“I see this as bad gamble anyway,” Ardi replied. “She is big mouth. Her gang will brag and shout all over city about big score. Val is right. She is too arrogant to live. I hope she bring crew with her so we don’t have to hunt them. When they arrive, make sure of stash value and kill her. We will use them as example to rest. We will claim they planned to cheat on our twenty percent cut. This will be final payment to Pakistanis. They will withdraw support of any kind if we botch this strike. The bastards think of everything as a gift while we do the dirty work. Helping obtain the helicopters and munitions in advance means nothing to them. They remain in shadows while we risk our lives to pay them off for what should have been given freely.”
Valon’s phone indicated a text message. He read it and smiled at his companions. “She will be here in five minutes with her crew. We shall kill them all after we see what they have brought us.”
“As you wish,” Edon replied. “Go in the back, Val. We will handle this.”
“No! I wish to be on hand for little girl crime boss death! Ardi will be at my side.”
Edon nodded. He glanced at each of his companions. “Take out crew first. We will let Val shoot the girl after we deal with the others.”
Valon smiled, clapping Edon’s shoulder with satisfaction. “Very good, Edon.”
* * *
Gus parked the SUV in front of the dilapidated warehouse office building on Canal Street while glancing over at Nick. “What do you think?”
“No matter how it looks inside, empty or with lots of crap lying around, spread out the moment we get inside. You get Lisa down as we discussed. John watches for back room intruders. I’ll handle the Albanian posse. You present the bags but then step back with Gus, Lisa. We’ll allow them to do anything they want with the stash bags. I want to see how they react. If there is a new face in the bunch, make sure to acknowledge him before rejoining Gus.”
“I understand,” Lisa replied, her hands wringing together in building angst.
Nick stared around the seat at Lisa. “Bring out the attitude, Lisa. It won’t matter for these guys, but they may say something important. Let’s do this.”
Lisa pounded on the door entrance to the warehouse which resembled a house rather than a storage facility. Her knock was answered by a grim faced Edon, who motioned them inside. “Follow me. Do not speak. I am Edon.”
Edon led them to a cluttered open area where the rest of the Albanians stood casually with little space between them. Nick noticed, measuring each of them and their positions, taking into consideration where they were wearing their weapons. The big guy in the group watched him with growing suspicion as Gus handed the relatively heavy bags to Lisa. She in turn set them in front of Edon, who had positioned himself in front of the other men.
Edon opened one of the bags, spreading the opening of each for inspection. It took only moments for Edon to glance back at a man next to his big cohort Nick noted first. “It is very good. We will get much more than the asking price.”
“I do not like these men,” Ardi stated. He pointed at Nick. “Especially that one.”
“But I like you,” Nick told him. “I hoped to ask what you planned to do with all the money from this so called Oxy fire sale.”
Ardi screamed. He grabbed at his shattered right knee cap where the 9mm hollow point round smashed through in devastating fashion. Not one of the Albanians had even seen Nick draw. Ardi’s right leg collapsed under him, unable to support his weight, making the dive to the warehouse concrete floor a painfully abrupt one. Nick dropped into a shooter’s crouch. He fired in a sweeping arc, each of his bullets finding and pulping delicate knee joints. Gus grabbed the shocked Lisa, pulling her down while John drew his weapon to cover Nick’s unexpectedly quick end to the meeting.
“I have them covered, John. Can you do the honors? I believe these are the only Albanians coming to the party.” Nick spoke loudly as he did not risk a fast draw with silencer. The aftermath of ringing ears, overwhelming smell of cordite, and wafting smoke residue provided a senses piercing accompaniment to combat’s ending. Intermixed with the mechanical effects came the yips and yelps of shocked wound victims writhing on the floor. Gus joined John in plastic tying the joined wrists at the back of each man followed by hastily made gags. They searched and stripped each man of any belongings including weapons.
“I’ll get the duct tape out of the SUV and stroll out while I check the neighborhood,” John said, heading for the door after his last restraint task.
