Hustle Page 18

  Rich watched him hide the gun under the seat, gave him a quick fraternal nod and said, “Packin’.”

  To which Bear replied with a simple, “Yup.”

  Rich asked, “You got Donny’s piece, too?”

  “You meant the one he stole from Gilly? Fuck no. That thing is hidden away. You boys can have it back when this is all over,” Bear lied. “We need something we know we can count on, which is why I brought what I brought.”

  Big Rich was disappointed, and his face showed it, but he knew better than to start arguing about it now.

  In the backseat, Donny was reminded they were on a dangerous mission. It’d all been dangerous, he knew, but seeing the snub-nosed .38 being placed beneath the seat crystallized the situation for him. They weren’t only going to get their phones back, they were going to rescue the old man. They had to if they ever expected to see a dime from him.

  “What’s the plan?” asked Donny. “Is there a plan?”

  Bear made a sound that was half-sigh, half-growl, and said, “I guess the plan is to go find this house, see what the fuck is going on there, then make up the rest of the plan.”

  Big Rich clapped his hands together with excitement. “Sounds good to me. Let’s go.”

  Donny, not sounding as confident as his friend, asked, “Bear, you ever done anything like this before?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like we’re gonna do, rescue Gabriel.”

  “Fuck no,” said Bear without even thinking about it. He reached into his jacket for his pack of Camels. “Nothing like it at all.”

  ***

  While Gabriel was upstairs with Dustin, the other three prepared for the big event. They moved from the kitchen counter to the large oak dining table. There, they spread out the necessary documents and papers. Miranda got herself ready by making sure her tools of the trade were in order, Terrence skimmed over the documents and placed them in their proper stacks, and Raphael set out glasses, empty ceramic cups for coffee, and a carafe of iced water.

  When they were done, they sat quietly waiting for Gabriel and Dustin’s return. They were patient. It was a somber moment for the three and they sat sipping at the water and fiddling with their empty cups. Raphael wasn’t really sure what was going on, he only knew it was very important to Terrence and his guests. Miranda sat ready to do what she needed to do. She wasn’t really sure why the VCR was necessary, but she told herself that it didn’t concern her; she was here to do a job and that’s what she was going to do. Terrence sat stone-faced. He was the only one at the table with any stakes involved and he knew exactly what was going on upstairs.

  They all heard the upstairs bedroom door open and shut. They didn’t look at each other; they only turned their heads toward the stairs. Gabriel came down first. He was pale and drawn; he looked exhausted, like a condemned man on his final walk to the gallows. Miranda wondered what in the world that boy had shown him on the video. Terrence, on the other hand, knew what was on the video, but he hadn’t expected it to hit the old attorney so hard. He figured that Gabriel must have known, on some level, what was coming. But the look on the old man’s face told him that Thaxton was caught by complete surprise.

  Behind Gabriel, though, Dustin was absolutely beaming. He wore the first real smile of his stay there at Terrence’s house. His normal pale, almost bluish pallor showed faint roses of blush on his cheeks. He looked both proud and triumphant.

  Only Raphael said something, “Okay, who wants coffee and who wants a drink?”

  No one answered but Gabriel. He said quietly, “I’ll have one of those Mimosas.”

  Terrence got up and pulled a chair out for Gabriel. He took him gently by the elbow, treating him with great sympathy and care. Gabriel took the chair and sat down with a grunt. Terrence went around the table to the other side and sat down directly across from the old lawyer. Dustin stood behind Gabriel, arms crossed, still smiling.

  “Okay, Gabriel,” said Terrence, changing his tone from nursemaid to businessman, “let’s get down business. Miranda here is a notary. She’s going to help us execute the transfer of a deed today. We have everything prepared, so this shouldn’t take too long. Then, after, we can all have a drink and you can be on your way.”

  A second wave of realization swept over Gabriel. He blinked in astonishment and half-turned to Dustin and said, “This … this is what you want?”

  Dustin stood silent and made no eye contact with Gabriel. His expression hadn’t changed; the smile had only tightened on his face. His plan was on the verge of becoming a reality. He was having trouble holding back his excitement.

