Hard Case VI: The Killer Inside (John Harding Book 6) (15 page)

“I waited for you because of the bad time I gave you about the Viking. Also, Crue sent me a text you may be aware of with description and picture of a new training torture device. It seemed so much worse than the actual fight, I decided to take your mind off Tuesday for a few moments.”

I plucked her from the couch and headed for the stairs. “Since we have been in the habit of taking my mind off things in this way every day, I’m suitably relieved of nasty training thoughts quite often, thank you very much.”

“Not like now, White Cheese. Al’s sound asleep, and we’re going to be imaginative.”

Interesting. “How imaginative do I get to be?”

“How does no limits sound?”

“Like I’m going to forget who I am by the time we sleep.”

* * *

I made pancakes for Al as a surprise since I needed to get my butt in gear after only a couple hours sleep. I had a couple cut and drenched in syrup the way she liked them by the time she stumbled down with Naji by her side. Tonto went with Lynn the night before. If it wasn’t for the Locos and Cory Davar I’d walk Naji along with us to school. We would soon be correcting the Davar problem.

“I’m sleeping in every day when we get out of school on Thursday,” Al stated. She dug right into her pancakes while I fed Naji. “These are good, Dark Lord. Why isn’t Mom awake? She has to be at the office today, right?”

“She’s going in a couple hours later. I’m taking any forwarded calls. I have to stop by the center anyway.”

Al nodded acceptance of my answer which was unusual. Any other time she would have launched into her ‘adults are hypocrites’ speech. “I wish we could walk with Naji today. The twins would love it.”

“We’ll be able to watch him another time. For now it’s too dangerous. Once we solve our Locos problem, I’ll borrow Tonto and Naji again and we’ll take them down to the Lake in the daytime. How are you in school for this last grading period?”

“Straight A’s I think. What do I get if it’s all A’s?”

“The thanks of a grateful set of parents?” I can sense the negotiations beginning. I’m going to get yelled at no matter how this turns out.

“I was thinking maybe a horse.”

“How about a new ‘Beeper’ album?” My unseen, but all too often heard, nemesis: Justin Bieber. “I heard you mention he had a new disc release imitating the clarion call of a castrated cat. I’ll throw in tickets to a new movie of your choice for you and any friends you want to take along, including eating anywhere on either side of the Bay. The pony express is not an option.”

“I could get that stuff just for cleaning my room.”

Spoiled brat. She’s right though. This is why I get yelled at by Lora. How do you pretend with a great kid like Al? I can’t play make believe that we’re poor. “Could I appeal to your maturity level, and remind you we can’t give you anything you want every time you do well. Sometimes couldn’t we all just be proud of your accomplishments?”

“Okay, Dad. I’ll settle for another ferry trip for me and some of my friends to kill zombies at the 7D.”

“Agreed, but only if I don’t have to go swimming.”

Al giggled. “Deal.”

“I’ll let Naji out back and then we’ll gather the twins for the ride to school. Take your time with those pancakes.”

I let Naji out the door into my sizeable backyard. I walked with him, breathing deeply of the cool breeze blowing in off the ocean. The gray overcast did nothing to dampen my spirits. The bullet that grazed the side of my head and knocked me on my ass ruined my morning mood though. I rolled with the Star Spangled Banner lights and sound exploding in my head. You’ve heard of the slight ringing sensation advertised on the radio describing the heartbreak of Tinnitus fixed by God knows what. I never understood what the hell they could do about it. This wasn’t it. The shots kept hitting. They were silenced rounds, but I kept scrambling toward the wall because it didn’t much matter. I also scanned for muzzle flashes with double vision, gradually merging as I moved. I spotted my shooter on the peak of a roof to my left where Lyon Avenue slants upward. Blood drenched the side of my neck and t-shirt. I made it inside the door, whistling for Naji. He, however had already decided something bad was happening. As I cleared the doorframe with bullets whizzing past me, Naji flew by me in a very impressive acrobatic leap. Showoff.

