The TANNER Series - Books 13-15 (Tanner Box Set) Page 4

  “Thanks, the water inside that shack comes out clean now, but I still feel better drinking bottled water.”

  “Be glad that there is running water, otherwise you’d have to use the outdoors as a toilet.”

  Sara looked around and made a face.

  “I’m not the nature type.”

  ***

  While Tanner walked to the shack to retrieve the water, Sara used her phone to post a reminder to herself.

  LOOK INTO TANNER’S CONNECTION WITH DR. JESSICA WHITE AND HER HUSBAND.

  Tanner was a mystery in many ways, and Sara wanted to know all she could about him. She picked up the notebook she’d been using and went over the page with the shooting notes, and recorded changes, with Tanner none the wiser that she had plans to look into his past.

  CHAPTER 6 – Trust, but verify

  Tanner trained until the early afternoon and found Sara to be a good student. By the time they were leaving for the day, Sara could act as spotter/observer, which would make the next day’s shooting go smoother.

  He had also made time for her to take a few shots of her own, and Sara was impressed by the power of the rifle and the high caliber shells it fired.

  After making plans to meet there again early on Thursday, he and Sara separated and drove off in their own vehicles.

  Tanner’s shoulder was sore after doing so much heavy shooting, but he had been hitting the target on three out of four attempts when they ended the training.

  Not counting the day he would need to do recon on the lake house, Tanner had two more days to train before he had to get into position to take the shot, and then he would have to wait for Yatsenko and his men to arrive at the house.

  ***

  Tanner arrived back at his hotel to find Alexa in the shower. She had just returned after working out in the hotel’s fitness center.

  After he called in a greeting to her, Alexa said that she would be out in a few minutes, and she joined Tanner in the bedroom a short time later, with her long hair wrapped in a towel and wearing a terry cloth robe.

  “How was practice?”

  “Good,” Tanner said, and then he told her about his visitors.

  “Will that colonel be a problem?” Alexa asked.

  “I don’t think so, and besides, it looks like Lawson is the real government representative.”

  Alexa pushed Tanner to lie flat atop the bed and snuggled against him.

  “How was Sara this morning?”

  “She’s good.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I wanted to know if she came on to you, it’s the reason I wanted you to be alone with her.”

  Tanner grinned.

  “Were you testing her, or me?”

  “I trust you Tanner, but I don’t know what to make of Sara yet. Did she get friendly?”

  “Blake doesn’t want me, Alexa. I’ve told you that. She’s just using me as a way to rise up in the Burke Corporation.”

  “How was she dressed?”

  “Jeans, a sweatshirt, and a lined denim jacket. What did you think she’d wear, a G-string?”

  Alexa laughed.

  “No, and I’m glad that she behaved. I want to trust her, I do.”

  “Don’t concern yourself with her. I’ll handle Blake, but what about you and Deke?”

  “What about us?”

  “Do you still have plans to visit that edged weaponry museum with him?”

  “Yes, we’ll be in Pennsylvania anyway, and with you gone for hours, I’ll have time to go.”

  “Fine.”

  “Does it bother you that I’ll be going there with Deke?”

  “No. I’m actually glad that you won’t be sitting around bored while I’m fulfilling the contract.”

  Alexa looked around the room.

  “I’m sick of this hotel, and soon I’ll be in Pennsylvania and staying inside another rented room. I want a home, Tanner. A place we can call our own. Ideally, I would love to live in Mexico, near my papa, but I understand that’s impractical.”

  Tanner brushed Alexa’s hair back with his hand and smiled at her.

  “I’ll take time off after this hit and we’ll find a place to live. Do you have any idea where you might want to look?”

  “I was surfing online and looking at nearby communities when I came across Killburry, Connecticut. It’s listed as the best small town in America to live in.”

  “Killburry? I never heard of it,” Tanner said.

