The Heart of an Assassin (23 page)

Very early the next morning, O’Malley called
Eric and asked him to come in. He sat with Eric for a few hours
before Tyler was scheduled to be in, discussing the incident that
occurred up on 127th street and St. Nicholas. “I don’t know,
Captain. I can’t believe that he would do that. I simply can’t
believe that he would really do something like that,” Eric kept
saying to O’Malley.

Tyler walked into the precinct at around 8:00
a.m. and was told O’Malley wanted to see him. He walked in and was
surprised to see Eric there. “What’s going on, Captain?” he asked,
nodding at Eric.

“Tyler, someone offed the Spades last night
up at 127th and St. Nicholas. Do you know anything about this?” he
asked him.

“Why should I?” Tyler responded.

“Where were you last night?” the captain
asked him.

“Home, where else would I be?” he
responded.

“Can anyone verify that?” he asked Tyler.

“Sure, my neighbors. They shared some sugar
with me,” he responded. “Why? You don’t think I had anything to do
with this, do you?”

“Actually, there is a witness who says it was
a white male. Also says he can identify him in a lineup,” O’Malley
told Tyler.

“Really, and who is this witness?” asked
Tyler.

“He’s a member of their gang. He said he
heard the shots, and when he got there, several of their gang
members were dead,” the captain finished.

“And he says he can identify the assailant?”
Tyler asked.

“As a matter of fact this guy says the
shooter identified himself as a cop,” the captain added.

“Wow. Why would a law-abiding officer go
around shooting scum like that?” Tyler asked the captain. “So let
me get this straight. Some gang member, responsible for drug
trafficking and probably murder, identified a cop as a shooter of
his beloved friends?”

The captain stared back at Tyler and realized
what Tyler was saying, realizing that there was no turning back for
Tyler. That, though he might not be able to prove it, Tyler had
killed in cold blood. It pained the captain, as well as Eric, as
they stared at Tyler.

“Until this is settled and you are cleared,
you are hereby confined to desk duty,” ordered the captain. Tyler
stared at the captain for a few seconds. He turned to Eric and
smiled. Got up, walked out of the office and over to his desk, and
began working.

After several weeks, the charges against
Tyler were dropped as the witness could not identify Tyler as the
shooter as he first claimed. It was proven that it was too dark and
that the witness had lied about the incident. He was running away
from the scene when the shooting occurred and not toward it. This
put his testimony and integrity at risk. With no testimony and no
shell casings or bullets, the case had been dropped due to
insufficient evidence.

O’Malley was pleased with the results, but
knew in his heart that justice had not been served. Tyler had
gotten away with murder. This did not sit well with O’Malley, and
after several days following the verdict, he called Tyler into his
office.“Tyler, you are like a son to me. I promised your uncle that
I would look after you. So I must hear it from you, for my own
sake. Did you have anything to do with the execution of those three
men?” he asked Tyler, staring into his eyes.

Tyler stared back at him and smiled. “Of
course, I did,” Tyler answered in a matter-of-fact way. O’Malley
stared at him and froze at Tyler’s words. How could I not have
known him after all these years, thought O’Malley.

Tyler got up and meticulously removed his
badge and his gun and placed them on the captain’s desk. “I am
sorry I disappointed you. But those bastards did not deserve to
live after the suffering they caused Mrs. Johnson. It’s as simple
as that. Good¬bye, Captain. It was an honor serving under you,”
Tyler said as he exited his office.

The captain stood up and watched Tyler leave.
What will become of you, son, O’Malley thought as he watched him
leave.

August 14, 1984

The morning sun lit up Tyler’s room, causing
him to place the pillow over his head to try blocking the blinding
light. It had now been several weeks since Tyler walked out of the
precinct.

Looks like it’s going to be another hot day
in the city, Tyler thought to himself.

After a minute or so, Tyler sat up in bed and
looked around as if he didn’t know where he was. He got up, walked
into the kitchen, started the coffee brewing, and went into the
bathroom where he relieved himself. He walked back into the
bedroom, grabbed a change of clothes, then back into the bathroom
to shave and take a shower. A few minutes later, he was in the
kitchen drinking his morning coffee. On the table was the mail he
had picked up the night before. Tyler seldom got mail, and when he
did, it was either a bill or someone trying to sell him something
he didn’t need. As he sifted through the mail, he came upon a
letter from a lawyer. Uh-oh, thought Tyler. Is someone suing me?
Tyler opened the letter and read:

- - - - - - - - -- -- - - --

Dear Mr. Santiago,

We have been instructed to contact you in the
event our client has not contacted us in over a month. As such is
the case, we are obligated to advise you that you are to take
possession of all of our client’s worldly goods.

Included in the envelope is a one-way ticket
to California where a representative of our firm will meet you at
the airport, and provide you with transportation and information
regarding this transaction. So that there is no misunderstanding,
you are required to bring proof of identification

If you wish to contact us, you may reach us
at the number provided.

Respectfully yours.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

“What the hell is this all about?” Tyler
muttered to himself.

