Above Ground (2 page)

Lance, along with two others, had tried to kill Jack once, believing that he was a police informant. Jack had
escaped with Danny's help. Danny grimaced when he thought of how close Jack had come to dying. That was one of the first lessons he had learned from Jack about seeing the big picture.

Danny would have arrested those involved. Jack had another idea. He knew that Lance was a family man with four children and a lot to lose. He used this as leverage to convince Lance to become their informant. Having an informant in Satans Wrath was almost unheard of.

Unfortunately, the same was not true in reverse. Satans Wrath routinely developed informants of their own. In short, Lance was in an extremely precarious situation and Jack insisted that Lance's real name never be used. He was simply referred to as
our friend.
It also left Jack and Danny in a position where morality had to be carefully weighed and sorted out. It was a task that Danny found difficult.
How much evil do you allow on the prospect of stopping a larger evil?
There was something else that had bothered Danny since he had begun to work with Jack.
The law and morality may not coincide when your own family is threatened.

Danny thought back to the ambush attempt on their lives and the biker who had threatened his family. It was someone he could have arrested ... but didn't. Danny was lucky. Lucky to have survived the ambush and lucky that Connie Crane in the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team purposely ignored evidence indicating exactly how the biker had died.

Danny had become a changed man since working with Jack. His understanding of right and wrong was now a tangled mess. Jack had brought him into a world where the rules were different and the laws of society were held in contempt. A world where the strong murder the weak. To survive, you have to be strong. If you're not strong, you die ... or someone you love dies. Jack had
survived for a long time. Danny hoped he would too.

Lance nodded as they approached, then said, “Got some news for ya that ought to make ya happy. Our chapter had our elections. I made it. You're now lookin' at the new president of the west-side chapter.”

“Excellent,” said Jack, giving him a thumbs-up. “Way to go. Next thing you know you'll be national president.”

“Not a chance,” chuckled Lance. “I know my limitations. Damien is a lot smarter than I am. I don't know anybody that could replace him and do as good a job, including the guys back east.”

“How did it go with us taking down the labs today? Any heat?”

“No heat, but you screwed up. You missed two of 'em.”

“We tried. I think they were tipped.”

“Warned ya. Told ya you had a narc talkin' to the club.”

“Would be nice if you found out who. We had over sixty cops involved.”

“You two go to all seven places yourselves?”

“No, Danny and I just coordinated and sat back. My name is on all the search warrants for providing the information, but we try to keep out of court as much as possible.”

“Heard on the news you arrested thirteen. Word is you got Petro.”

“He received the money. Case on him is weak but we charged him anyway.”

“Serves him right. He should have stuck to arson. That's his specialty.”

“Explains the nickname. We also nailed a striker. He collected the coin from the labs and gave it to Petro.”

“Silent Sam?”

“Yes. Charges on him should stick.”

Lance nodded.

“You've been doing well,” continued Jack. “Still no problems with that ship being taken down in San Diego?”

“Not a bit. Your buddy in the DEA did it right. What with all the security for terrorism these days, everybody figures the cops in the U.S. just got lucky.”

“I told you he would protect you. I wouldn't have used him if I didn't trust him.”

“Yeah, well, I guess you were right.”

“You told us that Damien fronted half the money for that shipment — $3 million U.S. He must be a little agitated.”

“He did get a lot of heat from the club until Carlos said he would eat the loss. Carlos says the money has been applied to the second shipment. Everyone is okay with Damien now.”

“A metric tonne of cocaine is a lot to eat,” added Jack.

Lance shrugged. “Not for Carlos. He runs one of the biggest cartels Colombia has. He's sending two more ships our way. Our deposit was just applied to the second ship. We pay the other half when it gets here. Then we get a couple of weeks to pay another $3 mil for the third ship and the rest on delivery. This time the ships are coming direct to Vancouver. A place where we got some control of the docks. Might be a bit dicier for me then, as I'll be in charge of the initial warehousing.”

