Hard Case 12: Climate of Chaos (John Harding) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hard Case Book 12: Climate of Chaos

  (The John Harding Series)

  by

  Bernard Lee DeLeo

  *****

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Bernard Lee DeLeo and RJ Parker Publishing Inc.

  Hard Case Book 12: Climate of Chaos

  Copyright © 2019 by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  Cover Illustration by Colin Matthew Dougherty

  *****

  License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. Please respect the author’s work. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real life persons, events, or places is purely coincidental.

  *****

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.

  Nick McCarty’s Unholy Trio and Dependents (Main Characters)

  Nicholas McCarty – Delta Force – 6’ – Nicknames: Terminator, Muerto, Dead Boy, Delta Dawn, Gomez

  Rachel Hunter McCarty

  Jean Hunter McCarty – Nickname: Danger Girl, Daughter of Darkness, Viper

  Deke the Dog - Dekester

  Gus Nason – Nicknames: Payaso

  Tina Nason (Wife of Gus Nason) – Nicknames: T-Rex

  Ebi Zarin/Johnny Groves – Nicknames: Johnny Five, El Kabong

  Cala Kadir Groves (Wife of Johnny Groves) – Nicknames: Cala the Cleaner, Reaper

  Jian Chen – ex-terrorist – recruited to help Nick’s crew – Nickname: Dragon

  Joan Chen – violinist and wife of Jian

  Sonny Salvatore – Nicknames: Cracker - Parents: Phil and Clarice Salvatore

  Quinn McCarty – Nicknames: Kong

  Justin Rivers – Nicknames: Jay, Predator – Parents: Dale and Beth

  Neil Dickerson – Pacific Grove policeman – works with Nick’s crew

  Paul Gilbrech – Director of the CIA

  Clyde Bacall – Assistant and driver for Paul Gilbrech -works with Nick’s crew

  Ben McCarty – Adopted son in future Nick and Jean bonus story – Nicknames: Benny

  Sammy – McCarty family’s dog in future Nick and Jean bonus story – Nicknames: Sammy the werewolf

  John Harding’s Monster Squad and Dependents (Main Characters)

  John Harding – Force Recon Marine - 6’6”, brown haired buzz cut, 250 pounds – Nicknames: Hard Case, Cheeseburger (Cheese for short), Recon, Dark Lord, DL

  Lora Radcliff Harding – John’s wife, 5’7”, long auburn hair, 130 pounds

  Alice Radcliff Harding – John’s stepdaughter, long auburn hair, ten years old – Nicknames: Al, Beeper-Girl

  Lucas Blake – Force Recon Marine - 5’8”, Black, buzz cut, 155 pounds – Nicknames: Ahab – Wife: Sarah, Children: Casey (named after Casey Lambert) and Linda

  Casey Lambert – Delta Force - Nicknames - Night-shot – Wife: Anna – Children: Lucas (named after Lucas Blake)

  Tommy Sands – Nicknames - T, Snow White Sands

  Devon Constantine – Nicknames - Dev

  Jesse Brown – Nicknames - Jess

  Jafar Kensington – Nicknames - Achmed the Dead Terrorist

  Samira Karim Kensington – Jafar’s Wife - Nicknames – Sam - Children: Mia

  Dennis Strobert – Marine - Nicknames - Denny, Spawn – Wife: Maria – Children: Brewster

  Gus Denova – Cruella Deville minion – former Cartel enforcer

  Silvio Ruelas – Cruella Deville minion – former Cartel enforcer

  Quays Tannous – Cruella Deville minion – former Cartel enforcer

  Clint Dostiene – Air Force SOCOM– Nicknames: Man from Nowhere – Wife: Lynn Montoya

  Lynn Montoya Dostiene – Nicknames: Cruella Deville, Crusader Crue, Dr. Deville – Children: Clint Jr.