Tyler stared at the letter for a couple of
minutes while he drank his coffee. After a minute or so, he got up
and made himself some scrambled eggs and a piece of ham. He sat
back down and reread the letter.

The time was now 10:00 a.m. here, so it would
only be around 7:00 a.m. in California. Guess I’ll go for my
morning run and call later, Tyler thought to himself.

After his morning run, Tyler stopped by a
local café, had another cup of coffee while he sat and read the
morning paper. It was a beautiful day, and he so enjoyed just
watching how the city came to life. Across the street, he watched
as some kids were playing stickball, and his mind wandered back to
his childhood when stickball was part of a daily routine, when
there were no cares in the world.

Suddenly, the quietness was interrupted with
the sound of several teenagers driving by with their car radio
blaring, honking their horns while screaming out obscenities to a
rather attractive girl walking down the sidewalk. “Oye chica. You
want me, baby?” he heard them shout out. Tyler stared at them for a
few seconds as they faded into the distance. Someday someone is
going to throw a grenade into one of those cars, Tyler thought to
himself.

A couple of hours later, Tyler was back in
his apartment. He decided to make the call to California. After a
couple of rings, someone answered. “Yes, may I help you?”

“Yeah, my name is Tyler Santiago, and I rec .
. .”

The voice on the other side immediately
interrupted Tyler.“Yes, Mr. Santiago, we have been expecting your
call. Everything will be explained to you upon your arrival. Let me
assure you this is not a scam of any sort, and we are looking
forward to meeting and, hopefully, doing business with you. Just
let us know your arrival date, and as promised, we will be there to
greet you.”

Tyler listened intently and after a few
minutes responded, “Okay. I’ll let you know when I’ll be arriving.”
What the hell. It isn’t as if I have any real plans, he thought to
himself.

A Blast from the Past

August 18, 1984

Carrying an overnight bag, Tyler was greeted
at the San Francisco International Airport by a man dressed up like
a chauffeur holding up a sign with his name on it. “Mr. Santiago?”
asked the greeter as Tyler approached.

“Yes, but call me Tyler.”

Without any response to what Tyler had just
asked of him, he went on. “I am here to take you to the firm. May I
take your bag?” he asked Tyler.

“No. I can carry it myself,” Tyler
responded.

“Of course, please follow me.” He indicated
to Tyler the direction he was taking.

Tyler was immediately hit with the hot summer
air as he exited the airport. “Man, it’s hot here,” he commented to
the chauffeur. Never responding or acting as if he had heard Tyler,
he walked to the back of a nearby limousine and opened the back
door for Tyler. Tyler stepped into a nicely air-conditioned and
spacious limo. Man, this is the life, Tyler thought to himself.

As the driver took his place, he advised
Tyler to enjoy any of the beverages in the cooler in front of him.
Tyler opened the cooler to find a bottle of champagne, a couple of
beers, and several soda cans of different flavors. He grabbed a can
of root beer and sat back to enjoy the scenery.

Approximately half an hour later, they
arrived at their destination. Tyler stepped out of the limousine
and found himself in front of a small office building where another
gentleman walked down the few steps to greet him with an extended
hand. After introducing himself, he led Tyler into the building and
into a small conference room where, after formally identifying
Tyler, he provided him with the details of his client’s
instructions, which took approximately twenty minutes.

As the lawyer stood up, he handed Tyler a set
of keys, one for a car that belonged to his client and was parked
outside, and the other to his client’s house. The lawyer also
provided Tyler with instructions on how to get to the house as well
as one thousand dollars in cash.

Tyler was overwhelmed. Though he never heard
of the client, Tyler never let on. Best to wait till all the cards
have been played before showing your hand, Tyler thought to
himself.

“I hope you enjoy your stay in California,
and if we can be of any service, please do not hesitate to call.
You have our number,” the lawyer concluded as he rose and showed
Tyler out to where his car was waiting; a black GLX 1983 Ford
Mustang convertible. Tyler shook the lawyer’s hand once more, got
into the GLX, and drove off. Man, this is like a fuckin’ dream,
Tyler thought to himself.

A mile down the road, Tyler pulled over and
looked at the instructions on how to get to the guy’s house. Who
was this guy? Obviously, he has me mixed up with someone else,
Tyler thought to himself.

A few minutes later, Tyler arrived at the
address. It was a nice-looking house. Tyler was surprised that the
key to the front door actually worked.

Walking in, he was overwhelmed by the ocean
view from the living room. Man, what a place, he thought to
himself. Still no clue to what was going on, he began to explore
the various rooms. Then he saw it. There on the nightstand next to
the bed was a picture.

Holding the picture, Tyler sat there staring
at it. The picture slipped through his fingers as the realization
and grief enveloped him. It was a picture of his mom holding a
baby, and next to his mom was a younger version of the man Tyler
met over twenty years ago. The same man who killed Judge Samual
Livingston. The man who had been known by many as Nick Costello and
was later found to be Theodosio Gresco. The same man Tyler shot and
watched fall to his death.

To be continued . . .

Follow the life of Tyler Santiago in the
exciting conclusion; The Legacy of the Assassin.

See how it all started in the exciting
prequel; The Birth of an Assassin.