Текст книги "Jack Taggart Mysteries 7 - Book Bundle"

Автор книги: Don Easton

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Текущая страница: 117 (всего у книги 141 страниц)

chapter forty

Jack stirred as a blinding pain in his skull brought him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw El Pero sitting on a kitchen chair facing him from the hallway outside the laundry room. The long-barrelled revolver was shoved in his belt and he was skimming the pages of a Playboy magazine before pausing to hold up the centrefold.

El Pero saw Jack watching him and turned the picture around for Jack to see. “No more of this, for you, gringo!”

Jack did not respond, but El Pero laughed and shouted down the hallway in Spanish. Jack’s brain was too numb to follow the conversation, but a couple of men in the kitchen also laughed and yelled back.

El Pero went back to looking at more pictures and Jack tried to focus. If he turned his head slowly, images no longer appeared like multiple overlaps of themselves. He stared at El Pero while carefully cupping the pipe with his hands. His muscles strained, but he was unable to turn the pipe from where it was attached to the laundry tub.

A rubber drain plug dangling over the side of the tub gave him an idea. He could use the small spring steel loop attaching the chain to the drain plug to pick the handcuffs … given enough time and privacy.

Jack brooded about how to get El Pero to close the door. The room already reeked and he toyed with the idea that if he defecated, it might cause El Pero to close the door. But then what? Open the door and try to grab his gun? Even if I succeeded, the guys in the kitchen would gun me down … not to mention the snipers outside.

He looked at the other items in the room. The containers of bleach and ammonia sitting next to a mop, broom, and dustpan in the corner gave him another idea.

A combination of bleach and ammonia together produce a deadly chlorine gas. If I do get El Pero to close the door and get free, I could use the dust pan to pour them slowly out under the crack of the door. Maybe El Pero will die. I could sneak out and take his gun and … what the hell am I thinking? Great idea for a movie or a book. Not so good in real life … there has to be another way …

Big Al’s conversation about what they would learn from his torture came back to haunt him. He thought of Natasha and Mikey. For a moment, a small, half-smile formed on his lips as he recalled the moment.

Michael Edward Taggart … you’re our little boy. Michael Edward Taggart, you’re our pride and joy. Michael Edward Taggart, you’re such a little clown. Michael Edward Taggart, you’re fun to have around!

Jack’s smile disappeared as he reached a decision. The fear that had been overwhelming him was replaced with sadness. He truly understood how Lily felt when she believed there was no hope.

I can’t risk being taken alive. If I can get El Pero to close the door, I need to dump the bleach and ammonia in the tub and kill myself before Big Al comes back …

The sound of a truck arriving outside told Jack the expected delivery was being made. Someone in the kitchen hollered to El Pero to come and help. He hollered back that Big Al had told him to guard the gringo. The others would have to unload the truck themselves.

The sound of the men going outside caused Jack to hastily go over his plan again. He did not know how much time he had before the men outside returned, but for the moment, it was only El Pero he had to contend with. He eyed the bottles of bleach and ammonia once more, but was distracted when he noticed El Pero giving a few furtive glances down the hall toward the kitchen … and then back at Jack.

What is he up to? Jack let his head slump to his chest and closed his eyes. He heard the grate of the kitchen chair as El Pero stood up and dropped the magazine on the chair. Next he heard El Pero shuffling down the hall and opening the padlock to Lily’s room.

For Jack, it gave him hope. Thoughts of suicide were replaced with hope of survival. He knew he only had a matter of minutes to get free and turned to the drain plug, using his teeth to bite the plug and pull it free from the chain. When he did, he was able put the plug in his hands and extract the wire ring.

Normally he could have picked the lock in a few seconds. Today was not normal. The circulation had been cut from his hands because the cuffs were on too tight. His fingers were like sausages and the exertion caused his scalp to start bleeding again, causing a mixture of sweat and blood to seep into his eyes as he frantically picked at the lock.

A couple of minutes ticked past and from the painful moans emitted by Lily from down the hall, he knew he had little time left. Finally one cuff opened and he slipped it past the pipe, not bothering to take the time to try and pick the other cuff.

