Hard Case VII - Red Waves (John Harding Series Book 7) (13 page)

“Hey brother,” Clint said. “Are you thinking about the match tomorrow night?”

“No. I’m wondering how much discussion has been going on in the Cheeseburger household concerning the surprise cruise scheduled for pirate assault. The fight is happening. I need some kind of match besides getting poked in the Bay with poles. Tommy told me the UFC Heavyweight Champion, Rock Costigan, finished off the ‘Rattler’ in the second round. He’s fighting my ‘Berserker’ tonight. I never thought Northman would hit the octagon this quickly after our fight, but I don’t blame him for doing it. I think Rock better watch out. Unless I jarred something loose inside ‘Berserker’, he’ll give Costigan all he could hope for in a match.”

“The Rock saw you take the Viking apart, DL,” Lynn said. “You made it look easy. That was one nasty lesson for the Viking. I think you knocked a few of his ‘tats’ right off his face.”

“I saw some of Rock’s fights,” Denny entered the conversation while moving out of Gordy’s cleaning operation. “He fights like that movie guy in the movie ‘Cinderella Man’. You know… the guy who played the champ in the movie, Max Baer. He gets a murderous look on his face and bludgeons his opponent of the moment into a coma. I think the Viking should have let you take the ‘Rock’.”

“Costigan’s black so he uses this phrase on everything – ‘Bad Day at Black Rock’. The media eat that shit up. The ‘Rock’ ducked Recon,” Lucas called out over his shoulder from the driver’s seat. “He’s trying to see if he can wait until Recon gets rusty waiting for his deserved title shot. We all know the beating Recon gave the Viking should have catapulted him into a title shot. Even Tommy was shocked the media and fan pressure didn’t make the UFC honchos force the match.”

“Did Jess or Dev find any fights with the Albanian Nightmare guy?”

Clint sounded like he was setting me up, so I hesitated to speak of my match opponent, Juthamah. It didn’t matter what he’d done before or what he planned to do tomorrow night. He made threats I took seriously. I knew the Oakland politicos would be in attendance so killing him in the octagon would be a tricky endeavor. I’d fix him and his backers after I kicked his head in. My friends would be a little worried about Juthamah’s record fighting. I had sworn Jess and Dev into silence about what they found because it didn’t matter anyway.

“He’s had some fights overseas. Nothing substantial,” I replied. Then I noticed the knowing grins between Denny, Clint, and Lynn. “What?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t get the truth out of Jess,” Lynn asked. “Juthamah killed three men rated in MMA overseas in underground matches to the death. We talked with Alexi already. Al Jazeera paid to have a complete broadcast at the warehouse.”

Bingo. “Is there some reason you tools decided to bait the Cheeseburger in order to get a reaction? If you two knew everything about Juthamah, why ask me anything?”

“Don’t get all worked up, brother,” Clint said while his wife enjoyed my outrage in loud fashion while pointing at me. “We have to know what’s going on for real. When Juthamah gets ready to kill you, I’ll put a slug right between his horns. We have a mission of United States prestige security. Your presence is required so I’ll let things proceed to a certain point but if you think I’m letting that asshole kill you, you’re nuts. I’m not saying you can’t take him. If he beats you fair and square, I’ll let him be if he obeys Jack Korlos waving him off. If Alexi’s personal referee doesn’t get his attention by threatening Juthamah with the sap Jack carries, I’ll get his attention with a .45 hollow point slug.”

“It would be easier if you’d tap out,” Denny stated with well thought out hesitation.

“I don’t tap out. I’m a good cog in this wheel of ours for national security but I don’t tap out for anyone. I’d like your word you won’t put a bullet through Juthamah’s head if he’s killing me, Clint. You can take a piece out of his shoulder though.”

Clint, Lynn, and Denny appreciated my alteration to the kill plan. They knew Clint could and would do so with expertise.

“You have my word, brother. I’ll clip his shoulder bone and end his career. If you don’t agree to that I’ll let Lynn get in the cage and cut his ear off.”

My monsters enjoyed that bit of alteration to my plan. “Okay… good one… now don’t kill him. I’ll get out of the damn business if I let this killer Albanian beat me. For one thing, Pappy will make my life miserable until he kicks off.”

“Damn right, Recon!” Lucas was listening. “You let that piss-ant Juthamah take you, I’ll bitch slap you into the next dimension. Then I will harass you until I die.”

