Cold Blooded Assassin Book 6: Red Horizon (Nick McCarty Assassin) (40 page)

“I will await your call. Thank you, Nick. This means a lot to me.”

“I hope the visit will be a good one for your cousin. I will talk to you soon.” Nick disconnected. “It appears we have further business in New York. Can anyone think of anything else they’d like to ask our buddy, Eliah?”

Silence. Nick gave Eliah Kader a pat on the back of the head. “I think you did quite well. Do you have anything else you’d like to tell us, Eli?”

Eliah began to speak, but the syringe Nick stuck into his neck worked quickly. “There you go. We need to have you go sleepy time for a while, Eli. Pull over in a quiet spot so we can put Eli in cargo and cover him, Gus.”

Nick explained the situation after they deposited the sedated Eliah in the back cargo area with a tarp covering. “I’m thinking me, Johnny, and Cala, all dressed in our Muslim costumes, could ring the doorbell, check on Felicia, and proceed from there. If we get a lot of flack from this El-Amin, I may have to insist. This is volunteer only. Claude is no saint. John Harding stopped him from assassinating Samira and maimed him while doing it. They recruited him from the dark side. We can agree Johnny and I have monster credentials from our past. If we’re allowed to see Felicia and the years belonging to this El-Amin have put her beyond our reach mentally, then we’ll just leave. She may have six kids and be happy as hell for all I know.”

“I’m in,” Johnny stated.

“And I,” Cala added. “She was kidnapped from her home and sold into slavery. As you say, Muerto, if she wants out, we should help her.”

“What about El-Amin,” Gus asked.

“We have room in the cargo area for one more. Eliah will have company on his Allegheny resting place trip.”

“I want you to do a Kabuki dance with my Uncle, Muerto.”

“Cala!” Gus nearly drove off the road as Nick and Johnny enjoyed Cala’s request.

“He deserves it, Payaso,” Cala stated. “I hope Felicia is okay. I can only imagine what it was like for her. I am glad Lynn has punished that Saran Al-Kadi who stole Felicia’s life.”

“Remember to keep your feelings in check. Lynn will have Al-Kadi make a very enticing phone call introduction I’m sure. We have to be calm through this no matter how it comes out. This has to be Felicia’s decision without our input, whether she’s brainwashed or not. This will be either a visit or a rescue. It will not be an intervention. Is that clear, Cala?”

“Yes, Muerto.”

Nick’s phone buzzed an hour later. “Hi Lynn.”

“The phone call worked. I had Saran state he needed Claude for a contract in Yemen and the call was the only way Claude would consider it. We learned during the interrogation that El-Amin has participated in the money laundering enterprise Al-Kadi worked with his overseas conduit. It was suggested by El-Amin, Claude could talk with Felicia immediately. We anticipated that and had Saran tell him Claude demanded people he trusted see her while he was calling.”

“Interesting. I will let you know how this proceeds. Tell Claude we will not make things worse for Felicia no matter what. With Al-Kadi gone, we can put this El-Amin on our watch list to make sure he doesn’t hook up with another cell.”

“That’s our thoughts on it too, Muerto. Talk again soon.” Lynn disconnected.

“We’re on,” Nick said.

* * *

Nick and Johnny wore their white kufi head coverings with clothing neatly arranged. Cala, again with conservative clothing and headscarf, walked demurely behind the men as they approached the door to El-Amin’s huge well maintained home. Nick rang the doorbell, stepping back slightly with hands clasped in front of him. A thin bearded man in a dark three piece business suit answered the door with a scowl. Without a word, he motioned the visitors inside.

“I have been told to greet this intrusion on my life,” El-Amin muttered in guttural Arabic. “If not for my business associate this meeting would never take place. What name do you go by?”

“I am Momar Bati, sent by Saran Al-Kadi,” Nick stated in Arabic when they were inside the house. “My companions are trusted friends of Claude Chardin. They will be observing the phone call and will speak with your wife, Felicia.”

“She is my property, not my wife,” El-Amin retorted suspiciously. “Saran knows this. Why do you not?”

“I am merely an emissary on behalf of my employer. I did not wish to offend and I have no knowledge of your personal life.”

