Out in the restaurant, a large black man and two equally large companions, dressed in nearly matching dark gray suits, waited near the Monte’s counter. Ben and Sammy sat at a back table while Ben worked on his school papers. Sammy the werewolf guarded the restaurant, although Rachel carried a Glock 9mm and Nick packed his model 1911. The three men watched the attentive Sammy uneasily.
“These gentlemen are here to see you on official Somali Community business,” Rachel informed him with a grin.
“I am Conrad Laquab. These are my associates, Bashiir Hebel and Hanad Qarac. We need to discuss emergency measures in our community. Would you please ask the boy in the back to leave with his dog? They are unclean.”
“The boy and dog stay. I’m not so sure you three will be staying though. One more ignorant request like that and you three are out of here.”
“I really must insist,” Conrad said, as his companion named Bashiir reached under his coat.
“Don’t even think about it.” Nick drew his Colt before the three men could blink. “You’re a split second from dying. I will kill all three of you and scatter your pieces out in the ocean. You’ve made me curious. When I get curious, I get violent. Grab your suitcoat lapels with both hands and have a seat at the table behind you. Anyone who takes a hand off gets a .45 hollow point slug right between the horns. Grab and move! That wasn’t an invitation.”
A smiling Rachel pulled the chairs out for them. The three stunned men sat as ordered, hands gripping their lapels.
Without turning, Nick called back to Ben. “Send the werewolf, Ben.”
A moment later, Sammy relaxed near the table, watching the men. Rachel positioned herself at the next table at an angle with Glock in hand.
“Now then,” Nick began, “what emergency measures are you talking about?”
“We… want to be responsible for our community with our own police and laws. This new regime with your wife as mayor is unacceptable. Our mosque is raided nearly once a week and our children arrested and charged each time they play together.”
Nick merely smiled, but Rachel enjoyed the Laqab’s statement loudly. “If you don’t like our town, move. Your community will remain under the same laws as all other citizens. Your mosque is raided because it was being used as an armory. You’re damn lucky I didn’t burn it to the ground. It will continue to be inspected. As to the your so called ‘children’, they’re all young men congregating to cause trouble. They were warned. Each time we see your ‘children’ loitering, they will be arrested and charged.”
“It is very dangerous not to negotiate peacefully with us,” Conrad stated in tight-lipped anger. “In Somalia, I was a warlord of the largest contingent of private soldiers in our land. I am not a man to be trifled with. You endanger everyone you know, making me your enemy.”
“Uh oh.” Rachel sighed. “I’ll call Cala and let her know you’re coming.”
The Terminator stared at Conrad. “Thanks, babe. You are right, Conrad. I will go with you to negotiate terms making stark changes in your community. Cala, my assistant, will meet us and take care of your concerns right away. Is that your black Mercedes in front of the restaurant?”
“Yes… it is. It is smart of you to make this decision. The travesty of having Astur Jama dismissed from office was an unwarranted action, prompted by fear and racism.”
Nick stood, holstering his Colt. “Please relax your hands now. Why don’t you three get in the back of the Mercedes and let me drive. It’s not far, but rather than give you directions, I’ll chauffeur us all if you don’t mind.”
“Very well.” Conrad and his men straightened away from their chairs, avoiding the patient Sammy. Conrad handed Nick his keys.
Outside, Nick opened the rear door for them. They slipped inside comfortably. Nick went around to the driver’s side, opened the door while drawing his Colt again, and shot all three men in the head without a moment’s hesitation. Rachel watched the executions from the restaurant window, as did Ben. She talked into the phone with Cala receiving.
“It’s done, Cala. Three for the freezer. He’s leaving now.”
* * *
Cala and Johnny listened with amusement in the rear building, housing the entrance now to their torture and freezer room. After transferring the three men into body-bags, Nick busily did a surface cleaning of the Mercedes back seat while explaining what had happened. Once Cala had children, Nick paid to have a building with cleaning equipment and many accessories for their work, installed around the underground horror complex.
“Is Jerry interested in the Mercedes,” Johnny asked.
