The Spy Game (A Tanner Novel Book 21) Read online

  Langren held up his phone.

  “The story is being reported on the news. That cop made it to a nearby farm.”

  Tanner nodded. “I’m glad I kept my face hidden.”

  “I also know that Andrew and the others are dead.”

  “Yeah, they’re dead,” Tanner said, “and they were killed by the two guys I saw. Maybe Andrew never mentioned to them that I was there. They walked out of the barn with the money and acted like they had nothing to fear.”

  “Did you get a good look at them?”

  “No, as soon as I was in range I began firing. I hit one guy in the leg and another in the gut. The guy with the leg wound fired at me but I had already ducked behind a tree. I hit him in the hand while he was helping the guy with the gut wound. They were Italian, I know that much because I heard them speaking the language like natives. My last round put a crack in the rear windshield and then they were out of there. When I went into the barn… I found the others.”

  Tanner stopped talking and Langren stared at him.

  “You got anything else to say?”

  “No.”

  “I called and checked you out, and yes, Andrew had you looked into and you’re not a Fed or a cop. The thing is, Ryan, he never told me about you.”

  “Should he have?”

  “You’re damn right he should have. He also should have told me he was planning this robbery.”

  “You didn’t know about the robbery?”

  “No, and that shouldn’t happen. Maybe Andrew was running his own game.”

  Tanner wanted to smile, but he held it in. His story about the fictitious pair of men killing Andrew was a ploy to make Langren believe there was a rift in Bishop’s organization. In fact, there did appear to be a separate faction within the group, and Andrew had been a part of it.

  “Andrew may have been up to something, Mr. Langren, but he wasn’t alone. He said they had been running decoy vans for the cops to chase and that calls had been made to draw the police away from the bank. That sounds like he was part of a group.”

  “There’s another possibility,” Langren said, and before continuing, he glanced back at the two men he’d come in with. The two stood up from their seats at the bar and looked ready to pounce if summoned. “The second possibility is that you and Andrew and the others were robbing that bank for yourselves, only you got greedy and killed everybody else.”

  “Bullshit!” Tanner said. “I never would have helped Andrew if I thought the money wouldn’t go to the cause.”

  Langren smirked. “You care about the cause, hmm?”

  “I do, and why would I kill everyone and then call you? Like you said, you didn’t even know I existed.”

  Langren thought that over and Tanner saw his posture relax.

  “Okay, so Andrew was running a game and you didn’t know about it. Too bad you didn’t get a better look at the men who attacked you. It would be nice to get that money back.”

  “They don’t have the money. When I gut shot the man holding the bags he dropped them.”

  “What? They didn’t get the money?”

  Tanner lifted the backpack up from where it lay on the bench and passed it over to Langren.

  “It’s all there. I ditched the bank bags of course, but the money is all there.”

  It was true. The incentive the U.S. government had to give to the Italians was a reimbursement of the money lost in the robbery. The recovery of the funds and the safe return of Officer Ricci had made the news of an American operative in their country go down easier with Italian authorities.

  Langren gazed down at the bag a moment before pulling back a zipper and looking inside.

  “Sonofabitch,” he said. After closing the bag, he stood, then he motioned for Tanner to come with him.

  “Where are we going?” Tanner asked.

  “We’re off to see the wizard.”

  “You mean…”

  “That’s right. I need to have a talk with Owen Bishop, and I want you there too.”

  “It will be an honor to meet the man,” Tanner said, then he thought, To meet him, and kill him.

  17

  Pointing Fingers

  Tanner rode with Langren and his bodyguards to a home in Terni, Italy, which was about sixty miles northeast of Rome. The villa was large, yet modest compared to the one where he had killed Andrew. He saw no sign of security and wondered if Bishop would be easier to kill than he’d been led to believe.

  Before getting in the car, Langren had asked him if he had a weapon. Tanner had handed over the gun that had been Andrew’s.

  Langren studied the weapon and saw it appeared to have not been fired and had a full magazine. Tanner had found bullets and a cleaning kit inside the van and had worked on the gun before making contact.

  “Whose weapon is this? It looks like Andrew’s.”

  “That is his gun. I took it off his body.”

  “Where’s the cop’s gun you were using?”

  “I tossed it away. It would be bad enough if I were picked up with a gun on me, but if I was found with the cop’s gun they could tie me to the bank robbery and the bodies in the barn.”

  Langren grinned. “I like you, Ryan. You think things through, that’s good.”

  During the trip to Terni, the two nameless bodyguards didn’t speak, not even to each other, while Langren spent his time on the phone. Langren uttered the name Cal Vernon more than once and Tanner wondered who that was.

  After reaching the villa, the bodyguards stayed in the car while Tanner accompanied Langren into the house. Langren greeted an older woman in fluent Italian and said they would be using the study.

  The home’s office was filled with books and reminded Tanner of Warren Blake’s study back in Connecticut. Thinking of Blake led to thoughts of Sara, but Tanner pushed them from his mind.

  He needed a clear head if he were going to kill Bishop and escape with the data drive. Daydreaming about the woman he loved could leave him dead.

