Cold Blooded Assassin Book 7: Hell on Earth (Nick McCarty Assassin)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  That gem delayed further discussion for a couple minutes. Even Lucas gave in as Casey began to whistle a reasonable score from ‘Swan Lake’. The Delta boys entertained with a duet as Nick joined in.

  “Enough… I want to hear more details about this Lantos,” Lucas said. “Will she attend our dock meeting if she hears from the guy we captured.”

  “Absolutely. We hacked into all her communications. She’s on her way there by car right now. They spoke in what they thought were guarded terms when Audrey checked in with Rackson-Gree. Cloaking her words, Audrey spoke of attending a fight later today on the docks, a special event with an out of town sporting audience. If Comings calls to confirm the bout with you, followed by your terrorist leader, she’ll be there with her BLM entourage. What’s your plan for them if they survive? I’ll be in DC, dancing with her cohorts.”

  “I hear where you’re headed, Muerto,” Lynn said. “You’d like to know all Lantos knows about this dirty business.”

  “If it’s possible, I sure would, Lynn. She may know where a few skeletons are in Gree’s closet. Those two have a relationship I haven’t traced down. I have a feeling it has to do with coercion of voters in Gree’s district. We don’t know how long she’s had her goon squad. She worked the last three Presidential elections as a community organizer in New York and Chicago, but Audrey’s from Gree’s district in Texas. She’s never been employed except as a contractor for political organizations or anarchist funded groups like BLM.”

  “That’s all the start I need,” Lynn said. “If we catch this bunch in the manner we hope, we’re turning them over to our FBI contacts. We’ll keep Lantos. I’ll let you know the moment I have something.”

  “Great. If I turn any rocks over and find something going wrong in your neighborhood, I’ll buzz you all right away. Cheeseburger savior supreme, over and out.”

  The prick disappeared from our screen, leaving me with my happy to abuse me crew. Lucas remained grim, promising legendary Muerto payback in the future. I could tell it was mostly just an act, but Nick rang his mentor’s bell. Jafar went to work, coordinating with Eugene for his call to go through while Lantos was on approach. Lynn rehearsed our pet terrorist, Moe. He listened intently to everything we learned so far. Moe explained how his contact with Lantos in the past took place, during the week, when she first outlined the plan to him by satellite phone.

  “Lantos has a spot picked for the bout if Comings succeeded in baiting you into the fight. It would be in full view of the Zing Zoe, where we were to kill all of you the moment she gave the signal,” Mirdad explained.

  “What’s the signal?”

  Moe raised his hands straight in the air as if surrendering to someone. That particular ploy pissed Lucas off. “That Ferguson turd! Naturally, she’d use a lie as a signal. I hope we get the bitch alive for Crue to question.”

  “We need a few of the others too,” Denny added.” It took nearly an act of God for Paul to convince Homeland to keep the Zing Zoe under guard, but allow the crew to proceed with their normal duties. Sam and Janie backed Paul, pointing out we succeeded in saving the crew, and turning over Gashi and Raho. Our in the know FBI agents helped immeasurably. We need to give them some more solid convictions in this mess. There’s no telling how long they’ll keep Gashi and Raho under wraps. One word from them to the outside world and we’re screwed.”

  Eugene’s call went through without incident. He told us Lantos seemed ecstatic Eugene succeeded in drawing me into the match. Lantos set the bout for 9 pm, with Rattler’s promise to make sure I would be there with as many of my crew as possible. We followed confirmation from Eugene with Mirdad contacting Lantos, reporting the Zing Zoe docked and his team awaited her instructions. Lynn felt making an ego maniac like Lantos feel in charge would help allay any suspicions. The ploy worked perfectly. Lantos directed Moe to have the snipers in place from 8:30 pm through the signal to fire. Jafar threw us a curve then.

  “Guess who Audrey Lantos is related to?”

  “Spit it out, kid. We’re not playing twenty questions,” Lucas admonished.

  “She’s Roland Lantos’s niece. All the pieces dropped into place the moment Muerto sent the records of her Mom in Texas. She was married to Roland’s older brother, who died years ago. Audrey’s Mom passed away a few years ago too, but not before she made Audrey into one of Roland’s agents here.”

  Roland Lantos, former billionaire anarchist, died in our custody of violent, unnatural causes. “Great job, little brother. I wonder if she knows we did in her Uncle.”

