Absolute Beginners (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 10 - Finale)

“I’ve done the research, and found no trace of Sophie after a trip to Egypt in *his* company,” Ethan pointed at Kane glaring. “I also found that the last time she was seen, you were carrying her.” He glared at me. “It’s suspicious that you’re keeping company.”

“Let Tania go and I’ll tell you everything,” I said.

“I’m not getting near that hellcat,” he replied. He pointed at a set of scratches on his face, “She’s dangerous. She stays exactly where she is until we’re done.”

“Tania?” I said softly.

“It’s fine, Shrimp. I won’t leave without you.” I tried to think of a way to warn her that might not be an option.

“What do you know about your sister’s profession?” I asked.

Ethan puffed with pride. “She’d worked her way up to international sales rep, she’d been all over the world. She usually sends us a postcard from each place. The one from Egypt was her last.”

“When you met Mr Kane here, does he look like a sales rep?”

Ivy looked up at Kane, “Sophie told us the company usually sent along a bodyguard because some places could be rough for a woman. He’s obviously a failure.”

I sighed. I was going tell them truth but would they believe? “Sophie lied to you from first to last. She worked for a criminal organisation called The Family. She worked as an enforcer, an assassin.”

“Liar!”

“I worked for a rival group, The Company. Sophie’s nickname there was “The Eliminator” as she was suspected of killing a number of members.”

Kane cleared his throat. “She told me your death would make it an even dozen.” Ivy’s eyes grew wide as she processed that.

“I’d been sent to Egypt to sort out a problem for The Company. I contacted a few people and went back to camp. Accepted a drink made by Sophie and woke up trapped in the Great Pyramid. I was meant to die there. I managed to escape, and found out more about who set me up.”

“So, you and that traitor over there killed Sophie?”

“God no, Kane was Sophie’s muscle. I removed him before I went after Sophie.”

“Why is he alive?”

“I got him sent to prison. He wasn’t dangerous to me. When he got out, he’d have a new assignment. Sophie was the dangerous one. If she found out I survived her first attempt, she’d try again. As long as Sophie lived, I was in danger.” I paused to see if Ethan had anything to say.

“What was Sophie like to work with?” he asked Kane.

“Do you want an honest answer?” Kane replied.

“Of course,” said Ivy. I’d nearly forgotten she was there.

“Frankly, Sophie was a bitch. She was verbally abusive to all of her partners and no one worked with her twice. I hadn’t worked with her and that’s why I was sent to Egypt. I’d already told my superior that I was never working with her again. Getting called shit-for-brains all the time gets old. The prison was vile but it was almost worth it to be away from her.”

“Sophie had drugged a drink and given it to me. Once Kane was gone, I drugged her lunch before giving it to her. I took her back to the river near camp, put her on a wood raft and pushed it out into the water.”

“She might be alive in wilderness?” asked Ivy.

“The river is infested with large crocodiles and one of them flipped over the raft. She’s dead.” I stopped and looked directly at Ethan then at Ivy. “I am responsible for what happened. My wife only found out a few days ago and Kane was on his way to prison. Let them leave and you can do what you like to me.”

“Our sister killed 11 people?” asked Ivy. Kane nodded.

“How many have you killed, Mr Shrimpton?” asked Ethan.

I held up a single finger. “Just Sophie and only after she’d tried to kill me.”

“Ivy?” Ethan asked his sister.

“I’m still puzzled. Why is Mr Kane with you if he works for a different organisation?”

Kane replied. “I was kicked out of The Family after Sophie disappeared. I moved here, asked the local boss for a job. He told me to guard Mr Shrimpton.”

“The boss has a current manpower shortage and a terrible sense of humour. He’d think it was funny to give me a bodyguard who had once helped try kill me,” I said.

“You know,” said Kane to me, “I’m not going to leave. If I fail, I’ll never get another job. I’d be better off dead.”

“I won’t leave either. We leave here together Shrimp, or not at all,” declared Tania. It wasn’t what I expected but I could tell that Tania was determined.

I looked at Ethan. “So, here we are. You’ve heard my side of the story, you’ve also heard that my wife and my bodyguard aren’t leaving. This ends today. What’s it to be?”

“You’re not what we expected,” started Ivy. “You’re not pure evil.”

“Oh, I am evil. I’d happily cheat, steal or blackmail to get what I want or need. Murder is a last resort, though obviously…”

Ethan nodded at Tania, “You do inspire love.” He looked at Kane, “And loyalty, would you stayed for Sophie?”

“I can’t imagine Sophie rescuing anyone but Sophie. She’d never give the option like he has.” He looked toward me, “I’d work as his muscle again, if asked.”

“So, what was the point of all of this?” I asked.

“We wanted to know what happened to Sophie,” said Ethan slowly.

Ivy said, “We wanted to know why something happened to Sophie.”

“Our monster hunt led to you. You threaten us after we had threaten your family. You offer yourself to save others.”

Ivy points at Kane, “You tell us that Sophie was horrible to work with and killed eleven people. She really was a monster.”

“So what’s the next part of the plan?” I asked.

Ethan just shook his head.

“Amateurs,” said Kane.

Ethan looked a little annoyed by that. “I’m a professional accountant.”

“He has a point. You’re not a professional in our terms. They would have come, done the business and left,” I said.

“The business?”

“Assassination, Ethan. Our organisations don’t fuck around. Are you prepared to kill me?” I spread my arms and stood still. “Then make it quick.”

Ethan picked up a large knife and started toward me. Kane also moved, ready to block him. “Travis, no,” I said softly. “Trust me.” Kane’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then he nodded and stepped back.

I stood very still and waited. When the blade was nearly touching my throat, I said, “My daughter’s name is Lana. She is four and a half. She looks just like her mother. If I die today, she may have some vague memories of her daddy when she’s older. Toby is my son and he’s only two. He thinks anything his big sister can do, he can do. He can’t but he tries. He’s too young, he’ll never remember me. There are pictures and stories but he won’t remember his daddy.” I stared straight at Ethan. “If you do kill me, then you have to choose if you will kill both my wife and Kane. If you don’t, they are witnesses to your crime. If you do, you have the blood of three people on your hands. It’s difficult, which will you do?”

It took a very long minute before Ethan looked at Ivy and they both shook their heads. Ethan backed away, knife still in hand. “I thought I could for Sophie’s sake. But I can’t. You deserve it, he may deserve it but I just can’t.” He put the knife down.

“Not many people can,” I said.

“Will you kill us?” asked Ivy.

I picked up the knife and walked over to cut the ropes off my lovely wife still tied in a chair. “Tania, you have the biggest grievance. Should they die?”

Tania shook her head as she stood up. “They’ve done no real damage and I don’t approve of murder. Let them go.”

“You heard her. Go home, don’t come back. The next time our paths cross, you might not be this lucky.” They nodded and began packing their gear.

“Let’s go talk to Ted. I owe him a long explanation. And by now, he’ll need to be rescued from Lana,” I said.

“Rescued? From a four year old?” asked Kane as he started the car.

“Ginger adores Lana and she takes advantage of it,” I explained. Tania happily nestled against me. “Sweetheart, are you really all right?”

“Yes, just fine. Thank you for letting them go.”

I kissed her. “You said to.”

We arrived home and went next door. Tania collected the kids while I had a long chat with Ted.

“What the fucking hell was that shit?” he complained. “Dumping your children off and bolting without any explanation.”

“Our amateurs were Pesce’s siblings. They had Tania and had arranged a meet. They wanted revenge for Sophie but we convinced them to just leave town.”

“Too soft, Shrimp, you should have killed them.”

“Tania said not to. I’m sure they won’t try again.” I pointed at Kane standing to one side. “I was right about him after all.”

“You’d recommend him?”

I nodded. “Definitely. If I need muscle, I’d work with him again.”

Ginger walked up to Kane. “Good job on the first assignment. You can go home, tomorrow you’ll get your pay. You’ll be up for the next job, though I don’t know when that will be.” They shook hands and Kane left.

“I better go. Thanks for looking after the kids.”

“You know I’ll look after my godchildren when you ask,” replied Ted.

I nodded and headed for home. Where my family was safe and sound, at least for now.



—



“Tania,” I said. “There is no way I can promise this will never happen again unless…”

“Unless, Shrimp?” Tania stroked my cheek.

“If we move away, change our family name, never contact anyone in Twinbrook again. We would have to start over.”

“Do you think that would really work?”

“It should, if we live quietly. Be like everyone else,” I replied. “If we stay here, this might happen again.”

“We’d have to leave behind everything?” Tania asked. I nodded. “You’d be good for the rest of your days? No schemes, no plots?”

“I’d have to, for you, for the kids.”

“Where would we go?”

