Boston to Birmingham Ch. 04

"Here is what I want you to do. I want you to define love, not in the abstract, but your personal definition of love. I want to compare your definitions alone first, and then in the session I want you to read your definition to each other, giving explanations and clarifications if needed. See you next week."

Gwen hung back as Hardy left.

"Do I have a chance with him?"

Bill gave her a classic non answer.

"That's not up to me to say. Good night, Gwen."

................................................

Allan was cranky. Two days on the road. A fucking ticket in Texas, fifteen miles over the speed limit. There went the low profile. He managed to talk the cop down to ten over the limit so he didn't have to go to court, promising to pay the fine before it came to court.

Good party in Phoenix, though. Two hookers, lots of coke, he didn't want it to end.

Two hours out from Birmingham he called Gwen, Don Vincente was kind enough to give him her new number.

"Gwen, baby, what's up. Miss me?"

She knew who it was, but had to ask.

"Who the hell is this?"

"It's Allen, baby. Ready for some more blond on blond lovin'?"

"I don't know how you got my number, don't really care. Lose it, never call me again. I hope you have a miserable, shitty life."

She hung up. He called right back.

"Baby, before you hang up, I need to tell you I got pictures of you doing coke in Paris, butt naked with the straw up your nose. We need to talk."

She sighed, this was just perfect. Another asshole out to ruin her life.

"Cut to the chase Allan, what do you want?"

"Well babe, as much as I would love a repeat of the last time we met, this is business. Thanks to you, your dad, and that asshole husband of yours, mu life sucks. But I've made new friends, started a new career. Meet me somewhere, and I'll tell you everything."

She made arrangements to meet him at a truck stop just outside of town. Just as soon as she hung up she called the judge, quickly explaining.

"I can't let Hardy find out he's here, he'll kill him. If he finds out he came to see me Hardy will read it all wrong and never take me back. What am I gonna do?"

J.T. was frail in body, but his mind was sharp as ever.

"Call him back, change the meet location to the address I'm giving you. Tell him whatever he wants to hear, just get him there."

After she rang off he called his son in law.

"Will Rob, you are about to have one doozy of a problem."

He filled him in and they quickly made plans.

Hardy was just coming out of the courthouse when a deputy, his cousin Ebb, stopped him.

"Hardy, I need you to come with me. Don't get mad, but let me put the cuffs on you, make it look like I'm arresting you. I'm even gonna put you in the back. I'll explain everything later, please, Will Rob said it was important."

He wasn't thrilled about being cuffed, but he and Will went way back, and he knew he had his reasons.

It was just getting twilight, the shadows were getting long, and they were driving into the sun so he couldn't exactly see where he was when they stopped.

It was an old abandoned farm house, over grown with weeds and crumbling with neglect. There were three cars already there, Wills', Gwens', and a red corvette he didn't recognize. He was starting to get a tingling in his forehead, his adrenalin was rushing. He had stopped taking the pills until the thing with the Escobar kid was over. Felt like he needed the edge.

Ebb turned the car slightly and he recognized Allan. He spoke in a very quiet voice that still set chills running up and down the deputy's spine.

"Ebb, I need you to take these cuffs off me and let me out of the car."

"Hardy, Will said to keep you here. He'll be along in a minute to explain things. J.T. is with him, they're not gonna let any harm come to Gwen. Try to relax."

"I need out, right now, Ebb. Do it!"

Will came over.

"Hardy, you need to stay calm. Gwen called us, said this guy was threatening her, and she was afraid you'd find out and get the wrong idea. He and I are gonna have a little talk, then I'm going to invite him to leave our fair state, never to return. It'll be over soon and we can all go home."

Allan was scared. Sheriff Andy and deputy dog didn't act friendly, and he had no idea who the old guy was, but he looked downright pissed. He realized he was an idiot for agreeing to such an isolated meeting, but he had already decided it would work for him. He'd show her the pictures, get her to do something to screw up the Escobar trial, and maybe get a little pussy as a bonus.

Then the cops showed up and it went south fast. While he wouldn't admit it, every time he looked at Hardy he felt queasy, flashing back to the pain he had experienced.

He was also a little high, snorting a line just before he met Gwen for an added boost of confidence. There was at least an ounce left in the dash, he would be up shit creek if they decided to look.

