullo exchanged looks of disappointment. Once inside the office, they could have asked to use the bathroom and retrieved the thumb drive. That would have saved Briggs the trouble of breaking in later. It was still a stroke of luck to be inside the house. If possible, Tanner planned to use it to their advantage.

  Logan left them sitting on an ornate sofa that looked old but felt comfortable. All of the furniture appeared vintage and well-made. In a corner of the room was an oak bar with two stools. It was a small set up but appeared to be well-stocked.

  There were two ways into the room. One was the entrance from the main corridor they had entered through. The second led to a narrow hallway that ran along the rear of the building and ended at a kitchen.

  Tanner rose from his seat. “I’m going to look around.”

  Pullo raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Logan said that Cannon would be right in.”

  “I won’t be long.”

  Tanner went down the hallway. There were three doors leading off it. The first was a closet, the second a small powder room, and the third was the entrance to the basement. That door was positioned on the left and near the threshold to the kitchen.

  Tanner returned to the living room, retook his seat, and Nick Cannon strode into view a minute later. He was smiling and offered to shake their hands.

  “Gentlemen, I wanted to have this meeting to say how pleased I am with you two. Logan told me that you performed well on the raid on those bikers.”

  “It was our pleasure, and it’s good that you know how to share the wealth,” Pullo said. He was referring to the two-thousand apiece he and Tanner had gotten from the over eighty-thousand dollars in cash acquired in the raid on the abandoned farm. Along with that, they’d been given a supply of marijuana. Neither Tanner nor Pullo cared about the weed, but cash was always handy.

  “I like to compensate performance,” Cannon said. He was about to say more when the sound of a disturbance came from the front of the house. It was a woman’s voice. She was arguing with the man at the door and she sounded drunk.

  Tanner, Pullo, and Cannon left their seats to enter the main hallway and stare at the spectacle. Linda was struggling in the guard’s grasp, as he held her by the wrists. She was wearing jeans with a white blouse and pink sneakers.

  “Chill-out, Linda,” the guard said. He was a young guy, still in his teens, and it was obvious he was trying not to hurt her. Cannon walked up to Linda and she calmed down.

  “Nick, oh Nick, have you found out what happened to Isaac yet?”

  “No, but I think it’s safe to assume that Gracie was involved somehow.”

  “It’s all your fault,” Linda slurred. The guard had released her wrists and she swayed as her eyes tried to focus on Cannon.

  “Why is it my fault?” Cannon asked.

  “You and that bitch, Shasta Shah. Isaac told me what the two of you are up to with those girls from the cult. That’s some sick shit.”

  Cannon threw a glance over his shoulder at Tanner and Pullo. They weren’t to know anything about the sex slavery he was involved in, nor was the guard. Cannon took Linda by the hand and pulled her along.

  “Come with me and we’ll talk.”

  “All right, and I want some vodka too.”

  “Whatever you want,” Cannon said, then he turned his head to speak to Tanner and Pullo. “I’ll be a few moments, make yourselves a drink.” After taking a few more steps, Cannon spoke to the guard. “Radio Sullivan and tell him I need him.”

  The guard said he would and stepped back outside.

  Tanner patted Pullo on the arm. “Fix us drinks; I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to make things easier for Briggs tonight.”

  Tanner moved with haste down the back corridor and opened the door to the basement. A switch on the
wall illuminated the stairs and he started down. The basement was crowded with old furniture and dusty cartons. Tanner maneuvered around them and headed for a window located in a corner at the rear of the building. After standing on a crate, he unlocked a window.

  When they returned later, Briggs wouldn’t have to deal with any door locks in order to gain entrance. The basement window Tanner had chosen was deep in shadows, unlike the back door which had a floodlight shining on it.

  Aside from Briggs, Tanner could use the same window later on when he came back to kill Cannon. Pullo would settle things with Sullivan at the same time, then the two of them could leave the base without anyone knowing what had happened.

  Tanner went back up the basement steps two at a time, turned off the lights, and shut the door. He returned to the living room, where Pullo sighed with relief and handed him a drink. Three seconds later, Nick Cannon appeared in the doorway. When he saw that they had drinks, he held up a finger in a gesture that said, “I’ll be another minute.”

  Sullivan was let inside the house, and he and Cannon headed back toward the office.

  “Where did you disappear to?” Pullo asked.

  Tanner told him about the window in the basement, as Pullo studied him.

  “That was gutsy, Tanner, and look at you, you’re as calm as hell.”

  “If I’d gotten caught, I’d have made up a story. If I still wasn’t believed, Cannon and Sullivan would have been handled ahead of schedule. No matter what, they die, and we go back to Manhattan.”

  Pullo grinned. “You’ve got nerves of steel.”

  “I don’t see you sweating either.”

  Pullo shrugged. “Like you said, no matter what, things would have been handled.”

  They settled themselves on the sofa again and enjoyed their drinks. They were two self-assured young men who knew their place in the world. Both were destined to one day reach the top of their unusual professions.

  29

  Pushing His Luck