He crept to the doorway and looked down the hall. There was nobody in sight so he hurried to Lily’s room, leaving a trail of blood droplets along the way. The door was partially open and he looked in.

Lily was on her hands and knees on the mattress facing away from him. So was El Pero, who was mounting her anally from behind, supporting part of his weight with one hand on the mattress while clenching Lily’s hair with the other hand. Between grunts he cussed at her and his fat buttocks shook as his strokes increased in tempo. His shirt was still on, but his pants and the .32-calibre long barrelled revolver were beside the door.

It was what Jack had hoped to find. He picked up the revolver and glanced at the cylinder to see the lead ends of the bullets sticking out. There was only one. The bastard didn’t reload … one will have to do.

Jack knew the use of deadly force was restricted to imminent life-threatening situations to either the public or himself. Despite what El Pero was doing, he was unarmed. To shoot him would qualify as murder.

In theory, as Jack did not have the authority to work in Mexico, he should make a citizen’s arrest and perhaps attempt to take El Pero hostage until he could turn him over to the proper authorities.

Yeah, to murder him would be wrong … but somehow, it feels so right …

Outside, the sounds of the men unpacking the truck could clearly be heard, but he knew they would not hear the shot. I wonder if El Pero has even heard of an Italian silencer …

El Pero’s body went rigid and he belched in pain, letting go of Lily’s hair and looking back over his shoulder. Jack had rammed the pistol so hard, that his own knuckles were between El Pero’s fat buttocks.

“You like things up the ass, fatso?” asked Jack.

El Pero’s eyes went wide with fright, his buttocks automatically clenching tighter as he gasped and his lips floundered as his brain searched for what to say.

“You have the right to remain silent,” said Jack, as he pulled the trigger.

The muffled explosion that followed caused El Pero’s body to immediately go limp when the bullet travelled from his rectum, up through his intestines, stomach, and heart before stopping at his shoulder blade.

“Come on, we’ve got to get out of here,” said Jack, grabbing El Pero by the arm and rolling his body off of Lily, who lay collapsed under his weight. “Are you able to walk?”

Lily half-rolled on her side and stared up at Jack in shock, but didn’t respond.

“Did you hear me?” asked Jack. “We don’t have much time. Are you able to walk?”

“Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?” Lily asked tearfully.

“Christ, I’m not here to —” Jack paused, shocked that Lily would even think what she was thinking. He sighed and said, “I’m not wearing any clothes because they took them from me. They were torturing me, too. Come on, I came to take you back to Canada.”

“Oh,” replied Lily in shock. She blinked her eyes a couple of times and looked at Jack as he grabbed her arm and said, “Your head … you’re bleeding really bad! You’ll never be able to save —”

“Keep your voice down. Head wounds tend to look worse than they are. I’ve cut myself shaving worse than this. We don’t have time to talk. There are men outside unloading a truck. We only have a couple of minutes. Come on, let’s see if you can stand.”

Lily slowly pushed herself back up on one knee as Jack held her arm and helped her to her feet. She stood wobbling for a moment.

“You’re doing good,” said Jack, trying to sound encouraging. “Can you walk on your own?”

“I think I can,” she replied and Jack cautiously let go. She took one step and stumbled, but Jack caught her before she collapsed and lowered her back to a sitting position on the mattress.

“I can’t,” she said, her voice becoming louder as panic overcame her shock.

“Shhh! Don’t worry. I thought you might not be able to walk so I have a plan. Wait here and try to catch your breath. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Jack didn’t wait for a reply. Still holding the empty revolver, he grabbed El Pero’s pants and ran back to the laundry room, checking the pants pockets on the way. They were empty. What? You leave your cellphone in the SUV … probably along with your spare bullets … You fat bastard … wish you hadn’t died so fast …

Jack knew El Pero’s pants were far too big for him, so he grabbed his own pants and shirt from the laundry room, but did not take the time to put them on as he padded barefoot out to the kitchen and peeked out the window.

