Cold Blooded Assassin Book 6: Red Horizon (Nick McCarty Assassin) (37 page)

A few screams and other sounds of wounded men could be heard above the eerie din of silence falling over a battlefield after the weapons fire ceases. “Hold the line. Put out our armor car fire. Clint, Tonto, Johnny, and Lynn come with me. We’re on the hunt. Laredo! We need you with the heat vision in the air over the woods. Denny! I need whatever satellite shots you can give me. Lucas and Casey gather Achmed to hold the house perimeter until we can help Muerto.

Tonto the werewolf led our hunting party. We fired into every body as Tonto worked point. We worked tediously but carefully with our night-vision equipment. The task needed to be done in quadrants with our werewolf guide. I had no intention of sending Tonto on a seek and find in the woodland unless I received Laredo reports on hot imaging, or Denny came through with updated satellite images Samira could relay to us. Laredo flew the Stealth UH-60M over the hunting zone, also by quadrants, relaying clear areas to us.

“How many accounted for, DL,” Denny asked.

“Twenty-two in the woods. Never mind the dead. Are you getting any satellite feed yet?”

“We’re repositioning as quickly as it can be done from Langley. I-”

“Hostiles at your two o’clock, DL. Six lying in wait, only slightly spread. Five more at eleven o’clock. They think we can’t see them. Oh baby… let me have them, big guy. I want the ‘Ride’!”

“Toast ‘em, Laredo. We have Werewolf with us.”

“Back off and do the long approach, Laredo,” Lynn added. “Make sure you have the front cams on!”

“Oh yeah!”

We waited in the darkness, spreading slightly with Agent Tonto slightly in front on guard duty. Johnny knelt next to him. “I wish I was in the Stealth with Laredo.”

Lynn sighed. “I hear you, Kabong. So do we all.”

A minute later, from far off, the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ grew in volume, mind, and body as Laredo flew the Stealth down onto our enemies. By the time he passed over, the entire earth shook with sound. The M75 grenade launcher disintegrated the ambushing squads before they even knew what was happening. Laredo did flybys all across both sides of the road with the music blaring from every speaker. It was a good time to be a Monster. Our Werewolf, Agent Tonto, crept about the devastated region left by the M75 firings. He walked back to us calmly, snorting with reassuring Tonto promptings for pets and hugs. It was time to check on our interior agent provocateur: Muerto.

* * *

Nick patted Fernando’s back. “Easy, Fernando, we’re okay. I could tell you didn’t notice Senta’s connection with the guard. The ‘Mistress of the Unimaginable’ will know you acted on her behalf in a good manner. Stay quiet. Your part is done. You can sit next to the wall with me. I will have to work the rest of our in house extermination on my own. You’ll be fine if you don’t interfere in any way. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Muerto… I will stay quiet and not interfere with your operation. I have only death or the Mistress in my future. I…I am yours to command. I know your people will win. We have been lied to from the very beginning. Your people are not soft for the taking. If I can get into a prison cell, it will be better than death or the Mistress’s displeasure.”

Nick recognized Lynn owned Fernando. It didn’t matter what his fortunes were before or in the future. He would act in accordance with whatever he felt Lynn would want him to do. “You’re doing fine. Stay quiet while I interact with your former cohorts.”

Fernando bowed his head as he leaned against the wall and clasped his hands. “Understood, Sir.”

Nick waited as he heard the battle outside, enjoying each and every comment on the network. The acolytes of Al-Kadi began their approach shortly after, moving to follow orders from Al-Kadi directly or becoming nervous because of the outside sounds. Nick scooted Fernando to the side, his MP5 at the ready. The interior darkness leant itself to Nick’s remaining undetected. None of the approaching men incorporated night-vision capabilities. They moved carefully toward Al-Kadi’s room. Nick shot the one in the rear position of the approach with his smilingly delivered silenced MP5 hollow point round.

The man’s startled last grunt of death as he pitched backward to the floor attracted his companions’ attention. Nick stood as they glanced back at their fallen comrade, delivering short deadly bursts they were too late to do anything about. Nick changed clips, moving in on the dead and dying with finishing fire, whispering ‘
say hello to my little friend
’ the whole time. Eight dead soldiers lie at his feet before he swiveled away to the side, waiting and listening for any further approach.

