Chapter Eight

The drive to Kohler's apartment in Los Angeles was accomplished quickly and the three men soon found themselves outside, staring at the building before them in surprise.

"He likes to live high on the hog, doesn't he?" Jake said as he stared at the expensive apartment building before him.

"Looks that way. Wonder where he got the money for the rent on his salary?" Lee asked in disgust.

"Dunno. Let's get to the persuading part of this mission, shall we?" Jake said eagerly as they climbed out of Chip's truck and headed up the stairs to Kohler's apartment.

"Let me talk to him and get him to open up. Then you two can come in," Lee said when they were outside his door.

Lee knocked loudly on the apartment door and waited impatiently. After the fourth knock, he heard the bolt slide back and the door, safety chain still on, opened to reveal a sleepy looking Kohler who sported a stark white bandage on his nose.

"Lee? What are you doing here? If this is about Admiral Nelson…I told you what happened. He…"

"Look Eric just let me in. I…I have something I need to say. All right?" he said in a contrite tone.

"Well…ok," he said, taking off the safety chain and opening the door wide.

Lee went through quickly followed by Jake and Chip who slammed the door behind him and locked it.

"What the…? What are you doing here? And wh…what is he doing here?" he asked pointing to Jake.

"We've come to ask you along on a little vacation," Lee said with a smile.

"Vacation? To where?" he asked suspiciously.

"Why to Valbuenna, old friend," Jake said menacingly.

"Uh, no way. I just got back from there and I'm not going back, so you three can just get out," he said as he went to his door and cursed when he found it locked.

"Lee actually misspoke," Jake said as he advanced on Kohler who shrank back against the door. "We didn't come to ask you to go back. We came to tell you, you are going back and you're going to show us where you left Admiral Nelson."

"I…I…don't…don't remember. Exactly. I…"

"Well, old buddy, you better start remembering because one way or another, you're going with us to find Admiral Nelson. Now we can just all walk out of here as friends or you can be carried out, preferably bleeding," Jake said in anger.

"All right! All right! Just…just let me get some things," he said as he made a move towards the back of his spacious apartment then lunged for the front door, knocking Chip aside. Jake pounced on the smaller man, turned him around and laid an uppercut on his jaw. He smiled in satisfaction as Kohler's body slid to the floor.

"You didn't leave anything for the rest of us," Lee said sadly as he stood over Kohler's still body.

"Not my fault he has a glass jaw," Jake said as he shook his hand. "But that felt so good."

While Kohler remained unconscious, Lee and Chip gathered some clothes and threw them into a backpack they found while Jake hurriedly searched the apartment for Kohler's passport and any other information they might find useful. Passport and backpack in hand, Lee and Chip pulled Kohler to his feet, slung his arms over theirs and carried him to Chip's truck, happy they ran into no one.

"Let's get moving," Jake yelled. "The sooner we get to Valbuenna, the sooner we find Admiral Nelson. Let's make tracks."