Hard Case V: Blood and Fear (A John Harding Novel Book 5) (7 page)

We all laughed, but everything Tommy said was true. We keep letting in people from nations who slip in, build terrorist cell links to their home country, and wait for the day they can unleash hell on earth here. Then Azi did a real stupid thing. I saw him look toward the ball field - not seeing anyone, he didn’t look toward the parking lot, he approached Al. So much for planning.

“Take him at his car when I herd him this way.”

I ran towards Al at a dead run. When I run, people look up. Al looked up, saw me running, and stopped swinging. She noticed the guy coming toward her then, and dismounted from the swing. The playground wasn’t crowded, but it sure wasn’t empty. I wondered what Azi had in mind. It wouldn’t matter now. He didn’t know it yet, but Azi was going to disappear without a trace. I slowed to a jog. Azi had noticed where Al’s eyes focused. He saw me. His eyes widened, and he went left at a brisk pace. Yeah, that’ll help him.

“We’re going now, Al.”

She walked to me and took my hand. “Was that a bad guy, Dad?”

“Yep. Unfortunately for him, we know he’s a bad guy.”

We both watched as Azi circled toward his car. When he reached it, there was a short meet up with Clint and Lynn. His unconscious body was bound and thrown into the backseat within seconds. Clint gave Lynn a kiss, and then drove off with Azi in his car. Tommy and Jafar were the lookouts. They all joined us at the soccer mom van.

“Wow Lynn, that was fast!” Al was impressed by the abduction of the abductor.

“It was, wasn’t it? Maybe I need to get into calf roping or something at the rodeo, Al. What do you think?”

“Maybe after the baby,” Al suggested.

We monsters enjoyed that line. Al went home with Jafar in our soccer mom van. He had ridden to practice with us while Samira helped Lora at the office. I went with Lynn for our boat cruise where it seemed Azi would be an added chore for Cruella Deville aboard the good ship ‘Lora’. She was humming and whistling as she slid behind the steering wheel of her Toyota, waiting with a happy expression for me to get belted in.

“We goin’ ta’ have some fun now, partner,” Lynn announced complete with goofy cowboy drawl.

Chapter Three

Journey Into Terror

Tommy drifted over to where Lynn sweated even in the ocean breeze as she worked the pole Tommy had invented for poking John as he swam alongside The Lora. The tip although well padded, was a painful jolt when it landed squarely. Lynn grinned and poked. John twirled in the water, snapped the pole with a vicious side-hand strike that nearly tore the pole out of Lynn’s hands. Clint, who had shark duty with his MP5, laughed appreciatively. Tommy shook his head.

“Damn. John’s quick as he was before the Rattler fight.”

Lynn pulled the mangled pole out of the water, and flung it on the deck. “I’m done. That’s enough exercise for me. Let’s get John on deck. He’s killing me. I would have thought he’d need a few days to get into this again, but either I’m slowing down, or he is indeed fast as hell still. He and I have Azi to play with.”

“I hear you,” Tommy said. “Shut her down Lucas!”

* * *

The Lora slowed to a stop. I looked up in surprise, but Tommy was there waving me on board. Damn. I had my mad on today. Between that meeting with Yuri, and the Boko Haram guy doing an approach on Al, I lost all track of reality. I didn’t argue. I’m not stupid. I got the hell on board. I could tell from Lynn and Tommy’s faces I must have done real well.

“That was your best ever in the Bay session yet,” Tommy admitted. “You have a hard-on for this Yuri and Marko show, and you demonstrated it today. They were right to try and get you to take a dive. The only killin’ ‘The Assassin’ will be doing is with his mouth, and not for long. I never get cocky, but damn, brother, you impressed me today.”

“Thanks, T. Yeah, I am in all the way on this one. I’ll get a shower, and then we’ll do the long awaited discussion with Azi. Did Denny call yet?”

“Nope.” Lynn patted my ‘Great Banana’ shoulder. “That last smash nearly ripped my arms out of socket. Denny must have found out a lot on this Azi character. Otherwise, he would have called by now. Get this straight in your head. Denny will be pleading for this dude to get turned over to him. I think we need to make him disappear.”

