The Hitman’s Retirement – Chapter V

V. The New Plan

Tony was watching every single movement. It was now day eight, one day past the deadline, and he knew enough to know he should expect something. At least, that was all part of the plan. He was about to give a press conference. Even though he couldn’t see her, he knew Cheyenne was at her post keeping vigilant watch. Any movement caught his eye. Hopefully, this new plan would keep all of Cheyenne’s family members alive.

The morning after Cheyenne and Tony discovered their current job statuses, they called a family meeting with all her family members at the family ranch outside of town. Bill and Carol sat on the couch in the family room. Jackson and his wife were standing by the window while their children played outside. Cody sat in the recliner. Cheyenne and Tony sat in kitchen chairs brought into the small room. Cheyenne calmly let everyone know as many of the details as they needed to know. Opting, of course, to be vague about Tony’s actual role in the situation. She assured her family that with his past military experience he would be an asset to helping her keep Cody safe. Tony decided to take advantage of the situation and played up the fact he was shocked to find out what Cheyenne actually did for a living. To which she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

They did, however, stress the fact that knowledge had come to them that Cody was in imminent danger. The family knew enough that no one questioned the matter. They knew someone had actually entered Cody’s home to kill him and Cheyenne prevented it. Of course, neither Tony or Cheyenne pointed out that it was actually Tony that had broken into the house.

All they knew is they had to come up with a plan quick.

“As I see it,” Jackson said, “we take down the CEO of the company as planned. That should clear things up quick.”

“When it gets to that level, it is never one man. It is an empire. You get rid of one and another is waiting to step into his spot,” Tony said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a government or business, corruptness is never a solitary affair. It is usually a messy web.”

Cody nodded his head. “With dad’s help, I have gathered enough evidence that traces the drug operation to the company which links to the CEO. I’ve just been nervous about it getting into the right hands. Like you said,” he looked at Tony, “it’s a web and it runs thick and deep.”

“Let me see,” Tony said.

Cody looked at Cheyenne who nodded to him. He retrieved a disc from his bag and handed it to Tony. Tony took out a laptop from his bag and inserted the disc while the family watched him. They could tell from his facial expressions it was something useful for them.

He looked at Cheyenne. “I think I have a plan. It’s not a perfect plan and we’ll still need to do some clean up afterward but I think this will keep your family alive.”

Cheyenne’s mom gasped.

He took the disc and pulled out the old beat-up phone. “I think between these two things we may have enough leverage to keep everyone safe.” Cheyenne nodded.

“Your phone?” Jackson asked.

“I told you it was important,” he said. “Look, in order for this plan to work you are going to hear a few things that are going to be uncomfortable to hear. Just know, we are doing this to keep you safe.” That was all the disclaimer he was willing to share with her family at the moment but in order for this plan to work everyone was going to find out why he was there. He hoped if he worded it like that her family would think it was all part of the plan and that he really wasn’t in town to kill their son and brother. Because he wasn’t sure he would be forgiven for his original role if this new plan didn’t actually work.

They spent the next two days at the ranch working out the details. Cheyenne double checked all on-line references to make sure Cody Kvasnak couldn’t be tied to Cody Kaye. She also retrieved all the data from the broken phone and downloaded everything onto the disc. And then she made copies. Lots of copies. It was fortunate that her parents weren’t the bragging type and while there were a few people in town that knew about their oldest son they were trusted friends and relatives. Jackson called a couple of cousins for help and then he and Tony went into town to pick them up and gather a few things from the car lot.

The evening of the 7^th day, they went over the plan one more time to make sure everyone was ready for the following day. That night, Tony and Cheyenne took shifts keeping guard. If everything worked as planned it would all be over the next day.

And now, here he stood on the eighth day, ready to give the press conference. They had leaked a few enticing details to the major news outlets to get them to come to the small town. The CEO was mentioned by name in the leak along with a plan for murder. All the tantalizing tidbits to bait the press into coming.

“Thank you all for coming,” he mumbled into the mic. Public speaking was not his forte. “My name is Tony Birello and I am here to tell you all about how MacDonald Peterson is using the local mine here as a fentanyl transport hub.” The crowd was quiet. This wasn’t anything new. Cody had been saying this same thing for months. “And,” Tony said holding up the disc in one hand, “I have proof.” This, however, was a fairly new development and caught everyone’s attention. “The details of which I have already sent to your publishers who should be sharing that information with you right now.” All the heads went down as the reporters started looking at their phones which started to buzz and beep. “The details were also sent to law enforcement officials yesterday and I was informed a warrant for MacDonald Peterson was served this morning.”

He stopped and looked at the crowd nervously.

One reporter looked up from his phone. “Who are you?”

Another one asked, “Do you work with the mayor here in town?”

Send him into combat and he had nerves of steel. Ask him to give a speech and Tony loses his cool.

“My name is Tony Birello,” he said again. “I was hired by MacDonald Peterson to kill Cody Kvasnak.”