The sheriff came over, just looking at him until he became uncomfortable. He actually jumped a little when he started talking.

"Mr. Hovis, I'm hearing disturbing things about you. Coming into my county, threatening one of our locals. I take a dim view of that. Know how long you could get for attempted blackmail in our state? The guys in Huntsville would love you, a Yankee and a lawyer. Some of them might even think you're pretty, those black boys really like blonds."

Suddenly his grand plan seemed foolish and he started looking for a way out. He had just enough coke in him to try to bluster and threaten.

"Hold on, now. I was just stopping by to say hello to an old friend, maybe share a memory or two. I have no idea what she told you, but unless I've done something illegal that you can substantiated, I believe I'll be on my way."

"That man," he said, pointing at Hardy, "has already assaulted me once. Luckily for him I was in no position to defend myself, being balls deep in his wife at the time, or it would have ended much differently. You're a pussy, Wilkes, you couldn't come close to me in a heads up fight.

Good thing you're locked up, I'd love to embarrass you in front of your woman. No, wait, she was fucking me so that must have made her mine."

Hardy leaned back and kicked the car door as hard as he could. Seeing how sturdy it was, he changed tactics and kicked the window several times. It wouldn't break, but started leaning outwards. Frustrated, he tried the other window, hitting it just right after a few kicks, shattering it. He tried to crawl through, with Ebb and Will pushing him back. He was flushed and was practically screaming.

J.T used a voice that had four decades of courtroom authority behind it, Hitting the hood of the corvette with his cane, he shouted.

"Enough! Hardy, behave yourself, right this instant. YOU, Yankee boy, shut the fuck up. One more peep out of you and I'll tell them to let him go. I'll defend him myself, he won't do three years in a looney bin, after all, I got witnesses to swear he was legally insane at the time. You'll be dead so no one will argue about it. Now, if you want to live, I suggest you listen to our sheriff."

"Mr. Hovis, if it was up to me, and it is, I'd arrest your ass right now. But, since it could easily get messy for some very fine people, you get one chance. They would get hurt, but you'd still end up in jail. Get your ass in that shiny little car and get the hell out of my county. Don't come back. Ever. This is your only chance, take it before I change my mind."

He was partly stoned, but he had enough brain cells firing to know it was time to cut and run.

Don Vincente would be displeased, but he would find a way to make it up to him. They had him empty his pockets, and as he was retrieving his items he noticed his cell phone missing. It had the pictures on it, he needed it back, he might still be able to use it.

"Where's my phone?"

Gwen smiled sweetly.

"I'm so sorry, Allan, it must have fallen off your hood, and I stepped on it. My oops. Tell you what, send me the bill for a new one. Now leave, and have a miserable, shitty life."

She had literally stomped the phone to pieces. He was going to try to retrieve it and see if he could salvage anything, but the sheriff told him to leave it. Hardy was still struggling, and that damn dog in the deputy's car was barking like mad.

He left as fast he thought he could go.

Hardy calmed down after about ten minutes. The dog was still barking.

"What the hell's the matter with Belle? She's been going crazy since you got here."

Ebb grinned at his boss.

"I'd bet my bottom dollar there were drugs in that car. A good bit judging by the way she's acting."

"Interesting" said Will Rob, fishing out his phone.

"Coy, how the hell are you? Got a good feeling about the election? That state trooper wants to be sheriff bad, and he's got some money boys behind him."

"Tell me, you still got that tough on crime campaign going? Still fond of Yankees, lawyers, and drug dealers? Okay then, I might just make your day."

"I've got a gift for you, might make you look good to the voters. In oh, say thirty minutes, a big blond guy in a shiny red corvette is about to go breezing through your county on sixty five heading north. I got a hot tip he was carrying drugs, but it came in too late for me to do anything about it."

"Yeah, I'm still getting anonymous tips right and left on my hot line. Somebody must really have a hardon for those Mexicans, and I'm reaping the benefits. I was gonna retire next year, but if this keeps up the voters will lynch me if I try it."

"Coy, one thing, you didn't hear this from me. I don't want my source to get upset, they might have some more information. Your welcome. Say hey to Myra. See ya."

