Cold Blooded Assassin Book 6: Red Horizon (Nick McCarty Assassin) (2 page)

“Issac still wants a part, Muerto,” Gus said.

Nick noticed the uneasy stance his partner stiffened to while talking about his copilot on the ‘Starlight’ op. “I thought Issac wanted to return home to St. Lucia and buy a business.”

“He’s like us, Muerto. He can do more than one thing. We can fly him back here in no time. Issac wants to continue the helicopter training he’s already completed, in addition to his skill at piloting a boat.”

“I admit it,” Nick replied. “Issac interests me. What’s his angle in all of this? St. Lucia, named by the French, absorbed by the English in war, and carries on with English common law. They’re a sovereign nation now. What does he want with throwing in with us on black ops? I’m sure he understands the dangers, especially when I paid him off after the ‘Starlight’ op. I explained how close we came to being blown to kingdom come by the Iranians.”

Gus chuckled with a helpless hand gesture. “He thought we conjured up the F-18 Superhornets when the Iranian jets arrived. Issac was lost. He watched the F-18’s dust those Iranian Migs and barrel roll over us in triumph like a six month old puppy with a piece of steak. I explained as I know you did that we were seconds away from death when they arrived. Issac loved the adrenaline rush. He also loves the money.”

“Yep.” Nick and Johnny unstrapped room temperature Conrad into a body bag for Cala the Cleaner to prepare for burial at sea in pieces. “Nothing wrong with pursuing the money trail. Issac does his job. He didn’t panic either. I’m thinking he would be a good candidate for flying lessons on a larger scale than helicopters. It’s good he went back home for a while to see what he can stir up on St. Lucia. We’ll call him if something arises we could use him for. Let’s put Conrad in the freezer. I need to get home, write another thousand words while I sip a couple, and call Paul. If he’s interested, I’ll call John. I’m glad since we had a joint venture you’ve adopted the Johnny tag, Kabong.”

“I love that ‘Short Circuit’ movie. I make a much better Johnny Five than Harding does. I like Johnny better and so does Cala. Done deal.”

“Fine,” Gus replied, “but lose the ‘Johnny Five’ declaration.”

“Blow it out your clown ears, Payaso,” Johnny told him. “Johnny Five tones down for no one, minion of the T-Rex.”

“Don’t start that again. Tina doesn’t like that tag.”

Johnny gave Gus a hand flick. “Yeah? So what’s your point? T-Rex doesn’t consider our feelings when she goes postal on us for something. She keeps calling Muerto, Gomez. We’re not the Addam’s Family, although Muerto calling her Cousin Itt suits her pretty well.”

“We can take it. She can’t, and then I have to hear about it at home.”

“Tina’s caustic, Payaso,” Nick said. “She does suit you very well though. You have to admit, Kabong, Tina was on her best behavior on our pirate cruise mission aboard the ‘Starlight’.

“Sure, because it is very difficult to whine about a royal suite aboard the most luxurious ocean liner on the high seas. Plus… she didn’t have Payaso to torture. Without her life’s work aboard of annoying Payaso, T-Rex couldn’t fill her time with the usual mundane things such as whining, ordering Payaso around, and beating him with a stick.”

“She does not beat me with a stick,” Gus insisted, listening to his friends’ humorous appreciation of his interactions with Tina.

“I bet those days sailing on the Valkyrie were like heaven without T-Rex,” Johnny kept hammering away as they loaded Conrad into the freezer.

“I admit steaming around in a gunship as lethal as the Valkyrie eclipsed anything I ever did before. Tina would have hated it – no doubt about that. We destroyed an Iranian battleship. Good Lord in heaven, where does a tugboat captain get to do that.”

“Amen to that,” Johnny said, shoulder hugging Gus. “I think we are all coming down a little from the ‘Starlight’ op. Go and do all your networking chores, Muerto. We grabbed Conrad early. Gus and I will be over later to find out how the ‘Monster Squad’ feel about another joint effort. Does it really matter in these times if Paul and Denny get involved?”