  Laredo Sawyer – Nickname: Laredo – Wife Sybil Moore

  Danessa Moore - Nickname: Dannie – Lynn Dostiene’s live in assistant

  Amara Nejem – Lynn Dostiene’s live in assistant

  Earl Taylor – Oakland Policeman

  Enrique Rodriguez – Nickname ‘Rique – Oakland Policeman

  Jeff Furlong – Oakland Policeman

  Alexi Fiialkov – Former Russian Mob – Shipping Magnate – Handles USB matches

  Marla Tomlinson – Favorite Waitress at The Warehouse Bar – Fiialkov’s Girlfriend

  Claude Chardin – Former Terrorist and Assassin – works with John Harding’s crew now.

  Della Sparks – John Harding’s neighbor – Children: Lebron, Jim, and Kara

  Hollywood Bounty Hunters – Kensy (Buffster) Talon, Kevin Halliday (ex-felon), Les Tavor (ex-Hell’s Angel), Jet Lemarkus (ex-gangbanger), Daniel Atkins, Jerry Sooner, Calvin Douglas, Sigfried Kandelus, Charlie Dubrinsky (Lawyer/Manager)

  Tom Wilder – Commander of a Seal Team – works with John Harding’s crew

  Janie Labrie – FBI agent who works with John Harding’s crew

  Sam Reeves – Janie Labrie’s partner – FBI agent who works with John Harding’s crew

  Chuck Buchholz – Force Recon Marine – Red Dragon Security – Lucas Blake’s friend

  Sal Sallaz – Force Recon Marine – Red Dragon Security – Lucas Blake’s friend

  Thom McGaffey – Force Recon Marine – Governor of the Isle of Hope with dog Lando

  Jonas Curlain – Amara’s love interest who lives with Clint and Lynn

  Chapter One

  Kade

  I admit to sipping a few at the MGM with my friends after a great fight evening. I was still the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Nick had entertained well into the night before taking Rachel to their room. I figured a good buzz after a perfect night with Tommy, Jess, Dev, and Jafar would make the last little taste even better. I had no idea of what awaited me. Sometimes, life deals an unexpected hand, unforeseen, but a blessing in disguise. Tonight, karma came to help me see a lot of things in a different way.

  Julie Holden walked into the TAP Sports Bar with a three-year-old toddler in hand. The little boy gawked at everything around him. Julie and I had a brief affair nearly four years ago. She hated everything about me. As a reporter, she covered a few of my rather violent happenings while street brawling, doing a feature on the gambling aspect. I never minded her interest and answered everything she asked to a point. I refused to incriminate Tommy and me in her reporter schemes.

  Julie was a beauty, five and a half feet tall, blonde haired, and gorgeous. She thought along the same lines as Lora’s sister, Tess, that I was a typical street-fighting goon, destined to be some mob’s leg-breaker later in life. As she glanced nervously around the bar, I felt bad inside. Julie was rail thin, her dress barely in place enough not to drop to the floor from the frail body. I stood, making myself visible for her state-of-mind. She spotted me and hurried over, nearly dragging the kid.

  “John! I…I can’t keep him anymore. He’s yours. His name’s Kade. If I have him any longer, he’ll die with me!”

  Tommy recognized her. He gathered the little boy into his arms and handed him to me with a big smile. “He’s yours, brother. I don’t need
to do a DNA test. Go get a quiet table together and learn the story. We’ll be here.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  Kade stared at me, blinking and trying not to cry. “Hi.”

  “Hi there, Kade. I’m John.”

  “Mom told me… you… you’re my father.”

  “I think so, little man. I’m glad to meet you. We’re going to get a table, so your mom can tell me all about you. Is it okay if you sit on my lap while we talk?”

  Kade smiled excitedly. “Sure! I’d like that. I’m three!”

  I had a three-year-old son. I knew I had never treated Julie in any way, shape or form that would deserve being shut out of my son’s life. I’m not much of a complainer or a judge. I gestured Julie into another booth. The waitress rushed over. I handed her a couple hundred dollars. “Serve these two whatever they want from anywhere you can. There’s more for you after we’re through.”

  “You got it, Mr. Harding. Thank you.”

  “I bet the little man here would love to munch on your nacho plate, along with what… a ginger ale?”

  “Yes! That sounds good!”

