Today’s
excerpt is from How ‘bout Both, Book #3 of the Bader Trilogy. One of the two men on Elmer’s 24 hour a day
protection detail is sent back inside by Horace. Enjoy and have a fantastic day.
m.j.
That corner of
the house was in total darkness, but there was still enough light for Stan to
see that Horace, dressed in black, was wearing a shoulder holster—one that was
not empty. He asked, “You got a license
for that thing,” as he pointed to the weapon.
“Yup. Look, I don’t want to be a smartass, but
we’re much better equipped for this type thing than you are. Plus, Elmer is a good friend of both of
us. When you go back inside, tell Elmer
that Hector and Horace will keep you all safe during the nighttime hours.”
“When did you
guys get here?”
“We followed you
from the station house. We relieved the
two guys who have been here most of the day making sure no one did any nasty
things, like plant bombs, during the day—and to keep an eye on Ruth and
Lizzie…and Doggie. I’m sort of partial
to all three…so is Hector. Me more so
than Hector with Doggie—she and I became good friends last year.”
“Nobody followed
us here—I was driving. I would have
spotted you.”
“Wrong. Of course it was an easy following job
because we knew where you were headed, or assumed you were bringing Elmer
home. Didn’t expect Maine to be with
you, but that’s fine. We like her a lot,
too.”
“Well, I don’t
know you from Adam, but I’ve heard of Garcia.
Have actually seen him around the Chief’s office from time to time…and
followed him—the Chief—and Red Grassi around the golf course more-n-once. What does Garcia do on Tuesdays?”
“Good one. No damned terrorist would know the
answer. He makes tacos in his taco
shop. Today, he was fighting Red over
who would do the cooking.”
“Okay, I guess
you’re who you say you are—but I don’t like it.
The Chief told Ken and me to guard Elmer. We can’t do too good a job of that inside.”
Horace sighed
and took out his cell phone. He used his
speed dial for Elmer’s number. Elmer
answered, “Hi, Horace. What’s up?”
“I’m outside
with your security detail…or one of the guys on the detail. I’ve been trying to explain to him, without
hurting his feelings too much, that Hector and I can handle things out here
better than he can. Would you like to
ask him to come on inside, please?
Through the back door, please.”
“Hector’s with
you?”
“Yeah. Right now he’s trying to cover the front and back, since I’m here trying to get
this fine fella to come in to share some of your good booze. This idiot Simmons is gonna try for you here,
he’s in some deep do-do.”
“Give him your
phone. His name’s Stan, by the way.”
Horace handed
Stan the phone. “Stan, Elmer wants to
talk to you.”
As he took the
phone from Horace, Stan was fuming, but was also starting to get the idea this
guy Horace might have some expertise he didn’t have. “Hello, Elmer.”
“Come on
inside…via the back door. I’ll explain
when you get here. Those guys are both
ex-Military Special Ops type guys.”
“On my way,”
Stan replied as he handed the phone to Horace, turned, then took a step before
he thought to say something to Horace.
When he turned around, Horace was nowhere to be seen.
On his way to
the back door, Stan wondered just how Horace had managed the disappearing act
so smoothly. When he got there, Elmer
let him in. “Sorry about this,
Stan. You’re a good man, or the Chief
wouldn’t have put you on the keep-Bader-alive detail. From what I’ve seen of you, you and Ken are
right types. But those two guys out
there—plus about fifty to a hundred more of Hector’s men—are, as I mentioned,
former Special Ops types. No way in hell
Simmons—with or without any of his friends—is gonna do anything bad around
here. Just why Hector took it upon
himself to come out here to protect me is beyond me. Come on—let me buy you and Ken a drink. He passed because he planned on relieving you
in a few hours.”
Stan just shook
his head as he followed Elmer into the living room. But he was soon enjoying a drink with Ken,
Ruth, Maine, and Elmer. Elmer then
explained what he knew about Hector Garcia, but let it go with a rundown on the
help he and his detective/protection agency had been to the LAPD over the
years.
When Elmer
finished, Ruth laughed, “Well, guys, one of you either has to talk Maine into
sharing her bed, or you’re sleeping together.”
Maine joked,
“I’ll auction off the other side of my bed to the highest bidder.”
Ruth
laughed. “Elmer, you make a bid, your
ass is grass, and I’m a lawn mower.”
Stan grumbled,
“We’ll make do…neither of us has the money to make the bid it would take. It doesn’t work out, one of us can use the
couch.”
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