“He said he can take it right away. That works for us because Conrad’s people will be looking for him. I’ll drive and take a cab home. I know the first thing he does is reprogram the computer. Man, that was a lot of blood. He’ll be glad I did an initial cleaning.”
“Why did you shoot them? You could have said ‘I am El Muerto’. They would have had strokes and died.”
“Very funny, Reaper. I admit Conrad pissed me off. I better get a move on. Best if all of us go to DEFCON One. I don’t know how many Somali Warlords these assholes have. Whatever we’re doing is working. Rach is getting great feedback from the normal citizens. She gets death threats and hate mail from the Somali community. Jean, Sonny, and Quinn will be talking to a couple of those people today.”
“I saw the group doing the Facebook video waving guns around, claiming they’ll put Rachel in the ground,” Johnny said. “Reaper and the Trio get them, don’t we?”
“Absolutely. The kids will be handling a few of the adults with big mouths. Those Facebook stars get the cartoons.”
“You know Jian will want to come,” Cala said.
“I have no problem with that. We should make sure he remembers the old days though,” Nick said. “We’ll talk later. Gus has a lead on the Facebook gunners’ hangout. Bring the kids. I’ll order pizzas and veggie plates.”
“We’ll be there,” Cala replied. “I have to talk with the mayor. With crime and gangsters on the streets at a low point, the tourists are gradually returning. We’re thinking of a huge festival when the weather warms. Get going, Muerto, before Jerry starts calling. He’s getting cranky as hell lately.”
“Tell me about it. He nearly bites my head off when I drop off a small fortune and a beautiful car. I think he’s beginning to want a two-day work week. I’ve told him to cut all the way back, and I’d put him on the payroll. He’s considering it. See you later.”
* * *
At Jerry’s shop, Nick drove around to the rear as always with a car scheduled for disappearance. He heard raised voices inside. Nick quietly entered the rear of the shop, threading his way silently along as the voices grew louder, to a spot where he could see the speakers. Two guys threatened Jerry, who leaned away from them against a shop bench, nodding his head in agreement to what they were saying. The yelling concerned gambling debts. The two pugs voicing the threats looked to Nick like run-of-the-mill leg-breakers. I can’t have this happen to my car cleaner.
Nick joined the group. The moment the two leg-breakers saw him approach, they reached into their coats. As Conrad’s man found out the hard way earlier, they stared down the barrel of Nick’s Colt. “Grab your jacket lapels, gentlemen, or I give you both a third eye!”
They did as they were told. One started to speak, but Nick waved him off. “Shut up for a moment. Tell me what’s happening here, Jer.”
“It’s my son Cal. He’s in drug and gambling rehab,” Jerry said. “We’re praying he’s getting better. The place we sent him said Cal’s showing all the signs of making a real recovery. You and I know that’s mostly bullshit, but we can hope, right? Anyway, it cost a lot to send him to that place. These men hold his gambling debts in excess of over three hundred grand. I’m working on a payment schedule they don’t like.”
“Got it. I hope Cal makes it through this. You’ll need to keep him in lockdown after he gets out. Let me know if you need help. Quinn and Jean know C
al. They’ll help.”
“Thanks, Nick. I…I appreciate that.”
Nick, who hadn’t looked away from the pros for even a second, spoke to them next. “All you guys need is your money, right?”
“That’s it. We want the money,” the taller, older man stated, knowing a killer when he saw one instinctively. “Do I know you?”
“No… and you don’t want to,” Nick replied. “If your grinning partner moves any more, I will kill him right the fuck now. Unfortunately for you, I don’t leave witnesses.”
The older man nudged his younger companion. “Stand still. Follow this man’s directions or we won’t leave here alive! Sorry about that. Lane’s new to the business.”
“Give me a figure and your card. I will have the money delivered to you tomorrow. You can get your card and Jerry will give you a pen. Do so slowly.”
The man retrieved his card with one hand up and the other using only two fingers. Jerry handed him a pen. He wrote on the card and handed it to Jerry. “I hope your kid gets well, Jerry. I will blackball him from everything we handle.”