“I dunno. Open a map and point? If we end up in Sunset Valley, you could met my family, become part of the family clan. Remember though, no contacts with anyone from here.”

“I have to think…”

Thursday's Child (Jerod's Fourth Tale Part 9)

I threw some cash on the table, and headed outside with my phone. I walked a bit away from the building while waiting for the reply.

“Shrimp?” I expected Tania to be near tears, but her inner bitch was in control. She sounded angry. “Don’t forget that you promised toys for the children.” So the kids were hiding, I wondered when someone could go and get them. It would have to be soon, Toby might wander anywhere.

“Sweetheart, are you all right?” I asked.

“Yes, dear, I’m fine. Just a bit tied up at the moment. Don’t worry about me.”

I nearly laughed at that. Of course I was worried about her. They were after me, not Tania and I’d rather die than have her hurt. While that is usually a figure of speech, it seemed likely to be literal all too soon.

The unknown male voice was back. “Right, Mr Shrimpton. TV shows suggest that this is when I tell you not to involve the police but I doubt you would.”

“Damn straight, I won’t tell the cops,” I replied. “My associates, on the other hand, already know that there is something up.”

“Dang and drat.” Dang? Who the fuck says dang? “Still, come unarmed and alone to 15 Bayfront Road.” There was a pause. “Actually bring your goon. Just be warned, if I get nervous, your wife gets it.”

“Now?”

“In about half an hour, at 3 o’clock. Ivy should be back from looking for your kids by then.”

Fuck no. No fucking way. “You had better ring Ivy and tell her to stop hunting my children. Because I’m on my way there and if she is there, I will be hunting her. And I won’t be gentle if I find her,” I growled into my phone. “Whatever it is you want, I’ll be more cooperative if my children are left alone. Understood?” They had Tania but Lana and Toby were off limits.

“We have your wife. You hurt Ivy and you may not have a wife.”

“Are you listening to me at all? I said I’d hunt Ivy if she continued to hunt my children. If she stops, I’ll walk unarmed where ever you like. Hurt Tania or my children, you are a dead man. I will kill you myself, even if I have to come back from the grave to do it. You and Ivy.” I took a deep breath then exhaled. “You have 5 minutes. If I find her when I get there, she will get hurt.”

“Your wife counts for nothing?” he asked.

“Tell her what you’ve told me and she’d agree. The children are a priority. Do you understand?” I was still virtually growling. “Last warning, call Ivy off. I’ll be Bayfront at 3.” I savagely hit the hangup button.

I looked around for Kane. He was standing a few feet back, maybe for my privacy or to be out of my way if I lost it. “We are hitting the road. Now. Hollowlog Springs is the first stop.”

He nodded and started the car. I got in and we were off.

“Is this where your family was hiding?” he asked.

“Yes, and you would have gathered that they have my wife and are threatening to grab the kids. Do *anything* you have to if there is a child being taken out of this park. Clear?”

“Absolutely. You were very intense on the phone.”

I nodded, “This situation is going very bad. You want to bail?”

“I’m still in, I don’t quit when things get tough. What was that about Bayfront?”

“Before he mentioned the kids, he set up a meet at 15 Bayfront. He said I should bring my goon, so you are supposed to be there. No weapons, you do any martial arts?”

“A little but I’m more a boxer. I throw a mean punch.” He slowed the car as we pulled into the small turnoff for the park. I was pleased that there were no cars.

I got out and looked around. No sign of the kids but Lana was a genius at hide and seek. “Chook, chook, come home to roost,” I shouted. No response and I had a panic moment. I walked much further in while Kane stayed near the car. “Chook, chook, come home to roost!” I shouted again.

This time I heard rustling in the vegetation and Lana popped into view. “Daddy, daddy!” she shrieked as she ran toward me.

I picked her up and hugged her. A few moments later then Toby appeared. He still preferred crawling so it took him a little longer to get anywhere. I grabbed him and hurried back to the car. “Let’s roll. Marta’s house, I hope either she or Ted happens to be home.”

We arrived 10 minutes later. I knocked on the door. Fortunately, Ted was home and answered the door.

“Take care of your godchildren. I’ll either be back in a couple of hours to explain or never return.” He raised an eyebrow but I didn’t give him a chance to ask a question. I handed Toby to him, made sure that Lana was out of the car and left.

“Dude, under normal circumstances, I’d be telling you to chill. But,” he glanced over at me then back at the road, “I guess not until this is done.”

“You got that right. I think that dude watches too much TV and too many movies. He sounds like he’s straight from some cheesy detective show.” I still hadn’t a clue what he wanted, fuck I hated going in blind. My phone chirped at me, I saw it was Ted and diverted the call to voice mail. It wasn’t a nice thing to do to a friend but when I did have a chance to catch up, he’d understand. “If you see an opportunity to get my wife out, do it. Doesn’t matter what’s happening to me, just get her safe.”

“Boss, I don’t like it. I’m your bodyguard, not hers.”

I sighed. “I don’t like it either but Tania doesn’t deserve this. Her survival is more important than mine. You call me boss, those are your orders.”

The address did turn out to be in the swampy section of town. Well, I would have looked here eventually. Especially since the shack was on Ted’s list. We arrived, I checked my watch and found it was 3. We stepped up to the rickety ancient building and I cautiously knocked on the door.

“Come in, hands up in the air,” called a light female voice.

“Shrimp, no. It’s a trap,” shouted Tania.

“Of course it is, sweetheart,” I replied. “That won’t stop me from walking in so you can walk out.”

I walked in slowly, hands held high. As I entered, I did my best to assess the situation. Tania was tied to a chair, a quite young woman standing near her. The man I’d been talking to was waiting not too far inside. He patted me down, but frankly, if I had a small weapon, he’d never have found it. He gave Kane the same treatment, Kane looked vaguely disgusted by it. I would have recognised either of them from the sketches Kane did - was that just yesterday?

“Lana and Toby?” asked Tania.

“Safely with their godfather,” I replied. She nodded, relief plain on her face. “Bad luck?”

She sighed. “Lana found a new toy. She got in the car and blew the horn while I was busy with Toby. I heard a car approaching and sent the kids to hide. That’s when they got me.”

I turned my attention to the others and spent a few seconds deciding how to play this. They were nervous and very likely to be twitchy. Much as I wanted to vent, I decided that quiet reasoning would serve better. “You know my name already, and you’ve met my associate here, Travis Kane,” Kane nodded toward them. “I assume that is Ivy but I don’t know your name,” I said to the guy, “or why you are so interested in me. Though I do have a theory about that. Would you enlighten me?”

“I’m Ethan Pesce and Ivy is my little sister. We want to know exactly what happened to my twin sister, Sophie.”

Dead Man Walking (Jerod's Fourth Tale Part 8)

I woke to being poked in the shoulder. “Yo, boss, your watch.”

“Huh,” I blinked. After a moment, “What fucking time do you call this?”

“Two am, boss.” I blinked again and Kane came into focus. “I assume you’ll want an early start so wake me at 6.”

“Give me a minute, I’ll find fresh sheets,” I pulled myself reluctantly out of bed.

He shook his head. “No thanks, sleeping in your bed is too weird for me. I’ll just doss on the couch. Don’t go outside, don’t do anything stupid and don’t get yourself killed in the next few hours, ‘k boss?” He headed out of the room.

I pulled some clothes on, then tried to decide how to spend the next 4 hours. I finally walked out of the bedroom, picked up the laptop and went back in. Kane was already asleep and snoring.

I checked email, put in a few bids in online auctions and then went to SimBook. A couple of hours past easily as I went looking through albums from my friends, checked some recommended links, and played truly mindless stupid games.

It was about 5:30 when my laptop flickered as it changed from the power supply to batteries. I closed the laptop and left the room. Light was flooding in the windows, in spite of the hour. I heard Kane stir as I walked past to look out the window.

The light was coming from some emergency flood lights mounted around Marta’s house. I assume Ted didn’t like being left in the dark last time and enough light angled toward my place that my front was fairly well lit.

“S’up, boss?” asked Kane rubbing his eyes.

“Our amateurs cut the power for the second time this week but next door has installed emergency lights. So they don’t have the cover of darkness this time.”

“For fucking god’s sake, get back from that window. Suppose they start shooting?”

I moved back a few paces. “I wish they would. That I can understand.”

He shook his head. “I’d just as soon they didn’t. Harder to guard against.”

My cell rang. “Yes, Ted, we are awake.” “No, we haven’t seen anything.” “I don’t think my body guard would appreciate it if I wandered outside to see if anything was happening. He’s already ordered me back from the windows once.” “No, I’m not going to tell him to go look either. I’m pretty sure that your lights would have ruined their plans. We’ll have a look around before we go and pick up the list you promised me.” “Around seven thirty, give or take a little.”

