“It’s your funeral, but she’s been acting the whole time,” Lynn said. “I can’t believe the little tool fooled me.”
“She didn’t,” Nick whispered.
Jafar entered the open gateway. It closed behind them. “That wasn’t nice.”
“It won’t matter, Achmed,” Nick said. “Proceed with ceremony, my friend. Remember, we’re the guests of honor.”
Jafar slowly rounded the ornate circular driveway. He stopped in front of the lavish front entrance where four armed guards approached to greet the BMW occupants. Jafar leaped out with professional quickness to open the rear door for Nick, Fernando, and Senta.
“Put on your game faces, kiddies,” Nick whispered. “You stay close to me, Senta as we rehearsed.
After leaving the vehicle, Fernando took over the vocal interaction with the guards. “I am Fernando Carone. I am here to see Saran Al-Kadi as planned. Come now. You all know me. What is this game all about?”
“You were to be stopped until we make certain Mr. McCarty is unarmed. Your host is most anxious to speak with you and McCarty, but his reputation must be taken into consideration.” The lead guard spoke in Arabic.
Nick guided Senta in full veiled robes to the guard’s side. He spoke with the guard in Arabic. “I understand the precautions. What would you have me do?”
Surprised at Nick’s fluid Arabic, the guard gestured to his companion. “Momar will pat you down, Sir. Please do not be offended. We are merely taking precautions necessary in these times.”
“Of course.” Nick allowed the guard named Momar to thoroughly search him for weapons, all the while lightly grasping the sleeve of Senta’s burka. She made as if to move away, but one glance into Nick’s eyes and nearness caused her to hesitate. Momar finished his frisk, shaking his head in the negative. Oh boy… Senta’s ready to bust our dress rehearsal. Fernando, on the other hand was broken and anxious to finish his part.
“Please. I must get back to the Tempest as soon as possible. I have no way of knowing if I was tracked to my new anchorage.”
“Of course,” the lead guard acknowledged. “Follow me. The Bulgar woman’s presence has been ordered also. I see she is dressed appropriately.”
“I think I should wait here until the main meeting is over before seeing my master,” Senta stated.
Nick grabbed her arm painfully enough to evoke a yelp from Senta. “You will do as Saran Al-Kadi orders. I have no patience for your hesitation, nor do I care for your input! Be still and do as you are told!”
Nick’s Arabic guttural toned rebuke silenced Senta into a head bowed pose as the guards stifled mirth at the way Nick handled her. Fernando again took lead, also surprised at Nick’s adlibbed interaction with Senta. Fernando made a slight hand gesture at the guard who greeted them, but was staring at Senta uneasily. “Lead the way. Let us meet with Saran quickly. There is much to discuss.”
Fernando looked toward Jafar as agreed upon beforehand. “Drive the car out of the way and remain here until we complete our meeting, Jafar.”
“Yes, Sir,” Jafar acknowledged. He reentered the BMW and drove it around the circular drive until it no longer blocked the front entrance.
As requested the guard led the three visitors inside. Nick, well versed with the plans and pictures of the interior, recognized they were being led to Al-Kadi’s private quarters. That fact did not bode well in Nick’s imaginings of outcomes. They should have been brought to the ornate meeting room Fernando had described in detail. The guard glanced over his shoulder at Senta. She gave him nearly an imperceptible head shake Nick would have missed if not for his excellent peripheral vision. For his part, Nick checked to see the other guards following them. They were ten feet further to the rear and not paying attention.
Nick waited no longer. He ripped the rear of Senta’s burka upward, drew out the silenced MP5, and fired a round down through Senta’s back. Her screams of agony as she fell to the floor in a writhing heap drew everyone’s last moment’s attention. Nick fired into the lead guard’s head, dove to the floor, and stitched each one of the guards following them before they could bring their weapons to bear. Nick then fired a shot through Senta’s head, stilling all sound from her forever. Fernando had dove to the floor as trained, locking shaking fingers behind his head. Nick drug him to the side of Al-Kadi’s doorway.
“Did I just hear screams and silenced MP5 firings, Muerto,” Lynn asked.
“One of the toys is broken, Lynn. Sorry. No one else enters, Lucas. We are mission engaged,” Nick stated.
“Understood. Stay clear of the front, Dead boy.”
“Will do.”
* * *
Nick’s pronouncement needed no further discussion. Lucas and Casey went to work. Both sides in the conflict surprised each other. They didn’t expect us to have snipers and our asses covered on the perimeters. We didn’t know this was a trap. If Nick hadn’t noticed something inside, it would have been a pitched battle at close range. Because of his warning, coupled with our snipers’ work on the guards at all levels outside the house and front grounds, our skirmish line was prepared. Lucas and Casey scrambled down from their nests on the approaching enemy’s side of the woods to join our Monster Squad. Al-Kadi’s small army of men moved on us from the wooded area across Plum Drive.
The moment we began to take fire from woods across the way, our armored vehicle drivers streaked in from their positions to give us spaced cover. They left the vehicles and joined us with weapons and ammo, including XM25 airburst 25mm grenade launchers. Gus brought along Nick’s XM307 they used to blow the Mexican fighter jet out of the air. Issac and Tommy split at my direction with combat experienced Jess and Dev to hold our line. I helped Gus with the XM307, while Clint, Lynn, and Claude spread out to provide cover fire with Chuck and Sal on our M2 .50 caliber machine gun. We barely had enough time to finish our skirmish line when I saw the rocket streak from the woods. It blew our middle armored vehicle onto its side.
“Fire!” My one word caused ecological damage across the road for I would guess a couple years. Between the airburst grenades and M2 machine gun fire, I doubted the likelihood of survivors. “Cease fire!”
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 int
o 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.”
Red Horizon Page 28