“We’re right outside the front door, Nick,” Lucas said. “Say something, kid.”

Nick collected the grenade and a small leather envelope from Senta’s belt pouch. “I’m in the hallway of Al-Kadi’s quarters. All are dead in the hallway. I’ll stay here if you wish to bring Tonto in for final check. I have not moved on Al-Kadi’s room yet.”

“I’m on my way with Tonto now,” Lynn said. “Everyone else is combing the woods for survivors, but I think Laredo took care of that.”

“Understood. I have cross view of the hallway passing through the front entranceway. No movement so far. I have no eyes on the rear of the house. A large party came after me here so I’m not sure if there’s anyone left.”

“Hang tight. We’ll make our entry in five minutes,” Lucas said.

“No rush. This hallway is the only way out. I remember from the pictures of the house outside that he had bars put in over the windows. Just in case he has a tunnel, can you keep surveillance of the surrounding area with the heat screen, Laredo?”

“Will do,” Laredo agreed.

“The call’s been made to steer clear of the area no matter what,” Denny said. “The locals have not made any calls into the cops, despite the noise. Oh shit! Jesus, Lord in heaven… the satellite photos are streaming now. The damn woods across from the house looks like a World War I no-man’s land. Did anyone leave even a bush or dandelion standing?”

“It was combat, you turd! We weren’t harvesting corn, moron,” Lucas barked onto the network. “We have an armored vehicle blown over on its side by a rocket launcher. We just killed over thirty of the enemy outside with another near a dozen inside by Muerto’s hand. It was a trap! Muerto sniffed it out. What happened in there, Nick?”

“Senta and the guard gave it away. I couldn’t take chances. She must have found a way to warn Al-Kadi when our backs were turned. We’re lucky Al-Kadi figured we were easy pickings. On the other hand, by the sound of it, you combat troops had your hands full.”

“It was outstanding,” Sal said. “We blew the shit out of that bunch in the woods.”

“What Sal said,” Chuck added. “How’s Achmed? He was stuck on the front grounds.”

“I am well, Chuck. I kept my head down. Lucas and Casey killed everything living in front of the house. Lynn is here now with Tonto.”

“We’re coming in, Nick,” Lucas said.

Nick had moved to a point where he could cover their entry. “I have sight on all threats. Come in.”

Tonto rushed in first, low to the floor, sweeping from one side to the other. He stopped near Nick, sniffed, and moved on. The squad of deadly killers fanned out behind with John Harding in the lead. He grinned over at Nick’s small salute. The team with Tonto sniffing for threats cleared the lower floor. Each room, searched in order, produced nothing of an informational or human presence. They moved on to the stairs and the upper floor. It took only ten minutes to rejoin Nick. Tonto sniffed out the dead bodies and blood. He approached Al-Kadi’s entranceway, growled, and returned to Lynn. She and her companions moved to the hallway sides.

Nick knocked on the door. “Hello. Come on out, Saran. We’re ready to talk. Your army’s dead. If we have to come in and get you, it will cost you in pain.”

“You will kill me anyway!”

“There are so many ways to die, Saran. If you make this hard, your dying will be bad.”

Silence.

Nick shot apart the locking mechanism and doorjamb. The door swung slightly open. Automatic weapons fire in what Nick could tell was 9mm blew through the door. When the firing stopped, Nick waited a moment before speaking. “That wasn’t very nice. I’m going to throw a grenade inside your room and blow you to kingdom come. I’ll count to three. If you’re not out here next to me, your pieces will be. One… two…”

“No!” The door slammed open. Al-Kadi rushed out with his hands up. Tonto ran him over, continuing inside to check the room while Nick restrained and helped Al-Kadi to his feet.

Lynn walked past to get in with Tonto. “I’ll check the room.”

John Harding joined Nick. “I’m not sure if we can spare the time here in interrogation, Nick. There was literally a small army. If not for bringing the heavy weapons, we might have gotten our heads handed to us. As it was, Laredo had to finish them off. Denny’s working on a collection team. This was a mess… a damn successful mess… but a mess none the less. We’ll need to move Saran to Pain Central. Can you wait for a few days while we make sure of his story?”