  “We’ve done the necessary prep work,” continued Terrence, “all you need to do is sign. Miranda will notarize them, I’ll give you copies for your records and we’ll be done.” Terrence brushed his hands together, like he was wiping them clean. He was doing his best to keep it businesslike, trying to ignore that the old man was close to breaking down in tears.

  Gabriel still spoke to Dustin, “How did you get these?” he said pointing to the papers.

  “The only shit you kept locked in that fuckin’ safe of yours was your cash and my speed; you never thought I’d want anything else. You never thought I was smart enough.”

  Dustin’s word’s came fast, nothing was holding him back now, he was glaring at Gabriel, “You think the shit we were doing was free? You think I liked that shit? No, I’m gettin’ what’s mine. Nothing in life is free, and it’s time for you to ante up.”

  “What do you plan to do there?”

  “Sell it. Maybe I’ll live there for a few months and then I’ll put in on the market. Sell it, pay my taxes like a good citizen, and get the fuck out of San Francisco.”

  “You realize who I am, you understand I know the law, I’m going to come after you for this.” As Gabriel said this, out of the corner of his eye he could see Terrence shaking his head ever so lightly. He was letting Dustin know that it would be okay, that the deal would go through. Dustin had been coached from the beginning. Terrence had let him know that bank account transfers, living trusts, and wills, could be more complicated, leave a paper trail that could bring felony charges. The transfer of the deed was the simplest way of stinging him for millions.

  Terrence interrupted again. “Okay, so here we have the Grant Deed. Gabriel, if you would be so kind as to sign as Grantor, I’ve marked the spots with the yellow stick-ums.”

  Gabriel looked down at the little plastic arrows he’d used thousands of times to help a client navigate through documents.

  “Also, here’s a letter, just a formality, which states you own the house and property in question free and clear.” He turned his head to Miranda, “And sweetheart, what do you need from Mr. Thaxton?”

  Miranda, who was looking more and more uncomfortable as the gears turned in her head, stammered, “I know you are who you say you are, but just as a formality, like Terry said, I’d like to get some information off of your ID.”

  “That’s to smooth over any bumps down at the City Recorder’s Office, you understand,” said Terrence.

  Gabriel sat with the pen in front of him. He felt nauseated. He knew Dustin had painted him into a corner. His mind raced for tactics to prevent the transfer from happening.

  Dustin put his cold, bony hand on Gabriel’s shoulder and said, “You wanna take a minute and go upstairs and watch TV again?”

  “No,” Gabriel said. He picked up the document and began to read.

  Chapter 19

  The three were wide awake now. They’d left Stinson Beach and were on their last leg of the journey to the lawyer’s house. Their anticipation had fueled a feeling of sobriety. Donny leaned forward in his seat; the morning’s drugs had worn off enough to where his pain from last night’s rape began to assault him all over again. Big Rich, nervous and not knowing what to do to prepare, pulled out a small glass pipe and took a quick hit before Bear could complain.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” said Bear. “Blow that shit out the w
indow, I don’t wanna breathe it in. Fuck, can’t you guys hold off for a few hours while we get this done?”

  Rich said, “Sorry, man,” but it didn’t sound like he meant it. He then passed the pipe to his friend in the backseat. Donny took it gladly and repeated the same quick hit while Bear glared at him in the rearview mirror.

  “Great, I’m going into battle with a couple of stone-cold junkie meth-heads. This’ll be fun. I should let you guys know, if there’s any hostage taking, I won’t be negotiating for your release.”

  “You don’t even know if he’s there,” said Rich, lighting another cigarette.

  “I already told you I think he is. Why the fuck would we be driving all the way up here if I didn’t? What we’re about to do is some serious recon shit, like they used to do in the Nam.”

  Donny finished blowing his hit out the opening of his window and asked Bear, “You were in Vietnam?”

  “Fuck, no. I was a kid back then. How old do you think I am?” Bear shook his head. “Point is, we’re goin’ into a potentially volatile situation. We don’t know what’s up there, who’s up there. All we know is that Dustin fucker is a homicidal psychopath. That’s why we have guns.”

  Big Rich interjected, “I don’t have a gun.”

