HARD CASE (A John Harding Novel - Special Ops, Cage Fighter, CIA Agent) (7 page)

Mrs. Kensington signed the papers and Tess checked them over. “Will he be all right?”

I took charge of the suitcase. “He’s eighteen, Mrs. Kensington. I have a job for him while he attends school. I’ll make sure he keeps in touch with you.”

“Wha…what kind of job? She asks with a suspicious tone. Jafar’s Mom is less than thrilled with my looks.

“An interpreter for all practical purposes.”

“I’m Mr. Harding’s lawyer,” Tess puts in a good word for me. “The job offer is legitimate.”

The door is yanked open. A leering mask of animosity peers out at us from behind the screen. I’m figuring it’s Daddy taking a sudden interest. I get interested when he holds up a sawed off shotgun. He fumbles to get the screen open as his wife begins to protest. I go through the screen door. When I get done adjusting the situation to my liking I’m holding the shotgun with Mrs. Kensington kneeling next to her husband. He’s not hurt – just dazed because a moment ago he wasn’t lying unarmed on the floor with pieces of his screen door littered around him. I unload the shotgun. Like a true drunk, Daddy Kensington gets belligerent.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Kensington pushes his wife aside and stumbles to his feet. “Look at what you did to my door!”

“Tess, let Mrs. Kensington take you for a tour of her kitchen while Mr. Kensington and I have a chat.”

Tess takes Mrs. Kensington’s arm and urges her inside the house making conciliatory noises about everything’s going to be okay. I’m watching the drunk. He’s noticed my size finally through the alcoholic haze. Realization of how he came to be without his shotgun begins to dawn on him.

“I’m John Harding. What’s your name?” I ask him while invading his personal airspace with some reluctance. I’ve smelled lost souls before.

“Rich…Richard.” He’s no longer belligerent.

“I’ll call you Dick. Now Dick, you had your own son thrown into jail where he very nearly died. You did it because you’re a useless, self pitying drunk. I’m going to do you a big life-saving favor. I’ll keep Jafar safe and in school. You’ll take this opportunity to once again become the man you once were so you can earn your son’s trust back. I’ll be checking on you because your son reminds me of a kid I knew long ago. If I find out you’re not tryin’, my next attitude adjustment will be painful. Are we clear, Dick?”

Kensington nods. His face is taking on a greenish tint. “I…I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Go find your bathroom, Dick.”

My new buddy runs for it. I went into the house looking for the kitchen. Tess and Mrs. Kensington meet me halfway. I hand her the shotgun. “My lawyer has a card for you. If you have any questions or Mr. Kensington shows signs of instability call her. She’ll get in touch with me.”

“Who are you?” Mrs. Kensington takes the card Tess offers.

“John Harding, Ma’am. I’ll be in touch.” I wait for Tess to pat Mrs. Kensington’s shoulder before heading for the exit. I give Mrs. Kensington a final wave and follow Tess to the door while keeping an eye out for Dick. When we’re clear of the house, Tess opens her trunk and I stick in Jafar’s bag. As Tess drives away, she takes a deep breath.

“That was fun.”

“Sorry, Tess. I almost got you killed.”

“I doubt it.”

“He could have fired through a window.”

“Thanks for that happy thought. You did almost get me killed. You owe me.”

“I’m good for it.”

“Maybe you could cut me some slack for my adventure behind your back?”

I stay quiet for a moment because I don’t know if I can. Tess immediately takes my reticence for a putdown.

“Oh come on! I was an intermediary. Sure, I may have thought it was more harmless than it really is but I’ll take your advice about how far I should go with the government.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Some things gnaw at me for a while, Tess. It’s nothin’ personal. Look… playing around with the people Dennis pals around with leads to inadvertent consequences. They know more about my business because of your firm’s working arrangement with me. By the sound of it last night they would have made a direct approach anyway sooner or later. I’m trying to figure out what they think using you as a go between will get them. They always have long term goals. Sometimes their goals start out with one number of people and end with considerably less.”