“Don’t forget to look around, properly shocked at the sudden noise, while wondering where it came from,” Nick advised.
“Kabong shall give an academy award performance of terrified angst
“Sorry for the surprise, Lisa, but the big guy over there sensed something, probably the same thing I sensed about him. He was too reliant on helpers though. Did you recognize him?” Nick shook the girl’s shoulder gently when she continued staring at the agonized men. “Lisa! C’mon now, buck up. We have work to do.”
“Ah… ah… sure,” Lisa muttered finally, walking unsteadily over to Valon. He had been Nick’s second target and the loudest screamer. “I recognized the big one, but… this guy I did not see before.”
John returned with the duct tape. “There were a couple other neighbors out there. We all looked around at each other, perplexed at where the gunshots had originated. It was deemed a mystery. We all shrugged and went about our business.”
“Duct tape all but the one Lisa is standing over.” Nick joined Lisa at Valon’s feet. “Jahannam, I presume?”
Valon nodded energetically, making mewling sounds as if wanting to speak. Nick knelt next to his head. “I’ll remove the gag, but if you begin screaming like a two month old baby with a gas bubble I will pistol whip you across your beak. Do you understand?”
Valon again nodded with attitude. Nick removed the gag.
“Yes… yes, I am Jahannam! Take me to a hospital! Where are your EMT’s? Doesn’t your force have a medic?”
Nick grinned. “We sure do. I’ve patched wounds, delivered babies on the field of combat, and sewed gaping wounds under fire. You can call me Doc if you want. How may I help you?”
“Quickly fool! Get me painkillers! I am prisoner. Take me for proper medical care!”
John and Gus both snorted in amusement.
Nick clucked in saddened commiseration. “Uh… no. I might wrap your wounds so you don’t get my SUV bloody, but there will be no pain killing elixirs for any of you unless I get some answers.”
Valon stared at Nick in horror. “I…I am in pain! I must be treated by doctor!”
Nick sighed. “John. Our buddy here with the cool nickname of Jahannam is in pain. Whatever shall we do?”
John hurried over with the duct tape, tearing a piece off as he approached. “We must first bind his mouth.”
With quickly applied pressure John smoothed the tape into place sealing Valon’s beginning protestations off. He then took out his Smith and Wesson 9mm automatic, popped out the clip, and cleared the chamber. Holding it above Valon’s damaged leg, John glanced at Nick.
“One lump or two?”
“I think two because Jahannam asked so nicely.”
John swung the barrel down in a short chopping strike directly onto Valon’s pulped kneecap in two rapid smashes. Valon passed out. John held out his hand. “Water please.”
Nick handed him a bottled water. John drank a little and then doused Valon’s face with sprinkles until he came to in muffled barks of pure anguish. Nick waved at him from next to his face.
“Hi there. It’s me, Doc. Would you like to say a few helpful words or do you want what’s behind door number two?”
John peeled the tape away until Valon could speak.
“This… this is torture! I…I will report this-”
John sealed his mouth again. “One lump or two?”
Nick leaned in closely to Valon’s face while waggling two fingers in front of Valon’s eyes. John smashed
the knee twice more. Valon bucked once and passed out again. John brought him into conscious torment once again. Nick patted Jahannam’s face.
“I don’t think you’re getting the rules of our game. When my associate takes off the tape you need to say ‘I will tell you anything you want to know’. Do you think you understand the rules now my little buttercup?”
A vehement nod in the affirmative was followed with John removing the tape over Valon’s mouth. “I…I will tell! Anything… anything… what is it you want?”
“What did you plan to do with the money from this operation? We know this is an Isis cell triggered by our destruction of the Onalaska compound. I also want to know if the Pakistanis are in on this too.”
“We have strike force ready in Cincinnati!” Valon began coughing. John tipped the water bottle into his mouth. Valon drank but said no more.
“If you make me ask questions through this process I will be very unhappy,” Nick explained. “Would you like a demonstration of what happens when I get unhappy?”
