Milwaukee Deep

“Yes that’s right, Helen – okay, yes, well you look after yourself too.”

Perks shut his cell phone. He turned to Harding.

“Well let’s see if that’ll do the trick. I assume you have a tap on that line?” he asked.

“Sure do – if they talk, we’ll know about it,” Harding replied.

The door to the gas station opened and in walked the secondary team which had just finished their sweep of the surrounding area.

Perks focused on the team leader who had walked in ahead of the rest of the group.

“Perks, what is it?” Harding asked as he turned around to see what he was looking at.

Oh shit!

Agent Karidis was walking towards both Perks and Harding.

“Perks, listen to me, just calm down”

Perks ignored Harding’s plea and walked directly towards Karidis.

“Where the hell’s Robert Myles?” he demanded

Karidis was immediately taken aback.

“WHERE is HE?!”

Harding made his way in between both men. He turned to Perks.

“Anthony, relax – we’ll find your man.”

“I will - once he tells me where he is,” replied Perks

Harding turned around to Karidis.

“Michael, do us a favour and tell Special Agent Perks where you have his man kept.”

Karidis looked back at Harding – he didn’t say a word.

“Karidis, did you hear me?”

The agent looked at Perks and again back at Harding.

“God damn it, will you answer me?!”

“Sir, the agent was eliminated,” Karidis finally replied.

Harding closed his eyes and dropped his head - Perks tensed up, gritting his teeth.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” he instinctively swiped his arm out at Karidis.

Harding lunged and grabbed Perks by the collar.

“Now listen, calm down!”

“That BASTARD killed my friend!”

All the other agents in the gas station stopped what they were doing and looked up.

Harding moved in closer to Perks

“Listen, just calm down,” Harding said, his hands still tightly holding onto Perks’ jacket collar, “this isn’t the place to do this – look who’s around. Just relax and I will deal with this.”

“DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?!” Perks cried

“No, I did not!”

Harding released Perks and turned around to Karidis who stood there in silence.

“Who ordered the kill?” Harding asked - his tone sharp.

Karidis stood silent.

“Answer me, God damn it!”

“Crane did, Sir. He didn’t want any witnesses.”

“So you just take orders and kill innocent people, you FUCKING prick!” Perks cried out.

Harding turned.

“You are not helping the situation, Anthony – now go sit down before you do something you regret.”

Perks ignored the request.

Harding turned and looked into his friend’s eyes.

“Anthony, please,” he said quietly and calmly, “go sit down. I’ll handle this.”

Perks stood silent for a moment staring at Harding. Initially he didn’t move a muscle, his mind lost in the realisation that he wouldn’t see his friend again, that somehow he would have to summon up the courage to tell Robert Myles’ wife that she had lost her husband forever and worse yet, that ultimately, he was responsible.

Perks refocused. He nodded his head slightly at the CIA Agent and then quietly retreated back to the McDonald’s restaurant table where he had been sitting when Karidis and his team entered the gas station.

Harding turned back to face Karidis.

“When did he give you the order?” Harding asked.

“As soon as you left,” Karidis replied.

Harding took a deep breath.

“Where’s the body?” he asked.

“At the hospital – we took it with us in the ambulance when we brought Willow in.”

“Go there now and retrieve him. Bring him back to the warehouse in Jersey, do you understand?”

“Now?” Karidis asked.

“Yes, fucking now! GO!”

Karidis turned around and walked out of the gas station.

Harding made his way over to Perks.

The FBI Agent was sitting in the restaurant hunched over with his head in his hands.

“You okay?” Harding asked as he sat opposite the FBI agent.

“What do you want from me?” Perks replied, his face buried in his palms

“I’m sorry, Anthony - you’ve got to know I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

Perks looked up.

“Well it did and now a good man is dead. He has two kids you know – two boys - the thing is they don’t even know their father’s dead.”

Harding lowered his head.

“I want Crane, Harding, do you hear me – I want the son of a bitch who gave the order to kill my man. I want Crane and I want Karidis too.”

Harding looked up.

“Forget about Crane, Anthony, it can’t happen – it won’t happen.”

“Why not? Because he’s untouchable – bullshit, anyone can be caught. I’ll get him and I’ll make damn sure he stands trial.”

“Not this man, Perks – he owns it all – the government, the judges, the prison system, he’ll even get to the juries.”

Perks wiped his eyes.

“So that’s it, an innocent man dies and the men that kill him go unpunished.”

Harding took a moment.

“Not necessarily,” he replied, “Look, forget Karidis - he’s a monkey. He does what he’s told – he was trained to do that. I know you hate him, and I can understand that, but if it wasn’t Karidis, it would have been someone else who pulled that trigger. Now you’re right, the man you want is Crane, but if you want him then you get him the way he gets you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I’m sick and tired of this bullshit, Perks – all of it - of this man sitting at the top getting away with murder. So if you want him, you do it my way, not yours.”

“So what are you saying, Harding?”

“I’m saying I don’t give a fuck anymore. Once we finish our mission and find Burton, then I’ll deal with Crane.”

“But you said it yourself – he’s untouchable. If he’s as powerful as you say he is, then you won’t even get close.”

“Trust me, Perks, Crane has one weakness. You see trying to kill the President isn’t about assassinating the man, the individual, it’s about the position he holds, the symbol he represents, and because of that he’s always guarded, but Crane – well no one knows he exists. And if there’s something to know about Alexander Crane is that he’s the most arrogant of any man you’ve met – the power’s got to him. Even though he has the entire Secret Service at his disposal, he doesn’t want security; he doesn’t need security. He doesn’t fear any one - hasn’t for a long time, and that will be his downfall. Now I know you don’t know me that well, but mark my words, Perks, Crane is going to die.”