Tess stops at a light and looks over at me. “Would you have killed that agent?”

“Not by choice.”

“And they would have swept it under the rug?”

“No. Sometime in the near future you would have met with an accident.”

“Me? What about you?”

“I’m useful. You’re not.” I see the lights blinking on in the dark room where Tess was keeping her illusions. “They can’t have a civilian wondering around after witnessing a internecine killing. If an accident had happened, I would have made the attempt to get Dennis to forget you had been there. More than likely, Dennis would have had to go bye-bye too. Then it would have been just you and me with a secret after I found a final resting place for our CIA boys. As I explained – unintended consequences.”

Somebody beeps behind us and Tess drives through the intersection. Her lip’s trembling. She’s gripping the steering wheel with ardor. “You…you’re joking.”

I smile over at her when she glances my way. “Reality sinking in?”

“I know you don’t kill innocent people.”

“You do, huh? How?” I figure if Tess and I are going to have even a cordial business friendship, she needs to quit daydreaming about her knight in shining armor outlook in reference to me.

“You would have killed Dennis for me so there weren’t any witnesses.”

“You’re better looking than Dennis and he shouldn’t have signed you up behind my back anyway. Besides, the prick would have used my killin’ Reddig against me somewhere down the line. Dennis is no dummy either. He would have had his piece ready to take you and I out if I’d done for Reddig, which is why I probably wouldn’t have given him the chance.”

“Because he knows you,” Tess whispers, staring out at the traffic ahead.

Bingo! “I believe we have reached an understanding, Tess. By the looks of it, I’d say we can rule out romantic entanglements too.”

Tess smiles uneasily and reaches over with a cold right hand to grasp my left one. “Small doubt about that. I should be happy. You have the roughest hands I’ve ever felt.”

I chuckle and pat her hand with my right before drawing my fingertips over the back of her hand with feather soft contact. She shudders before pulling her hand away. Like I’ve said there are things I’m very good at with my hands besides hitting people with them.

“We’re going to be good friends, Tess, once I get us beyond this thing with the G-men. Ever consider opening your own office. Like you’ve already surmised, Tommy and me can’t keep the street fighting gig up forever. If it weren’t for all the PD and city council fight fans, the law would have cracked down on us long ago. We can on the other hand start making the big coin on P.I. and bond enforcement with you handling the law work.”

“You have got to be kidding! Where the hell would the money come from to… wait a minute… is your financial status one of the mysteries in your public image?”

She’s a quick study. “I’ve been saving for something with an office front. You’d be getting a much larger piece of the action. I’ve seen you in court. You’re as good a trial lawyer as any of those TV characters on the ‘Law and Order’ shows. I’m putting Devon Constantine on retainer. I like when life serves up a great little coincidence like last night’s jail stay. Dev was an army ranger. He has skills. If Jafar works out with our present job, I’ll start sharpening him up. Middle Eastern interpreter fees on a job could mean a great return on my investment. We’ll send him to college and maybe an ROTC program.”

Tess shakes her head, more in confusion than negativity. “You are something else. One day you’re a cheap leg-breaker and the next you’re a business tycoon.”

“I was never cheap.”

“I’ll think about your offer. It’s a novel idea. With your rep I doubt we’d have many bond jumpers. Does Tommy know what you’re considering for the future?”

“Yep. Street hustling is getting a little old for Tommy. He was the main reason I came up with the idea to begin with – that and meeting you.”

“How flush with money are you?”

“Let’s put it this way. I’ve done a lot of specialty jobs for the government on a private contractor basis that paid very, very well. Tommy has more natural business talent than anyone I’ve ever met. He’ll be our CEO and work with me and Dev. I figure you can be our contact with the large firms and big money along with handling the law end.”