I turned to Clint. “I have another idea. If I’m losing, shoot me.”

* * *

I walked into my domain with trepidation. I knew Lora and Al had a long time to chew over ramifications of traveling aboard a cruise ship certain to be attacked by pirates. They knew it was not mandatory they even get near the ship. They also knew they were cover for my presence so I wasn’t a lone wolf, six and a half foot tall ogre looking for trouble. They awaited me in the kitchen playing some card game.

“Hi. Who’s winning?” Yeah, I opted for pleasant ignorance. This family life thing was sometimes difficult to handle. I had the sense Nick endured the same difficulties.

“Dark Lord!” Lora glanced my way. “Nice to see you in one piece. Did you discuss our upcoming kill mission with the new family of assassins down in Pacific Grove?”

“Hi, Dad,” Al added with a giggle.

“If you and Al don’t want to go, you don’t have to go, Lora.” I decided I was too tired to play funny games tonight. “I’m going into the family entertainment room for a bit of the brothers Beam and Bud. If all you have to say is meant to roast the Cheeseburger for what he does in defense of this nation… save it for tomorrow when I’m in a better mood.”

Lora jumped me immediately as I turned away, arms and body at my back. “Sorry, DL. I love you. We didn’t plan to ambush you.”

“Yes she did, Dark Lord,” Al argued, jumping from her seat to kneel with palms upward in comical thrall to the Dark Lord form. “I tried to talk her out of it, but I failed in my quest.”

“You dirty rat!”

“Thank you, trusted underling,” I said in Dark Lord voice for Al’s amusement while casting my glowering accusatory stare at Lora after forcibly disengaging her from my back. “What pray tell did you hope to gain by this ambush, traitorous minion?”

“I’m still working on you retiring to work full time in Oakland Investigations… you know… our business. Forget the fights, Recon Marine bullshit, and Oaktown Cartel gangster business. Go with me into the office every day, work out a little, investigate stuff and go out with Tommy once in a while to apprehend a bond skip.”

“Gee… I remember a time when you first showed interest in me, you were all enthused about every aspect of my lifestyle,” I stated as I walked toward our entertainment room to seek counsel from the brothers Bud and Beam. “What happened to that Lora? I want her back.”

“Me too,” the former Lora mini-me stated, following in my wake.

“Fine! I give up,” Lora surrendered unconditionally… I think. “No more ragging you about your fights, secret agent status, or kill missions. You do have a few things on your plate besides getting us into a pirate war as bait though.”

Ouch. “You and Al do not have to go. Samira and baby, Sarah and kids, Anna and baby, Rachel and kids, Maria and baby, etc. – none of them are going. Dev and Jess are crewing aboard the Valkyrie without their beloveds.”

“I want to go, Dad! Don’t leave me here to fend for myself against a traitor.” Sensing doom, Al ran for it around me to the entertainment room.

I caught my traitorous minion before she could pounce on my loyal minion. “Come along dear, and drop out of attack mode.”

“You’re right,” Lora said, relaxing out of my grip. “Hey Al, I’m really getting into the Beeper’s new album. Can we play it while DL sits with us and enjoys his refreshments?”

Al gasped. “Do you mean it, Mom? Can we listen to Justin’s new album together?”

“Of course.” Lora smirked at me. “I’m sorry I called Mr. Bieber the Beeper again. I’ve been contaminated by your Dad’s continued disrespect for Justin. His music will one day be recognized with the truly great performers.”

Oh… my… God, Lora Beeperized me. I walked over silently to our bar, retrieving first the brother Bud from our small refrigerator, and then carefully poured my Beam brother in double fashion for this torturous occasion. I sipped from my brother Beam first while watching Al leap around readying our home entertainment system for the castrated cat sounds of the Great Beeper. I took some comfort knowing Lora hated the Beeper almost as much as I did. The good part of this musical horror excursion is it put me in the right frame of mind to face the Albanian nightmare: Juthamah. There’s nothing like the memory of a complete Beeper album assault to make me want to kill something with my bare hands.