“Sure, John,” Nick answered. “He’ll have considerable funds here though.”

“I’ll leave the minions here to watch the house and interact with Denny’s cleaning crew. I’m sorry your ‘Spaghetti Western’ plot didn’t work out for you.”

“That’s okay. Al-Saud wants only his network information. I figured we could clone the drives, make sure all relevant info is off them, and then I’ll take what’s left to Dubai for my meeting. We can take the photos of Al-Kadi now, and I’ll get on the road. Samira drove a confiscated vehicle to Pilot Hill with my tools. I have to go see the Kader in New York. If everything works out there to my satisfaction, I’m going to the sand.”

“What? You are going to kill me now?” Al-Kadi’s outrage began to seep dumbly into his features, the full black chin beard bobbing with his mouth. “I knew it! You bastards were sent by Al-Saud! We can make this right. I will double what he’s paid you!”

“Do you need him unmarked, John?”

“Nope.”

In a split second, Nick pistol whipped Al-Kadi to the floor. He then pounded him unconscious. Nick retrieved the small leather envelope he’d taken from Senta’s belt. Taking the scalpel from the small leather pouch, Nick slit Al-Kadi’s throat with a shallow slice so the blood welled thickly, soaking the bottom part of his beard grotesquely. Once there was a small pool of it around Al-Kadi’s head, Nick turned to Johnny, who had accompanied the house assault team. Johnny nodded. Without another word, he began snapping pictures from different angles. Johnny finished by taking digital fingerprints and a DNA swab.

“Done, Muerto.” Johnny looked over his pictures. “These are very good.”

“Thanks, Johnny.” Harding and his crew had been chuckling over Nick’s adlib of making Al-Kadi appear dead. They remained silent as Nick tightened Al-Kadi’s shirt around the shallow neck wound tightly. Nick straightened to his feet. “Good as new.”

“That was very cute, Dead Boy,” Lucas said. “Does this mean you’ll be leaving for New York right away?”

“If I can, I’d like to duck out of here with my crew. We’re heading for New York. I believe Kader will be getting word about the people he’s lost and head for the sand. We’re through playing with the Kaders. Eliah and all the male Kaders we find with him are going bye/bye. If you learn how the hell Al-Kadi knew we were coming I’d sure like to know who tipped him.”

“We’ll call you once Lynn gets him in the mood,” Harding said. “There’s really nothing more here for any of us to do before the cleaning crew finishes. Be careful in the sand. If you get into trouble, don’t hesitate to call.”

Nick smiled. “I won’t, brother. The only other thing I could use is a letter, written and signed by Saran. Do you think we can get Agent Tonto to talk him into writing it, Lynn?”

Lynn smiled. “Absolutely.”

* * *

“I’ll admit to one thing, John,” Denny said while inspecting the grounds across the road from the compound, “if this doesn’t set those Isis bastards on their heels, nothing will. I put a team to work on our escrow papers. The compound will be ours once Al-Kadi signs it over to us with Lynn’s help. I know a construction company in Sacramento that will build and repair the compound without any questions asked. We have a lot of small cosmetic repairs to be made but nothing real bad. It could have been a lot worse except for the vegetation across the road. Can I still have Fernando?”

“He’s been my good little helper,” Lynn said. “Muerto took care of my other toy. If not for him needing her to be a weapons carrier, I wouldn’t have let her go in. She was a little too polished for my taste. It all worked out in the end. We decimated the pricks. It was definitely a killing field across the street. Do you want to take Fernando with you now?”

“Yes, if I can,” Denny replied. “Does Muerto know you’re giving Fernando to me? Carone did send men after Nick.”

“Fernando would already be dead if Nick thought he wasn’t broken. Nick kept him alive here in the house,” I answered for Lynn. “I don’t blame you for being careful. You know what happened to that rogue NSA boss, Frank Richert.”

“Yeah. I do. I’ll take Fernando with me when I leave. Did Nick get what he wanted off of Al-Kadi’s computers?”

“Jafar, Johnny, and Clint worked to redact anything we didn’t want given to Al-Saud. The rest they doctored and gave to Nick. If we’re clear then, we’ll take Al-Kadi and go, Denny.”