That got the attention of all the reporters and they looked at him. A split second of silence was followed by a wave of chatter. Some tried asking him questions. Others were busy making phone calls. On-air reporters turned to face the cameras so that they could report what just happened. It became a park of much ado.

“The proof of that is on this,” he said holding up the broken phone. He put his finger up to his earpiece and nodded. “The details of which was also shared with your publishers just a few seconds ago.”

The local law enforcement started to move in toward Tony but in the midst of all the confusion a bullet rang out and hit Tony in the chest. He fell back. Two medical personnel rushed in and put him on a gurney and took him to a waiting ambulance.

The sirens went on and it rushed down the road. Tony sat up and rubbed his chest. “Well, that’s no fun being on that end of the bullet.”

Jackson smiled at him. “That’s why you were wearing a vest.”

“Still stings a bit,” Tony said defensively. “Glad your dad is an excellent shot though.” He looked around at the full van. Jackson, Cheyenne, and their three cousins were crowded in the back with him. Cody drove. He laughed a little at his brothers-in-law simple disguises. Jackson’s face was clean shaven and a goatee was put on Cody’s face. Since they were brothers their disguises just made them look like each other. But with all the confusion everyone was counting on no one paying that much attention to the ambulance drivers. “Any trouble?” he asked about the unfortunate hitman sent to clean up after him.

Cheyenne shook her head. “No. Rory and I were able to take him out with no trouble shortly after you started. A little too easy. Could have put up more of a fight.”

Tony looked at Cheyenne and her cousin Rory. “Thank you,” he said. “I don’t think he would have aimed for my chest.”

“And I wouldn’t want anything to mar that beautiful face of yours,” she said and leaned over for a kiss. Everyone else in the van moaned.

“Here we go,” Cody said from the driver’s seat. They drove under an underpass and stopped. Tony and Cheyenne jumped out and quickly took off the magnetic ambulance markings on the van and threw them into the van. Jackson held a remote control and used it to drive an actual ambulance out of the underpass. He then promptly drove it into a utility pole. And because they had rigged it to do so, the back caught fire where the hitman’s body had been placed.

“That’s our cue,” two of the cousins said and jumped out and ran over to the ambulance to wait for the approaching police and fire truck.

“That sure was convenient to have your cousins work as EMTs,” Tony said.

Cheyenne nodded as Cody drove the now plain white van out from the underpass and turned in the opposite direction than the burning ambulance.

“Oh wow!” Jackson said. “My adrenaline is through the roof right now. That was awesome.”

Cheyenne and Tony looked at each other and shrugged. They drove to the family ranch where the rest of the family waited. Everyone hugged the two heroes especially Cody. Later that evening the two EMT cousins joined the family for a BBQ. They assured everyone that as of that moment, there would be no further investigation into the ambulance fire and that the law enforcement declared Tony Birello, hired gun, burned beyond recognition and dead.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Cody said after dinner.

“You know what you need to do,” Cheyenne said. “We can’t guarantee there won’t be another cleaner. In fact, I would be more surprised if there wasn’t another one than if there were one.”

“I sent the city council my resignation effective immediately. Cody Kvasnak is dead for all intents and purposes. Cody Kaye has been resurrected.” He looked at his wife who had arrived with their children the day before and she nodded her head. “We are going to move up north and start our own ranch.”

“No more lawyer?” Tony asked.

“No.”

“No more politics?” Cheyenne asked.

“Definitely not,” his wife said.

“Lay low and keep watchful. We’re not sure if justice will keep you safe but we did our best to turn a million eyes in Peterson’s direction. No more secret agendas.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Cody said again.

Tony looked at Bill relieved that he had actually aimed for his chest. “Thank you for being such a good shot.”

Bill smiled. “Where do you think Cheyenne got her marksmanship from?”

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Tony and Cheyenne sat in their bed. “So, Tony Birello is dead,” she said.

“Looks that way,” he said. “But I never liked the name. I just took it for professional reasons.”

“Wait,” she said, “your name isn’t really Tony Birello?”

“You’re one to talk. Well, my name is Anthony,” he said. “But Birello? Definitely not. I took it because I was ‘the cleaner’.”

“Birello,” she said. “Did you mean like a Brillo pad? You picked a name and didn’t spell it right?”

“I told you,” he kissed her, “I don’t spend much time at the library.”

She laughed. “What is your actual name?”

“Anthony Smith,” he said.

She nodded. “Well, what name are you going to take?”

“How about Ant Kaye?” he asked.

They both thought about it. “Maybe not,” she said. “But I do like Tony Kaye.”

He nodded. “Tony Kaye it is.”

They laid there for a moment. “So, what’s next?”

“Well, it felt good being the good guy for once. Using my skill to help people. How about we do that more often? I mean, with Jackson being your brother I’m sure your family will need to hire us again for protection.”

She laughed and playfully punched his chest. “Stop.” She laid her head back down on him. “But I like that,” she said. “Us defending the good guys. Someone always needs protection.”

And that’s how the hitman retired.