Bloody Shadows

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “Nick?”

  “Yep, it’s me, your goofy husband. Did you happen to answer with our special phone?”

  “Of course, goofy. I realize when you get called away during a meal, I will have to raise the threat level to DEFCON 1. We just now came through the door, but I have the phone and jammer on. It’s green.”

  “Outstanding. You’re the best. Can you drive out to my Carmel Valley place where I have John staying later on when I call? I could ask him to give me a ride, but I’d rather be riding around with you for a host of reasons.”

  “One of them being security cameras caught you on cam everywhere between the restaurant and parking lot, huh wise guy?”

  “It’s not very nice of you to pull the smartass card on me tonight. I did buy you a lovely dinner at a great place. I didn’t request a stopover by Smith and Jones.”

  “I’m sure they deserved to be shot for picking those two names alone. Call whenever you’re ready. The meal and the story, coupled with your solving the dance dilemma means you’re golden with me and Jean. Will this be a tough one to alibi in the clear on?”

  “I don’t think so. After I make arrangements with John and Jerry, I’ll be waking our CIA Director friend Paul. He’s going to love me. I have to go. Unfortunately, I have some electronic gizmos to collect for my CIA buddy, so I have to get busy. We live in the age of GPS bullshit trackers everywhere, so I’ll have to deliver the limo to Jerry hopefully tonight if he can meet me. I’ll be callin’ soon for you to either meet me in Carmel Valley or better yet, at Jerry’s.”

  “You love all that electronic garbage. Don’t pretend, you closet geek. Bye for now.” Rachel disconnected with a laugh.

  Closet geek, huh? Nick thought, looking at the phone. I think it will be time for a pre-natal exam when I get home.

  * * *

  Jean waited anxiously for Rachel to get off the phone. She relaxed slightly when Rachel laughed while disconnecting. “Is Dad okay?”

  “Other than being the most cold blooded killer on earth, he’s fine. He wants us to pick him up at John’s when he gets done with cleanup.”

  “It’s like you said though when we left the restaurant, Mom. They’ll have him on surveillance all the way to the limo with those guys. The Wharf has cams everywhere.”

  “Jean. One thing we know about Nick: there won’t be any live witnesses. We can only guess at what he has in mind now. I’m not that fond of thinking like Nick.”

  “I am,” Jean said. “He’ll have two or three plans acting out in his head, depending on his time intervals between interactions with the rest of us humans.”

  “I didn’t ask, so it’s possible Nick has them in custody for his CIA buddy, Paul. He did mention Paul would be interested.”

  “But did he mention his friend, Jerry.” Jean giggled at Rachel’s startled look. “I can tell on your face he did. That limo will be on the way to reconstructive auto body surgery.”

  Rachel sighed, while kneeling down to pet the ever attentive Deke. “Wow, and Nick thinks I’m a smartass. Just treats tonight, Deke. We’re at DEFCON 1, so no street walks. You can ride with us to collect the Terminator later.”

  “That was a neat story Dad told us at dinner. We need to force him into telling all.”

  “I’m certain I don’t want to hear ‘all’. I’ll let you annoy him with questions about his past. I think I’ll stay with the term blissfully ignorant.”

  “Until bad guys show up at our dinner table to take us for a ride,” Jean replied.

  “Yeah… until then.”

  * * *

  John answered on the first ring. “Uh oh, did your car break down somewhere?”

  “Nope,” Nick went on with their vague discussion. “I know it’s late, but our freezer broke. I was wondering if I could put our meat in your freezer until I fix things.”

  “Of course. Luckily, I have plenty of room in the freezer.”

  “Thanks, John. I’ll be over shortly.”

  “I’ll get the freezer bags ready.”

  Nick’s next call while he dissected the tablets and phones was to Paul Gilbrech.

  “Oh boy… Nick McCarty. How are you, Muerto?”

  “Is your line secure?”

  “Did you just insult me? There’s nothing I can do about it, but did you just insult me.”

  Nick grinned. “I’m covering all the bases tonight.”

  “Sorry. How can I help?”