The men had unloaded boxes from a cube van that had a tomato logo on the side of it. A few boxes had been piled to one side and the men were putting the other boxes back in the truck. Jack knew he only had a minute or two left before they would be back in the house.

chapter forty-one

Berto was the first to enter the kitchen as the truck drove away. He grunted as he set a box down on the floor, then turned and wiped his brow and looked at Sanchez and Eduardo who had entered behind him, each carrying a box. He saw Sanchez’s face pale as he stood clutching the box while staring at the floor.

Berto looked to see what the problem was … and then saw the bright red drops of blood leading across the yellow-tiled floor to the counter, which was partially open.

The two mercenaries outside heard the frantic yelling of the men inside. In unison, they dropped the boxes they were carrying and with weapons in hand, burst into the kitchen.

Eduardo pointed to a bloody hand mark on the wall beside the key rack as Sanchez ran down the hall.

Seconds later, Sanchez hollered to confirm that Jack had escaped. He emitted a much louder yell when he screamed that the girl was gone and El Pero was dead.

Eduardo and Berto left the mercenaries to guard the tunnel and ran to the bedroom and stood beside Sanchez as they stared at El Pero’s body. A feeling of dread engulfed them as the realization sunk in that Big Al’s favourite nephew had been murdered … on their watch.

Moments later, the men huddled over the entrance to the tunnel. Berto bent down and flicked on the light switch, but the tunnel remained in darkness. An indentation in the wood revealed where Jack had used the barrel of the revolver to pry a wire lose from the switch.

Berto immediately called the men on the American side of the tunnel. They had not seen or heard anything yet, but would wait with their weapons poised should Jack and the girl attempt to break out at their end. When Berto hung up, he stared at Sanchez.

Sanchez swallowed nervously.

“You do it,” ordered Berto.

Sanchez nodded and used his cellphone to call Big Al.

Adams and Rubalcava were entering the outskirts of Juarez when they saw Big Al’s SUV speeding past in the opposite direction.

“What the hell? Now what?” questioned Adams.

“He couldn’t have been that far ahead of us,” noted Rubalcava. “I don’t think he would have had time to drop Jack off yet.”

“Maybe they forgot something,” suggested Adams. He looked back at the SUV and added, “Christ, whoever is driving is going like a bat out of hell.”

“Jack said they wanted him out of Casa Blanca before a delivery came. Maybe that is why the big hurry.”

Adams didn’t respond as he spun the wheel hard to turn around and follow.

Big Al’s SUV continued to drive at high speed. Adams attempted to keep up for a few minutes, but knew at the speed they were going it would make it too obvious, so he dropped farther back in traffic. They were close enough, however, that when they passed the fruit stand they were able to see a cloud of dust billow over the small hill and know it was Big Al’s vehicle pulling away from the vicinity of where the crew-cab truck was blocking the road.

“Back to the tower?” suggested Rubalcava.

Minutes later, Adams hollered down from the tower. “Little change except the SUV with the two snipers has moved back to its original position on the far hill. The ambush past the fruit stand is still in place like before.”

“Maybe in a few minutes we’ll see Big Al’s SUV returning.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Big Al pulled up to the doorstep and ran into the house. “Where is he?” he asked.

“They’re in the tunnel,” replied Berto.

“Not that piece of shit gringo! My nephew! Where —”

“He was shot in the bedroom,” said Sanchez. “I’ll show you.”

Big Al, Sanchez, Berto, and Eduardo went back down the hall while the two mercenaries stayed to cover the entrance to the tunnel.

Big Al walked into the room and saw his nephew lying on his back on the mattress with his legs over the side. He was naked from the waist down and blood and bodily fluids had oozed out from his buttocks. His lifeless eyes, already dry from evaporation, stared dully up at the ceiling. His fat face was even more grotesquely distorted, like a rubber mask.

“And nobody heard the shot?” yelled Big Al.

“He was shot here,” said Sanchez, holding his hand like a pistol and pointing toward his own buttocks. “It muffled the sound. We were outside and did not hear it.”