“I guess we’ll see.” Tess parked the car. “I’ll go spring your employees. You stay with the car.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” I watch Tess walk into the building with more regret than I could let on. She was one fine looking woman. Maybe honesty wasn’t the best policy but it was a great introduction to my business plan. I’d have to work on shelving my attraction for her. Tess led my new associates toward the car nearly an hour later. They looked a bit gamey but Dev was smiling when he approached my window.

“Your lawyer told me you have a business proposal for me, meat. I don’t work cheap. She has my number. Call me when you need me.”

Dev sticks out his hand and I shook it. “Will do. Here’s five hundred. Buy something in the ‘Men In Black’ fashion. You still have a permit to carry from your security job?”

Dev takes the five one hundred dollar bills, looking at me with suspicion. “How you know I work security, John?”

“Tommy made some enquiries after our fight. We wanted to make sure there weren’t any hard feelings in the form of a drive by.”

Dev laughed. He nodded his understanding. “It’s a damn tough way to earn a buck. First you take a chance on ending up dead fightin’. Then you’re lookin’ over your shoulder for weeks after wonderin’ if the pug you knocked out would decide to get some payback. Yeah, I still have my license. Thanks for springin’ me. Is the kid here workin’ with us?”

“What about it, J?” I look up at the solemn Jafar. He’s been listening to us intently but saying nothing. I like that. Tess has already slipped into the driver’s seat beside me.

“I will work with you.” Jafar holds his hand out to Dev. “Thank you, Sir.”

Dev shakes his hand. “You’re alright, kid. I don’t know what Harding has planned but I know there’s money in it. I need to get my car out of impound, John. Call me.”

“Stay out of the bars, Dev.” He flips me off without turning. I gesture for Jafar to get in back. “Get in, J. Tess will take us to my house and I’ll get you settled in. I’m afraid you’ll have to stay with me for a while. Your Dad was not approachable today when we retrieved your bag.”

“Ms. Connagher told me about it.” Jafar enters the passenger rear compartment. “I’m sorry my father nearly killed you.”

“I’m sorry he wasn’t sober enough to listen to reason. Your Mom has my lawyer’s number. She’ll get in touch with you when she can. I’ll give you a lift to school.”

“Is it okay if I drop you two off, John? I have work to do.”

“Sure, Tess. I’ll see you tonight after the fight. Dennis will probably drop off my new toys with you.”

“You fought last night, spent the rest of the night in jail, ran around all day today, nearly got us killed, and you’re still fighting tonight?”

“Gee, it doesn’t sound as exciting when you run them all off together like that. What can I say? I’m like the kid hitting himself in the head with a hammer. His Mom asks him why and he tells her because it feels so good when I stop.” I get a laugh out of the kid but Tess shoots me the ‘you’re such an idiot’ glare.

“I’ll be there then. You said this Rankin guy is dangerous?”

“He’s the real deal. Rankin ran into trouble on the Ultimate Fighting circuit. He never paid any attention to the rules. After his fourth disqualification they told him to take a hike.”

“Did he kill anyone?”

“No.” Here it comes.

“Well then he’s one up on you.”

“I didn’t break the rules. The ref didn’t stop the bout in time.”

“You killed someone in the ring, Sir?”

“Yeah, kid, but don’t make a big deal out of it. Choke holds are dangerous stuff. If the other guy doesn’t tap out in time, there’s always a danger the ref will be too late stopping it. I had the guy underneath me and the ref didn’t see he was out. I let him go when he went limp but it was too late.”

“Did he have a family?” Tess asks as she drives up in front of my place.

“He probably had ten brothers and sisters, Mom, Dad, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins… how the hell would I know?”

“Didn’t you care?”

I glanced over at Tess but she’s staring straight ahead so she misses my look of annoyance. I look back at the kid and he’s staring down at his shoes. “I didn’t kill him on purpose. These guys are professional mixed martial artists. They can kill with one strike. When you get the guy down, you don’t let him up. Rankin could take me out tonight and you can bet he won’t be asking around about my next of kin.”

Tess shrugs.

“That’s the spirit. C’mon kid, I’ll get you settled in. See you later, Tess.”