Lessons Learned (Sequel to 'Hitman's Creed) – 17

 

 

“Stay here, don’t get out,” Glenn said fiercely as he pulled the car to a stop across the street from the lot where Joey had parked his car earlier that day. He reached under the seat, coming up with his Ruger 22/45 in its holster, and the scope for it. After attaching the scope he holstered the gun again, clipping it to his belt.

 

“Hand me my blade.”

 

Joey flipped open the glove compartment, slid aside a panel and took out the sheathed knife. Glenn strapped it to his forearm and pulled down his sleeve.

 

“There’s another gun under your seat. Get it out just in case.”

 

“Mind telling me what’s going on?”

 

“Look at your car.”

 

“Yeah, and? Oh shit.” He realized it was listing slightly and knew one tire was flat.

 

“Oh shit is right. You might just have picked up a nail but it’s doubtful, all things considered. I’m betting he knows about you and that you’re connected to me. He’s moved faster than I expected.”

 

“He might have seen us together, yesterday in the cut-though when we were checking the roof or when you picked me up tonight.”

 

“Either way it looks like he was planning on grabbing you for bait, so wait here.”

 

“Which would make me a sitting duck. Nope, I’m coming with.” Joey got out the gun, finding it was a match to Glenn’s, checked it thoroughly which earned him an approving nod from Glenn, then stuck it at the back of his slacks under his jacket. “How are we going to play this? He has to be watching somewhere.”

 

Glenn agreed. “Best bet, he’s in one of the other cars there. Too bad he isn’t driving the Ranchero; he’d be easy to spot.”

 

“We should be so lucky.” Joey looked at the cars closest to his. Some he recognized immediately, but there were three which could have belonged to any number of people in town, or to the hitman, they were so generic. Unfortunately it was too dark to see the license plates so he couldn’t make a determination as to who’s they might be. 

 

“There’s a good chance he saw us drive up so pretend to kiss me.”

 

“And then?” Joey moved closer, turning enough to shield the fact they were talking.

 

Glenn frowned, obviously running through possible scenarios. While he did Joey put one hand at the back of his head, shifting slightly to try to explain why they were still in that position.

 

“Okay, given where we are I only have to pull the car a few feet forward and I’ll be out of sight from the lot. Get out and then stand as if you were watching me drive away. Give me time to park and get out before you head to your car. Do something to stall like…”

 

“Bend and tie my shoelace.”

 

“That’ll work. Stay well away from the building just in case we’re wrong about where he’d hiding.”

 

“All right. Say when.”

 

Glenn took a deep breath. “Now.”

 

          Joey paused just long enough to actually kiss Glenn and then he was out of the car.

Lessons Learned (Sequel to 'Hitman's Creed) – 16

 

 

Joey leaned back on his hands, staring up at the darkening sky. “He won’t come marching up to the door.”

 

“No shit. He won’t even come up the lane unless he’s totally lost his mind.”  

 

“But we have to lure him to where we want him.” Joey sat up as something occurred to him. “I’m calling in sick until this is over.”

 

Glenn laughed. “That was my plan originally, only it was your mom who was going to be sick so you had to take over for her.”

 

“Dumb plan.”

 

“It would have worked.”

 

“As if. I’m not stupid. Man in town hunting for you, mom ‘conveniently’ getting sick, I’d have figured it out before the words got out of her mouth.”

 

“Yeah, probably.”

 

“Definitely.”

 

‘Well I had to try, being me.”

 

Joey shook his head. “Next time… Don’t.”

 

“Hopefully there won’t be a next time, but just in case I think I know better now.”

 

“Fast learner, I like that.”

 

“Smart ass.” Glenn grinned, then sobered. Picking up a stick he began drawing the outline of the house in the dirt, added a wriggly line to represent the trees surrounding it, and another for the lane. “The house itself is well protected, the perimeter, not so much.”

 

“And there’s no time to change that.”

 

“So we use it to our advantage.”

 

“How?”

 

“We make it look as if one of the perimeter motion-sensors has bitten the dust, one which will lead him in where we want him.”

 

“Come on, won’t he suspect it’s a trap of some kind?”

 

“That’s the beauty of it, he will. And if he’s anything like me he’ll go to the other side, as far away from it as possible, disable a sensor and make his way to the house from there.”

 

“Big ‘if’ you know.”

 

“Of course, but we have to figure he thinks the way a halfway decent hitman should. I know I keep calling him stupid but he can’t be as dumb as he’s seemed so far. No one would send an idiot after me.”

 

Joey smiled a bit at the ego behind that statement but he knew it was the truth nonetheless. Still… “We don’t know who sent him, an ex-rival or some who hates you for killing a family member.”

 

“It can’t be the latter. There’s no way they could know it was me.”

 

“You found the ones who killed your parents.”

 

“That was different, I had connections.”