  “I think we can safely assume that’s true, Cheese,” Denny said. “It explains why Rackson-Gree seems joined to Audrey’s hip. She must have inherited what we didn’t steal from Roland.”

  “I know we couldn’t steal everything Roland had,” I said. “I doubt she wields the same money power he did, but possibly enough to become good buddies with Rackson-Gree. Audrey has a stake in this if she suspects we killed Roland.”

  Knowing the players’ background helped considerably. Eugene agreed to riding along with us. Lynn accompanied Moe to the meeting as the onshore terrorist partner, acting as go between with the terrorists from Nick’s area and Moe’s new arrivals. Audrey brought along a contingent of six BLM members as backup. I didn’t mind. We met her contingent at the appointed spot on the dock.

  “Are you ready for the bout, Harding?”

  “We make the rules, Lantos.”

  “That’s what you think!” Lantos hands shot into the air as she smirked at my face. When nothing happened, she comically pulled her hands down and repeated the hands up gesture.

  We enjoyed the show. I brought everyone with me, including Lynn’s minions. The killers fronted everyone else. I wanted to sell our trap. I took that moment to have Lynn bring Mohammed Mirdad forward. By the gasp of recognition, I saw Lantos knew her supposed sniper boss by sight. She looked ready to run for it. Her colleagues stupidly went for their weapons. I shot the one in front in the head.

  “Don’t draw or we kill you all!” I repeated the order until they stopped movements. They were covered by my Monsters who had drawn weapons before the men we faced could blink.

  “Do your little dance now, assholes,” Lucas shouted. “Reach for the sky, pansies, and say ‘hands up, don’t shoot’! Do it, or I start shooting!”

  One look at Lucas taking aim, and they followed orders perfectly. Lynn walked over to Audrey with a big smile. “Turn around and put your hands together behind your back, Tweety-Bird. You’ll be coming along with us.”

  “The hell I will!” Lantos tried to turn regally and hurry away.

  Lynn shot her with the Taser needles. She cranked Lantos, who collapsed in a heap, before doing the electric Watusi. Lynn knelt next to her as Sam and Janie joined us. Jafar, Samira, Tommy, Jess, and Dev helped her six comrades into their restraints. Lucas, Casey, and Clint watched the six with weapons trained. They were searched in blunt, rough detail, their belongings and weapons put on the pavement in front the owner. Sam and Janie bagged everything themselves while Samira and Jafar took pictures, prints and DNA samples.

  “What we arrested for?”

  “You can play dumb if you want,” Sam said. “I’m black, so keep mouthing stupid shit all the way to a holding cell. Any of you give me a bad time, I leave you with the real Monsters. You’re under arrest for an attempted deadly ambush of federal officers. If you don’t like the charges, I’ll leave you here, no problem.”

  One look at Lucas’s anxious face, backed by killers Clint and Casey, and the speaker shook his head. “No man. We go wid’ you. We be out in no time.”

  Sam smiled. “We’ll see. We knew where you were staying. You only today checked into the Jack London Inn. Guess what was happening at your rented rooms while you’ve been ambushing federal officers? That’s right. We hit your places with a team that left no stone unturned. You are all paid conspirators in a terrorist plot, including the importation of stolen military war grade weapons. Listen to me while I read
you your rights.”

  Sam did just that. “Do you understand these rights as they have been explained?”

  Sullen silence. Samira stopped recording, smiling at Lucas, who charged forward into our captives’ air space. “Listen up, pussies! Either acknowledge your rights or I take them away from your sordid asses forever! You won’t be asked twice. We’ll take you some place no one will ever hear of you again! When my friend starts recording again, I better hear you weasels bark out ‘yes, sirs’. Is that understood, meat?”

  Every one of them straightened at Lucas’s in your face drill sergeant routine. It was a good thing, because he wasn’t bluffing. All of them acknowledged. Samira began recording again. Each one Lucas stood before barked out ‘yes, sir’. Sam and Janie took custody of their six prisoners with our Snow Whites acting as utility guards. Tommy, Dev, and Jess were killers. They weren’t Monsters. They would protect Sam and Janie until the prisoners were secured for transport.