  The rear wall of the study held a massive television. Langren picked up a remote, and after a few clicks, a view came on the screen of another room. The surface of a wooden desk and a leather office chair were in the foreground with two windows in the background. The curtains on the windows were drawn and allowed no view of what lay behind them. At first, the room appeared empty, then the sound of someone moving about could be heard through the speakers. That was followed by a hand coming into view and pulling out the chair. When the owner of the hand sat in the chair and looked straight ahead, Tanner saw the face of Owen Bishop.

  Tanner groaned inwardly. He would not get a chance to kill Bishop after all, since the man was communicating via video. Bishop was wearing his trademark pair of eyeglasses with thick black frames and his gray eyes looked fierce behind the lenses. His shirt was a white sweater with a V-shaped collar and a gold chain was hanging around his neck.

  The image was approximately life-size and sharp. It almost felt as if Bishop were sitting on the other side of the wall. When Bishop spoke, the deep voice which came forth didn’t fit the nerdy image of the man. It did trigger a memory in Tanner, and he was certain he had seen Bishop on TV a time or two. Not only was Bishop’s voice deep, it also possessed power and confidence in its tone.

  “Fill me in, Scott. What the hell was going on with your man Andrew?”

  Langren cleared his throat as he gestured at Tanner.

  “This is Steve Ryan. I’ll let him tell his story, then you’ll know what I know.”

  “Ryan? Ah yes, the guy who shot at the Italian cops the other day. You’ve got guts, Mr. Ryan, and you’re lucky you weren’t caught.”

  “I’m just sorry my gun jammed,” Tanner said.

  “Let’s hear what you’ve been up to now,” Bishop said.

  Tanner repeated the story he had told to Langren. He kept the details the same, however he varied his delivery slightly. He didn’t want to have Langren thinking he was repeating a made-up and memorized tale, although he was in part
s.

  As Bishop listened, he played with the gold chain around his neck. Tanner saw that something was dangling from the end of it. He only caught a glimpse of the object. It appeared to resemble a golden USB stick, and yet, it was larger and thicker than a normal one. Tanner felt the odds were good that he was looking at the data drive. To wear it around his neck like that, Bishop must have full confidence in his security.

  When Tanner was done telling Bishop his story, Langren spoke.

  “I didn’t know a damn thing about any of this, but I knew Andrew well. I don’t think this was him acting on his own. I think someone else was behind this, Mr. Bishop.”

  “Whom would that be?” Bishop asked.

  After swallowing, Langren said a name. “Cal Vernon.”

  Bishop smiled. “You suspect Cal is behind this?”

  “He and Andrew were friendly, and Vernon was once his supervisor. I could see Andrew going behind my back and helping Vernon.”

  “Let’s say you’re right. Why would Cal order Andrew to rob a bank and not tell me?”

  “For the money, sir. Three-hundred thousand euros could be used in many ways, including bribery.”

  “Whom would he bribe?” Bishop asked.

  “Your security team for one, or he could be using the money to hire mercenaries to come after you. Cal Vernon is ambitious, you know that, and the only one keeping him from climbing higher is you.”

  Bishop’s laugh was derisive.

  “I think it’s your ambition that may be the issue here, Scott. I made Cal my right-hand man instead of you. I think you’re jealous of him.”

  “No, sir. That’s not why I suspect him. He’s just… I don’t know… sneaky? I’ve never trusted him.”

  On screen, Bishop’s eyes shifted to look at Tanner.

  “Did Andrew ever mention Cal’s name to you?”

  “No.”

  Bishop nodded, then he reached into his shirt and brought out the golden data drive, which he fingered like a charm on a bracelet, as he thought things over. After dropping the device down inside his shirt again, Bishop addressed Langren.

  “Here’s what I believe happened. I think Andrew was acting on his own while looking to feather his nest. I can understand that, unfortunately for him, he went in on it with the wrong people. Fortunately for us, Mr. Ryan here wound up with the money and contacted you. I want to thank you, Mr. Ryan, and I won’t forget that you helped the cause.”

  Tanner gave a little shrug.

  “Andrew might have been greedy, but he convinced me that what you’re doing is important. I want to help anyway I can.”

  “Good man. From now on you’ll be working with Scott, he can always use a warrior for the people like yourself.”

  Langren smiled at Tanner.

  “I’ll gladly take Ryan. He’s sharper than most of my people, but Mr. Bishop, what should I do with the money? Should I leave it here?”

  “Deliver it to Cal tomorrow morning, Scott. He’ll put it to good use.”

  “What if I’m right and Vernon wanted the money to use against you?”

  Bishop’s gaze darkened.

  “That’s enough of that talk. I won’t have you going around denigrating Cal, who is technically your superior.”

  “How is he my superior? We both manage a region.”

  “I consider him my second-in-command. That makes him your superior.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Ryan.”

  “Yes, Mr. Bishop?” Tanner said.

  “Do good work and you’ll continue to rise in the organization.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Tanner said.

  “Any other issues to discuss, Scott?”

  “No, sir.”

  “All right. Deliver that money to Cal before noon. He’s at the villa in Florence.”

