Cold Blooded Assassin Book 6: Red Horizon (Nick McCarty Assassin) (17 page)

“Cala and I are with you, Muerto,” Johnny said. “It is a mistake to laugh this plague off. They will continue to infiltrate our country like locusts, destroying everything in their path. I wish I could have seen you frighten away the bearded pussy, Rachel. He surely would have tried to humiliate you.”

“No one intimidates or humiliates me, Johnny,” Rachel replied with calming tones. “I understand the threat. I also knows it’s related to the upswing in missions against terrorist ghouls you guys have been involved in. Let me make this clear – I don’t care how many innocent Islamic dupes there are. I adhere to the old cliché: go to bed with dogs and wake up with fleas. I’m not ready to execute Flo and Majd, but I don’t plan on letting them threaten Jean or me.”

“A woman in one of those burka things walked by me yesterday,” Tina said. “I was dressed a little for the warm day in something Gus likes to see. She muttered ‘disgusting’, thinking I didn’t hear her.”

“I stopped Tina from grabbing her by the throat,” Gus admitted. “I was in the wrong. I’m beginning to believe we need to intimidate them. The ones who don’t like our culture need to get the hell out of the country.”

“Just so we’re on the same page and we don’t stir the ‘Daughter of Darkness’ into a rampage,” Nick said, “I want to keep the Nazaris in our purview at all times from now on. I don’t like what I’m hearing. Lately, when I don’t like what I’m hearing about the Middle Eastern contingent of our citizenry or illegal aliens, I get violent thoughts. School just started. Let’s cool this conflagration until we gather more information on what the Nazaris are trying to do. I detest the indoctrination aspect and that is exactly what the new crap with ‘Common Core’ is trying to institute.”

“I’m in for the walk to school,” Gus said. “It will be interesting to see whether this Majd guy begins showing in the mornings with his wife. Deke’s been neglected anyway. He needs to make the jaunt over to the school.”

“I wish to come too,” Johnny said. “The Cleaner will accompany me in case we have any trouble from Flo.”

“Yes! I will handle Flo,” Cala agreed.

Nick leaned back, hands gliding over the close cropped hair at his scalp. “This will not be escalated to a war at the elementary school. It’s a nice walk. We’re going to look like a parade with all of us going. That said, anyone wishing to accompany us to school is welcome, but with reservations. We don’t want confrontations at the school, especially now since I had to cover for Viper and Cracker with a killing.”

“Oh… that is so wrong!” Jean stood with hands on hips. “Cracker and I investigated a dangerous situation. We assisted in a police matter. We should get a medal for shining a light on those leg-breakers. Also there’s no way the police get a conviction without our evidence.”

“True,” Nick agreed, “but you need to confer with me about any surveillance gigs you get interested in. As to the school problem, I’d like you to stay away from Flo. Let’s cool things down. We’ll try the live and let live response for the time being, okay?”

Jean shrugged. “Okay, but the Nazaris bother me because of all the things I know about Islam. It’s not a religion… it’s ‘Murder Incorporated’. We’re just kids but we can read the headlines. The Muslims keep killing people all over the world. They remind me of when we were on the run from the gangsters trying to kill us. You stopped them. You didn’t do it with understanding and giving them the keys to the Kingdom. I’ll stop messing with Ms. Nazari but I hope the parents keep complaining.”

“I never thought I’d see an actual pirate attack,” Sonny added. “Those people were going to hold that mammoth ship and everyone on board for ransom. It’s not wrong to blame Islam. They would have killed any number of people to gain control of the ship. People cheered when the attackers were destroyed. None of them cared who or why it was done. I want them to fear us. The Unholy Trio is the best!”

Sonny’s declaration quieted the adults.

“We had a lot of help from John Harding’s crew,” Nick said. “You two are the most mature ten year olds in existence. We’ll take the Nazari situation one day at a time. For now, thank you for not messing with her. I have a feeling the first time she annoys her Muslim man, she’ll learn the other face of the true believer.”

“How soon do we go on the Tempest,” Gus asked.

