Nick waited until Sed entered his house before getting into the car. Rafe began making noises through the duct tape. “You’ll get a chance to speak soon, Rafe. I want to hear everything.”
Nick jabbed him in the neck with a syringe. “This will keep you calm until we show you our room of doom. Not many people get to see our special interrogation room. The number who ever see anything else is also very small.”
* * *
Rafe awoke strapped to a gurney, Nick’s horrific movie, black light show, and eerie music playing from the speakers and walls evoked a high-pitched yelp from the new room of doom visitor. Rafe looked down at his booted in feet as Nick instructed Cala and Johnny in the technique to properly insert the special acupuncture needles into the right nerve clusters at the heels.
Nick glanced at Rafe. “Oh… hi there. We’re finishing our new interrogation tool seminar. We decided not to go old school on you because we needed practice on Dr. Cruella Deville’s podiatry interrogation equipment.”
“You…you in trouble now, asshole! I’ll own you! Let me the fuck go!”
“The only reason I’m not slicing you from breastbone to your dick and pouring bleach on your intestines is none of us want to clean the mess.”
Cala waved her hand in comical fashion. “I did, but Dr. Muerto reminded me I’d be doing the dissection later for our fishing trip tomorrow.”
“You sick fucks better unstrap me!” Rafe’s eyes widened as Nick clipped the heat and amp clips onto the needles protruding from Rafe’s feet. “What the hell? You can’t do this shit to me!”
Rafe tried to move his feet, but the special booted restraints prevented all but a slight tremor of skin. Nick walked next to his face and patted Rafe on the cheek. “I have to take you through a small demonstration so you understand we do not care what you want, like, or object to. You like to beat up kids. I’m going to give you a chance to show us how tough you are.”
“You and me, McCarty! I kill bacon bits like you with my bare hands! Unstrap me and I’ll kick the livin’ shit out of you!”
“I know. I know. Easy… big fella. I can’t oblige you because I’m an assassin. The way I fight would leave you dead in the first few strikes. I need information. We know the Ray Worthum and Associates Consulting Firm, and their big client Leila Rackson-Gree, write the paychecks for you protesting troublemakers. We’re interested in that direct association. We’re also interested in any names you have pulling the strings of those worthless pieces of shit. I know the Al-Kazar family funds much of this mess. Anyway, think it over while we demonstrate our wonderful tool.”
“Fuck you, chicken-shit! I won’t tell you shit! Assassin? You couldn’t kill an already broiled steak… poser. I’ll-”
Nick started his instruction lesson, taking Rafe to heights of pain he never imagined existed. Nick altered the dosage with heat and amperage, not allowing his subject to lose consciousness, all the while instructing Johnny and Cala on the rhythm Lynn Montoya Dostiene found to be the most excruciating. Nick dialed everything down, allowing Rafe to jabber and scream his way into coherency.
“Hi, Rafe.” Nick waved. “How’d you like the demo? Want to avoid another?”
“Uh…uh… no… no! Don’t. I’ll talk! What the hell did… you do to me? I burn like I on… fire!”
“Forget playing the ‘hurt card’. Get to the detailed answers for my questions right now, or I will light you up again, tough guy.”
“Yes!” Rafe’s eyes pleaded. “We move where we’re told. I know Gree involved. That Worthum guy… I figured he worked for her. I don’t know any Al-Kazar. In DC… BLM leaders met with us. We did in El Cajon and Pasadena what we was doin’ here. Only extra thrown in here… was you. Selder, Bodie, and Reed should have got you!”
“Good so far, Rafe. The three that took the Rivers’ family captive were meant to bait me into a trap to be killed?”
“Yeah… that’s the way it was supposed to happen. They was stone cold killers. When I… heard you aced them… I couldn’t believe it! You should be dead!”
Johnny and Cala enjoyed Rafe’s declaration while Nick patted his cheek. “Don’t think about all that, Rafe. Did you hear something about a name behind Worthum and Gree?”
“Yeah… he too powerful for even you. God… I hope you do try to get him. You’ll be dead… same as me.”