El-Amin grunted. “Let us get this farce over with. Follow me.”

In the spacious living room, a woman wearing a black burka knelt near the leather couch. El-Amin walked over and sat down near the woman. “These are the people I spoke to you about. They wish for you to speak with a cousin of yours. Do you know this Claude Chardin?”

The woman kept her eyes on the floor. “Yes. He was my cousin. I have not seen him in many years.”

“Saran wishes for you to speak with him. This man will put you on the phone with him.”

Nick Facetimed Claude. When he established a good signal and audio, Nick handed the iPhone to Cala. She went over to kneel next to Felicia, put the iPhone on speaker, and held it where the two could see each other on the screen.

“Felicia? I am so happy to see you alive. I tried to find you after Paris.”

“It matters not, Claude. I am dead to you now. I…I am glad you are well. You look much older, my cousin, and thin.”

Claude chuckled. “Yes. I had an accident which forced me into a healthier lifestyle. What of you, my dear one. Do you have children?”

Felicia hesitated, glancing up at her now scowling companion. “I had something happen after Paris… which prevented my ever giving birth. I wanted… I mean…” Felicia began to sob. “I’m sorry… my cousin. I cannot-”

“Enough!” Haris El-Amin reached for the iPhone, only to have Nick’s hand snatch his. A second later Haris was on his knees. The bones in his hand began to crackle.

“I do not think you understand the purpose of this call, Haris,” Nick continued in Arabic, unsure at the moment if Felicia was upset because she didn’t want to talk with someone from her past life, or upset that she couldn’t speak plainly.

“Let go of me, dog! I will have Al-Kadi kill you for this outrage!”

“I doubt it.”

“Please!” Felicia clasped her hands together as she dropped the phone in pleading fashion. “Let him go. He will surely beat me to death after you leave if you go any further with this!”

“No… he won’t.” Nick snapped El-Amin’s wrist. When Haris fell forward with a scream, clutching his wrist, Nick stun-gunned him into unconsciousness. He picked up the iPhone as Felicia cringed away from him into Cala’s arms. “Did you hear all that, Claude?”

“Yes! It is as I feared.”

“Here’s Felicia again.” Nick handed Felicia the iPhone again. “You can take off the face covering to speak. No one will harm you again. Are there any others in the house?”

Felicia took off her face covering headdress with shaking hand. “Yes. There are two other women upstairs. One is only twelve.”

“We must repay this man, Muerto,” Cala said. “He needs a good cleaning.”

“I think you may be right.” Nick gestured at Johnny. “See to the others, Johnny. Take Cala with you. Take no chances until the situation is clear.”

“I shall enjoy helping you with the cleaning on this one, Muerto,” Johnny said as he took Cala’s hand. They went upstairs.

“Speak with your cousin, Felicia. Then, we will work out a plan.”

Nick watched the tearful but excited conversation. He cringed at the news she and the two others in El-Amin’s control had gone through female genital mutilation. Thinking about Jean being only a couple years younger than El-Amin’s youngest slave fired the rage he had been holding in check. Felicia handed him the iPhone. Nick stayed watchful with El-Amin.

“Claude said you would handle his…his disappearance. Is that true?”

“Yes. You go upstairs and help my friends with your house companions. I will discuss things with Claude. Do not worry about this butcher. Is there anything special you would like me to do with him?”

Felicia shuddered. “Claude said I could leave this monster to you. That is what I will do. I do not wish to think about him anymore.”

“As you wish. Go on and assure your friends.” Nick waited until she was out of earshot. “I’m here, Claude.”

“Can you help El-Amin turn over everything to Felicia? Clint has been creating an account in a local Bank of America right on Union Street. I’ve already texted you the details. Clint said if you’ll bring the property statements with you, he and Jafar will transfer the title to Felicia with all the papers needed for identity and everything. My wife and I will book a flight to go there immediately to help. I can’t thank you enough for this, Nick.”

“No worries, my friend. I am happy to do it, and so are my cleaning assistants. Guess what? They have a nice cellar here. It will be perfect for discussing property and bank accounts with Haris. Would you like a video moment?”