“Thanks.” Jerry handed Nick the card.
“Will 10 am be okay for delivery?”
“Yes. I’ll be there.”
“I’ll see you at ten. Go along now. Don’t look back, and make sure to beep your horn when you hit the street.”
“Understood.” The older man led his companion out of Jerry’s shop.
* * *
“You should have let me kill him, Donny.”
Donny beeped the horn as he drove into the street. “Don’t come to the office until noon tomorrow. I don’t want you anywhere near that guy when he drops off the money. He’s a pro, and I don’t mean a back shooter. Jerry’s connected. We need to pass the word about his kid, Cal. No drugs and no markers. That kid’s cancer.”
“How do you know that clown will even show?”
“He’ll be there right at ten. I wish I didn’t have to be. We were dead men in the shop back there. That guy, Nick… he was contemplating killing us until the time we cleared the building.”
“Maybe I’ll look the prick up and ice him for you.”
Donny stopped. “I ever hear you say anything about going after that guy again and I will shoot you in the head myself. Do you understand me?”
Lane cringed away from Donny. “Sure… I got it.”
“Don’t test me, pal!” Donny drove away from the curb, dreading the fact he would have to meet with the Nick guy from Jerry’s shop.
* * *
“I don’t know what to say, Nick.”
“You’re giving Cal a chance. Now I know why you’ve been such an asshole lately.”
Jerry chuckled, nodding his head. “You got me there. This stuff with my kid really threw me for a loop. I’ll pay you back.”
“No, you’re not. The money’s nothing. Here.” Nick handed over a fat packet of cash. “It’s our usual fee. I need the Mercedes scrubbed and vanished.”
“I’ll get it done right away, Nick. Thank you.”
“Let me know if you need anything else, Jer. No more secrets… okay?”
“Sure, Nick. I’m sorry I didn’t level with you before. I hate spewing my troubles onto other people… even friends. I thought I could handle it.”
“I think you could have with the Donny guy. He just wants the money paid. The other guy… Lane… he’s trouble. I need to investigate his background a little more. There will be people poking around about the Mercedes. Thanks for taking it on short notice.”
“Are you kidding? Go on. Get out of here and let me get to work.”
“Stay in touch, my friend.”
“I will, Nick.”
* * *
All the killers stayed on the top deck with drinks and food at Nick’s house while Ben and Sammy entertained the kids downstairs with Tina, Rachel, Cala, and Joan Chen.
“So that’s why Jerry’s been so goofy.” Gus and Johnny perused the loan sharking business of Donny Sutherland. Gus shook his head. “I don’t like this Lane Wilcox guy. He’s suspected in the deaths of two men, no convictions. He’s also been charged with assault numerous times with no convictions, other than spending time in juvenile detention as a teen in Salinas.”
“We’ll keep an eye on Donny after I deliver the money and have a heart to heart talk with him,” Nick replied. “Lane’s probably going to have an accident.”
“We’re set to visit the guy tomorrow shooting his mouth off about Mom, hinting at her death,” Jean added. “Sonny and I visited with the woman big mouth today. It only took a little baiting to get her to attack me. I smacked the shit out of her. Sonny had to break the boyfriend’s arm. They’ll survive. I charged them with attacking federal officers, filed the report, and scheduled a court date. Our buddy, Larry Brunner, in the DA’s office said he’ll work a plea deal with a fine and warning. If there are any more threats, they both go to prison.”
“Or we erase them from this dimension,” Sonny said.
“Do you want us with you on the Facebook boys, Dad,” Quinn asked.
“Not this time. The cartoons will handle them. Besides, Jian wants to reprise his cartoon guest starring role as the coolie who came in from the cold.”
Nick’s shot broke down the meeting for a few moments, with Jian having to stumble downstairs to tell his wife what Nick said. He pointed a warning finger at Nick when returning to his seat while accepting another Bushmills from his tormentor.
“I will have my revenge, white-eye, when it is least expected. Cala said she’ll be joining us in a few moments. Reaper claims to be done with politics for tonight. How did the hunt for the hangout go, Gus?”
