The Reaper's Daughter (Book 1 Soldiers Series)

15

Johnny sat across the table listening to Sasha talk about her family while he cut his pancakes. He took a bite and smiled at her humorous anecdote. She was like a ray of sun in the morning always smiling and chipper. Her good mood was infectious she could make him forget how dark the situation was, Sasha had made the last two days of waiting for Luda’s call easier to bear.

Sasha was in the middle of telling him about Christmas with her Grandmother when they were interrupted by the ringing of Saint’s cellphone. They both went silent; Johnny stared at the ringing phone taking another bite of his breakfast. After the third ring, Sasha cleared her throat and asked. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“Let them wait.” He answered taking another forkful of pancake. From what Saint and Shank were saying it probably was not even Luda himself. More than likely it was one of his messenger boys. He was not going to jump through hoops for no goon. He had to maintain some air of power and control. After the sixth ring, the call stopped, and Johnny continued enjoying the last of his meal.

“You missed the call; you’ve been waiting for that call for the last forty-eight hours. Why didn’t you answer it?” Sasha exclaimed. He could tell she was confused on why he would wish to irritate dangerous men when they held his daughter; they might vent their frustrations out on Jess.

“Because I’m in control, not them,” Johnny said, calmly placing his fork on the now empty plate leaning back in his seat. “They’ll call back.” He said portraying an air of confidence and hoping he was not wrong.

“And if they don’t?”

The phone rang again, and again he waited. On the third ring, Johnny picked up the cell and pressed the accept button. He instantly recognized the voice. It was the same one he had heard on the phone back at home. Well, at least Luda was consistent with his selection of help. “Took your bloody sweet time.” The man said his voice harsh, the irritation clear in his tone.

“I was finishing my meal.”

“Do you have this morning’s paper?”

Johnny stood up and walked towards the motel door. There was a newspaper box just outside. “Yeah, what about it?” He asked putting some pocket change into the slot and opened the hatch. He retrieved the paper on the top then he returned to his room.

“Open to the obituaries.” The voice instructed.

Johnny unfolded the paper on the table pushing his plate aside. Scanning the index for the quickest way of locating the page he needed, Johnny found the obituaries then flipped to the designated page. “Got it.” He announced

“Lower right-hand corner. See the one about poor Mr. Kyle Bertram. The boy died on his motorcycle. I tell you those things are dangerous…”

“Get to the point.”

“The last line reads ‘all welcome to pay their respects. Funeral held this afternoon. One PM at the Peaceful Meadows.’ Do you know where that is?”

“Yes.” Johnny should he had sent enough business their way in the past.

“Good. Hope you have a nice black suit; we’re going to pay our respects. See you at one.” The line went dead. Johnny hung up placing the cell on the table. He walked over to the bag he had brought with him taking out the depleting wad of cash he had hidden inside. He could not use his ATM card, and he would not use a credit card even if he had one, both were too easy to track.

Counting the remaining bills, he decided he had enough. “Let’s go shopping.”

“For what?” Sasha asked standing up from her seat at the table.

“I find myself in need of a suit.”

***

Mace hung up the phone and dropped his head into his hands. Tension building in his neck as he thought of what he was about to do. Rubbing the back of his stiff neck, Mace glanced over his shoulder at the beautiful girl sleeping tangled in his sheets. Jess looked peaceful with her dark hair cascading over her shoulders and his pillows. The morning sun washed over her caramel skin. He felt sick to his stomach with guilt for the first time in his life. It was a sensation he had never experienced, and he must say he did not like it one bit.

He had a glorious time with Jess. Ten fun-filled days and ten erotic sleepless nights. Mace spent all night making love to the girl of his dreams, and now he was going to blackmail her father, then be responsible for eventually killing him. He was not sure he could go through with it, but Mace knew it would be his head if he did not. If he did not kill Reap, they would only send someone else who would, then come after him. Luda was unforgiving of those who betrayed him. The easiest way to end up dead in this world was to refuse to kill.

Mace stood up with a new resolve; Reap had known the conditions when he became a Soldier, there was no way out other than a body bag. It was too late for her father, he had sealed his fate long ago, but Mace could still save Jess. If he recruited Jess and killed Reap, then only one person would have to die instead of three. He hated to cause her pain but Jess was strong, and she would get over it… he hoped.

As for today, he had to go alone; Mace decided to leave Jess alone without appointing one of his crew to watch her. He knew them all well enough to know none of them could be trusted. It would be the first time she was left completely alone since he abducted her, and from what Mace knew of Jess he could not trust that she would not run off once she figured out what was going on.