Big Al dropped to one knee beside the bed and held El Pero’s hand. He made a solemn promise the gringo would pay dearly for what he had done. Then he folded El Pero’s hands across his chest, interlocking the fingers to keep them in place before gently using his fingertips to close El Pero’s eyes. Next he slowly got to his feet and mumbled a prayer, which he followed by using his finger to make the sacred sign of a cross on his own body.

Sanchez, Berto, and Eduardo politely went to make the same sign on their own bodies, but were interrupted when Big Al yelled at them to find something to cover his body.

“We have no sheets,” replied Eduardo, meekly.

“There is a towel in the bathroom. I will get it,” Sanchez said and then scurried off.

Big Al strode back to the kitchen and stood over the tunnel entrance and screamed in rage.

“Jack Taggart! I make this vow!” he yelled in English. “You murdered my nephew … so now everyone in your family will die! Not just you! Everyone! Their skin will be burned from their bodies while they scream and plead for their lives!”

Big Al stood, panting heavily for a moment, then yelled at his men in Spanish. “What are you waiting for? Go get him! Bring him to me alive, if you can.”

Before his men could respond, Big Al received a call on his cellphone. It was his boss and he gestured for his men to be quiet as he stepped back from the tunnel. He was not surprised to be called, he had already informed his boss about Jack’s real identity.

“Why have you not picked up the doctor yet?”

“There, uh, has been a big problem,” replied Big Al. “The gringo managed to grab El Pero’s gun and shoot him with it. Then he ran into the tunnel.”

“Your nephew is dead?”

“Yes. I found out about it a few minutes ago and returned to Casa Blanca.”

“And the gringo?”

“My men will drag him back out of the tunnel in a few minutes.”

“If he escapes …”

“There is no chance of that. He is like a rat trapped in a hole. I can have him plucked out very easily. When I do, we will use the doctor for a very long time.”

Jack squatted in the dark as Lily sat in front of him with her back huddled up to the front of his chest. She was only wearing Jack’s T-shirt, which acted like a short dress on her. Jack was barefoot and only wearing his pants.

He held her with one arm wrapped high around her chest and shoulders, while his other hand caressed her hair. She was going through periodic episodes where her body would shake uncontrollably, but seemed to take some comfort in his touch. What she didn’t know was Jack had positioned himself to put her in a sleeper-hold if she uttered a sound.

Jack pondered on what his next move would be. He knew when the time came, he would have to leave her alone to use the element of surprise. Would she be quiet then?

A second problem crossed his mind. I have no bullets … if I aim the gun directly at someone, they might see the cylinder is empty. If I don’t point it at them, they will realize something is wrong …

Jack came up with what he thought was an alternative. If I get a chance, point it at the back of their head … otherwise point it at their balls and see if they want to risk losing those. Bluffing is our only chance until I get a gun with bullets …

Big Al tucked his phone back in his pocket and looked into the tunnel opening. Berto had retrieved a flashlight from a kitchen drawer and shone it down the hole. Big Al peered in while his two soldiers aimed their weapons down the opening.

“Why do you not turn on the lights?” asked Big Al.

“The gringo broke it with El Pero’s gun,” replied Sanchez, “but it will be easy to fix.”

For a moment, the two mercenaries, along with Berto and Eduardo, debated whether to fix the lights. They had the option of calling out to the SUVs on the outer perimeter to bring in the night-vision goggles that they were equipped with. In that way, they would be able to see while the gringo would be in total darkness.

“I do not care what you do, just do it!” snarled Big Al.

“I will assure you,” replied one of the mercenaries, “we will take his head off … just like the iguana that fell from the tree.” He nodded toward the window. “Then we will drag him out by his feet.”

“I want him alive, if possible. Shoot him in the legs if need be but —” Big Al stopped talking and looked out the window at the carcass of the dead iguana lying in the dirt. “Did any of you see El Pero reload?” he asked.