  “A guy named Milton Formsby hired me tonight to kill you.”

  Silence. Nick could hear the ocean nearby. “Did I say hired? Sorry, Paul, I meant tried to hire me. I figured since you were in such a playful mood, I’d trade a few with you.”

  “Not funny, Muerto. I remember Frank, the guy who decided to use his position in the NSA to take you out. He thought he was untouchable until they found him on the roadside at room temperature. I may do a number of things in this job, but ordering your sanction ain’t one of them. Thank you for not taking the job.”

  “I thought you’d get a chuckle from that play on words, Paul. My bad. It was a shocker to have a guy actually try and hire a hit on the sitting CIA Director. From the way he tried to sell me on the job, I know you must be doing good things. This clown had paid his way to my home base, gathering information that must have cost him a fortune. He found out who I was in the old days under Frank, and sent two pros into the restaurant I was eating in with Rachel and Jean to collect all of us.”

  “Good Lord. How many dead?”

  “The two henchmen and Milty. I’ll send you the pictures after we talk. The memory cards from their phones and tablets will have to ship to you tomorrow morning. I managed to take it outside to a private spot, but at least I found out he hadn’t shared my info. Even his two daisies he sent in to get me didn’t know anything other than my writer identity, and that I had been in Delta. This could work out real well for you, but I’ll need a bit of cover.”

  “You got it, Nick. What do you have in mind?”

  “I heard from Formsby you were starting a task force overseas to bring him down, including partnering with the DOJ and the IRS to take the lead here in the states. I’m going to make everyone here disappear. That will leave you with an open field to get warrants, and bring his empire down without interference. Whatever you had on him was pure gold, because Milty knew you had him. The rat in your government minion circles who thought taking you out would end the hunt for Milty’s head is Lee Collister.”

  “Holy shit! The National Security Advisor? Your advice is solid. I’ll raid everything tomorrow morning. I already have the warrants, and people in place to hit everything he owns overseas, and in the States, including his Carmel Valley estate near you. I held off, because we heard he was planning to battle us in the courts forever until he had his cleaners fix things. I have a guy at the Department of Justice I trust implicitly. He’s already told me you’re pretty popular with the Attorney General. Are you moonlighting on a steady basis now?”

  Nick made snorting noises. “Good one, Paul. Anyway, here’s the deal I need. I’ll be on security cam footage all the way from the restaurant to the limo Milty awaited my arrival in. Once you bang down Milty’s empire, the dragnet searching for him might run across my back trail. Since you now know Milty will be impossible to find, I’ll need you to steer the investigation somewhere else after they raid his places.”

  “Done deal,” Gilbrech replied. “I’ll find out what I can on Collister, but he wasn’t even on my radar. I’ve met him a bunch of times, both socially and professionally. Formsby sold anything to anybody overseas, including regimes, and terrorist enclaves in places we’re at war in. That made him a traitor, and a murderer. The National Security Advisor taking money from a bastard like Formsby can’t be allowed to stay in a position like Collister has. If I can’t get him legally, would you take the sanction, Nick?”

  “Since that lowlife Milty possibly whispered in Collister’s ear about me, I’d certainly consider it. I’m not going to commit suicide
killing him, but I’ll await any information you can gather. You’re taking a big chance going after the National Security Advisor legally. You’ll need eyes in the back of your head for that kind of caper, my friend. Stay in touch. I have to get going – miles to go before I sleep.”

  “I’ll bet. Thanks for all this, Muerto, especially not taking me as a sanction. How much did the prick offer?”

  “Twenty-five million, buddy.”

  “Lord have mercy! I would have killed myself for twenty-five mill!”

  Nick was still enjoying Gilbrech’s line after disconnecting minutes later, traveling to his Carmel Valley place where John stayed. That Paul had used Gus’s favorite exclamation of surprise at anything of a Muerto nature continued to entertain him on his way. He drove very carefully with three dead bodies sharing the vehicle with him. There was blood of course everywhere. John had the attached garage open with the light on. Nick drove in, and John closed the electronically controlled door. John had the three body-bags waiting along with a gurney near the door. Nick motioned him back.

