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

  “Agreed. You were wild and mysterious back then. Now… God knows I love you like a brother and it wouldn’t matter what you did or do… that will never change.”

  “I don’t blame you for being standoffish. We were into street-fighting, gambling and bond-jumpers. Until Lora came into my life, bringing Al along with her, I didn’t much care about anything. We hustled her sister Tess and Tess hustled us, got me back in line with Denny Strobert, and unintended consequences shot out of the starting gate.”

  “You’re right. It turned into a whirlwind from there, evolving into the Oakland Tactical Unit gig. Cobus is staying at the La Quinta Inn & Suites near the airport on Enterprise Way, Room 221. You remember Jordy Tasni. He works La Quinta’s front desk. Cobus checked in there right after I left his name with my contacts. We’re not hurting for money, so I pay five hundred for a solid tip, since we need to know things more than we used to. Besides, we make money anyway.”

  “I have no argument with that. Jordy’s reliable. We can trust him not to set us up. So, you want to take Cobus in a traditional arrest. That’ll work. He won’t recognize me anyway. They should send him back to prison for this skip with the prior DUI.”

  Tommy hesitated.

  “Uh oh… what’s going on? We just got great news from Clint and Lynn. What’s the big deal with Whitehead?”

  “Vinnie wants him dead, John. He thinks Cobus got out of the DUI cheap after breaking parole because he has a contract to kill without anything to lose. Our Mayor Brown is looking into it with Dev and Jess at her side. She wants the reason a judge would post a lowball bail on a career criminal as dangerous as Cobus. Flo has power since she will be the Governor elect without party affiliation. Lewsome doesn’t have a chance of beating her. I don’t want to get her in trouble, but I don’t want someone’s death on my conscience because Cobus has a get out of jail free card.”

  Vinnie Borton, a street hustler much like Tommy and me in our day, worked his way out of the game, accumulating auto repair facilities with banner reputations when their owners sought retirement. He bought into the places as the active partner, hiring, restructuring, and paying a stipend to the owners. His plan worked.

  “What did Vinnie do? Obviously, he suspects the contract is on him if he’s getting threats. Cobus would need to be clinically insane to murder a guy he’s already suspected of threatening.”

  “You’re right. I doubt Vinnie ever received a verbal or written threat. I think when he heard all the details concerning Cobus’s idiotic parole, followed by some nitwit judge playing catch and release, Vinnie is panicking.”

  This story gets more interesting by the moment. “And what, pray tell, would Vinnie consider the reason for Cobus killing him? C’mon, T, I’m not a dentist. Tell me what tooth needs drilling for me to get an answer in simple terms I can understand.”

  “Vinnie testified at Cobus’s rape trial. He saw Cobus roofie a woman’s drink before leaving the bar with her, incoherent and stumbling. Vinnie called the police. The Blue know Cobus. They went directly to his apartment at the time. Apparently, the woman overcame the dose faster than Cobus figured. When the police pounded on the door, she screamed. They busted in and caught him in the act. Vinnie picked him out of a lineup. Cobus refused to cop a plea. In court, Vinnie buried him. Cobus claimed the woman came on to him and then screamed rape. Vinnie described the roofie action and couldn’t be broken by the defense.”

  “Even us street-rats step up when times change, huh?”

  Tommy chuckled. “Yeah… we may fudge the gambling aspect. Street fighting and bond-jumpers are tough territory. Vinnie played on the street for quite a while until getting a stake to leave it behind. After the conviction, other women came out of the woodwork to bury Cobus. Once the police had Cobus’s DNA sample, they tracked him to a dozen other cases. Because he received a twenty-year sentence, the state’s attorney didn’t want to try the other cases. Cobus gets paroled after seven years and here we are.”

  “Oh boy… let me get my drill going at higher speed to get at that angry tooth.”

  “Okay… okay, Vinnie married Cobus’s fiancée at the time, who had no knowledge of what Cobus was doing.”

  “Damn… Cobus planned to marry some woman and rape others on the side?”

  “He’s an evil bastard. Sheila and Vinnie have two kids. Look, John, we’re no rubes pulled in from the corn field. Vinnie crossed someone who sees Cobus as the perfect vehicle to seek revenge. That would be the obvious. We both know Cobus might seek it out on his own.”