“You have my attention, Rafe,” Nick said, looking at his captive with Terminator eyes. “It would be best if you stuck to facts because I am not above torturing your ass into hell.”
“Belcium Breech. I heard speak about him at the meeting where I was recruited.”
Nick gave Rafe another ten minutes of hell on earth, while thinking about a liberal billionaire named Belcium Breech, who supposedly was a great benefactor of the ‘refugee movement’ in America. Nick switched off from Rafe, allowing coherency to follow. “I didn’t like your Breech information, Rafe. Convince me. Detail the time, place, and instance of this declaration. How would a low-level thug like you hear a name like Breech’s?”
“Don’t…don’t light me up again! I tellin’ you everything! I saw Worthum and Gree at the recruitment meeting. Audrey there too. I overheard her ask Worthum about money. Gree started tellin’ her Belcium Breech frontin’ the money, but Worthum hushed her up, saying they had all expenses covered. That’s it! I swear I don’t know shit other than what I told you!”
Cala, who watched Rafe closely every second he talked, nodded in agreement. “He is telling the truth.”
Nick gave him another shot, propelling Rafe into eternity. “That was enlightening. We’ll need to check on connections between Breech and Al-Kazar money. I thought we did away with the billionaires partnering with the Al-Kazar family. Let’s prepare Rafe for fish bait.”
After their work for the morning disposal at sea, Cala drove them back to the McCarty household. Jean and Sonny met them at the door. “Is Sed okay, Dad?”
“He’s fine. We’ll make sure no other thugs get sent to his house in the future.”
“What happened to the Rafe guy?”
“We’ll need to turn him over to regular federal authorities in the morning,” Nick answered, seeing Rachel smiling, and knowing he was being set up.
“I didn’t know they had a bottom of the ocean federal authority office,” Jean remarked.
“Never mind, you. Where’s Jay and his folks?”
“They’re watching a movie,” Tina replied. “Gus is checking the Breech lead you sent him on the deck. That was a great party until the unannounced visitor. I’m glad you took that child beater down. It’s one thing to spank a child. It’s a damn perversion to beat one with your fists. They’ll be asking about Sed’s face at school.”
“I thought of that. I told him to stick with the truth.”
“Meaning he tells them that Rafe sleeps with the fishes?”
“Very funny, Cousin Itt.” Nick waited for the amusement to die down. “C’mon, Johnny. Let’s go see how Gus is doing with Breech.”
“I will stay with Rachel and Cousin Itt,” Cala said. “I will report any hint of mutiny.”
“Thanks, Cala.” Nick led the way upstairs with Johnny and Deke following. He stopped to get Rachel’s attention. “What about Deke, Rach?”
“Deke’s been out back with a bone ever since you left. He’s fine.”
Nick waved and continued up the stairs. Reaching the deck, Nick noted the smile on Gus’s face. “You look happy, brother. Did you find something helpful?”
“Payaso sits alone without the T-Rex Tina. That, by itself, puts a smile on Payaso’s face.”
“Shut up, Kabong. Breech has solid ties in Saudi Arabia and the Al-Kazar family. He’s a huge contributor to Rackson-Gree’s campaigns too. Best of all, guess where he’ll be this weekend.”
“Oh my,” Nick said. “DC?”
“He’ll be meeting with Gree for certain. I haven’t learned if Worthum will be there. We may get an indication by tomorrow morning. You were right all along. The hostage taking was mea
nt to entrap you.”
“We have to get Neil involved in this plot. He’ll have leverage to keep any more thugs from moving into either Sed or Paul’s households. Audrey Lantos is up to her eyeballs in this. The inciting to riot might stick for a fine, but I’m betting they turn her loose. The thugs will get dumped on though, with drugs and weapons charges near a school. I need to work on my agenda in DC. I’ll make sure I have official business with the Director, and stay in uniform at all times.”
Johnny looked pensive as he sat next to Gus. “Will this new player not ruin your Gree plan? If her cohorts die, it may cause a panic amongst the agencies in DC.”
Nick shrugged while pouring them all a drink, including Deke’s beer. “I can’t worry about that. If Gree’s staff duo doesn’t have anything I can use, I’ll have to go with plan B.”