I turned to Kane. “If you think you can sleep more, I’ll wake you around 7.”

He nodded, “Worth a shot for more shut eye. I don’t think the amateurs will do anything now. Wake me if anything suspicious happens, right?”

“All right.” I watched as he settled back on the couch. I went and grabbed the laptop again. I kept busy until nearly 7. At that point, I went into the kitchen area and starting making pancakes. I didn’t have to wake Kane, the aroma of the pancakes woke him.

“Breakfast? You cook?”

“Cook, clean, and take care of the kids.” I laughed. “I have my faults but caring my for family isn’t one of them. Pancakes, coffee and juice, take what you need to get you through the morning.” He nodded, then grabbed a plate and a cup. We ate quietly. Tania rang me at precisely 10 past 7. No news of note, for which I was thankful. News, in this case, simply couldn’t be good.

“Time to go pick up the list. I’m sure Ted’s finished with it by now.”

“Let me go start the car.”

“No need, Ted’s just over there.” I nodded in the general direction of the house next door.

“I thought you said Marta lived there?”

“Marta took Ted in after his leg was broken. I don’t know if they have a relationship beyond being friends but that’s not my business. They are both friends of mine and good people as long as you aren’t their target.” I shrugged at Kane. “Probably true about a lot of people in the profession.” It seemed true about Kane, thankfully.

We walked next door and Ted gave me his printout. “I’ve organised the list by their map locations.” He spread a map on the table, each location circled in red. “I’ve done a complete list but it seems unlikely they’re in one of the houses in town. The odds of a neighbour noticing something would be very high. We are very nosey around here.”

I studied the map. There were more red circles on it than I would have believed given the size of town. Then again, a lot of people left when they finished school, hoping for a better life somewhere bigger. “Thanks Ted, I knew I could rely on you.”

“You better be fucking careful. Your family needs you.” Ted glanced over at Kane but made no comment. We had survived the night and were still in each other’s company. That alone said a lot.

I circled part of the map with my finger. “We should start with these as they are closest to the house, quick to get here. If that proves fruitless, we can search the lots over here,” I circled another area, “in the direction of the amphitheatre. If that doesn’t work out, we can search on the other side of the river. I hope to hell that’s not where they are, there is a lot of swamp and hiding would be simple. It would take a week to do a half decent search.” Kane and Ginger nodded.

Kane pointed at the map, “You’ve left out this bit.”

“True, but that’s our wealthy section of town. It’s hard to imagine that people could camp out there without being noticed and having the police summoned.” I looked at Kane then Ginger. “We can look but it doesn’t seem worth it.”

They nodded and I gathered up the map and list. “Later, Ted.” He just waved vaguely as we left.

As we walked toward my car, Kane said, “I’m not really sure about this plan. If they are following us, it won’t take long for them to work out what we are up to.”

“I don’t know. It seems as though they mostly watch the house for opportunities to do something annoying. Us being out of the way may just suit them.” I looked back at our modest home. “Besides, right now, I can’t stand being there. I need to be doing something.”

“Right, boss,” he said as he shrugged at me.

Taking the car only turned out to be moderately useful. We parked a safe distance away from each target and walked the rest of the way each time. Which meant we did nearly as much walking as we would have without a car.

At each location, we’d check for signs of recent activity. Mostly looking for if there had been a car around and if it looked anything around had been used. Three out of four places we checked had no sign anyone had been there for months. The fourth would have tyre marks or enough of a path to warrant a closer look. But none looked currently occupied.

It was both a tense and tedious activity. Tense as you approached a vacant house, lot or park - not sure of what you might find. Tedious as you check the area, slowly and carefully. After finishing each one, I’d tick the location off Ted’s list.

We had just looked at the eighth location for the day and were returning to the car when Kane coughed quietly. “Boss, can we have a break?” he asked.

I was about to say no when I glanced at my watch. It was already 1:45 and we’d not stopped for even a short break yet today. My feet hurt and I was hungry. “Yeah, we’ll have lunch and give our feet a rest. I hadn’t realised it was this late already. You hungry?”

“Yes, boss, but if you want to keep going I will.”

I shook my head. “Why the fucking hell wouldn’t Sophie cut you a break? You seem like an ideal partner. Yet I saw her rip into you several times in just a few hours. I actually thought you were going to hit her at one point.”

“I wanted to tear her into pieces but that’s not what I was paid to do. It was tempting though.”

We drove over to the local diner. Kane ordered their largest steak. I had grilled chicken. The food at the diner wasn’t the best but it would do.

We were nearly finished when my phone rang. I glanced at the display as I opened it up. “Tania? Something wrong?”

“So, the hellcat does have a name,” replied a male voice. “I assume you want your wife back, Mr Shrimpton, in one piece and not several. If you do, you will listen very carefully to what I tell you to do.”

My heart started racing. They had Tania. He hadn’t mentioned the toddlers but I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign. “If you hurt her, you are a dead man.” Kane’s focus snapped to me, his eyes wide. “Let me talk to her.” Fucking shit, this was not part of my plan.

Ashes to Ashes (Jerod's Fourth Tale Part 7)

We walked along a little used path that went behind the homes on my street. “Not bad,” said Kane. “I’ll have to remember this.”

“Twinbrook has a lot of small paths away from the roads. It’s useful to explore, wander around the back ways. But don’t wear good shoes.”

“Why not?”

“There are a lot of small boggy patches around, and some of the paths just go through them. I was walking along fast one afternoon and went into a bog. One foot got wet, and the next step, I tripped over a tree root. Face first into the muck.”

“Dude, seriously?”

“Yep, and getting wet wasn’t the worst of it. The water stank. I swear it took three days and god knows how many showers before I knew I didn’t smell like swamp.” I laughed and Kane joined in. It wasn’t funny at all at the time but it’s hilarious now.

“Anything you care to tell about the locals in The Company?”

“I’m not really up to date with the crew. Marta Tomasi leads the thieves. Ted Ginger organises the other operations. They both run the important stuff in other towns, so the cops don’t see much crime here. Just enough petty crimes that it’s not entirely quiet but nothing big. You’ll be part of Ginger’s crew. Don’t screw him over, he is a bastard. Follow orders and you’ll get a fair share. He’s a demon on the computer, if it’s anywhere online, he can get it.”

“That’s it?”

“Ted’s more than a bit paranoid about someone trying to take over his position. His limp is from the last try. Don’t give him any reason to think you might be ambitious or hanging out with someone ambitious.”

“Sounds fair.” We arrived at Red Rendezvous and stopped in the small entryway. “You wait here. If I’m not back in a minute, it’s safe for you to come in.”

I shrugged. Kane was doing his job and I couldn’t fault him for that. Though even amateurs should know better than taking someone out at one of the neighbourhood bars. There would be witnesses. I waited, doing my best to look like I was waiting to meet up with someone. I let a couple of minutes go by before I wandered in. I walked to the bar, straight past Kane who was sitting at a dimly lit table facing the door. The drink in front of him looked like a soft drink.

“Hey, Trey, I need a drink.” The bartender started pouring me my favourite brew then brought me the mug.

“Tania was by, I tried to get her to played a few numbers. She didn’t though. We need to set up a gig, been too long since her guitar brightened up the joint.”

I nodded. “I’m supposed to fly to China next week, but maybe the week after? I think we might be able to set up something then.” Assuming that all goes well. He handed me my drink and I nodded my thanks.

I drank the first quickly then called for a second. Trey brought me another and this one I sipped slowly.

I started with the positives. At least I had a bit more knowledge and some professional backup. But I still didn’t know enough about the enemy motives or their ultimate goal. They knew some things about me, but how much?

Fucking damn it. I can’t make a proper plan with so little to go on. I finished the brew and called for another.

“One more and I’m going to have to take your keys,” warned Trey.

“Don’t worry, there’s someone here who can drive me home if I’ve had too much,” I replied. “He won’t mind.”

As I sipped at the mug, I realised part of my problem was that I hadn’t a clue where I could find them or how I could contact them. I’ve never had that as a problem before. How to contact them was going to stay a mystery until they told me. But where to find them was something I could work on. There were several vacant properties around and a number of parks big enough to camp in.

Oh my fucking god, I hadn’t thought of that before. That they might be camping, suppose they were using the same park as Tania and the kids? I reminded myself that I’d called them earlier and all was fine. They weren’t after my family, they wanted me. I just had to be sure they could find me. Better though would be if I found them.

I pulled out my cell. “Hey Ted? Could you print me a list of all the vacant homes in town?” “Yeah, but if you wanted to stay in a town for a few days, would there be a better place?” “Well, yeah. That’s actually what I think Kane and I will be doing tomorrow. Checking to see if anyone is camping in either a park or a vacant house.” “So far, he’s fine. I don’t think he’s planning on murdering me in my sleep but if I don’t pick up the list tomorrow…” “Seriously, he still seems very sincere.” “Hey, I learnt to trust you, didn’t I? Eventually.” I hung up after a promise to have the list of vacant homes by early tomorrow.

