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  Retaliatory Justice

  Book One in the Talionic Files

  By

  T.M. Witko

  Copyright All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing, 2018

  ISBN 978-1-7320977-0-4 (ebook)

  ISBN 978-1-7320977-1-1 (paperback)

  Tampa, Florida

  Copyright © 2018 Winyan Press, LLC

  Cover Art © Alex Marin

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to all the people out there fighting crime and to the people who love them.

  Preface

  I would like to take a moment to thank all of my friends and family that have encouraged me to write over the years. Your support means the world to me.

  To my partner in crime, Mindy Marin, thank you for all that you do; not only for our company, but also for what you do for me as a friend. Love you so much!

  To our Winyan Press illustrator, Alex Marin, seriously, dude I love your art and you are pretty awesome yourself. What you have done with all the covers and illustrations has been nothing short of amazing.

  To my long-time editor, Amanda Rash, thank you for everything you have done for me on this writing journey. I can’t imagine doing this without you by my side. You are the best and I love you!

  This book came to me a long time ago. The inspiration was actually sort of funny. I have always been obsessed with the Food Network as well as New Orleans. I got this wild idea about this chef that inadvertently gets involved in this intricate plot to launder money and guns. Of course, once that idea popped in my head, there needed to be a federal agent; a hot, but tortured one, cause, ya know, that’s how I like them  I started playing with the idea in my head and the story started to take on a life of its own. I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot or anything and possibly give something away because I want you all to see how it unfolds for yourself.

  The story is written from two perspectives. One from ATF Agent Valentino Masterson and the other from Chef Dominique Walker. The story also takes place in both New Orleans and Chicago but, don’t worry, I make sure to state where they are at the beginning of every chapter.

  So, who’s ready to go on this wild journey with me?

  Acknowledgment

  Winyan Press, LLC would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions on Retaliatory Justice, Book One in The Talionic Files.

  Leeanne Lemaster, Proofreader

  Alex Marin, Graphic Artist/Illustrator

  Amanda Rash, Copy Editor

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Preface

  Acknowledgment

  Prologue

  1 Agent Masterson

  2 Chef Dominique

  3 Memories

  4 Lay of the Land

  5 Standstill

  6 Le Creole

  7 The Untouchables

  8 Warning Signs

  9 Eating Crow

  10 Special Guests

  11 Karma

  12 Regrets

  13 Under My Skin

  14 Unsettled

  15 The Blue Sanctum

  16 Attempt at Normalcy

  17 Falling Into Place

  18 Morning After

  19 Making Headway

  20 Rendezvous

  21 In Too Deep

  22 Goodbye, my love

  23 Secrets Revealed

  24 Under New Management

  25 Unexpected Help

  26 Chicago on My Mind

  27 Digging up the Past

  28 Spinning Out of Control

  29 Enraged

  30 Betty’s Shining Moment

  31 Closing In

  32 Show Time

  33 Justice Fulfilled

  Epilogue

  Author Note

  About The Author

  Contact Information

  Prologue

  “Come on,” I grumble as my hand presses on the horn.

  The driver casually flips me the bird, and just as I’m about to shout a few choice words, my phone begins to vibrate in my jacket pocket. It takes me a few minutes to dig it out as I maneuver around the slower vehicle, mouthing a not-so-kind word in his direction.

  “Hello,” I answer quickly.

  “Tino, where are you?” Claire whines immediately.

  I smile at my phone. Claire was an unexpected miracle for all of us. My parents had me early in their marriage. Well, technically, I was conceived on their honeymoon and they didn’t have any more so I was basically an only child until mom turned thirty-eight and found out she was pregnant again. I was sixteen when Claire was born and I absolutely adore her. She is my angel, my little ball of sunshine wrapped in a bubbly seven-year-old body. Even though I don’t live at the house anymore, I spend almost every weekend there. I can’t imagine my life without her in it and she knows it. The girl has me wrapped around her little finger.

  “Tino!” she yells, bringing me out of my thoughts.

  “I’m on my way, Claire Bear,” I say quickly. “In fact, I’m in my car right now.”

  “Hurry, daddy said we’re going to leave without you,” she says in a near panic.

  “He’s just teasing you, Claire Bear,” I reassure her. “I promise, I’m only twenty minutes away.”

  “He’s twenty minutes away,” I hear her yell over the phone before talking to me again. “I love you, Tino. You know, I don’t want to go without you.”

  “I’ll be there. Tell dad not to leave without me,” I say laughing.

  “Don’t leave without Tino,” I hear her say as she hangs up.

  I smile and set the phone down. I step on the gas and maneuver in and out of traffic. I hate being late for things, especially when it involves Claire. And, today is extra special. We are going to a horse ranch just outside the city. Dad arranged to have us go on some sort of trail ride. It’s all Claire has been talking about for weeks, but she had insisted that I go with them. In fact, she made it abundantly clear that if I didn’t go she didn’t want to be there either. I couldn’t disappoint her. So, I asked for leave. Not a big deal considering I never take time off. Except the captain called me into his office just as I was heading out the door. So, here I am driving like a mad man to get there on time. I glance at the clock on the dash and grin.