  “I get it. That wouldn’t explain the get out of jail free card. I’m in but play it my way. We need to collect Cobus with all the bells and whistles. Then… we will take him to Pain Central and learn the facts in this opera of the absurd.”

  “I’ll follow your lead on this, John. I agree… finding the truth is a great first step. He won’t come quietly. That, I can tell you.”

  I grinned and retrieved my surprise from the equipment bag at my feet. “Like Nick, I like to arrive prepared with extras.”

  “That doesn’t blow the room apart, does it? That’s the way Marshal McCarty does it.”

  “It will render Cobus as harmless as a heel-hound.”

  “The Outlaw Josie Wales. I remember what happened to the guy that said that in the movie,” Tommy retorted.

  “The trouble with you, T, is you don’t know the difference between movies and reality.”

  Five minutes later, we arrived at the La Quinta. At Cobus’s room, we stood at each side of the door. I knocked. “FBI Agents Sands and Harding. Come out with hands up, Cobus!”

  A shotgun blast through the door answered the hands-up option. I tossed my military grade, stun-grenade through the hole. It exploded in spectacular form, leaving only a screaming baby Cobus in its wake. I reached through the shotgun hole and opened the door. I didn’t draw my Colt. Cobus reacted badly to the blast, so I simply flipped him over and restrained our poor baby.

  “Go take care of the bill and make sure the front desk knows we’ll pay for damages, T.”

  “On it.”

  Tommy returned with a very annoyed manager. “I showed him my FBI credentials. He wants to see yours. He wants us to explain who pays for the lost revenue while the room is out of service.”

  I showed him my FBI credentials. “Sorry about this, but Cobus is a very dangerous serial rapist. He fired a shotgun blast through the door when we knocked. We will have a contractor come over right away, estimate and fix the damage, along with paying for the days it takes him to repair the damage.”

  “Very well… then I will leave you to it. You’re John Harding, the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Why didn’t you just knock him out?”

  “It’s hard to put a rear naked choke on a guy with a shotgun.”

  The manager chuckled. He handed Tommy his iPhone. “Understood. I’ll need a picture with you, me and the prisoner for over the front desk.”

  I yanked Cobus to his feet, manager on one side, me on the other. Tommy took the picture, showed it to the manager for confirmation, and handed the phone back.

  “This is great. Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  We collected everything in the motel room into the suitcase Cobus had there. The illegal sawed-off shotgun fit too. I walked Cobus down to our vehicle with Tommy trailing us and watching our backs with the bags. Cobus decided now would be a great time to begin threatening us with all manner of brutality and financial retribution. I finally bitch slapped him with the same power I nearly knocked the tats off The Berserker’s face with. It dropped him to his knees.

  “Shut your pie-hole and add that one to your list of complaints; but do it in silence.”

  “I will put you on my list, Harding!”

  I nearly broke his neck with the bitch slap I gave him in reply. “Oh my… slow learner. Want another lesson in silence?”

  Cobus stared silently at the cement. I dead-lifted him to his feet again. Tommy loaded the bags while I stuffed the chasten
ed Cobus into the backseat. We rode to Pain Central in quiet mode with Tommy keeping an eye and drawn weapon on Cobus. We take no chances during prisoner transport. Real life is not like the movies, where prisoners use paper clips and hidden crap to break free and kill their guards, at least not in Monster reality. Inside Pain Central, with help from the minion on duty, Silvio, we hooked Cobus to the interrogation table with our podiatry machine. He was not happy. I didn’t care. I put the ball gag on him.

  “In case you haven’t realized it yet, we’re not the regular federal authorities. We have questions to be answered and you will answer them eventually. I hooked needles into the nerve bunches in your feet where I can apply heat, current, or both. It’s something that must be experienced to appreciate. Here’s the demo, buddy. I’ll see you on the other side.”