The only other possibility that I could see was that they were staying with someone in town. That seemed remote but why not ask a bit? “Hey Trey?”

“I warned you, another drink and I need your keys.”

“Nah, I’m good. Just wondered what the gossip around town was. You heard anything good?”

So for the next ten minutes, I heard an earful about who is definitely cheating, who is suspected of cheating, who has been promoted recently and other local gossip. I made the appropriate noises as Trey told me the various things.

“Anyone new in town?”

“Actually, there’s a dude sitting over there, he’s pretty new. I hear he married one of the Greenwood girls,” Trey nodded toward Kane and I glanced that direction.

“Big dude, wouldn’t want to make him angry, would you?” I commented as I turned back.

“You got that right. Mind you, making people angry is bad for business so I try not to.” Someone further down the bar called for a refill and Trey went to serve them. I dropped a decent handful of coins on the counter and slowly ambled outside holding my car keys loosely in one hand.

“Which car,” said Kane softly as he snagged the keys while walking past.

“Blue one, just across the street.”

“Wait till I’ve started it, then get in.” He moved quickly while I ambled on. The only reason he’d want to start the car without me would be…fucking hell, that’s insane. The only reason I can think of is car bomb and he’s just taking that risk.

Or maybe he’s being devious? Back in the day, I would have assumed any ‘threat’ Ted found was one he had created. Well, my gut still tells me that Kane is playing it straight. He’d started the car, so I popped into the passenger seat.

“Dude, what you just did. Would you classify that as brave, thorough or just plain dumb?”

“If those are the only allowed options, then thorough. I’m supposed to be keeping you breathing. So I will do what I have to.” He glanced over at me as we drove up the street. “Any conclusions from the thinking?”

“Tomorrow, we are going to hunt around very cautiously and see if we can find their base of operations. There are some vacant houses and several parks that have facilities for camping.”

“I like the word cautiously,” he pulled the car up outside the house. He got out and went inside. He was back in a minute. “As far as I can tell, it is safe but…”

I found out the ‘but’ the moment I entered. My house stank, something partly decomposed and partly burnt. It didn’t take long to find the source. There was a still smouldering pile of rotting fruit and veg just outside of the back door. I found the shovel Tania used for the garden and buried the pile at the corner of the yard. Kane stayed inside, opening all the window to let fresh air in.

“See what I mean? Minor harassment. Annoying as all shit but not actually painful in any way.”

“I hate fucking amateurs,” he growled. “Give me a pro any day.”

“So, if we search for the culprits tomorrow, we need sleep tonight. Do you want to sleep now or later?”

He looked me over. “You sleep now. I don’t like the odds of you waking me up for my turn. And you going without sleep for a day is not going to help anyone.”

He was probably right about that. My mind kept going in circles and I might not wake him under the general theory that at least one of us was sleeping. “I’ll try but it’s probably not going to work.”

“You mean to tell me that you don’t have some sort of sleeping pill, knockout drop or anything else around here? You shock me, boss.”

I had to smile. “You know, there’s a good chance I could find something like that. Just never anticipated using it on myself.” I took a couple of pills and hit the hay. What does it say about my life that I’m going to sleep when I know damned well the only other person around was involved in an attempt to kill me?

Life on Mars (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 6)

It didn’t take long to buy the replacement cameras. I found what I needed, paid and walked toward Kane. He nodded as I past, then started walking behind and off to one side. When we were close to the car, Kane moved faster so he could open the door. He casually glanced in but since Ted had never left the car, it wasn’t much of a look. He held the door for me again, then climbed in beside Ted.

“Aren’t you so posh now that you have hired help?” Ted asked laughing slightly.

“None of that backtalk, just drive home, Jeeves,” I replied with my best posh accent. Ted flipped me the bird and set off for home. I leaned back against the seat. There was so little point in worrying about the future just now.

A few minutes later and Ted was pulling up outside my house.

“Locked it?” asked Kane.

“Yep, I always do,” I replied.

“Keys then. Let me check before you go in.”

“Kane, these are obviously amateurs. What do you expect to find?”

He gave me a strange look. “I don’t know. They are fucking amateurs. Professionals, we’d have some idea of what they might do. The two I saw, who the fucking hell knows what they might do?”

He grabbed the keys and disappeared into the house. A minute later, he motioned for me to come in.

“Where’s the family?” he asked as I came in.

I shook my head. “Not your business. I’ve moved them out for the time being. They are hiding. They should be safe.”

Kane nodded. “Fair enough. It will be hard enough for me to keep you safe. Add in more people and the job would be impossible.” He suddenly looked at the ground. “I appreciate you giving me this shot. I know it can’t be easy for you, given Egypt. I really do want to stay in this town and staying here means coming to terms with The Company.”

“Assuming I survive, I’ll make sure that The Company does right by you. If I don’t, well, that’s no longer my problem.” I pointed at him. “If you fail, you will have to deal with my widow, children and their godfather who happens to be Ginger. I suspect they will be very peeved.”

“Seriously dude, I will do what I can. If I’m the only bodyguard, there will be times when I’m asleep and you have no protection.”

“I should be able to protect myself when I’m awake. But Ginger is right, I will need sleep. I will need to eat. And there’s no telling how long they plan to just do small stuff.”

“Small stuff? What have they done so far?” Kane pulled a small pad of paper and a pencil out of a pocket. He started scribbling quickly on the pad. I told him about the note, the paint, and the broken easel. He stopped scribbling on one page and flipped to another.

“Fucking amateurs, I hate them,” he growled. “Why send you a fucking note to let you know someone hates your guts? What’s the fucking point about that easel?”

“The heads up was useful from my point of view. I don’t know why they want me to stew over their threats but at least I knew something was coming. But why bother with all this harassment? Painting the house might get the attention of the neighbours, I will grant you. I don’t think anyone noticed besides my poor wife and next door who happen to be Company too.”

Kane stopped scribbling and flipped back to the previous page in the notebook. He then tossed it at me. “They are really rough but those are the two that asked me about Pesce.”

The first picture was a male, youngish but not too young. The second was a younger looking female. “Not bad work. You have some talent in drawing.” I flipped back and forth between the pages, memorising the two faces.

“No fucking talent, just a lot of fucking practice. My mother was an artist and demanded we do a certain amount of it every damned day. By the time I left home for good, I’d done one fucking hell of a lot of drawing.” He shrugged, “It does come in useful from time to time.”

“I appreciate this,” I said tapping on the notebook. “Now I have a clue who to look for.”

“That should actually be completely unnecessary. I have seen them after all,” he replied. “So, could you tell me how the fucking hell you got out of that pyramid? Sophie had me drag this big arse statue to block the door. I don’t see how you managed to move it.”

“I didn’t go out that way. It was the Great Pyramid, damn thing is riddled with hidden doors, secret passages and traps. Oh my fucking god, does it have traps.” I shuddered at the memory. “The room you left me in had concealed door which I eventually found. It took me two damn days to find a fucking way out. I nearly died of thirst and from springing a couple of traps. So that plan had very nearly worked. I’ve been a lot more cautious when I travel since that.”

“You definitely do not want to end up in prison in Egypt. That was the most disgusting fucking place I’ve ever been.”

“I don’t plan on prison ever. I’m not officially a member of The Company. Around here, I’m a legit business man, specialising in importing foreign goods. When I’m overseas, my contacts may not be quite as legitimate. So I’m a bit more flexible about how to get things done. But I am always careful.”

“How can you not be Company? Like, isn’t that Ginger dude the local head?”

“Yes, and he took over that position when I quit. My business has ties to Company, but they’d be hard to trace. Ginger makes certain of that.”

“Why the fucking hell would you quit?”

“Believe it or not, to avoid shit like this. I thought once I quit The Company, I wouldn’t have to spend my life watching my back. Then Pesce makes it necessary for me to go to Egypt to straighten things out. I get back and get an offer that I couldn’t turn down.” I sighed. “Now my family is in hiding and I’m waiting to find out who exactly is responsible for this.”

I looked at my watch and found it was time to ring Tania. Damn, I forgot to remind her to leave the phone on vibrate. I punched the button to speed dial her and walked into our bedroom shutting the door behind me.

“Hey Sweetheart. Everything going okay?” I listen to Tania explain how hard it was to settle the kids once the tent was set up. “I wish I could help. Hell, I wish that all of you were home. I’m sure that the kids will adjust soon.” She sighed then asked me about how I was coping. “No, don’t worry about me. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself. Ted is lending me a guy as a body guard so all should be well.” “I miss you so much. You ring me tomorrow morning 10 past 7. All right?” She agreed. “Love and kisses to you and the kids. Be careful.” Then we hung up.