 

“Glenn,” Joey growled, “if you did, someone else could too so don’t discount what I said out of hand.” He rubbed his fingers over his forehead. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound the way it did.”

 

“Not a problem.” Glenn went back to the diagram he’d drawn in the dirt. “We’re better off getting him to come this way. I’ll have a clearer shot from the roof.”

 

“The roof?”

 

“Yeah, where else?” 

 

“You’re just going to take him out without finding out who sent him?”

 

“What, you want me to capture and torture him? Because that’s the only way he’d give me that information.”

 

“Well… no.” Joey chewed his lip, turning away from the tight anger in Glenn’s voice. He heard a sigh then Glenn’s arms went around him.

 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have barked at you.”

 

Joey leaned into his hold. “We’re both tense.”

 

“It’s still no reason…”

 

“Shush.” Joey made certain he did by kissing him. “You’re forgiven. Maybe we should leave here though? It’s almost dark.”

 

“Good idea.” Glenn stood, pulling Joey up after him. “We’ll finish our plans when we get home.”

Lessons Learned (Sequel to 'Hitman's Creed) – 15

 

 

“Thank you. It’s not like I don’t know you have a strong protective streak so it doesn’t really surprise me, and I bet it was mom who changed your mind,” Joey said.

 

“She laid out what I already knew but wasn’t willing to admit in this particular case. You’re an adult, you know you job, and you are half of our partnership. You should be allowed to make your own decision on whether you want to be involved in what might, or might not, happen.”

 

“At least you knew it,” Joey replied somewhat acidly.

 

Glenn winced. “Yeah, I know. I was being stupid.”

 

“No, you were being ‘you’.” Joey moved closer so he could hug him. “I should be pissed, you’re right, but honestly I’m not. Well, not too much anyway.”

 

Glenn took the opportunity to give him a kiss before he explained what he’d done. Joey listened, nodding occasionally, until Glenn was finished.

 

“What makes you think he’s going to come after you at the house? Why wouldn’t he just take you out in town?”

 

“First off, other than dropping you back at your car, I don’t intend to go to town again until this is over.”

 

“But that’s presupposing it is you he’s after. If it’s someone else he’ll just hit and run.”

 

“The more I’ve thought about it the more I’m certain it's me for that very reason. He might or might not know Nate was found, but either way it would’ve behooved him to make the hit as soon as he stashed him, or this morning if he needed time to get to wherever he planned on doing it. Make sense?”

 

“Yes. But by that same logic you were in town today so why didn’t take his chances then?”

 

“I’m not some civilian wandering around with my head up my ass. I was well aware of my surroundings and made damned good and sure he wouldn’t have the chance.”

 

“Yeah, right. You were waiting outside the station house when I got off.”

 

“And where was I?”

 

Joey thought about it. “Leaning against one of the pillars, facing the door, so he’d have had to walk up to you in order to get in a good shot.”

 

“Exactly. And I moved you to the car as fast as you’d let me. God’s, sometimes your stubbornness drives me crazy.”

 

“Well like I said…”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, with feelers out, and very publicly, that I’m looking for the Ranchero, I’m hoping he gets wind of it. That also gives him my name.” When Joey growled under his breath, Glenn patted his knee. “That’s the whole idea. He has to know it so he can ask about me when I don’t show up in town. He’ll find out where the house is and, God willing, come after me there.”

 

“It could be a day or two before he does. It’ll take that long for him to figure out you’re holed up there.”

 

“Possibly. Then again if he asks the right questions he’ll know my being in town at all is a rarity.”

Lessons Learned (Sequel to 'Hitman's Creed) – 14

 

 

Glenn was waiting outside the station house when Joey got off his shift. Joey instantly panicked because Glenn had never done that before. But if it was an emergency he’d have called he told himself. It didn’t really help. Glenn must have seen it in his face because he pulled Joey into a hard hug.

 

Joey leaned back to look at him in shock. “What are you doing?”

 

“Just letting you know you’re part of my life everywhere, not just when no one’s looking. Does it bother you?”

 

“Hell no!” Joey grinned. “And in case you haven’t picked up on it, which maybe you didn’t because you don’t come into town that much, it’s not really a secret anyway. But…”

 

Glenn cocked an eyebrow when Joey paused.

 

“I have the sneaking suspicion there’s more to this than just proving I’m yours, and vice versa.”

 

“Aren’t you the clever young man.”

 

“Occasionally.”

 

“Usually.” Glenn slid his arm around Joey’s waist, hustling to his car. When Joey balked, pointing out he’s brought his own car, Glenn nodded. “And we’ll come back for it later.”

 

“So what’s going on that we can’t talk about at home, which I suspect it the reason you’re kidnapping me.”

 

“I’ll tell you when we get where we’re going.”

 

Knowing he’d get nothing more until Glenn was ready, Joey got into the car. When they headed out of town he was doubly puzzled, but still didn’t ask until Glenn pulled off the road onto a narrow lane much like the one leading up to their house. This lane however ended at a small grassy area with a stream running through it.