  “I can do it!”

  I pull up to my parents’ house not even fifteen minutes later, proud of myself that I made it with five minutes to spare. I park across the street from the house and see Claire turn in the seat, bouncing up and down, she shoots her head around and I can see that she’s saying something to Dad and then she turns back to me waving excitedly. I smile and wave as I get out of the car and start to make my way across the street. Before I can get there though, I’m thrown ten feet away in the air.

  ~*~

  “Sir,” I hear someone say beside me. “Can you hear me?”

  My eyes slowly open and I see nothing but black smoke in the air. What’s going on? Something’s not right. There is a lot of noise around me but I can’t quite pinpoint where it’s coming from and I notice that people seem to be scurrying around frantically. I start to sit up and my head begins to spin, which makes me feel nauseous. Someone quickly makes me lay down again and I feel something on my chest.

  “Are you injured anywhere?” he asks.

  “My ears are ringing,” I say through a cough.

  “That’s normal,” he reassures me. “It should subside on its own, but we sti
ll need to take you to the hospital to check if you’ve suffered any permanent damage,” he rambles.

  I’m not listening to him. I’m sure what he’s saying is important, but I can’t focus on that right now. I need to check on my family. I push him out of the way and stagger up, tears streaming down my face as I see three bodies lying on the grass covered by a coroner’s blanket.

  “CLAIRE!” I scream at the top of my lungs and try to run over there, stumbling as I go.

  “Sir, you can’t go over there,” I feel strong arms around me holding me in place.

  I elbow his gut and break free only to be stopped by Joseph.

  “Valentino, stop,” he says in his always calm voice but his face reflects that he is anything but calm.

  “I need to see them,” I cry, something I never do.

  He’s shaking his head and I see tears streaking his cheek. “No, Son, you don’t. Please, stop.”

  “No!” I stare at him, pleading with my eyes. “It’s a mistake. It’s not them. I… it’s not them,” I say shaking my head.

  “Please, Valentino. Trust me. It’s them,” he says as he tries to hold me.

  “NO!”

  I start to go past him but stop; unable to move any further, I drop to my knees. I feel gutted, this can’t be happening, this is some bad dream. It has to be. But, one whiff of the smoke and death around me tells the harsh reality of the situation. My family is dead. My mind and body are overwhelmed with grief as Joseph’s arms envelop me. He holds me while my body convulses from the force of my sorrow until I finally give in to the darkness, letting it wrap around me like a warm blanket, protecting me from the emptiness I now feel in my heart.

  ~*~

  “We’re so sorry for your loss.”

  “He was such a good man.”

  “Your family is with God now.”

  “They will always live within you.”

  One by one, my dad’s friends, all cops, shake my hand while I sit stoically in the front row. Kailee by my side, holding my hand tightly. I don’t say a word, not even when the captain hands me a flag, not even when everyone present breaks out in tears as the bagpipes play. When everyone is finally gone, Kailee leads me to the car and takes me home, laying with me as I wake up in the middle of the night screaming for the family I no longer have.

  1 Agent Masterson

  Valentino Masterson

  June 4th

  “Tino, Tino, WAIT!”

  “What is it, Claire?” I ask, turning to face my sister.

  “Tino, please stay and play some more,” she says with a pout.

  “Honey, leave your brother alone. He has to go to work,” my mom says, coming out of the kitchen with my dad in tow.

  “Yeah, sweetheart, your brother only comes over to eat because he needs all of his energy to protect us. And, you know he has absolutely nothing in his fridge,” my dad says with a wink.

  “Hey, that’s not true!” I lie, because yeah, I have nothing in there.

  He starts messing with her hair and tickling her while she giggles and squirms away from him. All the while, my mother is laughing in the background. I quickly snatch Claire up and swing her around as she laughs. I bring my forehead to hers.

  “Don’t listen to them, Claire Bear. I come here just to see you, only you.”

  She smiles and turns to our parents who are still laughing. “See, I told you!”

  I set her down. “I promise, I will come back this weekend. The circus is going to be here and I want to take you to see the acrobats.”

  I pull out two tickets and kneel, fanning them in front of her. Her eyes get wide and she starts bouncing up and down. I look up at my parents who are holding each other and grinning. I work extremely hard, so my time with Claire is special. It’s a constant reminder of why I do what I do, why I take the risks that I take, and why I put my life in danger. She renews my faith in humanity and makes me feel alive. She’s my angel and I'm not sure what I'd do without her.

  “I love you, Tino. You’re the best brother in the whole entire world!”

  I wake startled and in a cold sweat. Running my hand over the fuzz on my head, I sigh deeply as I try to get my dream out of my head. I jump up and out of bed, stretching and adjusting myself. Turning to my nightstand, I quickly grab a Marlboro out of the pack and light it, feeling the nicotine make its way into my lungs. I inhale deeply as I walk to my south wall, glancing at the Sicignano trail I have laid out. I have pictures and newspaper clippings, as well as charts outlining who does what and where. I have been on this case for nearly four years. I know I am missing something but I can’t figure out what it is?