“We'll look after you. I'd let the coke go rather than burn you.”

“Yeah, I know that. I trust ya.”

“I want to nail Damien, though.”

“Forget it. He won't be anywhere near the action.”

“I don't care!” said Jack, trying to control his anger. “He's still pulling the strings.”

The tone of Jack's voice did not go unnoticed by
either Lance or Danny.

Lance frowned and said, “A lot is happening in the club now. Damien seems more obsessed with what the Indos are up to. Now that I'm prez, I'll be in the know a lot more.”

“It's great what took place today,” said Danny. “You did good!”

“That you did,” added Jack. “I'm pleased. A tonne of coke three weeks ago and five labs today. We make one hell of a good team.”

“Don't know if being drafted makes me a good team member or not. I'll just be glad when I've paid my dues and am finished with all this.”

“You figure out a way for us to take down these other two ships and I'll say we're even. Might even buy you a gold watch as a retirement gift.”

“Forget it! Not if it's got ‘For loyal service to the RCMP' stamped on the back of it! Besides, as I said, I'll be in the middle of things. I'd rather follow through on our agreement and work for you for another four and a half years.” Lance gestured to the tombstones and added, “That would be better than retiring early and ending up in here.”

Jack's cellphone vibrated and he answered it. It was Connie Crane. Connie had once worked for the Homicide Section in the Major Crimes Unit. Now the homicide sections from the B.C. lower mainland, with the exception of Vancouver and Delta, had combined into what was known as the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, or I-HIT, as it was commonly called.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of a call from IHIT?” asked Jack. He heard Connie's sigh.

“Just called to let you know that I think there was a consequence to you taking down all those biker labs today,” she said.

“What's that?”

“You were just murdered!”

“What are you talking about?” Jack let out a chuckle and added, “I might have one foot on a grave right now, but I assure you, any rumours of my death are premature.”

“I'm at a homicide in Surrey. Looks like two professional hitters. Silencers used along with motorcycles for their escape. Shot a guy through the heart and then through the head. Also wounded his infant son, who is in critical condition at B.C. Children's right now.”

“What's it got to do with me?”

“The victim's name was Jack Taggart.”

Jack gave Lance a hard stare as he continued to talk. “Maybe it's a coincidence. Surrey, the guy is probably a —”

“He looks as pure as bottled water. No record. Not even a speeding ticket. Was about to graduate from UBC. Left a wife and two kids. If the little one survives, that is.”

“He was just a student?”

“Older than most. He held a management position with a company five years ago but it dissolved with the economic times. He then went to university to better himself. They were struggling but they both held down part-time jobs and saw it through.”

“What are the mom's and kids' names?”

“Holly is the mom. She has a toddler by the name of Jennifer and the baby is named Charlie.”

“Not related to me.”

“Holly said she hadn't intended to get pregnant with Charlie, as it added to their money worries, but from what I can tell they were still thrilled with Charlie's arrival.”

Jack didn't respond as he stared at Lance's face, waiting for any sign that he knew about the hit.

“Jack? You still there?”

“I'm here, CC.”

“Taking down five labs today — can't see that being a coincidence. Your name was on all the search warrants.”

Jack watched Lance closely as he spoke into the phone and said, “If Satans Wrath tried to kill me today...” He saw the surprised look on Lance's face and added, “Hold on.” He walked away so that he could talk in private. “I can't see Satans Wrath screwing up like this,” he continued. “They know what I look like! It's either amateurs or just a coincidence.”

“These weren't amateurs. They were too calm. They've done this before. Two guys, each with small-calibre pistols equipped with silencers. Both wearing motorcycle helmets with face visors. Two accomplices were waiting on motorcycles out front. The dad was holding his toddler. They shot through him to get the dad, then took their time and put one in his skull right in front of his wife and four-year-old daughter.”