I came out of the bedroom to find that Kane was on the phone. From the sounds of it, he was talking to Jade. I went back into the bedroom, leaving the door slightly open. I waited until all was quiet before I came back out.

“Kane, time to head to the Red Rendezvous. I need a drink.” He shot me a look. “Hey, I think best with a drink. Or walking around which would be even riskier than the pub.”

He nodded. “Right, fine. How the hell do we fucking get there?”

“My car should be parked outside the joint. We’ll have to walk there, unless you want to do the cab thing?”

He sighed loudly, “You are fucking determined not to make this easy for me, aren’t you?”

“Look, honestly, I’ll try not to make it that hard. But I need to think. My first plan didn’t include the possibility of having someone else around. And you would really hate that one.”

“Why?”

“The plan was approximately, ‘Neh, neh, you can’t catch me.’ Really deliberately try and draw the opposition into action. Making damn sure that they went after me and didn’t go looking for my family.”

“A quiet drink at the pub does sound better,” said Kane. “But can’t you get a drink here?”

“Without my family, it’s too quiet. I need some buzz to distract me. Just one other person won’t do.”

He shrugged and started to head for the front door. I shook my head, “Let’s not make it that easy for them. I know a back way.”

Slow Burn (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 5)

There was a car horn. I looked out the window to see Ted in his car, he waved to me and motioned that I should get in. I cautiously opened the door, walked past the wreckage of my easel and climbed into the car.

“Got a call from someone wanting to join the company. I was thinking that you might need some distraction.” He grinned at me. “And I’ve found Kane.” His eyes flickered to what was left of my easel and painting but he didn’t mention the obvious.

“You’re right about needing a distraction. Fucking oath, a few days of this and they won’t have to do anything more. I’ll be stark raving mad.” I settled into the seat. “So, you found Kane already? You are a freaking wizard, how did you find him that fast?”

“I have my ways.”

We sat in silence until Ted pulled into a long driveway. “This is the place that Jade chick lives. She was the one who gave us the clue where to look for you.”

“Jade just married. It’s her new husband that we are here to see. Jade isn’t home but he should be.” Ted told me as we climbed out of the car.

Ted walked up to the door and rang the bell. I was a few paces behind when the door opened. I realised who the fucking hell it was about the time he noticed me.

“You?” we both said at the same time. It was Travis “Dread” Kane standing right there. Fucking shit, how long as he been living in town?

Kane looked at me then at Ted and sighed. “Look, could you do this some place other than Jade’s house. She doesn’t need to find the body when she gets home.”

“Body?” Ted asked.

His gaze went from Ted back to me. “I assume you are here to kill me.”

“I am here to assess you as a potential employee of The Company. Jerod is here to ask you a few questions. You’d have to have some really bad answers to end up dead.” He paused until Kane nodded. “Now, why are you here looking for a job?”

“Well,” he said. “I failed my last assignment. I ended up in prison and my partner disappeared. The Family bribed a few prison guards to get me out, then paid my tickets back. I was given no new work at all, they ignore me for weeks. Then finally they contacted me to tell me to leave Family territory within the next two weeks. Well, I vaguely remembered that Sophie was targeting supplies that were meant to ship here. That meant it was a Company town.”

“So you moved here?” asked Ted.

“Yeah, and then I met Jade. We dated a couple of times, then I asked her to marry me. So now I have a lovely wife and no income. That’s how I came to find you, this is the only job I really know. I’m usually damn good at it too.”

Ted nodded and took a step back. He’d probably already looked into Kane’s records enough to know how good he was at the job. I stepped forward.

“Before you say anything, dude, that stuff with the pyramid? That wasn’t my idea and it was strictly business,” Kane told me. I nodded. That would have been Pesce’s idea and Kane just did the heavy lifting.

“Right, and the extra strong drink served by a 15 year old who happens to look 19 was also just business,” I replied. “Though you stepped into that trap on your own.”

“You set that up?” I nodded. “Yeah, I wasn’t nearly cautious enough. I thought we were home free,” he grimaced. We stared at each other for a minute. He broke first. “You had a question?”

“Has anyone asked you about Sophie Pesce recently? Someone who isn’t in the business?”

He frowned in thought. “Yeah, two people did. Guy and girl came by my old place while I was packing up. Asked a bunch of questions about that trip and when I last saw Sophie.”

“Did my name come up? Did you ask their names?”

“Yeah I told them your name, but I didn’t tell them you were alive. Fucking hell, I didn’t even think you might be alive. I thought you’d bought it in the pyramid. Don’t know their names, they didn’t say.”

So, Kane knows two people who were asking about Pesce. No names and he didn’t tell them I survived but a trip to Egypt with enough cash and they’d find out. They asked the right people in that tiny town, I was seen on the day she died taking someone back to camp. So who gave a damn about that bitch?

“Is that it for your questions?” I nodded. “So Shrimp, if you were still boss of this outfit, would you give him a job?” Ted looked at me. “You have better instincts about people.”

I looked at Kane and thought about that Egypt trip. How he behaved even when being provoked by Pesce. “No booze, no women when you are working, right?” I asked him.

He nodded. “I learnt that one. Definitely no booze when on the job, that’s for when I’m off work. As for other women? Don’t need that now.”

I had been watching his face, his body language and he was coming across as sincere. “Yeah, Ginger, I’d hire him. Good muscle can be hard to come by.”

“Right, so your first assignment in The Company is to be his body guard,” Ted told Kane pointing at me.

“Ginger, you have got to fucking be kidding!” I shouted. I wasn’t ready to trust him that far.

“Shrimp, you are going to need someone to watch your back. Most of my crew are on a heist a few towns over. Marta would but she’s sure that Crooks knocked her up and she’s not well. I have a ton of things I have to do, including watching Marta’s little girl. And you just said you would hire him.”

Ted had a point. If there were two of them, they just could wait me out. Eventually I was going to drop my guard, I couldn’t stay alert 24/7. I looked at Kane who was very calmly watching me. “You’ll back me up, whatever I ask for?”

“You want a clever plan, don’t look at me. You want someone to make it happen, tell me what to do,” he said. “I know I’m the muscle, that’s what I’m good at.”

I sighed. Not an ideal backup but if that’s all Ginger has to offer, then I really had no choice. “All right. He’s right, I need someone to watch my back. Don’t fail me.”

“If he fails, I’ll tie him up and leave him as a present for your bitch. We’ll send the bigger pieces back to Jade for burial,” said Ted with a wicked smile.

That was an interesting idea. I wonder what Tania would do if faced with that? Certainly not carve Kane into pieces, I don’t think she’d ever walk that far on the dark side. “You better leave a message for Jade. Until this is over, you’ll have to stick with me.”

Kane nodded and sat down with a bit of paper. He scribbled a few words, crossed them out, wrote down more words, then scrunched up the paper. He grabbed a new piece of paper and tried again. That one suffered the fate of the first and finally on his third piece of paper, he must have found something to write that he liked. “I said I’ll call later tonight. That is okay, right?”

“Sure, that will be fine.” Not like someone was after them, he could call as much as he liked. I really hate that I have to keep away from my family.

“Where to now?” asked Ted. “Company headquarters, your place, somewhere else?”

“Electronics store then my place. I have to replace my cameras, they’ve been destroyed. I’d really like to catch this pair on camera, see who I’m dealing with.”

“I know what they look like,” Kane pointed out.

True enough, he’s seen them. “Let me know if you spot them, Kane. So if we are going to be working together, what do you prefer to be called?”

“Sophie loved calling me shit-for-brains, though sometimes it was idiot, moron or imbecile. Even ‘oy, you’ would be a nice change. So whatever, boss.”

“Right, for the moment, Kane it is. Let’s get moving.”

Ted led the way to the car. I was about to get in when Kane made a stay hand gesture. I stopped. He opened the back door, double checked the inside of the car then held it open for me. When we arrived at the shop, he got out first, looked around then opened my door. He led the way to the shop, then blocked me from coming in until he’d had a chance to look.

Conclusions, he was taking it seriously and he knew what he was doing. Both of those things were reassuring.

Without You (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 4)

“Tania, you are brilliant. Dump that loser and marry me,” said Ted.

“Sorry, Ginger, mine all mine. Brilliant and beautiful. And Tania, if someone steals the bag, I’ll buy you lots more clothes. You deserve it.”

“What happens if this takes more than a week?” asked Tania.

I frowned. “I think, I talk to my brother and tell him to expect his sister-in-law, niece and nephew. Sunset Valley is far enough from here that you’ll be very safe.”