He hung up the phone with what can only be described as a shit eating grin.

"Well, children, I've done my civic duty for today. Time to go home, supper's waiting. Hardy, you're gonna pay for those windows. And you're welcome. Good night to you, Miss Gwen, see you in court."

Gwen was trying to explain things to Hardy, but he sat stone faced. Sighing, she gave up and left.

................................................

An hour later, Allan was still fuming over his failure. He had pulled over at a rest stop and did a couple lines to calm him. It helped, some.

Suddenly blue lights went on behind him. Fuck, what is it with these rednecks? First Texas, now this. He looked down and swore, the speedometer was sitting on ninety five.

Pulling over, he was about to put his sorrowful face on when another cruiser pulled in front of him, and another pulled beside him, boxing him in.

Two deputies and a state patrolman pulled their service weapons and ordered him out of the car and on the ground. Ten minutes later he's handcuffed in the back of one of the cruisers when the Sheriff and two DEA vans pulled up, followed by two TV news crews. Shit, they must really hate speeders.

One DEA van had two dogs, and they were practically trying to eat his car. He got a real, real, real bad feeling. It was all over the news the next morning.

The announcer almost couldn't talk for glee.

"A traffic stop last night yielded unexpected results. Allan Hovis, a lawyer from California, was pulled for doing twenty five miles an hour over the speed limit. A routine examination resulted in evidence there were drugs in the car. It was towed to the DEA lab in Montgomery, where it was disassembled and was found to have nine pounds of cocaine stored in several different locations in the car. There are rumors that the lawyer is somehow associated with a Mexican drug cartel. Just another instance of the growing tide of drugs flowing up from the south."

They held Allan in isolation, citing homeland security, as the cartels have been known to deal with terrorists. He was in deep shit and knew it.

He sang like a bird, after getting guarantees of safety.

The DEA guys gave him assurances he was safe, but they knew from experience, if the cartel wanted you, nothing could save you. Their hope was to keep him alive long enough to testify.

..................................................

Don Vicente was in a rage. He knew the weak character of the California lawyer. He would definitely talk. It might be a good time to go back home for awhile.

In truth, he didn't like his nephew much, but he had sworn to his dying sister he would keep him safe. Plus it had now become a point of pride. If he were to lose this, his power base would be compromised.

He was at his wit's end when providence gave him a gift.

A man who could be useful contacted one of his subordinates, was checked out, and found interesting. A meeting was set.

He disliked Ronnie Wilkes on sight. Any man who would betray his family was not to be trusted. But he had put together a plan that would probably work.

"Look, you and I know there is no way you can get to his wife, they've got her wrapped in three levels of security. But the man he loves most in the world, his grandfather, is a creature of habit."

"Every two weeks he and Aunt Hildy go to town. She grocery shops and gets her hair done while Hardy gets his haircut and gets what farm supplies he needs before they meet for lunch at the diner."

He's at Tommys' Barber Shop no later than ten. He'll have two guys with him. One stays outside while the other goes in. That's where he's accessible. I'll have a car waiting in the alley out back. I'll go in with some story about how he has to get out now and hustle him out the back door. We'll have him in the car before he knows what's going on."

"He won't suspect a thing, after all, I'm family and supposed to be helping keep an eye on them."

"What do you want?"

Ronnie looked uncomfortable for the first time.

"I need a good payoff for my boys, enough to get out of town and start somewhere else. And I'd like to work for you, I'm sure I could be useful."

Don Vincente agreed to everything, knowing there was no way he would trust a traitor.

................................................

He was right. When all this first started, Hardy went to see Roy.

"Roy, I'm sure by now you know trouble is coming. Your business is going to get hurt, I can't help that. When the law cracks down, they'll have to crack down on everybody. Before you get tore up, tell me, what does your crew average a month. Don't try to bullshit me."

The number was a lot smaller than he thought.

"Okay, here's the deal. I'll pay you that plus ten percent to lie low for the next two or three months. I'll also need some of your guys to keep an eye on a few people. I'm willing to pay extra for that. Can we reach an agreement?"

They could and did. All activity except bookmaking would stop. He had commitments with 'some gentlemen from New Orleans' he couldn't break.

He surprised Hardy.