  “That’s why I have guns,” Bear corrected. “I need you two to have clear heads. We’re depending on each other to come out of there unharmed. We need to think like soldiers.”

  “You sure sound like you were in Vietnam,” said Big Rich.

  “Well, I wasn’t, so stop askin’.” Bear spotted the turnoff for McKenna Road and made a right. The two-lane wound back and forth, forcing Bear to drive slowly. He saw several gravel roads on either side, but most of them looked like fire-roads, unused and not attached to any residence. The farther they drove, the narrower the road became. Bear rolled down his window to see if he could hear any signs of civilization because he sure as hell couldn’t see any.

  They ascended a few more miles until Bear saw it. A lone mailbox perched on an oily wooden post. There was no name or marking on the box and it stood looking as unused as anything they’d already come across. The driveway beside it, however, was paved. Bear slowed the car down, then stopped.

  “What is it?” asked Rich.

  “I think this is the place,” Bear keeping his voice low now. A sense of caution enveloped them all.

  “How do you know?” asked Donny, also now at a whisper.

  “I don’t fuckin’ know, that’s what we’re here to find out, remember? Now stop askin’ so many questions.”

  Donny felt stupid for asking. He decided to stick close to Bear and follow his lead.

  Bear put the car in neutral and rolled it back down the slope a ways, lodging it into some trees just a few feet off the road. It sat straddled in a makeshift ditch. He pulled the .38 out from under the seat and opened the car door.

  “How come I don’t get a gun?” said Big Rich, “If it’s so fuckin’ dangerous up there, then I should have a gun.”

  “’Cause I don’t need you shooting me. I trust your aim about as much as I trust his.” He hooked a thumb toward Donny in the back seat. “Tell you what, I still got the stun-gun in my trunk, you can have it if you promise not to electrocute yourself.”

  “What about me?” asked Donny.

  “You worried about stayin’ safe? If your friend doesn’t have a gun, then your chances of gettin’ hurt just dropped by about seventy-percent.”

  Bear walked to the back of the car, opened the truck and rooted around for the stun-gun. He found it and handed it to Rich with a serious look. “If you gotta use this thing, try to hit flesh with it. And hold it there till the fucker drops, he ain’t gonna die, so don’t be afraid to really zap him.”

  “Okay, I know what to do.”

  “Alright fellas, we’re gonna go up to the house. I want you to stay behind me and stay quiet. Let’s just see what the hell is up there. Don’t talk to each other and watch for my signal.”

  As they moved up the tree-lined driveway, Donny was struck by the silence around them. The air was crisp and fresh. He could smell the ocean, the trees, everything all at once. The serenity belied his nervousness; it only served to make his senses more acute. He felt sharp, wide-awake, and not the least bit high. He wasn’t sick with withdrawals either. Donny felt alive.

  They edged up the paved drive, Bear first, flanked by Donny and Rich. They heard nothing but the wind in the trees. Then they saw it, a huge house with shining windows reflecting the sky. It looked like the sheer face of a cliff, but it was glowing sun-yellow and sky-blue. Bear had to squint his eyes.

  “There she is,” he said.

  “And there’s the Bentley,” said Big Rich, pointing to the black car parked in front of the house. It sat there, empty, unattended and sandwiched between a Jaguar and a Volvo. Further to the right sat a green Mazda with a bumper sticker that read ‘Goddess is my Co-pilot’. Seeing the old man’s car was a confirmation that they were indeed at the right place. It filled all three with a simultaneous sense of excitement and dread.

  Bear turned and put his index finger to his lips, shushing the boys, but they were already quiet. He waved them back down the driveway where they could huddle and discuss a plan.

  When they were out of sight and in the cover of the trees, Bear said, “I’m gonna go around back. Donny, you stand point, there on the right corner. That way, if anyone comes out the front, or if you hear anything at all, you signal.”

  “What about me?” asked Rich.

  “You come with me. When I know it’s clear, you’ll take my spot and I’ll go farther in, check out the back of the place. Donny signals you, you signal me. We’ll have a line of sight all the way around the house.”

