Perilous (9 page)

“Wow,” Callie said.

We walked into Melissa’s large kitchen. Two lights hung from the tin ceiling. White cabinets with gray granite countertops lined the walls. A decorative hood hung over the stove and oven area. The center island was a work of art. I’d remembered my sister speaking of having it built. Apparently, a custom woodworker had built it to match the original cabinetry. I’d never asked the price, but looking at it made me not want to. It couldn’t have been cheap or even affordable. The original wood floors shone as if new. I wheeled our suitcases to the stairwell and parked them.

Melissa took a seat at one of the chairs at the center island, and Callie did the same.

“What’s up with Dad?” Melissa asked.

I walked over. “I talked to him and Sandy yesterday. I told them Callie and I would be up Saturday morning. Were you guys going to come?”

“We talked about it. I’m not sure one hundred percent yet, though. Jeff was talking like he had to work on Saturday. So we’ll see, I guess. Are they coming back down here with you guys?”

“That’s the plan. He said that he and Sandy would head back with us on Monday. I figured we’ll all hang out Monday night and maybe go grab some dinner or something. Then Tuesday, we’re off,” I said.

“Okay. Well, if they are coming for sure on Monday, I guess it’s not that big of a deal if we can make it up or not.”

I rocked my head back and forth.

“He’s been acting weird lately,” Melissa said.

I tried to keep my eye rolling to a minimum. “How has he been acting weird, Mel?”

“Don’t ask me all sarcastic like.”

“Sorry. I’ll try again. How has he been acting weird?”

“It’s like he is scared about getting older. I think he’s sensing his own mortality or something.”

“Are you sure that’s not just you thinking that way?”

“No. I asked Sandy. You know she would never come out and say that Dad is worried about something, but she kind of hinted to it.”

“This is all pretty vague, Mel. I’m going to need an example.”

“He was talking to me about a will a few weeks back.”

I was quiet. I’d never heard my father ever mention anything about a will in his life. “I’ll try to talk to him and see what’s up.”

“Yeah, good luck with that. He won’t tell you anything. You know how he is,” Melissa said.

I saw her point. My father wasn’t one for long, drawn-out talks about feelings.

“Well, what’s on the agenda for today, then?” Melissa asked.

“Take a shower, change, and then I wanted to stop in at the old station and say hi to a few people. I figured I would just get it out of the way today.”

She looked at Callie and smiled. “Does that sound like something you want to do on vacation?”

“Um,” Callie said.

“Why don’t you take the old 4Runner in the garage and go say hi to your buddies? Callie, Tommy, and I will find something more entertaining to do.”

“Like?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Mall and a movie or something?”

“I’m fine with that if you are, Cal.”

She smiled. “A mall and a movie does sound like a better time than sitting at a police station. Sorry.”

“You don’t want to hear me and the guys rehash cases from years back?”

Callie smiled. “I’ll let you give me the highlights later.”

“All right.” I kissed Callie on the forehead. “I’m going to take the bags upstairs and change.”

“Sounds good.”

I carried everything up to the guest room and was cleaned up within fifteen minutes. When I walked back down, the two were in the same spot in the kitchen, talking. I walked behind Callie and rested my arms on her shoulders. “I guess I’m going to head down there. I should be back around six or seven.”

“Later, babe.” She rubbed my arm.

“We should be back around then, too. If we’re not and Jeff isn’t home, there is a key under the mat. We’ll plan on a later dinner. Maybe eight o’clock or so.”

“You know that is about the most unsafe place in the world for a key to your house, right?”

She waved away my comment. “Thanks for the tip, Johnny Law.”

Callie laughed.

I said my goodbyes and drove to downtown Milwaukee, to my old station. The place looked the same, as did most of the people. I chewed the fat with the guys I had worked with for almost two hours. I spent another half hour talking with my old captain, Ken Rhodes. He was doing well. My old partner, Jim Gase, wasn’t in. I decided to make a return trip before my time in Milwaukee was over, to see him. I was on my way back to my sister’s place a few minutes before six.

