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  “It’s the leave me the hell alone part that is kind of mean.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry.”

  Callie smiled. “I forgive you. Now go get rid of that thing”—she tapped my shoulder-holstered gun—“and change. We need to get the food going.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Did you want to assist?”

  She laughed and raised her eyebrows. “No time. Remember, you wanted your partner to come over.” She pushed me away.

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  I headed back to the bedroom to change.

  Hank arrived within twenty minutes. We had a few beers, grilled steaks on the balcony, and did our best not to talk about work. However, a few times, he did bring up getting Riaola to crack under his superior interrogation skills. I went with it and let him have his delusional victory. He was gone with Butch within a couple hours.

  Callie and I finished our packing and reserved the rest of the evening for watching a movie, curled up on the couch. She fell asleep in my arms, and I carried her off to bed.

  Chapter 12 - Kane

  We were at the airport by eight for our departure at nine forty-five. Our flight was delayed, which led to a spirited jog to catch our connecting flight out of Atlanta. We touched down in Milwaukee a couple minutes before one o’clock. I fired off a text message to my sister that we were on the ground. She sent a message back that she was there and she and Tommy would be waiting for us right outside security.

  The cold hit us as soon as we stepped from the airplane. The air stung my nose as I inhaled. I remembered that well. The jetway might as well have been a freezer. I looked at Callie. She shivered and gripped her elbows.

  “Cold yet?” I asked.

  She smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

  The local weather forecast Callie had looked up was a bit lacking. It said nothing of the windchill. While the temperature was supposed to be eight degrees, the pilot had told us over the plane’s intercom about a strong northern wind. The windchill, he said, was at seventeen below zero.

  We walked through the airport and approached security.

  I spotted Melissa and Tommy up the corridor. I pointed at them, “That’s them.”

  “She’s going to be nice, right?” Callie asked.

  I laughed. “Yeah, Cal. She’ll be nice.”

  We walked up to them. Melissa was holding Tommy’s hand.

  “Hey, guys,” Melissa said.

  I pointed at her hair and gave her a hug. “Haircut?”

  Her brown highlighted hair was cut at her chin bone—almost six inches shorter than the family photo I’d received earlier in the week. She wore a puffy white coat with a fur-lined hood and a pair of blue jeans.

  “I’m trying something new. I see you didn’t grow any hair to cover that thing yet.” She tapped at the scar along the side of my head. “I see you have a couple new ones as well.”

  “They’re barely even noticeable,” I said. “I kind of think they add to my character.”

  Melissa nodded. “Mmm hmm. What character is that? Frankenstein?”

  “Maybe,” I said.

  Melissa smiled at Callie. “Carl isn’t so good with introductions. Callie, I presume?”

  “Yes, and I love your boots,” Callie said.

  I looked down. My sister wore some gray leather boots, complete with numerous buckles.

  “Aw, thanks,” Melissa said.

  “I’d watch those boots, Mel. She has a thing for footwear,” I said.

  They smiled at each other and hugged. I guessed it was about as good as their introduction could go.

  I knelt. Tommy took a step toward me and stopped. His hand came from the pocket of his blue winter jacket. His little hand stretched toward me, waiting for a handshake. I smiled, shook it, and gave him a hug.

  “Hey, buddy.” I rubbed his brown, finger-length hair.

  “Hi, Uncle Carl.”

  “Tommy, I want you to meet someone.” I pointed at Callie. “This is Callie.”

  He held out his hand for another handshake.

  Melissa looked at Callie and smiled. “It’s something new he’s been doing. They taught him at school.”

  Callie got low and shook his hand. “Well, aren’t you handsome.” She smiled. “What was your name again? Timmy? Or was it Thompson? Or maybe Terry?”

  He giggled. “It’s Tommy.”

  “Tommy. Yeah, that’s it. Well, it’s nice to meet you, Tommy.”

  He smiled and went back to Melissa.