“It does. We can’t do what’s necessary to safeguard America without these internal battles, Johnny. All of it should be in the open with every citizen involved, coupled with border shutdown, and no immigration passes from anywhere in the Middle East. That ain’t happening, so we’re stuck with putting Band-Aids on each potential atrocity without ever attacking the cause. I’m game, because I damn well will not ever allow Sharia Law or Islam to dictate my life. I will kill until I have no bullets, no killing implements, and I am dead. As you two know, I will make my passing legendary.”

Gus shook hands with Nick in double grip passion. “I’m in all the way, brother.”

“As am I,” Johnny added, joining the three way handshake. “I want nothing more in this life than to die with my boots on, at the side of my friends, as Dan did. He may not have had us at his side when he took out that piece of shit burglar, but we were with him in his head, along with his lost mate.”

“Exactly right, Johnny. I’ll call when I make arrangements one way or another for our buddy, Al-Kadi. If we get the ‘Monster Squad’ involved, this alteration in Isis plans is going to get real bloody.”

“There is no choice in that. This hive must be dealt with, Muerto.”

“I know, but we have to take some added steps to get backing or risk ending up on Harding’s Monster Squad Island. We’re in the middle of a silent war against an enemy so stupid they blatantly put their messages of pedophilia, honor killings, and female genital mutilation on public forums such as YouTube - yet they’re funded, enabled, and whitewashed by a growing number of liberal dolts in this country. We may not ever be able to correct all of their traitorous mistakes.” Nick shrugged with a sigh of acceptance and tightlipped purpose. “We could just accept it all as it comes. With me… that will never happen.”

“Yes!” Johnny pumped a fist. “I was absorbed into this plague because I felt helpless to react as an individual. No more! Everything happening within Islam is blasphemy! To put it bluntly: peace my ass! At least I am finally part of something that can defend civilization in spite of a vocal part of our citizens who would rather be chained as chattel.”

“I change every time we do an op like the ‘Starlight’ or gather in a blight on humanity like Conrad,” Gus admitted. “I’m never giving up this chance to thwart whatever plot of one world order our idiot leaders splice together. We are not all the same. I want to barf when I hear about the rest of the world. Stay where the hell you are. Make things right or bend over and let them pork you in your own damn countries… idiots!”

Nick smiled. “Great… we’ve solved the world’s problems. Let’s split and meet later where we can return to the day by day grind of actually eliminating our enemy. Yes… I know it’s still a ‘Whack-a-mole’ solution with no end in sight, but we only have one dog in this hunt: America. Since we all agree this Islamist Trojan Horse plague can only be stopped on a minimal basis at this time, let’s concentrate on what we can do. We protect Emily and her Dad first and foremost. That can only be done in one way - wasting anyone fomenting plans against state senator Waterson’s family. I have a bad feeling about the Pilot Hill pack. If I convince John and his crew to take a hand in this, I think those dogs plotting to carry out any kidnappings in the future will think twice. I doubt many of them, if any, will survive this operation.”

“I will bring Cala. Sometimes your words upset me, Muerto, and the only solution is Harding’s professed saviors, the Bud and Beam brothers,” Johnny stated with a straight face. “Cala will be my designated driver.”

“Good thinking, Kabong,” Nick said. “How about you, Payaso?”

“I’m in. Tina and I will walk over.”

“You’re making the T-Rex walk?” Johnny went through a series of first class outraged mannerisms. “You’ll be hogtied for the remainder of your tortured life. Get on your knees like the penitents and saviors of civilization. Perhaps by prayer, she will spare you. We will all mourn your passing if she doesn’t, my friend. Surely you know better than to make T-Rex walk, Payaso.”

“Very funny, Kabong,” Gus replied. “First off, we walk all the time together. Secondly, no one will either suggest or coerce such a thing from me. I’m not speaking to you again unless you apologize. Tina and I get along fine. Never presume to know another man’s marriage.”

“I apologize,” Johnny said, hanging his head in a sorrowful manner. “I should never presume to know what T-Rex will do to you next. How is the writing going, Muerto?”

“Dark Interlude is a hit according to Cass. I’ve already started the new Diego novel. I wrote a couple thousand words this morning before anyone interrupted me. I haven’t titled it yet though.”

“You usually pick a title while you’re outlining,” Gus replied. “Will it be about our ‘Starlight’ op?”

