Hard Case VII - Red Waves (John Harding Series Book 7) (4 page)

“We will, Rachel. Thank you.” Paul followed the Unholy Trio upstairs to Nick’s enclosed deck where everything for the meeting was in place, including food, beverages, and satellite uplink laptop.

Nick served the coffee. Deke followed him around until Nick sat down and then draped over his shoes with a grunt. “What’s this target business and you wondering whether I want in or not? We’ve had a busy time of it with the sand people. My guys busted them in Washington, Boston, and Ohio. John Harding’s crew stopped an atomic bomb attack on China Basin before blowing the hell out of a couple Isis compounds. Lucas sent me the videos. Before you explain though, I want one of those stealth assault helicopters with the sound system, and ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ playing while I destroy something… maybe Berkeley. There’s nothing there but traitors anyway. Just kidding! Don’t get that tormented look on your face already, Payaso.”

“Let Mr. Gilbrech talk, Muerto, and quit shooting starbursts out of your pie hole,” Gus replied.

“Payaso’s right. Go ahead, Paul.”

Over the next hour, Paul Gilbrech explained the Isis plot to be carried out on the high seas along with the difficulties and gambles involved in a counter operation. He listed all assets garnered in the event the mission became viable. Gilbrech smiled the entire time he listed John Harding’s team’s assets at sea, seeing Nick’s interest peaking as his imagination kicked in.

“That’s the whole show, Nick. The onboard part hinges on distractions such as your bestselling author status and book signing talks. We won’t have a bunch of killers on board in barracks type manner that would tip off the terrorist moles on board. Denny Strobert has luxury suites for all of you at the four corners of the Starlight, including the royal suite for you and your family, Nick. Everyone will be vacationing while enjoying all the luxurious accommodations aboard the Starlight of the Seas.”

“Count me in. I’ll have to talk Rachel and Jean into it. I’ll go on board as a single with the book signing cover if I have to. My partners Gus and John can make their own decisions. I’d love for the Unholy Trio to hit the high seas together. I can tell from the way John’s looking at me, he’s thinking of a honeymoon with Cala aboard the Starlight, right John?”

“Yes, Muerto. I would very much like to sail on Starlight with Cala. If we have to kill a couple hundred pirates, so much the better. Love and adventure, my friends – count me in.”

“I can transfer to one of the ships if you need me to,” Gus offered. “No matter what, I’m going.”

“T-Rex will never let you go, Payaso,” John stated. When Paul and Clyde looked at him questioningly, John went on. “T-Rex Tina is Gus’s wife’s nickname.”

“Not funny, Kabong,” Gus replied. “You only say it when Tina’s not around.”

“No,” John corrected his friend, “you don’t say it.”

“Gus is the best sea captain I’ve ever met,” Nick said. “He would be a real help on either assault ship. He’s piloted boats, tugs, ships, and tankers.”

“We could definitely use him,” Paul replied. “Lucas is the only real ship’s captain. The rest of the guys fill in if necessary, but they’re not expert enough for this mission. Achmed would be glad to have you pilot the Valkyrie while he coordinates.”

“Achmed?”

“Sorry, Nick. They nicknamed their IT kid, Jafar Kensington, Achmed the Dead Terrorist after comedian Jeff Dunham’s ventriloquist dummy he uses in his act.” Paul stood. “He’s a good backup pilot on the ship, but Denny told me he’s still training. You guys know as much as I do now. Great catch on those two San Bernardino shooting mimics you aced earlier. Nick told me you and your wife Cala infiltrated the masjid. That was a damn fine job getting a hint of what they planned, John. It means even more than you think. The datamining rumors mentioned a man named Gordon Gilani. We’ve learned he’s been an Isis recruiter for the past six months since coming down from Canada. Gilani stays in a masjid for a few months, then moves down the coast to the next one that will welcome him. He’s been at the masjid on Villa Street for six weeks.”

“I believe I have seen the scum,” John said. “He travels with a woman I believe to be his wife or mistress. I’ve heard the name Gordon. He was not mentioned in concert with the couple Nick killed today, but he certainly could have been. Do Muerto’s friends from the north want to speak with Gilani about the Starlight of the Seas attack?”