  I’m not Lynn. She works the machine like a surgeon. I need to be extra careful not to blow the subject’s brain pan into blood-soaked ruin. When I finished with Cobus though, he understood the basics. I wish I could have lightened the moment by letting Cobus tell us we couldn’t torture him. We love that one, but time was of the essence because we needed to plan what to do with him. Our needy Captain Hook had not been given his treats recently. I didn’t want him getting upset and ramming Sea Wolf, or worse yet, taking a piece out of the Dark Lord during training. I had a line of questioning to clear the matter up, one way or the other. We waited for coherency to return. It took nearly fifteen minutes. I had been a little harsh… waaaahhhh…”

  I removed the ball gag. “Do you understand now what your part in this is? I can explain it to you with the machine again if you’d like.”

  “No! I…I understand. What do you want?”

  “First, I need to explain a few facts. I’m like a human lie detector. When I’m unsure, I reboot the machine until I’m satisfied. You don’t want that. Believe me. Now… I want to know how many women you killed that the police don’t know about. Be convincing!”

  “Six! Don’t burn me! It was six!”

  “Convincing. Recite their names and what you did with them. Do not leave out details. We will check. If you screw this up, I will blast your brain into mush over three days.”

  Cobus did as ordered. He believed me… good thing. When he finished, his ending became the only option. I would check on anything being leaked by the La Quinta manager, but it wouldn’t matter, Cobus would be Captain Hook’s tasty treat. I figured a day in the water, training and attracting Hook for Kade to see would be a real thrill. I would ride Hook with my shark fin hat and reward my swimming dinosaur with a Cobus happy meal.

  “We know someone pulled strings to get you paroled and then later released you for peanuts after a DUI arrest. You should have been back in prison instantly. Who did all that?”

  “Andria Assio-Warez! She hates your guts. She wants you dead… and instead… now… I’m dead. I don’t know how she pulled strings from New York. That… that’s the truth.”

  Cobus surprised me. I exchanged confused looks with Tommy and Silvio, taking a second before going on. I had a hunch the culprits were the lame duck Governor and Lieutenant Governor. I figured Assio-Warez would need to be dealt with at a later date because the word traitor doesn’t cover what that moronic bitch is. Her brain impulses probably resemble two rocks being rubbed together.

  “Let’s get this officially on record. I believe you; but go ahead and tell us who bug-eye wanted dead.”

  “You… and I was going to do one other on my own nickel… that bastard Vinnie Borton. The prick sold me out and then stole my fiancée.”

  “You rape and kill women… you moron!” Tommy motioned me to light him up again. “What… you think your so-called fiancée would be waiting for you to get out of prison as some kind of side dish?”

  “I can’t do it, Tommy,” I told him. “Cobus told us everything.”

  I handed him the hot-shot syringe into hell.

  Tommy looked at it. “I just wish this prick’s ending could be more painful.”

  I thought about it and turned to Cobus. “How would you like a chance to get out of here alive, big C?”

  “What do I need to do?”

  “I’ll give you a chance to fulfill your contract on me and walk out of here. We fight one on one: no rules. Winner walks. Only one caveat. If you win, you leave Vinnie Borton and his family alone, or my people will hunt your ass down. They will make you pray for death. Or, you can take the nice easy death syringe Tommy’s holding.”

  “I want you! Let me up and I’ll tear your fucking head off! How do I know your friends will let me leave if I kill you?”

  “Give Cobus and me your word, guys. Sorry, big C, but that’s all I can give you. These two never break their word to me.”

  Tommy and Silvio both gave their word audibly to me.

  “This will be messy, T.”

  “I know. Thank you, DL. It’s what I want,” Tommy replied.

  “You got it, brother.” I unstrapped Cobus. “Take your time getting ready. Put your socks and shoes on and stretch.”

  I handed him a water bottle. He drained it, put on his footwear, and did some stretching. When he stopped, I put on my MMA gloves. “Good. Step outside the room and pick out your place to die.”

  Cobus chortled. “A lot of men thought they could take me. Most are dead now.”

  “Thanks for the newsflash. Go pick your spot before I end you right here.”

  Cobus stepped out of Lynn’s podiatry clinic, his amusement beginning to grate on my nerves. I struggled with how I wanted to make this prick pay and for how long. He stopped, turned and launched rapid fire punches. I batted him sideways with an arm strike and round-housed a kick to his ribcage. I pulled it enough not to break anything. For the next twenty minutes I turned Cobus into a bloody apparition of himself. His arms dropped.

