“We can hear the sound of music and jacuzzi gushing noises even from our position. I don’t think you’ll need to be super silent, Dad,” Jean said.
Nick heard the ocean waves lapping against the boat. He picked out the whirlpool sounds of the jacuzzi. The music did not carry to him over the jacuzzi workings. “On the move.”
He climbed the steps, noting his deck shoes made no noise. Nick remained crouched at the top of the stairs leading to the main deck, watching the entrance to the staterooms. Seeing no movement either between rooms or toward the deck, Nick hurried to the steps taking him to the jacuzzi deck.
“They’re warming up to do the wild thing,” Sonny stated. “We see you. Climb the inner staircase. Their backs will be toward you. Stick them both, Nick. We don’t know if the girl is there willingly or not.”
“Thanks, Chief.” Nick climbed to the jacuzzi level and used the syringes on the couple. They had only enough time to bat at the slight sting before passing out.
Nick picked the girl up and laid her down on the deck. He dragged the man out as quietly as possible after turning the music up slightly. He retrieved his phone from its pocket on his weapon harness. Nick took pictures of the man and woman, after which he did their digital fingerprints. They were sent automatically to Johnny.
“Got them. Working IDs now. The hatch from the jacuzzi deck goes straight into the pilot house.”
Nick turned and opened the hatch leading inside the elaborate pilot house. The crewmember turned. Nick shot him in the head. “I’m leaving everyone up on this level alone. I’ll make the master stateroom my headquarters for gathering girls. Hopefully, I’ll find Katie first. Moving on the staterooms now. The crew’s quarters are down below. It’s time to take and protect the main deck, Marines. Be ready to move on the staterooms in assault form if my quiet approach gets noisy.”
“Rah!”
“I’m still picking up great heat signatures,” Johnny said. “Very little movement inside.”
“Thanks, Johnny.”
Nick moved down to the stateroom entry hatch. Although quiet, the silencer still produced a muffled sound. If he could avoid using it, Nick planned to make no sound with his kills. He opened the first stateroom door with miniscule movement of the handle to the unlocked position, easing it open far enough to slip inside the opulent quarters. Seeing the two figures lying in passed out sleeping positions, Nick moved to the bed, identified the girl as not being Katie, and used a syringe on her. He climbed on the man’s chest, knee into his solar plexus. Clamping off the mouth, Nick drove the dive knife to the hilt up through the chin into the man’s brain. Death shuddered in vibrating waves under him. Nick waited patiently until all movement ceased before jerking his blade free.
The stateroom across the way proved to be a slight dilemma as the door was locked. He left it and moved to the next stateroom. The door opened easily and noiselessly. Nick moved to the bed, finding Katie in a drugged state, unmoving but breathing normally. Nick went around and used the syringe on the man. He would need to pay for his sins against a brother closer than blood. Another locked door greeted him across the way. Knowing where Katie was, Nick put his shoulder against it and broke the door free. Inside he shot the rising man through the head. The girl barely moved except to groan.
Outside the remaining locked room, Nick glanced at the main deck beyond, seeing his Marines watching him with weapons at the ready. “Go do the crew. I have Katie safe. No survivors.”
“Rah!”
Nick broke through the last stateroom door. The couple did not move. He shot the man in the head while he lay snoring. Nick recognized the young woman as Katie’s friend. He picked her up in his arms and walked her to the master stateroom’s bed. He repeated his transport with each of the girls as combat sounded below deck. After retrieving the girl from the jacuzzi area and the one he had used a syringe on first, Nick attempted to waken Katie with a wet cloth. He could only get her coherent for a moment.
“I…I know you,” Katie stammered out. “My… Uncle Gus… is your friend.”
“He is my brother. He can hear your voice right now, honey.” Nick lifted her in his arms with the sheet around her body. “You will be with him soon.”
Katie hugged Nick. “Thank you.”
“Believe me, honey, finding you alive is the greatest thing I can think of at the moment, except for hearing from three Marines who shoot their mouths off when they shouldn’t, and then clam up without a sound when they should.”
“Holy crap… we were giving you a moment,” Jean barked in his ear. “Crew dead. Quinn got nicked over his ear, proving your cement head was passed down intact.”
“Gee… thanks, Sis.”
“On our way to you, Sir,” Sonny added.
“Move in, Gus,” Nick said. “Park the Lady anywhere you want.”
“Steaming to you as we speak, brother.”
