Homecoming (7 page)

“Fuck,” James growled, glancing over his shoulder. “He’s your job.”

Will’s breath froze.

“At least show me enough respect to tell me the truth in this.”

“James….”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” James leaned his elbows on the bar and rested his palm into his hands. “You don’t know what you’re supposed to do, do you? Hence all the questions.”

“James.”

“
Son of a bitch
.” James chugged his beer and signaled the bartender for another. “What do you know?”

“They sent me pictures of that guy, one of them with that woman, and the message to deliver the package to a warehouse on Cumberton.”

The bartender brought James’s beer and James waited until he walked away. “Did they say package or packages? Was it plural?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

“You need to deliver the guy to the warehouse. You’ll have to get him outside and into a car. You should use his.” James took another long drink. “Damn it. I can’t believe I’m helping you with this.”

“And after I get him to the warehouse?”

“You take him inside and they’ll deposit your money into your account.”

Will looked down at his barely touched beer. “That there’s the problem.”

“They don’t have your bank account number?”

“No, I suspect they have yours.”

James lowered his head and grunted. “What the fuck are you talking about Will?”

“They called you, James, and I took the job. But they thought it was you.”

Closing his eyes, James leaned his head back and exhaled in a whoosh of air. “Gee, thanks.”

“I’m sorry.” Will felt some guilt over it, but James had gotten mixed up with them long before Will ever came into the picture.

“Too late for that shit now. They’re going to be pissed when you show up and not me. I’m going to have to go with you and explain.”

Will did feel badly about that. Especially if they didn’t like the outside help. “James…”

“Save it. We need a plan to get him out. Usually I hire a girl to string them along and get them in the back and then when their pants are down, I zip-tie them and take them away. It’s hard to fight back with your pants at your ankles.”

That was brilliant. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“The key is not to draw attention. But he’s with that woman and even if he could be persuaded to leave her, there’s no other woman here that could get him to drop his drawers. We need to hope he has to go to the bathroom, then get him out the back door.”

“That might not ever happen.”

“He’s already on his second drink. It’ll happen before you know it. When we get him out back, we’ll get his keys, I get his car and we’ll stick him in the trunk. You drive his car and I’ll follow you.”

“You’ve got this down.”

James scowled. “I’ve rode in this rodeo a time or two.”

As James predicted, the man stood and headed for the back.

“Don’t let him take a piss. It’ll make him more antsy and easier to manage if he’s anxious about peeing.” James said. “Go get him out back, and I’ll meet you in a minute.”

Will nodded and moved down the hall, grateful it was dark. The man started to open the door and Will blocked the entrance. “Sir, I need you step out back.”

The guy’s eyes widened. “What’s this about?”

“Your car has been involved in a fender-bender in the parking lot. I’m a detective with the St. Cloud police, and we need you to identify your car.” Will was surprised how easily the lie came to him, but he’d heard that victims were more willing to cooperate if their captor wore a uniform or impersonated a person in authority. Will’s breath caught. Victim. No, this man was probably some sleazeball that cheated on his wife and she’d hired some people to scare some shit into him.

“But my car is parked out front.” He looked worried, the lines on his forehead crinkling. He glanced down the hall toward his girlfriend.

Will nudged him toward the back door and the man took a step backward. “Sir, if you could just cooperate, this will go a lot faster.”

“But I need to pee.” He looked scared now, and tried to duck under Will’s arm.

Will stepped in front of him, ignoring the protest his conscience waged. “This will only take a moment.” Will shoved his hands into his gloves.

The man grumbled, but Will could tell it was for show. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he glanced down at Will’s hands.

“It’s cold outside.”

Fear filled the man’s eyes. “I should grab my coat.”

“Again, this will just take a second. If you could hand me your keys, we can check it out sooner and get you back inside.”

He handed Will his keys, but his hands shook. If the guy suspected Will was up to something, why wasn’t he protesting? Further proof he’d done something he felt guilty about. Further proof that Will wasn’t turning over an innocent man.

 When he opened the back door, the cold hit Will in the face and stole his breath. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to it.

“There’s nothing back here but a dumpster.”

“We’re waiting on the other officer.” As if on cue, James walked around the corner.

Will waved. “Officer Fife, could you be so kind to bring this good man’s car around so we can show him the damage from the accident?” Will tossed the keys to James.

James stared at Will for a second before answering. “Why sure, Officer Taylor. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared around the side.

“Listen,” the guy said, his voice shaking. “I don’t know what he’s paying you, but I’ll double it.”