“No… please! Two helicopters ready for assault. Once Pakistanis know we have money from drug shipment they will release helicopters to our men. It will be a daylight assault… on the recruitment center in Middletown. We have rented property with hangar sized building nearby. They will be flown there tomorrow night, awaiting orders and armaments.”
“Good job. What airport will the helicopters fly out of Cincinnati from?”
“Cincinnati West Airport. The… munitions and armaments are already at the hangar in Lebanon near Middletown. Once the Pakistanis get paid… word is given to release munitions and armaments.”
“So the money trail is you collect the buy-ins, meet the Pakistani truck, exchange the buy-in money for the Oxy at way over the legal market value - then the Pakistanis make the release call, and you distribute the drugs. What cut will you demand from the distributors?”
“Twenty percent with the… the Pakistanis getting five percent more from that take.”
Nick turned to where Gus held on to a very frightened Lisa. “Was that the deal, Lisa?”
“Yes… we were to pay these guys twenty percent of the take.”
“That has the ring of truth, but how could you monitor and enforce the twenty percent take. It’s not like the dealers wouldn’t rip you off by fudging numbers.”
“We would make early example… we pick one of buy-ins and kill everyone,” Valon answered, his features in a frozen grimace of pain. “This bitch would have been first lesson.”
“You don’t like little Lisa. That’s okay. I see your point. A violent example would cement your cell’s reputation.” Nick took the roll of duct tape from John and began duct taping the knee joint wounds to stop the blood loss. He went over the scenario in his mind as he worked. “I believe in the money trail you outlined. Let’s do the details you know concerning the helicopter transfer from Cincinnati to Lebanon, Ohio. I would imagine the pilots would have to be Pakistani, and the helicopters some form of attack helicopter. What did the Pakistanis promise your bunch?”
“They guaranteed to deliver two MH-6 Little Birds slated for delivery to the Pakistani Army,” Valon replied. “Our… Isis comrades in Lebanon have two pilots checked out on the MH-6 helicopters. The munitions and rockets would be loaded in the Lebanon hangar.”
“Shit!” Nick walked around a bit, running a hand over his scalp. “Those damn birds have hellfire missiles, 70mm hydra rockets, and stinger missiles - not to mention they could have chain guns, .50 caliber machine guns, or 7.62 M134 mini-guns. They could blow the recruitment center, and then strafe civilians for a long time before anyone could arrive to stop them.”
Nick called Paul Gilbrech, explaining the situation to him. “This is beyond us, Paul. I know you have the resources to tear Cincinnati West Airport apart to find the MH-6 Little Birds. I can give the Pakistanis a jolt before leaving for Ohio.”
“Stay where you are. Find out where to meet the Pakistani shipment, and I’ll set Homeland and the FBI on the MH-6 hunt right now. I’ll put a lockdown on Cincy West while teams comb through every hangar there. When you finish with that Albanian bunch load them in their own vehicle and scorch the earth somewhere. I’ll call you the moment we find the Little Birds. Clyde Bacall will be on his way with a military jet at your disposal. I will have him call you the moment he touches down.”
“Okay, Paul. I’ll be here unless I need to fix the Pakistanis shipping problem in which case you can call me in route.”
“Understood.” Gilbrech disconnected.
Nick rejoined his grim faced companions who were still mulling over Nick’s bleak weapons description of the MH-6 and how much damage it could do. He knelt next to the very distressed Valon. “I want to know exactly where you are to meet the drug shipment at, and whom the Pakistanis expect to meet it. I’m curious how you boys figured to move the shipment without a rig of your own. Then I want the location coordinates of the Lebanon, Ohio hangar. We will take this slow and easy. Leave nothing out, including where the rest of the stash is from the other buy-ins.”
“After payment, we are to take their rig at the docks after it is loaded. They will report it missing days from now after we have unloaded and abandoned it. They will expect me to be there at midnight tonight.”
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to make it, buddy.”
