Cold Blooded Assassin Book 6: Red Horizon (Nick McCarty Assassin) (44 page)

“Yes!” Jean pumped a fist. “Sonny hasn’t seen you drill a book killer right between the eyes yet like I did.”

“Jean! Oh my God… one more word and you’ll never see the inside of a bookstore again. I’m glad Gus is going. I have to work or I’d bring my Ruger over there too. I’ve noticed you’re getting some hostile reviews over the Muslim targets Diego has been dealing with, reflecting your real life jaunts into danger against the religion of peace.”

“The fans ripped them apart,” Nick replied. “I think the gloves are off as far as the actual blue collar citizenry are concerned. They know what’s in the Quran now, thanks to not only researchers, but also historians, who know the bloody truth about fourteen hundred years of pedophilia, inbreeding, slavery, female subjugation, and conquest. I’m certain they’re not fans of my novels so the only way they’ll ever protest a book signing is if they come with at least a hundred of their murdering mutant brethren. It won’t go well for them.”

“Hey… let’s not do a major battle with Jean and Sonny in the middle of it, Muerto.”

“Not in my plan. Believe me, Rach. I don’t want anything to happen at a book signing. I was just letting you know I’ve noticed the new book killing reviews from the ‘outraged’ Muslims. I can tell within a sentence they haven’t read the book. They do have the premise of their negative comments right. I know who the enemy of the world is: Islam and its acolytes. Therefore, my avatar Diego also reflects my current feelings about the Islamic scourge trying to stuff Sharia Law and No-Go zones down my throat. I can’t let anything get in the way of this reality where our existence as a free nation depends on us making the right decisions to save our nation.”

“I’m with you, Dad! Doin’ right ain’t got no end.”

“Jean!” Rachel bumped her head into the passenger car window. “I’m going to hell.”

Nick was enjoying the comment so much while trying to drive the car, he earned a head slap from his mate. “Hey… no hitting. I have Gus and Tina coming over later. Issac is busy so it’ll just be Payaso and T-Rex. I have five hundred more words to write in ‘Blood Beach’. Let’s get home, figure out drinks and snacks, and enjoy our deck time. I’m sure you two young buggers have weekend homework. This will be an excellent time for your assignments to get done under adult supervision and help.”

“We need to train, Dad,” Jean stated. “Sonny and I will practice with the knives and after the book signing we’ll go to the range for firearms training.”

Nick didn’t look around. “You’ll get your young butts up to the deck, do the entire weekend’s homework, and then we’ll talk about other training.”

“Okay… but our participation in a homework marathon is under protest,” Jean replied.

“You’re cruising for a time out from all input, girl,” Rachel jumped into the conversation immediately at that point. “Speak ill of the homework completion and you’ll not only complete your homework, but you will be without an electronic device for two weeks.”

“This is like being under Sharia Law!”

Nick grinned back at Jean. “Nope. If you were under Sharia Law, you wouldn’t be able to learn how to read, much less go to school and travel a block without escort and burka.”

“Not fair! You pulled the Muslim reality card on me, Dad.”

“Yeah… I did.”

* * *

“Gus and Tina… my two most welcome guests,” Nick said as he opened the door.

“Oh my, Gus… someone has been sipping a few before our arrival,” Tina said.

“After all we’ve been through the last week, I’m hoping to join him in short order. Lead us to the sustenance of lost souls, brother,” Gus directed.

“Right this way, brother. I’m cutting Deke off though. He was a little wobbly coming down to meet you two. I’ll counter his lust for beer with treats. Watch this… ‘bacon, bacon, bacon’!”

Deke streaked up the stairs to the deck.

It took a few moments before Tina and Gus could follow Nick to the deck.

“I’ll bet that sobers him up,” Gus observed.

“It makes him drink water, but it adds a walk for me this evening,” Nick replied while leading the way onto the deck. He opened a new bag of treats and sat down with them. Deke hovered at his side in patient sitting position. “Easy boy. I know the beer makes you frantic. Easy does it, buddy.”