I knew one thing, the shooter was using probably a 7.65 caliber round. If he’d been using a .50, I’d be dead. I also noticed he had sight on both the front and rear of the house from his perch. It was a good nest because he had a shot at me in the front or the rear. I gambled he would not be jumping down from his perch so easily, and ran for my own weapon out of my lower safe-room: a silenced 9mm MP5. A minute later I was running a little dizzily to my back sliding glass doors, motioning for Naji who was pacing next to me to stay. I didn’t pause. I ran out the opening, turned, and fired a short burst at the figure who had just uncoupled himself from his straps holding him in place against a vent stack. My short burst stitched across his legs. He screamed out, lost his grip on the weapon he partially slung, and grabbed onto the vent stack. My next burst pulped his head. He tumbled in boneless type roll off the roof.

I ran for my back fence, cleared it, and ran for the back neighbor’s gate leading to Agua Vista Street. Hustling to my left through the front yard, I saw a blue metallic, cherry condition old Buick Riviera trying to start, but the driver couldn’t get it to fire. The driver spilled out of his door hoping to make a run for it, but I had already reached the car. I clubbed him to the pavement, pointing the MP5 at the inside of the Riviera. He was alone. I knew his buddy would not be joining us, but I’d leave him to be found by the neighbors. I had the guy I wanted. After I frisked him in a manner unlikely to miss even loose change, I stuffed him in the Buick’s trunk after ripping aside the woofers and speakers. I then floored the throttle, clearing the flooded condition in the old carbureted vehicle and started it. I drove it around to my house without any further problems. By then the blood had clotted finally, but I looked like night of the living dead I’m sure. I knocked on the front door.

“It’s me, Babe.”

The door opened with Lora holding her Sig Sauer 9mm. “Oh my God, John! What the hell happened?”

I entered quickly, and closed the door, fighting off my female housemates. “I’m good… I’m good. I have to call Gus and have him pick up Silvio. They need to take the Buick I captured with a bad guy in the trunk to Pain Central.”

“Is he the one that tried to kill you,” Lora asked as I slung my MP5, and strode into the kitchen for my phone.

“No. The shooter fell off the roof he was on.” I called Gus who answered on the second ring. I explained what I needed.

“On it. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks, brother.” Naji joined me going into the bathroom. I wet a towel with peroxide from our ‘users’ towels under the cabinet. God forbid I even stop a head wound from bleeding with a towel in reach of the sink. I glanced at my female retinue. “We have to act like normal, so keep getting ready for school, Al. I’ll clean and be ready to go by the time Gus gets here with Silvio. We’ll drive the twins to school as planned.”

“You only have half your head left,” Al told me in a hushed voice.

“That is what we call a gross overstatement of the facts, Al. You’ll see. It won’t take more than a couple of Bandaids.”

Lora stayed with me to see the truth of my statement. I wiped down the entire area, and then stripped off my shirt. I went to work on the blood with a freshly wetted section of the towel, returning to the head wound until it stopped bubbling. I inspected it in the mirror. I had a furrow about three inches long. I cut a gauze pad down to fit without showing much besides the adhesive tape to hold it. With Neosporin antiseptic layered on it, I stuck it on carefully. I stepped back to observe my handiwork. It wasn’t like before I let Naji out, but it was a hell of a lot better looking than when I came in the bathroom. Lora gripped my hand while observing the reflection with me.

“Not bad. A fraction of an inch inward and you would be dead,” Lora decided I needed the obvious retold to me.

“Thanks for the report. I have to check the backyard for obvious places where the potshots hit. The cops will be looking for his target, but I believe it will remain a mystery.”

She hugged me. “This morning was so wonderful. In the space of hours I nearly lost you forever.”

“Yet here we are, and good Lord do you feel good. I’ll be home tonight early, okay?”

“More than okay.” Lora backed away so I could complete my backyard once over.