“No Nick. I leave the creature’s ending in your capable hands. I am sure he will pay for his sins.”

“Yes… he will. Talk at you in a while.”

* * *

Haris El-Amin awoke groggily, his knees aching from kneeling on the cement floor of what he recognized as his basement. He felt the cold house stanchion at his back. Duct tape was wound around his chest and under his arms. Another winding around his shoulders and chest held him securely, coupled with windings around his forehead. He couldn’t move his legs at all. Haris assumed rightly they were secured to the stanchion too. Some material crackled under him. The two men from earlier walked in front of him with big smiles.

“Hello there, Haris. In reality, I am Dr. Muerto, and this is my assistant, Dr. Kabong. We specialize in a treatment called intestinal cleaning. It’s rather old school but effective. Here’s a demonstration.” The man showed Haris a scalpel while the other man pinched his nostrils, forced a rubber ball in his mouth, and put a strip of duct tape over his mouth. A mirror from his basement was positioned so he could see what was happening. Haris screamed.

* * *

“Gee, Dr. Kabong, he’s screaming already and I haven’t even started.”

“I imagine the little girl he had mutilated screamed too, Dr. Muerto.”

Nick took a deep breath and slapped Haris into silence. “Right you are. Okay, Haris, here’s how this works. The demonstration comes first. When you get a taste of that we’ll uncover your mouth. You have one minute to begin telling us all your bank account passwords. Dr. Kabong already has your laptop open on the table with your three bank accounts windowed on the desktop. We also need to know where you keep your house papers. Felicia showed us where your safe is. We’ll need to know the combination for that too. Okay, here’s your demo, shit-head. After it’s over you’d best not be bashful about telling us what we want to know.”

Nick sliced El-Amin from breastbone to groin, just deep enough so the intestines began to bulge. Johnny poured bleach over the wound. They watched the effect on Haris with clinical interest. “It’s a good thing we did so many duct tape winds, Johnny. Otherwise, I think Haris might have bucked right out of them.”

“He seems to be enjoying this as much as I had hoped.”

“Indeed. Did Cala mind escorting the girls to dinner?”

“No,” Johnny answered, glancing at his watch before neutralizing the bleach with warm water and salve. “She will keep them away for a couple of hours. Gus will make sure they stay safe. We should then arrive at the Allegheny Park at about exactly the right time. Is the cutoff you’re familiar with safe enough for us to dig for a while without being observed?”

“Oh yeah. I’m sorry about having the digging become part of this. It’s a hell of a lot easier throwing them out of the helicopter.”

“I don’t mind. Cala’s not too crazy about dark woods. I was thinking maybe we should leave her at a town until we finish.” Johnny readied his iPad for recording.

“Sure, Johnny. That would be fine.” Nick leaned over and pulled off the duct tape from Haris’s mouth. “Are you ready to speak? Remember you only have one minute to speak. Otherwise you get a second demo. Ready?”

Nick pulled the rubber ball out. It was off to the races. When they acquired all the information requested, Nick went upstairs to the safe while Johnny transferred funds to Felicia’s new Bank of America account. Nick found thirty-nine thousand dollars in the safe and all the house documents. He made copies of the house documents on the house printer and made a printing of the safe combination. By the time he finished, Johnny was receiving confirmation on the new account transfer.

“Haris had over two million dollars. It’s all been transferred and the accounts closed,” Johnny told him. “How did you make out?”

“Thirty-nine grand and I have the papers. We’re good to go.”

Nick stuck the final eternity syringe into El-Amin’s neck while Johnny readied the body-bag Haris had been kneeling over. They cut the bindings and lowered him into the bag. There was very little cleanup needed. Gus had taken one of El-Amin’s vehicles to escort Cala and the others. When Gus returned with his charges, Nick had already finished off Eliah Kader and loaded El-Amin beside him with Johnny’s help. When everyone was together in the living room, Nick explained everything about the financial side.

“When Claude comes to visit, he’ll have the property in your name, Felicia. If there’s any kind of a glitch we’ve missed addressing, Claude will straighten it out when he visits. I’ve already sent copies of the papers to our IT specialist. He’ll get them ready before Claude leaves. Will you be okay here?”