“I agree. These people are in our backyard now, for whatever moronic reason the government pushes in the media. What the hell would be the use of holding onto a Boko Haram baby killer? If Denny calls while I’m in the shower, and pulls any of that whiney crap saying we have to hug this particular terrorist, he’d better get in a helicopter and find us before Azi goes bye/bye. I don’t like his chances.”

“Take your shower,” Lynn said, staring at Azi restrained in the corner. “I’ll warm him up while you’re gone. All you Snow White’s fishing off the boat either better get a grip, or head to the bridge with Lucas.”

Devon and Jesse reeled in, and fled to the bridge without a word of argument. Casey chuckled and kept fishing. Lynn walked over in front of Azi, and crouched down to his level. “Hi there, Fuzzy. Here’s how this goes. I’m going to show you a taste of what hell on earth will be for you if I don’t get the answers to the questions I have.” Lynn paused, as humming innocence pleas bounded out from behind the duct tape over Azi’s mouth. Lynn projected her absolutely terrifying face of uncaring bloodlust. “I see you don’t understand. Let me help you.”

The screams began almost immediately as I went below decks for a shower. The worst part of these screams was the fact Lynn would not stop until she heard the prisoner’s final benediction. I admit I grinned going down to take a shower. Lynn loved Al like her own kid. That colors our horizons in monster land. When I returned, Azi blubbered stuff from nearly his birth as I watched a professional work. Lynn patted his cheek, making shushing noises.

“Denny called,” Clint said. “This Azi guy is a true Boko Haram bad guy. His picture flashed in reference to five kidnapping and extortion jobs overseas, including a village extermination. He works for ‘The Ghost’.

I accepted the double Beam brother he offered with beaming appreciation. “I hate to say this, but how do we know it.”

Clint enjoyed my rhetorical question for a moment. “Lynn’s in fine form today. She knows this fuck had every intention of snatching Al off the playground. I believe my better half is in gathering form for anything you or Denny need ask, brother.”

I acknowledged his input with a downing of my Beam brother, which Clint replenished immediately. “Thanks. I will join Crue’s party, and see what dastardly deeds lie in the future.”

Lynn wasn’t touching Azi, or trying to make friends. I could tell she had made contact way down deep inside of our guest. Azi now knew there were truly moments worse than hell. By the looks of him, Lynn had exercised her nearly surgeon like skills with a scalpel, followed with a salt water dousing of the wounds, Clint did with a spray bottle. Very effective. That particular method could be reinforced with the spray bottle each time Azi hesitated. After a few treatments, Azi would then become nearly clairvoyant in his answers. I networked with Denny to do a long question and answer session, with both Jafar and Laredo checking every word, while data mining across the globe. Laredo Sawyer, our West Coast Avengers pilot, and mentor to Jafar’s IT skills, confirmed the answer parameters, which was all we could do for now.

“Take care of Azi, and I’ll meet you at the base to go over the intel,” Denny said. “I know he tried to take Al. There are no take backs for that. Will you be sober enough to visit Azi’s place before the other rat he’s rooming with scurries away?”

Denny knew all too well my sojourns into the Bay demanded some pain killer when I again boarded the boat. “I’ll take Casey and Lucas with me. Crue and Clint will drive Azi’s vehicle over for her minions to dismantle. If he’s home, we’ll bring the roomie with us for Crue to question and confirm Azi’s answers.”

“Good deal, John. I’ll call in the minions.” Denny disconnected.

I turned then to Lynn. “Want us to warm this roomie, Sam Edoja, before we arrive at the base?”

“Maybe. Leave him alone for now, except whatever you need for Sammy to accept the invitation. Want to hot shot Azi here, or feed him to our cleaners alive?”

I took a syringe out of my bag. “We don’t have time to make sure our fined friends find him. We’re far enough out to leave Azi off here.”

I gave Azi his hot shot to hell, and then stripped him. Lynn sliced him with her scalpel from chest to groin before Clint and I tossed Azi into the water. “I’ll clean the deck. You two relax on the bridge, and tell Lucas what we have in mind. Ask Dev and Jess if they can drive and be lookouts for our Edoja grab.

“Will do. I’ve been on the wagon for a week now. I think I’ll indulge in a glass of Berringer’s if you have a bottle,” Lynn said.