“Yes. We’re not sure whether taking Gilani will trigger an abort order or not. It will be a make or break element in this mission. We’ve decided if there’s any chance the mission isn’t compartmentalized away from Gilani it will be a salt the earth strike. Every name and every acquaintance will be killed to make the point. Our preference would be to bait the country or countries backing this Isis move into the open. We’re betting it’s Iran.”

“We’re finally going to do something about the bullies of the Gulf, huh,” Nick asked, standing and accompanying Paul and Clyde out of the deck room. “Are you going, Clyde?”

“Yep. I go where the director goes. He ain’t sitting this one out. We’ll be with the fleet monitoring for backup purposes.”

“This sounds like a vacation I don’t want to miss. Thanks for including me,” Nick said. “I know I’m a little outside the box but I’ll keep the Starlight secure.”

“Actually, Denny Strobert’s seen your actions. He handles John Harding’s crew in Oakland. They want you aboard. They need a proven killer to handle long range duties from the top of Starlight, along with assisting with caring for the moles aboard from Isis.”

“Oh baby… sniping from the skyscraper of the seas while sealing the deal with a bunch of murderous moles aboard a ship at sea.” Nick paused dreamily before hugging Gilbrech comically. “I love you, man!”

After a few moments of appreciation for Nick’s characteristic murderous sense of humor, Paul and Clyde continued down the steps. “We’ll have our heads in the noose on this one, Nick. I wanted you to know I’ll be right there with you. As I told Denny, I will shoot the Naval officer who follows an abort order to back you guys if we draw out the big fish. The Valkyrie will have a weapon aboard guaranteed to give you guys the edge.”

“What’s your cover story on something like that, Paul?” Nick opened the front door for his guests.

“I’ll opt for Central Intelligence business too sensitive to go through regular channels. Dedication to our men and women at sea so they know we haven’t forgotten who put them where they are. It will be a frilly cover meant only to shield the White House from scrutiny. It’s always a gamble on a mission like this when the so called leaders of the country like an idea until it hits a snag and they want to cut the line to fish another day. This ain’t that kind of mission, my friend. I’m sailing the same seas to make sure what we need for this lesson gets delivered. This isn’t a military coup, but I have military leaders on board who have given their word we truly will leave no one behind on this op – no matter the consequences.”

“I trust your word,” Nick replied.

“I appreciate that. Say hello to the Harding gang tomorrow morning. I wish I could stay for it. I have to be in front of the Senate in a closed door meeting tomorrow to explain why congress wasn’t notified of every step in yours and John Harding’s actions against Isis, even though neither outfit is listed as a CIA asset. Don’t worry. They get nada. No funding from CIA went to outside contractors, so they can’t do anything but listen to me say ‘I have no comment on anti-terrorist operations due to proven security leaks – want me to list them?’.”

“It does work nicely funding our own operations with traitor and terrorist money.”

“Indeed,” Paul replied from the steps. “This will go down very fast, Nick. Call me the moment you get the details imparted to your family.”

“Will do.” Nick watched the CIA Director and assistant until they drove away with Deke, Gus and John next to him. “This will be a hard sell for me, gentlemen. Maybe it would be best for you guys to go home for your own meeting of the minds on this. I’ll find out whether I have to do the job alone or not. It would be better to have Rachel and Jean with me for cover.”

Gus nodded in agreement but stopped short of walking out. “Are you worried about Rachel and Jean’s safety?”

“Did you just insult me?”

Gus and John both enjoyed Nick’s comic outrage. “No, but there are dangers in this at sea business with pirates using war-craft against an ocean passenger liner with saboteurs on board.”

“Yeah… to the pirates and saboteurs. You saw the assault videos on Isis compounds my friend Lucas sent us. Harding’s crew will be with us on this, many of them on board. We will find the moles first, then bait the trap with them.”

“It sounds so simple when you put it that way,” Gus replied.

“Do not disrespect the great Muerto with your petty doubts and sarcasm, Payaso,” John warned. “You have already been demoted to probationary minion status. Any continued offenses and I will demote you to costumed mascot.”

“Thank you, John. It’s good to know I will always have a treasured partner in the ‘Unholy Trio’. I’ve endured many insulting innuendos over the years from Payaso, the disgraced minion.”