Nick fed him a small piece at a time rather than put out a bunch for him to devour. “The kids are throwing knives so we can talk. That’s it, Dekester. Small bites.”

“You and Deke are so comical, Muerto,” Tina said as Rachel gave her a glass of wine. I think that damn dog feeds off of everything you do.”

“We are drinking buddies. He understands me.”

“You mean he knows you’re a serial killer?”

“That’s just mean, Gus,” Nick said, lowering his head in serial killer penance. “Deke loves me. He doesn’t care if I arrive here from the dark side.”

“That’s only because you entice him with beer,” Tina noted.

Nick took in a deep breath with a spreading of his hands. “That may indeed be a factor but animals know things beyond human perception. Deke and I bonded immediately the moment I met him.”

“Has Al-Saud contacted you yet, dog whisperer?”

“Yes. He and I have interacted digitally. Rabiah and I will be speaking in another fifteen minutes as a matter of fact. He loved the picture I sent him of Saran Al-Kadi in the body-bag Clint supplied me with. I explained I only gave him a fraction of the info I took from Saran’s abode. He was hot to get everything at any price. I told him I would meet him in Dubai with samples. The game is afoot.”

“It seems like a damn trap, Muerto,” Gus said. “You’re never this trusting. Do you know something we don’t?”

Nick smiled. “I spread enough money in Dubai to be the all omniscient Wizard of Oz if I want to be. I have human intelligence Al-Saud was far too cheap and arrogant to buy. Otherwise, I’d abort the mission. I’m not doing a suicide mission, Payaso. That arrogant bastard will be landing in a hostile environment built with money he’s too aloof to spend. Relax. Let me handle this the way I know I can. Remember Felix Moreau. He thought he was on top of the food chain too.”

Nick began dancing around to everyone’s amusement. “I am the great and powerful Oz!”

“Damn,” Gus muttered. “I think Muerto’s in the tank.”

Nick stopped. He shrugged. “Sorry. I was having a little fun. I do have many pieces in place to help me with this mission. I didn’t treat it as an assassin. I know I have backup but I’ve covered all avenues of disaster my active imagination could think of. I’ll speak to Al-Saud and see if I detect anything amiss. I spoke to Khalil today. He has been hard at work spreading wealth.”

“Those people don’t know what your plans are, do they,” Gus asked.

“No. Only Khalil and his sons know what I’m doing in Dubai. Our paid informants were told we need to be apprised of Al-Saud’s wherabouts at all times because of a business dealing. Rachel gave me the okay to take the kids with me tomorrow to the book signing. Do you still want to go, Gus?”

“Sure. I’m surprised you’re letting the kids go with us after that last gun battle outside the bookstore, Rach.”

Rachel breathed in deeply. “They finished their whole weekend’s worth of homework. Jean would torture me all day tomorrow if I didn’t allow them to go. I know you and Muerto will watch out for them. I bet after that shooting last time, the bookstore will have more security at this signing.”

“They can’t afford it so I’m paying for extra security guards,” Nick replied. “We sold so many books after my last signing ended in a street battle that Cassie joked about my shooting someone every signing.”

The four friends were still enjoying Nick’s adlib when his special phone rang. The green light on its side indicated no one was trying to trace the call when he answered in Arabic. “I received your payment. Everything is in order for my Dubai trip if you would like to look over the rest of what I took from Al-Kadi’s compound.”

“Very much so. I made inquiries about Al-Kadi’s compound through contacts in the area. They told me the place is under guard by federal authorities.”

“My business with Al-Kadi was by circumstance somewhat messy.” Nick wondered about Al-Saud’s contacts in the area. “After I left the area, the FBI and Homeland Security moved on the place. I don’t know what happened after that, nor do I care.”

“Understood. You will be traveling alone as we planned, correct?”

“Yes. When would you like me at the Atlantis?”

“One week from tomorrow if possible.”

“I will be there,” Nick agreed. “Do you wish for me to join you in your room?”

“No. I believe we should meet somewhere public first. Let us meet at the Neptune’s Retreat in the waterpark.”

“Good choice,” Nick said. “What time would you like to meet?”

“Three o’clock in the afternoon.”