“Very soon,” Nick answered. “As to our attack plan on the Tempest, I have only a vague outline to take control of the superyacht without sinking her. The success of saving the ship for ourselves to use is not a foregone conclusion. It will depend on weather, resistance, and my ability to get on board with John Harding from the ocean. Only then will we be in a position to assess the chances of capturing the Tempest in one piece. It won’t be a walk in the park. In the end, we may have to sink the ship or damage it beyond repair. One tool on the list the government feels we need to pursue is Carone’s tie to Al-Kadi. Paul wants information from anyone we can capture and interrogate. The money backers are becoming more predictable and in plain sight. After the Tempest is secured one way or another, we’ll have to move on Pilot Hill before Al-Kadi learns the fate of Carone.”

“Agreed,” Johnny said. “Do you wish for a plan of attack on the Nazari husband?”

“No. I don’t plan to overreact to Majd. There are too many people involved in these altercations at the school with the complaints already made about Flo. I’m not sure there’s any real danger to Jean and Sonny. The Nazaris may be the typical couple for all I know. I’ll do a background check and learn if Majd is a citizen by birth or by marriage to Flo. We’ll be closely observing anything of a threatening nature. Jean’s not a newbie. She knows better than to discount anything or ignore it. We can’t change school policy so what Flo gets away with will have to stay between her and the principal.”

“I know you have to do this Tempest thing, but what do you think is really going on with a connection between Carone and Al-Kadi,” Rachel asked.

“Money for Carone. My guess is Al-Kadi’s backers set Carone up with the Tempest to provide an endless money supply to fund Al-Kadi’s Pilot hill operation. The Tempest is a perfect transfer station for terrorists moving through Mexico from Central America. Those Panga boats can drop them anywhere along the coast for Al-Kadi to hide and train at Pilot Hill. We should be able to learn how extensive this network is with the capture of the Tempest. Homeland Security and the FBI can do their jobs with investigating once we have proof of what’s happening. I admit we’re in the dark concerning the range of this. We’ll at least know if we’ve stopped this before it spread across the country. Pilot Hill may be their starting point for a Muslim No-Go zone where they can try to build underground armories and hide infiltrators in remote places. Think of a network of hidden conclaves able to store munitions, weapons and an army of trained fighters throughout the nation. If we discover what plans they’re formulating, we may be able to finally interest our idiot leaders in stopping the Islamic Trojan Horse from rolling over us.”

Nick shrugged in a blame me gesture. “Yes… I know none of this should be discussed in front of the kids. It will probably cause them to do more stunts like this extortion gang surveillance gig. I’m hoping they learn as they get older to bring me in as the last arbiter on anything they plan. As to the Nazaris, they need to be monitored in any way we can. We’ll do it somehow without stirring more trouble for the school, including watching their financials, behavior in public, and of course any threats they make. Threats get them a one-way ticket to the House of Horror.”

“You can trust Viper and Cracker,” Jean stated. “We’ll get to work on the undercover assignment right away.”

Rachel slapped her hands over her face in comical fashion. “We’ll have to chain her in the bedroom. You’re my early warning system from now on, Igor.”

“No way do you coerce my minion into ratting me out! Don’t listen to her, Cracker.”

“Minion? Really? I’ll do it, but only if she’s plotting something dangerous, stupid, or both,” Sonny said.

“I’m thinking this partnership is over.”

“If your Dad hadn’t been watching our backs, the partnership would be dead for real,” Sonny retorted. “I better get home. I have another undercover gig watching my parents. They’ve been huddling together formulating some new scheme. I think it’s just a real estate ‘house flipper’ plot.”

“I’ll walk you home and give the Dekester another outing to get rid of the beer he inhaled.” Nick smiled at Deke jumping around, having heard the magic word walk. “Are you coming, Viper?”

“I guess so.”

“I shall drive all the lushes home.” Cala stood, patting Johnny on the shoulder. Would you like us to send Neil the files and do the Nazari background check, Muerto?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind. I-” Nick’s phone beeped. He saw it was John Harding. “What’s the good word?”