“Oh no… no, no, no,” Gus replied. “No grenades.”
Nick laughed. “I’m not going to use a grenade. This will be the most subtle operation I’ve ever taken on. I know Rachel realizes we can’t have a billionaire boys’ club writing checks for my demise. At some point, they will succeed. It’s bad I was called in on the Chicago operation so close to this more immediate problem. On the upside, the two problems are unrelated. I’m hoping I won’t be gone anywhere near as long in DC.”
“We’ll look after all the incidentals on the home front, Muerto. What’s your gut feeling on this? You know damn well you won’t get a billionaire or Saudi national put in prison.”
“That’s for sure, Gus. If I can put Gree in prison, and find out if there’s a particular Al-Kazar responsible for the family still riding herd on me, I’ll deal with the billionaire in a blunt fashion. I’ll warn John Harding what’s happening down here and on a nationwide basis. How far have we hacked into Gree? I’m hoping she has some list of places the money people are sending the recruited thugs to.”
“We have made progress,” Johnny answered. “She has a pro working her security. We can only spend minutes on an intrusion. Gus and I do not want to tip her off. It may be I can use the dynamic duo staffers’ computers to network into Gree’s without an alarm.”
“Good input. I’ll make sure to establish a link before I do anything else with information gathering at the staffers’ residence.”
“I have good news on that front,” Gus said. “I managed to hack into the security system at The Avenue apartments. I should be able to find a place close to the staffers’ one too.”
“Do you think the bussed in mob was on their way to getting John Harding? They were all from out of town, and it was an ambush,” Johnny pointed out.
“Possibly, but it could also be they have another crew working right now in the schools. It won’t hurt to warn him. On a more serious note, anyone else noticing the change in Jean?”
“What ten-year-old girl doesn’t throw knives like a trained killer, fistfights with kids half again her size and wins, all the while establishing herself a leader of her own crew. Add in talking like a thirty-something assassin, assigning surveillance, and figuring out plots as fast as we do.”
“Oh thanks, Payaso,” Nick replied, putting his head in his hands.” I was hoping maybe it was just me being paranoid.”
“You and Rachel already know there’s not much you can do about it,” Gus replied. “So far, she’s making all the right choices and decisions. We have her monitored as much as possible. Sonny helps a lot in keeping her from doing stuff that might get them killed.”
“This may be a time where we should help Sed’s Mom and Paul’s parents,” Johnny suggested. “With those two remaining in her crew, we would have more input.”
“I’ve thought about it. If we blow the whistle on hired infiltrators, we may succeed in convincing the adults to get jobs they can rejoin the regular work force doing, earning a real living.”
“Social engineering?”
“What can I say, Gus? We can give it a small experimental start with Paul and Sed. It’s not like we’ll be opening our own ‘community organizer’ office.”
“I am still awed Jean is only ten,” Johnny said.
“Welcome to my world.”
* * *
“Cleanup wasn’t so bad,” Gus said.
Nick, Johnny, and Cala all enjoyed Gus’s declarative description. The kids again walked point on the way to school with Deke at their side.
“What?”
“You did not clean, Payaso,” Cala replied. “Yes, cleaning was indeed easy for you. Walking around with a rag in your hand without actually rubbing it on something is not cleaning.”
The Rivers’ home, cleaned and polished as only a professional assassin can manage, now housed the Rivers family once again. Although his Unholy Trio partners knew of his prowess, they had not witnessed his attention to detail for returning hardwood, blood desecrated floors to shining appearance of normalcy.
“Yeah, well not all of us can be proficient janitors, like Muerto. Imagine where he developed his expertise,” Gus retorted. “I predict there will be scenes in DC returned to waxed perfection by the Muerto cleaning machine.”
“Nice deflection, Payaso,” Johnny admonished. “We all witnessed your cleaning expertise in the field today. I predict Muerto will not get messy on this sensitive operation.”
“That’s the plan,” Nick admitted. “If I need interaction with the staffers, I’ll have to go old school with my new three hundred-million-volt stun-gun flashlight. I almost used it on Rafe but I wanted some extra distance.”
“I love that one you gave us. I can use it like a club too. Every woman should have one,” Cala said.