  “I…I’m done. Give me the syringe.”

  I snatched his throat and showed it to him as he clutched his neck, gagging and collapsing to the floor. I dropped his throat in front of Cobus’s spasming face. “That ship sailed, partner.”

  “Damn… DL,” Silvio said, “that was one hellacious beatdown.”

  “Good one, John,” Tommy stated. “I’ll go with you to feed Hook.”

  “I’ll prep him now. I promised Kade he could see Hook. I’ll give Lora and Al a chance to come along. I feel great. Let’s do a workout, so I can put on my shark hat.”

  “You are one crazy bastard… okay… I’m in. I’ll call Lucas,” Tommy replied. “Come with us Silvio. We’ll need someone on the fifty in case Hook doesn’t want to play anymore.”

  “Yes!” Silvio pumped a fist. “I promise not to get an itchy trigger finger on your gill-brother, DL.”

  “I’ll prep Cobus now after I sell this excursion to my lovely wife and daughter. I already know Kade will be ready to journey out on the waves. Let’s get this done, brothers.”

  * * *

  “I don’t have a clue why I let you talk me into this,” Lora stated.

  “Calm waters, sunshine, cloudless day, salt-sea air and Kade happy as hell,” I replied while donning my banana suit.

  “This is great, Dad! I… oh man…” Al stared over the side where a truly spectacular sight paced at our side. “It…it’s Hook.”

  Kade squealed, jumping up and down on the bench where Lora held him steady. Captain Hook cleared the surface of the ocean, his gigantic shadow nearly put the Sea Wolf into darkness. I enveloped both Lora and Al as they cringed with little Kade clutched in their arms.

  “Oh my God!” Lora cried out.

  Kade stared in openmouthed wonder, pointing excitedly. “Hook!”

  “That’s him, son. Calm down, Lora. Silvio has him in his sights with magazines of fifty caliber hollow point spent uranium loads. One burst and we’ll need a pressure cooker to make shark-fin soup.”

  Kade twisted toward me. “Don’t kill, Hook! Please… Dad?”

  “I won’t kid, as long as he doesn’t try to kill us. We brought treats along f
or him after I work out.”

  Lucas slowed to a stop. I went into the water with my shark-fin hat on and got into position for my workout with Tommy handling Rocky poke pole. An excellent training session followed with me showing off for my family and Captain Hook bumping and playing around me. Tommy called time and I boarded Captain Hook, holding on to his fin while stroking him where he loved to be stroked, over his nose like a huge puppy dog. Hook cleared the water and plunged back under the sea, giving me the ride of a lifetime. He circled the boat and I patted him as I boarded at the fantail.

  “Wow! Wow, Dad!” Kade looked ready to jump out of his skin. “Can I go with you?”

  “Kade!” Lora and Al both exclaimed.

  I patted his hand. “Maybe someday, kid… when you get older. Go below with Mom and Sis. They’ll give you some treats while I give Hook some treats, okay?”

  “I want to see.”

  “I know… but not this time.”

  “Okay, Dad.

  They went below decks. I began feeding Hook big pieces of monster Cobus. Naturally with the sheer amount of chum on the water, his pack circled, allowing the big dog to eat his fill. I don’t know how he does it other than diving and working his threshing machine mouth, but he now always returns to the fantail, bobbing his head out of the water, showing me his clean mouth.

  “Ah… who’s a good boy? Captain Hook is!”

  Hook slid alongside the fantail, so I could stroke his cute little face and head. I saw a YouTube video with a diver stroking a shark’s head. It works. Hook loves it. I usually stroke his face for about fifteen minutes. He then zooms off, clears the water once, and then it’s Hi-yo, Silver! Away. Yeah… I know I’m sick. Silvio kept the fifty zeroed on Hook the whole time. Lucas and Tommy brought Lora and the kids above deck to watch the stroking time from the bridge. They don’t want any part of Hook. After Lucas got under way, steering toward our home dock, I shed my banana suit and shark fin hat.

  “I’m going below to shower. I’ll be right back.”

  “I…I didn’t know you petted that monster,” Lora said. “I thought the guys were joking.”