  “I’ll show you some pictures of it on the computer, but I think that I want to try and find a house there. Why not go for the best?”

  “Why not?” Tanner said, as he slipped a hand under Alexa’s robe.

  She pushed the hand away.

  “Not now, I’m hungry. Let’s go out to eat.”

  Tanner kissed her.

  “I’m hungry too, but I want a rain check on the sex.”

  Alexa kissed him back.

  “Count on it, but no G-string.”

  ***

  Sara had been headed home to her apartment when she received a call from Conrad Burke’s assistant telling her that Mr. Burke wanted to see her as soon as possible.

  Sara drove to the Burke Corporate Campus, and once she had parked, she opened her trunk and took out a business suit which was still wrapped in the plastic from the dry cleaners.

  Sara had learned to be prepared for the times she might be unexpectedly summoned into action while still an FBI agent, and she kept a set of dress, casual, and workout clothes in her trunk most of the time. Once she was inside her office, she changed into the business suit and then went up in the elevator to the top floor.

  After being escorted into Burke’s office, she saw that Sloane Lennox was present, along with his bodyguard, Jake Vincento.

  “Please have a seat, Miss Blake,” Burke said, and when Sara sat beside Lennox, Burke began the meeting. “Sloane here has voiced a valid concern about the program you head, and I want to get your opinion and input.”

  Sara looked at Lennox.

  “What is your concern? Does it involve Tanner?”

  “No, Miss Blake, not directly, but I feel that relying on Tanner alone is a mistake and that we should expand the program to bring in more... participants.”

  “You mean that you want us to hire another hit man? What would be the point when we already have the best there is?”

  “I’m better than Tanner,” Vincento said, from where he sat on a leather sofa at the side of the room.

  Sara turned her head and smiled at him.

  “Everyone who has ever said those words is dead.”

  Vincento stood and walked over to stare down at her.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Miss Blake. I don’t mean to challenge Tanner, but I’m every bit as competent and deadly as he is, and I’ve undoubtedly received better training, as I’m former military. Besides, I don’t want to take Tanner’s place; I would just be a fill-in, that way, the Burke Corporation could double the contracts it takes.”

  Sara looked away from Vincento and back at Burke.

  “What Tanner does is far more complicated and complex than mere killing, and if a sensitive hit were to be bungled, there could be serious repercussions, such as the public becoming aware of this program, the government’s outsourcing of wet work.”

  “I understand that, but Jake here has excellent credentials. I’ve also been informed by Tanner that he’ll be taking some time off soon to settle into a new home. While Tanner’s unavailable, Jake here will fill in for him, and I want you to supervise him as you have Tanner.”

  Sara cleared her throat.

  “I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that arrangement, sir. I don’t know this man’s capabilities and therefore I can’t promise that he’ll perform.”

  Burke’s gaze grew cold.

  “Your comfort isn’t an issue, Miss Blake. You’re the head of the project and I expect you to act as such. I understand that Mr. Vincento here is an unknown at this point, and if he fails, it won’t reflect on you.
” Burke’s gaze swiveled over to Lennox. “I will place the blame for any failures on your shoulders, Sloane. Is that understood?”

  Lennox frowned, but then stood and leaned over the desk.

  “I’ll take full responsibility, but only with full control. I wouldn’t want Miss Blake here tempted to sabotage Mr. Vincento, in order to make Tanner look good.”

  “I resent those remarks, Mr. Lennox. I would never sabotage a project, any project.”

  “Be quiet both of you,” Burke said, and then he gazed up at Vincento, as he thought things over. When he came to a decision, he spoke to Sara first.

  “If and when the time comes that we need Mr. Vincento to fill in for Tanner, Sloane here will run the operation. He’ll also have the resources of Deke Mercer available to him, but you’ll be on the sidelines.”

  Sara smiled.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “It won’t mean you won’t work. You’ve other duties you can attend to, and again, this is just a contingency plan.”