“Agreed. I will see you then.” Nick disconnected. He smiled at Rachel. “I have five days before I need to travel, babe.”

“I’m going to the range with you and the kids tomorrow,” Rachel said. “I want to make sure we spend every minute together until you leave.”

“Good. Then you want to go with us to the book signing too, right.”

“I take that back… not every minute.”

* * *

The line moved along with very little interruption after Nick’s talk on his new novel. He explained the new Diego adventure with emphasis on Nick’s romance with the conniving Fatima and answered questions from the fans of the series. Gus, whom the fans knew of as the model Nick created Jed from, answered a multitude of boating questions, many of them addressing sailing in the Caribbean. Jean and Sonny searched the line of people for book killers and grammar Nazis. It wasn’t until three quarters of the way through that Jean spotted a potential candidate.

“Bearded guy, seven people back, Dad.”

Nick and Gus both glanced at the one Jean indicated. The man had a full black chin beard with no mustache. Lean and over six feet tall, he wore a black kufi head covering, black slacks, and a loose fitting pullover drab green top, covered somewhat by the partially zipped windbreaker. The man glared at Nick without blinking. Nick smiled at him.

“Oh yeah,” Gus said. “I think you’re right, Jean.”

“He doesn’t have a book either,” Sonny added.

“Yep,” Nick agreed, focusing on the next man in line, a darkly tanned gentleman in his sixties with white hair. Nick shook the man’s proffered hand. “Hi. I see you have ‘Dark Interlude’. Did you enjoy it?”

“Good action but repetitive. I think you may be getting lazy, Nick,” the man said, grinning to take the sting out of his critique.

“Writing an action pulp fiction series can seem repetitive,” Nick replied. “The romance with Fatima, and the subplots involving Jed and Leo discovering her antics behind Diego’s back didn’t stimulate your interest, huh?”

“My name’s Ted by the way. It actually read like you threw in the romance and Leo as filler with snappy dialogue.”

“At least you thought the dialogue was snappy,” Nick said as he signed the inside. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“You missed the part about being filler.”

“No, but honestly, I write stories as I imagine them happening, including dialogue interactions between characters.”

“You should be more open to criticism and change, Nick.”

“I don’t write to please readers, Ted. I write to please me. If when I’m done with a novel the readers are pleased with the product, I’m happy. If they’re not, they need to find another author.”

Ted frowned. “Maybe that’s what I need to do.”

Nick smiled. “No hard feelings, Ted. Take care of yourself.”

Ted took the book from Nick. “Thanks.”

“Not a killer, but touchy,” Gus whispered.

“His points are probably legitimate but I wouldn’t enjoy writing if I couldn’t do it the way I wanted to.”

The next people between the bearded man and Ted were big fans who mentioned reading his entire series of Diego novels more than once. Nick noticed his security guards watching the bearded guy too. The man walked to the desk with his fists clenched. In his peripheral vision, Nick saw Jean and Sonny trying to edge closer to the conversation.

“Hello, Sir. Did you have anything you would like me to sign?

“Yes.” The man reached inside his coat, pulled out a knife while diving toward Nick and shouted, “Allahu Akbar!”

Nick blocked the knife arm and struck the man’s nose with his palm in a vicious, full force strike, driving his attacker’s nose bone upward into his brain. The knife clattered to the floor a split second before its owner collapsed lifelessly, doing a boneless dead cat bounce on the floor. Screams, commotion, and security guards with weapons drawn to cover the dead man followed the action. Nick looked over to see Gus with weapon drawn and both kids with their knives in hand.

“Put the knives away, kids,” Nick whispered. Jean and Sonny did as they were told. Gus holstered his Glock.

“Why the hell didn’t you shoot him,” Gus asked as silence in the aftermath became nearly palpable.

“Even my Colt may not have stopped him from using the knife. He was too close. Watch the crowd, Gus. We don’t know if he’s the only one.” Nick held up his hands while moving around the desk to address the crowd. “I’m sorry about this. I’ll come to you and sign your books until the police get here. I’m afraid we’ll all have to stay until they get this sorted out.”