“No. I figured I better put some time between Diego and a cruise ship caper. This one has my ‘femme fatale’ Fatima luring Diego into an unforeseen professional gang heist. The gang works out of Issac’s St. Lucia Island. It again has all the ingredients of a James Bond type interlude in the Caribbean, with Diego’s faithful companions, Jed and Leo.”

“Yes!” Johnny pumped a fist. “Thank you, Muerto! Leo will not let you down as a character. You must find a way to work in my talents in real life with this fabulous character you have created.”

“You mean like sucking up, and kissing ass,” Gus asked.

“Don’t be a hater, Payaso.”

Nick took a few moments to enjoy the interaction before gesturing for calm. “Let’s stick to basics guys. We still have to puzzle out the Mother Ship, Jay Parks told us about before the ‘Starlight’ gig.”

“Damn… that’s right,” Gus said. “With all that’s happened, I forgot about Parks. He’s fish bait. What he told us about his boss Fernando Carone should have been on the top of our list from the time we landed after the ‘Starlight’ op. A Mother Ship off of the Channel Islands near San Luis Obispo? I have to hand it to you, Muerto. You don’t forget anything.”

“Payaso’s right. Did you get a call from your friend Neil about our execution of Jay Parks’ ‘banger crew, Muerto?”

Nick nodded. “Yeah… Neil knew it was the magnificent three that did in Jay’s crew the moment he was summoned to the crime scene. They called an all hands on deck for their discovery of a dozen dead bodies to every precinct from here to Salinas. Naturally, the FBI, DEA, and every local cop had a theory. Neil asked me, but I answered in the form we have agreed on.”

When Nick didn’t go on, Gus threw his hands up in the air, frustration plain on his face. “What form, Muerto?”

Nick held out a stopping gesture with his hand. “Easy, Gus… sorry… if Neil asks me about involvement I tell him ‘oh God help us, that’s terrible’. He knows we killed the gang. I’m turning him to the dark side.”

“Yeah, you have,” Johnny agreed. “Will you please shelve the shocked features, Payaso? We need Neil in the know without making it obvious to everyone in existence. That he goes along with our needed operations is a big plus for us.”

“This doing right crap is draining,” Gus replied.

“Doin’ right ain’t got no end, Payaso,” Nick stated, to much amusement at the ‘Outlaw Josie Wales’ movie reference from his companions.

* * *

I saw the Nick number on my iPhone. “Nick?”

“Yeah… it’s me, brother John. I have another crappy caper to run by you. Paul signed off on it, but I wanted to call you before it trickled down from Denny.”

Yep. That’s what real professionals do. I hadn’t talked to Nick since we split up after the ‘Starlight’ gig. “It’s good to hear from you, Nick. We have free time. Send the specifics. Count on us for the dance. Is it a party or a prom?”

“It’s definitely a prom date. We’re planning on a possible full dress excursion with music, but only as a last resort.”

I tried muffling the laughter Nick invoked. I knew he spoke of a ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ type date. “Understood. I’ll prep our dates. This will be an exciting dance. We’ll need them to bring all their moves. Good stuff, brother. Do you think we’ll ever get to bow out of these formal functions?”

Nick paused. “We get older and meaner, Dark Lord. It would be a natural thing if our dates lapsed into more conservative calm form, but I have no hopes of such a welcome respite happening to our party persona style, my friend.”

“That’s how I figure it too with the party leaders we have now. Let me know, brother.”

“I will. Until then.” Nick disconnected.

“Who was that,” Lora asked me. She and Al had moved closer so as to eavesdrop on my conversation, with Lora pretending she hadn’t heard Nick’s name.

“Death and destruction.”

Lora sighed. “So soon? I figured after the cruise, trouble would be at an end for a while.”

I remembered Muerto’s phrase he used often now. “Doin’ right ain’t got no end.”

“You stole that line from Nick,” Al said.

“Nick appropriated it from a movie called ‘The Outlaw Josie Wales’. He’s found another nest. We either handle it or prepare for some other catastrophe to happen. He’ll be sending me the details. Nick already has an okay from Paul Gilbrech. That means Denny will be calling to make it official. It’s Friday. Let’s go have dinner at The Warehouse. Maybe Denny and the crew can meet us.”

Lora sighed. “Great. Another Monster Squad night out. Did Tommy give you the weekend off from the Bay Poking sessions?”