Minutes later, Jean helped Katie groggily get dressed in the master stateroom. Nick bandaged Quinn’s head while Sonny transported the rescued girls to the fantail where Johnny transferred them aboard the Lady. Jean accompanied Katie, holding on to her tightly, easing her down the stairs to Sonny. He helped her cross to where Gus waited for his niece. She cried out his name before breaking down into tears as he held her.
“Shush, baby… it’s all okay now. You’ll be speaking with your folks in minutes. My brother Johnny and the Marines will take you to a quiet place on my boat to talk with your parents in real time.”
“Aren’t you coming, Uncle Gus?”
“Soon, baby. Your Uncle Gus needs to assist his brother Nick in a few final duties before we can leave. Go with Jean.”
“C’mon, Katie,” Jean said, putting an arm around her. “We have you all set inside our wheel house.”
Johnny patted Gus’s arm. “I will drive the Lady away from the screams, brother. We will return when you and Muerto are finished.”
“We may be a while, Johnny.”
Johnny shrugged. “Such is life… and justice.”
* * *
Only hours later, after first collecting all money, electronics, and answers, did Nick settle Avril Stuart into his last painful journey into eternity. The man who defiled Katie, passed during the period, in a manner only to be surpassed by Dante’s classic image of hell. The two old friends worked in icy concentration, finally satisfied the billionaire owner of the yacht, Avril II, had been the one taking and holding young women in bondage. He left no trail because he had them killed when they no longer interested him.
“I believe we have enough money added to our accounts to give Katie an entire wing at the college to continue research,” Nick said. “Nothing but time and dedication will erase this, brother. Katie will make it happen. I hate to mention this, but we need to decide about the boat. We know enough people to make the Avril II part of our fleet, or ship her to Monster Island.”
Gus gripped the railing where he and Nick talked. “Let’s blow it to pieces. You and I can get her running away from any chance finding by ships or planes. Johnny will follow us out in the Lady. We can let the kids have some fun. It may be a slight healing process.”
“Your will, my hand, brother. It sounds good to me. I’ll go see about the engines. They fired off more than a few shots down below.”
Gus gripped Nick’s arm before he could walk away. “Screw it. Let’s sink her with all the bodies locked in where they are. We need to get Katie back to the states. I think we rode the vengeance trail far enough.”
Nick smiled. “I can do that.”
Everyone aboard the Lucky Lady watched the final bubbling disappearance of Avril II beneath the waves, as the sun dawned over the scene in hues of yellow and orange majesty.
“We want to see the video of you killing Jaws,” Jean said. “How big was he?”
Nick shrugged. “It was dark and I forgot my tape measure.”
Johnny began playing with his tablet the moment Jean mentioned the shark interlude. After a few moments, he gulpe
d while taking a deep breath and muttering. He reversed the video to the beginning of the confrontation as the shark approached, clearly visible with the low light, high definition cam. Johnny held the tablet for his friends to see. The enormous head brushed against Nick. The shaky mounting and clutch of the fin followed. They watched the closeup of Nick’s knife pounding down, slowed by water resistance, plunging into the shark’s head without pause until the wild thrashing Nick had not noticed while killing it, ceased. The shark fell away into the depths, its huge body streaming a blood trail.
“Holy shit!” Jean took the tablet and replayed the scene. “What would you have done if it came at you, mouth full of teeth, chomping like Pac-man on steroids?”
“Said hi to Deke for you.”
* * *
The identities and disappearances of the five men of prominence caused a ripple throughout the world. As the Unholy Trio reunited at Otter’s Point nearly a week later with Reaper, Dark Dragon, and their entire crew with children, the white caps smashed against the rocks in spectacular form. Although quite chilly that early morning, no one minded as Sammy the werewolf chased gulls and kids around the beach. The adults celebrated in quiet satisfaction with Irish coffees and snacks.
“In one mission, you pirates got rid of two potential governor rivals, and one future Presidential competitor,” Rachel remarked. “Not to mention a billionaire backer of all things deviant and liberal. We’ve been waiting to hear how Katie’s doing, Gus.”
“She’s fine. My brother, Phil, and sister-in-law Julie, have been hounding the shit out of me trying to learn what happened. Katie refuses to discuss it with them. The money we gave the four women survivors hushed them for eternity. It’s a process.”
“Muerto has returned with an easy aura about him I find quite appealing,” Rachel replied. “I believe his more violent tendencies are at an end.”
Nick grinned. “Doin’ right ain’t got no end.”
The End… for now.
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Cold Blooded Assassin Book 8: Rule of Nightmare (Nick McCarty Assassin) Page 32