  “Tino, look, she’s so pretty! Can I do that when I get older?” Claire asks as she watches the acrobats swing back and forth flawlessly.

  “Of course, you can do and be whatever you want,” I say as I kiss the top of her head.

  “Damn it!” I yell to no one.

  I snatch an empty bottle of Heineken off my dresser and flick my ashes inside of it as I gently roll my shoulders, trying to clear my head of thoughts of Claire. Taking another long drag, I contemplate my next move before dropping the butt in the bottle and immediately lighting another one. My hand moves up my neck as I continue smoking, trying desperately to relax but knowing damn well I’ll never be able to. I glance at the very first picture on the wall and frown as I exhale. I quickly drop my half-smoked cigarette in the bottle and immediately walk down the hall into my spare bedroom which houses my in-home gym, equipped with a punching bag tethered to the ceiling, a top of the line treadmill for when it is too damn cold to run outside, which, unfortunately, in Chicago is half the year, and my bench press. I hate working out with other people, which is why I don’t go to the gym. People always want to talk and I am not there to socialize.

  “Tino, will you ride the elephant with me?”

  “Oh, Claire Bear, your brother’s too big for that,” I tell her with a laugh.

  “That’s not true,” she says nudging me.

  “Are you scared to ride with me?” she asks, arching her brow and I can’t help but laugh. Where the hell did she learn to do that?

  My forehead creases as the memories keep coming, invading my mind ferociously. I immediately go to the punching bag and hit it as hard as I can. It bounces back from the motion of my hit but I can’t stop. I hit it repeatedly until my arms are sore and sweat is dripping down my face and off my back. My head rests against the soft leather as my breathing picks up. My eyes squeeze shut as tears threaten to break through. Tears I won’t allow myself to shed.

  “Get a damn grip, Masterson!” I tell myself before glancing at my treadmill.

  Jumping on it, I crank it up to eight as I break out into a run without warming up at all. I run and run until my legs can’t move anymore and I must stop, stumbling off the track. My legs feel like jelly as I walk to the small fridge in the room, pulling out a bottle of water. I slide down the wall, sitting back with my eyes closed. My arms can barely lift the water bottle to my mouth. My chest is heaving as I pull my shirt off and wipe my face. This is not working. Rubbing my temples, I sigh. I need a drink, a real drink. I glance at the clock on my wall. One a.m. Jack is still open. I chug the rest of my water and go shower quickly.

  ~*~

  “Masterson!” Jack shouts across the room when I walk in. I give him my standard head nod.

  “The usual?” He asks, looking me up and down.

  “Yeah.”

  “You look terrible,” he says and I can see that he has concern on his face as he pours my Jameson.

  “I feel terrible!” I sit on one of the stools and down the Jameson in one swift move, motioning for another.

  Jack runs a little dive bar in downtown Chicago called The Den. We became acquainted after I started working for the Feds five years ago. I needed a place to chill and relax where no one would recognize me and where I could let off a little ‘steam’ now and again. He and I hit it off immediately and I suppose he could be considered a friend
of mine. If I allowed myself that luxury.

  “I’ll buy that,” a sweet voice says to my side, drawing me out of my thoughts.

  I glance at Jack, who motions with his eyes. Turning my head slightly, I see a tall, blond woman leaning against the bar. I smirk at her and think why not. Maybe a good roll in the hay will ease my mind. I nod at her in thanks and down the drink that Jack set in front of me, never breaking eye contact with her. With a snap of my fingers, I motion to Jack to pour me another. It takes more than a couple of shots for me to feel a buzz. I’ll definitely need to feel a buzz if I plan on getting back to sleep some time tonight.

  “What’s your name?” She asks, batting her lashes.

  “Does it really matter?” I reply, moving in the stool so that I am now facing her.

  I flip the hood of my jacket off and stare at her, grinning when I see her take a sharp intake of breath and I know in that instant that I can have her if I want her. I lift the corner of my mouth into the smirk that I know will get me what I want and roll my tongue over my lips, tasting the fine whiskey still present there. Her expression goes from flirtatious to feral in an instant. Her now dark eyes tell me all I need to know. I wrap my hand around her waist and move her in between my legs, pressing her against my crotch while my mouth goes to her neck. I begin kissing her feverishly from her ear to the top of her shoulder, turned on by the fact that she doesn’t know me, yet she is letting me do this to her. She is breathing heavily as I move my hands over her rear and pull her even closer.

  “Do you want to go somewhere?” I ask, nibbling on her earlobe.

  She moans and nods and I can’t help but grin again. I down my next drink before standing abruptly, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, and leading her to the back of the bar. She looks up at me, confusion on her face. Yeah, honey, we aren’t going to my place and we’re certainly not going to yours. What I need to do I can do right here. I push through the men’s restroom and then lock the door. She starts to say something but my mouth is on hers before she can. I quickly move her against the wall, grinding against her, my mouth ravishing hers. I don’t want or need to know anything about her.