“But the bikers know me,” was all Jack could think to say, as he looked over at Lance,
our supposed inside man at Satans Wrath!

“If it's not Satans Wrath, it has to be somebody you know! Who is it, Jack?”

“I don't know.”

“Bullshit! I know you. What have you done?”

What have I done!
The words echoed in Jack's head as he walked back to where Danny and Lance were standing. He told Danny what CC had told him, while staring at Lance for his reaction. He didn't have to wait long.

“Jesus Christ! It wasn't us! I'd have known!”

Neither Jack nor Danny replied.

“Maybe some stupid fuckers connected to the lower end of the labs. We'll whack 'em ourselves if it was.”

“I believe you,” said Jack. “Do some digging. If it was meant for me, find out who is behind it!”

“Maybe Bishop is behind it,” offered Lance. “I know he left the country, but that doesn't mean he didn't come back or isn't pulling the strings from someplace else.”

“It's not Bishop,” said Jack.

“You can't be sure. Just because —”

“I'm sure,” said Jack firmly. He gave Lance a look that meant there was no doubt about the words he spoke.

Lance had seen that look a few times before. It had been given by men he knew in Satans Wrath. It conveyed a message that could not be said aloud.

Jack and Danny watched Lance leave before heading back to their car. “What do you think?” asked Danny. “You sure it's not Bishop?”

“Satans Wrath wouldn't make a mistake like that. I bet when CC digs a little deeper she'll find out the guy owed money for drugs or gambling or something.”

“We going to call it a night?”

“I was going to drop in on Lucy at the lab. Tell her I appreciate all the extra hours she's putting in. I heard she already found speed residue on the money that was seized from Silent Sam's pockets.”

“Let me do that. With what just happened, maybe you should get home to Natasha.”

Jack hurried inside the office as soon as Danny dropped him off and placed a quick call to Natasha. She was concerned but accepted his explanation that he thought it was a coincidence.

“I've only been married to you for five months,” she said. “You better not be coming home with any bullet holes in you!”

“Hey, you're a doctor. You could patch me up.” Her silence told Jack that levity was not an option. “If, by some remote chance, it wasn't a coincidence, it had to be a moron to make a mistake like this. We'll find out who did it. In the meantime, make sure nobody pulls into the underground parking behind you. Check the camera before buzzing anybody in.”

“You on your way home?”

“I'm going to drop by B.C. Children's. Meet the victim's wife. See if I can get a feel for all this. If her husband is dirty, she'll know.”

“Jack...”

“What is it?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Jack made his inquiries at the hospital. Charlie Taggart, barely a year old, was in critical condition in the operating room. His mom and sister were both in a private room talking with a hospital counsellor.

The room was not difficult to locate. Jack could hear the crying and sobbing from within. He stood outside and waited.
Even if the guy was dirty, listening to this is bloody awful.
He decided to stroll down the hallway.

Eventually, Holly, with Jenny wrapped under one arm, left the room. She anxiously glanced at a doctor who approached, but he continued past. She could have stayed in the room with the counsellor but thought it would delay news of her son. Jack watched as she nervously stood in the corridor. When she noticed Jack approaching, she pulled Jenny closer.

Her face ... she hasn't a clue what is going on. Her eyes are as innocent as her little girl's. This is somehow a terrible mistake. Her husband shouldn't be in the morgue ... or Charlie on the operating table.

Jack's brain screamed at him like two separate entities. They were ripped apart because of me! It's me who should be in the morgue!

No! It can't be. This is all a coincidence ... nothing to do with me.

Jack didn't give his name to Holly but showed her his badge while introducing himself as a member of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He ushered Holly and Jenny to a waiting area and gently asked for the details of what happened.

Holly's response was in a monotone as she stared past Jack down the hall. She had told the other officer everything, she said. She opened her purse and handed Jack a business card.
Integrated Homicide Investigation Team — Cpl. Connie Crane
. Jack gave her the card back.