  I nodded toward a coffee stand up ahead. “I want to grab a coffee over here quick before we get our bags. You guys want one?”

  “I wish,” Callie said. “But I had my two cups today. Supposed to watch the caffeine intake for the baby, remember?”

  I nodded. “Mel, coffee?”

  “Sure. Black.”

  “Got it. I remember.”

  We headed over, and I stood in line while the girls talked off to the side. I looked back and watched them. Their conversation, and their smiles, didn’t appear forced, which was a relief. I had worried a little about how my sister would act toward her, knowing how close Melissa was with my ex-wife. However, the more I thought about it, I realized I could have been worried for nothing. My sister had always given people a fair shake. I grabbed the coffees, added a little creamer to mine from the stand nearby, and walked back over. I handed Melissa her cup, and we walked down to the baggage terminal.

  With our suitcases in the back of my sister’s Subaru SUV, we headed from the airport out to her house. A few years back, my sister and brother-in-law had bought an old Victorian farmhouse outside of Cedarburg—the town that she and I had grown up in. It needed some updating, but it was huge and sat on a large plot of land. The closest neighbor was over a mile away. The drive from the airport took us the better part of an hour. When we pulled in to Melissa’s, snow was piled on the leafless branches of trees lining the driveway. The house came into view. I’d been there before, but I imagined it to be a sight to Callie. The home was yellow and white—three stories. A turret sat to the right of the front entrance and extended up to the highest roof line. A white, covered porch wrapped the entire house.

  “It’s so pretty,” Callie said from the backseat.

  “Thanks. It’s been a lot of work, though. We spent the last three years updating and remodeling room by room. The only rooms we haven’t gotten to are the bedroom and bathroom that you guys will be using. There are some holes in the walls still, a couple of spots where there is no carpet.” She went quiet, looking into the rearview mirror at Callie.

  I smiled.

  “Oh, don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine,” Callie said.

  “There is a bed up there, right?” I asked.

  “Yeah, the previous owners, who died, left one behind.” Melissa parked the car in front of the garage.

  “Good. At least we’ll have something to sleep on. Did you guys ever take care of the mice problem upstairs?” I asked.

  “Mice. Yuck,” Tommy said.

  “Well, we’ve been leaving traps up there, but we can’t seem to make a dent in the population.”

  I laughed—I couldn’t contain it. I looked back at Callie from the front seat and smiled.

  “You guys are such jerks,” Callie said.

  Melissa laughed and shut the car off. “Figured I’d have some fun with you. Don’t worry, the entire place is complete, and we most certainly don’t have a rodent problem.”

  We got out. Melissa went to the back on the driver’s side to get Tommy. Callie swatted my arm and gave me a quick kiss on the passenger side. We walked to the back to grab our luggage and then headed for the house.

  “What time does Jeff get home?” I asked.

  “He should be home around six.” Melissa walked up the stairs to the front door and unlocked it. Tommy ran into the house and disappeared. I lifted my and Callie’s suitcases and carried them inside.

  “Wow,” Callie said.

  We walked into Melissa’s large kitchen. Two lights hung f
rom the tin ceiling. White cabinets with gray granite countertops lined the walls. A decorative hood hung over the stove and oven area. The center island was a work of art. I’d remembered my sister speaking of having it built. Apparently, a custom woodworker had built it to match the original cabinetry. I’d never asked the price, but looking at it made me not want to. It couldn’t have been cheap or even affordable. The original wood floors shone as if new. I wheeled our suitcases to the stairwell and parked them.

  Melissa took a seat at one of the chairs at the center island, and Callie did the same.

  “What’s up with Dad?” Melissa asked.

  I walked over. “I talked to him and Sandy yesterday. I told them Callie and I would be up Saturday morning. Were you guys going to come?”

  “We talked about it. I’m not sure one hundred percent yet, though. Jeff was talking like he had to work on Saturday. So we’ll see, I guess. Are they coming back down here with you guys?”