"You know, I would have done this for nothing. Family ties."

He was moved.

"Thanks cousin Roy, but your business is going to hurt from my actions, and I can't have that on my conscience, family ties."

They shook.

................................................

Will Rob dropped by his office.

"Got a minute?"

Hardy pointed to a chair and had Crystal make a pot of coffee.

"What's up Will?"

"First, Bonnie is going to be in town for a few days and wants to see you."

Bonnie was his daughter, a couple years younger than Hardy.

Hardy brightened.

"How is the esteemed state senator? Tell her to name the time and place."

"I'll let her give you an update on her life. I'm sure she'll call."

He sat silent for a minute.

"Spit it out Will, before it gives you indigestion."

"I see what's happening. I'm pretty sure who's behind all those hot line tips I'm getting. Still not sure where the information is coming from, actually, as long as they keep coming I don't care."

"When the thieves go quiet it makes me nervous. Thank goodness for the pimps, it gives the guys something to do. Bad things are coming, sure as shootin'. I want your word that you'll use whatever influence you have that average people don't get hurt. Keep your war private, and I'll have no reason to start asking embarrassing questions. Understand me?"

Hardy grinned.

"Will Rob, I have no idea what you're talking about. But in a hypothetical situation, I would assure you that no expense would be spared to make that happen. Happy now?"

"As happy as I'm gonna be, I reckon. Damn Hardy, I like you, but every time you're around my life gets more complicated. I'll tell Bonnie to call. Thanks for the coffee."

................................................

It went off without a hitch. Ronnie burst into the barber shop just as Joshua got out of the chair.

"Joshua, we got to get you out, now! I got a car waiting out back, they're watching the front. Roy found out they were gonna try to grab you, Let's go!"

He led him through the back of the shop, the young cousin trailing behind.

"Quick, behind you!"

The young man turned and Ronnie hit him with the blackjack, knocking him unconscious instantly.

Joshua started to struggle, but he tapped him, dazing him into submission.

Hardy got the email with pictures in forty five minutes.

Joshua tied to a chair, with an obvious lump on his forehead. The message was short.

"She throws the trial or he dies. Respond by ten tomorrow."

Hardy felt the rage rising, welcoming it with open arms.

It was a long night. His first act was to get Gwen out of town without knowing they had Joshua.

Four carloads left town, and no one knew which one she was in. Outside of town they picked up four more vehicles, they split into pairs with the first four and went in different directions.

The next morning at nine a.m. Don Vincente got a response. There was a picture of Raul, beaten almost past recognition. The message was short and to the point.

"Call this cell before eleven, or Raul dies at noon. No one can protect him."

Don Vincente checked the prison. There had been a near riot, oddly Raul was the only one seriously hurt. Security was tight, rumor was someone was going to die at noon.

At ten thirty he made the call.

"There will be a man in a black four wheel truck in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly on ninth. Follow him, bring as many as you want with you, as long as one of them is my grandfather. No later than four. Raul lives until six unless I get what I want. There will be a few more pictures at two, just as an incentive."

He disconnected. Don Vincente found it disconcerting. No offer to negotiate, no threats, no discussion.

He paled when he got the next pictures. His wife, his twin daughters, laughing at his villa in Cozumel. The time stamp was forty five minutes ago.

Five big Suvs followed the truck out of town.

They went down a rural two lane until the truck stopped at a gate. The driver opened it, motioning them through. He then locked the gate, turned around, and left. A well tended lane led through fields and sparse woods before stopping by a pond. There were two oaks beside the pond with picnic tables under the shade. The area was clear for four hundred yards, with plowed fields and short wheat just coming up. Hardy sat under the trees, a fishing rod and cooler beside him. There was a beer in his hand. He rose and placed the bottle on the table.

Eighteen men got out of the vehicles, sixteen fully armed with everything from Uzis to pump shotguns.

Don Vincente strode forward, trying to control his temper.

Hardy spoke before he could explode.

"Please sign this, and give me a hundred dollars."

It was a contract calling for Hardy to consult on the defense of his nephew.

"This gives us client lawyer protection. I'll be bound by law not to give any information about this meeting. Surely you see the advantage."

A hundred dollar bill appeared and the paper was signed.