  The boys both nodded, although they weren’t really sure what they were to do. Donny moved up to the mouth of the drive and watched the other two creep past him toward the back of the house. He chose a spot behind an untamed bush to squat. From there, he could see the front door and all along the right side of the house. If someone were to open the door, he’d still be out of sight. He crouched and waited there, keeping an eye on Rich who stood at the rear corner of the house while Bear disappeared around the back.

  The first thing Bear saw was the big deck hanging from the back of the house; it was elevated on support beams and had just enough room for him to slip underneath. He had to crouch, but he could fit. The whole place was built on an upward slope so he figured the deck was still attached to the first floor. It would be just off the main living area, whether it was a kitchen or living room. Now, whoever was inside was probably right above his head, only a few feet away.

  He stood there a moment listening. He finally heard voices, too muffled to make out. All he could tell was that there was more than one. Several in fact, but there was no way to guess how many.

  The glass door slid open above his head. He watched as two feet stepped out on the deck above him, then he heard the door slide shut again. Bear couldn’t tell who it was; all he saw was the shadow cast down, breaking up the thin lines of light that shone between the boards. Whoever it was, they were a smoker. Bear heard the unmistakable sound of a disposable lighter being struck, followed by a cough. The sweet, skunky smell of high-grade marijuana wafted down followed by another round of coughing. Bear looked to the side of the house where Rich was supposed to be. He was nowhere in sight. The plan was already failing.

  The person above him getting high moved to the edge of the deck and leaned on the rail. Bear could see the blue-grey smoke being blown outward to the sloping backyard. Bear took a silent step forward and looked up. Now he could see the chin, a young chin. It wasn’t Dustin and it sure as hell wasn’t the old man. From what he’d gathered about Terrence, it wasn’t him either.

  The smoker started to hum, quietly at first, and then it escalated to a singing. The words were in Spanish. That made three; Gabriel, Dustin, and this guy. Bear had to assume that Terrence was up there somewhere, too. That woul
d make four.

  He waited for the smoking and the singing to stop. It didn’t. Bear figured it was now or never. He stepped out from below the deck and pointed his .38 straight at the head of the person standing at the ledge.

  “Don’t make a fuckin’ sound.”

  Raphael made an audible squeak and dropped his roach. It landed right between Bear’s feet.

  “Now, c’mon down here.”

  “Who are you?” said Raphael, obviously terrified.

  “I’m the guy who’s got a gun aimed right at your forehead, that’s who. Now walk to the stairs and come down here and talk to me. Don’t turn around, don’t shout or scream or nothin’. Otherwise, I’m going to shoot.” Bear was nervous, but he held his gun steady. He knew the sliding glass door was shut; odds were whoever was inside wasn’t listening or watching. “I’m only gonna ask once.” He cocked back the hammer for added effect.

  Raphael had a hurt look on his face, but he did what he was told. He walked stiffly to the edge of the deck and descended the wooden stairs. Once below, he took a deep breath for courage and faced Bear.

  “Who is in the house?”

  “Que?”

  “Nice try, amigo. Who’s up there, how many?”

  “Look, if you came about the crop, there’s nothing there. It’s not ready yet.”

  “Crop? What’re you talkin’ about? You think I’m here to steal weed? I want to know who’s inside the house, right now. Start talking or I start shooting, then I’m gonna go in and find out for myself.”

  Raphael broke down. He fell to his knees and began mock-weeping. Bear wasn’t buying it. First this guy pretended he couldn’t speak English and now he was pretending to cry.

  “How many? Is Terrence up there? Is Dustin? What about the old guy? Where is he?”

  Raphael’s shoulders shook and his chest puffed in and out with quick breaths. Bear realized he really was sobbing.

  ***

  Terrence watched Raphael go outside for a smoke. When things got too confusing for the boy, he liked to smoke a little weed. It didn’t help at all. Not ever. He inevitably ended up more confused than he started out. Terrence didn’t blame him for wanting to step out. The tension around the dining room table was palatable. Gabriel was reading over the deed transfer slowly while Dustin paced around behind him. Terrence figured the old man was stalling, but it didn’t matter, as soon as he signed the document the deal would be done. All they had to do was have it recorded in the city and there was no going back. Terrence leaned back in his chair and waited patiently.