  “That’s the plan. He said that he and Sandy would head back with us on Monday. I figured we’ll all hang out Monday night and maybe go grab some dinner or something. Then Tuesday, we’re off,” I said.

  “Okay. Well, if they are coming for sure on Monday, I guess it’s not that big of a deal if we can make it up or not.”

  I rocked my head back and forth.

  “He’s been acting weird lately,” Melissa said.

  I tried to keep my eye rolling to a minimum. “How has he been acting weird, Mel?”

  “Don’t ask me all sarcastic like.”

  “Sorry. I’ll try again. How has he been acting weird?”

  “It’s like he is scared about getting older. I think he’s sensing his own mortality or something.”

  “Are you sure that’s not just you thinking that way?”

  “No. I asked Sandy. You know she would never come out and say that Dad is worried about something, but she kind of hinted to it.”

  “This is all pretty vague, Mel. I’m going to need an example.”

  “He was talking to me about a will a few weeks back.”

  I was quiet. I’d never heard my father ever mention anything about a will in his life. “I’ll try to talk to him and see what’s up.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that. He won’t tell you anything. You know how he is,” Melissa said.

  I saw her point. My father wasn’t one for long, drawn-out talks about feelings.

  “Well, what’s on the agenda for today, then?” Melissa asked.

  “Take a shower, change, and then I wanted to stop in at the old station and say hi to a few people. I figured I would just get it out of the way today.”

  She looked at Callie and smiled. “Does that sound like something you want to do on vacation?”

  “Um,” Callie said.

  “Why don’t you take the old 4Runner in the garage and go say hi to your buddies? Callie, Tommy, and I will find something more entertaining to do.”

  “Like?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. Mall and a movie or something?”

  “I’m fine with that if you are, Cal.”

  She smiled. “A mall and a movie does sound like a better time than sitting at a police station. Sorry.”

  “You don’t want to hear me and the guys rehash cases from years back?”

  Callie smiled. “I’ll let you give me the highlights later.”

  “All right.” I kissed Callie on the forehead. “I’m going to take the bags upstairs and change.”

  “Sounds good.”

  I carried everything up to the guest room and was cleaned up within fifteen minutes. When I walked back down, the two were in the same spot in the kitchen, talking. I walked behind Callie and rested my arms on her shoulders. “I guess I’m going to head down there. I should be back around six or seven.”

  “Later, babe.” She rubbed my arm.

  “We should be back around then, too. If we’re not and Jeff isn’t home, there is a key under the mat. We’ll plan on a later dinner. Maybe eight o’clock or so.”

  “You know that is about the most unsafe place in the world for a key to your house, right?”

  She waved away my comment. “Thanks for the tip, Johnny Law.”

  Callie laughed.

  I said my goodbyes and drove to downtown Milwaukee, to my old station. The place looked the same, as did most of the people. I chewed the fat with the guys I had worked with for almost two hours. I spent another half hour talking with my old captain, Ken Rhodes. He was doing well. My old partner, Jim Gase, wasn’t in. I decided to make a return trip before my time in Milwaukee was over, to see him. I was on my way back to my sister’s place a few minutes before six.

  The night played out as planned. I heard about the animated movie the three had gone to see. Callie had two new pairs of shoes we would somehow have to fit into our luggage. Jeff and I talked sports while the girls went into everything Callie could expect as her pregnancy progressed. Tommy darted from room to room in the house, playing with toys. After Tommy went to bed, the four of us sat around the fire in the living room and talked. Jeff and I had a few beers while my sister and Callie drank some nonalcoholic wine that Melissa had picked up. We stayed up until a little past midnight.

  Chapter 13 - Yury

  Yury knocked on the hotel room door. A moment of darkness could be seen in the door’s peep hole. Yury knocked harder. He heard the sound of the door being unlatched from the other side, and it swung open. Ramon stood in the doorway, wearing different-colored tactical gear, similar to what he’d worn the previous day.