Gus waved his two friends off. “I’m on to you two and this ganging up gimmick. It’s my job to point out the weak points in an operation of which there are many when Muerto is involved. Logically, there can be but one fearless and fair leader. I believe that leader should be me.”

“By what justification, pray tell?”

“You are tragically flawed, Muerto. Your underling, Kabong, is tragically incompetent. Those facts leave but one choice. Payaso must assume the reins of leadership.”

“Let’s vote,” Nick declared as Rachel and Jean joined them in the entranceway. “All in favor of Payaso leading the Unholy Trio raise your hand.”

Gus raised his.

“All in favor of Bestselling New York Times author, Nick McCarty, as leader of the Unholy Trio.”

Nick and John raised their hands as Rachel and Jean enjoyed the fixed vote. “Sorry Payaso. We’ll vote again in five years when my term runs out.”

“That voting process was a travesty,” Gus complained, heading out the door again with a wave at Rachel and Jean. “Wait until you hear about the great vacation Muerto engineered, ladies.”

“Don’t be a sore loser, Payaso,” Nick called out.

“Do not let the T-Rex Tina flog you, my friend,” John added. “After she beats you from the house, run for it. You can stay with Cala and me.”

Gus held up a one finger salute.

“I will see you tomorrow morning, Muerto. Do you have a plan for presenting this wondrous cruise to Cala?”

Nick walked John out the door with his arm around John’s shoulders. “Show her the Skyloft Suite aboard the Starlight of the Seas on your laptop. There is a whole section of YouTube videos with suites shown during a cruise. I’ve checked them out before. She’ll ask you who she has to kill to cruise in the suite. Then you tell her.”

John chuckled. “Good one, Muerto.”

Rachel and Jean waved back at John before facing Nick, arms crossed over chests, complete with grim looks. “What’s this about a vacation cruise in hell, Muerto?”

“Come with me, my dear Rachel,” Nick shooed the two inside. He opened his laptop on the kitchen table, getting into Starlight of the Seas Royal Suite section shown on a YouTube video in HD. “It’s a nine day cruise and we would have this Royal Suite.”

The two stared at the movie of a two story magnificent suite complex with huge balconies and hot tubs on the deck. Nick watched their faces with smiling confidence.
Nick, you psycho jerk, you’re luring your family aboard a ship targeted by pirates. Heh…heh… going soft? I think not
. “How do you like the accommodations, girls?”

“Who do I have to kill to get this suite,” Rachel asked in an awed whisper.

“Sit down and I’ll tell you who has to die.”

* * *

I reached to ring the bell but the door swung open. Nick opened the screen door for us with a big smile. Denny, Lucas, Clint, and Lynn came with me. We knew Nick and his crew foiled an Isis shooting episode, formulated out of a mosque in Salinas. Clint tracked Gordon Gilani, a Starlight of the Seas takeover plotter, to the same Salinas mosque. We don’t believe in coincidences. I shook hands with Nick as did Denny next to me.

“Hi, Nick. I heard we have the same pest control problem.”

“Yep. It’s good to see you, John. Hi Denny.” Nick hugged Lucas and Clint. “I see John brought some of his own exterminators with him. It looks like we’ll need you all.”

“This is my wife, Lynn.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, cowboy.” Lynn Montoya Dostiene shook Nick’s hand with her grin she saved for unknown entities.

“All of it bad I hope. I heard you have a son with Brother Clint. My wife Rachel gave birth to my son, Quinn, last June. Come in. My Unholy Trio partners are upstairs on our enclosed deck where we’ll be discussing the demise of yet another religion of peace Trojan Horse.”

Nick led the way inside, closing and locking the door before gesturing to a blonde woman with baby and blonde haired girl near Al’s age next to her with a well-mannered mutt in her arms. The girl stared at me as if I were an ogre on a day hike from under my bridge.

“This is my wife Rachel, baby son Quinn, daughter Jean, and my beer drinking buddy, Deke the dog.” Nick then gestured at our mugs while latching onto Lucas and Clint. “Lucas Blake trained me and Clint Dostiene here after I left Delta and Clint left from wherever the hell he came from. The big guy is John Harding. I’ve shown you some of his UFC fights. The guy next to him is Denny Strobert, CIA assistant director.”