* * *
Lisa sat very still, wide eyed as she watched through the back window of the SUV as the fuel tank blew on the Albanians’ Chevy Suburban in the middle of an empty parking lot. She had watched Nick McCarty execute each of the Albanians after he finished questioning the leader. The shorter man named John took digital fingerprints and photos of the dead men along with DNA swabs. Lisa made a run for it during the executions thinking McCarty would kill her next, but the black man named Gus caught hold of her arm. He told her she wouldn’t be harmed. She turned away from the burning scene as McCarty entered the vehicle and huddled into the corner. Nick patted her hand.
“You’ve seen quite a bit, Lisa. I decided to keep my friends in the Marshal’s service out of this operation. I want to see where your head is at. You’re a smart girl. What exactly did you see? Better yet, what is it your think you’re going to see?”
“Nothing!”
Nick smiled at her as the man named Gus drove away. “That’s my girl. I’ll be watching you from now on. Go to school. Get a job, and never let me see your name on my screen being a bad girl. If I do see you being a bad girl, I will make a permanent adjustment in your life. Are we very clear about your future, Lisa?”
“Yes! I understand. I…I will never do anything bad again… ever!”
“I hope for your sake that’s true, kid.”
Twenty minutes later, Gus parked in front of her house.
“Okay, Lisa, go and sin no more,” Nick said.
John opened the door for her. A moment later with tears streaming down her cheeks, Lisa watched the scariest men she’d ever imagined existing drive away, leaving her home in a place no longer boring at all.
* * *
“The helicopters are missing.”
Nick listened to the report from Paul Gilbrech while eating with Gus and John. They were a couple hours away from trapping the Pakistani Oxycontin shipment. “What’s your guess, Paul? Do you think they moved them already to the Lebanon hangar?”
Paul hesitated. “That’s my guess. Here’s where it gets tricky. I would like to send a drone to investigate the hangar lead. If it pans out I’d like to hit it with Hellfire missiles.”
Nick chuckled. “I love you, man. What did they say when you tried to get permission for that?”
Gilbrech immediately launched into falsetto whine voice. “What? Are you mental? A Hellfire missile strike in Ohio? Are you insane?”
“Yep. That’s what I figured. So much for the logical hammer hit. What would you like done?”
“Clyde will be on the ground waiting for you. He will send a car for you the moment you get clear of the Pakis
tani hit. You have been cleared to sanction everything in Lebanon relating to this threat. The same people getting their panties in a wad about hitting the warehouse by MQ-9 Reaper strike want a cold lesson delivered to the Pakistanis involving their people, armaments, and equipment. If the drone can find the helicopters already there, I’d like you to do a kill mission on the group trying to pull this off. I’ve already made sure they won’t find anyone in the recruitment building, but naturally that won’t stop them from strafing civilians or letting loose on another populated target.”
“At some point it would seem appropriate to make exceptions in the Posse Comitatus Act if we’re not going to blow these fanatical turds off planet.”
Paul sighed. “Yeah, that would be my take too, but they’d never cover what I’m asking you to do anyway. I don’t think the idiots understand if those armaments go bang in that hangar, they will be desperately sorry they didn’t allow a nice clean Reaper strike. Scorch the earth, my friend.”
“It will be messy.”
“It’s the rainy season in Ohio anyway, brother.”
“I’ll make it hot. How close does the drone have to be for confirmation?”
“Two miles, Nick. They’ll never know we’re checking on them. I’ll call the moment I know for certain the copters are in place. I hope the time frame the Albanian gave you is more accurate than his helicopter story.”
“I’m wondering if the Pakistanis are scamming their Isis brothers.”
“More likely scenario is they constantly do things a little off schedule to make sure their idiot cousins don’t leave them hung out to dry. Let’s foil that plan.”
“I’ll do what I can. Call me with the update. We’ll get to the Pakistani problem first to deliver their initial smack-down.”
* * *
“This would have been a bad op to allow Tim and Grace in on.” John parked their vehicle near the early loading semi-rig on the Seattle waterfront.
“I see five guys loading,” Gus replied. “At least we have all of the buy-in money to give to the Pakistanis in case Muerto is out of position.”
Nightmare in Red Page 9