Will’s heart skipped a beat and his guilt roared in his head. “Are you trying to bribe a police officer? That’s a felony, sir.”

“Please.” The man grabbed Will’s jacket. “I’m good for it. I promise.”

James drove around the corner, stopping in front of them. The trunk popped before James climbed out, leaving the engine running. “Everything okay here?”

The man dropped his hold and stepped back, his mouth working as though he were about to yell.

Will clapped a hand on the man’s shoulder. “No problem, just a case of mistaken identity.”

James motioned to the trunk. “The damage is back here.”

The guy dragged his feet and Will had to pull him toward the back.

“I don’t see any damage.” He sounded like he was about to cry.

“It’s here,” James pointed inside the trunk.

Will shoved the man down so that his head went into the space.

“Please,” the man begged.

James lifted the guy’s legs while Will pulled his upper half. The guy barely fit when James slammed the lid closed.

Will looked at the closed lid, hearing the man’s muffled begging.

“Don’t you even think about it,” James hissed.

Will’s anger flared. “Think about what?”

“Think about letting him go. You signed up for this. Well, guess what. This is it.” James pointed at the trunk. “You’re probably wondering what they’re going to do to him once we drop him off. Wonder all you like, because after you drop him off, your job is done and soon enough, you’ll move on to the next one.”

Will rubbed his face with his hand. “He knew we were coming for him. He’s not some innocent guy. He offered to pay me double to let him go. It just proves he’s guilty.”

James shook his head. “You tell yourself that all you like and hopefully someday you’ll believe it. I take it that you know where you’re going?”

Will nodded. “Yeah.”

 “Let’s go.” He turned his back. “I’ll follow you.” James disappeared around the corner again as Will climbed into the front seat.

Will pulled onto the road, James following several car lengths behind. It was only a five-minute drive to the warehouse but long enough for Will’s conscience to lodge its disapproval. He was torn between letting the guy go and handing him over. What had he been fighting for the last seven years? He’d hunted and killed men who did the same thing he was doing right now. Will had turned into a thug. 

He’d already started down this path several years earlier. His history degree would get him jack shit for a job, and he’d become a trash man before joining James’s fishing-guide business. His career choices were limited. But he could make good money doing this and the reality was that the people he would be expected to deliver deserved what they got. And maybe Will had become a thug, but he’d lost his idealism years ago. The sad truth was there were no heroes in this world. It was survival of the fittest. You either hunted or were hunted. Will had no intention of being hunted.

Sure, he deserved to languish in a jail cell for the rest of his life, but by some odd twist of fate, the military saw it differently. Who was he to argue? That didn’t absolve him of his crimes. He was still a murderer. So, what better job for someone as debased as he had become?

It was a pretty speech. If only he could completely convince himself of it.

Will stopped the car in front of a slightly ajar sliding door. James pulled up behind him and stood at the back of the trunk. Will removed the keys and unlocked the trunk as the man sat up, bumping his head on the lid.

“Careful, now.” Will cooed. “We don’t want to mess up that pretty face.”

The man jumped up and tried to bolt, but Will grabbed his arm. “I’ve got kids. Please. I’ll pay you triple.”

Will froze. “How much do you think that is, exactly?”

James leaned into Will’s ear. “Don’t you 
even
 think about it.”

“I’m just weighing my options.” Will gave the guy a grin, the good in him dying with every second. He could feel himself slipping away and he gladly let it. He was no longer that man.

The man became frantic. “What’s he paying? Two hundred? Five hundred?”

“You must have been a very naughty boy.” Will laughed as he and James pulled him toward the doors. “He’s paying me more than that.”

James’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly hid it.

They led the guy into the warehouse. Will was amazed the guy didn’t fight more. But then maybe he knew he’d never get away.

A man met them inside, his gaze landing on Will.

“He’s my business associate,” James said.

The guard turned without a word and walked down a row of shelves toward the back of the warehouse. The back corner glowed with light. The closer they got, the more agitated the man became. Will and James had to hold his arms and drag him.

Guilt twisted in Will’s chest, catching his breath. Who was he to be judge and jury for this guy? But he wasn’t. He was merely delivering the guy to someone else. It wasn’t Will’s job to protect everyone in the world. He’d tried that, and look at where that had got him.

When they reached the end of the row, they turned the corner to find a man sitting in a chair. He wore an expensive dark gray suit and dark hair slicked back into a ponytail. He looked to Will like somebody who had watched too many episodes of 
The Sopranos
. His hands were folded under his chin. Will expected him to talk as though his throat was full of gravel. Instead, he sounded nasally. “You brought a friend.”