“There’s three in the refrigerator,” I replied, while taking the cleaning elements from our above deck storage locker. After Clint and Lynn adjourned to the bridge, Lucas steered The Lora toward port while I cleaned the deck. Casey helped me, having reeled his line in when the boat moved. “Any luck today, Case?”

“Jess caught a couple sturgeon, but that was it. Dev and I got nada. I’m glad Lucas already had the van. We won’t have to swing by the base to get it. Do you want to wait for dark, or are we doing the snatch and grab in daylight?”

The base, also known as The House of Pain, housed our moving vehicles, control center, and holding cells. Lynn’s minions now took care of it 24/7. Gus Denova, Quays Tannous and Silvio Ruelas, who Denny refers to as Lynn’s minions, did anything and everything we needed prepped or disappeared. Lynn rehabilitated them, and by rehabilitation I mean they were once used by the Muslim Brotherhood. A couple sessions with Lynn, and they were so helpful, we decided to recruit them rather than kill them. Since coming over from the dark side, Denova, Tannous, and Ruelas did excellent work, so much so, I obtained residences for the three men. They still looked at their shoes every time Cruella Deville walked into the room they were in.

“We’ll take them the moment we get over there, Case. We may be able to gather a lot more intel from what’s in their place. After we get Edoja, I’ll find out where his car is, pop him in the trunk, and deliver him to Crue. You and Lucas can head for home then.”

“I watched your training exercise today. I never thought you’d get back in the Bay. I heard you have a bad feelin’ about this ‘Assassin’ match. This Azi guy sure proved you had reason. I don’t know how many of these Boko Haram freaks are around, but I’m sure you’ve heard what they’ve done. That Nigerian sect will do anything. If there are any more of them in with Kornev, I hope Crue gets all the names out of Edoja. Azi didn’t mention any, and I know he would have, but maybe he’s low on the totem pole.”

“I’ll make that a priority when we’re questioning them. I’ll grab our memory card for the Azi session to show Edoja. Crue won’t like it, but we may need to move faster than we like.”

“Those damn recorded torture sessions have really saved us some time,” Casey agreed. “Maybe she won’t be pissed off today. She worked up a real sweat putting you through your paces. I think she only does them now to see if she can get someone watching to puke.”

Very true. “I won’t mention it to her until we see how snatching Edoja goes. If he gives us any shit, I’ll hold off on showing him the recording of his buddy being brought to justice.”

“That’ll work.” Casey led the way to the bridge which is spacious on The Lora. Everyone seemed in fine spirits, but Lynn was conversing with someone on the satellite phone with serious intent. Lynn smiled after a time, agreed, and told the other party she’d run it by me.

Putting aside the phone, Lynn sipped her wine Clint had been holding for her. “Samira wants to help do the snatch on Edoja. She’s meeting us at the dock, so she can go along with you guys. Before you come unglued, Jafar’s coming with her. Samira must have done one of her more persuasive hammerings on her young husband. What do you think?”

“I think she can do it, but I’m wondering if Jafar is counting on me not allowing her,” I replied. “She could walk to the door, ring the bell, get checked out by Edoja, and step aside the moment he opens the door. Is that what she had in mind?”

“Almost verbatim,” Lynn said, “only she wants to zap the guy in the doorway herself.”

“That damn girl is going to drive Jafar nuts,” Lucas said, glancing away from his steering. “She did real well on the ‘Knockout Game’ action, but that had more surprise going for it than this will have. Even with all of us at her side, for all we know Edoja could answer the door with a gun. That’s why John takes the first hit.”

Lucas referred to our ending a gang doing sucker punches on innocent people at the mall, sometimes known as ‘Polar Bear’ attacks. Samira and Jafar partnered on a takedown of one participant. It had been her first time helping us on a job. She was trying to pattern herself on Lynn, but without the interrogation side. The other point he made was on a snatch like this, we normally pick the lock, and I bust in with Kevlar on. I take the first hit if the guy draws fast enough. Usually I take them down before they clear the holster. I also have backup in the form of men who can shoot the beak off a hummingbird at fifty yards. Jafar won’t like this when I put the decision in his court again.

“I’ll get off the boat and say it’s okay with me if it’s okay with Jafar. How’s that?”

“Typical ‘Denny Light’ shirk the duty ploy,” Lynn retorted to much appreciation.