  “I’ll do that,” Langren said.

  “Make sure you do,” Bishop said. That was followed by the screen going blank.

  18

  If At First…

  FLORENCE, ITALY

  Cal Vernon stepped off an elevator with his bodyguard beside him. Vernon was a handsome man in his thirties with dark-brown hair and green eyes. An American from North Dakota, Vernon was tall and had been an athlete in college, which he attended on a basketball scholarship.

  His bodyguard was a thick-bodied man named Karl who was German, and a former leg breaker for a loan shark. Karl only smiled when he was anticipating causing pain. Vernon had known Karl for over a dozen years. The two had met while sharing a Munich drunk tank during Oktoberfest. After Karl saved Vernon from a beating by a fellow inmate, Vernon had hired him as a gofer and he later became Vernon’s bodyguard.

  They were inside the Four Seasons Hotel and visiting the suite of a man named Boldizsár Magyar. Magyar was the owner of a security company. He was also a trainer and handler of assassins. His former noted protégés included such men as Lars Gruber and Robert Vance, both were men Tanner had killed. Boldizsár Magyar, Hungarian by birth and a resident of Belgium, was in Florence on holiday, and was mixing business with pleasure by meeting with Vernon.

  Cal Vernon and his bodyguard Karl were told to wait in a sitting area that boasted an elaborate crystal chandelier. Their wait wasn’t a long one and they were soon joined by Magyar. Boldizsár Magyar was a fit man in his sixties with a swarthy complexion and a mole on his chin. Despite his expensive suit and diamond rings he was not an attractive figure.

  The young woman with Magyar was very attractive, shapely, and sexy. Her name was Mirella. She was Boldizsár Magyar’s youngest child and only daughter. Mirella was the result of Magyar’s third marriage to an English actress. His daughter favored the woman a great deal and had her pale skin tone.

  Mirella smiled at Cal Vernon after looking the tall man over. When he introduced himself to her in his Midwest twang, Mirella giggled and said she found his accent charming.

  “Mr. Vernon and I have business to discuss, Mirella. Go enjoy your evening, but don’t be out all night.”

  “I’m nineteen, Father. I can stay out all night if I want to.”

  Magyar made a sound of frustration.

  “I liked you better when you were a child. You were more obedient.”

  Mirella kissed her father on the cheek. “Don’t worry so much.” She turned to face Cal Vernon. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Vernon.”

  “Same here, Mirella,” Vernon said.

  After his daughter left, Magyar and Vernon settled across from each other with drinks. Karl settled near the door, while two of Magyar’s assassins in training stood against a wall that was behind him. The room was large, and Karl and the others would be unable to hear Vernon’s discussion with Magyar.

  “I take it you’ve come here to make the deal we discussed?” Magyar asked.

  “No. I’m going to need more time.”

  “Why is that?”

  “My people robbed a bank in Rome today but were slaughtered before they could deliver the money to me.”

  “Ah, interesting. Who do you suspect is behind it?”

  “A dude named Scott Langren. Now he’s got the money and I heard he was dissing me to Bishop.”

  “Dissing?” Magyar said.

  “It means he was insulting me. He told Bishop I’m trying to stage a coup.”

  “You are, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, but he’s got no proof of that. Here’s the damnedest part, Bishop told Langren to bring me the money to hold onto.”

  Magyar smiled. “The money will do you no good now that Bishop knows about it.”

  “That’s right.”

  “This man, Langren, is he ambitious as well?”

  “I thought he was simply a toady, but if he sent men to rob my men I might have underestimated him.”

  “I heard about that robbery. They’re reporting that most of the robbers were killed.”

  “Yeah, except for a guy named Steve Ryan. He’s the one that brought the money to Langren.”

  “The money would have
been helpful. Still, you must have other funds available, yes?”

  “No. I’ve gone all in on this plan I have, and it’s cost me a lot of money to set things up. I need that bank money, so I’ll be able to pay you.”

  “Why not steal it again?”

  “How’s that?”

  “The bank money. Why not take it from this man Langren and kill him at the same time?”

  A smile spread over Vernon’s face.

  “That’s not a bad idea, only I’ll kidnap Langren before I kill him. I want to know why he suspects me and if anyone else does.”

  “Does it really matter?”

  “It might, and I don’t want any surprises when I push Bishop out of my way.”

  “You’re moving ahead soon? Can you do so if you fail to get the money?”

  “Maybe. I have a lot of men loyal to me, but I’m not sure if it’s enough. That’s why I wanted to hire some of your men. I’ll also need them later on.”

  “I have men who will make certain you get the money back, however, they’ll cost you.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks. I still have men of my own. Perhaps not enough to take down Bishop, although they’ll have no problem handling Langren and his bodyguards.”

  Magyar leaned forward. “I know about the auction you have planned.”

  Vernon’s face revealed his shock.

  “How did you find out about that?”

  “I have developed many sources over the years, as have others. You should accelerate your plans before Owen Bishop discovers what you’re up to.”

  “I understand; it’s why I want to hire all three of your teams of assassins.”

  Magyar held up his drink.

  “I wish you luck and look forward to doing business with you.”