  “I see, and I’ll inform Tanner.”

  “What do you think his reaction will be?” Burke asked. “I hope he won’t take this as an attempt to replace him.”

  Sara stared at Lennox.

  “Oh, I think Tanner will understand the motive behind this. Is that all, sir?”

  “Yes, Miss Blake, and thank you for coming in on short notice.”

  “Anytime sir.”

  Sara said a curt goodbye to a glaring Jake Vincento and a smiling Sloane Lennox and left the office. If Vincento ever did get tapped to perform a difficult hit, Sara sensed that it could end disastrously.

  After all, there was only one Tanner.

  CHAPTER 7 – Bully, bully

  The following day, Tanner rose early and headed to the airport, where he caught a ride on a helicopter courtesy of Conrad Burke.

  The helicopter was generally used later in the day to shuttle VIP’s from the Burke Corporation back and forth between the corporate campus in Connecticut and the Burke building in Midtown Manhattan.

  While she was at the Burke Corporate Campus the day before, Sara had learned that the helicopter was scheduled to make an early morning flight to Pittsburgh, and arranged for Tanner to catch a ride on it. That would place him within an easy driving distance from the small town where Yatsenko’s lake house was, and would give him a chance to do recon without having to take the long drive to get there.

  “After it drops you off, the chopper will be flying two executives to the New York offices, but it will return to Pittsburg by noon. That should give you enough time to drive to and from the lake house, and to become acquainted with the area,” Sara had said.

  “It will, and it will also save me from having to make the long drive out there more than once. Good work, Blake.”

  “Thanks, and I think I’ll practice by myself tomorrow while you’re off doing your recon; I really do enjoy shooting that big rifle.”

  “Will Deke be joining you?”

  “No, why?”

  “Just curious. I’ll see you at the shack on Thursday morning.”

  ***

  Tanner stepped out of the chopper a little after six a.m. and discovered that Sara had made arrangements for a car to be ready for his use. It was a good-sized SUV with all-wheel drive, and Tanner made it to the area by the lake house without delay despite the heavy morning traffic.

  He turned off the highway and onto the clearly marked private road that led to the lake house, but as he neared the home, he spotted the security cameras. That caused him to U-turn and look for another way in, but there was none to be found, and soon he was back out on the highway.

  On his second approach, Tanner left the car in the parking lot of a supermarket, and then walked into the woods behind the building.

  Tanner was wearing hiking boots, jeans, and a lined leather jacket, along with mirrored sunglasses and a wool cap. If anyone spotted him walking about the woods, they’d be unlikely to give an accurate description of him.

  Yatsenko’s lake house was only about a mile away, and when he was halfway to it, Tanner made an interesting discovery. While moving through the trees, Tanner had seen what appeared to be a small clearing up ahead, but as he grew closer, he saw that the ground dropped steeply and led to a dirt road.

  Once he was down on the road, Tanner understood that it wasn’t really a road at all, but rather, a dry riverbed. The dirt was sprinkled with partially buried rocks, while the occasional tree branch stuck out of the surface, but there were also traces of tire tracks, and Tanner guessed that at least one of the locals used the narrow passageway as a road.

  Taking a detour away from the house revealed that the makeshift road ran beneath the highway, and there was an incline on the other side that would grant access to the roadway. Further investigation revealed the reason why the narrow river had run dry. A mound of earth separated it from its other section, and was likely the result of a previous mudslide. The southern part of the river was narrower, and more like a creek, and the water looked clouded.

  Tanner traveled in the other direction, and after climbing up the opposite bank, he continued through the trees and soon found that he could see the lake house up ahead through the pines.

  The home had an iron gate out front and was surrounded by a chain link fence. However, a tree had recently fallen and flattened a section of the fence. It was the area right by the front door.

  For a moment, Tanner considered taking his kill shot from among the trees, but he discarded the idea because of the fact that Yatsenko would be traveling with so many armed men.