 

“We’re having a picnic,” Joey quipped as they got out of the car.

 

Glenn chuckled as he led the way to the edge of the stream. “Nope, but only because it didn’t occur to me.”

 

“Either you’re feeling romantic, or this is going to be a very serious discussion and you don’t want anyone overhearing it.”

 

“The latter I’m afraid.” Glenn sat, waiting for Joey to join him. “Okay, first off you’re not to get pissed at me.”

 

“Not an auspicious start. What did you do, or not do, or are planning on doing that would piss me off.”

 

“Two things. First I’ve done all I can to make the hitman come after me on my terms, which means drawing him to the house if I’m lucky.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Joey nodded. “And I can guess the second thing. You were planning on making sure I was out of the picture when that happened.”

 

“I was, until I talked to a very smart woman who pointed out I was being stupid.” Glenn smiled, though barely. “I wasn’t going to tell you the second part since I’d changed my mind, but I knew I owed it to both of us to be honest about it.”

Lessons Learned (Sequel to 'Hitman's Creed) – 13

 

 

“You want me to what?” Joey’s mother, Miriam, stared at Glenn as if he’d lost what few marbles he had left.

 

“I want you to get sick. So sick you can’t go into work. That way Joey will have to step in since he knows how to run the coffeehouse almost as well as you do. Mary can take days like always, he can take evenings after he gets off his shift.”

 

“Glenn,” Miriam growled, “pardon my English but what the hell is going on?”

 

“It has to do with what happened to Nate. You have heard he was found I hope.”

 

“Yes, Joey called me. Probably right after calling you.”

 

Glenn chuckled. “Or before.”

 

“I doubt it. Now, tell me why you want to keep him busy, although I’ve got a feeling I can guess and I don’t like the idea.”

 

“I want to keep him safe. I think, in fact I’m pretty certain, the man who took Nate is a hired killer. I talked to Harv and he says as far as he knows no one in town has any sort of real grudge against anyone else. Would you agree?”

 

Miriam didn’t reply immediately. Instead, from the look on her face she was giving his question serious consideration. Finally she nodded. “People are people, they get angry with each other sometimes, but I can’t think of anyone who would go so far as to hire someone to kill the person they’re upset with.”

 

“I thought as much. And yet the man is here for a reason.”

 

“Glenn, how would he know where to find you, because I think that’s what you’re saying, or implying?”

 

“As I told Joey, nothing is written in stone. I’ve done the best that’s humanly possible to keep my presence here a secret from anyone who might be looking for me. Even the people I work for now don’t know, other than the man I report to. And no one knows my real name outside of this town other than him. If I had my way only your family would know but that’s not possible, obviously. To the rest of the world I’m someone else. Several someone else’s actually.”

 

“But you still think this man is here because of you.”

 

“I do, which is why I want Joey down here where it’s safe, or at least safer. Harv’s letting it out that I’m interested in finding where the perp got the car he used to kidnap Nate, since I’d be willing to bet he stole it from around here. Again that’s just a supposition but a logical one. I want my name linked to the search for him in a way that makes him able to find out where I live. My guess is all he has is a description and nothing more than that. And he’d have to have gotten that from one of the very few people I used as middle men back when.”

 

“You guess, you suppose, you think, but you don’t know.”

 

“No, Miriam, I don’t know. I do know there’s a hitman out there looking for someone and I intend to stop him before he kills them.”

 

“So whether it’s you or… who knows who, you’re making yourself the target.”

 

“That’s the plan.”

 

With a sharp shake of her head she said. “Glenn, if you keep Joey out of this, if you try to protect him, you’re going to do so much damage to your relationship…” She sighed deeply. “He is not a kid any more. He’s a trained peace officer who knows what he’s doing. If you treat him like a kid you’ll be right back to where this all began, with his thinking that you think he’s too young, too naïve to be trusted. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

 

“But damn it, Miriam, if he gets hurt…”   

 

“He could get hurt breaking up a bar fight, or stepping in to stop a robbery. It’s all part of what he is, of what he does. This is no different. A potential killer has to be caught. That’s his job as much as it is yours, if for different reasons. Don’t deny him the right to be by your side when you do this. Not if you really care about him as a person as well as someone you love.”

 

Glenn scrubbed a hand through his hair then paced across her office to the window, staring out at the blank wall across the alley. She’s right, but… He turned when he felt her hand on his shoulder.

 

“Two heads are better than one,” she told him softly.

 

“I know, I know. Alright, I’ll talk to him and tell him what I’m planning and let him make his own decision.”

 

“You know what it will be.”

 

“Yeah I do, damn it!”

 

Miriam chuckled. “He’s stubborn, just like you.”

 

“Worse than me. He believed in us when I didn’t and made it happen.”

 

“And you don’t regret one second of it.”

 

Glenn smiled. “Not even, not ever.”