The night played out as planned. I heard about the animated movie the three had gone to see. Callie had two new pairs of shoes we would somehow have to fit into our luggage. Jeff and I talked sports while the girls went into everything Callie could expect as her pregnancy progressed. Tommy darted from room to room in the house, playing with toys. After Tommy went to bed, the four of us sat around the fire in the living room and talked. Jeff and I had a few beers while my sister and Callie drank some nonalcoholic wine that Melissa had picked up. We stayed up until a little past midnight.

Yury knocked on the hotel room door. A moment of darkness could be seen in the door’s peep hole. Yury knocked harder. He heard the sound of the door being unlatched from the other side, and it swung open. Ramon stood in the doorway, wearing different-colored tactical gear, similar to what he’d worn the previous day.

Yury walked past Ramon into the hotel room, two large duffel bags hanging from his hands. Ramon closed the door at his back and followed. The room spread out to the right. Two empty beds, a television on a dresser, and a small table filled the room.

Yury walked to the table and slid out a chair. He set the duffel bags beside the bed.

“Everything you requested is in these two bags. I expect it all back when you’re finished.”

“Okay,” Ramon said. He knelt and unzipped the bag to check the contents. “It looks like it’s all there.”

“That’s what I just told you. Are all of your men in the next room?”

“They are.”

“No issues with the flight or the hotel?” Yury asked.

“No, everything has gone smooth.”

Yury pulled two sets of car keys from his pocket and tossed them onto the table. “There’s two black Chevy Malibus sitting downstairs in the parking lot.”

“Both ours?”

“Yes. I have my own vehicle.” Yury handed Ramon a scrap of paper. “This is the location your targets are at right now. I want you, and two of your guys, there.” He handed him another scrap of paper. “I want the other two here.”

“Why do you want the men split up?”

“As a failsafe, in case it all doesn’t go according to plan at the first address. Have your men in position at the second address before dawn.”

“Failsafe?”

“I want your guys to grab the lieutenant’s parents prior to taking a shot at him or the woman.”

“There was no mention of this. No one said anything about kidnapping.”

Yury pulled his head back in surprise. “Kidnapping is something you’re concerned about, yet murder is okay? It’s called a failsafe for a reason. Don’t fail down here, and we won’t have to worry about it. Two of your guys will be paid for babysitting for a few hours. Is this going to be a problem?”

“No. How far away are these addresses?”

“Do I look like a GPS? Look it up. The phones I gave you have the Internet on them.”

“Can you tell me anything about either place?” Ramon asked. With his finger, he flicked the scraps of paper. “I like to be prepared.”

“Where they are at now is a big house in the middle of nowhere. Your men shouldn’t have any problems. The second address is a few hours north. It should be pretty remote.”

“When do you want this done, exactly?”

“Tomorrow morning. The cleaner you can do it, the better. Use the long-range rifles. As soon as you can get a shot on both of them, take it. But I want those guys at the second address to have the parents before a bullet is fired. They should leave soon.”

“I got it.”

“Make sure your men get photo evidence.”

Ramon nodded.

“Call me when it’s done.”

“You should be hearing from me tomorrow morning.”

“When you’re through, come back to this hotel room and wait.”

“All right.”

Yury stood and walked toward the door. He stopped at the dresser and rummaged through his pocket. He slid a few hundred-dollar bills from his money clip and set them next to the television. “Gas money and food.”

“Thanks,” Ramon said.

Yury walked to the door and left.

Ramon put on his shoes, grabbed the money from the dresser, and walked next door. He slid his hotel keycard in the door and entered. Two of the men, going by the names Alexander and Rodrigo, sat on the edge of the beds watching the television. The other two, going by Alejandro and Daniel, sat at the table playing dominoes.

“I have our orders,” Ramon said.

“What are they?” Alexander asked.

“Two of you will be traveling to an address a couple hours north. Rodrigo, Daniel, that will be you. You are to secure the parents of the male target prior to a shot being fired. Alexander, Alejandro, you’ll be coming with me.”

“Why are we doing that?” Rodrigo asked.

“This is how they want it done. Let’s not start getting into asking questions. Let’s do this how they ask, get paid, and get out.”

“What’s the breakdown?” Alexander asked.

“Fifty grand a piece on the cop. Another ten a piece on the woman.”