“Piece of cake. Simpletons who make death threat videos, waving automatic weapons, with their faces hanging out, believe no one is ever held accountable. I noticed numerous clues indicating where they made their idiot video, while dancing around inside the small warehouse. Johnny confirmed it. I drove by a small office supply warehouse in the Somali hood. It’s the only one abandoned in the area. I waited a short time nearby before two of the stars stopped into their clubhouse. Four in the video, including the cameraman, switched positions so everyone could get to wave and dance with guns.”
“The facial recognition software has uncovered three of their identities,” Johnny added. “I will have the fourth in another half hour. The Facebook account was a fake, but traceable by IP address. They allowed their location to be known on FB, so I mapped the area Gus pinpointed. The three I identified have open arrest warrants on them for burglary and assault. They’re hiding in the Somali Sharia no-go zone we’ve been busting. The police tried their homes listed on the arrest warrants. Gus and I think they’re living in the warehouse.”
“Excellent,” Nick replied. “We’ll hit the streets tomorrow in Somali Sharia land, driving them indoors. If we keep the patrols going on and off during the day, the action should pin them in for tomorrow night. I’m thinking a violent statement inside the warehouse with a nice scene, complete with weapons and drug needles as if they played too hard. We’ll leave whatever vehicles and personal crap they have completely alone. It will be clear that people considering assassinating Rachel can die by mysterious means.”
“There’s no security. We can go in at will,” Johnny said. “Are you certain a quick quiet death sends a strong enough message? We could put them out in the vehicle and use an incendiary on it?”
“I like the first option, Johnny. I’d like to do the second option with them still alive, but it could point right at us and Rachel,” Nick replied. “I’ll go in after they party like good little mutants. I’ll give them a nice sleepy time shot. We’ll arrange our scene and leave them to be discovered. Maybe an anonymous tip where to find the law breakers would be in order.”
“Muerto’s right,” Gus said. “The scene he describes will be an eerie one for anyone to figure. We need Reaper to drive, first to let Muerto out to do the initial action, and second to leave us off for the scene setting while sh
e keeps driving. If Muerto hasn’t lost his ninja skills, we should be able to take care of this in minutes.”
“If I have lost a step, I will shoot them all in the head, and we’ll haul their asses out to sea,” Nick replied. “No matter what, we’re not leaving these guys alive.”
“Agreed,” Johnny said. Cala entered the room. “You will drive tomorrow.”
“Why am I always in the van? You be in the van, or make Charlie Chan drive.”
After the amusement died down at Cala’s suggestion, Jian volunteered. “I will drive. Cala the Cleaner can go in to help.”
“I’m kidding,” Cala said. “I do not want to drag smelly two hundred pound corpses around. I will drive.”
“Sonny and I will watch the kids,” Jean volunteered. “Kong has another date with Suz Bently tomorrow night. They exchanged a few sweet nothings again at the meeting. I warned him he’ll have to be careful around that Snow White.”
“Absolutely,” Quinn said. “Besides, Jay called. He’s visiting his folks. I told him I’ll take everyone out to dinner on the wharf. His wife will feel more comfortable in a setting like Fisherman’s Wharf. Janice was always wound a little tight when around our group. I’ll try and arrange some mix time with the Marine Marauders again. He was pissed missing our op with Harding’s Monster Squad on the Sharia compound.”
“Is Jay moving back to the Grove,” Sonny asked. “I thought he liked his new station, marshaling down in Orlando. He met Janice when he transferred. Her folks still live there.”
“I think I can get him reassigned if he wants. We work on a consultant basis for the West Coast under DOJ guidelines with Tim and Grace,” Nick said. “His killing of that mutant knife wielder in the store was a righteous shooting. Tim thought it would be best for him to transfer until things cooled down. Like Sonny said, he met his wife there. Jay has a lot to think about. Janice may not want anything to do with us and the Marauders.”
“Good idea with a gettogether though,” Jean said. “I’d like to have my full team again. If our actions here in the Grove work to end this Somali Mafia business, we should branch out to help other cities.”
Hell on Earth Page 31