  Yury walked past Ramon into the hotel room, two large duffel bags hanging from his hands. Ramon closed the door at his back and followed. The room spread out to the right. Two empty beds, a television on a dresser, and a small table filled the room.

  Yury walked to the table and slid out a chair. He set the duffel bags beside the bed.

  “Everything you requested is in these two bags. I expect it all back when you’re finished.”

  “Okay,” Ramon said. He knelt and unzipped the bag to check the contents. “It looks like it’s all there.”

  “That’s what I just told you. Are all of your men in the next room?”

  “They are.”

  “No issues with the flight or the hotel?” Yury asked.

  “No, everything has gone smooth.”

  Yury pulled two sets of car keys from his pocket and tossed them onto the table. “There’s two black Chevy Malibus sitting downstairs in the parking lot.”

  “Both ours?”

  “Yes. I have my own vehicle.” Yury handed Ramon a scrap of paper. “This is the location your targets are at right now. I want you, and two of your guys, there.” He handed him another scrap of paper. “I want the other two here.”

  “Why do you want the men split up?”

  “As a failsafe, in case it all doesn’t go according to plan at the first address. Have your men in position at the second address before dawn.”

  “Failsafe?”

  “I want your guys to grab the lieutenant’s parents prior to taking a shot at him or the woman.”

  “There was no mention of this. No one said anything about kidnapping.”

  Yury pulled his head back in surprise. “Kidnapping is something you’re concerned about, yet murder is okay? It’s called a failsafe for a reason. Don’t fail down here, and we won’t have to worry about it. Two of your guys will be paid for babysitting for a few hours. Is this going to be a problem?”

  “No. How far away are these addresses?”

  “Do I look like a GPS? Look it up. The phones I gave you have the Internet on them.”

  “Can you tell me anything about either place?” Ramon asked. With his finger, he flicked the scraps of paper. “I like to be prepared.”

  “Where they are at now is a big house in the middle of nowhere. Your men shouldn’t have any problems. The second address is a few hours north. It should be pretty remote.”

  “When do you want this done, exactly?�
��

  “Tomorrow morning. The cleaner you can do it, the better. Use the long-range rifles. As soon as you can get a shot on both of them, take it. But I want those guys at the second address to have the parents before a bullet is fired. They should leave soon.”

  “I got it.”

  “Make sure your men get photo evidence.”

  Ramon nodded.

  “Call me when it’s done.”

  “You should be hearing from me tomorrow morning.”

  “When you’re through, come back to this hotel room and wait.”

  “All right.”

  Yury stood and walked toward the door. He stopped at the dresser and rummaged through his pocket. He slid a few hundred-dollar bills from his money clip and set them next to the television. “Gas money and food.”

  “Thanks,” Ramon said.

  Yury walked to the door and left.

  Chapter 14 – Ramon

  Ramon put on his shoes, grabbed the money from the dresser, and walked next door. He slid his hotel keycard in the door and entered. Two of the men, going by the names Alexander and Rodrigo, sat on the edge of the beds watching the television. The other two, going by Alejandro and Daniel, sat at the table playing dominoes.

  “I have our orders,” Ramon said.

  “What are they?” Alexander asked.

  “Two of you will be traveling to an address a couple hours north. Rodrigo, Daniel, that will be you. You are to secure the parents of the male target prior to a shot being fired. Alexander, Alejandro, you’ll be coming with me.”

  “Why are we doing that?” Rodrigo asked.

  “This is how they want it done. Let’s not start getting into asking questions. Let’s do this how they ask, get paid, and get out.”

  “What’s the breakdown?” Alexander asked.

  “Fifty grand a piece on the cop. Another ten a piece on the woman.”

  Rodrigo let out a little whistle. “That’s what I’m talking about.” He swatted at Alexander sitting near him, who smiled.

  “I told you guys, this is the big time. No more smash-and-grabs. No more knocking over convenience stores. A few years of this, and you can be spending the rest of your lives on a beach somewhere,” Ramon said.