  He had no idea what weapons or level of skill the men might have and his retreat after the kill could be difficult. Yatsenko was known to be cautious, and if he caught even a hint that someone was out to kill him, he might never leave his vehicle, a bulletproof limo, and exit the area and go underground.

  Besides, Tanner really wanted to kill the man from a great distance. It would not only test his skill... but hell, it was just cooler too.

  ***

  Some time later, Tanner located the spot where he wanted to take his sniper shot from. It was at the top of a hill overlooking the lake house and gave him a great line of sight in all directions as well.

  Since he would be laying down when he took the shot, there was little chance that he would be seen, and in early winter, most of the hunters who normally stalked the woods would be absent.

  As Tanner was imagining a successful kill, the sounds of laughter came from behind him in the woods. It was the laughter of boys, and it was followed by a shout.

  Tanner followed the sound and a few seconds later, he was looking down on a narrow trail in the woods, where three boys were walking towards a fourth boy. They all wore backpacks and appeared to be on their way to school.

  One of the three boys looked to be older than the other two he was with, maybe fourteen. The two with him were likely his brothers, as they all had blond hair and similar features.

  The boy they had called to was ten or so, and he stopped walking and turned to look at the others.

  Tanner couldn’t make out what the big kid was saying, but he understood the tone. He was teasing the other boy, bullying him about something with his brothers egging him on. When the other kid, who had dark hair, talked back to him, the big blond kid shrugged off his pack and advanced on the dark-haired boy, then shoved him.

  That turned out to be a mistake.

  Although younger and smaller, the dark-haired boy was soon straddling the blond kid and rearranging his face. One of the big kid’s brothers ran over to help and had his mind changed by a punch to the balls.

  By the time the big kid managed to get out from beneath the smaller kid, he had a bloody nose, and probably would look a mess once the swelling began.

  For good measure, the dark-haired kid kicked the big kid in the ass as he turned to run from him. The third brother, who’d had the sense to stay out of it, helped up the one who had been punched in the balls, and the t
rio limped back the way they had come, three bullies who might think twice before picking on another victim.

  Tanner couldn’t help but laugh, the dark-haired kid had guts and didn’t take shit from those that were bigger than him. Those were excellent qualities to have in this world, and they would see the kid through tough times.

  ***

  Confident that he had become familiar with the terrain around the lake house, Tanner was headed back through the woods when he came across a bearded man in his thirties walking towards him with a bag from the fast food restaurant, which was located on the other side of the highway.

  The man was tall, but gangly, and dressed in well-worn clothes. When he spoke, Tanner saw that he had four gold upper teeth in the front.

  “Who are you?” the man asked.

  “I’m just a guy passing through,” Tanner said.

  The man pointed towards the lake house.

  “You haven’t been down at the lake have you, because that’s private property.”

  “Yeah, I got that idea when I saw that there was a fence around it.”

  The man moved closer. He was taller, and Tanner could tell that the man thought his height made him intimidating. It made Tanner think of the big kid who had thought his size gave him an advantage. The man standing before him was no kid, but he shared the boy bully’s mentality.

  “Are you trying to be smart with me?” Gold teeth said.

  “Not really, but take a step closer and I’ll knock you on your ass. I might also take your food away. I haven’t eaten yet.”

  The man looked confused, and after waving a dismissive hand at Tanner, he walked away.

  “Go back to wherever you came from, asshole.”

  Tanner watched him walk away for a few moments and then headed back to his rental. He had seen what he needed to see, and felt more confident than ever that he would make the kill shot.

  And after all, it’s what he was paid to do.

  CHAPTER 8 – Friends... kinda

  On the second day of training together, Tanner instructed Sara on how to aim at a moving target while using the big rifle.

  He had draped a towel over her shoulder to absorb some of the impact of the rifle’s recoil, but after firing off a dozen shots, Sara still complained about how sore her shoulder was feeling.