  Sam closed in on me. “What about the ringleader. She would be a big prize, John. I’m getting word we hit the jackpot at her rental. I’m keeping McCarty apprised because I don’t want him to do anything hasty. Word is he’s been assigned the Worthum/Gree case in DC.”

  “We’ll have more to add in an informational sense. I’ll reach you the moment I think we can deliver her with only an attitude adjustment. It may not be possible, but I’ll have the best ever working on it with her new interrogation tool that leaves no marks.”

  “We don’t give a shit what you do to her,” Janie stated. “We know our government’s compromised with Saudi and terrorist money. Getting Rackson-Gree can act as a warning to the rest of those looney-tunes in our Congress. If we don’t get the traitors now while this refugee infiltration goes on, they’ll be arming them out of the Mosques with the weapons you confiscated. No word will be issued about any of this until Marshal McCarty finishes his undercover assignment in DC. Then, the shit hits the fan.”

  “Uh… with Audrey Lantos… uh, what do you think is the chance of doing another ‘Hollywood Bounty Hunter’ handoff with Lynn?”

  “Wow, Sam, you’re getting a star complex,” I needled him for Janie’s appreciation. “I’ll request it of Director Deville when we’re through with our reeducation process. I’m certain if the opportunity arises with Lantos’s cooperation, the Director will film it.”

  “Did you know the show’s up for an Emmy for the last episode Janie and I did?”

  “I heard. That will be an exceptional lift because a couple of McCarty’s crew are involved in the filming.”

  “Yes. Johnny and Cala,” Sam replied. “They are incredible. They worked with us on a one on one basis. We looked very good in that episode. It helps the Bureau’s public persona immensely.”

  I clapped a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Yep. I’m betting the Bureau is first and foremost in your mind, Sam. Take care of our prisoners.”

  “Will do.”

  Lynn and Clint straightened Audrey to her feet as the rest of us joined them. She vibrated slightly while sobbing about police brutality, lawyers, rights, too little gas, not enough oil, climate change, polar bears… blah… blah… blah. Lynn gripped her nose, shaking her face.

  “Shut the fuck up! We don’t give a shit about terrorists’ rights, especially when they try to ambush us. Did you notice your friends have been taken into federal custody, and yet you’re still with us? Because Moe here has been extremely cooperative, he will avoid being reeducated. Our boss, Denny will take him into custody. He will be helping. We know you’re Roland Lantos’s niece. Did he have another account we didn’t know about? You seem to be a well-heeled little terrorist.”

  “I’m not tellin’ you shit, bitch! You Gestapo bastards don’t scare me!”

  “Very soon, Tweety-Bird, you’ll be far beyond scared,” Lynn explained with a sigh. “I need to help a friend of ours with information you have, ASAP. That means I don’t have time to trade one liners with you anymore. Do you want to take Moe now, or do you want to meet us over at Pain Central, Denny?”

  “I’m taking Moe with me now. We’ll be comparing what the Homeland Security search and seizure obtained from Lantos and her crew to what Moe knows. Give me a call if you need confirmation on anything.”

  “Okay. C’mon, Tweety, we have work to do. You’re riding along with us, right Cheese?”

  “They have enough agents on board the Zing. We’ll wait for T, Dev, and Jess to get through with their walkalong. Then we’ll ride over with you to Pain Central in the ready van. That way, Denny can take the SUV now.”

  “I’m not going with you!” Tweety made another error in judgement. “Call the cops to take me in!”

  “You mean the same cops you BLM assholes ambush, Tweety,” Lucas asked, arms folded over chest, shaking his head. “Disgusting.”

  “It’s you mediocre negroes that disgust me, Uncle Remus!”

  Lucas chuckled. “My friend Lynn is going to make you pay for that remark, Tweety. She will teach you respect you never learned at home.”

  Lynn took a deep breath. Clint had stopped her from body slamming Audrey at that remark, whispering “Later, babe.”

  Lynn took Audrey’s arm. When she tried to struggle, Clint took her other arm and Lynn flashed her butterfly knife out to show Audrey. She then put the tip through her pantsuit at the rear end. Audrey screamed when she felt the tip at her ass. “If you’d like, I’ll teach you something about respect right now, Tweety. You move your ass where I tell you or I will do an emergency episiotomy to smooth the way for your second obedience lesson later. Do you understand, Tweety?”