When Tania left the room to start packing, Ted moved closer so he could quietly ask me, “I know that making the family safe is a priority but what did you expect to do after that?”

“Track down Kane. He might still be in prison but someone may well have paid his way out,” I replied.

“I told you leaving him alive would have been a mistake.”

“You said that yesterday, which was a little late given that I dealt with him months ago. And that dude is fucking huge. If he wanted me dead, he could do it with his bare hands. That’s what I would expect him to do. None of this hinting around, I’d just be dead.” I paused. “But if I were looking for information about what happened to Pesce, I’d start with him. He was her last known partner. The locals all hated her, she was arrogant, self-centred, pushy bitch. They wouldn’t say anything.”

Ted nodded. “I’ll see what I can dig up on him. He probably isn’t in prison in Egypt, but I’ll see.”

“I’ll appreciate that. You can do more in a couple of hours on the computer than I could do in a couple of weeks.”

“In the meantime, I’ll let Wyatt what we need for him to do. I take it that we are the only ones to know the final destination?” asked Marta.

“Of a preference, yes. The fewer people that know I hid my family and where, the safer they’ll be.” I smiled at Marta. “You and Ted I will trust. Wyatt, Sinbad and the others, no.” Ted and Marta returned next door.

I started pacing back and forth. Was there anything more I could do for my family? I honestly couldn’t think of anything to do that we could do in the time we had available. The best I could do was be the walking target, keep the enemy focused on me. That part of the plan, I was not going to tell Tania.

That also meant that I wasn’t going to be able to go near my family until I knew it was over. Brief phone calls or messages, yes but visit them? I could lead the enemy straight to them.

As promised, it wasn’t long before Tania came back out with her guitar case slung over a shoulder and one larger bag in hand. Using the guitar case was a nice touch, she’s quite devious when she wants to be. “Shrimp, if they find us, use the knives?”

“First line of defence would be run for it. If we can leave you a car here,” I pointed on the map, “grab the kids and bolt for the car.” She nodded.

“Even if you can’t run, don’t pull out the knives. Great for general intimidation, but not very lethal if you aren’t in close range. It takes a lot of practice to hurt someone when throwing a knife. If you have to stand and fight, grab a tree branch. Hit them hard on the leg and they will slow down. Hit them hard in stomach and you may wind them. Hit them hard in the head and you might knock them out. You might also kill them that way.” I looked hard at her. “Do not threaten them with your weapon. Either swing hard and do your best to hurt them or don’t pick up the branch. Threatening is a good way to lose your weapon and the fight.”

“I think I understand. If I threaten, the odds that they can grab it go up.”

I nodded. “That’s basically it. If you just hold it, taking it from you is a lot easier. Swing it hard and even just stopping the blow will hurt.” I hugged Tania tightly. “Be careful. Listen for any cars slowing too much or footsteps nearby. Be ready.”

“You be careful too. Though I guess I needn’t bother telling you that. Careful isn’t what you do best, is it?” She smiled at me. “What are your plans?”

“Once I know you’re safe, I’ll have to start worrying about that.”

Tania looked into my eyes. “Liar. You do have some plans.” I was worried that she was going to start demanding the details. “But I’m probably better off not knowing them. I have a job that I have to do. I’ll have to trust you to do the one you’ve set for yourself.”

“I adore you. You do know that?” I said.

“You damn well should adore me,” she winked. “I’m the best wife you happen to have.”

“And the sexiest, whether you are being you or channelling your inner bitch. Turn that phone on at 6 tonight. We can have a brief chat.” I pulled her close for a kiss. “But I think you have to go. Ted will have had plenty of time to get in place by now. And this is not going to get any easier.”

Tania nodded and went to collect the kids. Two bags, one toddler under arm, the other following along. Given that after this, Tania was going to have to manage on her own, I didn’t offer to help with any of it. I did open the car door for her, watch while she got the kids settled.

Before she got behind the wheel, I gave her a light peck on the cheek. “Have fun practising at Red Rendezvous, see you in a couple of hours.”

She smiled and waved as she back the car away. Yeah, in case they happen to be close enough to hear, I want them to think Tania is just out for a few hours.

Once the car was out of sight, I moved my easel to the front yard and began a painting of our little tree out the front. Usually once I grab a brush, the rest of the world fades away. This time, I had maintain an awareness of my surroundings, just in case. Standing out there, I really did feel like a target. Still, better me than the family.

After a couple of hours of painting, I realised I was hungry. I wandered inside, made myself a sandwich and grabbed a cold drink from the fridge. It struck me as I sat down that the house was very quiet. I couldn’t remember the last time I was the only one at home. I was more often the one home with the kids, since I didn’t have a regular job.

So I was instantly aware when I heard the sound of snapping wood outside. If it had been from behind the house, it could have been Tania’s garden or our outdoor bar. Since it was the front of the house, the sound must have been my easel, new painting or both.

Caution meant I didn’t bolt from the table and rush out the door to see what happened. It would be too late to save my art from its fate and really stupid to run out the door when I know someone has it in for me. I finished my sandwich and my drink. I also thought about what the enemy was trying to accomplish. How long were they going to keep up this minor intimidation phase?

I then tried to check the most recent output from my security cameras. Unfortunately, there was only a black screen. Fuck, I forgot to check the damned cameras before. They probably broke them when they had cut the power. It would have been nice to have my first look at who was involved. I did look out the window at the sad wreckage of my easel. It was never going to be useful again.

So painting was out. I couldn’t practice drums, way too noisy. Listening to music was out for the same reason. I washed my plate, then started cleaning the counter and then started cleaning the rest of the house. If Tania has a fault, it’s that she doesn’t clean. If the mess bothers me, then it’s my job to do it.

One thing about a small house, I did a good clean of the whole place and it took 2 hours. Only 4 in the afternoon, two long hours before I’m supposed to ring Tania. Fucking hell, all this waiting was going to kill me. I wish I had a target to go after.

Heroes (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 3)

Tania gave me her best ‘are you out of your mind?’ look. “Are you suggesting that we go on a holiday now?”

“Not at all. I want you and the kids out of the house. They know where I live. The next step might be to torch the house. Or ram it with a truck. Or, who knows?” I grabbed her hands. “It’s not safe here.”

“We could accommodate your family at The Company headquarters. Probably more comfortable then camping,” suggested Ted.

“I don’t know how much they know about me and my habits. But I’m going to have to assume that they know some. So The Red Rendezvous is out, the band plays there regularly. Simtastic Imports is out, I’m listed as the owner. The Company buildings are out, I hang out with too many of you. The safest thing I can think of would be to leave town entirely until this blows over. Tania, honey, it’s really weird to ask after all this time, but do you have family you could visit?”

She shook her head. “When I was a child, we were driving somewhere and there was a horrible crash. It killed everyone but me. My parents, my brother, my twin sister all died. My foster family? Let’s just say we can’t live far enough away from them. What about you? Do you have family?”

I nodded reluctantly. “My parents died of old age a few years back. My little sister never did get her life together as far as I know. But if we really had to, maybe my little brother and his husband could look after you for awhile. I haven’t directly contacted any of them since the day I left home though, so it would be a massive shock for them.”

“I’d rather not impose on someone that doesn’t know I exist,” Tania said quietly.

I could see the shivers starting again. “Tania? Where’s my bitch? Remember that bad-arsed bitch that was my protection in France?” She nodded. “I need her back. I need that bad, brave protector. Remember the attitude, remember the feelings,” I let go of her hands and took a small step back.

Tania closed her eyes and began to focus. Her breathing deepened for a minute. When her eyes snapped open, I knew she had found her inner bitch. She took a step toward me. “Why?” Her voice was lower and her eyes narrowed. Ted moved back a little as he felt the difference. He and Marta glanced at each other.

“You, and only you, I trust with my family. I have a plan how we can get you and the kids somewhere safer. But I’m going to stay right here in plain sight. If they are only after me, you’ll be safe. If they want to get at me through my family, first they have to find you. If they do find you, I want you to be ready.” She glared at me and then nodded once.

“Know this, Jerod. You better survive this. I do not want to go through the effort of training a new spouse.” Suddenly she pulled me into a tight hug. Her lips locked on mine so hard it nearly hurt. After a minute, she let me go. “You understand me?”

“I will do my absolute best. But I can’t do that until I’m sure you are as safe as possible.” I nodded toward the house. “Let’s go make some plans.”

Marta and Ted followed us into the house. I found a detailed map of Twinbrook and spread the map on the table. “We can’t be sure how many are involved. It might only be one but my bet is 2 to 4 people.”

“Why?” asked Marta.