Mace moved the TV from the living room into the bedroom hooking it up to the wall jack in there then placed the remote within her reach along with a plate of leftover cold pizza and a bottle of water. Moving the phone to the other side of the room so she could not call out he wrote a quick note for her that read:

Sorry Boo, be back soon. ~ Mace

Reluctantly he took the handcuffs he kept in the closet and gently lifting Jess’ arm so not to wake her, he cuffed Jess’ right wrist to the metal headboard of his old bed. Placing the newspaper, he had beside her as proof of the date Mace used the camera in his cellphone to take a picture of Jess as proof for her father that she was alive and well.

Jess was not going to be happy when she woke; he would have some serious kissing up to do when he got back. Taking his suit from the closet, Mace decided to dress in the living room in case she woke before he left. He was not interested in fighting about it just yet.

***

Johnny walked across the grass, the afternoon sun beating down on him. His ebony hair tied back. He scanned the cemetery over the rim of his sunglasses sizing up the mourners who had gathered to say goodbye to their loved one. A mother was sobbing uncontrollably against her husband’s shoulder. A young lady dabbed her eyes with a tissue. A few young men with their heads bowed in silent grief. None of which fit the usual criteria of a Soldier.

Then he spotted him, in the back, a well-dressed black man in his early twenties. A tailored Armani suit and dark Oakley sunglasses. His hair was done up in tight corn rolls, the only evidence of his street status. His stance was confident and relaxed, unlike the other mourners. His hands were folded in front of him holding a mid-sized brown envelope.

They stood on opposite sides of the funeral watching one another, never taking their eyes off the other. Both men sizing up the possible threat. The young man exuded unwavering self-assurance and composer. It was clear he was no low-level street punk. Luda had sent one of his best men to negotiate.

When the casket lowered into the ground, and the first dirt tossed the mourners lined up to toss flowers into the grave and pay their respects to the grieving family members. Both men respectfully moved through the motions tossing a flower they had brought into the grave then shaking the hands of the surviving parents, telling them how sorry they were for their loss. Right after, they walked shoulder to shoulder through the graveyard in silence, until they were out of earshot of the other mourners.

***

Stopping at a crypt a few yards away and still in plain view of everyone to ensure both their safety, Mace leaned against the wall. He eyed up the large Native man in the fine designer suit and freshly polished shoes.

He looked every bit the finely tuned killer he was said to be. Mace sucked in a breath of awe. He was now standing face to face with a legend. An inspiration, the man that all the young thugs and recruits inspired to be like. To this day no one had managed to live up to this man’s reputation. “You are exactly the way you look in your pictures; you’ve barely aged a day. I’ve seen a few photos hanging on the walls in many different Soldier establishments. The greatest in life and a legend in death. I must say it is an honour to meet you face to face Reap.”

“Well, you know who I am, who are you?”

“They call me Mace.” He introduced himself with a bow of his head pleased with his well-known reputation.

Johnny stood still his expression indifferent to the younger man’s pride. “Should that mean something to me? What does Luda want?”

Annoyed Mace shifted his weight from one leg to another. He had not heard of him; it was not a big deal the man had been out of the loop for over eighteen years. “What makes you think Luda wants something?”

“He wouldn’t have brought me back to LA if he only wanted me dead.”

“He wants someone else dead,” Mace said handing Johnny the envelope he held.

Johnny opened it pulling out the photos inside. Flipping through them, he recognized the face. He was older, but he instantly recognized Peter Yuan, the head of the Worriers. He had been well protected by his crew back in the day, it was even harder now to get near the man, or they would not have sent for him. “It’s a suicide mission,” Johnny observed noting the number of large well-armed men always around him in each picture.

“Most definitely, but your specialty, so I’m told.”

“Why?”

“The Soldiers dominate most of LA, but not all. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that there might be a war coming.” Mace drawled looking around casually.

“And Luda wants Pete’s turf.”

“There’s not enough room for the both of them. Consider it a hostile takeover. You take out the big man and the small fish fall in line if they don’t want to meet the same fate. Our ranks grow, and so does our control. Then we run LA.”

“You mean he runs LA.”

Mace said nothing; Johnny was trying to plant seeds of doubt in his mind, divide and conquer. “No one can get close enough; they say you’re the best. That you never miss your mark.”

“I don’t see how your war is my problem. I’m not a Soldier anymore.” Johnny argued knowing it would not fly.