Rodrigo let out a little whistle. “That’s what I’m talking about.” He swatted at Alexander sitting near him, who smiled.

“I told you guys, this is the big time. No more smash-and-grabs. No more knocking over convenience stores. A few years of this, and you can be spending the rest of your lives on a beach somewhere,” Ramon said.

The men smiled.

“Guns?” Rodrigo asked.

“I have them next door. Everything that we asked for is there. They want this done tomorrow morning.” He handed Rodrigo the address in northern Wisconsin. “Look that up and see what time you’ll have to leave. You should be up there before dawn.”

Rodrigo plugged the address into his phone. “It looks like a little over three hours away.”

“Leave around two a.m. That will give you enough time to thoroughly check the place out before going in.”

“What did the guy get us for wheels?” Daniel asked.

“Two newer Chevys. The cars are in the lot outside. I have the keys in my room.” Ramon checked the time. “Grab a couple hours of sleep now. It will be time to go soon.”

The men nodded.

Ramon looked at Rodrigo. “Be over at my room by one forty-five a.m. We’ll split up the guns, and you guys can head out. Our employer gave us a little pocket money.” He divvied up the money Yury had left for them and handed it out to his men.

I walked downstairs to the kitchen. My sister was filling the coffee maker.

“Where’s Tommy?” I asked.

“Already gone. Jeff drops him off at kindergarten on his way to work. I pick him up just before noon.”

I sat at the island in the kitchen. “How’s he doing in school?”

“The teachers say great. It’s just kindergarten—mostly just artwork and socializing.” Melissa turned toward me and leaned against the counter. “Is Callie still asleep?”

“Yeah. What do you think of her?”

“She’s pretty.”

“Aside from that.”

“You know I was pulling for you and Sam. Looking back now, I probably should have kept my nose out of it in the first place. Sam is my friend. You are my big brother. Whatever makes you happy makes me happy. Aside from that, I can see why you like Callie. She’s fun. I could see her as a sister, I guess.”

“Slow down.”

“What? You are going to marry her, aren’t you, Carl?”

“It seems pretty quick to be thinking about that.”

Melissa grabbed two coffee cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter. “It’s the right thing to do. She’s pregnant. There’s no woman on the planet that wants to have a baby and not be married.”

“What about the whole not wanting to be big in a wedding dress?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just think about it.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m serious.”

“Fine.” I got up and walked over to her. I jerked my chin at the coffee maker. “Is that thing done?”

“Yeah.” She took a cup, filled it, and handed it to me. “There’s creamer in the fridge.”

I opened the door, grabbed the creamer, and added a little to my cup. Then I heard footsteps upstairs. Callie was awake.

“She’ll want a cup, right?” Melissa asked.

I nodded and made her one.

Callie walked down a few seconds after it was ready.

“Good morning,” she said and kissed my cheek.

“Morning, babe,” I said.

“Good morning,” Melissa said.

I slid Callie’s cup of coffee over to her.

“Aww, thanks. I need this. I think I have jetlag or something. I couldn’t get up this morning. Actually, I’ve been tired a lot lately.”

“That’s called being pregnant,” Melissa said.

Callie smiled. “Probably. I think I read something about that. I about wore out the keys on my computer researching every weird feeling you could imagine. Being tired seems like the least of my worries to come.”

Melissa smiled. “It’s not that bad.”

I looked at Callie’s coffee. She hadn’t taken a sip. “Oh, sorry. Creamer?” I asked.

“Please,” she said.

I walked to the refrigerator to grab it. I pulled the handle of the door, and I heard a faint pop, followed by the sound of glass shattering, and the refrigerator door pulled from my hand.

“What the hell was that?” Melissa asked.

I looked at the other side of the refrigerator door. Above a photo of Tommy attached to the door by a magnet, was a hole—a bullet hole. I heard another faint pop and dropped to the floor. Another bullet plugged into the refrigerator where I’d stood.

“Mel, Callie, get on the floor!” I yelled.

“What the hell is going on?” my sister yelled.

“Just get down!”

Callie stared at me and slid from the kitchen chair to the floor. Melissa ducked down behind the other side of the kitchen island.