“One would have written ‘I’ not ‘we’ on the note. More than 4 strangers in this town at once? Surely someone would have noticed.” They all nodded. “So the plan is simply for Tania and the kids to go *through* a few buildings around town. Tania, you drive our car to the Red Rendezvous and go in the front. Keep on going, use the side door and come out here,” I pointed on the map. “Ted can meet you there and drive you over to the Company building. Now that place has 3 extra exits that I know of.”

“It’s 5 now and we nearly have the 6th one ready,” chimed in Ted. “We’ve been busy.”

“So Ted takes you through the building and one of the other exits. There is another car there,” I paused.

Ted stabbed at the map. “That would be a good exit. We can have Wyatt waiting there.”

I nodded. “Wyatt drives you to City Hall. That place has a ton of entrances and exits. Go out the east exit and go here.” I pointed at the map. “Marta waits for you there and drives you to Hollowlog Springs Park. That’s where you and the kids stay.”

Tania looked at me. “So I ring you, text you?”

I walked over to our little bookcase, pulled out a book and opened it. Then I dumped the small phone into my hand. “Just in case, this phone should be safer than yours. It’s never been used, turn it on, send the message and turn it off. Never leave it on for more than 5 minutes at a time. We can set times to ring each other briefly. Phones can be traced, so not long.”

“You have a burner phone? What other things do you keep?” asked Marta.

“That would be telling. But I do have some emergency equipment stashed around the place. Including another burner.” I turned back to Tania. “I’m hoping that we can find a way to leave a car somewhere near so you and the kids can get out if you have to. It will be an old clunker, something that will look abandoned. So unless there is a lot more people involved and they are mostly on the streets watching for you, they should lose track by the time you leave the Company building.”

“I would think leaving the car outside of Red Rendezvous would probably be enough,” said Ted. “By the time they work out Tania’s left, it would be too late for them to follow.”

“I’d agree with Shrimp. Better safe than sorry. By the time she’s gone through a few buildings, there’s not a chance they’d still be following.”

“Shrimp, I appreciate that this place isn’t terribly close to the road or any houses. But I’m going to have two toddlers, supposed they start crying too much?”

“Hmm, bribery should do it.” I went to the kids’s room and picked Toby up. “Come on Lana, let’s go say hi to your godfather.”

Lana bolted for the living room. I got there in time to hear “Sorry, honey. I don’t have a toy today.” Lana was about to go into pout mode. Maybe full toddler tantrum if we didn’t head it off in time.

“Kids, for the next couple of days, you and your mom are going to be out in a park. And while you are away from home, she might tell you to be quiet. If she does, I want you to be so quiet, even a mouse is noisy in comparison. She might also tell you to hide. If she does that, you hide and don’t come out until your mom or me or your godfather tells you to come out.” I grinned at them. “If your mom says you did well, I’m going to get you two toys each. But you have to do what she tells you. Lana, you might have to help Toby with this, like a good big sister. Okay?”

“Toys? Oh, yes Daddy. We’ll be good. We’ll be so quiet, you won’t even know we are there.”

“That’s my girl, Lana.” I winked at Tania and one eyebrow went up in response. Then her mouth curved upward. “How long do you think it will take to pack a bag of necessities for a week and be ready?”

“A week? I can’t possibly pack one bag for all three of us for a week. We don’t have enough food for the little ones in the house,” Tania said.

“Point taken. We’ll have to figure out how to get you some supplies if it goes more than a couple of days.”

“I can take them,” replied Marta. “No one will follow me. No one ever notices me at night. That’s what I do.”

Marta, the master thief, delivering groceries. Damn, I have some very good friends. “Ok, so packing for just a couple of days, how long?” I asked.

“I can have two bags ready in half an hour.”

“Two bags? Sweetheart?” it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

She smiled at me. “Bag one holds a change of clothes for the three of us. We go in with one look and come out a different door looking different and only one bag. We leave the one behind.” She sighed. “Guess I’ll have to hope that no one steals the bag with our clothes.”

As the World Falls Down (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 2)

I remained standing until after they shut the door. Then I sat next to Tania, gently taking her hand in mine. “Sweetheart? Sweetheart?” I said softly.

She pulled her hand away from mine. “Who are you? I don’t know you.”

“I’m your Shrimp. You know I’m bad. You’ve always known it.” I was talking softly, gently. “I won’t do anything to hurt you. I’d never hurt you or the kids.”

“I knew you were bad but murder? Shrimp, murder? That’s not just bad, that’s evil,” she shuddered and a trickle of tears traced its way down her cheek.

“Tania, Sophie Pesce tried to kill me. She trapped me in a pyramid to die. If I left her alive, she would have tried again. She would have kept trying until I was dead.” I very gently pulled her closer. She didn’t protest but she didn’t move toward me on her own either.

“Shrimp, you have to promise me. You’ll never kill anyone again.” She looked at me with hope and the start of a smile.

I closed my eyes. This could ruin our lives. “I can’t make that promise, Tania. I really can’t.” I put one finger under her chin, lifting her head so I could look her in the eyes. Tania knows I can’t lie if I’m looking her in the eyes. “Because if anyone ever threatens you or our children, I might have to kill them. I will do whatever I must to keep my family safe. Always.” I kissed her cheek very tenderly. “I’ve tried to protect you from this part of my life. To keep you from knowing the dark and ugly. Unfortunately, you had to find out. I’m so sorry about that.”

She pulled away from me and stood up. “Jerod, I can’t. I just can’t.”

I stood up and took a step toward her. She took two steps back. I didn’t try to close the gap this time. I just stood still and waited. As much as I wanted to try to convince her that nothing had changed, that it was fine, I knew that this wasn’t the time.

“Get out of this house, Jerod. Just go away,” she finally said, voice cracking.

I went and opened the door. “Know this, Tania Kennedy Shrimpton. I love you with all my heart and soul. I always have and I always will.” I walked out the door, closing it quietly. As the door shut, I could hear Tania start to cry and that nearly broke me.

I pulled out my cell. “Marta? Tania just booted me out, could you keep an eye out for her and the house?” “It was a heavy burden I put on her. She needs time.” “Thanks.” Just because Tania wanted me out, I wasn’t going to leave her without someone watching over her.

I then sent a brief text to Tania. Just “love you”.

Next was the question of where I’d spend the night. I probably could have crashed with Marta and Ted but didn’t want to be that close to home. I briefly thought about sleeping on a park bench but the police had been cracking down on vagrants and I didn’t need the hassle.

Finally I remembered that I owned another building, Simtastic Imports, the import/export business I ran for The Company. No one would protest me sleeping there. Though it wasn’t going to be the most comfortable night in my life. I started walking. I checked my phone a couple of times but there was no reply to my message.

Tania, my Tania. When I first moved to Twinbrook, I thought that having a housemate that was good would help hide the fact that I was evil. It wasn’t long before we were flirting and not long after that we were always jumping into bed for sex. Chat for a bit, have sex. Fight briefly and have sex. I thought of her as my fuck buddy instead of housemate, though I never once said that to Tania. Then something stupid happened and she left for awhile. While she was gone, I realised that Tania was the only woman for me. So I asked her to come home and marry me. I have never regretted it.

Now it wasn’t until I was nearly half to my business that I remembered I’d been threatened. Far too late to change my mind about walking. Besides, the note was obviously an opening salvo to a psychological campaign. If someone wanted me dead, they really should not put me on my guard. Whoever this sick puppy was, he or she wanted me to be worried first. Still, I found myself walking a bit faster, my heart rate went up and I was looking around more. My heart rate didn’t go back to normal until I was safely in the building.

There were some crates and barrels in storage. Enough legitimate business happened here to keep my only employee, Howie, busy much of the time. I pulled out a bag I had stowed here under a few floor tiles months ago. In the bag was a sleeping bag, change of clothes and a few freeze-dried meals. One of several emergency kits I’d stashed around town because you never know when you might not be able to go home. This wasn’t a reason I had anticipated but I definitely wasn’t going home tonight.

I wasn’t particularly hungry so I unrolled the sleeping bag. Then I sent a text “Sweetheart, sleep well. I love you 4ever.” After that I settled in for the night.

It was a bad night. First I’d worry about the writer of the note and what they might have planned. Then my mind would flick to thinking about Tania and what to do about our situation. I left when she asked tonight but I’m not giving up on us. No fucking way. I adore every part of that woman, from the top of her blond head to the tips of her shoes.

After approximately a century, dawn broke. I was exhausted, hungry and ready to punch something. I couldn’t do much about the exhaustion until I could sleep better. Hungry could be taken care of by a quick trip to the diner. As for punching, since I didn’t have a target, a trip to the gym would have to suffice.

My phone had no new messages. I didn’t really expect a message, not yet. I was going to give my wife a few days before I tried to really push my way back into her life. “I need you, Tania,” was the text I sent before starting off toward the diner. I set off at a brisk pace to get my breakfast. I just outside of my target when my phone rang.