The men looked at each other and after a short conversation it was realized the spare box of ammunition for the revolver was in the glove box of El Pero’s SUV. After Jack had been hit in the head with the rifle butt, El Pero did not return to the truck to reload, but walked with them as they dragged Jack back inside the house.

“He kept the gun … so he either does not know it is empty or is hoping to bluff us,” said Big Al, giving a grim smile.

“I’ll fix the light switch,” said Berto. “Night vision will not be necessary. Even if he is at the far end of the tunnel, we will have him on his knees in less than fifteen minutes.”

“Remember, I do not want you to kill him unless absolutely necessary,” said Big Al.

“The four of us have had training in these matters,” said Berto, with a nod toward Eduardo and the two mercenaries. “Our training included going up against men armed with machine-guns in barricaded rooms. We can bring him out whichever way you wish.”

Big Al thought for a moment and said, “Shoot off his kneecaps and make him crawl out.”

“As soon as we see him, his kneecaps are gone,” noted Eduardo.

“After that we will ask him to surrender,” added Berto, with a sneer.

chapter forty-two

Jack heard the murmur of voices and the commotion at the entrance to the tunnel as the men descended the ladder.

“Stay here. I’ll be back for you,” he whispered in Lily’s ear.

“But if you don’t —”

“If that happens, others will come and find you. Do what you must to stay alive.”

In his heart, Jack knew if he didn’t succeed, Lily would be immediately killed, too, but he wanted her to remain quiet and still. He had decided she was traumatized enough without telling her the truth.

“Marcie has talked about you,” she said quickly, in a subconscious desire to have him stay with her a little longer.

“She’s still your friend,” he said, picking up the revolver beside him and standing up. Lily reached up and clung to his wrist. “I have to go,” he said.

Lily slowly let go and wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them tight to her chest. “I hope you kill them all,” she whispered bitterly.

Jack had not told her the revolver was empty. “I’ll do my best,” he said, wondering how many men were being sent down the tunnel after him.

Eduardo handed his pistol to Berto and then descended the ladder first, but paused on a rung of the ladder above where the roof of the tunnel started. The possibility existed that Jack could be hiding in the tunnel near the shaft, outside the view from above and attempt to grab the gun of the first person who descended the ladder.

Eduardo glanced up at the two mercenaries who were aiming their weapons down the shaft and gave a slight nod before jumping the remaining distance. He landed in a crouched position with his back against the end of the tunnel wall.

Eduardo’s smile and a wave of his hand told the others it was clear. Big Al and Sanchez peered down the shaft as the two mercenaries and Berto made their way down the ladder.

Big Al tapped Sanchez on the shoulder and said, “Go with them. Stay out of their way, but use your phone to give me a running update. After they shoot his kneecaps off, go to him and hold the phone near his ear. I will have a message for him.”

“A message?” asked Sanchez.

“Yes. That I am here waiting for him and the amount of time it takes him to crawl back will be the amount of time his family will be tortured before they die. I want to hear him scream in pain and in sorrow every time he grabs a handful of dirt to pull himself toward me.”

Jack quietly opened the bi-fold door and gingerly stepped around the plastic pail used as a toilet. He glanced at El Pero’s corpse and had a fleeting feeling of satisfaction as he headed for the hallway.

He was relieved when he saw only Big Al sitting on a kitchen chair beside the entrance to the tunnel. Big Al was at a right angle to him, but Jack still hoped he could sneak across the floor undetected and put the barrel of the gun to the back of his head.

Jack was halfway across the floor and felt a little less relieved when he realized Big Al was talking on his cellphone to someone in the tunnel. Jack was about to take another step closer when Big Al saw him.

Jack pointed the revolver at him and whispered, “Quietly hang up the phone and put your hands on your head. Make any noise, or try to warn anyone and I’ll blow your balls off.”

Big Al didn’t move as he stared back in amazement. His eyes flickered toward the hallway as he put it all together.

“Hurry up,” ordered Jack. “You’re driving us both out of here. If anyone tries to stop us, you’ll be the first to get it.”