  “I’m covered in blood, John. Hand me a wet towel, and a plastic garbage bag.”

  “There is what is called an ‘understatement’.”

  “Great… another smartass,” Nick mumbled. John returned with the towel and garbage bag. Nick wiped off his hands, put his personal things off to the side, and his outer clothing into the garbage bag. “I just bought that jacket too… damn it.”

  Nick slipped his shoes back on. He then loaded the body-bags himself, before lining them in front of the door entrance to the house. After wiping down the bags, he again wiped himself off, and his shoe bottoms. “Okay, John, let’s load them. We should never have taken so long emptying the freezer out. Gus kept making excuses about his boat. No more procrastinating for the ancient mariner.”

  John grabbed one end of the first bag. “Yes. One week later, and we would have had no freezer room. Despicable! This cannot be tolerated. The Bloody Muerto nearly left without a space for the victims of his killing sprees. Inexcusable!”

  “Very funny, John. We need to speed things along. We’ll have to load these suckers on the cart to take them out to the freezer. One day soon I’ll show you the workings in the rest of my subbasement under the trees. I have to wipe the inside of the limo down a bit before I drive it to Jerry’s place.”

  “Does Jerry know about this?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Can I listen to that conversation?”

  “No.”

  * * *

  “Hey Nick,” Jerry answered sleepily. “It’s eleven on a Sunday night. Some of us blue collar guys go to bed early when they have to work. What’s up?

  “I have a beautiful limousine which will have to be completely revamped electronically, and interior cleaning. I wiped up most of the unfortunate mess, but it will need detailed, carpets and all. No broken glass.”

  “Hollow points, huh? We’ll have to scrub it electronically though, which will be a bit tougher than the dry cleaning bill. Who do I call after it’s finished?”

  “No one. It’s yours, and it comes with twenty-five large for taking it on short notice.”

  “Good God, man… why are we talking on the phone. I’ll have the door open for you to roll in with my new car in half an hour.”

  “Perfect.” Nick disconnected, and finished dressing with clothes he kept in his other property’s closet. “Man, that shower felt good. I told you Jerry wouldn’t mind. I thought I’d have to go home with Rachel, and chance taking the limo over to Jerry in the morning. Instead, Jerry’s hopping right out of bed to open for me. How about that?”

  John handed him a small bag with the twenty-five thousand from Nick’s safe. “I’m sure the money had nothing to do with it.”

  “A small part perhaps.”

  “Shall I call your lovely wife, and tell her to pick you up at Jerry’s in a half hour?”

  “Yep.” Nick entered the limo, making sure the seat cover stayed in place. John opened the door. “See you tomorrow at the beach, John. We’ll need to talk again, but after Gus and I walk Jean to school with Deke. We must have everything natural for a couple days because of our freezer deposits.”

  “I cannot wait, Muerto.”

  Chapter Four

  Alterations

  Jerry opened his end bay door as Nick drove into his parking area. Nick continued into the open repair bay. Jerry closed the door, and waited for Nick to exit. The two men shook hands. Nick gave him the bag. “How do you like my ride?”

  Jerry walked around it slowly, contemplating it from every angle. He opened every door to peek in with mini-flashlight in hand. “It’s gorgeous. I’m glad you load your own hollow points. At this range with the cannon you pack, I would have had to part this puppy out piece by piece. This can be sanitized perfectly. “I’ll rework the electronics and tracking tonight before I go home. Damn… this is nice, Nick. I wouldn’t have needed the money to take this beauty.”

  “A deal’s a deal, and I know this sucker won’t show on anyone’s radar ever again. The girls will be by for me in a few moments, so I’ll wait outside while you get started. Enjoy, my friend, and thank you.”

  “Anytime, Nick. Should I ask if they were all bad?”

  “How should I know?” Nick waited for Jerry to quit enjoying his answer before going on. “They interrupted my dinner on the Wharf. They were up to no good.”

  “Well, brother, they won’t do that again. Say hello to the girls for me.”