* * *

Tommy retrieved me from my stronghold at ten the next evening. After a couple of Beeper pain medication installments the night before, I sat with Al. I wore a big smile on my face too because I was able to watch Lora crumple under the melodious Beeper album sounds to hit the bar a number of times for painkiller. Lora and I spent the day after Beeper madness reacquainting me with business concerns. A request came to her on Sunday, asking for us to meet with a local law firm concerning a dangerous bond skip. Lora texted it over to Tommy after reading me in on the details. We also took Al and her girlfriends to a 3D Imax movie feature. We left them to attend on their own while Lora and I had a nice lunch together nearby.

Tommy stopped in to say hello. We hit the Juthamah fight trail quickly afterward though. “Well, Dark Lord? How did your assassin get together work out? You didn’t call or anything, even after being down there to find out about the coming pirate war.”

“It went exceedingly well, Snow White Sands,” I nailed him with Lynn’s nickname tag. I was Snow White Cheese when she disagreed with anything I proposed. “I didn’t figure you were interested in details of an op you want no part of.”

“I know better, but it’s hard as hell watching all my friends leaving for the battlefield, including my fellow Snow Whites: Jafar, Jess, and Dev. I talked to Jess and Dev. They’re definitely crewing the Valkyrie. They love the armaments and armor Denny added to her. It helps for peace of mind at home you’ve already made them all millionaires. They’d probably hop a private transport just to follow your illogical careless ass. You should still have the respect to explain all the details, DL.”

“Okay. The details will wipe even the thought of going from your mind. Even Jess and Dev may have to transfer over to the Starlight rather than follow the Dark Lord on his new mission into hell.” I gave Tommy the facts of my urging to attack the Port of Chabahar. “Denny’s going to the CIA Director for permission to do the black op with some backing if we have assets in the area. You don’t want any part of going on this Missouri boat ride, T.”

Tommy grunted in an agreeable way but remained silent – only for a long moment though. “I’m in. I’ll crew on the Valkyrie all the way to Chabahar. I’m sick of this peaceful Islam shit! I want a damn piece of this action. I know you bunch. You’ll blow Iran to hell rather than do an assault half ass. If the bastards are launching out of Chabahar, our Muslim kiss asses in DC should have already blown the shit out of it as a warning to Iran.”

Didn’t figure on that but I sure as hell understand it. “You’ll be welcome to come. I doubt you’ll live five minutes after you tell Rachel you’re going though.”

“I told her last night I planned to go and why. I think she’s proud of me.”

“This is a very dangerous time for turning into Rambo, T. I can’t disagree with your motives or resolve. If Rachel allows it, then welcome aboard, brother. Lora said something about a bond skip we need to meet with a law firm about. Can’t they allow you to say yay or nay on the phone? We can do a digital signing on the contract if you think we should take the job. What’s with the face to face?”

“I tried to get that out of them today on the phone. The owner of the firm, Harvey Cantor, wants a face to face with contract signing tomorrow morning at 1 pm. I told him we may not sign at all and I’d need three hundred bucks for the turndown fee because he wants a meeting. I could tell he didn’t like my culling of the herd price, but he agreed without much other than a ‘really’ thrown in for displeasure.”

“Without him giving us at least a description, he’s lucky you didn’t turn him down flat.”

“I considered it. I admit he touched my curious nature. When’s the pirate war?”

“Two weeks, T. We’ll be taking our private jet for the trip so there will be gas stops on the way. Laredo and I will share pilot duties.”

Tommy parked in our usual spot a couple blocks from Alexi’s very nicely redone fight spot. No one would recognize it from our days fighting on dirty bloody mats in ill lit, smelly scenes of disillusionment. I used to miss the old environment but I was getting spoiled. Tonight, because of the big crowd, I’d have to be careful about ending Juthamah in front of far too many witnesses. It would be damn difficult with Jack Korlos refereeing for Alexi anyhow. We put in our earpieces so as to network with our guys. Lucas would be in his very luxurious sniper nest Alexi built for him to his specs.

“We’re trekking toward you, Pappy,” I told, Lucas. “Is everyone on?”

“Yep. Say something Achmed.”

Jafar, now known as Achmed the Dead Terrorist, spoke a moment later. “Hi John. We’re ready. The crowd showed early. The betting is heavy and Juthamah hasn’t even shown with his mob yet. It’s hard to believe how many of the well-off patrons are putting down big bets against you. Alexi thinks it’s stupid, but he hasn’t even had to give three to one. The Juthamah is only a two to one underdog. The guys all put down five grand to take all their money. Samira made me put down five big on you too.”