Mace removed his shades and flashed a cocky grin. “Come now, we both know that so long as you’re breathing, you’re one of us. Besides we have leverage.”

Johnny put the pictures back inside the envelope placing it in his inner coat pocket. “I want to see my daughter. I want to speak to her.” He demanded.

“No.” Mace denied him picking a tiny piece of lint off his coat pretending to be unconcerned with what Johnny wanted.

“I don’t do a damned thing until I know she’s safe.”

Mace took his cell phone from his pocket retrieving the picture he had taken earlier from the digital memory then held it up with the screen facing Johnny. Johnny’s eyes narrowed in anger as he saw that her shoulders were bare. She was nude under those sheets. Nude and handcuffed. “Now you do your part, and I’ll do mine. So long as he dies...” Mace nodded toward Johnny’s pocket. “She won’t. I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

“I don’t believe you. Luda’s not about to just let us walk away when it is all said and done.”

“No, you’re right; he’s not going to let you walk away. He doesn’t want her. The mark dies and then you, he doesn’t care either way what happens to her. You play by the rules and accept your fate, and she can walk away from all this with nothing more than a few years of therapy.” Neither one believed it, they both knew Luda was not going to make it that easy, but for now, Johnny did not know where Jess was, and Mace had the upper hand.

Reluctantly Johnny agreed he would have to spend some time on recon and prep before he could complete the job. It would buy him some time to find Jess. Mace had already given him a place to start when he said: “I’ll.” With nothing more to say they went their separate ways.

***

Johnny stormed into the motel causing Sasha to jump to her feet. He instantly began rummaging through her clothes selecting the right look for their evening. If he was going to track down Mace he had no time to waste. “Put this on and get ready to go.” He ordered stripping away his suit coat and loosening the knot of his tie.

“Go where?”

“The X-Factor. I know who has Jess; now I have to find him.” He answered undoing the buttons of his shirt and then struggling with the cufflinks.

Sasha calmly pushed his fumbling hand aside, and with nimble fingers, she assisted him with the tiny gold links. “And you think you’ll find him at this X-Factor?”

Johnny smiled his anxiety washed away by her touch. Her fingers unhooked the cuff of his pressed shirt, and she slowly slipped the fabric over his wrist with one hand while the other glided over his shoulder moving the fabric down his arm. “No, but I’ll find someone who can help me. He’s a young thug, but his name and address are not in Saint’s phone… I looked. I’m counting on them knowing where to find him anyway. Besides they can fill me in on this guy. I like to know my enemy before I take him on. I don’t like surprises.”

Sasha folded his shirt in half and draped it over the bed. “So, in short, we’re going clubbing?”

“Sort of.” He grinned at her simplistic view. He rummaged through his clothes and selected what he wished to change in too.

“Do I have time to shower?”

“Fast. I want to get some target practice in before we go.” He said opening his weapons bag. Taking out each piece and laying it out on the table, taking inventory of his ammunition supply. He might need more. Deciding which to take with him and which would be best to outfit Sasha.

“Are we going to need those?” She asked wringing her hands nervously. She still did not feel comfortable carrying one.

“Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it,” Johnny answered without looking up from his task. “I want you to bring that one I gave you to hold. You’ve already got a feel for it so it would be safest. Make sure it’s loaded before we leave.” Pausing, he looked up at her. “Go shower.”

Sasha stared at the arrangements of artillery on the small table. If three weeks ago someone would have told her she would run out on her officer fiancé and be arming herself to go clubbing with a felon she would have laughed. She was worlds apart from the life she knew, feeling like Alice through the looking glass, chasing her white rabbit through a world, she could never understand. It was one thing to shoot at bottles in the desert, but she was not altogether sure she could point a gun at another human being and go through with it.

Johnny stared at Sasha, studying her expression. Placing his weapon down, he closed the gap between them in two steps. His fingers stroked her pale cheek lifting her chin with his thumb and forefinger tilting her face up to his. “It is not too late Sasha, no one knows you’re here yet you can still go home. You don’t have to do this, but if you do you have to be sure after tonight, there is no way out.”

Sasha stared into his dark eyes, her heart melting with his body close. His constant offers to let her walk away were endearing. Ironic that her white knight would turn out to be a wanted criminal. He had more integrity and chivalry than any man she knew. “I’ll be out in fifteen minutes.” She whispered kissing his cheek.

Johnny watched her walk into the washroom and close the door. She was brave…or crazy; he was not sure which, but either way, he was hung up on her. Sasha was easily the girl of his dreams, and all he had to offer her was a pending nightmare.