“We’re heading your way with the Valkyrie tomorrow. I snagged the best underwater communications gear around. It’s much better than the ones we had in Chabahar. We’re thinking tomorrow night for our approach.”

“We’ll be ready. See you then.” Nick disconnected. “The Tempest op is a go for tomorrow night.”

“Issac arrives tomorrow morning,” Gus said. “We’ll need him if we get the Tempest in one piece. He’ll help me get the ship north to Monster Island.”

“We can leave him aboard to watch our ship with a professional crew until we get done at Pilot Hill. We’ll move it toward Monster Island though after we search for any trackers they may have on board. John may want to leave the Valkyrie with the Tempest once we get to another anchor spot.”

“Do you think they’ll try and recapture her?”

“We’ll know once Cruella Deville interrogates Carone. Until then, we take nothing for granted. I want the ship reregistered and named the moment we get control, depending on damage. Do you have any other ideas of what to rename her? Lucas suggested ‘Ranger’.”

“Yeah, I liked Lucas’s suggestion. He told me on the USS Ranger Aircraft Carrier they used to play the Lone Ranger theme song, the William Tell Overture whenever they met with another ship or ported. We could add it to our ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ and ‘Jaws’ theme.”

“Not bad, Gus. I’ll suggest it to John.”

“I was thinking of Infidel’s Revenge,” Johnny said.

Nick chuckled. “We may as well blow it up ourselves.”

Chapter Six

Monster Pirates

The full face masks incorporated GPS digital programming and wireless communications. Nick and John swam fifteen feet below the surface toward the Tempest with steady flutter kicks. The dry-suits were thick enough to provide comfort in the cold water. A towing pod with negative buoyancy controls streamed behind the two men, strapped to each man’s waist belt. It carried weapons and munitions along with Kevlar vests. They had tested communications after rappelling from the Stealth helicopter nearly two miles from the Tempest. With communications established and working on the masks, they maintained silence to make certain their communications did not get hacked into accidentally. The sliver of moon peeked from the cloud cover only intermittently, which suited their needs perfectly.

Nick enjoyed the long kick to the Tempest, never until now doing a dive with equipment as technologically advanced as he and John wore. The midnight hour they started the dive at provided a pitch blackness in the slightly choppy water needed for the approach. Only their surfacing bubbles would be visible. The crewmen would have to be maintaining a watch with night-vision equipment and be in the exact right spot to see their surface bubbles. He and John would remain below the water until moving within fifty feet of the Tempest. They would then gauge their approach. Satellite feed of the Tempest confirmed the Panga boat door closed which they expected. Agreement had been made to board the Tempest by way of the plush fantail deck with ascending ladder stairs. No guards had been spotted in the video feed. With an advanced radar system, Nick figured correctly they would monitor their radar gear day and night with a rotating watch, but would feel they had no need of an actual deck watch.

Although carrying double tanks to make certain of staying underwater the entire way, Nick and John used less than one attaining their agreed upon surfacing distance. The drawback with the full face masks was communications. They broke silence only after circling the ship, watching for any sign of crew or passengers moving around on deck. Satisfied the very chilly night confined the crew and passengers to the ship’s interior, the two men slipped aboard on the lower fantail deck, silently pulling their pod on the deck. They stripped off their gloves first to open the pod. Nick retrieved the silenced MP5 from the pod, keeping watch until John stripped off his gear and pulled on the Kevlar vest. John took over the watch while Nick readied himself, including equipment pack. Nick stuck two grenades from a small bag jammed into the end of the pod into the pouches in his pants he wore under the dry-suit.

“You sneaky prick,” John whispered as he put on his com unit and pack. “Do you want the upper or amidships deck?”

“I’ll take the upper,” Nick replied. “Should we try communications with the Valkyrie?”

“Let’s wait until we secure the decks. We’ll have Gus steer the Valkyrie toward the Tempest at full speed then. If they have the radar station monitored, we’ll kill anyone coming on deck until help arrives. Jafar’s on line with latest satellite feed info as well as jamming equipment. Our jammer will probably work on everything but their ship’s radio.”

“I’ll turn on the jammer the moment we get into position. Ready, Dark Lord?”