Chapter 36

Chapter 36—Jack and Reginald prepare to get some rest

3:27 a.m., Monday, December 26

Reginald knew just how concerned his friend was about Kate. Still, he thought it best to get some rest, and begin dealing with the problem in the morning.
“Are you okay with this for now?” Reginald asked. “Shall we drop this subject for the night? Then attack it fresh in the morning?” Reginald asked, realizing that the two of them were totally spent.
“I know I’d like to get some rest,” Jack said. “Tomorrow will get here too soon, regardless.”
“When are you expecting to hear about Kate?” Reginald asked.
“I don’t really have a specific time,” Jack answered. “He just said to go back to the hotel and wait to hear from him.”
“In case you didn’t notice, we’re not at your hotel. Do you have a plan?”
“I do,” Jack said, “but it’s going to take a little time to implement. I need to hear from Kate—to hear her voice—proof of life. And to find out what exactly it is that they’re looking for. Then I’ll go after her. They’re not going to give her up without a fight. I’m convinced of that now. But, I agree with you, as long as they think they still need me, they will keep her alive.”
“And unharmed. As long as they still need you, they will not hurt her,” Reginald added. “Do you want to tell me what you have in mind, as far as a plan?” Reginald asked.
“Not really—at least not right now,” Jack said. “But I am gonna need your help, that’s for sure—and Roger’s. It’s just that I would like to wind up this day without getting my juices going more than they already are. You know what I mean. I’ll explain it all later, … and tell you what I’m going to need from you.”
“You got it, Jack,” Reginald said. “Just name it.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
“You take the bed, I’ll grab the couch,” Reginald offered.
Jack carried his two suitcases into the bedroom, found his toothbrush, and disappeared into the bathroom.
As is typical of New York row houses, single-bedroom second floor apartments have only one view, and that can be from the front or the rear. In the case of Reginald’s apartment, his view was the street. Casually Reginald walked over to the window to give the street one last look before going to bed. Just as he parted the curtains with an index finger, he spotted a dim light come on from inside the car parked below. He quickly closed the curtains, and pulled back.
“Jack, we got company,” he said.
Immediately the light in the bathroom went out, and Jack emerged. “Are you sure?” He asked.
“Most definitely,” Reginald replied. “Two men got out of a car. Parked right in front, but across the street. I’m surprised we missed ‘em.”
“How will they attack?” Jack asked. … “Damn it. I’m just too tired to deal with this tonight. ... We’re gonna have to move on. Can’t waste them here—not by your apartment. Right?”
“I say we kill ‘em in the apartment, and in the morning stuff them in the trunk of their car.” Reginald said. “That way we can still get some rest.”
“That’s good with me,” Jack agreed. “What the hell is wrong with these bastards. What’s the point? They got what they were after. Now they’re after more.”
“I think it’s a bit more than that, now.” Reginald said. “Now it’s a bit of a vendetta. And who’s to say it’s the same organization. Roger suggested that we’re dealing with the Russians and Mossad. He even suggested some free-lancing—working both sides.”
“Damn it, this sucks!” Jack muttered. He was angry.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Reginald said. “… What do you say?”
“Yeah, let’s get on with it.” Jack said. “From the rear? Is that what you’re thinking?”
“That would be my approach,” Reginald said. “They can get to the back of the building about three doors down. There’s an alley. They’ve undoubtedly scoped it out.”
“Is the apartment in the rear occupied?” Jack asked.
“Nope.”
“Great, let’s go occupy it,” Jack said.
“Let’s go.”
Reginald looked over the keys on his chain, and selected one. “Pays to have a master.”
“I’ve got one of those at the end of my right leg,” Jack replied.
“Mine’s quieter,” Reginald said, reaching the rear apartment before his friend. He unlocked the door, and the two very tired men entered a dark hall.
“They will come in together,” Jack said. “Right?”
“Absolutely.”
“Which do you like, living room window, or kitchen?” Jack asked.
“Fire escape is off the kitchen.”
“You duck in the bathroom, I’ll slide into the living room,” Jack said, taking charge as usual. “Damn it, I hope these sonsofbit**es are in a hurry. I know I am.”
Within a few seconds, Jack heard the window being forced. “Thank God,” he silently mouthed. The apartment was furnished. So he was able to take a position behind a couch. His intention was to allow both men to enter the empty apartment. Then, as they made their way down the hall toward the bathroom where Reginald was waiting, Jack would take an offensive position. Reginald would shoot the first one, and possibly the second. As the two attackers retreated, Jack would make sure they did not make it back to the fire escape.
For a few moments, it looked as though all was going to go as planned. Jack made out the form of the first man. But the second did not immediately appear. Reginald waited until the last moment. Just as the first man reached the bathroom where he was hiding, Reginald fired off a round that caught the attacker in the neck, severing his spinal column. As the man slumped to the floor, he squeezed off a second round that caught his attacker right in the middle of his forehead.
Reginald had expected Jack to cut down the second man. But that did not happen. Instead, Jack ran to the fire escape, just in time to spot the second man reaching the ground.
“Damn it!” Jack muttered. “Nothing is going to be easy tonight.”
Jumping over the body of Reginald’s kill, he ran past his friend and out the door toward the street. “Back in a minute,” Jack said as he ran down the steps.
He knew the second man would be heading back to the car. Jack did not know exactly which car, but he did recall what Reginald had told him about its being across the street.
Taking a position behind a tree across the street from the apartment, Jack waited for the man to emerge from the alley.
“This idiot is not gonna wait for anything,” Jack thought. “He’s gonna run right out of the alley, and jump in one of these cars. I should have a couple seconds.”
Just then Jack saw a man running toward him. “That’s better than I hoped for,” he heard his mind saying. “The bastard’s running right up to me.” Realizing that his target would be wearing body armor, Jack had to make a good first shot—head or neck.
“Must be he’s headed toward this car,” Jack thought. “That poor stupid bastard.”
Just as Jack suspected, the attacker ran right up in front of him. The car was parked so that the driver’s door was traffic side. Just as the fellow reached down to open the door, Jack lunged forward, sliding his gun across the top of the car, he put a round right into his attacker’s face. The man screamed once, as he slumped to his knees on the pavement.
Jack ran around the front of the car, a 2001 dark blue Chevy, and fired again. The second round stuck the man in the temple, destroying both lobes of the brain. Even though he was pretty sure his first shot was fatal, Jack never took chances.
The man had dropped to kneeling position, with the right side of his face resting against the car door. It was as though he had turned to watch Jack’s approach, but his eyes looked dead, and he never moved when Jack shot him in the head.
Jack then opened the driver’s door, and shoved the man in. He noticed that the blood flow had slowed, indicating the heart had stopped. The man was definitely dead.
“To hell with this stuff,” Jack muttered. “This is much too messy. We’re gonna have to get outta here—right now.”