  “Will do, Jer. Goodnight.” Nick walked out Jerry’s small door exit in time to see Rachel drive into the parking lot. He jogged to the rear door as he saw Jean in the front next to her Mom, and Deke the dog with his head poking out the rear passenger side window. Nick shoved in next to Deke, taking his happy canine friend immediately over his lap. “You could at least let me get belted in, Deke. Hi girls. You should have slept in the safe-room, kid. Tomorrow’s school.”

  “I know,” Jean answered with a sigh. “I wanted to see you. That was scary tonight. They knew where to find us. That hasn’t happened since we were on the run.”

  “I have the CIA Director on the case, so we’ll do what we can on our end. It may be no one will be looking around for at least a few days. The people who may look after that will run into a wall. The bad guy head was in the limo, so his employees may assume he’s gone into hiding, because he was in legal trouble. I can’t answer for secretaries, assistants, or computer logs of appointments. I would think he’d keep his meeting with me mostly secret. Paul’s taking care of the video log of my escorting Smith and Jones to the limo. There’s one suspicious guy way up the food chain I have to wait on.”

  “It’s laughable you’re the one man sanction wing of the CIA,” Rachel commented.

  “Did you just insult me?” Nick used Gilbrech’s earlier line.

  Jean giggled.

  “You’re like the CIA’s ‘Dirty Harry’, the detective in San Francisco, Clint Eastwood played long ago in the movies. Every dirty job gets funneled to you through your buddy, Paul.”

  “He had nothing to do with this, except the limo guy wanted to hire me to kill him.”

  “No way! He wanted you to blitz the CIA Director of the United States? Good Lord.”

  “That’s not all, Rach. He was going to pay me twenty-five million to do it.”

  Rachel held silence for a moment. “Are you sure you’re really all that friendly with Mr. Gilbrech?”

  “You’re getting to be quite the comedian, Mrs. McCarty. Paul claimed he would have killed himself for twenty-five mill.”

  The three of them enjoyed the dark humor for a moment.

  “We shouldn’t be talking like this in front of the Daughter of Darkness.”

  “I already gave Jean my word I wouldn’t hide anything from her having to do with her safety. This has to do with all of us. It could be a real good time to go on tour in Washington though. I’ll mention it to Ms. Kader tomorrow morning if Gus walks along and holds Deke.
I’ll help Jean get ahead of her assignments. She didn’t miss a beat on the trip back East.”

  Nick saw they were drawing near their home. “Take a tour around the block. I want to check out the parked vehicles.”

  “On it, Muerto.” Rachel steered past the house and up the steep block to the top and back down with Jean mimicking Nick’s focus on vehicles. When they completed the block inspection Rachel drove into their garage after Nick opened the garage door by remote. “Was it clear?”

  “I believe so. Let’s close the garage door. I’ll go in the house first. We can’t be too careful. I know I could let Deke check first, but he’s my beer buddy. I don’t want him taking the first hit.” Nick left the vehicle while checking the clip from his Colt. He ordered Deke to wait as he went in to check the house after disabling the alarm.

  “Hey,” Rachel called out. “I don’t want you to take the first hit either, Muerto.”

  Jean made a snorting noise. “That’ll be the day.”

  Nick returned moments later. “All is clear on the home front.” Nick kissed Jean on the top of her head. “Right this way little missy to your bedroom. I will be awakening you early. Thanks for coming with your Mom tonight. It gave me that much more cover.”

  Jean threw her arm around the lower part of her face while going into a crouch. “The dangerous Dagger, Daughter of Darkness, saves the famous El Muerto.”

  “We’re doomed,” Rachel declared to the ceiling while putting the dangerous Dagger in a headlock on the way to the stairs.

  “I don’t know about you, Deke, but I could go for a couple of beers on the deck. Care to join me?”

  At the word beer, Deke launched onto his hind legs hopping in tandem with Nick to the stairs. “I think you have a drinking problem, Fang. I may have to stage an intervention; but for tonight, we’ll let it pass. Now, get back on all fours before you break something.”