As Naji followed me to the back, I could tell the dog sensed a strangeness. He could probably smell the adrenaline rush I polluted everything with from the back yard and into the house. Fear of death means nothing to me. Fear of a loved one dying because of me is a nightmare I face now each day. The realization before I cared about someone I was fearless meant little too. I do care for more people than I ever did. I couldn’t change that now. I could only embrace the fact, and kill as many people as necessary to remain a caring Cheeseburger. No actual sign of the shots could be found that I noticed with a cursory inspection. I could start shooting infrared beams at the roof where the sniper perched for the shots, but who cares. He was dead, and I had a live one probably beginning to make some noise in the trunk.

I took a hypodermic full of joy juice out to make sure our trunk guest stayed well behaved. Since I’m no dummy, I opened the trunk with every intention of zapping the shit out of him first, but he was barely groaning. I gave him his sleepy-time shot. When I closed the trunk, Gus arrived with Silvio. They immediately fell in love with the Buick Riviera.

“Oh my God, John,” Silvio pleaded comically while running a hand over the Buick trunk with almost reverence. “Please tell me this baby is joining the fleet.”

I acted as if I went into deep thought, stroking my chin with one hand while my head was tilted in a scholar like manner. “Let me see. The passenger in this car tried to kill me. He’s dead. The driver was driving my potential killer around town like his personal chauffeur. He’s in the trunk for a game of truth or consequences. I believe this car will be ownerless soon.”

“Yes!” Gus bumped fists with Silvio. “I believe in spite of the wound I see on your head, you have made the Mistress of the Unimaginable very happy with this new contestant in the game of truth or consequences. I know she’ll like the new game show name. We will see you soon then at the center?”

“Yep. As soon as I drop Al and her friends off at school, I’ll be over. Thanks for coming so quick. You’ll be driving the Buick inside. I gave the trunk inhabitant a knock out shot, so you can leave him in there until he comes to if you want. I’m sorry I had to tear around the sound equipment to deposit him inside though.”

“No problem,” Silvio said. “Give John the keys to the SUV. We’ll both ride in the Buick. I will let you drive too, Godfather.”

I took the keys from the happy Godfather Gus, and they drove away in their new car. Al and Lora came out to join me a moment later. There were no screams from the neighbors on Agua Vista yet, so maybe I could get the twins and Al to school before they noticed the extra occupant on their lawn in the back.

“Gather your minions, Al. I have the company vehicle for transport.”

Al bowed after coming to attention. “Yes, Dark Lord.”

She ran off before I could comment with Lora enjoying the exchange. “Will you be coming home DL?”

“I have to stop at Pain Central, babe. There are too many bodies to deal with. Crue will be putting in a full day. I can tell you that. Bottom line is wherever the shooter came from, we’re going to erase them from any future evil thoughts and actions. You stay inside the office, and pack your weapons. Jess and Dev will be in the office with you until we sort things out. I’ll be letting Earl and ‘Rique know we need extra police presence around the school. It would be impossible not to let them know what happened. The moment they hear about dead guys anywhere around my house, they’ll be looking at me. I need to get ahead of this with them so they can watch the school too.”

“I’ll keep her with me if you think this is dangerous for her at school.”

“I believe it will be dangerous everywhere but at school. They know where we live, and I’m certain they know where the office is. I wouldn’t blame you for staying home. You can have the calls forwarded. I don’t like they went the sniper routine. It means they have a healthy respect for us. They very likely will either move to bombs or flee the area. Do you want Jess to pick you up, or would you rather drive?”

“I’d rather drive, but I would like either Jess or Dev to be with me, and I’m leaving the metal shutter over the picture window down.”

“Good idea.” I leaned into her for a kiss only to have that cut short by Al and her minions, the Sparks twins, streaking toward us. “I will see you later.”

“I know you’ll be careful, John. I love you.”

I held onto her hand. She had dealt with a lot during the last few days, but such is life with the Cheeseburger. “I love you too. Load up, Al.” It was time to take back our place on the food chain.

* * *

After walking Al and the Sparks twins to their classes, I drove down to the corner of Penniman Avenue and 38
th
. I parked, waiting for Earl and ‘Rique. Earl confirmed my text for a meeting. They made it a few minutes later. I went to their patrol car and slid in the back. I gave them the sparse details about what had happened.