“The gringo is with me in the house!” screamed Big Al in Spanish over his cellphone as he leaped to his feet. He glared at Jack and slowly and deliberately placed his open cellphone on the counter. “You will die for what you have done!” he said evenly.

Jack made one last attempt to bluff him by crouching in a combat position and holding the revolver with both hands as he pointed it at Big Al’s crotch.

“We all know the gun is empty,” roared Big Al, grab-bing the chair and charging at Jack like an enraged bull.

“Oh, shit,” was the only thing Jack had time to utter as he turned sideways to keep from having his ribs punctured with the bottoms of the metal chair legs.

The forced hurled him across the kitchen like he was stuck on the front of a freight train, before coming to a sudden stop when he was rammed against the wall.

One of Jack’s arms was pinned close to his body, but the other hand holding the revolver was free. Jack tried to smash the gun butt against Big Al’s face, but he saw it coming and pulled his head back.

Jack’s next assault on Big Al’s hand loosened his grip and Jack pushed the chair aside, only to be tackled to the floor by Big Al, who wrapped his arms around him like a grizzly bear as they rolled across the floor.

Big Al had the advantage of weight and soon came to rest on top, crushing Jack with his arms and his immense weight. Jack tried to knee him in the groin, but Big Al simply moved his lower body to one side without letting go.

They were face to face as Jack tried in vain to wriggle free. Eventually he stopped struggling.

“Giving up so easily, my little gringo?” smiled Big Al, as sweat dripped off his face onto Jack’s.

Jack lunged his head forward, biting and twisting as his teeth ripped and tore through the end of Big Al’s nose like a starving pit bull tearing into a steak.

Big Al screamed, pushing Jack on the chest in a frantic bid to get away. When he did get to his feet and break free, Jack spit out the end of his nose and delivered a swift punch to his solar plexis.

The wind exploded out of Big Al’s lungs like a popped balloon and he gasped for air. Another grunt and expulsion of air followed when Jack savagely kicked him in the groin, followed by a punch to his throat and a final kick to his knee that sent him sprawling face-down on the floor.

Big Al had no strength to resist when Jack sat on his back and used a scissor-like grip with his arms around Big Al’s neck to strangle the flow of blood his carotid artery supplied to his brain. Given enough time the hold would kill, but the sound of yelling from the tunnel told Jack he didn’t have the time.

As soon as Big Al lost consciousness, Jack rolled him over on his back and took the keys from his pocket.

He knew he should call for Lily, but as he looked at Big Al, the memory of the questions Big Al had asked him were still vivid.

What the hell … if they get me for killing El Pero, they may as well get me for killing you too …

Jack leaped high in the air, drawing his feet under him before landing with his heels on each of Big Al’s collar bones. They both snapped like kindling.

Big Al awoke with a scream and tried to move, before realizing his arms didn’t work and any movement brought severe pain.

Sanchez was running full tilt and nearing the bottom of the ladder when he heard Big Al screaming for help and yelling that Jack had broken both his arms. Unfortunately for Big Al, he had his head tilted back toward the tunnel when he was yelling and didn’t see Jack’s next move, which was to jump again, landing on his rib cage, breaking more bones.

Big Al cried out and closed his eyes in pain. Jack jumped once more, only this time he kept his legs tucked under and landed with his knees on the ribcage, driving the broken ribs into Big Al’s lungs.

Another voice yelled in Spanish and Sanchez realized it was Jack yelling at Big Al.

“You got any more questions to ask me about my family? Eh? Do you?”

The last sound Sanchez heard from Big Al was a loud, gurgling scream as he plunged headfirst down the shaft.

Jack tore the mended wire from the light switch, plunging the tunnel into darkness. He was shoving the counter back into position when he heard Sanchez screaming from the bottom of the ladder that the gringo had killed Big Al.

It gave Jack a sense of satisfaction to hear the panic in Sanchez’s voice. That’s right, you bastard. The big boss died on your watch …

Jack hollered for Lily and grabbed Big Al’s cellphone off the counter, before running to the hallway where he met Lily who stumbled and hysterically crawled in a frenzy toward him.