  Audrey nodded her head, while staying stock still.

  “Good. Clint will guide you. I’ll take the rear. Go along nicely and I won’t have to give you a sharp goosing.”

  Clint led Audrey to the action van. By then, we had Tommy, Dev, and Jess with us again. They enjoyed hearing about the exchange and subsequent obedience lesson. The Audrey slam on Lucas amused them the most, with Jess repeating Casey’s favorite line, “Sucks to be you.”

  Lynn’s minions took charge of Audrey at Pain Central and prepped her for interrogation. They were experts at everything to do with Lynn’s podiatry torture clinic setup, including positioning the needles. To say Lantos screamed in protest when the needles were inserted would be an understatement of the highest order. She knew during prep the game of demands ended. Quays gagged her for Dr. Deville. Lucas and I assisted.

  Lynn waved cheerfully at Lantos. “Here we are, ready to go. You’ve been a very naughty BLM terrorist. I must introduce you to my podiatry interrogation so you’ll know how everything works. Those needles inserted in your feet go to both heat and electricity. They will give you an entirely new outlook on life. You might have been able to avoid this by being cooperative and not insulting a man who is like a father to me. Once I give you an introduction, you’ll be able to make a choice to be helpful, or be juiced until your head explodes. When I ungag you after the treatment, you better have some incredibly interesting facts about your relationship with Worthum and Rackson-Gree. I also want to know what plan was in effect with those containers of weapons. I’ll have Mirdad to confirm anything you say. Let’s begin, Pappy. Crank her up.”

  After fifteen minutes of stop and start heat and electricity to her nervous system, Lantos wanted to tell us her life story. Lynn, however, didn’t want to waste time on guesses. She took her through forty-five minutes of hell, varying everything while keeping Audrey from passing out. We waited fifteen minutes for Lantos to regain some semblance of sanity. It was one of the most gruesome interludes Lynn had ever done, without killing her subject. Audrey was warned once more what was expected of her before I removed her gag.

  “I’ll tell! Gree took money… took money from my uncle… to sell information handled in her Homeland Security Committee. She warned… him about anything they planned. I worked as her contact between Worthum and my Uncle. Worthum and Gree laundered money in the billions for my Uncle. She has a se
cret safe no one is supposed to know about at her office. It contains all the information on the operation. I learned of it through Pamela Stallings, one of her staffers. Pam and Eric Strickland… they took my Uncle’s money… to spy on Gree. I acted as the go-between.”

  “Not a bad start, Tweety,” Lynn said. “What does Worthum have on Gree?”

  “Ray… he knows the charity Gree uses as a slush fund. She’s defrauded the charity of over a million dollars. It’s fake anyway. It has something to do with education for the poor or something. Most of the money is siphoned off from government education programs. He owns her because he has proof she uses the charity to launder money and defraud the government.”

  “What about this BLM assassination ambush today? What the hell was that all about?”

  “We know your crew killed my Uncle. I hired the Yakuza fighters to challenge Harding with money from a Al-Kazar family working with Ray Worthum. When that and our bussed in protest failed to provoke the confrontations and riots we wanted, Belcium Breech contacted us. He knew of the killers being sent after the McCarty guy and your crew. We think they got him. I volunteered… ah… you know… to get Eugene Comings as bait. The killers were all to meet here after your crew was ambushed.”

  We liked they thought the killers took out Muerto. Fat chance. Lynn didn’t enlighten her. “What about the weapons?”

  “They were meant for distribution to Mosques across the country for concealment, especially in places like Dearborn, Michigan. If any armed resistance to Sharia Law no-go zones becomes a problem, Isis and The Muslim Brotherhood planned to distribute them to their people already in place to launch guerrilla warfare. BLM would get them too.”

  “You’ve been helpful, Tweety. If what you have told us proves true, you may get to live. Our FBI contacts have enough for a conviction sending you to prison for a long time. Pray that they do. One thing you need to know is if you don’t get your ass into prison, we will hunt you down, and I will torture you to death. I know what you may be thinking. Oh yeah… I’ll get into federal hands, get my lawyer, tell ‘em I was tortured, deny… deny… deny. The day after you walk free, you’ll be back in my clinic, and Tweety, believe me, you don’t want that. We can show you some videos of bad folks who thought they could screw us. They took a long time dying.”