  “How about you, Julie? They have a lot of good food here on the menu. How about a shrimp bucket and clam chowder?”

  “I’d rather have a double Jim Beam on ice.”

  “You can have that along with the food, so you can have the strength and clarity to discuss this with me.”

  “Fine.”

  I looked up at the waitress. “Shrimp bucket and clam chowder for the lady and two Jim Beams on ice.”

  “On it. Thank you.” The waitress hurried off and nearly with clairvoyant foresight she delivered the nachos for Kade and a bowl of clam chowder for Julie.

  Kade dug into the nachos as if he hadn’t eaten in a week. Julie tasted the clam chowder and hungrily added the crackers provided. When the waitress delivered the drinks, I gestured with a holding pattern. “Sip, Julie.”

  Julie reluctantly sipped her drink. “I’m bad, John. I should never have left and decided to be some kind of feminist icon. Raising Kade… working… traveling where I needed to go… I’m done. I…I don’t want anything from you, but could you keep him safe?”

  “I can make sure you get help and take care of both you and Kade. I can buy you and Kade a house right in the Bay area after you get clean. My wife and I can take good care of Kade until you’re clean and settled in.”

  “No! I…I can’t take it anymore! I’m done. I want to travel, work, and fix things to my taste. Please… I want you to have Kade. I… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him. I was an idiot! I would never be in this fix if I had been honest with you.”

  “Forget all that,” I replied, while watching Kade finish off the nachos.

  The waitress brought the shrimp bucket. I dunked one in the cocktail sauce and fed it to Kade. He loved it. I squeezed out a small plateful for him without the tails; and added sauce for them to be dunked. “If you’re still hungry after that, we’ll find something else for you.”

  “Okay, Dad, thanks.”

  I was a Dad once more. Julie chowed down on the shrimp bucket too. “What do you need, Julie? If it has to do with a place to live, food, travel fare… I will provide it… along with a monthly sum. I want you to be well again.”

  Julie started to sob. Kade kept eating. Apparently, he had seen this before. He probably figured in his own little way he wouldn’t get to finish his shrimp. “Calm down, Julie. I will take care of you and take Kade as my own. I’ll give you a stake to go wherever you want to go right now.”

  Julie looked at me with a partially predatory stare until I met it with one of my own. “You can do that?”

  “Yep.” I took out my iPhone, opened the Bank of America app, and hit transfer. “Do you have an email address and an account to put this money in?”

  “I do.” She gave me her email address. “Would ten thousand be too much?”

  “Not at all… except if you planned to disappear without a trace. We’ll start with that. When you get a place, I will pay for anything you need. I hope that will be rehab, and a reporter’s job, and food. I will take care of you. If you get well, you can come and see the little man whenever you want. If you try to play me, you will regret it, and there will be no reason to do it. I can only do instant transfers like this at $2500 a day. It’s in your email now, and I will add $2500 a day for the next four days. Hopefully, you will have a somewhat permanent address by then. Follow the directions in the email to sign up with Zelle Transfer.”

  Julie grabbed my hand in both hers. “Thank you, John!”

  I leaned toward her with a thousand dollars in hand and passed it to her. “You’ll need some cash. Thank you for Kade. He will be raised and protected. You may see him any time you are well. Please don’t think I will ever let his being with me cloud my judgement about you. Stay straight and well, Julie. All will be yours in reward. Dive into work again and build yourself into someone far better than you are now. Kade will be in Oakland with me anytime you want to spend time with him.”

  “Thank you, John.” Julie leaned over and kissed Kade. “Bye… sweetie… I will see you soon.”

  Kade traded stares with her. “Bye… Mom.”

  It seemed the three-year-old already knew his mom better than he should. Julie dashed out and I had my private meat locker of friends diving into my booth. Kade giggle and waved. “Hi.”

  Just like that, Kade was part of my Monster Squad.

  “Kade will be with me, Al and Lora from now on. I will make sure his mom will be safe and well cared for. She will not be allowed near him unless she is straight.”

  “Understood,” Tommy said. “We’ll need to get him back to the Bay, so he can play with Captain Hook.”