My heart sang when I saw the caller id was Tania. “Tania?” “Calm down, I didn’t understand that.” “Sweetheart, listen. I’ll be there. I’m coming as fast as I can. I’ll be there.” My pace changed from a gentle jog to a flat out run. I still didn’t understand what had happened, I could barely make out any of the words she had said. Whatever it was, Tania was terrified.

I wasn’t that close to the house when I knew why Tania was terrified. Walking outside to discover that your house has acquired the word “Murderer” in large red letters would be enough to frighten anyone. I saw that Marta and Ted had come out and were standing within easy contact of Tania. I waved at them and ran up to Tania.

“Shrimp, this is horrible. What else could they do? What if they hurt the kids?” She was shivering violently. I pulled her into a hug, holding her tight until the shivers slowed. There was a light drizzle that wasn't improving things.

“Sweetheart, I promise to protect you and the kids. I’ll find out who is doing this and stop them.” I leaned close, “Does this mean I’m forgiven?” I whispered softly.

“I may never quite get over the idea that you really have killed someone. I didn’t think you were serious about that in France. But I feel much safer now that you’re here, so I guess…” she replied softly. “…I guess I trust you to protect us.”

Ted had been slowly walking toward us. “Don’t worry about the paint,” he said. “I’ve arranged for a couple of guys to come and clean it up. They should be here in five minutes or so.”

“Why the fucking hell didn’t my alarms go off? They should have been triggered by something.” I had stopped hugging Tania quite so tightly but I didn’t let go of her yet.

Ted shook his head. “They cut the power to the street first. Unless your alarms and cameras have a backup power source, they were dead.”

Fucking damn. Well, that did explain what happened. “Never thought we’d need backup power. Not here in Twinbrook.” Yeah, we do have the occasional outage but not that often.

Ted motioned to his bad leg. “Sometimes they really are out to get you.”

My brain kicked into overdrive. Our house wasn’t safe. They had just proven that fairly thoroughly. So first priority, get my family somewhere safer. “Sweetheart, how would you like to take the kids on a camping trip?”

I Want My Baby Back (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 1)

It all started one evening when I was getting the post. There were, of course, several bills. Bills are always the bane of my existence. But there was a plain envelope bearing the single word “Shrimp” on it. No stamp, no return address, not even our full address. Which meant someone must have dropped it directly in our box.

My name is Jerod but almost everyone calls me Shrimp. So I wasn’t too concerned, just a note from a friend. That was why I casually just flipped it over and opened it.

The contents though, they weren’t routine. Not at all.

We know what you did.

And you will pay for your sins, Jerod Shrimpton.

Now if you haven’t heard about me, I’m definitely not one of the good guys in town. I used to be a member of The Company; a bunch of thieves, cutthroats and villains. I gave that up years ago, hoping for a quiet life. It was quiet for awhile, but recently I’ve been pulled back in as a special representative and that’s made life…interesting.

God, I should have been more careful about that envelope. Too fucking late now. Though, truth be told, I wouldn’t be able to do anything clever anyway. I don’t have the facilities to do fingerprinting or anything. Plain white envelope, plain white paper doesn’t give me much to work with.

“Shrimp, what’s taking you so long getting the mail?” called my lovely wife Tania. Tania is the yang to my yin, the good to my evil. I’m being literal about that last, she is and always has been good. Well, up to our last trip overseas. She insisted on being involved in my business and so she had her first walk on the dark side.

“Sorry, Sweetheart, I just had a bit of a surprise. I think we are going to have to have a talk.” I paused for a moment. “Actually, do you mind if I ask Marta and Ted over? I think I might need them.” I didn’t have to look at Tania, I knew one eyebrow would be very arched at that comment.

As I pulled out my phone, Tania looked as though she was going to ask what was up. Then she sort of shrugged, there wouldn’t be much of a wait, they live next door.

“Marta, could you come over for 10 maybe 20 minutes? And please drag Ted’s sorry ass with you.” Now Marta and Ted are two active members of The Company. Marta is by far the best thief around, she can make nearly anything disappear. Ted’s more of the local evil genius, though his skills are more computer based. They don’t extend to people very well. He is a devious bastard though, just the kind of guy I might need.

I watched as they made their way over. It was good to see that Ted had graduated from using crutches to just a walking stick. His leg had been smashed during a failed takeover of his position by two of his people. It’s left him with a limp and quite a lot of paranoia about when the next takeover might happen.

When my children spotted Ted, they ran for their godfather. As usual, he gave each of them a brief cuddle, and then gave a toy to each child. This earned him quick hugs, “Tank kews” and then Lana and Toby went off to play with their new toys.

“So, Shrimp. Why did you call?” asked Marta with her soft drawl.

I passed the note to Tania first with a motion that she should pass to the others. They each read it quickly and handed it on.

“And you called us because?” asked Ted.

“I’m not sure which of my actions this might be referring to. I was hoping a little brainstorming might help.”

Tania looked at me. “There’s more than just what happened last trip?”

I sighed. I’d tried for so long to keep Tania from realising exactly what I did for The Company when we met and what I’ve done since. My lovely wife was about to get an earful. “Yes, Tania, there is more. Should I start with the oldest sins or the most recent?”

“I’d say start with the oldest. We can probably rule them out.”

“We better sit down, this will take a little while,” I said. We all sat in the living area. I held up my left hand with all fingers extended. “So, first was Dennis Racket. He had plans of making me his toy boy. I rather objected to that.” Ted smirked at me. He’d heard a very different version second hand. “So on a trip to Egypt, I stole his money, the batteries to his cell and his papers. And had him transported away from town, with some provisions. It took him over a month to get home again. As far as I know, he got over it.” I folded over my pinky.

“Then I quit The Company, they didn’t seem to have an objection to that.” I folded down the ring finger.

Ted replied, “I’m positive that’s not it. I’m sure I would have been first to hear about that.” Given he took my place as the head of the local branch, he should know.

“Now my next trip to Egypt was far more dangerous. On my first night at camp, I was given a drugged drink. When I woke up, I was trapped in a pyramid.”

Ted looked thoughtful. “Was that Kane and Pesce?”

“As it turns out, yes. It took me two long days to find a passage out of that pyramid. I thought I was going to die there. Once you sent the dossiers, I managed to have Kane arrested for the local equivalent of indecent dealing with a minor.” I folded down my middle finger.

Then I took a deep breath. I had to remind myself, the people sitting here were the people I trusted most. Trusted with my life and all my secrets. “Pesce, I drugged her food, put her on a raft and pushed it out to some crocodiles. There was a lot of blood and no sign that she woke before they attacked, so I’m sure she’s dead.” I folded down my index finger. Tania gasped and turned pale.

“Crocodiles? Seriously?” asked Marta.

“Dude, that is an epic way to murder someone,” said Ted with admiration in his voice. “There is still a major reward from The Company on Pesce. Why not claim it?”

I shook my head. “I can think of no better way to get a very high price on my head from The Family. No thanks.”

“Why did you let Kane live? That’s a weak spot,” said Ted.

I shrugged. “He just didn’t seem that dangerous. He was just the muscle of the operation. Finally our last trip to France, we ended up needing to set up a fake blackmail drop so we could set up the real blackmailer. That worked fine. The blackmailer ended up in jail and discredited so our supplier no longer had to pay his demands. Hard to believe that anyone would be threatening me over that.” I folded my thumb making a fist. Five things I could think of that might make me a target.

“Pesce. It’s going to be Pesce,” said Marta decisively.

“I agree. It’s going to be about that. But I don’t think The Family is involved.”

“Why do you think The Family isn’t involved, Ted?” I asked.

“They’d just send a team of assassins. They wouldn’t give warning.” He paused. “Besides, if you die on assignment, you weren’t good enough. Pesce failed to kill Shrimp and then she died.”

I was watching Tania. She was staring down at her hands, refusing to look at any of us. My poor wife was getting far too much of an education, far too fast. Marta looked at Tania, then raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head, I wanted to talk to her after they’d gone.

Ted, oblivious to the situation continued. “Now, Shrimp, about your upcoming trip to China.” Ah shit, I forgot I had tickets to go to China next week. “The company is hoping that you can establish a new contact, one that will send shipments of drugs.” Tania gasped and started to shudder.

“No drugs, Ted. No,” I said firmly.

He blinked as he realised the problem. “I meant super cheap generic brand versions. Not the other kind. Not the hard stuff.”

“Marta, Ted, I appreciate you coming over. Could you think about who might be threatening me? What precautions we should be taking.” I stood and they did as well.
Marta leaned over to kiss a cheek and whispered to me, “Take care of Tania.”

“I will try.”

---
The lovely Marta Tomesi is originally from Chrysame.

spare pics