“Cala practices with it too,” Johnny added. “She hides it very well until the last second.”
“Even Tina likes that Muerto gift,” Gus said. “She likes the way it can be hidden inside a coat and has a really bright flashlight.”
“Rachel loves hers,” Nick said. “I’ve already ordered Jean and Sonny one. They’ve proven they can use discretion. If they hadn’t handled the six kids attacking them physically, Rachel and I may have been charged in court. Anyway… I need to use the less subtle interrogation method.”
“Hey, Dad… the police have a squad car in front of the school,” Jean called out as they approached. “It looks quiet today with parents and kids only.”
“Let me know if you see Sed. His Mom may want me to walk him in.”
“He’s not out front that I can see. Paul’s not around either. We’re a little early so maybe they haven’t gotten here yet.”
“I pray that’s the case,” Nick muttered within hearing of the adults only.
“I see them,” Sonny announced, pointing at a spot to the left of the school entryway.
Nick spotted the boys. Sed and Paul both waved and walked toward the McCarty crew. The police in front of the squad car noted Sed’s swollen face. They glanced at Nick’s group as the boys met them along the sidewalk. Jean huddled with her new crew members, examining Sed’s injuries with nearly medical assessment.
“Not bad at all,” Jean said. “I’ll bet you get a great scar from the one by your eye, Sed. Do you feel okay?”
“I’m good, Jean,” Sed answered. He bent down to pet Deke while glancing at Nick. “The others took off in the night, Sir. Paul’s folks waited, along with my Mom, to see if you could help us.”
“I believe I can help, but it will be finding real jobs for them. I’m not the welfare or the BLM thug bank. I want to give you all a chance here but it has nothing to do with charity.”
“I think they understand that, Mr. McCarty,” Paul said. “They’re afraid. They saw the cop car, figured we’d be safe, and dropped us off. Sed and I told them we wanted to stay. This place is awesome.”
“Okay then, we’ll work on the jobs part. Mostly, around here, it’s servers’ work. My wife works at the Monte Café. I’ll get her to ask the owner if he needs more help.”
“My Dad’s good with his hands,” Paul said.
“I have a friend who owns an auto body
and repair shop. I can check with him. In all cases, anyone lets me down, and there will be hell to pay. I hope you can convey that fact to your parents. When I vouch for someone, they better damn well step the hell up, and work as I’ve stated to their employers.”
“We’ll tell them.
“Remember to keep your eyes open. Call me if you see anything suspicious.”
“We will, Dad. Let’s go, troops. Doin’ right ain’t got no end.”
Nick simply hung his head while Jean scurried off with her flock following. “What have I done? How did I turn an innocent eight-year-old into Cruella Deville? Even after the bad times during the flight across country, one step ahead of the corporate mob and Frank Richert, Jean showed only a more solemn outlook.”
“There’s no going back,” Gus said, watching the kids disappear into the school building. “Her mind’s set. Are you allowing Jean and Sonny to attend summer camp again this year?”
“I don’t know. I’ll probably let Rachel decide. Then, when she shirks her motherly responsibility, or Jean rolls her, I’ll let them go.”
“That is so brave of you, Muerto,” Cala joked.
“We will bug everything they have,” Johnny stated. “Last summer’s adventure was too close for comfort. Maybe the kids will want to play sports when spring starts.”
“That’s a good idea,” Nick replied. “If we played some ball with all of us adults and kids, we might be able to get them interested in something besides guns and knives.”
“Good luck with that, Muerto,” Gus said. “Is Jean still haunting you about archery too like her northern minion, Al, practices?”
“Every day, but she knows things around here are too hectic for new commitments.”
“How good are you with a bow?”
“Not as good as John Harding, Cala. I watched him shoot from the deck of a moving boat. Clint told me how deadly he was on mission with it. As a long range, silent death, an arrow can be a very nasty and effective tool.”
“Then you’re very good with it,” Gus stated.
“Not from a boat, I’m not,” Nick replied. “I’ll help Jean any way I can, but if we can get her and the minions into sports, let’s do it. In the meantime, we have a boating excursion planned for this morning.”
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