  Raucous amusement followed that line with Kade clapping hands and giggling. “I want to meet Captain Hook!”

  “Maybe someday, kid,” I replied. “We’ll take you out on our boat, so you can see him.”

  “Great!” Kade stuffed another shrimp in his mouth. “Do you really have a boat?”

  “We have more than one.”

  “Oh… that’s good… sometimes when Mom tells me she has something… she doesn’t really have it.”

  “You talk like a ten-year-old, Kade. I think you understand stuff. I am not your mom. I will not lie to you or promise you things I cannot deliver. I have a wife, Lora, who will probably faint dead away in joy of having you with us. You also have an older sister, Alice, who can put an arrow through the center of a target from fifty yards away. She will take very good care of you.”

  “Wow! This… this is great. Captain Hook? Is…is he a scary pirate?”

  Hilarity descended upon the table for a few moments. I regained clarity first. “Captain Hook is a great white shark.”

  Kade’s eyes alighted with joy. “You…you mean like Kenny the Shark on TV. Please can I meet him… please?”

  “Ah… sure,” I responded, listening to more amusement from my friends. “Captain Hook is a real life great white shark. He’s kind of a friend… but not a cartoon friend. You’ll see. He helps me train for fights. I don’t think I can explain much more until you see him. Hook scares the crap out of just about everyone.”

  Kade giggled. “I like Hook!”

  “This apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” Tommy added.

  One moment we’re all enjoying Tommy’s remark and the next, Kade yelps and hides his face against me. In that split-second, I knew one thing, whatever can make my son yelp and hide his head better be imaginary. I looked where Kade had been looking. A huge, bald-headed freak, with tattoos everywhere, dragged Julie into the bar by the back of her neck. He grinned when he spotted me. I passed Kade over to Jess.

  “Uncle Jess will take good care of you while I help your mom.”

  Kade grabbed my hand. “Dad! We need to run!”

  I smiled and patted his hand. “No… we don’t.”

  I left the booth wondering how I would handle this big, bad, scary man. I deci
ded I may as well hear what he had to say. Let’s face it. Druggies like Julie may seem like helpless victims, but I know better, and the look Julie gave while dumping Kade, made me suspicious she owed this guy money.

  The big guy pointed at Kade. “I came here to get my son back. Julie tells me she sold him to you. I don’t give a shit about your namby-pamby UFC bullshit! Hand him over or I get nasty.”

  “Kade? Do you know this man with your mom,” I decided on a partial learning excursion. I knew what I planned to do to him. I wanted others to hear what this guy said about me was a lie.

  “Yeah… his name… is Bronk. He beats mom. I hide. I…I want to help her.”

  “No worries,” I told him. “Bronk and I will be coming to an understanding.”

  As I began to lean away from Kade, he grabbed my arm with both his small hands. “Dad! Bronk will kill her… no matter what he says.”

  I grinned and patted his hands. “No… he won’t.”

  “Ah… ain’t that sweet. Hand him right over here, big fella… so we don’t have any problems. Kade and his mommy belong to me.”

  I straightened away from the table. No way would I be lured into killing an asshole like this if Julie screwed him out of everything he owned. I might break a few things on a woman-beater, but I need facts. “Let’s get the financial side out on the table. These nice people around us will be calling security. They don’t ask you to leave. They make you leave… in a squad car.”

  That registered with him as he darted looks around the restaurant. “Fine… give me the boy and agree to five grand a month. Everything will be peachy.”

  “Not happening, Bronk. I will go outside with you alone to discuss things. Kade will remain inside with my friends. You don’t have any people who could take him away from them. You have another option though. Leave Julie with us and keep the thousand you stole from her. We’ll discuss any added money you have coming from her.”

  “Outside, asshole! You don’t take what’s mine, motherfucker!”

  “Calm down. If that’s what you want, I will resolve the problem with you outside… alone. Leave Julie in here. Believe me… whatever she said outside… I wouldn’t believe anyway. Let’s keep this between you and me. We’ll discuss your beefs with her and hopefully work out an equitable settlement.”